Spinal Injury Unit Handover

Ron and Sandra at the Nile River

African Dancers

Looking at Water Projects

Handover at the Spinal Injury Unit

Dear Family and Friends:

We are very busy looking at projects and trying to decide if they are worthy projects to use our budget. Two of the top people from Salt Lake and our area director from South Africa will be coming the second week in August and we will be concentrating on major initiatives, which will be clean water, wheel chairs and other initiatives. We have already been out in the villages and the country side looking at all kinds of wells and bore holes and springs. It is pretty awful what kind of water that people are drinking here. Their latrines, cattle, goats and such are all around the water that they are drinking and use for cooking and hygiene. The statistics are that one out of every six people in the world do not have clean water . I guess a lot of kids and adults die of typhoid ,dysentery and all kinds of awful things because of this. The Church is really putting a lot of emphasis on this problem and also we have a big budget to help, at least with some of the water issues.

Last week we visited an organization called “CHILD” it was way out in a village and a young muzungu came out to talk with us. His name is Justin Knox and his father is a temple worker in the Seattle Temple and he is best friends with the son of President Bob Miller of the Snohomish Stake. He is helping this organization to determine what there greatest needs are. They are working to help the HIV people in this village, among other things. He is very nice and very smart and we may be able to work with that organization in helping at least distribute literature and other things.

Last week we had two senior missionaries arrive. They are potato farmers from Rexburg, Idaho. Very nice people. We took them to Church with us on Sunday and included them in our Sunday afternoon family home evening get together. This next Thursday, we are getting another couple. They are all proselyte missionaries. It is nice to have a few more couples here. They are really needed.

Last Friday we did another hand over. We acquired blankets, pillows, mosquito nets, sheets, and pillow cases for the Spinal Injury Unit at the Mulago hospital. At This hospital there are a lot of patients who are very poor and have to bring their own blankets, pillows, towels, sheets, whatever and most of the people cannot afford to do that, so these contributions from the Church were most appreciated. We met at the Spinal Injury Association to distribute these items. There were a group of people in wheelchairs and the doctor that performs the spinal injury surgery attended and also spoke. They also asked both of us to speak and we told them about the Church’s humanitarian program. The people who were there in wheel chairs said their wheelchairs were also contributed by the Church a few years ago.

The lease is up on our compound in September and the landlord is going to raise the rent by $400.00 a month. So we are going to be leaving this nice residence with the wonderful avocado tree and pretty yard and will be moving to a brand new apartment house. We will be living on the top floor with a nice view, but it doesn’t have the yard, nor the nice walking area that we are use to. We try to go for a walk each evening and have really enjoyed the beautiful palm trees, flowers, etc in the neighborhood we are leaving. We will be moving the end of August, but no one here can justify paying that kind of rent.

Love to all,

Ron and Sandra