Under a Mango Tree

On Friday I had the opportunity to head into the nearby district for a community health care clinic. It was an obstetric clinic that started at 10am. So we naturally set off in the Landrover at 10:30! I went with two nurses Shambira and Scholastica to Wakayamba. We unloaded the various bits and pieces on to the side of the road and the vehicle drove away. They surveyed the scene and decided that under the mango tree was the most appropriate spot. Approximately 7 mothers attended in the next few hours to have their babies immunised and routine check ups. I had the role of tying the scales to large branch and then weighing the children from appropriately sized slings. More difficult than it looks. They must be balanced in the sling or they precariously fall forwards/backwards which is quite nerve wrecking. Then it began to rain and although the tree provided a little protection we moved to someone’s porch. Anyhow, the clinic finished up and we called to get picked up. The woman who lived next door provided us with groundnuts to snack on while we waited, for two hours!! I enjoyed the experience although quite different to working in the community in Edinburgh.

I’ve also got a busy week coming up. Starting on maternity tomorrow at 7am. I’ve also been asked to go on a medical mission trip to a deprived area of Kampala where the team will administer free healthcare to those who cannot afford the treatment. I’ll be heading down on Wednesday morning and coming back late Thursday evening. (The team lasts until Saturday but I would like to be around for Eilidh’s arrival in Africa! And also don’t want to miss all of my maternity week.) The team is being run by a church in Kampala. This is all the information I have right now so prayers for the details to fall into place would be appreciated. It seems to be organised in true Ugandan fashion. Hoping to learn a lot from the experience but also expecting to be challenged by the lack of resources. Please pray for safety and protection for the team throughout the few days we will be there. Pray also that we would have a deeper impact than just treating them physically and for opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to overcome any language barriers when doing so.

Sarah