First Africa Blessing

Well a a week ago yesterday there was a little mishap. It was my exciting news, but really it isn't so exciting. I didn't want to post it until I made sure that my mom knew and understood that everything was okay. So... the news was... I broke my leg. Last Tuesday happened also to be our first day at the orpahange, great day to break your leg right!? NO! It hurts but what bothers me most is that I can't just walk around and be normal. I have to lug a plaster cast and crutches everywhere I go, not to mention hop. But I still get to play with the kids and have fun with them as much as I can to my ability so that is a blessing. Plus after the fall, I got my first blessing in Africa and the fact that it wasn't worse, was a huge blessing. Here is the e-mail I sent home:

Well I have some news… (This is why there was a long span between me writing last Tues. to this Sunday)…

Well to understand the story you have to know the streets of Africa. I wrote about them in my blog a bit… how they are mainly dirt and very holey. Well… I was walking with Lorna home from the Internet Café and it was dark outside because we don't get home from the school until right before dark. So we went to the internet café in the light and left at dark. The hotel is only a couple blocks away from the café but somewhere in the middle of the dirt sidewalks (that are half there half not) there was a rather large hole. I fell into the hole and hurt my foot. When I pulled it out, it was already swollen. L I just sat on the ground. Some Africans ran up to me saying, "Sorry. Sorry." They and Lorna helped me up but I couldn't put any weight on my foot so I sat back down. I told Lorna I couldn't walk. Some more Africans came over (they too had seen the fall) and also said, "Sorry, Sorry." They flagged down a bota, bota (a motorcycle taxi) and I rode the last bit to the hotel. At the hotel I received a most interesting blessing from a member of our team named Tomas. As he was giving the blessing he said that my foot will not heal over night but that the blessing will be a comfort through the pain. Ugh. It went on and was a wonderful blessing, but that stood out to me. It wouldn't heal overnight? How long was I supposed to wait? Our first aid person wrapped it and got some ice and advil and tylonol and I was supported to bed with an elevated foot. The next day I was unable to go to the orphanage because of the foot. I was under strict order to keep it elevated and rest. What a dull day. I suppose it helped. I moved a little and took a shower. How awkward it was because still I was unable to put any weight on the foot. So I did it on my knees and on one foot with a chair. My ankle I noticed was not the only thing swollen but the middle of my shin on the left side had also become puffy. Everyone kept debating between a fracture and a sprain. I decided going to the hospital to get x-rays wouldn't hurt. So the next day we drove three and a half hours away from the village of Masaka that we are staying in back to the big city of Kampala. They have an international hospital there and don't worry mom. I didn't let them stick me with anything or do anything that would remotely give me any germs. The physician came in and sent me to the x-ray's. They x-rayed my foot/leg up to where it hurt and found that I had fractured my fibula. The small bone in my lower leg. It cracked pretty much straight across. It was a huge blessing I feel. I had just been praying and praying ever since it was hurt that I wouldn't need to get surgery and the bone broke and stayed completely in place, so the blessing is that I didn't have to get surgery. They were amazed that I had waited so long to come in and that it hadn't gotten any worse. Because it was swollen so much and so far up and down the leg, it was decided that it was not only a broken bone but also a sprained ankle. Blah. No good. I still feel very comforted about being here and feel like this is where I am supposed to be but it would be a lot easier without a cast and crutches. Now I don't think that I will go white water rafting or bungee jumping. So no need to worry about that. Besides moving slower, I am doing lots better and I think the leg is healing fine. The doctor said I would need the cast (made of plaster – not like US casts) for 6 weeks, but I am hoping to get it off before I come home! We will see how fast it takes this thing to heal. I am taking it easy to make it heal fast.


PLEASE DON'T WORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for your prayers! I love you and will see you pretty soon with the way time is flying by!

Love,

jen