Reflections on God's Goodness

Today was a fun day here that began with a wonderful breakfast. Rounds were enjoyable, as we have 12 pts in house, and all are doing well. I will miss having the opportunity to meet with grateful people that want so much to be loved and cared for. Lori was kind enough to let me tag along to the market in N'Zerekore and observe some grocery shopping and enjoy the sights and smells of the scene. The people here are genuinely friendly and also quite respectful. I spent most of the afternoon organizing a long Email for Dr Jean in order to allow his transition process here go as smoothly as possible. Imagine what it would be like to return to a service with 12 pts, not a one of them you had operated on! I hope to meet with him halfway between here and Conarky to express my gratitude to him for allowing me to come and serve from his office and with the OR crew that he has diligently been mentoring and training. Specific prayers tonight could be extended for many of my new friends here in N'Zao. Stephen and Lori Albright are my host family. Stephen is the current CEO here and is currently training another man to take over his position. Lori has the gift of hospitality and has "Americanized" many meals for me and Dan. She has been so gracious when I've not been on time for meals, and they truly have an open door policy. Their daughter, Hannah, age 9, has kept me on my toes with riddles and stories, and even allowed me to repair her lip laceration just a couple of days ago. Their plans are to remain until June of 2013, and then go on furlough. As of today, they are unsure of where the Lord will lead them, thus they would appreciate your prayers for their future. Dennis and Cindy Westlake will be taking Dan and me to Conarky on Monday. Dennis is the regional director for CAMA, the governing body for Hope Clinic. The plan is for Guinean nationals to take over the administration of the clinic, thus Dennis is training folks as well during this time of transition. They also will be going on furlough in April of this year, and are also searching for where God would have them serve. Please pray for them during this transition as well Jon and Anja Erickson have been more than generous to me during my stay. Jon is one of the two co-founders of the clinic, but spends most of his time now in the local Christian schools, and with evangelism. He has a heart for mobile medical teams, and is currently hoping to organize a team to travel to a remote area and do a little surgery. Anja is the clinical administrator here at Hope and organizes the medical education program as well. She is an extensive source of medical knowledge and has taught me many valuable things about tropical diseases in Africa. Please pray for this couple as they continue to serve here at Hope and abroad. Jairus and Adelaide Bohimbo are a very energetic couple whose love for the Lord oozes from every pour! Jairus is the nurse anesthetist here who is quite skilled, works well with pts who are anxious about surgery, and has been a good friend to me during my stay. He is a converted Muslim that takes advantage of every opportunity to share Christ with anyone who will listen. Adelaide is very busy here seeing new pts and organizing nursing education as well. They have invited us over for dinner on two occasions, and I have never laughed so hard while eating dinner. They are hoping to begin raising some financial support soon, and this is a matter of prayer for them. Please pray also for Jean and Jackie Yaraduono. He is the surgeon here, and Jackie is the head nurse for the Inpatient Ward. I have only spent a few hours with Jean, but enjoyed the fruits of his labor while working in the OR. Jackie is a wonderful combination of a sweet spirit, but appropriate firmness as well. There are many other fantastic people here at Hope who would appreciate your prayers as well. This place was the brainchild of two men, but the Lord, the Great Physician, oversees the day to day healing that occurs here. In a land that prides itself on cheating, bribery, and witchcraft, these people are truly a light in the darkness. I am grateful to the Staff for their support of me, despite the difficulty with my language deficiency. I will miss them all for a time, but hope the Lord desires for me to return and serve again. God bless, Jeff