Monday March 1, 2010 and Tuesday March 2, 2010
Today we took a 4 hour drive northwest to Mmubende to visit more villages. Bonnie arranged to stay back and go back to the baby house and then spent the night with Christine Atherstone, a missionary we know who lives here.
The ride to Rakai was scary at times due to the constant rainfall and muddy conditions. There is a reason Ugandans pray before departing on a road trip! But Moses, our driver, would put stunt car drivers to shame.
At the first village, Muleete, we met Pastor Wilson who has planted over 72 churches and schools to date. He has an incredible life story. Back in the times of Idi Amin’s torturous rule ('70's), he persecuted preachers of the gospel. Amin’s soldiers would scout local villages to look for pastors or believers and put guns to their head and tell them to stop or die instantly. Those who refused were either shot right there in front of everyone or imprisoned.
Pastor Wilson was imprisoned in a tunnel that had no windows and a solid gate on either side of the tunnel. There were hundreds of men in there. They were held captive for a total of 96 days with no food or water. He won’t speak of the atrocities that occurred in that tunnel in order to survive.
About 5 days into their capture, the gate was opened and a soldier announced “Tomorrow, 70 of you will be executed” and then closed the gate. The prisoners, knowing it was their last day started worshipping God and continued to sing and worship all night. The next morning, the gate next to Pastor Wilson was being jiggled open but the soldiers were not able to open the gate. It was jammed. So they heard the soldiers walk to the other side of the tunnel and open the other gate. Can you imagine the horror of the prisoners hearing their approach?
The soldiers pulled 70 men out of the tunnel, executed them and then stuffed them back into the tunnel and locked the gate. So now, for the remaining 91 days, the prisoners were locked in the tunnel with rotting corpses.
Take a break right now and process that. This is persecution for your beliefs.
On the 96th day, when they were released, Pastor Wilson thanked God for sparing his life and devoted himself to preaching the gospel and taking in the orphans of Uganda. He personally currently cares for 27 orphans in his home. The churches he plants are responsible for caring for thousands of orphans.
He is an amazing live testimony of dedication to the Lord and His work here on earth.
At the Kachungwa project, the men of our mission group assemble 2 HUGE water tanks to capture the rainfall and supply the school and orphanages with much needed clean water.
Pastor Wilson told us that in this area, 1500 kids die EACH year due to Malaria and other diseases that come from the unclean water. These 2 water tanks will likely save many lives.
While they did that, we spoke with the ladies. They clapped in excitement when I was introduced as a dentist from America who came to see them. It is very odd and humbling all at the same time. I taught the ladies about the importance of keeping their mouths clean because it is the gateway to the rest of the body. They were very receptive to the information and were so excited when I passed out toothbrushes, toothpaste and flossers. One lady even jumped around in her seat, laughing and clapping.
Two other ladies in our group spoke as well about business and then we prayed for them. Because they were so thankful for the information, they broke out in spontaneous worship songs and just blessed us with 20 minutes of singing and dancing. A drummer heard them and came in to add percussion with his African drum. It was amazing!
That night, we spent the night in a “hotel” which was really a “no-tell motel”. It was really quite disgusting but we survived it and went back to Kachungwa the next day.
The following day, while the men finished the water tank project, Janice, Mary and I set up a dental clinic in the church. Yesterday, prior to leaving, I screened 400 orphans and students. Today, the surrounding villagers heard I was at the church and showed up because they wanted to be seen as well. It is very awkward to have people bowing before you in appreciation for looking after them. They are so grateful and bowing is a sign of respect.
I ended up removing 30 teeth either due to infection, gross decay or fracture. We had to turn a lot of people away due to time. But we passed out a lot of pencils and toothbrushes and toothpaste.
As we were packing up, I was called over to look at a little girl who is very sick. She was sleeping in the church because she and her mom were kicked out of their village because they didn’t want to catch whatever the little girl had (which is unknown because she can’t afford to the doctor and there isn’t a doctor for miles).
The little girl was sleeping and the mom and sister were wiping her with cool rags. She has a high fever and an extended belly much like the malnourished children here do. However, family members say that they do feed her and she does eat well, so they don’t know what is wrong with her. Of course, I wasn’t much help but they wanted any doctor to look at her. The best I could do was pray for her and they were eager for it. Their faith is all they have.
Many of the people in the church surrounded her as I laid hands on her and we all prayed. It was heartbreaking to know you can’t do anything for her and she will likely die in the next few days.
As we headed back to our bus, we could barely board it as the kids had surrounded it and were singing praise songs thanking God for bringing the Muzugnus (white people) from America to care for them.
The pastor thanked us for leaving our families and risking our lives to help the people of Uganda. He got choked up and I did too. They really appreciate our efforts there and were so grateful.
