Thumbs up Little Buddy!

Happy 4th Birthday Patton Lang Johnson!

You are our k'chow best! Thanks for being everyone's little buddy. Thanks for bringing a little magic and laughter to any situation. Thanks for letting your daddy and sissy drag you into all kinds of adventure. Thanks for being Mamma's best pal. Thanks for loving the little creatures. Thanks for being sensitive and feeling things so deeply. Thanks for your determination. Thanks for thinking of how to include everyone- especially mamma. Thanks for your smile. Thanks for being steadfast (key word fast). Thanks for being Patton. We love you!

Thank you!!!

Dear friends,

Thank you so much for your generous response for Paul. We believe we have enough money now to help support him through the treatments. We will keep you updated! Please continue to pray. Even the trip to Kampala for this family from a small village in the Semiliki Valley is very intimidating. As more needs arise for him or other children, we will let you know.

Thank you for loving him and us in this way. It is good to know you are with us while we are here,

Travis, Amy, Lillian, Patton and Aidan.

A chance to love

Baraba Paul

Early this morning Paul sat in my Katubi with his father, waiting for me to emerge from a night slumber and start a new day with God’s new mercies chirped by the jungle song birds surrounding us. Paul is a ten year boy and nephew to one of our friends and mission workers. He is like any other child in this area- a big smile, fun loving, lives for football (soccer) and attends school when funds are sufficient enough to allow him to go. He probably misses days during cocoa season to help harvest and increase the family income. This income is used almost exclusively for his siblings and his school fees. They eat on the beans and vegetables grown in the garden. Hunger increases during dry season and subsides in the wet and with the cocoa harvest. He probably has had multiple bouts with malaria and lives with less hemoglobin in his blood than is needed for full physical and mental development. Still, he is a sweet kid, loved by Jesus and in great need today.

Two months ago his family noted a bump in his cheek. After a month, the bump became very apparent. Not knowing what to do, they probably consulted traditional healers seeking to appease the anger and plagues of ancestors. The bump now completely disfigures his face, causing his eye to protrude forward and his tongue to deviate to the side of his mouth. He now does not smile, but looks down at the ground, afraid to see the repulsion in the faces of people who believe he is cursed. But he is not cursed. He has Burkett’s Lymphoma, a fast growing cancer that particularly affects children in Africa. Because it is so fast growing, this cancer can take his life by closing off his airway within a short period of time. Because it is so fast growing, it is also very treatable by chemotherapy drugs. I am so thankful his father brough him to my katubi this morning. I am thankful for a chance to love him in a critical place in his life. It is a chance to pray for him, to share Jesus with him through word and touch, and a chance of physical healing.

However, the International Hospital that usually treats these cases for us is out of funding for cancer patients. They have agreed to take him as a patient and cover all costs except for the medicine. The medicine will cost about $400 dollars per month and the treatment may last 3-6months according to the hospital consultant. The patient’s family is raising money to cover transportation back and forth to Kampala which will cost them a sizable $60 per trip- more than a man's monthly salary. If they can pay the transport, we want to pay for his medicines. However, we need your help. Can you send in $60 dollars to go toward his medicines? Less or more is ok, too. Amy and I will set up a Special Medical Case account at WHM, but until this is completed, please send it to WHM at the following website. Please indicate in comments that it is for Paul.

http://www.whm.org/give/missionary?ID=50021

Thanks for loving him with us. Please pray. We will keep you updated!

Battling for Bundibugyo

As I hear the evening call to prayer that is broadcast from the town mosque over loudspeakers throughout Nyahuka, I am reminded that there is much more to this place than what we see. I am reminded of when Paul speaks to the Ephesians as he says "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Indeed, it seems that there has been much wrestling in the heavenly realms lately. The last few days have been difficult for alternating members of our team, either from sickness or sadness or a combination of the two. It seems that, at times, we are just spinning our wheels, putting band-aids on gaping wounds, or as our WHM Director told us today, "keeping our finger in the dike so the dam does not break." Even though we were not at our house from 9:30am to 3:30pm, in the other hours there were no less than 14 people waiting in the katubi to ask for monetary assistance. At times, we start to wonder what the function is that we serve here.

After we settled our three little ones into bed and Aunt Pat was reading a Bible story to them, we quickly jumped in the car to lead the first of this term’s Bible Study at Christ School Bundibugyo. With bad attitudes, marital discord, and minimal preparation, we hastily but sincerely asked God to intervene and show up among the staff as we started the 9 week course of “The Gospel Centered Life” with them.

And He did. In a big way.

