Miracles from Africa and the Snake Park

Can I just say how nice it is to be somewhere where we are needed.  As we work with our little Branch each Sunday I think how I could be one of lots of very capable people in our ward back home doing something that so many others can also be doing just as well.  It is gratifying to know that we can be of service here and offer help where the Church is so new.  I have a good friend who wrote teasingly that everything back home is the same, same, same.  I know it isn't, life is a challenge wherever we are but here we are with people that really need the stability and guidance that ANY senior couple can give.  We love it!

Our mission had a special fast a couple of weeks ago.  The multi-purpose of the fast was for the safety of the missionaries, success of the missionaries, healing for a couple of the injured elders, more senior couples willing to come to Africa, and a few others that I can't remember.  Some of the tender mercies or miracles that have occurred include:

Elder Bukenya knee surgery.  He was hit by a bodaboda before his mission and had a screw put in his knee to repair the damage that was done.  It started to back out while he is on his mission and was told he would have to have surgery to repair the knee again.  This would require an 8-10 week recovery time at best.  President Chatfield went to several different doctors to try and find a better recovery time because missionaries have to be released when there is a surgery with a long recovery time.  They went in and performed the surgery, removed the screw and put a larger one back in, tied some of the loose tendons onto the screw and basically performed major surgery.  For Africans it is even more difficult because they may not have a home to go to for recovery.  Elder B was able to go to an uncle’s home for his recovery.  Long story short, Elder B had a miracle in his life.  He is the missionary we took into have his stiches a week ago and is now up and walking around without crutches.  When President Chatfield called to have him reinstated as a missionary the medical people told him the only way he could be walking on his own and doing so well with his recovery is because of a miracle in his life.  The doctor who was at the U over sports knee injuries said even top athletics would take at best 8 weeks before they would be up and working out again. 

Elders in Jinja – We had two elders in Jinja who had worked all day and got home around 9:30 at night.  They had no food for Sunday so they decided to run to the store and back.  They got to the store and had all their items up for purchase and found they had left their money back at home.  They ran back (about 2 ½ minutes each way) and got their money and returned to find the clerk had been shot and the place had been robbed.  You can say what a great coincidence that these two elders were removed from danger but I know it is an answer to the fast and prayers our Mission had two weeks ago.

Drive back to Gulu – We had a pair of missionaries that were down her is Kampala for training and wanted to drive back to Gulu (about 6 hour drive) but would have had to drive at night so the Mission President nixed the drive and said to wait until morning.  Well, 3AM is morning right?  They left early and were driving fast and another truck was coming the other way very fast.  They passed the truck and it took the mirror off the Elders vehicle.  That is around 5 inches from being another reported causality in the mission field. 

We had another Elder that was included in the special fast.  He had hurt his knee while doing service work in his area.  It was very painful to walk and do the things missionaries have to do every day as they live on their feet.  We took him in and collectively with the Doctor decided to give a steroid shot in the knee.  He has not had any pain since that time.  

We see the Lord's hand in many of the things we do.  I know he loves his missionaries and watches over them.  We are blessed to be part of this great work.

Now for some of the more interesting things we did this past week!  We went to a snake park.  The APs went with us because one the them is going home soon and had not been there.

This a group photo when we arrived.  You will notice a live chicken the elder purchased along the road.  We found out it was to feed the African cats (looked like a lynx).

Said chicken - just before he met the cat...

This is a Busch Cobra, all the snakes were ready for a fight.

The workers getting the python out of its enclosure.  They were very feisty.  One kept attacking the screen separating us from him.

Come out and play with us!

Kind of cool, but hurry and take the picture because we want out of this snake

Nancy does not look as happy as she is trying to portray

Notice how high he gets as he says Hi!

Nanner...Nanner!

Chameleon

Chameleon on the melon...

Puff Daddy

Smile for the camera

You have a good hold on him...right?

You haven't lived until you have stared down a viper