Wow! What a crazy 4 days it has been. Tuesday there were about 2000 people outside the eye clinic at 8 when I went to work. I walked over to see what was up and I say Alliana shirts. Being bashful and shy I introduced myself and asked if they needed help and there I have been from 7am to 5pm helping with the free clinic. First day they saw 560 plus next day 620 yesterday over 700. Enclosed you will see the pictures of them lined up before the sun was hot. As the day goes they stay in line if there is a line if there is pushing and shoving the line falls apart and it is a mob. God woke me up Tuesday night and had me on my knees about all the people and how to do crowd control and help do some triage. Like pick out the worst without the rest knowing you are doing it or you are mobbed with everyone having a special need. Not mobbed by 20 but by 100's. I can now imagine how Jesus felt when it says the crowd pressed in on him. It's awful and they all want something from you that you just cannot do anything about.
Wednesday Tom helped and we handed out numbers. Could a Ugandan do this? Yes, but the other Ugandans think they are selling the # and only giving to their relatives first and then they complain they are all suffering because of the injustice. Then we had them line up according to number. That was an orderly day.
Next day, teachers and students and health care workers were told they would be seen first. Meanwhile, others had slept in line to get numbers, so what to do with 100 students and 30 teachers and 100 health workers who are off from work to get checked and then go back to work. Now when you only have 2 or 3 workers to a ward of 70 what do you do? Now we made special exception. BAD BAD idea for a white person to ever do. Ugandans expect the whites to be fair and honest and we are known for that and being smarter then we really are. So by the 3rd hour into it we went back to the number system. But the people that had numbers then mobbed the line, so we had to go back to the ordered number system and we had peace restored. Now, it is 4pm and I told the students and health workers to come back then and they would be seen at the end. Bad idea as we were still seeing the people we had seen that had the numbers. More turn aways.
Day 2 I couldn't figure out why the Ugandans don't just come to their own wonderful Dr. at the clinic here? I know them they have given lectures for me and I have watched them work with patients and they are wonderful. The VOS team sent the difficult cases to them for consultation and opinions so it didn't add up. The nurse in charge (who had a peace corp volunteer herself before Emin kicked them out) said the people want the glasses as their scripts for glasses they have to go get and pay for themselves. That was why everyone who heard the broadcast told all the relatives and they all come. It was great to meet with people who spoke your language had the same idea and thought process you had and were workers. There was no room for slackers.
It was fun for Tom and I. We got to talk to and with people just like us and it made me realize the prejudices I still carry. Enclosed see the pictures. Everyday new people came out of the crowd and interrupted, made people line up in order, and then wanted to be seen next so we obliged and they stuck around and helped the rest of the day. When they found out there was lunch they came back and helped again. The Americans didn't understand that having lunch at noon means they start making lunch at noon, so by 2 the chaffing dishes and sterno show up with food and the Ugandans are 2nd in line. I have told you before the Ugandans eat like they may never get another meal. The team lead Dr. John would go find his staff who were still finishing up and round them into the room to get some food before it was all gone.
So, what did I take away from all this mass clinic experience? How did Jesus feel when the crowds followed Him and pressed in on Him and asked for help from there suffering and He kept at it. I would have sent the rain so they would all go away. My compassion started high and dwindled so quickly. Pretty soon I couldn't see the old who were helped or the young with the cataracts or the smiles on the people who got the glasses and could see. I could only see the fat men with gold watches and car keys and I just knew they beat their wives, those were the ones I saw going through.
The picture with Tom is when he was helping a local find her way to the glasses after her exam and they only had 1 pair of huge yellow ones. The ladies put them on her and her face lit up and she opened her toothless mouth wide and licked her lips and said it tasted so good to see. A God moment! The one of me with the old guy isn't very good but he had the coke bottle glasses and and he said he couldn't see with them anymore and could I get him in. I am a sucker for the old people. If they can live to 70 they have seen more war, famine, death and work then I ever will and I want them seen the most. I think he also had AIDS by how thin he was, but he got his new specs for sight a few more years.
Thursday night I went home to prepare for the lecture the next day and VOS staff went out to eat and one of the volunteers broke her arm getting out of the truck. She misstepped and fell. She had come from England and had a dislocated upper arm bone (humerus). The bone was broken across and a bit twisted from what I saw of the X Ray.
Friday the team decided to not come as personal needed to make arrangements for her to get to England. One of he Americans was sick and it sounded like malaria to me so I went up and did the rapid test which was negative and tried to reassure him that Africa was a beautiful place. I think everyone was so spent from giving and giving and giving that they needed the break and time to take in some beauty and enjoyment. So, with some help from ibuprofen the fever was better and they headed to Murchison Falls to see the beauty of Uganda and be 3 hours closer to the airport. I hope to hear from them when they get back. They brought Conor and Jake's Christmas present with. The rest of you have to wait until I find a ride for a suitcase to Kate for your gifts. But I send my prayers and love everyday so know that you are missed and loved and thought of often. Like what ails these people anyway that they act like that? (Mom) Where do I find _______? (Carol) Do you really think God cares about Africa? (Brian) Yes, He sent this wonderful helpful bunch of people for my birthday to do what they could with what they had in the time they were given! And isn't that just like God? Look what He has done for us? Until the next post which will be about the lecture Love from Uganda where the power is still out...
