Frustrated

I found out today that some of the paperwork that was supposed to be turned in to our attorney in Uganda was not.  It is now pretty safe to assume that we will not get a court date before the court holiday begins on July 15th.  I know there is still a chance for God to move some major mountains and open these doors.  I know that God can do this, but I'm preparing myself mentally that this most likely will not happen.  Hope that doesn't sound like a lack of faith, but just me trying to be practical.

I was thinking in the shower last night.... I do a lot of thinking in there... about the last few weeks of pregnancy with Emma.  About three weeks before my due date my doctor "checked" me.  He told me that I was 3 cm dilated and almost effaced.  He said that he really thought I would go into labor sometime that week and he really expected to see me again before my next appointment in one week.  He even said that if I did make it to my next appointment, he would most likely check me in that day, so I should bring a packed bag.  Now, the practical side of me knew that most first-time mom's do not go into labor early, but the doctor said I should expect it.  So, I rushed home, called my mom and told her to start making her travel plans, finished packing stuff, and made sure everything was ready.  The next week, Cody and I loaded up my bag in the car,  we put the car seat in, just in case.... and nothing had changed and I got sent home.  I just knew it would happen that next week.  I even went ahead and started my maternity leave from work because it was going to happen any day (and I worked 3rd shift and did not want to go into labor in a TV station alone in the middle of the night).  And the next week, I got sent home... again.  The next week (week 3) was going to be Thanksgiving, so the doctor went ahead and scheduled to induce me for the Tuesday after Thanksgiving because he was going to be out of town for the holiday.  Now I had a date on the calendar, so I made all plans and preparation for that day and went about my life for the next week.  I even cooked my first Thanksgiving meal.  Black Friday, I drug Cody to the mall to do all of our Christmas shopping because I knew once Emma arrived it would be tough to get done.  I didn't feel well at the mall, but I blamed it on the large Mexican dinner we had.  I was really tired and sore, but I had to get that shopping done because that was my plan. We got home and went to bed.  About an hour later, I woke up and really didn't feel well and had these strange pains.  I told Cody I was going to hang out on the couch for a while and let him keep sleeping.  I wondered if it was labor, but it did not feel like what I expected, so I tried to convince myself it was not.  My plan was to have the baby on Tuesday, not on Saturday of a holiday weekend.  I stayed up all night timing "pains".  I thought about calling the doctor or going to the hospital, but I was so worried about being that woman that goes to the hospital and they tell her it's nothing and she gets sent home.  For goodness sake, I had already gone to the doctor's office for 3 weeks with a packed bag.  Finally, around 5 am, I called the doctor.  The on-call doctor told me to go to the hospital.  I went to wake up Cody and tell him it was time.  He said, "I don't feel well, why don't you go on without me?"  For real, he really said that.  Then I threw something at his head, repeated myself loudly, and he finally woke up and drove me to the hospital.  Luckily, when I went in the bathroom at the hospital to change into a gown my water broke.  I thought, "Woo hoo!  Now, they have to let me stay!".  Emma was born that Saturday evening, on her due date. 

The point of this long, rambling story... right now, this adoption seems like those last few weeks of pregnancy... minus the pregnancy rash (that was horrible!!).  People keep giving me their estimates of when things will happen. I've created my own plans and agenda. I've pretty much got my bag packed and car seat ready, but I need to wait on God to complete this story in his perfect timing.  Too bad a lot of walking at the mall and Mexican food can't hurry up an adoption. =)

Haunted

The other day I sat down in the waiting room at Emma's allergy shot appointment and picked up a magazine.  It was TIME.  I started flipping through and the title of an article stuck out to me: "The Perils of Pregnancy: One Woman's Tale of Dying to Give Birth".  You can read the article here and you can click on the "Photos of Mamma" at the end to see a photo montage of this woman's last moments.  The images are disturbing, but this is reality for so many women in our world.  Please take the time to look at this story.  This woman, Mamma Sessay, at the age of 18, died hours after giving birth to twins.  In her country of Sierra Leonne, approximately 1000 women die for every 100,000 births.  Worldwide, one woman dies from birth complications every minute! (according to www.womendeliver.org) And the majority of these complications are easily preventable or treated.

 I know there may not be much point in rattling off a bunch of statistics to you.  You are probably like me, where these numbers don't always mean a lot to you until it really hits home.  It hits home for me because our sweet Mercy is one of these statistics.  This child that so many of you are growing to love... that we long to hold and call our own only needs a family because her mother did not make it.   The world already has too many orphans.  We can do something to help keep these women alive and keep these families together.  Would you consider giving toward a birth kit?  You can read my post here about these kits.  For $5-$10 you can help to save one woman or child's life.

