SIGN-UP IS EASIER!!

It's now super easy to sign-up to receive our blog, thanks to Connor!  He put a quick link to the right (the yellow link that says follow our trip here)!  He also set up links so you can easily visit Dawn/Rachel and Marc's blogs from our blog as well! Thanks so much, Con, for helping us out!  It was a little cumbersome before to get signed up to receive emails whenever we post a new message, now it's super easy. So, click and sign up so you can be a part of our TEAM!

This next week should bring about finishing up necessary paperwork, buying plane tickets, planning for our April 5th party, and getting our SHOTS!!  Then, and only then, can we apply for our "in-country" visas that Liberia (where we fly into) and Guinea both have to grant us in order for us to enter and leave their countries. You can pray for smooth planning and transitions, and you can thank God ahead of time for all He is going to do with this trip and everyone involved...that includes YOU! We love and appreciate you all! We thank our God every time we remember YOU, We always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Phillipians 1:3-5.

Please note,

Please note, in order to be in compliance with Calvary's 501c3, we need to change the memo line request on tax deductible donations from "Africa Trip" to "Missions Outreach". Thank you!!

Things Are Moving Right Along!

https://sites.google.com/site/steveopbroek/
Follow this link to see the prayer letter a more clearly and to print if you wish!

One day at a time, we are watching God move and lay the details in place; from finalizing our team members, to God's protection of Jeff from a landslide on his way to work Thursday that could have taken his life, to this amazing prayer letter! Praises all around! Our prayers right now are for the details of tickets purchases, visa procurement, financial provision, immunizations, continued safe travels for the boxes of equipment, and for a super fun party on April 5 at The Riverenza!!   Thank you to Greg and Molly Ott for donating their wonderful event space! We "hope" you can join us! We want to be thanking God ahead of time for all He is going to do, because we are confident in Him and His travel and ministry plans. We will be celebrating with food, pictures, and stories from Jeff's previous trips. No RSVP necessary; it will be "open house" style so just drop in if you can. We are grateful to have you be a part of our team!

PRAYER LETTER!

https://sites.google.com/site/steveopbroek/

Follow this link to see our prayer letter, with info on our team, our trip, and how to be a part of our journey yourself!

Boxes in Missouri!

We just received word today that the boxes made it safely to Missouri!  Thanks to all who prayed and encouraged!  We will keep updates coming as we get them!  God is good!
The Mattys

Skops for Hope!!

The boxes loaded in the back of our truck are headed to Hope Clinic, Guinea, West Africa.  They are filled with laparoscopic equipment for the Operating Room at Hope!  Please pray as these boxes travel from Portland, OR to Missouri to be loaded on a container to be driven to the East Coast to be put on a container ship (think Captain Phillips...thus the prayer!) and floated across the Atlantic, delivered to Conakry, Guinea and driven the 17 hours across the country to arrive at Hope, in time for us to be there so Jeff can help install it in late April. God has performed a miracle already in the donation of this equipment.  Every piece of the puzzle is falling into place without any maneuvering on our part!  So, we are confident God will continue to lay it all out according to His plan, which is so much higher than ours!  We are excited to see what He is going to do! There are people who have offered to go ahead of us to prepare the OR with the necessary remodel to accept the equipment.  We want God to be glorified with this endeavor, not us, and we are confident that this equipment will bring a new meaning to "healing" at Hope Clinic and that many lives would be led to Christ as a result.

Yes, I did say "us"...we have decided that God wants me (Jen) and our two youngest (Cade and Krae) to go with Jeff this next trip.  It is a very uncertain time and the details are way beyond our understanding right now, however, we fully believe God is calling us to go together this time (thanks Jeremiah for the inspiring message Sunday! It was a defining moment for us!)  So one day at a time, we will follow His leading and provision to get us there.  I know there are a few others praying about joining us to make a "small" team as Hope can only handle so many visitors at one time.  Won't you be a part of our prayer support starting right now!?  Pray that all of us who are led by God to go will follow His leading and trust Him to supply the money and that the details of planning such a trip will fall into place.  It's too big for us alone, we know that. We want to rely on Him fully to allow this to happen.  Stay tuned for more updates as I have news to report!
Thank you for being willing to pray us through this calling on our lives!  We will let you know of ways you can support financially if you are called to do so as the process moves along and our plans become more clear.  God is truly amazing and we want everyone to know!

Heard from Jeff a few times this week but haven't had time to post with two sons playing baseball in two different states and making 350 cupcakes for a wedding today!  I'm trying to squeeze in a quick post before frosting this morning!  Here is a piece of an email I just received this am...

"Rounded this am on many patients. A little two yr old died last pm from malaria despite getting a blood transfusion and two days of treatment. Very sad... Can't wait to tell you the story of how our paraplegic pt disappeared in the middle of the night and then came back three days later... so many stories...
 
Went to town with Moses (say MO-ees) this am to help with shopping for food and clothes for those who lost their homes. He told me to hide behind the back of the shops while he bargained for items because if they saw the white man, they would raise the prices. Once he had finished bartering, he would call me and I would help him pack the stuff back to the truck. He bought me a cold Coke for my work, and we had a good time laughing our way thru the market. I even got to carry two live chickens thru the market back to the truck. Fortunately, my chickens didn't poop on me like they did on Moses!
 
Just going to relax this afternoon, read a little, study more French, etc."

Here's a bit from one a couple of days ago...

"We have clinic today--have begun to really enjoy clinic because of the wacky variety of things we see. Used to scare me to death... Jean (surgeon) and Jairus (nurse anesthetist) have begun to take Friday afternoons off for administrative duties, so if we get done by noon, we all plan to head for town and hang out for awhile. Hoping to schedule a few cases for next week to continue to keep the hospital full.
 
Had dinner with Jon and Anja and Moses and Noe last pm. I was honored to sit in on a naming ceremony for a two week old boy. The family named him after Jon(the eighth kid in NZao named after him!). Can't wait to describe that event to you and the boys...
 
Rumors of more fighting to occur after Ramadan is over. Fortunately it ends on the eighth, and I will already be in Liberia. Am already praying for my friends here at the clinic and NZao, that it will remain a haven of peace and for the Christians in NZerekore that God will shield them from harm. "

That about describes the last week, at least all the details I got!  I copied almost the whole emails!  I just left out the baseball wishes, the "love you's" and the like!  Thanks for praying for him!

I know he'd love for you to pray for our friend Ryan LeBreton as well.  He shattered his wrist 2 weeks ago, had 2 emergency surgeries and then another more reconstructive surgery just yesterday.  It went well we hear.  Jeff wishes he were here to give you a kiss Ryan!!

Jeff is due home in one week.  Pray the fighting holds off until he is on his way home!
Jen for Jeff