Update from Soddo Christian Hospital March 2, 2009
Greetings! Melessa is such a blessing to us here in Soddo. I operated on him about three years ago a few times for polio deformity. He now speaks six languages -- Kambata his native tongue, Amharic (the national language), Hadia, Alaba, Wolaitta (he has picked it up in one year and translates for me in this tongue as well) and he is very good in English understanding. He is heavily involved in Bible study, sharing the gospel and doing anything and everything for me in my clinic. He takes off casts, arranges patients, translates into all these languages and holds the hands of frightened people in the OR when no one else knows their language. He makes rounds with me at 7 a.m., goes to school at 8, returns at noon from school (fifth grade) works in our OR and stays until 5-7 p.m., despite his disability. He came to me with a request for a new set of crutches about three years ago and after several surgeries, I asked him to help pay back some of our work by volunteering in the OR. He did, only he worked until 11 p.m. So I thought I will hire this young man, not knowing his language ability. Wow – what a blessing he has been to me personally. There is no one more loyal than him to me and to the LORD. Praise the LORD for Melessa. He humbly asked me for a bed this week. He said he is sleeping on the floor. We provided him a new bed. Kelly Hughes, from our church in Coeur d’Alene, sponsored him in school for the last year. He is living in a little room with his sister who cooks for him. He now has a trike thanks to Kelly! PTL, and thank you Kelly for partnering with me in Melessa's care. He loves music and is asking to somehow listen to music while he works. God blesses me daily with Melessa.
Praise God for the Design Team. The Engineering Ministries International (eMi) team has already provided excellent advice and planning for the future development of Soddo Christian Hospital. eMi is a unique ministry comprised of architects, engineers, surveyors, and construction managers who donate their technical skills to help the poor around the world. A team of eight arrived February 21 and went to work gathering information to help design future buildings. We were impressed with all these hard-working volunteers: Jim Hall, Team Leader, Electrical Engineer; Anna Bushkar, Architect, eMi East Africa Intern; Paul Baca, Electrical Engineer; Josh Hoornbeek, Surveyor / Construction Manager; Brent Randall, Architect; Brent Lahaie, Civil Engineer; Tim Huff, Structural Engineer; and Tyler Emery, Civil Engineer.
After sharing the vision and history of the hospital ministry at Soddo to the eMi Team, I gave them a tour of the facilities and answered questions concerning our needs and future plans. In a few days the architects drew a proposed site plan that efficiently uses the land that we now have. Then they began work designing individual buildings including an outpatient department, an apartment building for PAACS resident doctors, and a guesthouse. They also completed a survey of the existing buildings. We are excited that eMi will return to the States and continue to work on the design and planning services necessary for the hospital to complete its facilities. The team’s innovative and insightful ideas are encouraging to all of us here in Soddo.
Prayer and Praise:
· Paul and Becca Gray left for a family-related emergency trip to the States. Pray for their safe return.
· Dr. Ruth Droppers is taking her annual monthly leave to visit her home in the Netherlands. Pray for rest and rejuvenation.
· Jackie Anderson is spending the first three weeks of March in Salt Lake City with our new grandson and family.
· Amy Anderson (our daughter) is visiting for two months. She is teaching English in Jackie’s language school.
· A maintenance team from Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho is leaving Wednesday (March 4) for SCH; they will be here until March 24. The team includes Cliff Hall, Lori Hall, Roger Friesen, Ron Stadley, and Mark Launder. They plan to rewire the laundry and the kitchen and install a stove/oven in the kitchen. They will repair the burned up panel in the OR, rewire the autoclaves, and make some preparations for a new larger generator later in the year. Please pray for safety and wisdom for this team.
· Please continue to pray for the remaining funds for a new well. The existing water well will not supply the water needs of the hospital during the annual dry season. Praise God we have $5,550 of the $11,000 USD needed. With the “one-for-two” matching grant available, we need approximately $3,600. Contact Ken Amstutz, St. Luke’s Heath Care Foundation, Treasurer, via the SCH website, www.soddo.org, with any questions about this, or other, projects.
· So far, $115,000 has been raised to begin housing for the surgical residents. This will be a great start toward a two-story building that will include two- and three-bedroom apartments for the seven residents and their families.
Thank you for your faithful support of the work here at Soddo Christian Hospital. Please continue to pray 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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