SAD FACTS:

-Currently, 550 in every 10,000 women in the Rukingiri area die during childbirth. Many of causes (bleeding, breach births and infections) could be EASILY prevented with a hospital in the area.

-HIV infection rate in Rukingiri area is 31%, despite the rate in Kampala nearing 7%. Many of these cases could be prevented should there be a medical facility that can administer medications during childbirth that would prevent mother to infant transmission.

-Almost 1 in 7 children under the age of 18, in Rukingiri, is an orphan and one in 7 children do not live to see their FIFTH birthday.

How can this be you ask? It is the reality of many in Rukingiri, an area that has been hit HARD by the AIDS epidemic as well as lack of healthcare that could prevent many, if not most deaths by preventable illness.

The good news is that a hospital IS BEING BUILT in Rukingiri. The Crossing began a partnership in 2007 with the local church and the hospital is almost complete. Please see the e-mails below, received overnight from the team in Rukingiri that describe their recent visit to a medical facility in the area as well as the Rugarama facility that we are partnering to build. The Kisizi hospital is outside of Runkingiri and is serving as a model for the Rugarama Hospital in Rukingiri.

FROM THE TEAM-Headed to Kisizi Hospital to see the 'model' for Rugarama. God brought us an unsponsored Mosaic child with severe affliction of nerves & muscles that we now carry in the van with us to Kisizi Hospital for treatment. Isn't God's plan so perfect? Her name is Vanessa. She was left on a doorstep as an infant. She has flourished in spite of her circumstances and we are praying for a full healing of her right side. Sometimes she faints from the pain and temporarily loses control of her face and mouth when she comes to. She is 12 yrs old and very articulate.

TEXT #2-Leaving Kisizi Medical Center, model for Rugarama. Incredible place! Think UCLA in the middle of Ugandan nowhere. 2 hrs of almost impassable dirt roads into the hills to find a city of medical care. Acres of bldgs., expensive equip., dental, vision, mental health, many operating theaters. You can't believe it. Founded in 1958 by John Sharp, dr. & missionary. People from rukungiri have to somehow get here for their serious care. If people in US could see this, then Rugarama would be FULLY FUNDED. I never realized the full significance of what we are doing as a church. HOW WILL WE TELL IT?

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. If you are interested in joining the effort to open the Rugarama Hospital which will bring medical care to area in desperate need, please feel free to contact me, Kelly Boaitey at kboaitey@ca.rr.com.

Please pray for the final funds needed for the hospital opening. Please continue to pray for the team, for Trudie's healing (she is a bit under the weather) and for the Youth Conference which will continue through Sunday. Pray that God continues to throw open doors and that we will be BOLD enought to walk through them as servants of the King. Pray that the team will continue to answer his calls on this trip. Pray for the orphans---not just those that are being cared for by an organization, but mostly, for those, like Vanessa, who have not yet been taken up. May they feel His holy presence and see that our Lord is working furiously to reach them, through this church, the teams that go and the people who continue to work on their behalf, even when they return home.

So blessed we are to be part of this work!!!