team 6 winds down its visit

front row: leah, melissa, suzanne, natalie, holly
back row: anna, jennifer, josh

It's time for Team 6 to start heading home. Each of these amazing people has given their all to the kids at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage. I can't thank them enough for taking the time and energy (not to mention the resources) required to make such a journey. These are special people. I admire them, and I will be forever grateful to them.  

Here are a couple more posts from team members, as well as the above awesome picture of the handsome and happy group.

“As I watch Douglas help the student to the exam table it is already apparent the she is ill. ‘Holly, come here, have you see this?’ asks Douglas.  I feel her forehead as the thermometer registers almost 105. ‘This is malaria. Almost all the children in Uganda get it at one time or another.’  The treatment is very familiar to Douglas and administered right away.  This is one of many experiences that leave me grateful for my clinic time in Uganda. To work with Douglas, to give physicals and organize new supplies in the clinic are blessings close to my heart.

The children are curious and helpful during physicals.  The eye exams seem to be extra fun for the children to perform. The oxygen saturation monitor I place on fingers bring about quizzical looks. Sweet Rita asks with concern if it will bite her. I reassure her it will not.  Most are soft spoken, and I cherish the one on one time with the children.

Other snippets:

Joanne, a soft-spoken 13-year-old, asks me questions about President Obama. We discuss the topic and move on to many others. Her quiet curiosity and enthusiasm for knowledge is exciting. I see her later in the day playing Simon Says and her commands are hysterical! ‘Simon says cry.’  The group pretends to fake cry only to erupt in laughter after they hear each other fake crying.  Joanne, you have my heart.

Rose, 14, drops by the clinic often to help me. Her help includes sweeping and washing the floor - unsolicited. I am touched by her devotion and love our visits as we work.    

SMK - you have given me more than I could ever give back.”

- Holly

“People use the word joy at Christmas time pretty freely. We sing songs about it. We wish it upon our friends and family. It is often scrawled across the fronts of greeting cards we receive from those in our lives we hear from only once a year. But to take the time to appreciate the power that relishing joyous moments have on the spirit is pretty rare in our often busy lives. If I have learned anything from the children at SMK it is to savor the little things that bring you joy. Somewhere along the path to adulthood, in the pursuit of our goals, I think we forget about our dreams. We forget the magic in play. We forget that we are all in this world together, so we might as well enjoy it with one another. We forget that sometimes, just sitting in silence holding the hand of someone dear to you really is the best use of your time. Thank you to Tina, Erias, Claire Faith, Nicky, Norin, Daniel, Solomon, Rita, Beatrice and all the other very special people I have gotten to know over the past two weeks for sharing your joy with me. Thank you for holding my hand. And thank you for reminding me what it's like to be a kid.”

- Natalie