How grateful are you today? Do you know someone you can help without expecting anything in return. Try it. It’s an amazing feeling!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Bethany Village
Sunday 2/28/10
Today we went to Gaba Community Church for services. It was just as you would imagine an African church service to be - a long joyful worship celebration. We look like total stiffs compared to them. It was really fun to watch and to let loose and participate.
Pastor Peter spoke about God’s sovereignty and it was really powerful. The church actively participates in the sermon by shouting “Amen” and “Praise the Lord” whenever the desire strikes them. It was a lot of fun.
After lunch, we took a 30 minute boat ride across Lake Victoria to Bethany Village, the prettiest of ARM’s projects. We pulled up to a scenic dock and were met by palm trees. After a short walk, we came upon the different homes where the orphans live. Each home has about 15 children living in it and a house mother to care for them. The houses are well kept and the children well behaved.
What is missing in these homes in a father figure. There are so few men compared to women here mostly due to the AIDs epidemic. They are in need of married missionaries to become house parents in these homes to model married life to the kids. So if you feel a calling to do that, contact ARM.
Bethany has a medical clinic that is only really stocked to treat certain things for the orphans. It’s better than nothing but it is not a fully functional clinic. They also have a church and school onsite. The area seems well maintained, they even sweep the dirt roads!
We learned more about their child development program which develops the orphans spiritually, physically, emotionally and behaviorally. They are intentional in the school and it’s very nice to see my sponsorship dollars at work.
To learn more about these villages, visit the ARM website.
Today we went to Gaba Community Church for services. It was just as you would imagine an African church service to be - a long joyful worship celebration. We look like total stiffs compared to them. It was really fun to watch and to let loose and participate.
Pastor Peter spoke about God’s sovereignty and it was really powerful. The church actively participates in the sermon by shouting “Amen” and “Praise the Lord” whenever the desire strikes them. It was a lot of fun.
After lunch, we took a 30 minute boat ride across Lake Victoria to Bethany Village, the prettiest of ARM’s projects. We pulled up to a scenic dock and were met by palm trees. After a short walk, we came upon the different homes where the orphans live. Each home has about 15 children living in it and a house mother to care for them. The houses are well kept and the children well behaved.
What is missing in these homes in a father figure. There are so few men compared to women here mostly due to the AIDs epidemic. They are in need of married missionaries to become house parents in these homes to model married life to the kids. So if you feel a calling to do that, contact ARM.
Bethany has a medical clinic that is only really stocked to treat certain things for the orphans. It’s better than nothing but it is not a fully functional clinic. They also have a church and school onsite. The area seems well maintained, they even sweep the dirt roads!
We learned more about their child development program which develops the orphans spiritually, physically, emotionally and behaviorally. They are intentional in the school and it’s very nice to see my sponsorship dollars at work.
To learn more about these villages, visit the ARM website.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Straddling the Equator
Saturday 2/27/10
This morning we took a 2 ½ hour drive to Rakai which is southwest of Kampala along Lake Victoria.
Lake Victoria is the 2nd largest freshwater lake in the world. The first being Lake Superior. Lake Victoria is beautiful but the waters are murky. But that doesn’t stop fisherman from catching Tilapia out of it. Lake Victoria is also where the Nile River originates. We will get to see that later on in the trip.
On our drive southwest, we stopped at the equator and took pictures. Bonnie and I have a picture of us straddling the equator, one foot on the North Hemisphere and one foot on the South Hemisphere. It was very cool.
We also saw a demonstration of the magnetic pull at the equator. There were 3 makeshift sinks – one north of the equator, one on the equator and one south of the equator. When you poor water into the sink north of the equator, water will go down the drain clockwise. When you are south of the equator, water will go down the drain counter-clockwise. When you are on the equator, the water drains straight down – no swirling!!! It is awesome to see it in action. What is amazing is that these portable sinks are only a few feet apart so it’s wild to see the difference!
We encountered some rain along the way but nothing major today. We are here during their rainy season so it rains some each day. There has been some nights of heavy rains but during the day it’s not too bad. The biggest problem related to the rain is the mud. There are no paved roads here so it’s very muddy when it rains.
The first school we visited in Rakai is in the middle of nowhere. There is literally an open field and a concrete building with no doors or windows covering the openings. Most buildings like these have tin roofs. One of the classes takes place outside so there are tables and desks outside and then an outhouse.
Speaking of outhouses, I’m sure many are you are dying to know if we’ve used the poncho. Luckily we haven’t had to yet. But the bathrooms here leave much to be desired. They are stalls with a hole in the ground the size of a baseball up to the size of a softball. There are no flushers, no lights and no running water…so forget the toilet paper. Luckily we were given toilet paper and wipes by some of you, so thanks! They came in handy!!!! If you’re wondering, yes…you squat over the hole and hope for good aim. Our quads have gotten a good work out.
