As I shared previously in the post about Nodding Syndrome, we were almost leaving the small medical outpost. I looked over and saw this beautiful young lady. As she turned her head, I could see she had been in a fire–her face was severely burned on one side! My heart just broke and tears flowed like a flood. Our drivers were in a hurry to go as we needed to get back. The Lord spoke to me as they were trying to drive off to give this girl a picture of Rhonda and I, telling her God was not going to forget her. We had raised our three girls in the US and were now seeing this young lady with no hope in her eyes. I rushed back and handed her the picture and asked her name and she replied, “Sarah.” I said, “Sarah, God told me that He was not going to forget you!” In less than 30 seconds God changed my life and I would never be the same.
It would start with Sarah
That night at 3:00 am the Lord awoke me and told me it would start with Sarah, but there would be more! Back in the US and I could not get Sarah out of my mind and heart, but who would care about Nodding Syndrome? Who would even listen to the stories and the hopelessness? I contacted our Uganda connection by email and asked if he could help me find Sarah. He said, “Sure, do you have a picture?” “No,” I replied. “Do you know her Ugandan name?” “No,” I said, “I just know her name is Sarah.” He responded, “Russ, do you know how many Sarahs there are in Northern Uganda?! People will travel great distances to get to a medical clinic if there is any hope of help.”
We found her wishing to die
For over the next year, we searched for Sarah as if finding a needle in a hay stack. Through many miracles, Sarah was finally found in her village, on her bed wishing to die. We were able to get her into the only care facility helping children with Nodding Syndrome. Finally she began to have hope! Sarah received steady medication, food, supplements and a lot of love. Once she began to heal and hope again we settled her into a vocational school for tailoring and sweater making. Sarah has come so far and now is a beautiful young woman, wanting to help those who were just like her. She has now spoken to dignitaries and leaders, encouraging them not to give up on the children and families still suffering from this mysterious disease.
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
Matthew 25:40
Our Dilemma
The Nodding Syndrome care facility that helped Sarah closed its doors in 2018 because lack of funding. We continue to visit homes and provide supplies and medication, but we can currently only reach a few homes on a monthly basis. There are so many more in need while the former facility sits vacant!
Would you join us in prayer as we work towards a solution to help these children and their families?
