Wednesday 3/20/2024

Hello Friends!

Once again, I am hopeful that I can send this out to you all. When I travelled to Gulu last Saturday, I picked up a different router with a local carrier, and I can get internet in the very early morning or very late evening. 

I don't even know where to start to catch you up! I have officially been here for a week, and it's been pretty incredible on so many levels. The weather has been brutal, even for the locals, so we are all a bit miserable.

I found this little buddy outside of my hut Saturday evening...

I will admit, as much as I love snakes and lizards and other creepy-crawlies, scorpions SKEEVE ME OUT. 😂 Picho still hasn't recovered. I haven't seen another one since then, but I definitely shake out my shoes every morning. 

I started training 6 midwives on Monday, some of them getting their Master's in Midwifery. They are so smart and eager and have such a strong education in OBGYN that it's a whole different experience, compared to the trainees I have worked with in the past. I give 2-3 lectures a day along with hands-on scanning. Due to the heat, we start at 9am, then take a long break from 1 or 2 until 4:30pm, then back at it until 7pm or so. I am trying to be flexible with our schedule due to the weather, and our schedule may change if the heat eases up. I usually am up and working in the classroom by 7am and during the break I am working on lectures and resources for the group, so I'm pretty tired at the end of the day. Exhausted and inspired. The heat makes sleeping a struggle, but I usually get in a good 5 hours most nights. We have been joking that when the heat gets down to 99, we will all need jackets and beanies! 

I also get called upon to scan emergent patients, which has been so rewarding and a great opportunity to show firsthand the value of training midwives how to scan. Thanks to ultrasound, there have been a number of patients that did not need to be referred to the nearest hospital (an hour away) and were able to be treated by the midwives. There have also been patients that needed immediate referral, and were transported quickly, because of ultrasound. It's so rewarding to feel like I am a part of something so important. 

Sunday, March 17th, I celebrated my 58th birthday. Those of you that follow my Instagram already know what a special day it was for me. These darling people, who I had only known for 4 days, threw me a surprise party! I had bought myself some birthday candles, just for fun, and Rachel noticed and asked me about it. I was present for the birth of a baby, a first for me, and was able to hold this little cherub almost immediately. The locals often give their children village/tribal names and English names, so the mother named him Jo(e), after me, 😍 Rachel bought wine, cheese and grapes when we were in Gulu and her daughter and one of the local girls made me a "cake". The women who live and work at the Birth Center sang me Happy Birthday and the littles had a dance party, it was a pretty fantastic day!

It's already after 10pm, and it's cooled down to a stifling 89 degrees😂, the mosquitos are swarming so I'm going to attempt to watch a movie or listen to an audio book before tucking in for the night. Here's a few more fun photos for you all...

I brought solar lamps here and have given one to the 
wonderful women who keep a constant source of food available
for the staff and midwives, always with a smile and kind words.

My mud hut at sunrise.

I bought a couple of Dera's in Gulu; loose, lightweight,
colorful dresses that are the only comfortable option in the heat.

  I'll check in again this weekend! 

Much love, Jo