My husband Jim and I are greatly enjoying two weeks serving God here in Lebamba Gabon, at Bongolo Hospital Christian outreach here alongside US trained full time missionaries Wendy and Eric Hofman. Wendy and Eric have served here since 2009, and serve extensively at the hospital alongside raising their 3 small children and homeschooling them as well.
Wendy has undertaken a mammoth project here of building a 1 million dollar eye hospital here at Bongolo Hospital complex, and Gods provision has provided all but $300,000 of the necessary funding, through US Aid grant support. This facility should be completed by January 2018. In addition, God has sent a wonderful dutch Christian project manager to oversee construction. This has immensely relieved Wendy from this burden. Please consider contributing and fundraising for this Godly endeavor, and continue praying over Arjo and his team as he leads this work. (the above picture is a special picture of Wendy and I after sharpening our MSICS blades for the next day!)
Gods provision for us as we prayed over the opportunity to come serve here were amazing:
- Successfully transported a US cornea in our luggage and it stayed appropriately cold and safe. This was a gift.
- Transported 20 amniotic membranes for pterygiae excision and grafting, and can use each membrane on 4-5 patients. These were gifts.
- Brought 30 Randolph cannulas for subtenons blocks that are reuse-able. This was a gift.
- Successfully acquired 60 vials of trimoxi for intravitreal injection, and disguised inside oatmeal boxes. Each can be used among 2-3 patients. This was a gift.
- Acquired a Quantel immersion A/B scan unit and printer, and transported without incident. God enabled Jim and I to supply this.
Our first day here Wendy was able to perform her second corneal transplant, MSICS, and pc iol (triple) on a gentleman here. He’s thrilled to have no more white scarred unsightly appearance, and now cant wait to have Wendy remove his cataract in his other eye!
Yesterday, I spent the afternoon training Wendy’s eye staff on the immersion A/B scan, and was delighted that it arrived with instructions and screen settings in French. This has been an added blessing!
I’ve spent good time learning MSICs from both Wendy as well as her graduated ophthalmologist Elisee Bantou here, who speaks good English. Our surgical exchanges have been beneficial as he’s learned as well from new techniques and concepts. Elisee originates from the Congo area, and works very hard. He and I also work together in the eye clinic seeing patients.
Earlier this week enjoyed watching Wendy perform her 3rd istent procedure, which was combined with msics and iol. This patient will be blessed long term for this important work, as well as many more to come.
My husband Jim has stayed busy working on eye clinic building projects here alongside Arje. The two are rapidly becoming great friends. Added Godly bonus.
Today several of us ventured out here to hike into the jungle area. Fascinating and beautiful area here indeed.
Wendy and I both play flute, and have enjoyed serenading the creatures here in the jungle during these evening activities. This morning at the village church here, we performed several hymns. Looking out across their faces, it was evident they had never heard two flutes harmonize, and they seemed to enjoy it.
Church this morning was a wonderful message, and we were each able to place a prayer request in the offering basket, and take one out so that we can pray for this person in the week ahead.
Please continue to pray Gods provision for the remaining $300,000 needed to complete the eye hospital project here. This is vital to these wonderful yet remote people. If you are interested in helping with this, please visit the following link: http://www.bongolohospital.org/give/
Here is a special picture of Wendy and I after sharpening our MSICS blades for the next day!
