Update

Sunsets from Impfondo (top) and Montana (bottom)

Our last update was about a series of "good-byes" while we traveled from Impfondo to Brazzaville and back to the US.  We have continued to travel, but this time it has come with a series of "hellos" as we reconnect with family and friends.

We have been in a period of recovery and exploration: rest and recovery from our experience and exploration of our options for future ministry.  We are still trying to get used to speaking about our home in Impfondo in the past tense instead of the present tense.  In many ways, it still feels like home, and our hearts are with many of the people there.  We know that God has the situation in His control, and we can trust him with the hospital and people of Impfondo.

We have slowly traveled west, and we are now back in Montana.   There has been the opportunity for us to talk to people who are serving at some other hospitals in French speaking Africa.  There are four possible hospitals that we are considering, and we would appreciate prayers for God's guidance in the process.

The children are all doing well.  They would have all preferred to stay in Congo, which made the initial transition difficult.  While they still miss Impfondo, they are becoming excited about our next locations.  We started school on Labor Day (in Georgia), and we have been continuing to homeschool as we travel.  They have enjoyed catching up with their cousins and friends, and meeting some new friends.

Although in some ways we are eager to get back to ministry in Africa, we know that it is important to take the time to transition well.  We are still planning to spend around six months in the US.

We will be in Montana until we return to the east for our debriefing conference at the beginning of November.  After this, we hope to be able to share more details about the future.

We will still be posting a few things from our time in Impfondo on the blog throughout the fall and winter.  Thank you again for all of your encouragement and prayers for us.

Left: Hiking in Impfondo with Sarah Speer
Right: Hiking in Montana

Update

We have made the very difficult decision to leave Impfondo and the ministry with Pioneer Christian Hospital. As some of you know, the environment here has always been difficult. There are physical aspects such as lack of resources and development, difficulties with supplies, and isolation. But above that, there has been a problems with leadership and team environment that have kept people from choosing to serve here long term.


We still chose to return for a second term, knowing the great medical and spiritual needs in the area and believing that things with our missionary team could improve with time and through God’s working. After a challenging 15 months, we reluctantly made the decision to leave at the end of the summer. We were experiencing the negative effects of stress on our health and family.

We would still like to return here at some point in the future, and we will be praying every day for the missionaries, employees, and other people in the area. The hospital is with Global Outreach Mission (GOM), and they are working to plan for the future of the hospital. Please GOM leadership in your prayers as they seek God’s will for the big picture of the hospital and the practical details involved.


We will be leaving Brazzaville on August 24 to return to the US. It has been recommended that we take some time for debriefing and recovery before beginning to travel or preparing for our next location. If God does not bring us back to Impfondo, we would still like to serve in a medical ministry in French speaking Africa. There are many places with great needs and opportunities for service, and we have communicated with some of them. We will not be making a decision until we have been in the US for some time, and our mission director and member care people believe that we are ready. We want to face the next step as physically, mentally, and spiritually as healthy as possible.

Quick Update

Thanks for your patience with our lack of news or communication over the last month.  We've been having problems with our internet, but we hope to be up and running now.

We'll try to catch up on some things that have happened over the last month, and keep you up to date with current happenings as well.

Update

Thank you for all the prayers for us throughout the weekend.  Things remained calm overall, with only a few minor incidents in town.

The young man with the gunshot wound passed away this morning.  The family grieved, but even as it looked like he was dying, his mother ran out to tell people that she didn't want retaliation.  They want an end to the violence.

The family has been able to remove the body from the hospital compound this afternoon.  The police are hoping that the family will be willing to place the body directly into the ground, because of concerns that the funeral and grieving process could be used by some as an excuse for further violence.

We are remaining cautious, but do not feel that we are currently at risk.
Thank you for all your prayers!

The police station across the street from the hospital, seen from our backyard.

Psalm 33:13-22

The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.


No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.


Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.


Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
Just as we hope in you.

Guarding the intersection in front of the police station.

Update

Yesterday, on the road to the north of us, a motorcyclist died with some police involvement.  The story of the events vary wildly.

The normally calm jungle road to the north of the hospital.