Starting with only 3 staff at first, the room filled to 17 (of the 25 staff) who were engaged, thinking, challenging, reflecting, and really seemed to struggle as we talked about Week One’s lesson. The question was proposed about how do we minimize sin in our life so that we appear better to others and in an effort to hide from God? As Travis read the list of suggested ways, he stated that this list was created by Americans and asked if they are also culturally true in Uganda. One of our favorite teachers laughed out loud and said “Oh yes! These describe us very well!” We all agreed that these ways that we try to hide our sins are no different than they were in the garden. Irregardless of if we are American or Ugandan, we are all in pursuit of being independent and trying to appear better than we are. The conversation continued and finally closed with an encouragement to feast on these truths throughout the week now that we have had a taste of such riches.

Usually when we end with a time of prayer, there is silence and then someone says “pray for peace and against sickness.” But last night, these are the requests for prayer:

“That we would be willing to face these truths.”

“For a deeper understanding of the gospel.”

“For opportunities to share the Word.”

“For Chris who had surgery on his hand and is recovering at home.”

“That our faith would grow higher and higher daily.”

“For the students and their exams.”

“For the gospel to build community, to enable us to love each other.”

Please join us as we pray in these ways, that the gospel would truly change lives here, starting with us, the staff of Christ School Bundibugyo, “for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood...”

So, as you are munching on your Cheerios on Tuesday mornings, please remember to pray for us as we are at that time meeting to share, learn, and grow together at the CSB Staff Bible Study.

On being a man- Continued

Miracle babies- these twin girls were born at 30 weeks and weighed 1.5 kilos a piece. Both developed neonatal sepsis while in the hospital and both have now reached 2kg and are home!

The team: These are the wonderful people we work with and scrap together whatever resources they can to save as many lives as possible. Jennifer and our intern Anna are in the front row. I am blending in in the back.

My buddy Simon- six weeks of an incredible miracle

Rounding on the patients

Teaching a father how to "Kangaroo" his premature infant

A mother of premie twins doing a remarkable job

Spoon feeding a 1kg newborn premie

The Nyahuka Health Center is a place of hope and despair. Hope because hundreds of children come each month and most leave healthy and happy. Hope because there are several Ugandan workers who work hard, love Jesus and love the patients. Hope because the Myhres have invested blood, sweat, tears and soul into this health center for the past 17 years and the community sees it as a place of healing. Hope, because it is a place where we can truly love the poorest of the poor at a point of time in their life when they need it most. Hope because of stories like 2 year old Simon, who came in with a small dark spot on his hip. This spot ended up being an area of dead tissue resulting from questionable medicine given by a local healer. This spot grew into a 9 inch by 9 inch area where all tissue died leaving his muscle exposed. Each day we came in and watched the area grow and tunnel beneath his skin across his buttocks and down his leg. We tried different medicines. We treated the wound and debrieded dead tissue. We prayed. And we prayed. I was certain we would have to at least amputate the leg and wondered if this child would lose his life to the spreading infection. Then one day the tissue began to heal. 5 weeks later and this child has almost complete closure of the wound and is walking around with no problems. Its amazing! There are so many stories like this where a child comes in seizing from severe malaria or with rotting flesh from malnutrition and leaves a few weeks later better off then when they came. Their smiles speak a universal language of hope, love, life and gratitude.

Despair because it is a place where my heartbreaks every time I enter through the gates. Children die here. It is a cold and hard fact. Children die of infections, dehydration and malnutrition. Most of these really are preventable if the resources and workforce was available. Unicef just visited our site to check on our nutrition program. This past quarter we had an 18% death rate for our children enrolled in their Severe Malnutrition program. It is unacceptable, but how can we change this? Children are brought to our center starving. Their skin is swollen and peeling from the lack of proteins. They have no muscle and you can see their hip bones where their bum should be. We have a great program, but the children need to be treated sooner. By the time the parent, grandparent or aunt brings them in, it is too late. The disease is often the result of a deceased father and the mother, who now has no income watches the child waste away- or the mother has been abandoned and has no way to gain income, or a sibling is born and breastfeeding is stopped before the child has a chance to build up a nutritional base, or the family is just so poor that during harvest time they have some income and food, but in the in-between they eat non-nutritional roots- hoping to survive until the next job. Other children suffer from TB, HIV, or sickle cell disease which eats away at their nutritional base. Still others suffer from chronic infections of malaria or intestinal parasites. The result is a death rate of almost 20% in the district and a population of children that are anemic, stunted in growth and in brain development. The need is great. Despair also because the workers are few. We have chosen to work in a Ugandan health center and not create a Mission hospital. Our hope is to bring lasting growth and reform within and not an oasis of health outside of the normal pathways. As a result we see the troubles of a broken system and the effects on the population. Our despair is that the health clinic is understaffed leaving only 2 Clinical officers (similar to physician assistants) to serve a population of >50,000 people, one doctor to serve a population of 300,000 and not enough nurses to fill all the shifts to care for these sick patients. With my responsibilities to the team and Christ School, I am headed to the hospital only twice a week. This is really just enough to see these children, change a few medicines, do ultrasounds and pray. It does not significantly change care at this point. I love the other aspects of my job, but despair aches in the back corners of my heart where I shove these thoughts until I can return to the health center.

