Update on Frank

We are so thankful for all of your prayers for Frank. It has been an exhausting process for us with several ups and downs.
Much of the weekend was spent working out what will be next for Frank. We visited a childrens' home in Kampala on Saturday. It was run by an amazing guy named Patrick, who is doing incredible work for the Lord. Grant had the opportunity to show him James 1:27, and we could not believe that he had never heard it before!!!
Sunday we met with Diana, a member of Calvary Chapel Entebbe. Diana is the leader of the Island medical ministry and is helping us work everything out for Frank.  We went carefully over the letter we had received from the officials on the island authorizing us to take Frank. After it was thoroughly translated into English for us, we realized it would probably only be enough to authorize for Frank to be put in a transit home for children, verses being adopted or placed in a more permanent orphanage.  Diana knew of a transit home near Entebbe which is run b a close friend of hers who is a trained social worker. God worked everything out for us to be able to go and visit the home that afternoon. Susan is the name of the social worker who runs the home. We were very impressed with her work, and the facility. We feel like it will be a good safe place for Frank to stay while something else is worked out.
Grant got up before the sun on Monday morning and went out to the Calvary Chapel farm. He had been looking forward to getting to go and even to spend the night with the guys in the farm house. We were unsure if he was going to be able to, with the unexpected responsibility of Frank. But God again worked everything out.
On monday Katie went with Diana and Frank and Nigel to the Entebbe Police station to get the needed document so that Frank could be placed in Susan's transit home.  The officer we met with confirmed what we already knew. That the official letter we received from the island, would only be allow him to stay for no more than 90 days. However, he did give us hope in that in the 90 days if Diana and the medical team can give proof of a genuine attempt to find the mother, then he will consider issuing another letter requesting Frank be put in a more permanent childrens' home. Diana told us that they are already making plans in July to return to both the island which Frank was abandoned to as well as another island where they have heard rumors that his mother is on, to search for her.
It is now Tuesday and we plan to take Frank back to Susans' home around 4 pm today.  Please pray for us as this goes on. It will be a difficult parting for all of us, but especially Frank. As our time with him has gone by it has become very clear to us that this hand off is really something that needs to happen soon for Frank's sake. As his attachment to our Family seems to grow stronger everyday.

Frank

Dear family and friends,

It is 4 am in Uganda right now, and we have been woken up from much needed sleep; sensing the Holy Spirit prompting us to get out this urgent prayer request. This is our story:

The Characters:

Frank, Jesus, Calvary Chapel Entebbe, Katie and Grant

The Plot:

Generally it is the practice of Calvary Chapel Entebbe to send out a medical team once a week to the islands. This week we elected Katie to go, and we told you a bit about her experiences in the past blog. However, there was a short-term mission trip team of American high school/college students who funded multiple trips this week, so Katie went on Wednesday as well. The American/Ugandan medical teams and Katie traveled to the farthest island, more than 2 hours away by boat. While there, the team put on a kids’ camp, with games and songs for the children. There was a small boy in attendance who upon crawling into one of the American’s laps during the music, was found to have a very high temperature. An older child was quickly instructed to take the younger boy to the clinic. And all was thought to be taken care of. However, maybe 10 minutes later the feverish boy was found again wandering around the kids’ camp. When questioned the older child explained that the young boy has no parents and no one to take him to the clinic. At this point Katie, who had been bouncing back and forth between helping with the clinic and the kids’ camp, agreed to take the boy to the clinic to see what could be done for him. 

