Fighting back the tears.....

As much as I love Uganda and truly do long to be there....life in Uganda is hard.  Very hard.  Days are long and the work is never done.  Most families don't eat dinner until 8:30 - 9:00 at night and rest.....I don't know that there is a word for rest in Uganda.

One of our beautiful HOPE+ sisters has cancer.  I met Sarah for the first time in January 2013.  She is a precious woman with 4 beautiful children.  She lost her husband to AIDS in 2005.

We got to see Sarah again in September when we visited her.  She was very weak and we were told she had cancer. 

But she still had the sweetest spirit about her.

Sarah had a hysterectomy 2 weeks ago.  This was done at Mulago hospital in Kampala.  I have never heard anything good about this hospital.  Apparently, her brother and sister sold whatever possessions they could to come up with the funds to have the surgery.  They didn't ask for help or funds.....they didn't even share that Sarah was having the surgery.  I don't know why but I suspect it was because they didn't think there was anyone to help.

Today, my dear brother Richard spent the day at the hospital fighting to get Sarah the blood transfusion she has needed for 2 days.  We have a good friend who is a nurse who just happens to be in Uganda and she went to meet Richard at the hospital to help assess the situation.  Here is her message: 

OK. Just left hospital. She does not have uterine cancer, she had cervical cancer. Typically surgery fixes cervical cancer depending on how severe it is. She had surgery 2 weeks ago, has severe anemia, and is just now getting transfusion. She is severely dehydrated. Doctor recommending she goes for radiation after transfusion, I think she cannot survive it.
I have never in my life seen such hell as where she is....and I have seen a lot.
BTW, doc also told them she has tb of bones...omg. Grrr.
My suggestion is to get her out of there. I have no idea what it will cost...several thousand dollars??
She will die here. No doubt about it. I think we need to consider quality of life at this point. Getting her out of mulago is first step.

Reality.  Sometimes it's like a punch in the gut.

I believe, with everything I have that God is in control.  I believe that Sarah will be healed...if not on earth....certainly in Heaven.  And I also believe God's word and I know He has called me to love these women.

Lord willing, we will be moving Sarah to the International hospital in Kampala.  This is the same hospital Gorret will be having her Goiter surgery at.  It's a hospital with round the clock care.

I want for Sarah what I would want for any person I love....for her to be cared for, loved on and for her needs to be met until the day she meets our Lord Jesus.

Please pray for our brother Richard.  He has given of himself so sacrificially.  His actions breathe Romans 12:1 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Please pray for Sarah's children.  They will be alone and this will be a tremendous tragedy in their young lives.

If you feel the Lord leading to help with Sarah's care, please use the donate button below.  All donations are tax deductible through Project HOPEFUL. 




We have been so blessed to stand back and witness God's miracles and provision for Uganda.  Although my heart breaks for her, I know HE loves her so much more than I could ever imagine and I look forward to the miracle He has already done in her life.  He has saved her and she is the daughter of the King.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  Ecclesiastes 3:11