As I was searching today for the TIME article about Mamma , I ran across this article.  Isn't it amazing how God orchestrates things?  This article details the malaria crisis in the world, focusing on one Ugandan town, Apac, that is filled with the disease.  The statistics in this story are mind-boggling.  The pictures in the photo essay will tug at your heart.  More than 800,000 people died of malaria in 2008... nearly 90% of those were in Africa, and also nearly 90% of those were children under the age of 5.  This is another problem, that until you've experienced it first-hand, it doesn't really make sense or hit home.    Cody's Aunt Trudy (founder of "Libraries of Love" nearly died of malaria on her first trip to Uganda.  I've held a child burning up with malaria fever in my arms.  I've seen children with IVs in their heads and deathly ill in Dr. Patrick's clinic.  I still have really seen nothing of the crisis of malaria first-hand.  But my baby, Mercy, has seen it.  She's seen people in the clinic die from it.  People in her village are sick from it every day.  She's one of the few with easy access to medication and care, but many people around her every day are not so lucky.  It's hard to imagine that a simple mosquito net can save a life, but it can.  One net can help to save the life of every person that sleeps in that bed.  Would you be willing to give towards providing nets for families in Uganda?    Read here for more information on how you can help provide nets for MercyTrips to pass out on their next trip.

3 month old infant sleeping safely under a mosquito net

I'm reading Radical by David Platt.  It is an extremely challenging book.  It's very convicting and it really shakes up so many ideas of our Christian faith in America.  Part of the book I was reading today talks about a Christian's call to help the poor and needy.  He talks about "blind spots" in our faith or "areas of our lives that need to be uncovered so we can see correctly and adjust our lives accordingly."  One example he gave from history was how so many American Christians rationalized slavery.  To us it seems appalling to call yourself a Christian, yet be in favor of the enslavement of a person.   Platt wonders if 150 years from now, Christians will look at us and say "How could they live in such big houses? How could they drive such nice cards and wear such nice clothes? How could they live in such affluence while thousands of children were dying because they didn't have food and water? How could they go on with their lives as though the billions of poor didn't even exist?"  Wow, that is convicting to me.  I highly recommend you get this book or listen to the sermon series online.  You can find the sermon series here.  But I warn you, that it will make you evaluate a lot of things in your life.

You certainly don't have to give to my causes.  These are just what's touching my heart and hitting home for me right now.  But I do encourage you to do something, give something, help someone.  Life is too short and we have way too much stuff.

Mercy Likes Soda!

There are just a few things I can say about this video... 1)  Isn't she so sweet and smart showing off her "Up and Down" game?  2) Oh my, we may have a problem with her soda habit.  But at least she has good taste, she happens to be sipping on my favorite African soda, "Krest Bitter Lemon".  Like mother, like daughter.  Grandma and P-Pa we may have to go by Coca-Cola factory when we stop in Atlanta on the way home so she can get her fix. ha!!  3)  Ok, seriously, she is so cute!! 

Second Chances

Once upon a time,  (yes, this is another long-winded story of a dear friend) I met a girl named, Tami, at church.  I was about 4 years old at the time.  I remember her as always having the cutest clothes, a pretty bow in her hair, and a great big smile.  I remember people saying she was "special" because she was adopted.  She was my first adopted friend.  I actually never thought much of it.  I'm sure at some point I wondered about her biological parents, but I don't remember ever really questioning her about it.  Tami and I spent a lot of time together at church, swim parties, picnics in the mountains, camps, and sleepovers.  Beth and I were always a bit jealous of Tami.  She always had the best and latest "stuff"... from toys, gadgets, and clothes.  If it was cool, Tami had it.  But one thing I always remember is that Tami was never selfish with her things.  She always would let you borrow her clothes, use her stuff, or even give you things.  She always had so many friends.  I think it was because she was such a good friend and wasn't afraid to talk to anyone.

Tami's parents were wonderful people. I fondly remember her mother, Betty, teaching my Girls in Action mission class at church. We did the best crafts and she would always give us the sweetest smile as she read to us about different missionaries around the world and taught us how to pray for them. I think that is where my love for missions began. Tami's dad seemed to be one of the most adventurous people I knew. Her dad was a lot older than mine, but he was so active. He snow skiied, snow mobiled, water skiied, and wind surfed. He was always on the go. I don't remember him ever getting angry with us, even when we were being very ornery or loud. He would just laugh and shake his head.

This is Tami, me, and Leah in about 1990.  She was rocking that hair!

This is me, Beth, Tami, and Nicki going to my first "big" concert, Whitney Houston in 1990.

Beth and Tami at a wedding in 1991.  Love the lace sleeves!

Tami was always a risk-taker, passionate, and sassy. =)  She would try anything once.  While I would be scared and weighing all of the consequences, she would have already done it and told me how awesome it was.  Tami was, and still is, such a free spirit.  She's always been my "hippy girl" even down to her peace signs and tie-dye.

In junior high Tami's mother got diagnosed with breast cancer. I remember hearing my mom (an oncology nurse) talk about Betty's illness and just how serious it was. I remember the whispered conversations that I wasn't supposed to hear.  Betty would always put her best happy face on and never wanted to let anyone (especially Tami) how bad it really was.  When, Betty died, I didn't know what to do or how to act.  When you are a teenager you don't know how to help someone grieve, or at least I didn't.  My solution was just to ignore it.  One of my biggest regrets is not being there for Tami more.  That first year, I drifted away from Tami when she really needed good friends the most. She started acting differently, rebelling more, and pulling away from her friends and God.  I hate that I didn't reach out and try to pull her back.