So, back to the school - the children are lovely. One little girl ran up to me and clung to me the whole time I was there. The school feeds them a mid-morning breakfast of a slice of bread, an egg and hot milk. After they ate, their choir performed for us. Their voices were incredible and their joy in performing for us precious.
We passed out the pencils that were donated by the girl scouts and the kids loved them. On our way out of the school, they walked us to their wire gates and waved us off. Outside the gates were 2 boys who are not sponsored through ARM and they just stood there the whole time we were there and watched the school kids. They were dirty and unkempt. We noticed a stark difference between sponsored children and non sponsored children in terms of cleanliness and even just the hope versus despair on their faces.
I wish so much that I could upload the pictures. When I get back, I’ll put together a slide show of all these things.
We visited 2 other schools and then stopped at Trudy’s village where Trudy’s mom and other family members prepared a feast for us. They made way too much food. The feast that was prepared for us was what they would make for a wedding celebration. It was yummy. The pineapple here is sooo sweet!
Speaking of food, there is no lack of food here. There is lack of money to buy the food due to poverty but there is no lack of food. In fact, the portions they eat and serve us would be enough to serve me and my 2 sons! The servings are about twice the size you would get at Cheesecake Factory. The diet is very starchy and a little protein, which is more expensive.
Trudy’s family was very gracious and hospitable. Their property was smattered with banana trees, pigs, coffee trees, jack fruit trees and their family cemetery.
Tomorrow we will go to Gaba Community Church which is pastored by Peter Kasirivu, the founder of Africa Renewal Ministries.
This morning we took a 2 ½ hour drive to Rakai which is southwest of Kampala along Lake Victoria.
Lake Victoria is the 2nd largest freshwater lake in the world. The first being Lake Superior. Lake Victoria is beautiful but the waters are murky. But that doesn’t stop fisherman from catching Tilapia out of it. Lake Victoria is also where the Nile River originates. We will get to see that later on in the trip.
On our drive southwest, we stopped at the equator and took pictures. Bonnie and I have a picture of us straddling the equator, one foot on the North Hemisphere and one foot on the South Hemisphere. It was very cool.
We also saw a demonstration of the magnetic pull at the equator. There were 3 makeshift sinks – one north of the equator, one on the equator and one south of the equator. When you poor water into the sink north of the equator, water will go down the drain clockwise. When you are south of the equator, water will go down the drain counter-clockwise. When you are on the equator, the water drains straight down – no swirling!!! It is awesome to see it in action. What is amazing is that these portable sinks are only a few feet apart so it’s wild to see the difference!
We encountered some rain along the way but nothing major today. We are here during their rainy season so it rains some each day. There has been some nights of heavy rains but during the day it’s not too bad. The biggest problem related to the rain is the mud. There are no paved roads here so it’s very muddy when it rains.
The first school we visited in Rakai is in the middle of nowhere. There is literally an open field and a concrete building with no doors or windows covering the openings. Most buildings like these have tin roofs. One of the classes takes place outside so there are tables and desks outside and then an outhouse.
Speaking of outhouses, I’m sure many are you are dying to know if we’ve used the poncho. Luckily we haven’t had to yet. But the bathrooms here leave much to be desired. They are stalls with a hole in the ground the size of a baseball up to the size of a softball. There are no flushers, no lights and no running water…so forget the toilet paper. Luckily we were given toilet paper and wipes by some of you, so thanks! They came in handy!!!! If you’re wondering, yes…you squat over the hole and hope for good aim. Our quads have gotten a good work out.
So, back to the school - the children are lovely. One little girl ran up to me and clung to me the whole time I was there. The school feeds them a mid-morning breakfast of a slice of bread, an egg and hot milk. After they ate, their choir performed for us. Their voices were incredible and their joy in performing for us precious.
We passed out the pencils that were donated by the girl scouts and the kids loved them. On our way out of the school, they walked us to their wire gates and waved us off. Outside the gates were 2 boys who are not sponsored through ARM and they just stood there the whole time we were there and watched the school kids. They were dirty and unkempt. We noticed a stark difference between sponsored children and non sponsored children in terms of cleanliness and even just the hope versus despair on their faces.
I wish so much that I could upload the pictures. When I get back, I’ll put together a slide show of all these things.
We visited 2 other schools and then stopped at Trudy’s village where Trudy’s mom and other family members prepared a feast for us. They made way too much food. The feast that was prepared for us was what they would make for a wedding celebration. It was yummy. The pineapple here is sooo sweet!