It affected us here because a crowd retaliated by attacking the police station across from the hospital. The police discouraged the crowd from attacking by firing warning shots.  At first, it appeared that things would blow over quickly.

But about an hour later, the crowd returned and began a new assault on the station, including what looked like homemade fire bombs.  The police were able to drive the crowd back by a serious of shots fired into the air, but unfortunately, one young man was hit by a bullet.

Things were quite chaotic for awhile.  The medical staff was treating the patients already at the hospital, plus the newly wounded.  The guards and other staff were busy keeping things safe and secure at the gate and inside the hospital.

After the crowd retreated a bit, they remained close by, yelling and occasionally throwing things toward the police barricade.  After some time, the police used more shots, some from larger weapons, to disperse the crowd.

A picture taken from our backyard.  A woman calmly goes about her day while passing the police barricade and walking toward the crowd.  She seemed unconcerned about the violence surrounding her.

 After about 2pm, things remained calm and quiet, with police blocking most traffic until the evening.

This morning, things are once again calm, with some normal traffic, but many people are choosing to stay away from the area for now.  There is a stronger than usual police presence guarding the station.

The patient who was shot in the abdomen survived surgery and remains in critical condition.  If he lives, we anticipate things remaining calm.  If he dies, the grieving could reignite the anger and violence.

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers, and we will update as news becomes available.

Update

On our jungle walk

March was an eventful month for us. At the beginning of the month, we were able to go for a jungle walk as a family with Sarah Speer as a present for Anna’s 40th birthday. It was fun to get out of our usual routines and see some more of the area.

Soon after, we had a medical evacuation on our team. Sarah Tenpenny, who was 27 weeks pregnant, was flown to South Africa, and then on to the US. Elliot and their boys traveled from Congo to the US, with the help of Christina Warkentin. The Tenpennys are all doing well now, and Sarah is resting at home with intensive outpatient follow up.

Dr. Harvey had a flare-up of his MS symptoms, has started treatment, and he is on medical leave. He will most likely be returning to the US for follow-up with his physicians there. With two fewer doctors, Stephen and Dr. Kiong Liao have been much busier. When Dr. Kiong accompanies a patient to Kenya for a surgical procedure at the end of April, Stephen will be the only doctor doing clinical work along with administrative work. Dr. Cyriaque, a young doctor from the Central African Republic, continues to see outpatients with some supervision, and is learning more about patient care.

Since our last update, our team has tried to act on the suggestions from Ron Julian, and Stephen has taken part in a committee to better organize the structure here. There have been several challenges in the process, including the evacuation and medical leave causing a shortage of personnel, but there are also different visions on how this should look for our team.

Morning rounds 

In the midst of all the uncertainties, we were still able to have our first ever health fair for the employees and their families. Amanda Volkman put a lot of work into planning and organizing the events, along with help from everyone on the team. It was a big success!

Henri and Joyce Samoutou have started a French/ English church which meets in the hospital chapel after the Lingala/ French service. It is hoped that this will be an outreach to people who do not attend the more traditional service. In the first two weeks, they have seen some young people who have never attended church show an interest. Quite frequently, I have people ask me if the hospital offers English classes. I am now able to tell them about our French/ English service and recommend it as a good way to learn English.


We said good-bye to a family who spent two months with us. Dr. Timothy Kitchen, his wife Jennifer, and three of their children. They added a lot to our community here, and we were sad to see them go. The Samoutous, as part of New Sight Congo, are hosting a team from Hong Kong. They are busy improving our internet system, teaching VBS for the MKs, and learning about life here. In addition to the team of seven from Hong Kong, we also have four students, two medical students and two physician’s assistants students visiting to learn about medical missions. If you visit our blog, you will see pictures of all of them pop up occasionally.

Praises and Prayer Requests:
1. Praise God that our mission team has taken some tentative steps towards a healthy working environment. Pray as we continue the process.

2. Praise God for the good weather the day of the health fair and a successful outcome. Pray that everyone who attended will be able to apply the things they learned.

3. We are thankful for our continued health and safety, and pray that the physical health of our team will improve as well.

4. The much awaited container has made it to Impfondo. Pray for the unloading and organizing this week.

5. Tensions between the two Congos seem to have quieted recently. Several of our employees have been able to get their passports and visas and return to work.

