Life in rural Uganda. Every evening we took time to pray for individuals. In the rural area where people make a living through hard work, living is difficult. Cutting trees or cultivating the land is done with simple tools like machetes and mattocks. Heavy burdens are carried on the shoulders or heads of the people. The local water, if not boiled thoroughly, carries bacteria that will affect the stomach. There are no medical clinics and the people have no money to pay for medication if they did need it. One pastor’s wife had hired a motor cycle (called a boda boda) to bring her to the conference. In traveling the motorcycle tipped and she broke or fractured the fibula bone in her leg. One of our team members, being a physiotherapist, examined the leg and there was no doubt that the bone was broken. The leg was swollen, it was painful to tough. Our advice was to go to a medical clinic and get it X-rayed; get a cast put on it; keep it elevated; and keep from bearing weight on the leg for a minimum of 3 weeks, or better yet 6 weeks. Of course we prayed for the leg, and then we prayed again and again. This lady was taking care of 12 children. Though we gave her proper medical advice. We knew that she would not be able to sit with her leg elevated for several days. She did not have the time or money to go to a clinic to get the leg x-rated or cast; she would buy no pain medication. She would not keep off of the foo for there was work to be done hills to climb, church services to attend, people to minister to. The hard situations of life had increased her tolerance for pain so she hobbled away in pain, thankful for the prayers and for the concern. Two days later I talked with her and her husband. The leg was still badly swollen, there was still pain, she was still standing and walking on it.
In this hard life situation, headaches, neck, back and stomach problems were common to every one and so we prayed and prayed and prayed. Some were touched and healed and some were not. We prayed day after day, evening after evening; without God’s help little would be accomplished.
We take much for granted in our comfortable Canadian lives. We are blessed, but do we express our gratitude to God. Take time to thank The Lord for what we have been blessed with.
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