Labor Day Parade

May 1 was Labor Day here in Congo.

Our employees and volunteers all joined in a city wide parade to celebrate.

They marched with pride!

I wasn't able to attend, but one of our nurses, Augustin, took pictures.

Meanwhile, back at the farm....

Some of you may be wondering what is going on in Impfondo during our absence...

We have some good news: DR Congo is declared Ebola free

From Lauren Lunsford via Facebook:

One of my favorite parts about being a nurse is watching the formerly critically ill go home.

This is Mondesi. The doctors told his family repeatedly that they should prepare for his death, that he wasn't going to make the week. He had sickle cell, severe malnutrition, multiple abdominal surgeries, and needed abscesses cut open every week. BUT he had a mother and an aunt who prayed for him without ceasing. When one woman wanted to sleep the other would get on her hands and knees and pray so that someone was always praying. This boy could not even sit by himself without excruciating pain and weeping. And yesterday I watched him literally pick up his mat and walk home. God is a God of miracles even for today.

{Read more about Mondesi's story: Despite Our Presence or Absence}

This is Esther. She came in a few months ago very malnourished after drinking lye. She had a G-tube placed and is looking significantly better. It's so nice to see success stories every once in a while. 

 On Reigning in Life, Sarah Tenpenny shares about HIV Counseling

Often patients are diagnosed with HIV for the first time at the hospital. Our lab workers do their best to tell them about their diagnosis but sometimes it takes time to truly sink in. Often after they hear the words, “you have HIV” nothing else is heard after that. For so many years in Africa the disease was a death sentence. Over the last few years, especially due to PEPFAR that President Bush put into place a few years back to fund AIDS medication, this in no longer the case. The problem is, each patient must come back in regularly for medications and testing.

It takes significant time and kind, loving words to share this diagnosis. One such patient recently came into clinic with a new diagnosis, but understanding little. Her first questions was “How long do I have to take these medications?”. She was totally shocked and started crying when we told her “for the rest of your life”. She refused and got up to leave. Through kind words of encouragement and prayer the young woman began to accept this. We prayed with her and she committed herself to the treatment for her disease and better understood that she had not really been given a death sentence.

******************

From New Sight Congo

Happy Patients, Happy Staff, Happy us.
Have a happy day!
With love and thanks from the Congo

The Big Storm

As we transition from the dry season to the rainy season, there are often severe storms. Wednesday evening brought one of the worst we had seen. 

Stephen and I had gone to our usual Wednesday mission team meeting, which begins at 4:00 pm.  Some members of our team were running a little late, so we were just sitting around chatting, waiting for the meeting to start.

A big branch in our front yard

Suddenly, the wind and rain started, and it quickly became apparent that the water was not going to stay outside the building.  The six of us who were there immediately got to work, closing the window shutters and trying to check for any leaks.

No chainsaws!  The branches have to be cut to smaller pieces with a machete so they can be carted away.

The rain blew the roof of part of the building, and water was streaming in through the ceiling, the windows, and under the doors.  We were pretty busy fighting the inundation!  Someone even climbed up on the roof in the rain to replace the tin that had blown to the side.

The kids were home alone, on the other side of the compound from us.  We were hoping that they were able to close the windows and keep things dry at our house.

In front of the surgery building.

Those who were running late to the meeting had to drive past big branches and around puddles in the road.  They had a nerve wracking drive.

By the time our meeting ended, it was beginning to grow dark outside.  We didn't really see the complete damage until the next morning.  All around the hospital, there were fallen branches and sticks.

The back of our house.  There were various size branches all over our yard.

But in spite of everything that happened, there was no major damage to any of our structures or vehicles.  At our house, Isabelle was able to organize the kids to close the windows, and cover the desks with blankets.

The past two days our grounds crew has been hard at work cleaning up the aftermath of the storm.  I was impressed by how much they were able to accomplish in just one day.  Things look so much better already.

This branch was in front of the surgical building.

This is a job for?......

Many of you have heard us talk about or have read about our problems with consistent electricity at the Pioneer Christian Hospital and others of you have expressed an interest in helping out at the hospital but don't know what to do .  Well this is the post for you......See our help wanted ad below!

Wanted a few good people

 What: Installing new wiring, rewiring the infrastructure of the hospital grounds, laying underground cables and installing new circuit breaker panels connecting new generators to an electrical system at the Pioneer Christian Hospital.  This involves working in a tropical environment, manual labor and some cross-cultural interaction

 

Who: people who are skilled in wiring or who are good at working with their hands, improvising solutions and who love Jesus.

When: September/October of this year for 4wks to 3 mos.  You decide the length of time you can be in the Congo.

Where:  Impfondo, the Repbulic of Congo. It is an isolated city in the northern section of the Republic of Congo.  Weather forecast: mid 80s to low 90s with 90% humidity and chance of isolated thunderstorms.  The Pioneer Christian Hospital is a 7 year old evangelical hospital providing essential care to a catchment area of over 200,000 people.

