Visa Prayers

Basiime Godfrey has been a part of our extended-family for many, many years.  He became acquainted with us during his primary school days, became friends with our kids, and we ended up sponsoring him through the end of primary school, six years of secondary school, and now on to University.  He's a orphan, and when his father died his father's family excluded him from the land.  His mother remarried, and this young man is basically on his own.  When Scott was doing his physical exam form for admission to the Uganda Christian University, he realized that Basiime had severe impairment of his vision.  At that very time we received an email from an American ophthalmologist who was coming for a short-term medical mission trip to Uganda and wanted to touch base with us . . . God's providence for Basiime.  Dr. Bonner agreed to evaluate him, found he had sever glaucoma, and performed a surgery to preserve what was left of his vision in one eye.  Since then he's been managing Basiime's care from afar, and on his follow-up mission trip decided that a second surgery was necessary in the other eye.  Without this, Basiime will certainly become blind, sooner rather than later.  The second surgery is more difficult and would best be done by a glaucoma specialist in the USA.  And for no reason other than grace, Dr. Bonner decided to arrange for that to happen, donating funds and care for the month he will need to be here.  So for the last couple of months Basiime and a trusted church leader in Kampala have been working on getting his Ugandan passport and all papers in order (NO SMALL TASK).  Tomorrow, the 7th of October, Basiime Godfrey will be interviewed by the US Embassy for a compassionate-care visa, so that he can temporarily travel to the USA for this surgery.

PLEASE PRAY that the visa would be granted. The USA is cautious about granting visas to Ugandans.  Pray that those responsible tomorrow would see the need for this surgery.  God led this young man into our hearts, opened doors for him at Christ School as a student leader, rescued him when he went astray, gave us grace when we missed deadlines and he still got into the University, brought him to Dr. Bonner's attention, and opened this opportunity for care.  Is it too much to ask for one more thing, an American visa?

Jesus delights in restoring sight.  Please pray that He would heal Basiime's.