A few years ago, my Stake President, Andrew Egbert, told me that Heavenly Father wanted me to go back to school . . . so I accepted the new calling, purchased the necessary electronics, lap top, Palm phone etc. and started learning the interworkings as the Stake Clerk.
Four or so years later, feeling fairly confident, I came to Uganda with a much clearer vision of computers and knowledge of the various programs I would run into here . . . . . . . . ya right!
Going into our third month, I am still trying to download MLS and make baptism entries. I can’t begin to tell you the frustrations I have had with this “simple” task, nor can I remember how many times we, (Bro. Monday our Branch Clerk and myself) have re-installed, re-entered information etc. just to lose it all with unusual problems, not to mention our daily power outages.
Today was no different. After spending the morning re-installing and re-entering everything, we lost it once again. Our church is on the 4th floor, and clearly frustrated, I wanted to toss the computer out the window . . . even thought of calling our area programmer with a few choice words. Instead, realizing we couldn't do anything else, I told Bro. Monday I would take him back to his work.
As we were driving up a pot-holed filled road, I saw this lady in an old hand-made metal wheel chair struggling to pull herself up the hill. I stopped, and with Bro. Monday translating in Luganda, we asked the lady if we could take her home. She gladly accepted and we lifted her into our truck.
I can’t begin to describe the roads, but I drove her home at least 10 miles from where I picked her up. We helped her into her home and met her sister who was scooting around on the floor because she needed a wheel chair too, but didn’t have one. These two women were also taking care of their brother’s 4 year old child.
My attitude changed. In my narrow window of “download” frustrations I was reminded of the real life suffering issues that is dealt with on a moment by moment basis, day in and day out. We told these women that we would be back to visit them, and they were gracious, and grateful, but probably thought they would never see us again.
Our Humanitarian Missionaries Elder and Sister Beckle have a wheel chair project once a year. Of course, this is a sought after project but the needs for both these women were desperate. I called Elder & Sister Beckle and explained the situation and requested the proper forms needed to pursue this. They explained the time frame and the availability, both of which were very discouraging.
I came home and told Diane what had happened, and we decided to take some food, water, candles and matches to them the following Saturday.
The next day, Elder Beckle called me and told me that he had gone over to the hospital that works with them on the wheelchair project and they found two new wheelchairs left over from last year. They didn’t even know they had them but would send someone down to Masaka to measure both these women so their new wheelchairs fit them properly! Of course again, it’s a testament to the love that the Lord has for his children. I am just so humbled, so grateful.
Today, Diane and I went with the Elders & Bro. Yasin, (who translated for us.) with the food, water etc. These two sisters were thrilled that we had returned, and just as we were being seated, another woman on a crutch came to the door. She was a neighbor and wanted to see and hear what was going on. They insisted that Diane and I sit in the two chairs they owned and the other seven sprawled out on the dirt floor and the missionaries began teaching a lesson. The neighbor could read, and speak some English, but her eyes were bad and so she couldn’t read the small writing in the Book of Mormon. I handed her my reading glasses and asked if these made a difference. She immediately began reading and became overjoyed! We worked it out that between missionary visits; this neighbor would read the Book of Mormon and translate to the best of her understanding the meanings to the other sisters.
One miracle after another! I gave her the glasses and we left with an invitation for the next lesson.
I am so grateful for these humbling experiences but ashamed I had to be prompted because of my impatient attitude. I am reminded of one of my favorite scriptures;
Mosiah 3:19
For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
Elder Crayk
