"I was sick and you looked after me."
Matthew 25:36
Uganda Trip - Jan. 2019
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VIDEOS
Westminster Medical Missions 2019 Uganda Mission Team Report
On Saturday, January 12, 2019, our team of ten left for Northern Uganda for the 26th year of Westminster Medical Missions trips to Uganda. The 2019 Westminster Medical Missions Servant team members were Dr. Bill Harden, Becky Harden, David Duritza, Cynthia Gary- PA-C, Liz Myers, Sarah Rodes PA-C, Tera Joyner RN, Susan Alston, Clyde Davis and our only new team member- Julie Barnette RN
This year we again paid a Ugandan surgeon to perform 25 thyroid surgeries. In total we paid for 63 surgeries to be performed. We were able to give food bags to all patients in the children's ward (with toys/sweets) as well as the maternity, surgical and medical wards and the new neonatal and nutrition wards. One of our special treats was seeing Atim, a severely malnourished boy with AIDS who was unrecognizable from last year. Kim Matzel Brown sent a picture of him from last year and only the shirt was the same. Amazing. We even had time to paint fingernails on the wards.
With Susan and Liz's leadership we were able to hold a two day children's camp- "Make a Joyful Noise". Between 150-200 kids participated and it was felt to be very successful.
We bought and packed hundreds of bags of giveaway food that included handmade bags, sugar, beans, oil, posho and soap. A continued highlight was our daily hut visits. We were able to make approximately 50 hut visits and were able to assist those "weak" ones, ones without clothing or food and those whose huts had been burned or the orphans with no visible means of support except for their neighbors. We were again privileged to be the giver of new clothes, toys and sweets, balloons, soccer balls homemade jump ropes ( made out of T shirts), blankets, hats and money. We not only gave bags of food to be prepared later, but food for immediate consumption. We also gave out gerry cans filled with clean water and serving utensils when needed. It was especially evident this year that the need for clean water was as important as ever. We saw repeatedly child and adults drinking dirty water from whatever source they could get it from.
We went to a Babies home, to a dispensary and at the AIDS clinic as well as hut visits. We gave much needed medical supplies to the dispensary. Sr. Gabriella needed a printer and Liz brought one from the US.
We thank each of you for your continued support. If God is willing we will plan on our 27th year for the 2020 Westminster Medical Missions Team trip to Uganda in January. We ask for your continued prayers as we continue to do the work that we feel God has set before us.