Update on Sarah Tenpenny

Ready to Fly

Thanks for all who have been praying for the Tenpennys.

Update from Elliot today:

Thank you all for your support and prayers. Sarah left yesterday on a medical evacuation flight from here in Impfondo and arrived safely in Johannesburg, South Africa last night. She did well on the flight. Examinations have started, there has been no emergency need for surgery or delivery found, the baby is healthy (and is a Boy). She has been found to have signs of inflammation and anemia on examination. The doctors will be coming up with a plan by Saturday. Our hope is that she is sent back to the US soon to be with family even if she needs to remain in a hospital.

The boys and I (Elliott) are doing well. They are adjusting to the shock of watching mommy leave in an ambulance as well as possible. We are now scheduled to return to the US next Thursday. 

Please continue to pray for us through this time. We appreciate the encouraging messages and support of us during this time. Thank you.

Urgent Prayer Needed for the Tenpennys

From Elliot Tenpenny yesterday evening:

Please pray for Sarah. She is now 28 weeks pregnant and woke up this morning with severe abdominal pains and now may be having a placental abruption. Please pray for the life and safety of both Sarah and our child. She is to be evacuated to South Africa in the next day or two to be treated. From there she most likely will be flown back to the US. The boys and I will be staying here, packing and returning to the US when possible. Please keep us all in your prayers.

As of now, Sarah is stabilized, and the baby is staying healthy.  They are working on the logistics of the medical evacuation, and it will most likely take place tomorrow afternoon.

Update

We enjoyed our time spent with our CMA team in South Africa.  We also had the chance to see many animals and explore some of the area while we were there.

Before leaving Impfondo for South Africa, we learned that the deportation of people from the Democratic Republic of Congo was scheduled for January 20.  The only news we heard about that during our trip was that the deportation was going smoothly.  We were praying for our friends and hospital employees who may have had to leave during our absence.

When we returned safely to Brazzaville and then on to Impfondo, and we were relieved to find that our friends and hospital employees from the DRC had not been forced to leave.  There is ongoing work to verify passports and visas of those from other countries, but it has all been dealt with in a peaceful manner.  Some people have traveled back to their country of origin, and they hope to return once they have a the proper passport and visa.

Amanda Volkman, a missionary nurse spending a year with us, has begun continuing education classes with the nurses every other week.  Stephen has been able to assist her, but she is the one planning and teaching the classes.  It’s been nice to see her take on that role, and for Stephen to have more of a supporting role.  She is also planning an event for the hospital employees and their families to learn about health and related issues.  They are all invited March 21 to spend the afternoon at a health fair.  There will be various stations providing basic information on topics such as malaria prevention and nutrition.  Even the kids are getting involved in the planning and preparation.   We are hoping that this will be a test case for having similar things for community health open to a wider audience.

We have been busy with some extra meetings to work out the best direction for our team.  We were able to have Ron Julian, our CMA Regional director, spend some time with us clarifying the process.  We appreciated his help, and also enjoyed being able to spend some time with him.

Some people have asked about the baby from our blog post “Trouble in Maternity.”  She is still in the hospital, gaining weight and getting strong enough to go home.  Her family should be able to take her home this month.  Thank you for your prayers for her.

Praises and Prayer Requests:

1. We are thankful for the continued health and safety of our family.

2. The Ebola outbreak in Western Africa is dying down.  Pray that the decline will continue, and that no new cases will develop.

3. Please continue to pray for our missionary staff and employees as we tackle some tough issues.  Our prayer is for God’s will to be done, and that the results will glorify Him.

4. Pray for the ongoing medical education classes with the nurses and the upcoming health fair (March 21).

5. Praise God for some much needed supplies that have made it to the hospital, and more that are on their way.  We know that God will always provide.

6. Pray for ongoing tensions that exist between people here and those from other countries.  Pray that these can continue to be worked through without violence.  Also pray for some of our hospital employees who are currently in their country of origin, trying to complete the proper paperwork to be allowed to return.

Thank you again for your continued prayers for our family and the ministry here.

January Update

Happy New Year!

Bon Année!

