Random Pics

It's picture day!  The internet is working a little faster than usual, so I'll take this opportunity to post some random pics from Kibogora Hospital and our home here in Rwanda.  

Severe fracture dislocation - happened when a tree this young man was sawing down, fell the wrong direction.  A rope that was attached to the tree and wrapped around his forearm (not a good idea, btw), tightened on his arm and pulled off his muscles, broke the bone, and basically just really tore up the guy's arm!  

Tim didn't think he could fix this arm, and I guess we won't really know until the cast comes off!  This was his first time to do the whole pin thing.  Pretty cool.  

I'd call this a pretty messed up arm, wouldn't you?  This is the young man above's X-rays. 

Here is sweet, sweet Daniel!  He is very close to going home!  Yay! (But boo, because we will miss him so much!) 

This little 3 year old had his head cracked open by his active 6 year old brother while they were playing with a hoe.  Note to self:  hoes don't make great toys for rambunctious boys.  Thankfully, the hoe just missed the lining of his brain, and this little guy will soon be no worse for the wear.  

This picture doesn't do these feet justice.  I have never seen anything quite like this.  

The 6th grade class at the nearby Methodist Primary School.  All the 5th and 6th graders were just issued these laptops from the Rwandan Government.  They are the laptops given by the yogurt company in the USA.  Have you seen those commercials?  Turns out, this is for real!  

We've seen about ten of these water pumps around, set up by a water ministry.  They really help people!

This big sister couldn't have been more than 6 years old.  She cared for and carried her little sibling for the 2 hours  we were at the market.  Probably carried her or him much longer than that!  What a sweet girl she was.

Going to market on Saturday - the place to be!  

Ruthie holding one of the babies at market.....everyone wants their picture taken,
or even more, for their baby's pic to be taken! 

Our "wall of fame", with Ruthie's birthday sign above.  She turned 14 September 2!

Ruthie opening her presents.  

We drove into the Rainforest for Ruthie's birthday, and this adorable
monkey posed for a picture! 

To say that we see a lot of Obama shirts doesn't really capture the
scene.  SO MANY people have Obama shirts here!  I have no idea
what his approval rate in the US is right now, but here, it is 100% I think!
Everyone loves him.   (Too bad that isn't the case in Lybia, I guess.)
When we used to ask, "Why do you love Obama?"  People would tell us, "Because he is your president, and he is one of us!  We are so proud of him!  He is a Kenyan, you know that, right?"  We just smile, say nothing, and think, "Uh.......we don't think we want to touch this one!" We don't ask "why" anymore, we just smile and answer, when asked, that, "Yes, we like your shirt.  And yes, we know it is our President."  :-) [fyi:  I am not making any political statements here.  Just observing how folks here feel about our Prez.  Not trying to say anything good or bad, just recording an amusing observation!]  Also, notice the brand - "adercronsie and fitch...." there are a lot of spinoffs of Abercrombie here, as well.  Don't know what the meaning of the Native American and the mountains is.  

Sam (left) and Deste (right) enjoying the benefits of knowing how to sweet-talk Ruthie into
buying them an orange drink at the hospital store.  :-)  These two have my girl wrapped around their
little fingers.  <3

Deste with my glasses - he's wormed his way into my heart, as well.  The little stinker.

A common scene outside the kids' surgical ward.  Mamas, caregivers and kids just hanging out.  

Daniel is one super smart little boy, and he is so sweet and polite, as well.  His mom, named Ruth,
is a very godly woman.  We often sing hymns together in our two languages.  Daniel is almost ready
to go home.  I'm gonna miss this kid! 

Big Sisters make great babysitters!  This sister is about 8 years old. She is very
caring and protective of her baby brother. 

Daniel is SO happy to be out of his bed, for the first time in about 5 months.  He now is sporting these cool crutches, made by our maintenance guys on our compound, and a new cast.  He can join in with the kids' programs now that he can get out of bed and bask in the sun.  So happy! 

Sam hamming it up with the kids in the Pediatrics Ward.  To say the kids enjoy
his company is to say I "enjoy" ice cream.  More than just enjoy.....they LOVE it when Sam Or Ruthie come to play!

"A cheerful heart is good medicine......"  Proverbs 17:22
Sam and Ruthie are perhaps the BEST MEDICINE the pediatrics ward has had in ages!