While waiting in line at the clinic Katie learned from the mothers in the village that the boys name was Frank. No one knows how old he is but most guess he is about 4. They explained that about 2-3 months ago his mother abandoned him to the island. He had a few relatives there, but they beat and abused him so that he would stay away from them. And so for 3 months Frank had been going from door to door begging for food and shelter. Just last week his high fever had gotten so bad that he passed out and they left him for dead, but God had a bigger plan for Frank’s life. Katie carried him through the clinic where he saw the nurse, and was prescribed some Tylenol for his 103 temperature, some water and some antibiotics. The nurse told her that he should take the Tylenol now, and the antibiotics once daily for five days. It was at this point that Katie lost it emotionally, Who is going to give him this medicine? Who will care for him? He has no one.  She took Frank to the corner of the bar being used for the clinic, and just wept as Frank slept soundly on her shoulder.  Once she gained some composure she simply asked if there was anything that could be done.  The leader of the Ugandan medical team told her that with an official letter from the city counsel, they could arrange for Frank to come back on the boat, but there was no one able to house him.  Katie didn’t hesitate to offer our home, our money, and her own care. God showed his incredible favor in this as any official letters in Africa are generally difficult to get your hands on.  Most officials want a bribe and have little concern for orphans.  Within one hour the proper official was found, knew the entire story about the boy, and gladly issued a letter authorizing Calvary Chapel to take Frank.

The Climax:

And so since Wednesday we have become a family of 4. We have since taken Frank to the doctor, and gotten a full physical with blood work.  They told us that he had several strands of malaria, which were very advanced in stage; and he is lucky to be alive. Because his case was so severe he was given and injection of steroids to empower the antiviral medicine which Frank is taking now. We were relieved to hear he is negative for HIV.

The Resolution (PRAYER REQUEST):

As you may know we plan to leave Entebbe on July 1^st. This gives us very little time to find Frank a good place to live. We feel a bit desperate for God’s help. Such a great responsibility is weighing heavily on our hearts, and our physical bodies are exhausted.  Yet we are blessed and honored to have this opportunity to put our faith into action. Each morning we can sense a strong spiritual battle as the enemy tries to bring discouragement and hopelessness. We are in desperate need of prayer, and that is why we are up now getting this out to you all. Please, please pray for this situation. Pray that God would continue to reveal his plan for Frank to us.  Pray for continued favor in the legal issues involved in this process.  Pray 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 over our family as we face trouble emotionally and spiritually. And give praise that Frank is alive, and laughing and playing daily with Nigel!!

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. - James 1:27

Is it Safe?

The islands continue to be a bitter-sweet experience for both of us. These pictures give only a small glimpse but the needs are real.  Pray for Katie as she goes out to the Zinga tomorrow. It is the farthest of the islands that Calvary Chapel ministers to and it takes 2.5 hours to get there by boat so pray for good weather! :-)

Once again we feel that pictures speak so much better than words and these pictures speak volumes.

Calvary Chapel has continued to be an abundant fountain of love & joy for our family.  Nigel aka "the mzungu baby" has continued to be the star and is the nursery favorite.  As quoted from Jane, his nursery teacher, "He just does whatever he wants...but he does not slap the babies or anything." Well...thats good to hear.  He continues to walk with greater confidence and is routinely caught strolling around our little apartment with prohibited items: glassware, cameras, headphones, live millepedes, toilet paper rolls, or the best yet--his diaper.

On the home front Katie is doing an excellent job keeping up with everything.  Even after Grant accidently threw away half our cloth diapers last week she is still in high spirits. (In his own defense they were in a black trash bag by the front door & smelt...well, like a bag of dirty diapers.)  Katie is becoming a real master at balancing sideways on the bodda bodda (public motorcycle taxis) with Nigel on her lap or while being squished between me and our driver. Everytime Nigel is in the backpack he literally stops traffic all over town, especially if there is a backpack-bodda bodda combo.  The Ugandans find it so funny to see him in a backpack and even funnier that Grant carries the backpack.

Grant was able to go to the farm for the second time today and he completed another good work day with 4 popped blisters to prove it!  The farm guys: Robin and James continue to encourage him along with Deus the assistant pastor.  Today's program was to make a land bridge through the marsh.  It is a month long project but they made amazing progress with the help of one of the only John Deere Gators on the continent of Africa, haha. The Africans all love it! Thank God for that donation!

Today Grant was asked if it was safe to have his 14 month old son and 17 week pregnant wife in Uganda.  His response was only a well rehearsed statement about faith that Katie & Nigel are in God's hands and He is able to protect them so there is nothing to fear but God.  There was nothing wrong with that response but the more we thought about the question the more we began to wonder, when in scripture exactly did Jesus call us to be safe?