In November, we enjoyed our time in Ethiopia at Soddo Christian Hospital.  Stephen was able to spend lots of time observing and performing surgery, mostly the sign nail.  We were able to fellowship with the mission community there, including a wonderful potluck Thanksgiving together.  There were lots of kids around for our kids to play with, and they all decided we should live in Soddo!

Even though Stephen was working a full schedule, it was a break from the hectic pace of life we had for the previous few months.  We were rested and refreshed by the end of our time there.

We returned to the ROC on Dec 5, after a little visa excitement at the airport in Addis Ababa.  We had planned to travel the next day to Impfondo, but we were delayed for a few days.  The good news is that the extra time in Brazzaville gave us some time to observe the pro-team that came with Sports Ambassadors to play football.  (What we Americans call soccer.)  The Cuthbert family, recently arrived in Brazzaville from Northern Ireland, planned and organized the tour.  Our CMA colleagues in Brazzaville assisted with logistics and translation.  It was interesting to see the process and the doors that were opened through the sporting events.

On our return to Impfondo, we jumped back into life- Stephen with work and the rest of us with school.  The threat of Ebola has receded, at least for this area.  It is a relief to us, but we continue to pray for those still fighting this disease.  The work at the hospital to keep Stephen busy with a variety of interesting cases.

The word that really stood out to me this Christmas season was CELEBRATE, and December was a month with many reasons to celebrate.  Stephen and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary on December 21.  That was followed by four parties in just over one week- from our missionary staff parties for New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve to birthday parties for Sarah Speer and Siko Bambemba.

As usual, Stephen was on call for Christmas.  Since we live right on the hospital compound, he is able to come and go as needed.  We celebrated a simple, quiet Christmas- not a white Christmas, but a green one!  We get to enjoy the beauty of lush green grass and vegetation year round.  :)

The highlight of our Christmas in Congo is always the distribution of small gifts to the patients in the hospital.  It is organized by the hospital chaplain, and in each room he explains about God’s gift to man- Jesus.  After his explanation, we sing a song while handing out the gifts.  It is hard to be sick or injured at any time, but to spend the holidays in the hospital is especially difficult.  There is one man who is paralyzed, and he has been in and out of the hospital for many years.  Of the five years we have been in the Congo for Christmas, he has been in the hospital for at least three, maybe four of those.  He has become a Christian since the accident that caused his paralysis, and in spite of his suffering, he always has a smile and kind word for those he meets.

I enjoy it doubly, as a participant and as a parent.  As a participant, I’m able to see the happiness such simple gifts bring to people, and my own idea of my “needs” is challenged.  As a parent, I’m able to see our kids joyfully participate and the compassion they show for other’s suffering.  I know they will remember this part of Christmas all of their lives.  We are so thankful to be able to be a part of the gift giving process, and to have our community here while away from our family in the US. We followed with a shared meal with some of the others who were part of the distribution, then our own family celebration.

We carried the celebrating into January, with a family party for Ian’s 15th birthday.  We’re now ready for a bit of a break from all the celebrations!  It’s back to life as usual- school and work.  At least for one week, then Caleb will have his turn for a birthday party.  He’s asked for a day off of school for his birthday, and I am happy to oblige.

Pictures of these things to come on the blog!

Our church group the on Sunday, January 4

Praises and Prayer Requests:

1. We thank God for the opportunity to spend time in Ethiopia, and safe traveling on our journeys.

2. Repatriation of those from the DRC seems to be temporarily on hold.  The nurse that I mentioned earlier was finally able to return to Impfondo and be reunited with his family after months away.  A deadline of January 31 was given for people who still did not have their official paper, but no action has been taken- yet.  Please continue to pray for those living in constant uncertainty.

3. Just before Christmas, the Cuthbert family and Amanda Volkmann joined our team in Impfondo.  Praise God for this addition to our team!

4. We will be traveling to South Africa for our CMA field forum at the end of January.  Pray for safe travels, good memories together, and to accomplish the business that needs to be done during forum. 

5. Pray as our missionary staff and hospital employees work to refine the vision of the hospital and mission.  Continue to pray for the growth of the hospital, and that above all God will be glorified.   Pray for God’s direction and wisdom for leadership as they deal with “growing pains” in the mission and hospital work.

