Building Health
Building Hope
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Giving the best medical and surgical care possible according to the means that God provides, with compassion, and sharing the gospel of Christ clearly with everyone who comes.
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The Thanksgiving Holiday is a day filled with deep gratitude. Thanksgiving calls out for us to recognize the hand of God in the outreach opportunities, growth, protection and provision given to Compassion Evangelical Hospital. We can't help but respond with gratefulness to God for His goodness.
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Evangelism Efforts
Over a year ago, CEH joined L'AEMEG (The Evangelical Association of Missions, and Churches in Guinea) to underscore evangelism and discipleship as part of the medical work at the hospital. Through this connection with L'AEMEG, Etienne, Hospital Director, was invited to attend the Lausanne International Conference on Evangelism held in South Africa in October. He was one of 13 delegates from Guinea to represent the effort of evangelism to the Guinean people and one of approximately 4,000 people invited from around the world who are actively involved in evangelism. Etienne's participation in this conference was an honor and he found the time spent there encouraging and spiritually stimulating. He led a daily small group Bible study and reflections group. The conference was beneficial both for Etienne personally and the entire work of CEH: To give the best medical and surgical care possible according to the means that God provides, with compassion, and to share the gospel of Christ clearly with everyone who comes.
 | | Etienne (left) at Lausanne Conference |
Though the number of converts so far has been few at CEH, the number of patient care contacts over these first three years is approximately 47,000. Each patient hears the Gospel and most see the Jesus video as they are cared for in His name. Prayer with patients is common. This summer one patient came to our Chief of Staff, Dr. Jean Paul, who consulted him and said, "I heard that here you pray for your patients, but no one has done that for me today." This patient certainly received prayer after that and the staff is now careful to meet this need more consistently. The reputation of the hospital is drawing people and presses the staff to be faithful in care and witness.
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Patient Care
One patient of CEH, a 14 year old paralyzed girl, Aissatou, was mentioned in the December 2009 update. She suffered from Transverse Myolitis, a rare spontaneous neurological disease with no known treatment causing paralysis from the waist down. She had huge bed sores from three prior months of poor care at another African hospital. She was the first patient that we moved into our newly opened Wards last November. Throughout this year, Lacina, our surgical tech was able to painstakingly care for the wounds and graft them to allow healing. With physical therapy stretching the limits of his training he worked to mobilize her body and now God has begun to heal her spinal cord. She can now transfer and sit in a wheelchair; she can stand with a walker and shuffle a few steps. This daughter and her mother heard the Gospel many times during this past year of treatment. They are extremely grateful but not yet converted. Pray with us for this ultimate healing.
 | Lacina with 14 year old patient, Aissatou
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Lacina thoroughly listens to each chronic wound patient he cares for and then mobilizes the MIAPE Cell Church to pray for them by name and in detail. No wonder God hears and answers those prayers. Patients with chronic wounds from four West African nations have come to be cared for by Lacina. This is to God's glory!
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Supplies Arrive in Mamou
We enthusiastically announce the arrival and unpacking of Container #9. While Etienne was in South Africa at the conference, Emmanuel secured the release of the shipment from port and accompanied the delivery to the hospital in Mamou. This was not an easy task with the many obstacles encountered during the current political turmoil in the country. The CAT, which many of you contributed towards, electrical equipment and some medical materials, arrived in this container.
 | The CAT is now in Guinea!
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Two additional containers are being prepared for shipment. Surgical, electrical and plumbing supplies for the completion of the Surgical Building both structurally and operationally will be packed into these containers. One of these containers will be shipped from Minnesota through the coordination of Autumn Ridge Church with donated supplies from MAYO Clinic's warehouse. The second container will be packed and shipped from the Detroit area with items from World Medical Relief. The Dankis Foundation has generously offered to purchase a much needed main generator (45KW) which will also be shipped in this container. The total value of all the materials in these containers will be approximately $400,000. We need to raise an additional $15,000 to cover the cost of shipping the two containers hopefully before the end of 2010.
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Staff and Financial Update
Team unity in the Lord is developing and was evident at the recent staff retreat and orientation held in September. The number of medical staff has grown to 34 people. These dedicated staff members share a love for the Lord and a dedication to the work that shined through the testimonies freely shared during the weekend retreat. The most recent hires are five student nurses currently being trained by Job and a new accountant, Emmanuel, who will assist Etienne.
 | | Job (in back) with student nurses. |
 | | Emmanuel (2nd from right) with others at retreat |
The construction and maintenance crew now numbers 14. Though not all of these workers are Christian, we trust that through continued witness and time working with the staff at CEH, they will come to faith in Jesus. They have completed all the work on the Surgical Building that can be done prior to the electrical and plumbing crews who are scheduled to arrive in January 2011. Currently the construction crew is working on The John Slater Memorial Ward (Ward C) which will add an additional eight beds for OB patients.  | Ward C Progress
with Surgical Building (left background) |
The monthly operational subsidy to the hospital each month is $7,000. This amount covers the salaries of all 10 MIAPE (International African Mission for Evangelization) medical missionaries, the 14 construction workers and approximately $2,000 towards other operational expenses. All other operational costs in Guinea, including the salaries of all the Guinean medical workers, are paid from the revenues gained at the hospital. The ultimate goal is that CEH Guinea be totally self supporting and that the churches in Cote d'Ivoire will mature and support their own missionaries. For now we who are so richly blessed with material resources in America can confidently participate with them in advancing God's kingdom in this way. Other gifts given to the work are directed to the next most urgent capital development need.
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A Personal Reflection
One very basic yet vital need the hospital has is access to a water supply. Last year at the end of the dry season the current 100 foot well was pumped dry on many days. Canisters of water were trucked in to fill the gap on those occasions. A French drilling company was contacted to drill a new well. However, after two attempts a better water source has not been located.
 | | Original well on CEH property |
Recently, as I prayerfully spoke with the Lord about this urgent need for a new well, I was reminded of the early days of the hospital and asking the Lord for land. The desire was that the location be accessible to the people, that the land have water to run the hospital, and finally that it be large and flat enough to build the full facility. The property in Mamou held all the promise of these needs fulfilled.
When this property was purchased the request was made by us that all large trees be preserved. Between my first two trips in 2005 to the 75 acre site, a peasant farmer had begun to debark 80% of the base of a huge beautiful tree in the middle of the property to harvest the lumber before CEH occupied the land. He was asked to stop. That tree is still standing and healthy five years later. It stands in a widely spaced grove of large trees; could it be that these trees are tapping into a water source?
After this time of prayer, I was amazed and thrilled to see CEH on Google Earth (15 kilometers north-east of Mamou, Guinea). The trees and the red roofs of the hospital buildings are identifiable. The pictures date from last spring prior to the construction of the surgery building. I invite you to enjoy that thrill yourself. Lord willing, we will drill again next week, close to this grove of trees, and find what God has provided.
 | | Grove of trees on CEH property |
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Yes we have much to be grateful for as we walk by faith. Thank you for partnering with us in the work of God in CEH.
And again, thank you God for all You are and all You do!
Yours in His service,
Dwight E. Slater, MD
CEO of CEH
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