How:  A team of volunteers is being organized by Chip Frey.  Interested parties should contact him directly by email at chipfrey@comcast.net  Volunteers will be expected to raise all the money needed to go on the trip.  The money raised will pay for flights to the country and in the country as well as food and lodging while in Impfondo.

Why:  It’s a great opportunity to use your skills to honor God in a cross-cultural setting and to play a role in providing medical care without having to learn anything medical!

For more info about the hospital check out www.congoharveys.org  and the pioneer Christian hospital facebook page or the wegners 4 the roc facebook page.

Another Random Saturday Part 3

Here are so.me more picts from that same Saturday.

motorcycle accidents are tough.  This is how we treat closed femur fractures here at our hospital. 6wks of traction

Yet he still smiles.

This gentleman fractured his leg about 4 wks before coming in.  Still was trying to walk on it.  He had an infection so he got a cast and some local dressing changes.

This little guy had his iguinal hernia repaired here.

A picture of stoicism.  He got a below the knee amputation the next day for a dead foot.

This little guy came in weighing 10kg at 5 years of age.  After a feeding tube and goo nutrition he's up to 13kg and is now smiling and playing

This man had a hernia repair as well.

This lady tried to break up a fight and got bit so hard on her finger that it broke the bone and then showed up to our hospital 5 days later with dead tissue and lots of infection..  She is slowly getting better

This is actually 2 patients.  The first is the mom who had a skin an muscle infection needing a huge incision on her back  an lots of dressing changes.  Her son developed malnutrition here when the mom stopped breastfeeding and was too sick to care for him.  He is doing better now with a little extra protein.

Its very dangerous to cross the street here in Impfondo.  This kid was hit by a truck and had a broken femur on the right (he's in a type of skin traction) and also ripped open his knee on the left.  He is doing better now and we can cast him soon.

Even with his 102 (at the time of pict) temp he still managed a smile.  He's afebrile now and even happier.  he likes the puppet shows we do for him.

This young lady had a generalized abdominal infection from an authorized abortion.  The person who did the abortion punctured her uterus and she came in with pus everywhere.  after a surgery and a couple of abscess drainage she was able to leave the hospital.

AND NOW THE STARS OF THE SHOW!!!

Here are the nurses that worked that day with me.

This is Charnelle.  She works in maternity, is a very bright hard worker.

From left to right.  Augstin (a nurse consultant, and also a photographer), Lillian (a CNA level nurse but who is learning a lot here) and Ghislain (one of our recent nursing training  program grads who is now learning eye screening an exam with Dr. Henri Samoutou)

  Again, your support helps us do all of this.  Thanks for  all you do for us.

Stephen

Faces

Faces

One of our nurses

Christmas Morning

After church on Christmas morning, we had a chance to pass out presents to the patients who are in the hospital. They each received some food items: kwanga, cookies, sardines, juice, and candy.
Thanks to donations from Samaritan's Purse, we were able to also give stuffed animals, blankets, scarfs, hats and mittens.

Faces

A few pictures from our Christmas morning service.

New hope for H.E.L.P.

We at HELP (Hôpital Evangélique ‘Le Pionnier’) are excitedly awaiting the arrival of a new missionary family. The Samoutou's are preparing to come to Impfondo to set up the first eye center in the Congo.

There are many eye problems that go untreated because of a lack of resources. The town of Impfondo and the whole region will benefit enormously from this care.

There was an article about them in the BBC News explaining some of the process. Here is an excerpt:

They are hoping to set up a clinic helping patients with eyesight problems in Impfondo, capital of the Likouala Region.

Dr Joyce Samoutou said she had worked at the Leeds practice for three years but she and he husband felt they had to help those with limited medical provision in Africa.

She said: "We found out that Republic of Congo has never had eye centre offering surgery before.

"According to World Health Organisation four out of five people in that region are either blind or visually impaired for avoidable reasons.

"Simple cataract surgery costing about £50 will change lives.

"Imagine you've got an eye problems so life is hard, it's even hard to get to visit a doctor because of either distance or money.

"Yet, with a simple operation these problems can be resolved, but the doctors out there cannot carry out the work and there are no referrals, so we're really passionate about going.

You can read the whole article "Leeds couple to open Congo eye clinic." Please keep the Samoutou family in your prayers as they finish their preparations and prepare to move.

Amabassador- Part 1

Dr. Harvey and the Ambassador

At the beginning of October we had a visit from the Ambassador. He came to do an official ribbon cutting ceremony for our new oxygen filling station. The station was purchased with funds from a grant we received through the US embassy.

Dr. Harvey showing the Ambassador how the filling station works

The filling station in one of the OR rooms
(it may not look exciting, but it has helped to save lives and improve the quality of care)

Update

When I last wrote an update, we were in the midst of preparing for a trip to Brazzaville while participating in a ribbon cutting ceremony and breakfast with the ambassador and some of his staff.

We were able to make it to Brazzaville that day, and the next day I had my last dentist appointment to finish the long process of having a crown replaced.

