Prayer request for Personnel needs               
Please continue to pray for more medical staff. God is answering those prayers, in part, by sending us Dr. Amos. He has almost completed medical school and will join the CEH staff as an intern soon. Two Cameroonian doctors who recently finished medical school in Guinea also applied. A well-trained African surgeon is another important person we hope to bring on staff. Three nurses are needed to cover all of the nursing shifts for the wards and surgery. This week we received three applications. Pray that these have the qualifications we are looking for and the spiritual maturity required to join the staff at CEH.
 
With the difficulty of finding Christian nurses, we are looking to hire medically untrained believers and equip them with skills to be nursing aides. A call was made to the evangelical missions and churches in Guinea to recruit these laborers. Please pray for just the right people.
 
It would be a blessing for some U.S. nurses to go for an extended period of time and help both in giving care and training nationals. The 24 hospital beds are almost always full. The clinic  sees 50 to 70 patients per day. The Surgery works well in the OB/GYN area but is still weak in the other areas. A rotation of numerous U.S. doctors giving service through their specialty areas and training African doctors at the same time would be helpful.

Recently an elderly woman in a coma and very near death was carried into CEH by her two sons. She was hospitalized, IVs were started, antibiotics and antimalarial medications were given. Nutrition, supportive care and much prayer was all part of the medical care she received. In three days God healed her and she and her family left the hospital testifying "they raise the dead at that hospital." The African grapevine is the most effective advertisement. We smile and praise God. As an outcome of this, there are now many more very ill patients brought to the hospital. Some die, some live and the inpatient care is now almost always full.

Dr. Kristen, the CEH pediatrician from Texas, first came in 2007 when she transferred from the Lutheran World Mission and helped launch the medical work in Guinea as our first and only long term American medical missionary. She came with her personal support from many churches and constituency, who have also generously supported a number of the hospital projects.

Her pediatric skills and abilities served thousands of needy children. Along with Etienne and Jean Paul, she serves on the hospital administrative committee which meets monthly. They guide the day to day operation of the hospital and recruit personnel.
 
Paralleling her medical ministry she began to learn the Pular language and culture, spending many nights in a village close to the hospital. She worshipped with a Pular church in Dalaba which is in a neighboring town about one hour north of the hospital.

Another role that Kristen took on was with the Christian Reformed World Mission (CRWM). The CRWM is a cooperative of six evangelical missions serving the 4 million people of this area. They recognized her interests and gifts, asked her to facilitate their annual meeting and to visit each of their stations. She served in this role well though it took her away from the medical work from time to time.
 
At the end of this second term, Kristen lived in Dalaba for six weeks to tie up some loose ends in her language study. Currently she is on a five month home assignment and staying with her parents near her sending church, Christ Memorial Lutheran, in Houston. Her Medical CMEs and Texas medical license will be renewed during this time. In January she will be traveling and speaking with her supporters in the U.S. We are very grateful for all that Kristen does at CEH and for all who faithfully support her in prayer, friendship and financial giving. New housing arrangements will be made when she returns to Mamou in May.

Dr. Kristen with a patient

 

Container "N" will be shipped soon. It will hold a donated John Deere Gator, chemistry lab equipment, building and electrical supplies for the Emergency and X-ray building, septic fields, and miscellaneous donated medical supplies. The cost of this shipment will be covered from the general operational funds due to the urgency and timing of this container but designated gifts to help cover the cost of this shipment are welcome anytime!

Loading the Gator into container "N"

Our next construction project is the Emergency Room and X-ray Building. Currently in the central part of Guinea with a population of over 5,000,000 there is not one functional X-ray machine. Mamou is mountainous and also the hub of the major East/West and North/South roads in the country contributing to the highest vehicular accident rate in this developing country. The Emergency Room and X-ray technology will greatly enhance the services CEH can provide. ARC has indicated interest in this project and others are encouraged to join with them to fund it to completion.
 
The fencing project will be 50 percent complete by the end of December with the north and east borders of our property enclosed. The two main gates are also installed. The rest of the perimeter will be worked on as funds are available.
 
The Morgue is a hard project to raise funds for but it is important for cultural and spiritual reasons. A Guinean views the ceremony of burial as a very important part of a person's life. Providing a place that respectfully accommodates this solemn and sorrowful event for people of all religions is a need. When those who die are treated with respect and given a proper burial, it can open the door to share Christ with the surviving family and friends.

Working by flashlight at night.

It is hard to provide medical care for patients at night without electricity. The staff uses flashlights, lanterns and cell phones but there is still a lot that cannot be done. The cost of fuel to run the main generator through the night is prohibitive. There is no government or private electricity available in most of the country. NTM Tribal Tech, associated with New Tribes Mission, will help us plan a generator / solar / battery / inverter system that may help us meet this need in a cultural and economically sensitive way. The Foundation for Hope in Africa, a Christian foundation from Wisconsin will visit CEH in January to consider helping fund this project.
 
Staff housing became more challenging when Rio Tinto, the mining company, moved into town and rented the nicest houses. Unfortunately some of these houses are the homes of CEH staff. Landlords are raising rents five-fold and three CEH staff members were asked to move out of their rented homes. The purchase price of property bordering the hospital increased ten times the price it was just seven years ago. This is sometimes referred to as the "white man's price" but is now being applied to our national staff. It also acknowledges that the presence of the hospital increased the value of the land for the surrounding peasants and the city "fathers." CEH board consideration is being given to building six homes on the south west corner of the hospital property for hospital staff to live in. This could lower the prices being charged by lowering the demand. Another benefit is to have at least six of the CEH workers closer to the hospital allowing for additional help during medical emergencies that arise after hours from time to time.

It would be wonderful to complete the fundraising and give the green light to start each of these construction projects as we close 2012. The estimated time to build each one is four to six months but all could be accomplished next year if the funding was available. Would you prayerfully consider partnering with us in these projects for the Lord's work?

• Monthly operational support - $7300
• Container "N" - $10,000
• ER & X-ray Building - $80,000
• X-ray, digital developer and ER Equipment - $100,000
• Fencing - $10,000
• Off hour power supply (solar/battery/inverters) - $60,000
• Staff Housing (six units) - $60,000