Update from Soddo Christian Hospital April 2, 2009
Praise God for His Mercy and Grace! A young man came to us several months ago from a nearby area after suffering a fall from a tree, and had a wagesha (local healer) take care of him. The healer had put a tight dressing on the leg. It was terribly infected, and he was not able to feel or move his toes. I thought that we might have to amputate. We reset the bones and performed repeated surgery to remove dead tissue and infection. We packed the wound daily with a diluted bleach solution and provided antibiotics. He was in the hospital for about six weeks. We prayed for him, and he became a Christian while in the hospital. He had previously gone to church, but had not received Jesus into his life. He came back this week carrying his crutches. The wounds were healed, the bones were healed and he was moving his toes. We rejoiced with him and encouraged him to follow Jesus. We are grateful for his coming to us so that we could take care of him, love him and see him come to know our Savior. Rejoice with us as he is healed in body and spirit and now is WALKING with the Lord and on his way to heaven.
The Design Team was a Blessing. The Engineering Ministries International (EMI) team completed its on-site visit and provided a proposed site plan design to complete the Soddo Christian Hospital facilities. Some highlights from the proposed plan are as follows:
1. Create zones to help patient flow and restrict access to more sensitive areas.
2. Add surgical resident housing.
3. Add guest housing for short-term and mid-term guests.
4. Integrate eye clinic into OPD and eye surgery into OR.
5. Expand existing wards to accommodate 48 additional beds, and build new ward with 31 beds.
6. Add four OR rooms (two general, two eye) to the existing OR building.
7. Create a central utility and maintenance core.
8. Add second water well.
9. Add underground septic drain field.
10. Add additional generator.
The immediate needs are to 1) improve patient flow and restrict access to more sensitive areas, 2) add a second water well, 3) improve the sewer system, and 4) add another generator. The EMI Team was a real blessing to us. Although their work highlights the inadequacy of the facilities here at SCH, we know that we have a great and powerful God who can, and will, provide in His time. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33
Prayer and Praise:
· Cliff Hall and the maintenance team from Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho, returned home from SCH last week. While at SCH he attended five different small group (discipleship) meetings. There are currently 14 small groups, with 97 of the approximately 160 hospital employees attending a small group. Cliff reported that each member of one small group of eight people is going to take on their own small group, which will result in eight more groups. We praise God for the work He is doing in the hearts of the people here.
· Continue to pray for a unified vision for reaching the lost and for small group discipleship.
· Desalegn (the hospital administrator) and his wife, Tigst, have a two-week-old baby daughter!
· Pray for Pastor Yohannes (in photo above) as he is now the head pastor at the local KH church across the street. With this change, pray for a smooth transition for the leadership of our chaplains, and for wisdom and strength for our chaplains as they carry out their responsibilities.
· Please pray for daily strength for each of us.
· One of the top priorities identified by the EMI Design Team is a new water well for the hospital. We still need $3,600, of the approximate $11,000, to move forward with the well. If God leads you to assist with this project, please contact Ken Amstutz, St. Luke’s Heath Care Foundation, Treasurer, via the SCH website, www.soddo.org. Please pray that this can be completed soon.
Thank you for your faithful support of the work here at Soddo Christian Hospital. Please keep on praying that God will continue to bless and provide for the leadership team and the entire staff of SCH, as we endeavor to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the people in the Soddo, Wolaitta region of Ethiopia. Please visit our website at www.soddo.org for additional information related to the work here at SCH.
Praise the Lord,
Duane Anderson, MD
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