Frank, Kenny, and Mabel

Jeff and I leave Nsumba around 8am. Kelley has been in Kampala for the last couple of days because her mom has come to visit. We are meeting them both at church. When we almost reach Kisoga I call Kenny to see if he’s coming. He meets me at the matatu. The other guys have things to do today and can’t make it.

Jeff is wearing the traditional outfit for Buganda men. It sounds like people are laughing at him, but Kenny says that they are all saying he is the king and that he looks smart.

As church starts, Frank (the 13 year old who was baptized two weeks ago) walks inside. He waves and comes to sit next to me. He says he was waiting for me on Saturday. He thought we were meeting. I laugh and tell him that I meant some Saturday, not last one. But we make plans for this Saturday at 4pm. I’m going to bring my camera and give him a photography lesson. He wants to be a photographer when he grows up.

I remember that this Sunday he’ll be getting confirmed. During the opening prayer my heart starts beating and I feel like I should ask Frank if I can stand in the circle as he gets confirmed. Of course he says I can.

They call him up to the front of the congregation and ask the Elders to come up as well. I make eye contact with the Branch President and ask if it’s OK to stand in the circle. He nods yes. When we get to the front, Frank sits in the chair they’ve set up and then no one is sure who is giving the blessing.

One of the missionaries asks him who he would like to give him the blessing and he points to me. “Me?” I am surprised and someone in the front row suppresses a laugh at my shock. Frank just smiles.

I say a quick little prayer and get ready for the blessing. I place my right hand lightly on his head and the other elders place theirs on top of mine. We bow our heads and I confirm Frank a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and give him the Gift of the Holy Ghost, followed by blessings of truth and knowledge, righteous exemplary living from a relationship with Jesus Christ and success in his life.

I am happy to have the opportunity to serve Frank in this way.

During the closing of the meeting, I remember that Kenny was asking me about the Priesthood and the ability to give someone the Spirit. After the closing prayer I explain to Kenny that I had just used the authority he was asking about.

I teach him the difference between the power of the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost. I explain that everyone can feel the power of the Holy Ghost when they learn something true, that it’s a feeling of peace or a sort of burning in your chest. I tell him the feeling comes, but it doesn’t stay. I tell him that now Frank has the gift of the Holy Ghost, which is the right to have that feeling stay with him always. He doesn’t ever have to feel lonely because he has the Holy Ghost as a constant companion, and He will let Frank know the truth of all things.

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After church I meet Kelley’s mom, Jamie. It is so fun to meet her. You can definitely see the resemblance. We walk around Mukono and she looks like she’s been here for ages.

Jeff, Kelley and Mom are going to Hilton High School to visit Lois, a girl that Jamie sponsors. Lois is Apollo’s daughter. (The man who gives me sugarcane). Kenny and I catch a taxi to Kisoga. He wants to show me where he stays. His construction company is staying at the Mandela.

We get there and I see that it’s the same place that Joe and I came a few weeks ago to watch music videos and play pool. There is a girl working there who is hanging out of her spaghetti strapped top. She is giggling with one of the construction workers. I hope she’s not a prostitute. I remember her from before, and I didn’t think that. I hope she is only flirting with this one guy and they’re a couple or something.

Two engineers come to talk to Kenny and get some papers from him. We follow them out front to a truck out front. It’s like a miniature lorry. Kenny grabs the keys and asks the engineer if he can borrow the truck to take me back to Nsumba.

This is so much better than a matatu. I laugh as we barrel down the road. People do double takes and stare when they see me in the front seat. I tell Kenny how in America we drive on the other side of the road and the steering wheel would be right in front of me instead. He drives me right to the white house. I show him around the place and then he has to leave to get the truck back to the engineers.

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When Jeff, Kelley and Mom get back home we go for a hike. The day before Jeff found a trail past the one we took when we gave Harriet the mosquito nets. He says you can see out for miles.

We hike as the day winds down. Kelley’s mom wants to get back before it starts getting dark to avoid the mosquitoes. Some monkeys jump from tree to tree as we pass under them. We get to the top of the hill or mountain a half hour before sunset. Jamie and Kelley head back before Jeff and me.