Speaking of food, there is no lack of food here. There is lack of money to buy the food due to poverty but there is no lack of food. In fact, the portions they eat and serve us would be enough to serve me and my 2 sons! The servings are about twice the size you would get at Cheesecake Factory. The diet is very starchy and a little protein, which is more expensive.
Trudy’s family was very gracious and hospitable. Their property was smattered with banana trees, pigs, coffee trees, jack fruit trees and their family cemetery.
Tomorrow we will go to Gaba Community Church which is pastored by Peter Kasirivu, the founder of Africa Renewal Ministries.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
AIDS vs. Malaria
Hey guys, we just returned from back to back "out of town" trips. Here is the post from Friday 2/26/10.
AIDS vs Malaria
At breakfast, Johnny, the Executive Director of ARM, told us about a man he met who lived in the epicenter of HIV/AIDS. Growing up as a boy in Uganda, he remembers his village and a neighboring village having animosity toward each other. Back then, and still today, the villages of Uganda were steeped in witchcraft and promiscuity.
One day, the neighboring villagers came over and put a curse on the village. The following week, three people on his street died. The villagers believed it was because of the curse so the leaders of the boy’s village went over and put a curse back on them. The next week, several people in that village died.
In Ugandan custom, when there is a death in the community, someone from your family must attend the funeral to pay respect to the dead. He remembers for a period of time, his family was going to funerals nightly!
As it turns out, these people weren’t cursed, they were dying of AIDS. It was spreading rampantly due to promiscuity.
Unfortunately, this problem remains today. One of our leaders, Trudy, is a native Ugandan who now lives in Minnesota. She has lost 6 siblings to AIDS and currently has another sister afflicted. Most of the children under the care of ARM have lost their mothers and fathers to AIDS. If these orphans were not taken in and cared for under ARM sponsorship, they would be “street kids” left to wander the streets, susceptible to child sacrifice as recommended by witchdoctors, who believe that sacrificing children will bring prosperity and heal illnesses.
Can you imagine if you and your spouse died today, how would your young child survive? I know you are finding this hard to believe but trust me. I am seeing these conditions with my own eyes.
Today we drove to Masaka, about a 2 hour drive, to a hospital known for treating pediatric AIDS. Prior to our visit, we met with the Chief of Staff and his nurses and other hospital facilitators. He mentioned that in addition to the AIDS clinic, he wanted to bring awareness to the rest of the hospital. While focusing on the AIDS crisis is worthy, he feels that the “glamour” of AIDS (helped by people like Bono, etc) overshadows the bigger crisis in the area, Malaria.
As it turns out, more kids die each year of Malaria than of AIDS. Malaria is a preventable and curable disease. Parents just don’t recognize the symptoms or can’t afford the treatment which consists of a pill regimen.
So, we decided to see a few wards of the hospital.
We started in the AIDS clinic, where the waiting room is outdoors with just a small roof to cover the seats. It was full and most patients there, young children, have walked to the clinic by themselves due to not having caretakers (likely, parents died of AIDS or Malaria). I saw a 7 year old girl holding hands with her 4 year old sister and she is clearly mothering her as she wipes the dust off her dress. The sadness in their eyes is heartbreaking. It’s as if they are just going through life’s motions. There is no joy or spark in their eyes.
There are also grandparents who have brought the children they care for due to the death of their parents.
The hospital staff encouraged us to pray and encourage their patients, so Johnny, our fearless leader, started talking to the 150 people in the waiting room. This hospital currently treats 10,000 AIDS patients. There are no beds for this ward. Patients just show up for their medicine and wait their turn in this waiting area.
As he started talking, through an interpreter, you can tell he was empowered by a higher source and started preaching the gospel message of Jesus’s love for us. Everyone clapped and shouted “Amen”, throughout his message. The faith of these sick and dying people is amazing. Even a Muslim grandfather stood up and thanked us for encouraging the people of the community.
Our team passed out quilts made by a church group in Minnesota. This brought so much joy to the patients. And they thanked us profusely and bowed on one knee as we gave them their blankets. One mother was so excited to receive a blanket for her daughter that she jumped up and down and laughed with pure joy!
After that we headed to the maternity ward which consists of about 20 beds in one room. You give birth there in front of everyone. There are no private rooms, no monitors, no ice chips and no cribs. Just you, your family and everyone else giving birth that day. After you have your baby, you bundle it up and it stays on your bed with you.
We passed out blankets there, too. They were overjoyed. One lady sat up to give one of us a hug and we noticed that she had 2 blankets but only one baby on her bed. As we went to get the extra blanket, someone else told us that she was having twins and was currently laboring to get the other one out!!!! Hello?! She was so thrilled to see us that she wanted to sit up and hug us during her pushing!!!