The next year, I moved away to Reno and Tami moved on with her life.  Tami's life was a roller coaster after her mother's death.  It really sounds like a made-for-TV movie.  She experienced a step-mom, rehab, dropped out of school, and moved to Oklahoma to be with her biological dad.  I remember her calling me collect when I was about 16 years old.  She called to tell me she was pregnant and getting married.  My world consisted of talking on the phone, homework, and giggling at boys.  It was so hard for me to imagine her life.  I bought a few outfits for the baby and sent them to her, and that was that. 

She called me again off and on for the next several years.  She even found me at college and called there.  I went to school in Oklahoma just a couple of hours from where she lived.  I never went to see her.  I think her life seemed "messy" to me and I didn't want to get caught in the middle of it.  I couldn't figure out why a girl who seemed to have everything growing up, could end up where she was.    Wow, another big regret of mine.

In the years to come, Tami went through some of the worst trials a person could endure.  She was abused, homeless, on drugs, and had four more kids with a man that was in and out of jail.  Then one day, Tami decided something had to be done. In Tami's own words..."The day before I put the kids in the shelter I woke in the middle of the night and cried like I had never cried before. I sat on a old trunk that had belonged to my mom and stared out the window and prayed like I had never prayed before. 'Please God help me and help my children. They do not deserve this life they have been given. They deserve to have all the things a child should have.' The next day we were kicked out of my mother-in-law's house (she was insane and kept us locked in a room most of the time and of course the kids' dad was in jail!) and I was on the streets. Shortly after that the kids were in foster care and I was signing my rights over. He (God) answered my prayer and broke my heart at the same time. But look at us now..."   Tami took her kids' to a children's shelter with the intention of getting them back after finding a job and somewhere to live.  But that was not possible.  To me this was one of the bravest and most selfless decisions Tami could have ever made.  She wanted to give them a better life with two loving parents in a stable home. She knew that she was in no condition to raise her children, so she gave them up for adoption. She insisted that they remain together as siblings, and they did. After that Tami went to live with her step-sister in Virgnia.  She started a new chapter in her life and even decided to start going by her full name, Tamara, to symbolize this change. 

After a time of healing, Tamara met a wonderful man named Andrew.  He became her knight in shining armor.  He loved her despite her past and they started their life together.  Tamara and Andrew have now been happily married for five years and have two beautiful little daughters.  The girl who at one time was eating out of dumpsters now throws wonderful dinner parties in her gorgeous home. 

Tamara called me when her and Andrew were getting married.  It was the first time I'd heard from her in many years.  We have been in contact off and on ever since, but with the wonderful world of Facebook we were able to really get connected again about two years ago. 

 Then, last February, she and Beth  came to visit me for a weekend. Can you imagine, this poor girl who had not stepped foot in a church for at least 10 years, agreed to a weekend with two pastor's wives that she hadn't seen in at least 15 years.  She is one brave woman!   This is when Tamara got to share all of the bits and pieces of her life that I had not heard before.  I was floored by all of the things she had endured.  I kept thinking to myself, there is no reason that she should not be dead by now.  Beth and I kept telling her that God had a purpose in all of this.  I told her that God had protected her and given her this testimony for a reason. Tamara even went to church with us on Sunday.  I gave her the option, but she said that she really wanted to go.  She, of course, got to hear some fabulous preaching, but most importantly, she later told me that in church that day was the first time in a very long time that she had really prayed with her heart in it.  I knew that God was about to do a big work in her life, I just wasn't sure exactly how it would play out.

Fun during our Girls' Reunion Weekend

Over the next months, I kept praying for Tamara and for God to really soften her heart to Him.  When I told her about Mercy,  she started praying for her every night and she later told me that this helped her develop more of a prayer life.  Wow! She also told me and Beth that between the two of us we will have four adopted children and that she gave up four.  She prayed that they ended up with a family like ours. 

Well, you won't believe this, but in March, Tamara got contacted by the family that adopted her four kids.  Her biggest concern and prayer for all of these years was to somehow know that they were ok, that they were loved, and that they understood why she gave them up.  God answered her prayer.  They have a wonderful family.  She's been able to explain to them why she put them up for adoption.  She's also been able to tell their mother that she knows how hard this must be for her and that she will never try to be their mom or take her place.  She even gets to see the kids next month.  I know in the adoption world there are many opinions on "open adoptions" and contact with birth families.  But for this family, it's something they all want and I think it will be a good thing.  Tamara remembers her own mother's struggles when she first got reconnected with her birth family, and she wants to very cautious in forming this relationship.  In her own words again, this was Tamara's reaction to the first contact with her kids, "'Thank you God for this truly amazing blessing.' That was all Him and I dont have a single doubt about that. I knew at that moment he was there and had always been there. Funny thing is, everytime I prayed for those children their Mom was praying for me. After that I knew I needed to work more towards developing a relationship with Him. He was always there and I was finally ready."

