It was a quiet night and all the children were settling down. Every night we have several children visiting. This night was no different. The only thing different was that Brichelle told me she was not feeling good. I thought that it was only because I gave her an antibiotic and another medication for her malaria treatment. She ended up laying down in the hallway on the cold cement. After about 10 minutes her stomach pain got progressively worse. She started to vomit. I thought she was just having real trouble with the medicine I gave her. Then the stomach pain was still getting worse. Usually once you throw up you feel better and that was not the case with her. She began to sweat profusely. Her face turned white and she began begging to God for Him to help her. Over and over again she would say, "Oh God help me!" She looked over at me and said, "mom it is like I have been poisoned." Jamie had already gone to sleep and by this hour there was just our family and Tony and another boy. I decided I needed to do something. Brichelle is a tough cookie and she was really suffering. I was starting to become really scared. I woke Jamie and told him something was really wrong with Brichelle and we need to get Dr. James. Jamie gets dressed and runs over to James' house. No answer! He runs back to let me know. I told him that we need to just get her over to the hospital. She is unable to walk and so Jamie carries her over to the emergency room and puts her down on one of the beds behind a curtain. Now her fingers are becoming numb and her face is as white as a sheet. The nurse takes down all information and goes to find James. He was at his house in a deep sleep. He comes into the small cubicle and asks many calm questions. Brichelle is concerned about the fact that her hands are going numb. James continues to touch her stomach and locate the area of pain. He then hits the bottom of each heal and asked her if it hurt her stomach and where? The pain is bad now and she has to concentrate on every breath. James looks at me and says that it is her appendix. I just looked at him in fear and said, NO! I knew right away that it meant surgery. This is the last place on earth that I would ever want any of us to have surgery. Not because of James. I trusted him fully. My concern was in the cleanliness of the surgery room and all the instruments that would be entering my baby girls body. Once Brichelle discovered that she was going to have to have surgery she became scared but never shed a tear. She is such a strong person. I am the one who began to cry. She looked at me and said, "mom if you start crying I am not going to be happy." I knew I needed to be strong for her. I ran to the house to get on my scrubs. I was with her until they began to cut her. Dr. James told me that if something went wrong that I should not be in there. That I could get in the way of them helping her. I was way too emotional and knew he was right. Jamie and I waited in the prep room right outside the operating room. I cried the entire time she was in there. I think it was just so late and everything was happening so fast. I had Cory go down to the airstrip and get Wendy Roberts to be in the operating room with Brichelle and to help with any embarrassing situations. We were up with her even after the surgery. She got sick from all the medicine they pumped into her small body. Jamie stayed with her over night so I could get some sleep at home. We were up until about 2:30 a.m. My past week was full of Cory getting malaria and strep throat and then his whole mouth broke out in white spots, on his tongue and gums and all over his throat. He couldn't eat and if a person can't eat then he can't take the medication for malaria because it will lower your blood sugar. Cory had to be admitted into the hospital and have an IV put in. He was in tears even after coming home due to the pain in his mouth. One day after Cory comes home from the hospital then Brichelle starts in with a high fever and a headache which is classic symptoms for malaria. The next day she gets strep throat too. Now I have them both on the same medicine. Then the third day of malaria treatment Brichelle gets this. I feel as though Satan is really doing his best to get us down. I think he wants us to stay in America and not come back. I really feel like we are being attacked. Right now all I have energy for is to survive. I am so tired and I know the rest of the family is too. Please pray for our family. We need encouragement and rest. We need this time in America to get our strength back to fight Satan and all the things he is doing here. At least I know Satan is not happy. That must mean we are doing something here he does not like. So that thought alone keeps me going.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Oct 10, 2010
Dear Friends and Family,
I woke up this morning knowing that there was going to be people waiting to talk to me about school. I had to go out to the fence and tell them that the money was finished. Later, Sarah told them and so did Naomi but they continued to stand out there until after lunch waiting to see if there was something that would change my mind.
We have been able to help with tuitions for over 200 children! Praise the Lord! God has really blessed the children with help this year. I was hoping just to meet what we did last year and we have more than doubled that number. I will be able to give an exact number after some of the people I have interviewed come up with their report card from the school they went to last year. It is a requirement for us to have this. Many from the states have asked how many the school will hold and if there are enough teachers. The primary holds 350 students and the secondary school is 220. And yes there are enough teachers. It is not too late for anyone who may have considered sponsoring a child. There still is a need.