At the other end of the room, I noticed that a few ladies hadn’t received a blanket. So I walked over to give them one. One lady, covered only from the waist down by a sheet, thanked me for the blanket profusely. She had no baby on her bed. It died during childbirth. So here she is now, in the same room as mothers with 20 new born babies, just having lost her child. It’s unimaginable to us in the States.
Then, we headed to the children’s ward. Before entering, we were warned that this was going to be a difficult thing to see. The stench as we walked into the ward was stifling. Parents littered the hallway holding their sick and crying children. This is also one big room with 2 dividers. There are 52 beds but 87 patients admitted, so mothers hold their sick children in the hallway.
The listlessness and lethargy of the sick children is heartbreaking. If a child had any energy, they cried tears of pain. Most of our team was brought to tears. Medications (read “shots”) are given in the hallway in front of everyone else.
We prayed for the children in the bed area and passed out beanie babies that were donated to me for the trip. The mothers were thrilled to receive the gift, the children too sick to care.
As we were leaving the ward, we were stopped by the parents in the hallway who told us we couldn’t leave yet because we hadn’t prayed for their children yet. These people were desperately coveting our prayers. So, of course, we prayed.
Needless to say, the bus ride home was very quiet as we mentally processed what we just saw. There is no way to prepare for that experience. There is also no way to accurately describe it. I hope this gives you a glimpse.
Today, hug your child. Praise them and be grateful for their health. No matter what you are going through today, these people are experiencing worse…everyday.
Friday, February 26, 2010
A Fish Out Of Water
A Fish Out Of Water
Today I went to Wentz Medical Clinic for the day to do dentistry in their “clinic”. I use that term loosely because there is one room with a dental chair and very few dental instruments. There is no dental assistant. Thank God, Dr. Ken, one of the part-time dentists there was there to help me. Bonnie ended up going back to the Loving Hearts Baby Home and as the day wore on I became jealous that I wasn’t holding those precious babies all day!
Dr. Ken is a fantastic dentist given the conditions within which he works. Although his accent was thick and culturally, Ugandans are very soft spoken compared to us loud Americans, we got along well. He warned me that they “improvised” a lot due to lack of funding and supplies.
This, of course, was the understatement of the year. This place makes the Free Clinic look like a state-of-the-art facility. There is an x-ray machine but I don’t know why, we didn’t take one x-ray all day. As far as I can tell, no one gets one. They even have a computer (I think the one I used to own in 1990- j/k) but I wouldn’t see a need for it since we didn’t turn it on.
There are few instruments and once they are used, they soaked in water in a plastic basin in the sink until we run out. Then they get sterilized. I wasn’t invited to see the sterilization area (hmmm…) but the instruments came out hot so something was done to them. There is no bagging of instruments, no wiping down between patients, no cold sterile and no patient bibs. In addition, we literally used the same handpiece and bur all day on everyone. He used my Lysol anti-bacterial hand foam to wipe it down between patients, I think mostly to appease me. We also used the same 3 plastic suctions tips all day (remember, there is no cold sterile so they just soak in bloody water in between patients).
There is no articulating paper, just bite and grind. There is no floss. There are no toothbrushes (only the ones I brought). The toothpaste I brought was prescribed as a fluoride treatment. Teeth that would have been surgically removed in the US are “man-handled” until they come out.
I did a root canal - there is no rubber dam and the endo files have caked on debris from previous use. If you feel pain during treatment, that’s too bad. There isn’t enough anesthetic for you to get more than one injection. In fact, you’re lucky that you got one at all. Many patients had work done without being numb (not by their choice).
Did I mention that the suction apparatus barely works. It’s more for looks, I think. The overhead light went out mid-day. Luckily, I brought a camping headlight to illuminate the working field. After lunch, the dental unit stopped delivering water to the handpiece and the air/ water syringe but that didn’t phase Dr. Ken and it didn’t stop us from doing fillings the rest of the afternoon.
Needless to say, it is SO DIFFERENT here. I asked Dr. Ken to alternate procedures with me so I could learn from him. He stated that he’d prefer learning from me but then acquiesced when he started to gather that, as a spoiled American dentist, I was completely out of my element.
In terms of the overall experience, I realized how wasteful we are in the US. They use EVERYTHING here, even when it’s unusable. The money just isn’t here to live or practice any other way. Dr. Ken loved the gauze I brought but used only one 2X2 until it was barely recognizable. I offered him more but he refused. Whenever I mixed IRM for him, which they use as a base under amalgam fillings, he told me I mixed too much. Mind you the mix I made was about ½ of what I would have mixed back home.
I find myself feeling guilty that we have so much and are so wasteful with what we have. Considering the treatment environment and experience, I also find myself awed at how grateful our patients were that we would see them!