November update

This update is coming to you from Ethiopia.

At the market

We made it through another month Ebola free!  The outbreak continues to spread in Western Africa, but has not come our way yet.  There have been no further cases in the DRC.  We received Personal Protective Equiment (PPE) from Samaritan’s Purse.

Stephen has been working with the employees to set up a response for potential Ebola cases, including training on how to use the PPE.  That brings some funny experiences, but at the same time the nurses and other employees are taking it seriously because they know it could be life saving.  Dr. Kiong Liao became involved in the preparation and training as soon as he returned, and Stephen was able to turn the program over to him before we left for Ethiopia.

Another good development was that the Tenpenny family and Harvey family were able to return about ten days before we left.  We had some overlap to let them settle in and get back in the swing of things.  We were really glad that worked out.  We also had a team developer visit us during that time to help us think of ways we can make our team stronger.   We will be trying to implement some of these new things over the next few months.

Lunch on Stephen's birthday

We left Impfondo Nov 1, celebrated Stephen’s birthday with our CMA teammates in Brazzaville on Nov 2, then continued to Ethiopia Nov 3.  We will be in Addis Ababa while Stephen is attending the African Conference on Emergency Medicine.  Nov 7, we will travel to Soddo Christian Hospital for the rest of the month.

Praises and Prayer requests:

1) We are so thankful that the other doctors were able to return before Stephen needed to leave for Ethiopia.  Continue to pray for them as they work in Impfondo.

2) We thank God that Ebola has stayed away from our country.  Pray that it will not come there, and also pray for those affected in West Africa.

3) We are also thanking God for smooth traveling and a safe arrival in Ethiopia, and a day of rest in Brazzaville in between flights.

4) Pray for the ongoing situation with repatriation of people between the two Congos.  Things remain uncertain for many people.

5) Pray for the nurses in Impfondo as they try to put into practice the things they have been learning from their training.

The streets of Addis Ababa

6) Pray for us as we travel to Soddo and settle in for our short time there.

7) A huge praise for me is that we were able to get quite a bit accomplished for school before we left for our trip.  Some things had to go the last week, but overall, we accomplished a lot.  We are taking our fall break this week, and then we’ll be back at it!

Thank you again for all your prayers, support, and many words of encouragement.  They help us keep going!

October update

Setting the tent up for a triage area

We made it through September without needing to evacuate!  We are happy that we were able to stay together, and we were even more happy that Ebola has not come to our area.  A really good result of this is that our other teammates will be able to return to Impfondo.  We also learned a lot from the process, and we hope to be able to be more prepared if a similar situation arises in the future.

The outbreak in the DRC is considered contained. There is still a small possibility of Ebola spreading here from West Africa, just as we have seen happen with the United States.  Stephen is still working with the other missionaries and hospital employees to prepare a response for potential cases.  They have set up a tent as a triage area, and are educating the guards and nurses how to screen new patients for suspicious symptoms and travel history.

The border between our region and the region of the DRC across the river from us is still closed.  This is causing some difficulties and additional expenses in obtaining food.   For us, it’s an inconvenience and added expense.   For those who already struggle to eat day to day, it is more serious.

Stephen teaching an afternoon class to some of the nurses.

A big concern is still the repatriation of people from the Democratic Republic of Congo.   The process had been put on hold with the concerns over Ebola in the region next to us.  Now, it has begun again.   Those who are trying to do the right thing and get the correct paperwork are not successful.  Others live with the constant tension of wondering of today will be the day that they have to suddenly leave.  This week, I will share three stories of people affected in different ways.

 Stephen has advised our employees from the DRC not to draw any attention to themselves.   He has tried to set up meetings with the head of immigration and the prefet (governor) of the area.  But with the work at the hospital, he has not been able to pursue this full time.  Please keep our employees and others in town in your prayers. Also pray for the staffing of the hospital.  If we suddenly lose a large group of our employees, it will greatly hamper the functioning of the hospital.

What’s next and prayer requests: 

1) Pray for our teammates who are traveling. Samaritan’s Purse has given their people permission to return. 

 Dr. Kiong Liao (Samaritan's Purse) is in Brazzaville, and he is ready to return. 