I would like to give an update on what is happening with Odette. Naomi and I have now committed to going over to the hospital everyday to work with her. Her health seemed to be going down. Her lower back bone is protruding and her knee was 4 times the normal size and her ankle is now swollen along with many other problems. She has a really big wound on one of her hips and she has horrible constant pain on her outer part of one of her thighs. Her muscle mass in her legs is almost at nothing. She can not control her urine or her BM's. She is so thin and has way too many bruises and marks all over her body. It is hard to see her like this. Naomi and I are going to work with her everyday trying to get her to move around a little. We started this week just encouraging her to move her toes and ankles to get some kind of circulation going. After one day of that we moved to her trying to straighten her legs for circulation in the rest of her leg. By the third day Naomi and I are really encouraged. The swelling in her ankle is about gone and she is now sitting up when it is time for our visit. After a few days of this and a pedicure I gave her on sabbath that she just loved she is starting to even smile a bit more. Today she hung on to Naomi's neck and actually stood up. Not completely on her own but she is getting better. She is starting to trust us and she looks forward to our visits. She has told her father that she does not want his help anymore she wants to wait for Tammy and Naomi. :) Just in this one week we have seen a huge improvement. After each visit we pray with her. Today she also started to open up with emotional therapy. She told us some things that were bothering her about her experience and she burst into tears. She has a long road of healing but I know that God can help her through this.
Please continue to pray for her and for us as we try to help her through all of this.
Tammy
I woke up this morning knowing that there was going to be people waiting to talk to me about school. I had to go out to the fence and tell them that the money was finished. Later, Sarah told them and so did Naomi but they continued to stand out there until after lunch waiting to see if there was something that would change my mind.
We have been able to help with tuitions for over 200 children! Praise the Lord! God has really blessed the children with help this year. I was hoping just to meet what we did last year and we have more than doubled that number. I will be able to give an exact number after some of the people I have interviewed come up with their report card from the school they went to last year. It is a requirement for us to have this. Many from the states have asked how many the school will hold and if there are enough teachers. The primary holds 350 students and the secondary school is 220. And yes there are enough teachers. It is not too late for anyone who may have considered sponsoring a child. There still is a need.
I would like to give an update on what is happening with Odette. Naomi and I have now committed to going over to the hospital everyday to work with her. Her health seemed to be going down. Her lower back bone is protruding and her knee was 4 times the normal size and her ankle is now swollen along with many other problems. She has a really big wound on one of her hips and she has horrible constant pain on her outer part of one of her thighs. Her muscle mass in her legs is almost at nothing. She can not control her urine or her BM's. She is so thin and has way too many bruises and marks all over her body. It is hard to see her like this. Naomi and I are going to work with her everyday trying to get her to move around a little. We started this week just encouraging her to move her toes and ankles to get some kind of circulation going. After one day of that we moved to her trying to straighten her legs for circulation in the rest of her leg. By the third day Naomi and I are really encouraged. The swelling in her ankle is about gone and she is now sitting up when it is time for our visit. After a few days of this and a pedicure I gave her on sabbath that she just loved she is starting to even smile a bit more. Today she hung on to Naomi's neck and actually stood up. Not completely on her own but she is getting better. She is starting to trust us and she looks forward to our visits. She has told her father that she does not want his help anymore she wants to wait for Tammy and Naomi. :) Just in this one week we have seen a huge improvement. After each visit we pray with her. Today she also started to open up with emotional therapy. She told us some things that were bothering her about her experience and she burst into tears. She has a long road of healing but I know that God can help her through this.
Please continue to pray for her and for us as we try to help her through all of this.
Tammy
Sponsoring for school update!
GOD IS SO GOOD!
It is so fun to watch the Lord work! By all of us working together we have been able to help 155 children get a Christian education! "Praise God!" I don't even know where to start to say thank you for the children here. I was hoping to match what we did last year and you were able to just about double it! I want to share what has been happening here though through this process. We have been taking interviews on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, these are the days Naomi works. Each time the number has been growing outside the gate. I was letting everyone inside our compound and then just talking to one family at a time. But word spread and the number on Wednesday was over 200 people waiting to talk to me. It has been an overwhelming sight to see. I tried to just stay focused and do what I can without getting stressed out.
On Wednesday people where starting to feel desperate and broke through the door to get to me. I immediately got up from an interview to see what was happening outside and all of them where coming toward the house. I yelled to Naomi to help me get them all out. They were not going to budge. Valery, another person that I have written about that has helped Jamie a lot through restoring the school. He is the vice principle at the school. He was coming to check on me and asked what was going on right at the time that they broke in. He really helped to yell at everyone to get out. I had Naomi tell everyone that I would not speak to another person if they did not leave. It was very intimidating. After time we got the place cleared out. I came into the house to get myself together and finish with the interview that I had in the breezeway of our house. Valery called me and said, "mum I think that it would be good for you to not see any more people for today, there is too many people." I had to agree! Since, I have had many come to me at a steady pace. They seem to find their way in. I had Naomi work today (Thursday). I want to share some of the stories that I have heard. I had one grandmother come to me today that had four grandchildren. Both of the parents died of Aids. She looked like she had some kind of arthritis in her hands but who knows what it was. She says she does her best with the children but it is very hard on her and her husband. They are very tired. She wants what is best for the children but they just cannot do it on their own. Another lady came in with four little ones. She is the wife of one of the men that died last year from a killing spree that went on between the Nangjere people and the Arabs. This was a fight about the harvest. There seems to be a fight every year. So she is alone and needs help. I have had children bring in children. There are no parents and the older children are taking care of the younger and trying to go to school too. Many mothers have come in saying that their husbands have died from Aids or have left them and they don't know where they are. One family has nine children and we helped with four. There is just too many for them so most of the younger ones just don't even get a chance to go to school. One of the boys I picked is fourteen and he is in 3rd grade. I wanted to give him a chance. Some girls are wanting to come back to school after being out for a couple years because they got married. Now the husband is gone for one reason or another and realize that they need to try to do something with their lives.