In the past few months, Tamara has renewed her relationship with Christ and is learning to lean on Him during these hard and emotional times.  Tamara's oldest daugther now lives with her dad and there are many issues still to be worked out with her.  Tamara is praying for that situation and so am I.  Tamara's father is now in a nursing home and not doing well, but she's trusting God with that situation too.  Life doesn't get easy when we trust in the Lord, but we can find comfort and peace in Him that can help to carry us through these times.  Now, Tamara wants to share her story to help others.  She wants to be an encouragement to birth moms and adoptive families.  What a story she has to tell... not to give glory to all of the hard times, but to give glory to God who brought her through those times to shape and mold her into the woman she is today. Tamara says, "I no longer blame Him for my past I thank Him for every bit of it."

Tamara has started blogging her life story.  It's taking time to process it all and put it into words, but she's told me how amazing it is to see God give her the words to type.  He's helping her tell the story.  You can read the first three parts here.

I am so grateful that we have a God of second chances.  That no matter what we do or how far we run that God is always there waiting for us and loving us.  I love that God has given me a second chance with my dear friend.  I know that I was not the friend I should have been  or the witness for Christ that He wanted in the past, but I'm so grateful for the great friendship we have now.  In many ways, Tamara and I are about as opposite as can be, but God gave us a friendship that will last forever and a love and understanding for each other that can only be from God.

I can't wait to some day tell Mercy how my heart for adoption began many years ago with a friend named Tami.  I can't wait to explain to her that Tamara started praying for her before she ever met her and that those prayers helped build her relationship with Christ.  I love that Tamara's life is a true testimony to all of the many facets of adoption.  I know God will use Tamara and her story to encourage other families to adopt and to minister to birth mothers.  And that is a good ending to a long story.

One more baby step...

We have a judge!  This judge is not opposed to international adoption, but in legal guardianship cases he's never given the specific wording that the US Embassy now requires.  He's been gone on medical leave, so we are not sure when we will be given an actual court date.  But we will count this as progress. 

The first "Libaries of Love" team got home safely last night.  I can't wait to hear more details of their trip.  I know God used them in a mighty way to be a shining light to the people of Uganda.  I also know that God used Uganda in a big way to grow and teach the team.  I love how that works!  The second "Libraries of Love" team leaves on Saturday.  I know God has big plans for their trip as well.

My friend, Beth, and her family, leave for Uganda in less than one month.  They now have their official non-profit status and a very cool website.  You can check it out here.  You can also follow them on Facebook at "Love God and Love Others".

T-Shirts

I'm placing the next t-shirt order tomorrow.  Let me know if you want one, so that I have enough of each size.  You can read here for all of the specifics.  Thanks!

Great Article

Ok, I just ran across a great article/blog post on adoption and all of the issues surrounding it.  The writer appeared on "The View" this morning.  The article is all of the stuff she wanted to say, but didn't have time.  I hate that I didn't get to see the episode, but for those of you that did, I thought you might like to read the rest of the story.  You can find the article here.

SBC Adoption Help!

Are you a Southern Baptist Minister or Missionary?  Do you know one?  Ever considered adoption?  Now is the time.  The Pastor's Conference of the SBC focused a lot on adoption at their annual meeting on Sunday and Monday.  Many of the topic adoption advocates in the country spoke at the meeting.  I'm still waiting for the messages to appear online. :(  They also launched a new initiative to help encourage SBC pastors and missionaries to adopt.  You can apply for grants up to $2000 to help offset adoption expenses.  Cody and I applied today.  We don't know how long until we hear from them, but we'll keep you updated.  Go here for more information and also to donate to this new fund.

A few more photos... and a bit more info on Mercy

Mercy with Aunt Trudy... doesn't she look huge?

Such a serious face... she is not sure about these mzungus and their cameras

I'm not sure why, but she had a wardrobe change. =)  I love her in this little dress. 

This is Mercy and her caregiver, Nurse Anna.  We are so grateful for Anna and her family.

A few little things I've been told about Mercy... she knows some English (woo hoo!) and likes to play a game of "Up and Down".  You say "up" and she lifts her hands up.  Then she says "down" and points her hands down.  She's a genius! ha!!  Dave says her first words were "Uncle Dave", but for some reason I'm not believing it. My friend Debbie, is a specialist in child development.  She said Mercy could point at herself on the video camera.  Debbie even did a simple hearing and vision test.  Debbie knows I'm a bit neurotic, so she knew to check these things. =)  She was our "Parents as Teachers" parent educator with Avery.  So she knows I always have lots of questions and Cody always has one question, "Is there any hope?"  What a blessing Debbie is!  The teams also promises they have video, but they have not found an internet connection in Mbale yet that can handle it. 

a glimpse

It took some sweet talking, but I got one picture from Saturday's meeting with Mercy.  Thanks Scott!  Seriously, they've been swamped and haven't had a lot of internet time, and I can't really expect them to take all of their internet time for me and pictures (which takes forever to upload using Mbale internet).  I guess the team should get a chance to communicate with their families. =)  So I'll take what I can get for now, and I promise more later.  Don't you just love the sweet look on Aunt Trudy's face?  Couldn't you just eat up that baby girl's cheeks?