How does this go with being a man? Where is the help? Where are the resources? Anyone reading this knows the problem and is helping. But what about the rest of us? Who is willing to stand up for these children? Do they deserve less because they are born in Africa? Does God love them less? I DO NOT THINK SO! Yet, we love them less. As a man, we are called to love the unlovable, forgotten and defenseless. It is a privilege to do so. It is hard. It is often lonesome. It often is filled with despair. But we reserve the hope that these children are not forgotten, that they are loved and that redemption is coming.

Happy Birthday Lilli!

This morning Lilli awoke all smiles as she has been waiting 364 days for today, her birthday! It is hard to believe that our little girl is now 6 years old. When she was a baby, she fit into the category of "spirited baby" the one who knew what she wanted and had plenty of energy to make her needs known. Her head full of black hair soon grew into a beautiful gold, long enough that she donated 10 inches of it to "Locks of Love" at age 3. Though she is timid at first, her fascination of all animals has moved her to pet the big cows, make rounds in the goat pens in our yard, and even chase and catch a young chicken this week. She is concerned that our friends do not know the love of Jesus and thinks of ways the we can share with them. She is gifted with a heart for hospitality and service and was delighted to receive an African apron as she said "well, mom, we have always baked together. Now we can match with our aprons while we bake!" One of her favorite ways to serve is to take water and ground nuts our to our visitors in the katubi. Today she received a gift that she has begged for the last 6 months...a slingshot! It was precious to see her wear her apron around the house with a slingshot in its pocket.

Today, we enjoyed a birthday breakfast, playtime on the grounds of her school, her first day of "no nap, just reading time" (a rite of passage for a 6 year old), baking, and a delightful locally farmed talapia dinner with her requested cheese pasta and carrot birthday cake. We were grateful for the company of John, Loren, Brian and baby David Clark and Aunt Pat Abbott. It was especially meaningful to skype and talk on the phone with family as this was the first of the kids' birthdays that we have not been with family. The miles that are so long between us seem somehow shorter when we can hear their voices.

Lillian was named for Lillian Dickson, a spunky, courageous, and compassionate missionary in Formosa, which is now Taiwan. I was moved by her story and great work among the poor as I read "Angel on her Shoulder" while pregnant with Lilli. Mustard Seed International, founded by Lillian Dickson now serves in many countries aiding in educational, pastoral, and medical fields. We are always encouraged by its current director, Bill Deans, who became a good friend to us while we lived in Charleston, South Carolina. Our Lilli's middle name, "Joy" comes from the verse that is associated with her name (in my friend Mary's famous name book) that says, "'Shout for Joy, Daughter of Zion, for I am coming and I will dwell amoung you,' declares the Lord." God does certainly dwell with Lilli and she certainly shouts for joy!

So, as we close on the 30 minutes left in this day, we are grateful to God for the 6 years of the precious life of our daughter, Lillian Joy Johnson, our African princess and adventurer extraordinaire!

So many hats

Truly a Renaissance Man, Travis has been a Jack-of-all-trades.

Here are some of the many hats he has been wearing:

Creepy Creature Killer

Mentor and Friend to young men

Brick oven pizza guy

Tour guide and vision keeper for visitors who are considering service here

Truck Repairman

Friend to youth, trendsetter that men can also carry and care for babies

"The Man with the Key"

Veterinarian and carer of all things living

The Mazungu who rides bikes for both work and hobby

Daddy who tries to play soccer with kiddos between meetings

Chairman of CSB who discusses budget, staff problems, schedules, and students

Co-team leader who facilitates Gospel Centered Life study for team

Tour Guide to visitors who consider service here

Preacher to CSB chapel

Breakfast egg cooker and espresso coffee maker

Dog and kid washer in the river behind our house

Husband who partners in the trials of life here

Campfire tender so we can teach Ugandan friends about Smores and sing praises together

Lawnmower repairman

Katubi Confidant

Budget man in charge of personal, team, nutrition, school, and other accounts

Bible Study leader for staff

Water Tank Fixer

Electrician who fixes the voltage stabalizer again and again and again...

Doctor whose heart breaks for children in critical need, praying for the day when he can share some of these hats with others and he can be more present at the health center

But most importantly, Travis wears the hat that His Heavenly Father gives him: the hat of a Son of the King, who is loved, accepted, and for whom he serves.