The McCawley Family

Last week we had the privilege of visiting Cure Hospital in Mbale, Uganda. One of Ekisa's patients who suffers from hydrocephalus began to show signs of a blocked shut and was rushed up to Cure for emergency surgery. For those unfamiliar, Hydrocephalus is the over accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain which leads to swelling, increased cranial pressure and probable death if not dealt with. To correct Hydrocephalus, neurosurgeons insert a shunt (drain tube) through the skull, into the brain that drains the excess fluid into the abdomen. For some unknown reason, rates of Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida are significantly higher in East Africa compared to most places in the world. Prior to Cure Hospital, patients and parents in Sub-Saharan Africa had little hope of a cure. Jenna needed to travel to Cure to check on her patient and to bring a change of clothes and some goodies to our little buddy and the wonderful Ekisa momma that was staying with him so we elected to go as

I'm sorry this blog is so late. We're still in the process of getting settled here in beautiful Uganda. Things take time here, lots of time and Ugandans never seem to be in a rush. ;-) This led to quite a bit of frustration the first week but we've since learned to accept it and are in the process of trying to embrace it. It's not easy when you're trying to order appliances, set-up internet, buy furniture or a find a car but we've also come to appreciate the benefits- the slower pace of life and value placed on community and family are a huge blessing. We've also been surrounded by a wonderful community of missionary families from all over the globe that have gone our of their way to make us feel welcomed and have stepped in to help ease the transition. Our home was available upon arrival but aside from a kitchen table and two beds, it was bare inside which made living in it difficult. Fortunately we were able to spend the first week at Ekisa's vo