The Saturday before Christmas while we were again in Nebbi, we realized Elsie Jayne was running a high fever. We quickly gave her tylenol and dismissed it. She was gaining three new teeth at once, so we assumed that was the problem. When she still had a temperature of 103+ that night, we realized we may need a second opinion other than just our teeth diagnosis.
A German nurse who is a dear friend and a British doctor at our local mission hospital both encouraged us to immediately begin malaria treatment. There would be no way to test her until Monday morning, but waiting two days could be dangerous in a child of her size. So, we began the great parental journey of trying to figure out how to get a big round disc that tastes bitter down the throat of a thirteen month old determined not to swallow.
Those next two days were quite scary. Her fever kept spiking and the motrin and tylenol seemed to be in vain, bathing to keep the fever down every few hours wasn't really working either, but as we sent out an email to our prayer supporters and family we sensed Jesus' hand upon her little body and the fever broke Monday morning.
She has progressively improved since then. It has been a long week, but we have had new hope every day. Monday we went and tested that for sure we were treating the right illness. She did have malaria, but we can see now that she responded to the meds and Jesus has touched her.
She is finally herself now! She even smiles again...sorry she couldn't really yet on Christmas day when the family picture was taken. Billy went to preach at a friends' church in Yumbe, Uganda on Christmas Day.
We celebrated Jesus' birth as a family on Friday and then welcomed some friends to lunch...we attempted for the first time to prepare our own turkey! We bought him a few weeks ago, Billy killed him on Wednesday and Friday we had a Boxing Day "Christmas" celebration. Joanna even stuffed it for us! Ugandan turkeys we decided are mostly skin and bones, but the meat we did get was yummy! (almost like home...)
Earlier in the week we had entertained the children of some of our other missionary friends so their parents could wrap presents and just have a moment of calm in their homes on Christmas week. We all made "gingerbread" manger scenes made from local cookies and homemade icing! It was really fun...hopefully the kids had a good time too.
On Christmas Eve we welcomed about 20 Ugandan friends to see "The Nativity" and have lunch with us. It was fun to watch any movie with them, but then to see their responses to the dramatization of the days leading up to the birth of Jesus was really powerful! They were all happy to go home with some fun gifts to help with Christmas dinner!
We really want to thank SO MANY of you who were praying with us for Elsie Jayne. If you don't receive our prayer updates, but want to, please email and let us know to add you. billy.coppedge@wgm.org
We trust you had a great Christmas and have a blessed 2009!
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