The Tenpennys (Samaritan's Purse) are on a vacation in France with their family from the US, and return to Brazzaville at the end of the week.

The Harveys (GOM) are finishing up their trip in the US, and they will return to Brazzaville this week. 

However, the commercial flights between Impfondo and Brazzaville are on hold for a few weeks. Sometimes we can get one or two people on a UNHCR flight. Today (Monday, Oct 6) will be the last UNHCR flight for a month. Dr. Kiong Liao and Christina Warkentin are scheduled to be on the flight, and we are praying that they will arrive today. 

 2) Stephen continues to be the only fully trained doctor here. He is becoming fatigued.

Pray that he will have a break soon. 

 3) School continues in spite of whatever goes on around us, but it has been a challenge at times.

Pray that we can get in a few really good weeks before we travel again. 

4) Nurses training and education continues. Pray for our nurses to be able to absorb and implement the things they are learning in their classes. 

Gathering river water for a biology experiment

5) We are still planning to go to Soddo Christian Hospital in Ethiopia for the month of November. Stephen will spend November learning a type of orthopedic surgery. 

6) Ebola continues to spread, especially in Western Africa. Pray for all those effected by Ebola, directly and indirectly. Pray also for peace and wisdom for any decisions that need to be made about preparation at the hospital.

7) Keep those affected by repatriation in your prayers.

Around the Web and a Quick Update

Saturday morning, Stephen was able to confirm that the samples from Bongandana tested negative for the strain of Ebola that is in the other outbreak.  They do not have an alternative diagnosis or results for the other  Ebola strains yet.

Our family will be staying here.  The idea was that we would go if the tests were positive- meaning the outbreak had spread- or we could not get a result in a reasonable amount of time.

According to “Relief Web,” who has been monitoring the situation, the outbreak is considered under control.  (http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/update-ebola-virus-disease-drc-no11-17-september-2014-enfr)

Our hope and prayer is that the outbreak will die out.  We will remain attentive to the changes in the situation, and we will keep the same triggers for evacuation.  Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement during this time.

We were shocked to learn this week about the murder of eight people on an Ebola education and prevention team in Guinea, including national workers with CAMA services from Hope Clinic.

Ebola Team Members Killed in Guinea

It Will Cost Your Life: Testimony of Moise Mamy, one of the men killed, CMA church planter and evangelist in Guinea

Here are some other interesting articles about Ebola in Western Africa:

Facts about the Ebola Virus

Searching for the Answer: Can the World Stop Ebola

Why Ebola is Terrifying and Dangerous

(It preys on family and caregivers.)

Update

There have been some changes in the Ebola outbreak in the DRC.  It meets the criteria our team set for Tier 1 evacuation.  Unless we get the news soon that the suspected cases and deaths were not from Ebola, our team will begin Tier 1 evacuation.  We do not believe we are in immediate danger, but given the difficulties of traveling to and from Impfondo, we are being cautious.  The children and I will be traveling with the Samoutou family to Brazzaville.  Stephen will be staying here to work at the hospital.  Please pray for our family and all the others involved.

Elliot Tenpenny at Reigning in Life gives a good overview of the situation- with a map!


The current situation with Ebola is changing. Just yesterday (current as of sept 10) there have been reports of 10 suspected cases of ebola with 8 deaths in the Bongandanga region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is significantly north of the previous outbreak and outside the stated quarantine zone. These 10 cases and 8 deaths are suspected cases at this point and samples have been sent to lab. This is still a distance from our hospital, but significant that if it is confirmed the disease continues to spread. Also there has been one suspected death in Kinshasa, the large city across the river from where we are now.


Please pray for everyone involved on our team as they have some difficult decisions to be made over the next few days. Also please pray for our leadership at Samaritans Purse and World Medical Mission as they decide where and how we are to serve in the future.


See the attached below for more information. The circle in the upper left is the location of our hospital.

An excellent article, "Just Who is Leading the Fight Against Ebola," explains some of the things that are being done (and aren't being done) to treat the Ebola epidemic in Western Africa.

The Ebola toll is fast approaching 5,000, with 2,400 people dead in the space of a few months, the World Health Organization said Friday. It’s getting worse and not better. Yet aid is not pouring into West Africa.

