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Hi everyone,

Hope you’re all OK?

We’re both well, things are still very hectic at the hospital but God’s been good to us and we’ve seen really sick people recover when we’d feared the worst. It always gives you a boost when that happens and as Dr. Cox on Scrubs says ‘It’s good to stick one in the win column for a change’ and gives you encouragement to carry on.

Last week was Pete’s birthday and we had a nice party on the children’s ward (plus cake and angel delight at home!). We also gave out some of the knitted hats that Pete’s family had made to the newborns and premature babies which all the mothers loved!

Still really heartbreaking things happen most days that people aren’t even aware of. The story of one woman whose one year old daughter died from malnutrition is particularly sad. She’d run out of money and had to walk home 70km on her own with her dead child on her back with no food in the hot sun. When we found out she’d already set off and it was too late to help her but that’s just the harsh reality for some people here.

Last weekend we went to visit our friends Steve, Tom, Marion and Sue from Wythenshawe Hospital in a town called Gulu about 4 hours drive south from Kuluva. It was great to have some time away from the hospital and relax with our friends and chat to them about the things that had happened in the last few weeks. They are working on a link between Wythenshawe and Gulu Hospitals and their medical schools and it was brilliant to see all the work they’ve been putting into the project and how it is progressing. It was also good to visit another hospital and made us realise how lucky we are with some of the things we have at Kuluva with wards cleaned daily and X-ray facilities. In the A&E department Pete learned a new treatment for snake bites which involved putting 500 shilling coins on the snake bite to draw out the venom, we’re just not convinced of its effectiveness though!

Emma’s coming home this weekend leaving Pete all alone at the hospital so we’re both feeling a bit down after being together everyday for almost a year! It would be great if you could pray for a safe journey home.

See you all soon

x P+E