Friday, September 21, 2012

The Ezekiel 37 Medical Ministry team arrived in Uganda late at night on Thursday,

September 20th.  We're still smiling after 28 hours of travel.

 All of our suitcases and supplies arrived with us this time.  Praise God!!!

 This year's team: 

Back Row:  Don Lourcey, PA and Dr. David Dietrich

Front Row:  Dr. John Maceluch, Becky Carreira, Rebecca Vaught, OT,

Joelle Peltz, RN, and Brandy Riggins, LPN

 With 21 suitcases Henry and Gabriel did a great job by renting a truck to carry it all.

 Henry, the Executive Director of Mercy Uganda

  Gabriel, the Field Director of Karamoja for Mercy Uganda.

Henry and Gabriel are vital to the success of Mercy Uganda and Ezekiel 37 Medical Ministry.  These two men are amazing men and we are so blessed to know them.

 Our accommodations at Banana Village.

(Don't mind the date on the pictures...the camera was a little off)

This man is a friend of Henry's who has had a broken femur for over a year.  We are working to see if we can get him to an orthopedic surgeon and have surgery to repair it so he can have a better quality of life.  According to Dr. Dietrich it's a 30 minute surgery in America and this poor guy has suffered for over a year.

We went to visit Namugongo Shrine to the Uganda Martyrs.  There were 24 Catholics who were killed in the late 1800's because of their faith.  Most of them were burned to death.



The light under the altar is the exact spot that St. Charles Lwanga was burned.

They built the church around it.

Gabriel with his wife, Ann, and son, Loyan.

Dr. Dietrich and Becky with their Godson, Loyan.

Such a proud Daddy

This is Nicki and James.  Nicki went on the trip with the Ezekiel 37 Medical team last year and knew that moving there to work with Mercy Uganda is what the Lord was calling her to do.  Nicki and James got married in July 2012 and moved to Uganda in August 2012.  They live in the house behind Gabriel's and seem to have settled in nicely.  The Lord has big plans for them and they are listening and following.



Wide load coming through.  It always amazes me what Ugandans can carry on a motorbike

("boda boda" as they are called in Uganda).

The men who make these wood carvings are extremely talented.

We've never seen anything like this done there before but evidently these were custom orders for someone who will have his cargo shipped to another country.  Both the dining table above and the storage chest below.  I think the chest would make a lovely coffee table that doubles as extra storage.

Beautiful end to the day....

While the team was running all of our errands, shopping and visiting, Henry and Ronnie (and our drivers) were driving to Karamoja with all of our suitcases, supplies, and goodies that will be used during the visit.

It took them 28 hours to make it to Karamoja when it normally takes about 12 hours.  It had been raining a lot in the Karamoja region and the roads were obviously impassable.  Being the men that they are, they never told us it was that bad until we saw the pictures after we left Uganda.

Stay tuned for more blog posts about our trip.  I think it's easier to do it

day by day since we have over 2500 pictures....

Blessings,

Becky