In This Life

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

ConnectMed visits Gusu

Most of the ConnectMed team left on the Sunday after the last surgeries. Two of the team members, Michelle (R.N.) and Sherri (Ex. Director) stayed around for two more days so that they could check on and dismiss the last few patients. They spent an afternoon at Rainbow and a morning at Gusu! Here are some pictures of ConnectMed (i.e. Michelle and Sherri) visiting Gracie and her family in the Gusu/Jidi village area.

Our beautiful Gusu village! The multipurpose center is in the middle and the school can be seen on the right hand side. There are two buildings associated with the school.

These ladies are making grow media balls for the permaculture beds. This is basically the stuff that will be in the beds where plants will grow. Since the aquaponics process uses water that flows into and out of the system the process requires a grow media as a substitute to soil that will stay in place. Soil will erode and wash away but these balls will stay in place to give the plants a place to grow. The balls hold plants in place, protect the roots, and provide surface area for bacteria to convert the fish waste (from the aquaponics system) into useable nutrients.

The men have their area for making the balls as well.

Aquaponics system balls

The Gusu/Jidi village school

Notice the desks that E3 was able to put into the classrooms. Thank you to those of you who support the ministries we are involved in. It makes a tangible and real difference!

Shoes that ConnectMed gave to Gracie after her surgery. Sherri also gave her a little compact with a mirror so that Gracie could look at herself and see how beautiful she is!

Sherri with Gracie!

Gracie in front of her house

Gracie and her family!

Sherri with Gracie and her siblings (all girls)

E3 (Sam and Becky) with Gracie's family

Gracie's family gave Sherri a chicken in thanks for the surgery that changed Gracie's life.

Sherri was so thankful! And she gave the chicken to CJ who brought it out here to Rainbow. Clefty Chick is her name and she is very well taken care of by CJ and the boys here! She has free range of the entire facility!

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Swing Sets!

Rainbow CDC and the Kyser family have been blessed with some amazing supporters and we thank everyone who feels led by the Lord to donate their hard earned money to these precious children. Recently some of our friends wanted to purchase some swing sets for the children of Rainbow. Living on a campus with 54 children (not including our 4) means there are always playmates around. What an amazing blessing it is to have this beautiful swing set to play with. Here are a few photos of the new toys!

Abraham!

Watching the building and setting up of the swing sets!

Eddo!

Veronica!

Meshak!

Beatrice!

Clever!

The concrete is barely dry and already the kids are having a ball! None of them had ever been on a swing set before. So they were all having to push each other. AJ and I got out there and showed them how to pump. It's so sweet watching them figure things out for the first time! The squeak of the swings is just music to our ears!!! (Although I must admit that Jeremy took the WD40 out there and sprayed the swings...so they're a lot quieter now! haha)

Now the sets have the paint on them! They look amazing!

Notice the fresh paint job here!

Monica!

CJ getting in on the action.

Thank you again from the children of Rainbow! God is so good! To God be the GLORY!

Friday, March 1, 2013

The fruits of the labor!

After nearly a year and a half of planning, praying, and preparing the ConnectMed medical mission to Malawi is now complete! What an amazing blessing this team of surgeons, doctors, nurses, and volunteers was to the people of Malawi. 40 children and adults had their lives forever changed thanks to the cleft lip/cleft palate repairs that were able to be completed. Because this is the hardest time of the year in Malawi there were many prospective patients who were unable to receive surgery due to malnutrition, malaria, sickness, etc. Thankfully we have a database that will allow us to contact these patients when other surgery opportunities come available. ConnectMed is even desiring to make a return trip to Malawi in August of 2014! To God be the Glory great things HE has done!

Here is the final walkthrough by Dr. Gosman, Dr. Rho, and the nurses. They were checking on the patients, the incisions, and answering any final questions before releasing them to return to their village.