Dear friends and partners in the Lord's work through CEH,

The truth of this passage of scripture springs up from my spirit as I reflect on the care of God during the past couple of months.  It is with thankfulness to Him that I share in this month's update.

As many of you know, I work full time at Scheurer Hospital in Pigeon, Michigan.  Scheurer is located in the "thumb" area of Michigan, 102 miles from our home.  My schedule is two 24 hour days which allows me to travel for the work days and be home the other days of the week.

On June 9^th as I was finishing my shift, I became seriously ill.  At first I thought it was just exhaustion and called Debbie to say I would be getting some rest before making the trip home.  Ten hours later I was admitting myself to the Scheurer Emergency Room and the next morning taken into surgery for a gangrenous appendix.   Dr. Hough, a Christian colleague and general surgeon, skillfully cared for me.  Both he and Dwight Gascho, CEO of Scheurer, shared bedside prayers with me as I have done for so many patients over the years.   Debbie was driving early the next morning with my daughters, Dara and Vonnie, to be with me but we prayed together by phone and I also called and prayed with my parents prior to surgery. The gangrene set off a vascular permeability that led to pulmonary edema; both could have led to death if not managed correctly.

Debbie was at my side for 58 hours helping me during recovery. I was visited and encouraged by my daughters, my brothers and their spouses: Bruce & Jill and Brent & Inell.  Debbie's friend and prayer partner, Mary, also visited.  I received calls from my own prayer partner and from my sons, DJ and Stephen.  God gave the healing. How truly blessed I am to have such a good little (25 bed) rural hospital here in America to care for me,  family and friends to prayerfully surround me, and the Creator and Sustainer, yes, the Great Physician to heal me. I thank many of you who also prayed. 

I am glad that this occurred here in America because one quarter of the world away in the country of Guinea patients with this same illness are very likely to die.  There is not one hospital in that country with the capacity of Scheurer Hospital: where a CAT scan and ultrasound can be done, where surgery is clean and prompt, where the potent antibiotics and the anesthesia respiratory support I needed are available.  It is there, though, that God has planted Compassion Evangelical Hospital.  May God give us the grace, means and growth to provide these services as soon as possible for the 10,000,000 people of that nation! 

Dwight E. Slater

Compassion Evangelical Hospital is blessed to receive memorial gifts from individuals and estates.  We are grateful for these unsolicited gifts and remember the families who have lost their loved ones here on earth.  We carefully use all donations to honor the God we serve and remember the lives of those we love.

• John Griffin, husband of my high school counselor, and a prayer warrior for missions.
• Dr. John Slater, uncle, missionary physician co-founder of Baptist Mission Hospital-Ferke.
• Bob & Maude Lankton, Elder at Highland Park Baptist Church (HPBC), a prayer partner and professor of math at Wayne State University.
• Len & Fran Messenger, Missionaries and HPBC mission board members, CEH advisors.
• Ben Hoffitz, CEH's founding lawyer, Mayor of Bloomfield Hills and advocate for CEH.
• Annie Kohler, mother of five sons and missionary prayer warrior.

Memorial gifts generated up to 53 new contributors sharing in the CEH ministry in 2010. Fifteen churches support and pray for Dr. Kristen and CEH on a regular basis.  We are grateful for the 97 faithful supporters who give regularly to the operation and development. Last year 76 new friends also supported new short term missionaries.  In addition, we were blessed with gifts from five foundations and matching gift programs from companies who provide that service to their employees.

Our email updates go out to 400 people and 20 churches regularly.  A printed version of the update is mailed bi-monthly to those who do not have email access.  We believe that there are several thousand believers who are praying regularly for God's work at CEH.  This is the energy source by which God is accomplishing this work for His glory.   

As part of his administrative role at CEH, Etienne travels by car many miles each month to and from Conakry.  In a developing nation like Guinea most of the commerce, government business, and international travel with both the airport and shipping port are all centered in the capital city. We purchase medicines, construction supplies, visit the government offices and U. S. Embassy as well as transact the international banking for CEH in Conakry.  The one month long process for importing our twice-a-year containers must be done at the shipping port. Short term missionaries are coming more frequently which adds a welcome and departure trip to the airport.  Using public transportation is not a safe option for Etienne or our missionaries and guests. 

Mamou is located 250 miles over very rough roads from the capital and Etienne is averaging two trips per month to Conakry.  Additional driving in and around Mamou is also needed since the hospital is located on the outskirts of town about 8 miles from the center where all our workers live. 

Two used cars were purchased since we opened the hospital in 2007 but they have worn out and the repairs are costly and time consuming.  There is an urgent need to replace them.  The Executive Committee here in the U.S. has decided to establish a car fund to purchase a new Toyota which are usually the most rugged and reliable cars in Africa.  It looks like our cost will be about $40,000.  Would you consider participating in this fund to purchase this vehicle before Christmas 2011?  Special gifts may be designated for this.  Please help us meet this urgent need.

The next building projects are the Emergency Room/X-ray Building with an estimated cost of $85,000 and the Morgue, estimated to cost $20,000.  We believe that God will supply all we need in His time.

In closing, I would like to share one of our core principles.  We strive to obey Biblical truth in every issue we face to please God and honor Him with the administration of the hospital and mission.  Almost every month there are issues that must be resolved in this way.  It may be a financial issue, business principle, avoidance of fraud, encouraging a worker, discipline, or an interpersonal relationship issue.  We believe God's principles give us a solid foundation to stand on and work together towards harmony with our mission statement: To give the best quality medical and surgical care possible according to the means which God provides, with compassion, and to share the gospel of Christ clearly to all who come.