Uganda 2015 – Day 5
The most powerful part of this blog are not the words I write. The photographs tell the story here as they do on all of our missions. We (and especially me) are blessed to have two great photographers on this mission. Many of our participants leave early in the day and come back well after darkness. Their mission is spent inside the walls of the clinic or operating theater, so they miss out on what else is happening elsewhere. The photographs let them see the mission from the perspective of others.
Brad Miller, a Ugandan mission veteran who does a multitude of things back in the U.S. is everywhere. His lens captures the things that I miss and I am inspired by his photos to put into words what we are witnessing everyday.
George Shadid, a retired corporate executive, is our other photographer. George has a true gift for capturing a moment. He is adept at blending in with the people and this allows him to photograph his subjects in a natural setting. He makes the words flow.
As for me, I am your mission blogger this week. I have the best role on the medical mission. I have witnessed every aspect of the trip and am overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. It is a lot to process in a few days and sometimes it takes months or even years to comprehend it all. I am participating in my 12th medical mission and I hope it won’t be my last trip. Uganda is a special place and the people we serve are equally special. They are caring, resourceful, adaptive and most all, resilient.
Barrett Beasley, is our Video Production guru. Barrett is with Johnson County Community College and produces, directs, films, and narrates documentary videos. He is currently working on a documentary detailing the impact of the recent civil war in Uganda. He is going to showcase the work done by Medical Missions Foundation in his new film.
Our mission coordinator extraordinaire is Abigail Hayo. Abigail has planned or attended nearly 30 missions in locations ranging from Uganda to Vietnam. She is a diplomat, a project manager, a photographer, and a social director. If you need something, she can find it for you. She will tell you what she thinks and empower you to make your own decisions. Abigail is a truly special person with a passion for people and a heart for mission work.
Our mission medical director is Dr. Tammy Neblock-Beirne. Tammy is a general surgeon who has attended more than 25 medical missions. She not only operates on her own cases, but she works with local doctors to help them improve their skills by teaching and training. Tammy has a caring heart and a generous spirit.
Medical Missions Foundation is fulfilling a need. It is not a need for caring. The Ugandans care a lot about their people. It is a need for skilled personnel to come here and repair the physical problems that affect the Ugandan people.