Batende Evaline's Photo

oops! sorry folks i am new at this blogging thing. so let me try and attach Batende and Kazini's photo with their goat they received in April!  pat abbottfile:///Users/pat/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library/Modified/2008/Roll%20184/IMG_0360.JPG

A Timely Rescue

A Timely Rescue
I (pat Abbott) was in the ART (Anti Retroviral Drug where people living
with HIV receive their life extending drugs and education about HIV) clinic
last week and met a young 25 year old, veteran Kwejuna Mom (HIV+) named
Batende Evaline. Evaline was admitted in the Hospital in a very bad
condition. She was not eating or drinking because everything she put in came
back up. I was devastated about her condition wondering how she slipped so
quickly into such a state without our notice. (I had personally handed her a
goat in the April distribution. See photo) I sought out a counselor and
advocated for her to get the ARV Drug Counseling so that the next week she
could be initiated on the drugs in the clinic that will extend her life. I
prayed for her many times over the weekend and returned on Monday to see how
she was doing. She was NOT there, she had gone home. I was sure this meant
she had gone home to die.

The next day I was in Evaline¹s home area of Bunyangule for an HIV/AIDS
Education Out Reach and asked the PEER Educators (HIV+) friends if they
could take me to see her. I was nervous expecting the worst. We crossed two
rivers on our 20 minute journey to Evaline's father¹s home where she lives.
We were welcomed and given seats. I spotted her among the 7 or 8 adults and
her one year old Kazini Robert toddling around. She came and sat down with
us. She smiled and she was so shocked to see me. She told me that her
stomach was feeling much better and she was drinking goat's milk and juice
with no problems. She was so delighted that we had come to see her, she said
it three times. I prayed for her and her family before we left reminding
them of God¹s love for the poor and weak. So yesterday in the ART clinic (a
week later) she came with her father and they were given more teaching on
the use of the the Anti-Retroviral Drugs that will prolong her life and sent
home to recover and gain what she has lost in recent months!
Thanks be to GOD! We get a lot of encouragement mileage out of these rescue
stories! Thank you too for being part of Batende Evaline and Kazini Robert's
lives through your generous gifts and prayers!

IMG_0360.JPG

Pat Abbott
P.O. Box 1142
Bundibugyo, Uganda
East Africa
011-256-772-622-330

------ End of Forwarded Message

Through the river and through the woods

…to buck stations in Busunga we went!

Heidi and I discussed and agreed that “Over the River” sounds better. The bridge over the Lamia River has been gone for quite some time. Lamech walks his motorcycle across, but I have to dismount and wade in the water. There are dozens of helpful young men standing around shouting “Madame! Madame, let me carry you!” How exactly are they proposing to manage that? Throw me over their shoulder? No thanks! All the other women are carrying bundles of firewood on their heads and backs and they seem to manage well. Besides, the water is only half a meter deep, so my title remains “through the river…”

But I digress.

Lamech and I spent the afternoon visiting some buck keepers in Busunga. These volunteers house high-grade male goats and keep a record of the local goats that are brought to mate. The buck keepers also follow up on all of the offspring so Lamech can tag them the next time he visits. All of the baby goats receive Lamech’s veterinary treatment when needed, and so we were often flagged down to de-worm a “nearby” goat. “It’s not far far, just there,” says the buck keeper, gesticulating to a hut in the distance.

It was so encouraging to see Lamech’s dedication in visiting not only the 300+ female goats the Matiti project distributes, but also all of the offspring of local goats and the high-grade bucks. Four times a year, every goat is de-wormed and receives the proper vaccinations. Anytime a goat is sick, the recipient goes to their local buck-keeper to call Lamech for assistance. Looking at the buck keeper’s records, it’s easy to see how the numbers of higher-grade dairy goats are increases.

We visited one woman who was the recipient of a Matiti goat. Smiling toothlessly, she showed us her personal records of how much milk her goat was producing daily, and her smiling child, the glad recipient of said milk.

I unfortunately forgot to bring my camera along, but I shan’t make that mistake next time.

Sarah

Meet Sarah.  She has been with us in Bundibugyo for over a year now, teaching our  missionary children at Rwenzori Mission School.  As her teaching load is lightening, she is taking on many BundiNutrition activities.  She’ll be overseeing procurement of food for feeding centers, overseeing activities of the extension officers in charge of the farms, BBB production teams, goat programs, and feeding programs,  keeping financial accounts and reporting to the home office.  As I (Karen) have been handing my responsibilities over to Sarah this past month, it’s been great to see how capable and willing she is.

 

Next week, I will be leaving Bundibugyo and will be moving with my family to Southern Sudan (www.whmsudan.blogspot.com) to lead a new team.  Our hope is to serve the community there as they rebuild after decades of war and hold out the hope of Christ.

 

I go knowing that BundiNutrition remains in good hands with Sarah, Jennifer, Heidi, Pat, Scott , Lamech and Pauline.

 

My great thanks to all of you for your faithful prayers and giving that are the backbone of this ministry.  May God bless you.

 

2 Corinthians 9:9-11

" 'They share freely and give generously to the poor. 

Their good deeds will be remembered forever.'

For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat.  In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.  Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous.  

And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God."