Stories from the Bush

Today was pretty intense.  I've been working on this video for the Centre and decided to interview two of the girls about their experience when they were abducted.  I was expecting for them to be timid in discussing it, especially with the camera around.  But they talked without pausing for well over a half an hour each.

The first video of a girl named Coline starts out with "When I was abducted they forced me to lie with my Uncle's son as husband and wife in a field of sweet potatoes.  After that I was given to a very old man.  When I complained to the elders, they dug a deep hole and put me in it.  When that punishment was over they caned me."

I have no idea what they said during most of it (I'll have the rest translated tomorrow) but with the little I know of the Acholi language I could decipher some of it.  One of the girls used hand motions that universally mean somebody's head was being cut off.  She used this reference on multiple occasions.

They both kept a completely strait face the whole time.  Didn't show any weakness.  It wasn't until later in the afternoon, when the cameras were off, that I saw Coline crying.

How is it already July 21!?! 

Health

So one of the girls at the Centre was taken to the hospital with labor pains on Sunday.  It seemed that her water broke.  Buttt she's still there and hasn't given birth.  In the US we'd induce labor in about 12 hours but that's risky here since if inducing doesn't work they need to do a c-section.  So, it's been 48 hours - no baby.

Just be praying for her, the chances of infection for her and her baby are much higher now.

Oh and there are two hospitals in Kitgum, the government hospital has run out of sterilization equipment, AKA if anyone needs any kind of invasive treatment they can't get it.  They also have no doctors on most of the wings.  Their sonogram machine is broken.  And if someone breaks something they can't get a cast because the plaster thing doesn't work anymore either.

Never complain about our healthcare, regardless of our problems we have state of the art equipment and facilities.

Church

So I got a call at 6:40 this morning from my cook Concy.  "Meg - are you coming to church?"  "I'm in bed Concy"  "Me too but I'm coming to get you."  I usually go to church at the service that's held on our compound but Concy always asks me to come to hers.  So I got out of bed today and headed out with her.

Thankfully for me, the early service is in English so I understood both the songs and the sermon - which I think is a first... ever.  So we jumped, danced and "ayayayayaed."  The church has a ton of people from FH, three of the pastors are coordinators at FH, the guy playing the keyboard is the guy that washes vehicles and cuts the grass, three people in the choir are on staff and the charismatic man leading worship is the quiet office assistant who sweeps and makes tea.  Lots of others are also members.  It's fun to see them in another context

So I sat there really enjoying the service, even with the small kid who sat next to me and just rubbed my arm to see if my color would show up on his hand.

I'm on the way to the orphanage now!

Peace