We stay behind and take more pictures. We take turns climbing up a massive termite mound to get our picture taken over looking the amazing view. We can see out to Lake Victoria and the large bit of grass marsh on the shore. Someone in the jungle has a fire going. The smoke rises above the trees.

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Kate, Marilyn, Fran and I are sitting after dinner talking in the living room about Mormon theology on the purpose of life. Kelley comes in and tells the nurses that Mabel is in the dorm having a sort of seizure and they need their help.

We rush out of the house and into the dorm. Some of the kids are crowding around Mabel. She has very shallow breathing and she’s sort of moaning with each breath. We ask what has happened and get inconsistent answers. We find out that she has fallen, but can’t get a straight answer whether she fell before or after her breathing was like this.

The girls are trying to get a shirt on Mabel. She has a shawl covering her chest, she must have just come from a bath. We tell them that they can’t put a shirt over her head, because there could be neck injuries.

Mabel’s father is there. He is going to take her on a boda boda to the hospital. We say absolutely not. She is semi-conscious and could have a head/neck injury. We ask if we can get a taxi and Lydia says there is none. Marilyn asks, “What about the matatu next door? Don’t you think he would drive us to the hospital if we paid him?” Lydia runs and arranges a ride.

We look for something flat to put Mabel on that will support her back. The only thing we can find is a board from a pile by the latrine. We bring it in as the father and Lydia are trying to move Mabel. We shout for them to stop so we can get her on the board, but they will not listen to us and just pick her up with her head dangling.

The nurses and I exchange crazed looks. We are so helpless! What is the use of having nurses if you won’t listen to their advice? I hop into the taxi with the nurses, Lydia, the Father and driver. The radio is blasting. This is just like when Carol fainted. We speed into town and instead of going to a hospital we stop a nurse’s station on the other side of the house Erin lives in.

I help lift her out of the taxi and into a room in the back. The heavyset nurse comes in and lifts Mabel’s eyelids. She takes her pulse and blood pressure. She yanks off the shawl covering her chest and starts pushing into her stomach. She vigorously massages her chest in a circular motion and Mabel gets loader with her short shallow moans.

I have diverted my eyes out of respect for Mabel’s privacy. Why is the driver in the room with us, shamelessly staring at the whole process? Lydia covers Mabel when the nurse finishes. Mabel’s blood pressure is very high (or low.. I can’t remember)

The nurse gives her two injections. One is valium and the other is to help the fever that she doesn’t have. “She has a history of fever. That is what her father said.”

I can’t believe it. “Her father doesn’t live with her, how can he possibly know. Lydia knows everything about this girl, you should ask her.”

She stills gives her the injection. The nurses and I make sure that she is using a new needle and cleans the area before she gives the shot.

We are helpless. She needs oxygen. She needs a doctor.

The valium calms her down a bit and she isn’t moaning as loudly. Marilyn tries to talk to her and get a response. I pray for her very hard. I realize it’s the only thing I can do, to just continually pray for her. My mom calls me. I go outside to tell her I can’t talk, but to please pray for this girl Mabel. Our connection is bad, but she hears my request and says she will pray and put her name in the Temple.

After a few minutes, her eyes have opened and she is looking around, but still she has shallow breathing and makes no response to Marilyn. The nurses are called into the other room and I kneel a the bed and tell Mabel that she will be OK and we are going to get her to a hospital. I tell her she needs to calm down and breath in very deep and slow. I ask her to squeeze my hand if she can hear me. Her hand remains motionless in mine.

The driver wants 50,000sh to go to Kampala, plus gas. The nurses don’t even think twice. But their money is back in Nsumba. We get into the taxi to go home. Mabel’s father stays behind, her mother is on the way. Why is she living at the white house if she has both parents and they live in Ntenjeru? We decide it’s not important to ask that now. Lydia and I get dropped off at home and the nurses leave to escort Mabel and her family to Kampala.

Why are all these accidents happening? Does this kind of thing happen all the time? I’ve been here for a month and a half and this just seems like one thing after the other all the sudden. Lydia says it isn’t like this usually. She looks so stressed. I tell her that she is doing a good job.

The kids held a prayer and song session for Mabel while we were away.

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