Back home, we practice within medico-legal considerations. In Uganda, you get what you get and you wouldn’t even dare question the doctor. In the US, the doctor gives you all your options. In Uganda, the dentist tells you what you’re going to get and expects no crying or carrying on. We cater to our patients much more in the US.
Overall take home message today…thank God each day that you have access to the caliber of care that you do. Thank God that you have choices. Thank God that you live in the land of plenty and consider donating to those who are not as fortunate to have been born on your continent. We have it good!
Tomorrow we will take a 2 ½ hour bus ride to another town where there is a big pediatric AIDS hospital. We will be delivering blankets to the kids and loving on them. If you’re like me your probably wondering why they would need blankets in Africa. Isn’t it hot?!
The weather here has been great. It’s not too hot but very humid. Today it rained on and off all day and tonight was very cool. Bonnie and I both put long sleeves on!
We will be spending tomorrow night in the town by the hospital so, we won’t have internet access. I’ll post again in a couple days.
Thanks for following our journey!
Today I went to Wentz Medical Clinic for the day to do dentistry in their “clinic”. I use that term loosely because there is one room with a dental chair and very few dental instruments. There is no dental assistant. Thank God, Dr. Ken, one of the part-time dentists there was there to help me. Bonnie ended up going back to the Loving Hearts Baby Home and as the day wore on I became jealous that I wasn’t holding those precious babies all day!
Dr. Ken is a fantastic dentist given the conditions within which he works. Although his accent was thick and culturally, Ugandans are very soft spoken compared to us loud Americans, we got along well. He warned me that they “improvised” a lot due to lack of funding and supplies.
This, of course, was the understatement of the year. This place makes the Free Clinic look like a state-of-the-art facility. There is an x-ray machine but I don’t know why, we didn’t take one x-ray all day. As far as I can tell, no one gets one. They even have a computer (I think the one I used to own in 1990- j/k) but I wouldn’t see a need for it since we didn’t turn it on.
There are few instruments and once they are used, they soaked in water in a plastic basin in the sink until we run out. Then they get sterilized. I wasn’t invited to see the sterilization area (hmmm…) but the instruments came out hot so something was done to them. There is no bagging of instruments, no wiping down between patients, no cold sterile and no patient bibs. In addition, we literally used the same handpiece and bur all day on everyone. He used my Lysol anti-bacterial hand foam to wipe it down between patients, I think mostly to appease me. We also used the same 3 plastic suctions tips all day (remember, there is no cold sterile so they just soak in bloody water in between patients).
There is no articulating paper, just bite and grind. There is no floss. There are no toothbrushes (only the ones I brought). The toothpaste I brought was prescribed as a fluoride treatment. Teeth that would have been surgically removed in the US are “man-handled” until they come out.
I did a root canal - there is no rubber dam and the endo files have caked on debris from previous use. If you feel pain during treatment, that’s too bad. There isn’t enough anesthetic for you to get more than one injection. In fact, you’re lucky that you got one at all. Many patients had work done without being numb (not by their choice).
Did I mention that the suction apparatus barely works. It’s more for looks, I think. The overhead light went out mid-day. Luckily, I brought a camping headlight to illuminate the working field. After lunch, the dental unit stopped delivering water to the handpiece and the air/ water syringe but that didn’t phase Dr. Ken and it didn’t stop us from doing fillings the rest of the afternoon.
Needless to say, it is SO DIFFERENT here. I asked Dr. Ken to alternate procedures with me so I could learn from him. He stated that he’d prefer learning from me but then acquiesced when he started to gather that, as a spoiled American dentist, I was completely out of my element.
In terms of the overall experience, I realized how wasteful we are in the US. They use EVERYTHING here, even when it’s unusable. The money just isn’t here to live or practice any other way. Dr. Ken loved the gauze I brought but used only one 2X2 until it was barely recognizable. I offered him more but he refused. Whenever I mixed IRM for him, which they use as a base under amalgam fillings, he told me I mixed too much. Mind you the mix I made was about ½ of what I would have mixed back home.
I find myself feeling guilty that we have so much and are so wasteful with what we have. Considering the treatment environment and experience, I also find myself awed at how grateful our patients were that we would see them!
Back home, we practice within medico-legal considerations. In Uganda, you get what you get and you wouldn’t even dare question the doctor. In the US, the doctor gives you all your options. In Uganda, the dentist tells you what you’re going to get and expects no crying or carrying on. We cater to our patients much more in the US.
Overall take home message today…thank God each day that you have access to the caliber of care that you do. Thank God that you have choices. Thank God that you live in the land of plenty and consider donating to those who are not as fortunate to have been born on your continent. We have it good!