My heart is full...

I got a wonderful phone call this morning.  For some reason, as soon as it rang and it showed a weird number, I knew exactly who was calling.  It was Aunt Trudy... and Mercy!  Trudy started tearing up right away (this is a common occurence while she is in Uganda, ha!!) and so did I.  She says Mercy is beautiful and very smart.  She called from Sisiyi Falls.  This is a place that Dr. Patrick bought a few years ago.  It's in the middle of nowhere, but is the most amazing site!  They built a few huts  for mission teams and volunteers to use for a retreat.  It looks like Hawaii (ok, I've never been to Hawaii, but it's how I imagine it to be) and is the most relaxing place.  Plus, they make some amazing food... barbecue, real potato salad, and tons of fresh fruit and veggies. 

Anyway, when she called this is where they were.  They have some chickens that wander around and Trudy said that Mercy liked to try and call the chickens.  =)  She said Mercy  is standing on her own, but not walking yet.  She also says she has 8 teeth.  She tried to hold the phone up to Mercy's ear, but Mercy did not like the crazy mzungu (white person) doing this and started to cry, but it was music to my ears.  I'm anxiously awaiting the full report and pictures and video.  I'll post them as soon as possible.

I also got an e-mail from our lawyer this morning.  He says he did file our application with the courts!   There is a small glimmer of hope that we might get a court date before the holiday (July 15th), but I'm trying to not get my hopes up.  If that does happen, I'll get to be there with the 2nd "Libraries of Love" team from Illinois!  So keep those prayers coming.  We need a court date, we need a court date!   

A few random thoughts...

Ok, first of all, I apologize for never telling you the results of the "10K in 20 Days" campaign.  What a lousy blogger I am!  They did not quite make the goal, but they got pretty close.  Courtney decided to award one family the full $5000 grand prize and then split the remainder among the other 25 families.  So, we were not selected for the $5000, but we did get $147.  This is such a blessing that someone we do not know at all would include us in this amazing effort.  I'm still in awe of Courtney for her drive and passion for orphans.   Check out her blog for more on her amazing family with 10 kids.  She tells about the good, the bad, and the ugly and glorifies God through it all.
In other randomness, we got another very sweet gift for Mercy!  One of the girls at our church made her this beautiful blanket.  I am amazed by anyone that can knit or crochet because I have no such skills.  Thankfully, fabulous people like Clara are around to teach my children... and babysit too!

Photo provided by Emma =)

Clara travelled to Uganda with me last summer.  She surrendered to be a missionary a couple of years ago, but her trip to Uganda was her first overseas venture.  She was amazing!  She is definitely meant to be a missionary.  She is constantly looking for things to do, picks up on cultural things very quickly, and has a real knack for talking with people... any type of person.  The librarians and school administrators loved her.   There was even some discussion over how many cows would be required for her dowry.  Thankfully, I was there to prevent our friend, Dave, from selling her off, as we were technically her "legal guardians" for the trip.   Here are a few pics from our adventures last summer.

  Clara and some children at the Watoto Village

Clara and my other favorite Mercy. 

 Don't worry they weren't injured....the bandaids were part of our children's church Bible story.

And this is where Clara and I really bonded.  This was our room at Lake Mburo.  There is no electricity and after dark you have to stay in your room because of roaming animals.  So we stayed up for a long time talking because what else are you going to do in the dark at 8 o'clock. =)

And finally, this isn't really related to Clara, but I saw this picture and it made me smile.  This is a picture of the best shower I've ever had in Uganda.  The water is heated in the big barrel over a fire and then it sits in the run all day to keep warm.  The shower was dark, which may have been a good thing, but it was the perfect temperature and had amazing water pressure.  I was the only one brave enough to try it, and I'm so glad I did.  After I was done, it was almost dark so no one else got to use it.  There are some advantages to having an adventurous spirit.

One more random thought that occurred to me while looking through photos.  You really need to check out http://www.watoto.com/.  This is a ministry started by a church in Kampala, Uganda.  This church is now huge and their ministry is exploding.  One big part of that is they have several "villages" outside Kampala for orphans.  Each village includes a small church, a school, and a common play area.  Each "home" includes approximately 8 children of different ages and one housemother.  These homes truly become family units.  These children get the love and attention many have never experienced.  Watoto cares for all of the children's needs all the way through college.  The only children available for international adoption are those with special needs.  All others remain in the village family units.  We toured two of their villages last summer and it's amazing!  To help fund all of this, they have a children's choir made up of the orphans, that tours the world.  The choir is fantastic.  We saw them a couple of years ago in Wichita.  Also, if you are looking for a mission trip, your group can go and help construct more homes in the villages.  So check them out and see if they will be coming to a town near your this year or get more info on their current needs.

