For Our Good and God's Glory

During the night, late Saturday, Eric woke up with fairly intense pain.  By morning, I began to wonder if it was his appendix, so we took him to the best local hospital in Mbale.  We wanted a scan, but the techs weren't scheduled to arrive until 8:30am, so we went home to rest.  Over the next couple hours, the pain gradually reduced.  Eric still went back to the hospital, only to find that the techs had decided to go to church and they wouldn't be around for a while.  So Eric decided to also go to church (he was able to walk again by this point) and he went back after lunch for the scan.  The appendix was indeed swollen, so we left home and headed to Kampala just after 4pm.  We arrived at the international hospital at 9 and after 4 hours of testing and ER stuff he got admitted and moved to a private room.  Still not being in too much pain, we both slept quite well with only one interruption from the nurses.  This morning the doctor met with us and said that it needed to come out.  While the surgery is kinda a bummer, we are so thankful to have the access to life saving medicine.  Eric is now out of surgery and resting.  He is in some pain, but it's being controlled with meds.

On Friday Eric was discussing with some students about witch doctors who curse people by "throwing bones" into their stomachs.  These "bones" cause great pain and witch doctors claim to be in control of them.  Ugandan Christians fully believe that these things are real.  Eric responded with great seriousness, "I'm not afraid of that.  I don't doubt that satan can do things like that but Jesus Christ is more powerful."  Oh the coincidence in timing...or perhaps very real spiritual warfare.  Great things are happening in the work here: record attendance at Mbale OPCU (over 100!), increased student numbers at KTC, evangelism at the well behind KTC, Sunday worship and Church planting in new areas, etc... and certainly satan would like to frustrate these things, but we know that where satan intends to frustrate, God intends to turn for our good and his glory.  As God does this, He uses the fervent prayers of His people.  So Please continue to pray for us and the work here!  Thank you!