Katie's Journey

A new personal family post is coming -- I promise. It has been three months -- I know. It has been a trying three months, we've been through a lot as a family...it hasn't all been bad though we have been doing some fun things too here in the Reiter household, I just haven't quite gotten around to posting any of them.

But I couldn't not share this -- Katie's Journey. I do not know Katie. I found her blog while searching for blogs about adoption about a month ago and have been following her since. She is an amazing woman of God. She is living proof of what God desires for us all - to live our lives for his glory and to share the Gospel.

Katie started Amazima Ministries International and is living in Uganda. She has done amazing things there and I am so inspired by her. I'm posting about her because she is an inspiration to me. I think what she is doing there in Uganda is so important -- and I wanted to share her journey with all of you. Hoping that you too will pray for her and her ministry daily.

Katie's Blog: http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/
Amazima Website: http://www.amazima.org/


Here is a post she wrote in December:
"I found this story in my journal last night... its fairly old but still has the same meaning. As you hold the ones you love this Christmas, please keep in mind those who have no one to hold them.

Yesterday a sweet little girl named Rita came to my house with two teeth that had been completely eaten through by a cavity and were almost completely rotted away. The holes looked like they were starting to get infected and the nerve was exposed; I cant imagine how much pain she was in. I took her to the dentist, and they said they were closed. The dentist was in a hurry to leave and wouldn't help me, but he said I could use his things and do it myself. Of course I was terrified, but I was more scared to think about the teeth not being removed immediately; they looked so painful. I gave her a shot to numb her mouth, waited about ten minutes, tried to sterilize these tweezer things with a match and dug out what was remaining of her poor little teeth. I don't think she could feel it, but my heart hurt for her.

I took her back home, made her a hot bath and some soup. Then she had ice cream and slept in my bed under a big blanket. As i tucked the covers in around her and kissed her head she looked up at me with these big, wondering eyes. Unbelievable as it is, she was SOOO happy. She told me that this was the best day of her life, even though her mouth hurt. She said that she would get her teeth pulled every day if she could stay with someone like me. And that made my heart hurt even more.

There are so many children out there that don't feel loved on a daily basis. So many children that don't have a person to hold their hand or rub their back when they are scared and in pain. So many children who don't have the simple pleasures of taking a warm bath or sleeping under a blanket. I would move all of them, ALL of them into my house if I could. I wish I could love them all. I wish more people cared enough that they also wanted to love them all. Sometimes I just can't even believe how blessed I am. I have always been loved, always been cared for, always been warm and well-fed. Its frustrating sometimes, but mostly its just motivating.

Sometimes I feel so tired, and then something like this happens and I am reminded that I can give a child the best night of her life simply by making her soup and kissing her forehead. Simply by love her.Sometimes I feel so tired that I think if I give away any more of myself I may actually be empty. And then I remember, It is only in giving away the love given to me by the Father that I am ever actually full. And so I keep going because of Rita. Because kissing her forehead and saying 'I love you" actually did change the world for that little girl. Because maybe through my hands she can get just a glimpse of a fraction of the love her Maker has for her. There is nothing better. ~ Katie"

And her post from yesterday:
"The last few days have been simply unimaginable. So much so that I can hardly type. Last week was pretty trying; I discovered that what I though was a nasty break out around my mouth was actually impetigo, a staff like infection that causes open sores that weep, then scab, then crack and bleed, all over the face. The good thing is that this led us to diagnose Jane's impetigo, which we had written off as bug bites that she had scratched and irritated (hers are on her legs and trunk).

The next day our land lord let us know that she liked what we had done with her house so much that she wants to move back to Bukaya! We have until Novemeber to be out. The thought of moving my 13 children to another house is overwhelming to say the least, and much worse when you have open sores all over your face.

The next night, our dog Entula gave birth to eight puppies. Thats right. 13 children, 10 dogs, 2 goats, 2 chickens, sweet Christine, our visitor Carell and I. Oh my. I actually wrote on my facebook Monday, "I have 13 children, 10 dogs, 2 goats and 2 chickens. My life could not be more crazy, or more full!"

I was wrong. God could have brought me a crying mother holding her 4 pound 4 month old baby girl who could hardly breathe. And He did. My dear friend and employee brought her sister Susan here yesterday with her 4 month old baby girl, Happy. At first glance anyone would have thought this little thing was dead, but upon closer inspection I could see her chest, barely moving in and out. We rushed her to the nearest hospital where they put her on IV fluids and oxygen. This morning we took her to International Hospital in Kampala, the biggest and most modern hospital in Uganda, though still lacking compared to what we are used to. After much testing it was concluded that little Miss Happy has a 9mm hole in the wall between the ventricles of her heart. This means that her heart can not oxygenate blood properly causing the left ventricle to fail. This causes extreme pulmonary distress which leads to very fast heartbeat, decreased appetite and poor weight gain. More here. Aside from all this medical gibberish, what I am trying to say is, we need HELP. We have admitted Happy in the best hospital Uganda has and this is not free (no health insurance here...) They have her on a feeding tube to increase her weight (she is too small to withstand the heart operation that would be necessary to fix the hole), oxygen, and IV fluids. They are hoping to keep her like this at least for a few weeks to try and stabilize her. This treatment costs $500.00 for three days, that is about $5,000.00 for the month. After that we will need money to proceed with the surgery, though I am not sure of the price. They may be unable to do the surgery here, in which case we would need to fly to Nairobi, Johannesburg, or worst case scenario, the US.
I try not to be frustrated by the lack of necessary equipment and medical care here, by the fact that a simple check-up when she was a few weeks old could have caught and prevented all of this. We know that although we can care for this baby, it will ultimately be the Lord that heals her. I look into her big, curious eyes and see the big plans He has for her life. So I ask first, of course, for your prayers. Pray that the Lord's mighty touch would strengthen Happy supernaturally as the doctors work diligently to stabilize her. That she would be at peace and free from fear and pain. That her mother's heart would be comforted with His peace that transcends all understanding. That the doctors would have stamina and knowledge and wisdom and courage. That the funds for all of Happy's medical expense would just fall from the sky; we know that He meets all our needs in accordance with His glorious riches. That doors would be opened, and God would guide our steps as to where we go from here. That people would see God work a miracle in little Happy's life, and that HE would be glorified above all else.
I am hoping to raise $10,000.00 for Happy's medical bills, to cover the costs of her current hospital stay as well as the upcoming surgery, wherever and whenever that may take place.

Isn't it so like God that her name is Happy. Every time I talk about her I must use the word HAPPY, and it almost sticks in my mouth because this situation seems anything but. And I am reminded that God calls me to remain joyful. HAPPY. The JOY of the Lord is our strength and it is never fading. Thank you, thank you for that, Sweet Jesus.
And Thank YOU, in advance for your continued prayers and support. Updates coming soon...."


WOW --- Please join me in praying for Katie and her Ugandan work.