It mystifies Sophie Delaunay, executive director of the U.S. office of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF or Doctors Without Borders). “We know what needs to be done but we don’t know why it’s not being done. It’s incomprehensible to us,” she told NBC News.


Dr. Oliver Johnson of the King's Sierra Leone Partnership at Connaught Hospital in Freetown echoes the sentiment. “The international response to the outbreak remains virtually non-existent, in terms of actual impact on the ground,” Johnson wrote in a plea to international infectious disease specialists. “At Connaught … our isolation unit is full with adult and pediatric cases and we have suspected cases in the waiting area and emergency room that we can't isolate — I don't know how much longer the hospital will be able to stay open in these circumstances.”

The No. 1 need? People.

"The number of new patients is moving far faster than the capacity to manage them. We need to surge at least three to four times to catch up with the outbreaks,” WHO director-general Dr. Margaret Chan said Friday. "The right people, the right specialists, and specialists who are appropriately trained and know how to keep themselves safe."

The lion’s share of the work in Liberia, the hardest-hit country, and much of West Africa has been and is being done by missionaries whose groups had been slogging away for decades through civil wars and disasters to try to minister to the people there.

Update- Ebola Version

Our biggest news is the Ebola outbreak in Africa.  We have been watching as it spreads across Western Africa, staying aware of how close it approaches the Republic of Congo.

Map of the current outbreak in the DRC.  From Reigning in Life

On Sunday, August 24, we received reports of death from Ebola in the Equatorial Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (across the river from us.)  This is a separate strain and separate outbreak of the Ebola virus than in Western Africa, and the virus was traced to someone preparing bushmeat.

We confirmed our evacuation plan with our team, and we have kept an eye on the situation.  The short version of our evacuation plan is that if the outbreak comes closer or grows significantly bigger, we would evacuate all non-medical personnel and short term people.  Then if things progress, the decision would be made to evacuate the medical personnel as well.  With the difficulty of travel to and from Impfondo, it was necessary to make sure we have the possibility of chartered flights for evacuation.

Part of our team evacuation plan is that everyone is free to make the decision to leave earlier if they believe that would be best for themselves and their family.  For some of our team, their mission has chosen to have them travel to Brazzaville- as soon as they can get commercial airline tickets.  However, they won’t just be waiting in Brazzaville.  They will help coordinate the efforts to set up an Ebola screening and response plan for Impfondo.

The border between the two Congos has been closed in this area.  The affected area has been placed under quarantine.   So far, there have been no significant changes with the outbreak in the DRC, and our family will be staying here in Impfondo.

Our hope is that the Ebola outbreak in the DRC will not spread here.  However, we are preparing for the potential spread.  Stephen has been meeting with government officials and other NGO’s in the area to talk about Ebola prevention and education.  The local officials are taking this very seriously.  There are plans to have public health campaigns, including announcements on the radio.  Dr. Cyriaque (medical school graduate from the CAR) was able to attend one of these meetings on Saturday when Stephen was busy with patients.  He came back with posters and information to place around the hospital.  It’s encouraging to us to see an African doctor taking an active roll here at the hospital.

Stephen has been training our hospital guards how to do a screening at the gate, and have those with suspicious symptoms wait for a nurse to evaluate them rather than entering the general hospital area.  The nurses will have special training classes as well.

At this point, our hospital is not equipped or staffed to treat Ebola.  We do not want to put our nurses and other workers at risk if we do not have proper equipment.  The local government hospital will have isolation areas, and patients will be referred there.  Things could change if outside help arrives.  Pray for wisdom with all these decisions.

In the meantime, we are trying to keep life as normal as possible.  The kids start school tomorrow, and they are enjoying the last of their summer.  They are aware of the possibility of evacuation, and know that we would be temporarily separated from Stephen.  Having been through possible evacuations before, they take it all in stride.

Ebola is big news right now, but it is still much more likely for people in Africa to die from other causes- malaria, malnutrition, various infections, wars, other violence, tetanus, childbirth… the list goes on.  Please continue to pray for the victims of Ebola, but also the other people in Africa.  With many of the healthcare personnel withdrawing, it is even more difficult than usual to get access to healthcare.  There are attempts made to calculate the numbers who have died from Ebola, but there is no way to calculate the indirectly related deaths.