Tomorrow we will take a 2 ½ hour bus ride to another town where there is a big pediatric AIDS hospital. We will be delivering blankets to the kids and loving on them. If you’re like me your probably wondering why they would need blankets in Africa. Isn’t it hot?!
The weather here has been great. It’s not too hot but very humid. Today it rained on and off all day and tonight was very cool. Bonnie and I both put long sleeves on!
We will be spending tomorrow night in the town by the hospital so, we won’t have internet access. I’ll post again in a couple days.
Thanks for following our journey!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
An Overwhelming Day
Wow, I don’t even know if I’d know how to put today into words. Let me start off by saying that after a team meeting and briefing, we were taken on a tour of a few of ARM’s projects in the city of Kampala.
Our first stop was the “baby house”. This ministry called Loving Hearts Babies House takes in abandoned babies. The home currently has 5 babies under 12 months and one little girl 18 months old. When mother’s give birth to a child that they either can’t afford or don’t want, they abandon them. Often leaving them in the streets. The police and local clinics work with the home by notifying them so that they can take the child in and nurse them back to health. Karo, the 18 month old girl, weighs under 8 lbs. She is the cutest girl ever but is so malnourished and failing to thrive. She has been at the house for 2 weeks and has shown tremendous improvement thanks to this wonderful place.
What a way to start the morning! Talk about getting serious! The children are beautiful and behave typically for their age. They want to be held and played with and rocked while drinking their bottles. In fact, many of the toys they have are very similar to what my boys played with at that age. The sponsorship for this home was donated by a Southern California family. But they continue to need donations to keep this valuable service going.
The caretakers are phenomenal and genuinely love these children. It was quite humbling so see such pure love.
We ate a delicious lunch there. It was basically some beef stew; rice, beans, some kind of green cabbage and a tomato and avocado salad. It was very good!
After that we visited the Wentz Medical Center where we saw a boy suffering from malaria and learned about the medical challenges in the community. They do have one dental chair with equipment and I will spend some time there tomorrow.
After that we visited the Gaba Bible Institute where a friend of ours is the principle and then went to do a heart wrenching project….pass out food (thanks to Children’s Hunger Fund – an amazing organization) to the needy in one of the slums of Kampala.
Everywhere we go, we are attract kids as if we were rock stars. Kids call out “Muzungu!! Muzungu!!” and wave at us. Muzungu means “white”. Many of these kids have never seen a white person before so we draw quite a crowd of followers. Most of the kids grab our hands and walk with us and want to touch our skin and grab the men’s arm hair (Ugandan men don’t grow hair on their arms). They also wonder if our skin color is real or if we’ve painted ourselves.
Everyone is very friendly and the kids love having their picture taken because they want to see it immediately on our cameras. The kids who can afford to go to school learn English so communicating with them is not too difficult.
To many of these kids, meeting a Muzungu is a privilege because they think all white people are rich. Some of them have even bowed at our feet as a sign of respect.
The slums are indescribable. Pictures and explanation do not do it justice. People live in rented homes the size of my boy’s bathroom with many, many family members. During the day, the kids run around outside and play in the street where goats, chickens and cows roam freely. The streets are littered with trash and when it accumulates, they burn it. There is always an odd odor in the air, although, I was expecting it to be worse, so I don’t find it offensive at all.
Streams run through the slum but they are loaded with trash and animal excrement. But that doesn’t stop the kids from exploring them. We even saw children playing “king of the mountain” on a sand hill that must have been left over from a construction project.
Illnesses in this area are rampant due to the conditions and poverty. One lady I met, Anna, who we delivered food asked us to pray for her leg. She broke it 5 years ago and couldn’t afford to go to the doctor to get it fixed so she has been lame for 5 years. She sits in her doorway and watches life go by. Her leg is deformed where the break is and remains significantly swollen when compared to her other leg.
She also asked us to pray for her daughter, Sara, a beautiful 17 year old who has been having pain in her left breast for some time.
We also visited Patricia who is likely younger than me and has been experiencing noticeable tremors for 7 years. She can’t do anything because it makes her dizzy. She also can’t afford to see a doctor (Wentz Medical Clinic charges $1.25 for a visit; the other hospitals charge $15). So, she lives with it and continues to give a contagious smile. But she believes in the power of prayer and asked us to pray for her.
As we were leaving the slums, kids followed us to our bus. I’m struck by how amazingly beautiful they are. In Hollywood, they would immediately have agents. But they will likely continue to live in these slums their whole lives.
That is why Africa Renewal Ministries (ARM) is so wonderful. Through donations (92% of their sponsorship comes from the US), they currently house, feed, nurse and educate 5200 kids in Uganda. Their goal is to have 7000 kids under sponsorship by the end of the year.