It is difficult to sit and listen to all the depressing stories. I would look over at the children while the parents are talking. I would notice how they would try to come presentable but would still have a shredded shirt but it would be clean and buttoned all the way up to the top. Or one had on a really nice shirt but a pair of shorts that look like they have been through three other children already and as this one boy turns to leave there is a 4 inch rip in the bottom exposing him. Most of these people are easy to decide to help. So many have a sad story. But there are times that I have to say no or only help with one or two in the family for whatever reason. But however I decide I do take it all very seriously and try to be fair. Naomi and I prayed together for wisdom and patience this morning. God is helping us, we have no doubt about that.
Well I will continue to keep you all informed. I just wanted to give you an update and let you know we are working very hard to fill the school. I pray that God will work miracles in these children and bring them to Christ so you all can hear their stories in heaven.
Thank you again!
Tammy
It is so fun to watch the Lord work! By all of us working together we have been able to help 155 children get a Christian education! "Praise God!" I don't even know where to start to say thank you for the children here. I was hoping to match what we did last year and you were able to just about double it! I want to share what has been happening here though through this process. We have been taking interviews on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, these are the days Naomi works. Each time the number has been growing outside the gate. I was letting everyone inside our compound and then just talking to one family at a time. But word spread and the number on Wednesday was over 200 people waiting to talk to me. It has been an overwhelming sight to see. I tried to just stay focused and do what I can without getting stressed out.
On Wednesday people where starting to feel desperate and broke through the door to get to me. I immediately got up from an interview to see what was happening outside and all of them where coming toward the house. I yelled to Naomi to help me get them all out. They were not going to budge. Valery, another person that I have written about that has helped Jamie a lot through restoring the school. He is the vice principle at the school. He was coming to check on me and asked what was going on right at the time that they broke in. He really helped to yell at everyone to get out. I had Naomi tell everyone that I would not speak to another person if they did not leave. It was very intimidating. After time we got the place cleared out. I came into the house to get myself together and finish with the interview that I had in the breezeway of our house. Valery called me and said, "mum I think that it would be good for you to not see any more people for today, there is too many people." I had to agree! Since, I have had many come to me at a steady pace. They seem to find their way in. I had Naomi work today (Thursday). I want to share some of the stories that I have heard. I had one grandmother come to me today that had four grandchildren. Both of the parents died of Aids. She looked like she had some kind of arthritis in her hands but who knows what it was. She says she does her best with the children but it is very hard on her and her husband. They are very tired. She wants what is best for the children but they just cannot do it on their own. Another lady came in with four little ones. She is the wife of one of the men that died last year from a killing spree that went on between the Nangjere people and the Arabs. This was a fight about the harvest. There seems to be a fight every year. So she is alone and needs help. I have had children bring in children. There are no parents and the older children are taking care of the younger and trying to go to school too. Many mothers have come in saying that their husbands have died from Aids or have left them and they don't know where they are. One family has nine children and we helped with four. There is just too many for them so most of the younger ones just don't even get a chance to go to school. One of the boys I picked is fourteen and he is in 3rd grade. I wanted to give him a chance. Some girls are wanting to come back to school after being out for a couple years because they got married. Now the husband is gone for one reason or another and realize that they need to try to do something with their lives.
It is difficult to sit and listen to all the depressing stories. I would look over at the children while the parents are talking. I would notice how they would try to come presentable but would still have a shredded shirt but it would be clean and buttoned all the way up to the top. Or one had on a really nice shirt but a pair of shorts that look like they have been through three other children already and as this one boy turns to leave there is a 4 inch rip in the bottom exposing him. Most of these people are easy to decide to help. So many have a sad story. But there are times that I have to say no or only help with one or two in the family for whatever reason. But however I decide I do take it all very seriously and try to be fair. Naomi and I prayed together for wisdom and patience this morning. God is helping us, we have no doubt about that.
Well I will continue to keep you all informed. I just wanted to give you an update and let you know we are working very hard to fill the school. I pray that God will work miracles in these children and bring them to Christ so you all can hear their stories in heaven.
Thank you again!
Tammy
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