Outside of a Watoto home

Inside of a Watoto Home

Chore time for one Watoto family

And finally, as far as our adoption stuff goes, we are still waiting.  There is a slight chance a good judge may be available before the holiday starts on July 15th.  Please pray for this to work out for us.  But if it does not, we will wait patiently and trust in the Lord's timing.

Exciting New Projects & You Can Help!

As many of you know, our sweet Mercy was abandoned at a medical clinic after her mother passed away in childbirth.  This clinic is run by Dr. Patrick whom I met a couple of years ago on a "Libraries of Love" trip.  It was at this clinic almost one year ago that I met Mercy and fell in love with her.  Since then, Dr. Patrick has had one of his nurses taking care of Mercy.  He's also worked hard to get all of the necessary paperwork regarding Mercy together for us.  We are so grateful for him in so many ways. 

Dr. Patrick telling us his story

Dr. Patrick grew up in the village where his hospital is located.  He is one of the few that got to leave the village and get an education.  He ended up going to school in Great Britain, where he met his wife, who is also Ugandan.  They then went to Philadelphia where he finished his education and worked.  But he felt God calling him back to Uganda.  He knew he needed to give up his life as a doctor in America and move back to his village.  He knew that is he didn't go help his people, no one would.  So he packed up his family (3 kids at this time all born in the US or UK) and they moved back to Uganda.  He's worked hard to get his hospital going and has teams from the US come each year to help do surgeries and mobile medical clinics.  He and his wife also adopted twin little girls a few years ago.  Their mother also passed away in childbirth and Dr. Patrick had to work around the clock to keep the preemie twins alive.  Wow... I'm amazed at all God has done in his life.

Dr. Mutono's Family (minus one away at school) in 2008

My friend Melissa playing with his twins, Joy and Peace in 2008

For months I've been thinking about different projects and things I could do to help Dr. Patrick and his hospital and to show our appreciation for all he has done for us.  I also have been wanting to do something in honor of Mercy, to help prevent other mothers from dying while giving birth.  Approximately 500 women die giving birth per 100,000 births in Uganda each year--that rate in the United States is about 13. 

Dr. Patrick also mentioned that the biggest need in his village is malaria prevention.  According to the Uganda Ministry of Health, malaria is the leading cause of mortality in Uganda and is responsible for up to 40% of all outpatient visits, 25% of all hospital admissions and 14% of all hospital deaths.  I read estimates from 300-500 people die every day in Uganda from malaria, and the majority of those deaths are in children under the age of 5. 

So what can we do about these problems?  I've come up with two projects that I want to support.  The first is for the mothers.  A few months ago, I mentioned on here about "mama kits" that a friend was passing out in Arua, Uganda.  These kits contain all of the basic supplies needed to give birth (umbilical cord tie, scalpel, gauze pads, plastic sheeting, gloves, etc.).  My plan is to create our own "mama kits" that Dr. Patrick can pass out to women that come into his clinic or to what he calls the TBA's (traditional birth assistants... aka midwives).  These kits can go along way to preventing infection and excessive bleeding.  I'm still gathering all of the specifics, but I believe I can purchase all of the needed supplies from a medical supply company in Kampala.  Then depending on the number of kits, either I will put them together or hire someone to help me do this.  We should be able to make each kit for between $5-$10 a piece.

Example Mama Kit

Delivery Room at Dr. Patrick's Clinic

Sweet Baby in the Village

The second project is for mosquito nets for people in the villages nearby the clinic  A simple pre-treated mosquito net can go along way in preventing this disease.  The mission group that works with Dr. Patrick each year is planning another trip for July.  And get this... their group is called MercyTrips.  Don't you love that?!  This group performs surgeries, helps with hospital patients, and conducts mobile health clinics.  One part of this next trip will include a net distribution in one of the villages.  These nets cost approximately $10 a piece.  However, this amount is huge to the local people who often live on less than $50 a month.  Their goal is to pass out 1,500 nets to a village of approximately 400 families.  Read more about their ministry here.

Me Showing off Mosquito Nets at a Dorm

Children living in the slums

MercyTrip Team Performing Surgery

One of the team treating a child, most likely for malaria

Would you be willing to help with these endeavors?  In lieu of baby gifts for Mercy, we would love for you to give towards one of these causes.  There are several ways you can give.  There is a "donate" button now on the top right side of this blog.  You can click that and give through PayPal.  This money will go directly to us.  You can then specify if you'd like the money to go toward mama kits, mosquito nets, or both.  I promise to use this money only for these projects and I will provide full accounting of it all, as well as photos and such of their delivery.  OR you can give directly to MercyTrips by going to their website here.  All donations to MercyTrips are tax-deductible.  If you wouldn't mind putting a note on your donation that your gift is in honor of Mercy Busby.  I'd just like a way to keep track of donations, if possible.

It's crazy to think that a gift of just $5-$10 could save a life and possibly leave one less orphan in the world.  I'm so excited to see what God is going to do with these projects.

