Everything by Cheryl Derby Okumu

When I ask myself why I came to Africa, I find I can’t sum it up all in one neat and tidy response.  I have to start by remembering my childhood and the times I gave my time and efforts to charities. I was always a kid who gave. I wanted to befriend the friendless in school. Sit with those the others ignored. I wanted to give my things to other kids who didn’t have things. It didn’t matter what things; just things.  All my life I have been a giver.  I’m a compassionate person. I admit. I FEEL other people’s pain. I sympathize and even empathize at times with other’s hardships. I hurt when they hurt. I lack when they lack. I cry when they cry. 

I became a nurse as an adult because I saw I could help others.  Every day for 17 years I helped others. I helped others so much and for so long that I gave all of myself.  I gave my time, my life, my kindness, my skills, my knowledge, and ultimately my health.  My kidneys failed and I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus, an autoimmune disease with no known cause and no known cure.  Now I was the one being helped. I was the one who needed compassion. I was very ill for a long time. 'In bed every day kind–of-ill'. Except for when I had to sit in a doctor’s office. I had 7 specialists. I used to be a full-time nurse but now I was a full-time sick person.

The pain consumed me. The tiredness and feeling sick to my stomach was constant. The weakness was overwhelming. And then my lymphatic system failed because of constant swelling due to the kidney damage. Then the ulcers came on my legs. Then weekly visits to the surgeon who cut the sores with a scalpel to speed healing. Every Monday they would cut me, then wrap my legs in tight dressings which I could not remove until the next Monday when they did it all again. Eighteen months of this. If I had known during all the suffering what God had in store for me later I would not have felt so hopeless.

When the last ulcer on my leg was still an open wound, I came to Uganda East Africa.  I traded in seven specialists for complete and total faith in God. What did I have to lose? My life? I risked everything and gave all of myself once again to others. I couldn’t do much sick but if I could help just one person it was better than just lying in bed dying.  That wound healed here without any single surgeon or tight wraps.

Since 2013 I have helped one and two and twenty and possibly even 200 so far. I can’t do much physically but when someone comes to my house hungry I can give them food if I have some. When they came for school fees for their kid I gave. When they asked for shoes I gave them mine. I wish I could give more to more but I only have a little money. I often lie awake at night thinking of how if only someone would give me money I would give so much more to people who have nothing.  And when I say nothing, some people just really have nothing.  And they have kids who have nothing. And I can’t give them much of anything.  But I give what I can.

So when I am asked what do I do in Africa? or why did I come to Uganda?  I guess I just have to say I came to give my things to people who don’t have things. I have given all my things over the past 5 years and now my things are running out. In Uganda they would say “they are over”.  My things are over and I can’t give any more things to people who have nothing. But…….if someone gave me something, I could really just give…….something. 

  

“ God?.....can anyone help me give some things?-  because I am still here, still sick, still that kid and still relying on YOU for every. single. thing.”  

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  (KJV)

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

² A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

⁵ A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

⁶ A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

⁸ A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.