the glory and the horror

One thing that has been driving our decision process lately is family, or rather, the lack thereof in the vicinity. We are realizing, after nearly a decade away from family, that it has been long enough, and that we would like to be a bit closer to either set of our parents. Of course, that means picking up and moving again, which is something I’m not totally keen on, but if it meant moving closer to family, I would be more than happy to do it.

The frustrating thing is that just as we’re getting settled into a church and small group that we like, we’re already thinking ahead and looking to move. If we move to a new city, we’ll have to start that search all over again.

Through various acquaintances, I was keyed in to the blog of 2 physicians in Uganda working with World Harvest Mission who are in the middle of the Ebola outbreak some of you may (or may not have) heard about. It’s pretty scary because this is a new strain of Uganda with much less obvious symptoms compared to the previous outbreaks of this deadly hemorrhagic fever. The symptoms (e.g. headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea) now can masquerade as the symptoms could go with a number of common diseases found in the area, including malaria, typhoid, and your plain old stomach bug. People aren’t bleeding like they did in previous outbreaks. Right now, the mortality rate is running about 25-30%, with the CDC/MSF/WHO all on the ground there trying to get things under control.

The epidemic is getting a little more press now, with an ABC news article posted recently by a professor from Wake Forest Medical School.

The blog (the Myhre’s personal blog) is an incredible read, and their insights into what is happening on the ground, both in terms of the medicine, epidemiology, and public health, as well as the impact on people, families, and Ugandan society. The story of their friend and colleague, Dr. Jonah Kule, is one that breaks your heart even as you’re applauding him for all that he did. His family’s feelings of sadness must only be magnified by the social isolation, as Ugandans are fearful of even the most casual contact with either exposed people or even the money they touch.

As one of their most recent blog entries asks, may Sunday bring much love and comfort to the families of those afflicted as the people of God show that they support the people that their brother died serving. May the love of God be obvious in the words and actions of the people of God as they serve the Ugandans, both the ill and the healthy.