T-shirts! Including new smaller size shirts

Ok, it looks like we have enough interest to do another t-shirt order. Woo hoo!  So please let me know ASAP if you'd like one, so we can be sure to have your size.  Also, I'm excited to say we are now offering smaller kids' sizes.  If I can get 12 kids' orders... we'll have Youth XS (2-4)- Youth Large (14-16).   Then Adult Small- Adult XXXL.  Shirts are $15, $16 for XXL and XXXL. 

Also, in case some of you missed it, I'm copying below the explanation of the shirt's meaning.
"The arrows represent our need to focus inward on our own spiritual walk, which will then, in turn, help us focus outward on our mission. The words come from Micah 6:8, "And what does the Lord require of you? Act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Cody preached a sermon called, "The Good Judge" on this verse a few weeks ago. (back in January) It was a challenging reminder of how we are called to act and love.-- shirts are designed by Asa Ramirez."

E-mail all orders to melissabusby@hotmail.com.  I'll send you payment info. at that time.  Thanks again!

Mercy Shirts

Wow!  I am so amazed at how many "Love Mercy" t-shirts we have sold.  When I came up with the idea for shirts back in January, we really had no idea how many to order or if anyone would want one.  Now nearly 250 of them are out and about. 

Cody wore his shirt this past Thursday.  He went to a local donut/coffee shop to study after making some hospital visits.  The cashier asked about his shirt, he explained it, and then she said she really wanted one.  Then, the girls and I met him for lunch.  We went to a deli in Wichita.  The cashier there also asked about his shirt and said she wanted one.  Unfortunately, both of these girls needed small shirts, and we are all out of smalls and mediums.  Funny thing, we raved to our dear friend and the t-shirt designer, Asa, about this deli.  So he took his wife, Melissa, there for lunch yesterday.  Asa had on his  "Love Mercy" shirt.  The cashier pointed at his shirt and said, "Hey, do you know Cody?" 

Another friend of ours, Donna, works in sales and travels all over the place.  She keeps selling more shirts for me to the nurses she visits with for work.  When I told her that I was out of the smaller sizes she said, "You are either going to have to order more or I'm going to have to not wear it because whenever I wear it, someone wants to buy one." 

All of that to say... are any of you interesed in more shirts or do you know someone that might want one?  I'm going to place another order, and I'm trying to figure out how many to get.  I do have a couple of XL, XXL, and Youth Larges still on hand.  If you are interested, e-mail me at melissabusby@hotmail.com.

Libraries of Love

As most all of you know, my connection with Uganda began through Cody's Aunt Trudy.  Trudy is a public school librarian outside of Austin, TX.  She's always loved to travel and spent most of her summers travelling around the world.  In 2001, she made her first trip to Uganda.  You can read all about that experience here.  But from that trip, her desire to bring books to the children of Uganda began.  In 2005, Trudy formed "Libraries of Love" and the first library was created in Kampala at Namirembe Infants Primary School.  After this summer, there will be 20 "Libraries of Love" projects in Uganda.  Isn't is amazing what one woman from Pflugerville, TX can accomplish when following the will of God, even when it seems impossible?

When Trudy came home after creating that first library in 2005, I was fascinated with her stories. I told Cody that some day I wanted to go with her. Africa seemed scary and intimidating, but the idea of going with Aunt Trudy made it seem better. So in 2007, after Trudy visited and spoke to our church, Cody said, "Go!" I said, "But I'm a mom and the kids are too small. How would you survive?" Cody said, "I'm a big boy and can handle it. Think about what a great example you are setting for our children." So, I went. I fell in love with Uganda. My eyes were opened to so many things and my life was changed. Then I went again in 2008 and 2009. Seeing the excitement in the eyes of the children, the smiles and love of the people, the beauty of the country... it's kind of addictive. =)

Yesterday, we went to the airport to see off this year's "Libraries of Love" team from our church.  The first team includes 7 people from Kansas and 13 from Texas.  They will complete three libraries in Kampala, visit our past schools, work in Pastor Wilber's church in Mbale, and share the gospel with thousands.  I must admit I am jealous that I am not there, but God has given me a different mission this year.  I ask you to pray for this team.  Because of airline strikes they are being re-routed and have almost 24 more hours of travel ahead of them.   They will get into Uganda tomorrow night and start work bright and early on Tuesday.  Pray for rest, strength, team unity, and safety.  Pray for their work to go quickly so they can have lots of time to truly experience the schools and interact with the students and faculty.  Pray for them to be shining lights for Christ.

Trudy writes wonderful updates about their travels.  I just love her descriptions of everything and her excitement over if all.  You can follow along throughout the summer either on the "Libraries of Love" website  or on their blog.  On the blog you can also read about past years' trips.  Trudy has lots of adventures that are always fun to read.

A second "Libraries of Love" team (my favorite Illinois ladies!!) will leave at the end of the month.  They will work on three more libraries in Kampala.  Then Trudy stays through most of the rest of the summer.  She helps train the librarians and also just visits all of her friends in her "second home".

On a Mercy note, the team will get to spend next Saturday with her.  I can not wait to get full descriptions, measurements, pictures, and video from them.  I sent along a few things for them to give her.  I included a little photo album of our family.  Hopefully, that might at least get her a little used to our faces.   So stay tuned for details on their time with her.