We had planned to spend a week in Brazzaville, but due to complications with the last minute cancellation of flights we were there 11 days. I wasn't really disappointed since it gave us some extra time with our CMA missionary friends in Brazzaville.

Since we have returned, I have been busy with homeschool, visitors, guest housing, and the many details of daily life. Stephen has been busy as usual, wearing many hats at the hospital: seeing patients, teaching, administration, preaching various times at the morning devotionals for the staff and the Sunday morning service, meeting with 2 nurses for discipleship, dealing with electrical problems, supply shortages, and much more. He fits a lot into each day.

But he has had a few chances to take some time away from the hospital. He has been out in a canoe with David Marsh whenever they both have a free Saturday.
v
We've been having lots of candlelit evenings lately. Our electricity comes and goes, and we have to be very conservative with what we have. Our hospital is somewhere between "orange alert" and "red alert" for the electricity system.
I've been thinking about this post for a little while. I had the pictures, but I wasn't sure how to explain the way things are without sounding negative or complaining.
Things are inconvenient and hard at times, but we've also enjoyed having a quiet family dinner by candlelight, sitting together while we read a book by candlelight, playing games together by candlelight...
Now even when the electricity is working, we sometimes choose to turn off the lights and light the candles.
We were without propane gas for our stove and refrigerator again, but mid-November we were able to get some propane gas for the stove. We've only had a working refrigerator for 4 months this year.
It's not as bad as it sounds, though. For one thing, there is not much available to buy that you need to keep in the refrigerator. There's no butter, cheese, milk, yogurt, etc.
We also have a cook who shops for fresh produce and meat five days a week. Then she prepares it using the kerosene burners and a charcoal burner that we keep outside. We're trying to save the gas for the stove for baking. I'm hoping it will last through Christmas.

Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers!

October Update

September was a whirlwind of activity.
Our trip to Brazzaville did not go as planned. First the permanent crown didn't work, and I had to have an impression made for another. Our return flight Saturday was canceled, so we had to wait until Monday to return.
We started school the day after labor day, and the kids and I have been busy with that. We're studying the Eastern Hemisphere and the human body among other things.

The hospital had an employee meeting to review the year and address any concerns. At the meeting, each employee was presented with a new uniform, scrub set, coveralls, or other clothes appropriate to their job. The employees were all excited to see the new things. It also helped to encourage them and let them know they are valued and appreciated. It has been fun to see everyone walking around in their new outfits.





Stephen's work at the hospital continues to be challenging. The baby previously pictured in this post, came in at 2 months old severely malnourished. He was doing a little bit better, but his mom had given up hope and wanted to take him home to die.

The doctors were able to convince her to leave him at the hospital to continue receiving care. A missionary family took him into their home, and became responsible for his care. This means feeding every two hours, medications as needed, and all the typical care for a newborn baby. They are working with him to try to develop in some of the areas where he is behind.

Every time I see him he looks better. He's gaining weight, his color has improved dramatically, and he's alert and beginning to take interest in the world around him. Please keep this baby in your prayers. We are hoping that he will be able to go home with parents and continue taking a special supplemental formula.




It's the rainy season here, so everything has been growing quickly. The workers spend lots of time keeping the grounds looking nice and things in working order. The hospital is looking its best today as we welcome the US Ambassador to Congo.


He's here today to have an official ribbon cutting ceremony for our oxygen filling station. Then we're going to have a small informal breakfast. ( I'll have a full post with pictures on his visit coming later.)

As soon as that is over, our family leaves for Brazzaville for yet another dentist visit. I'm praying that it is the last. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement.

Now I'm off to breakfast with the Ambassador!

Faces

Quick Update/Prayer Request

Yesterday, some people may have seen the question Stephen posted on facebook/twitter yesterday, "Which would you rather have- water or electricity?"

While we've never had a choice, we have had many opportunities to talk about this lately.

The hospital continues to have ongoing electrical problems, which affects the water pump as well.

This is a summary of what Joe (Dr. Harvey) said in our meeting last night with the names removed.

The white generator will start, but the motor is shot and needs to be overhauled. The big yellow generator is starting to have problems again. The cable between the Sunday school building and Casa Blanca is fried. The underground cable between surgery and maternity that provides electricity to half of the hospital is not working either. (This effects maternity, administration, blue house, x-ray, lab, chapel, etc.) The best we can hope for now is a temporary fix.

We are in dire need of a full time electrician. Our electricity is becoming more and more of an urgent matter to the point of emergency. A volunteer has designed the system, but doesn't have time to order and assemble the system. Someone else is willing to install the system once assembled. For the time being we are back to a precarious electrical system.

Now the power has been restored to the water tower. We should only use electricity when absolutely necessary and remember that someone's life could depend on the electricity you are using. We should also try to conserve water so that we will not have to run the generator too often. There is a fuel crisis in town. (diesel fuel which is needed to run the generator.) We have payed for the fuel, but cannot get it.

Last night after the meeting, Joe continued working on the electricity and was able to get power back to some parts, including our house. But at best, it is a temporary fix. Please continue to keep this situation in your prayers.