In high school track and field I ran the hurdles and gained the nickname of "the African snake jumper." With training from the coaching staff and senior athletes I developed as an athlete and was ultimately named the captain of the hurdle squad. Those were memorable times but what I treasure most are the lessons learned while a member of the track team.
Training was key to our team success: starting well from the blocks, jumping the hurdles, striding right, endurance, flexibility, speed, getting back up after a fall and finishing with perseverance. Combine that solid training with great team spirit cheering each other on, quiet times of reflection and praying together at the beginning of each meet our team earned a two-year undefeated record in dual meets.

Purchase of Land
One of our first hurdles was purchasing land easily accessible and of appropriate size to build and grow. God gave us 75 acres of beautiful land the locals called Bowal Wan (worthless land), since it was too rocky to grow crops and was mainly used for hunting. When we needed water He gave us this in response to prayer showing us where to drill. God gave drinkable water from the rock bubbling forth like a spring from His reserves. God allowed us to make it a beautiful institution as the initial buildings grew up, we maintain them well and keep the compound as clean as possible, and give quality care with compassion to those who come. It is now a landmark known nationwide on National Highway #1. The Chief of the local peasants said to me, "We called it worthless land, you may call it whatever you wish." It stands as Compassion Evangelical Hospital to the glory of our God!



Finance
As we run this race some types of hurdles come up with regularity. The monthly support of $7650 is one. This is broken down as follows:

• Regular maintenance, minor construction and security functions: $2,000
• Hospital operational expenses $2,000
• MIAPE team (11 missionaries) $3650 The amount sent for the MIAPE team increased slowly over the years as the team grows and as earned merit raises.

Most months the needed $7650 is covered by regular giving of many individuals - representing the whole team jumping together. Some cover a whole month and this allows the reserves of the team to grow and cover the next month. The past two months the subsidy was covered but left less than  $1,000 in the operations account.
 
The hospital's revenue for services given in Guinea covers all of the Guinean workers' salaries and benefits, the purchase of medicines, medical supplies and laboratory reagents. Complimentary to the monies we give to the hospital directly they are now 75% self sustaining of the operational cost of the budget.

For 10 years God supplied these needs through your giving each month. Please continue to stand with us in this important way.

All special projects for specific ministries and capital improvements are handled separately with designated giving according to budget-approved amounts. The 2014 current list of active projects is:

• Laundry Building and Machines for the Hospital: $22,500
• Patient Kitchen to provide a place for families to prepare meals: $12,500
• Morgue: culturally very important in Africa: $24,000
• Two Missionary Homes: $50,000 each
• Three National Professional Homes: $18,000 each
• Ward D with eight patient beds: $48,000
• Vehicle Maintenance and replacement: $6,000/year

CEH Staff

Staffing
Another hurdle is meeting the perpetual staffing needs with new hires. From the shallow pool of Christian Guineans (1% of the population) who are also medically trained, God provides workers. Currently we have 54 Guineans on staff filling most of the posts the MIAPE missionaries do not fill. These include three doctors, 30 nurses, four lab technicians, an accountant and cashier. We started a scholarship program to help meet our future need of doctors and nurses. A surgeon, an anesthesiologist, a pharmacist, an IT and bio-med technician are all positions we hope to fill. Pray with us as Christ instructed when He said to pray for laborers. Our current staff is a reminder to us of how He answers when we think something is humanly impossible.

Professional Homes

Housing
Another hurdle is the need to move our staff closer to the hospital to more efficiently meet the needs of our patients. The property is 14 km, or 9 miles, from the center of the town of Mamou of 60,000 people. Since few homes are in the area immediately around the hospital campus, our staff  members rent homes in town and we bus them to work which costs $1100 per month. Two homes for professionals are completed on the property and our Chief of Staff and Director of Nursing along with their families were invited to move in to them.
 
Two staff members recently bought lots close to the hospital and plan on building homes. We hope many others will follow. To facilitate this we established a Revolving Housing Loan Fund Special Project of $12,000 where any medical worker can borrow $3,000 interest free to build a home next to the hospital. This would be repaid through payroll deductions. As the fund is able, workers can apply for this interest-free loan. Parallel to this, a taxi transportation system is being developed to fulfill the commercial need of transporting patients to and from the hospital.
 

Students at the MIAPE school

Students enrolled in the thriving MIAPE Christian School located on the northeast corner of our property, also need transportation. Last year 72 students in preschool to 4th grade were enrolled, and 140 are registered for this fall. The hospital is becoming the center of a new community. The Google satellite photo on our website at CEHGuinea .org under "Whom we serve" lags the reality of the construction a little, but is a thrilling way to see what God is doing. Give pleasure to your eyes and take a look.


Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Ebola Virus Outbreak
A final hurdle I share this month is the epidemic of Ebola Virus that is aflame in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. As of September 3, WHO and CDC are reporting over 3,500 cases and 1900+ deaths. Five of the six nations surrounding Guinea have closed their borders to any travel by air or road. Many but not all airlines also stopped flights to these nations since a small epidemic was transported to Nigeria by one traveler. Though it started in Guinea more cases surfaced in both Sierra Leone and Liberia. Some whole counties are quarantined and rations are sent in but no external commerce is allowed. Numerous quarantine centers are set up by the governments and NGOs where the most numerous cases are. We facilitated the importation of some sanitary resources from sister Christian organizations into Guinea to be shared through government channels where most needed. We have had no cases at our hospital yet. Three patients were suspect cases, having fever and bleeding. One fled when we transferred him to the government quarantine system, one was tested and ruled out as just dysentery, and the third's symptoms did not persist and was clinically ruled out. This certainly causes anxiety for our staff since it is transmitted by body fluids from sick patients. Many caregivers were contaminated by patients elsewhere and died. Each case is like a drill to give the best care possible with compassion and with appropriate protective procedures for our staff to avoid contamination. Thus far the closest case was about 80 miles away. We ask you to pray for our staff, the patients and these nations.