For what we ladies pay for a pedicure each month, you could be saving a child’s life, literally. About $40 a month feeds, clothes, educates and covers the medical expenses of a child who should have every opportunity in life as our own children do.
Please consider them when making charitable contributions. I’m seeing it with my own eyes. These are organizations that work.
I have so many pictures to show you but the internet here is dial up and pictures don't load well. So, when I have better luck, I will post some.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
First Impressions
Everything has gone smoothly so far. It was very cold in London but we managed knowing that we would soon be on the equator!
All of the African people we met on our 8 ½ hour flight to Entebbe airport were lovely! We met a man named Ceasar who had been on a business trip to Spain and was returning home to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. He was very congenial and proud to tell us all about his country and all that we would encounter. He even told us about the history of political unrest but reassured us that conditions are stable and that we should have no problems.
Our flight had a lot of young children and a lot of missionaries from various organizations. I noticed a Caucasian husband and wife who were likely in their 50’s, who had adopted 2 African children (a boy and a girl) when they were infants. The seemed to be roughly 5-6 years old and they were returning to Africa for the first time for a visit. They were so sweet!
All of the travelers were very polite and well dressed. I realized how causal and often aloof we are in the US.
As we deplaned, we were struck by the humidity. Since we were all wearing our London gear, we soon began to feel uncomfortable, but at least it wasn’t too hot. And wouldn’t you know Bonnie and I were bit by mosquitoes within the first 30 minutes of landing! Luckily we are both taking the malaria pills. Malaria, a preventable and curable disease kills 320 Ugandans a day! Yes, that’s right A DAY! Mostly, this is due to lack of education on how to reduce the risk of getting malaria and getting treatment.
All of the team and their luggage arrived safely and we were met by Africa Renewal Ministries (ARM) staff with buses to take us to our guest house. Along the 1 ½ hour ride from the airport to our cottage, we saw a lot of nightlife, mostly men, hanging out, listening to music at local pubs and even gambling! I spotted a small “casino”. It looked like our US laundry mats except with slot machines.
The nightlife seems to go well into the night as we we’re driving through town at 1 am and the party seemed to be in full force. We noticed very few women out and even noticed an obvious “lady of the night”.
As we drove along Lake Victoria, the breeze was refreshing and we were thankful for it. While we drove through darkness, I did notice that the silhouette in the distance looked much like Southern California’s hillsides with scattered lights. I can’t wait to see what it looks like tomorrow in daylight.
Our guest house is very nice. Bonnie and I are sharing a room to ourselves. Our beds have mosquito nets and a fan! We feel very blessed to be in such nice accommodations.
All of the African people we met on our 8 ½ hour flight to Entebbe airport were lovely! We met a man named Ceasar who had been on a business trip to Spain and was returning home to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. He was very congenial and proud to tell us all about his country and all that we would encounter. He even told us about the history of political unrest but reassured us that conditions are stable and that we should have no problems.
Our flight had a lot of young children and a lot of missionaries from various organizations. I noticed a Caucasian husband and wife who were likely in their 50’s, who had adopted 2 African children (a boy and a girl) when they were infants. The seemed to be roughly 5-6 years old and they were returning to Africa for the first time for a visit. They were so sweet!
All of the travelers were very polite and well dressed. I realized how causal and often aloof we are in the US.
As we deplaned, we were struck by the humidity. Since we were all wearing our London gear, we soon began to feel uncomfortable, but at least it wasn’t too hot. And wouldn’t you know Bonnie and I were bit by mosquitoes within the first 30 minutes of landing! Luckily we are both taking the malaria pills. Malaria, a preventable and curable disease kills 320 Ugandans a day! Yes, that’s right A DAY! Mostly, this is due to lack of education on how to reduce the risk of getting malaria and getting treatment.
All of the team and their luggage arrived safely and we were met by Africa Renewal Ministries (ARM) staff with buses to take us to our guest house. Along the 1 ½ hour ride from the airport to our cottage, we saw a lot of nightlife, mostly men, hanging out, listening to music at local pubs and even gambling! I spotted a small “casino”. It looked like our US laundry mats except with slot machines.
The nightlife seems to go well into the night as we we’re driving through town at 1 am and the party seemed to be in full force. We noticed very few women out and even noticed an obvious “lady of the night”.
As we drove along Lake Victoria, the breeze was refreshing and we were thankful for it. While we drove through darkness, I did notice that the silhouette in the distance looked much like Southern California’s hillsides with scattered lights. I can’t wait to see what it looks like tomorrow in daylight.
Our guest house is very nice. Bonnie and I are sharing a room to ourselves. Our beds have mosquito nets and a fan! We feel very blessed to be in such nice accommodations.
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