Funny How God Works...

(This is long, but I promise at the end there really is a point to my ramblings! )

Once upon a time, I was a little girl growing up in Las Vegas.  Yes, I said Las Vegas... and no, my school was not in a casino nor was my father a card dealer.   I did attend prom at a casino and my dad does some great lounge act impersonations... that's as good as it gets.   Growing up, my best friend was a girl named Beth.  We met at church around age 4.  By the time we hit first grade, we were bestest friends.  We lived on opposite sides of town and went to different schools, but every chance possible we were at each other's house, especially in the summer.   In some ways, Beth and I were unlikely best friends.  We have always been very different... she is tall, blonde, and has always had a rebellious streak.  Me... brown hair, short, and always sticking to the rules (ok, not always, but at least always considered all of the consequences and plotted around them).  But despite our differences, we just got each other.   Through the years, we saw each other through a lot of family drama and even more boy drama.  Oh, the joys of junior high!!  I was thinking the other day of some of the milestone moments of my childhood.  In so many of them I remember Beth being there-- the first time I saw my dad cry, my first kiss, first funeral, and I even have her parents to thank for my love of Taco Bell... my parents would never eat there.

The summer before I started high school, my family moved to Reno... eight dreaded hours away.  One of the hardest parts of moving was leaving Beth.  We visited each other, called, and wrote letters. (Yes, this was in the dark ages back when we actually had to write letters on paper and wait for them to be delivered in the mail.)  As happens in life, we drifted apart, got new friends, and became busy with life.  We still kept up with each other, but not a regular basis. But I always knew if I ever needed anything, I could just pick up a phone and she would be there for me in a heartbeat. 

Fast Forward to a few years ago... Beth and I began to have more regular contact and renew our friendship through the wonderful worlds of myspace and facebook.  I have a love/hate relationship with social networking, but I'm so glad that it helped to get me my lifelong friend back.  Beth still lives in Las Vegas (for now.. see below), her husband is a youth minister, and they have 7 beautiful children.  When I told Beth three years ago that I was going on a mission trip to Uganda, she was so excited for me.  She said she really had a heart for Africa, especially Uganda and the orphans there.  She asked lots of questions and I knew that she really cared and prayed for me through that first experience.

Last year, Beth and I had a fabulous reunion weekend at my house.  It was our first time to see each other in about 11 years.  We always intended to see each other more, but pregnancies, vacation times, and checkbooks kept getting in the way.  (Also included in that trip was another of our precious childhood friends, Tamara.  But I'm saving her story for another post on another day.  I can only get misty-eyed so much in one night thinking of these great friends God has given me.) During that weekend, we had the best time catching up, reminiscing, laughing and crying.  Beth shared that weekend that she felt a bit restless and really wasn't sure what her family's next step was going to be.  She didn't know if God was calling them to a new church position or to start some sort of new ministry in Las Vegas.  She even shared that some day she wanted to move to Africa and help orphans, but she just didn't know when or how.  I told her that her heart for orphans moved me and that I had always thought about adoption, but just didn't know when or if it was something we would really pursue.

Then I met Mercy... when Cody and I started talking about adopting Mercy, Beth was one of the first people I called. Beth and her husband, Jeremy, adopted 3 of their children through foster care, so I knew she'd be a great resource.  Then a few months ago, she told me that she really thought God was moving them on in ministry.  She said she really felt strongly that Uganda was the place and that some how Mercy tied into the whole thing.  She just wasn't sure if her husband felt the same way.

Now... next month, her family is moving to Uganda!  They plan to serve orphans, feed the hungry, and share the love of Jesus.  This is a huge leap of faith.  They are pretty much selling everything they own and moving their children to the other side of the world to a country that they have never visited, but they have had this calling confirmed time and time again.  I've been able to share a few of my contacts with them and some of those people have offered to help get them set-up and train them once they get to Uganda.  It is so exciting to see how God is working through them.  She's even saving me a spot on the floor in her mud hut for when I go to get Mercy.  Ok, she's not really going to live in a mud hut, but I will have some place to stay if I need it.

Here's the part that I love, nearly 30 years ago, when Beth and I became friends... we had no idea that we'd become ministers' wives... we had no idea that God would give us a heart for orphans and for missions... we had no idea that God would give us a burden and love for the country of Uganda, but God knew.  He's been weaving this story together all along and I love how just now I'm starting to see the big picture. I can not wait to see what comes next in this story and how God will continue to develop us individually and our friendship.

To read more of Beth's story and to follow the Howard clan on their adventure to Uganda, you can check out her blog here.  They are also working on obtaining non-profit status and developing a website for their ministry.  I'll let you know when that's up and running.

10K in 20 Days

I know I've told you about this campaign several times, but I wanted to point you to their blog again.  Tonight they posted our bio and that of several of the featured 26 families.  It let's you get a small glimpse of the families you will be helping.  Check it out here.  2 days left and they are close to the $7500 mark!