What’s next:

1) Pray for our teammates who are traveling to Brazzaville, hopefully this Wednesday, September 3.  There are many logistical details involved.

2) Stephen will be the only fully trained doctor here.  That is difficult at the best of times, and this is not the best of times.  We are grateful that Dr. Cyriaque can help, but he has not completed his training and still needs supervision. Pray for Stephen’s health and energy levels as he does medical work, as well as the extra work involved to prepare for a potential outbreak and a potential evacuation.

3) Our homeschool-ICI Academy- starts tomorrow. (September 2)

4) Nurses training and education will continue with the focus switching to preventing, recognizing, and treating Ebola.

5) We bought our tickets to go to Soddo Christian Hospital in Ethiopia for the month of November.  It’s hard to think that far ahead right now, but if all goes well, Stephen will spend November learning a type of orthopedic surgery.

6) Repatriation of people from the DRC has begun.  So far, it has not affected our employees.  Pray for those involved, and for those living with uncertainty.  The situation has been further complicated by the closing of the border between the countries in the area.

7) Ebola continues to spread, especially in Western Africa.  Pray for all those effected by Ebola, directly and indirectly.

8)  It may still be necessary for us to evacuate.  Pray for our family’s safety and health, and for wisdom in making decisions about staying or going.

This graphic shows the life cycle of the ebolavirus. Bats are strongly implicated as both reservoirs and hosts for the ebolavirus. Of the five identified ebolavirus subtypes, four are capable of human-to-human transmission. Initial infections in humans result from contact with an infected bat or other wild animal. Strict isolation of infected patients is essential to reduce onward ebolavirus transmission. from www.cdc.gov

Summer Update

4th of July celebration

We started our summer with a trip to Spain for a conference.  We had a great time hearing about what God is doing in different parts of the world.  We managed to get some time for the beach, shopping, and sightseeing, too!  It was a relaxing and refreshing trip for us.

Stephen has been busy seeing patients in the hospital and doing administration.  He has had many challenging cases that continue to help him stretch his knowledge and experience.  One patient recently was concerned when he realized a pediatrician would be doing his surgery!  He had a good outcome, and he was able to praise God for healing.
Stephen has also been able to find some time for teaching nurses from our hospital and the community.

The kids are enjoying their summer break.  I had planned a light summer school schedule, but with all of our visitors recently, I haven't had much time for teaching.  The kids are happy to have the extra free time to spend in the great outdoors.

Our team is constantly changing.  We were happy to welcome the Samoutou family back in July.  We've really missed them!
A new physician with Samaritan's Purse arrived this weekend.  His name is Dr. Kiong Liao, and he will be here for two years.  His arrival comes at a good time, since the Harvey family will be leaving for two months in the US.
With too many changes to list here, I've decided to have a separate blog post detailing our team.  Look for that in the next few weeks!

Around the hospital

What's next:
1) Stephen is planning to extend his teaching to further areas in the community and surrounding villages.  Some people have been able to come to Impfondo for classes, and they have expressed a desire for more teaching in their villages.

2) There is a young doctor who is a refugee from the Central African Republic working with us.  Stephen is planning to make a more consistent effort to help him learn.

3) In addition to teaching, Stephen is constantly learning.   We may have a chance to spend the month of Ethiopia in November.  Stephen will be working with an orthopedic surgeon to learn techniques he can use here in Impfondo.

4) With many people on vacation, Stephen will be doing more preaching in Sunday morning church and devotionals for the employees in the morning.  Pray that he will be able to keep up the busy schedule, and God will give him the right things to share.

5) School starts back for our kids after Labor Day.  We're easing into the schedule by starting some review at home and Lingala lessons with Joyce Samoutou four times a week.  I'm going to sit in on those, too!

Thank you for all of your prayers and support.  I would like to say an extra thank you to the Rocky Mountain District for helping to make the "Helping Babies Breathe" classes possible.  Thank you to the Polson Alliance VBS for raising money for our malnutrition program.  And a huge thank you to all of you who lift us up in prayer day after day!  You're the reason we can keep going!