Mothers With Small Children receiving Mosquito Nets

In Fall of 2010 we opened a small dispensary in Dono-Manga, Chad. The purpose was to dispense drugs for minor illnesses that often lead to major life threaten conditions, especially for very young children. When we visited Dono-Manga in 2010 we took an initial supply of medications and priced them in such a way as to make them affordable to the local people and enable us to replenish drug supplies with the funds we received. Our initial supply and subsequent restocking has been done through Dr. Eni who is on the surgical teaching staff of the University of Maiduguri Hospital in Maiduguri, Nigeria. His connections there enabled us to purchase medications at a very low price. Pierre Rimorbe, our key man in Dono-Manga, has until recently, traveled to Maiduguri as necessary to keep the dispensary supplied.

Recent terrorist activity in northern Nigeria by a group called Boko-Haran has killed hundreds of people over the last few months. In a defensive move the President of Nigeria recently closed all Nigerian borders. Although this violence is hundreds of miles away from Dono-Manga the closing of the borders has now halted our ability to restock our dispensary and it could not come at a worse time.

In the last few months our nurse has been seeing over 1000 patients per month. Many people walk for days bringing their loved ones for treatment. Our dispensary has been so effective in saving lives that it was just awarded Health Center status by the Chadian government. This means that our personnel may now preform minor surgery and aid in mid-wife services. But because of not being able to restock our drug supply from Nigeria our Health Center is about to run out of medications to treat those who continue to come. Here is a portion of a message we received a few days ago from our representative in Nigeria after he spoke to Pierre Rimorbe in Dono-Manga.

This man's family carried him for over 20 miles to the Health Center. He and the 5 members of his family became Christians.

“Presently there are 12 inpatients being managed by our nurse at the health center. The inadequate drug supply is posing a problem given the fact that people in and around Dono-Manga have come to see the Health Center as a haven for the less privileged who otherwise would have stayed home to wait for death since they cannot afford the cost of treatment, let alone the challenges of long travels in search of medical care in one of the large cities, which our health center now provides easily and readily. “

While the simple solution would be to purchase medications in Chad we are faced with prices that are thousands of dollars more than we were paying through Dr. Eni in Nigeria and the cost would be out of reach for the people that we are treating.

The Health Center has become such an important part of our outreach and has saved hundreds of lives since it opened. It is a vital and important part of the work we are going in Dono-Manga. So here is what we plan to do.  I have spoken with Dr. Eni and Rambi Ayala, our Director of Operations for Africa, and we are making arrangements to fly them with a supply of needed medications to Chad. They will also be tasked with the responsibility of meeting with representatives of the Chadian Government to establish relationships with local Pharmaceutical companies that will enable us to purchase our needed medication locally at a discounted price.

We have a wonderful working relationship with the Chadian government and we feel certain they will be able to help us open this door. But we must act quickly as many lives are now at risk without the needed medication for our Health Center. We estimate that the total needed for this emergency relief effort will be $11,000. This will include air and land travel for Dr. Eni and our representative, a large supply of medications that will be purchased in Nigeria, and air freight to allow the drugs to travel with them. At this time we have $3,500 of the $11,000 that we need.  This leaves a balance of $7,500 that we need to raise as soon as possible.

We treat many children at the Health Center.

Our Health Center is so much more than a place where people receive medical attention. One of our local ministers is at the Health Center daily to share the message of Christ with all families coming for medical assistance. We have seen so many people come to Christ through his work, and new churches are being established through these new Christians who have been reached at the Health Center.

There are at least two ways you can help. First, if God has blessed you with the ability, make a donation. Any amount will be a blessing and will save lives. Second, help us spread the word about this need and encourage others to give. 100% of what is given in response to this appeal will go to meet this need! Write “Health Center” on your check and mail it to Hope Springs International, 118 Wessington Place, Hendersonville, TN 37075, or if you give at our website: www.hopesprintsint.com note that it for the Health Center when you donate. Thank you in advance for your response! We deeply appreciate each of you who make this great work possible.

For some of us, my self-included, that might be a stretch to remember just because of the number of years that have passed. But I can assure you that my wants and desires at 13 were all about me.

We were greatly encouraged recently to receive a donation for $500.00 from a beautiful young lady who recently turned 13. She had requested that those coming to her party make donations to Hope Springs International instead of buying her gifts. Her decision to think of others instead of herself came as the result of an opportunity she had recently to see firsthand the plight that affects so many in our world today. She saw people who live in deep poverty without the opportunity to change their circumstances.

We are never more like Jesus than when we think of others above ourselves. This special young lady requested that we not mention her name. This decision and gift was not to draw attention to her, but out of concern for the needs of others.

We appreciate her parents and those who have played a part in her spiritual upbringing.  May God bless you also.

If you would like to make a year end gift to Hope Springs International, you can do so online at our website or mail your gift to 118 Wessington Place, Hendersonville, TN 37075.  God Bless!

Our first annual benefit concert is now history. I want to give a special thank you to Melissa Lancaster for all she did to make this a great concert. From the first time I mentioned the possibility of a concert Melissa was onboard. While we were just excited that Durant was going to be on the program, Melissa would later speak to the talented George Pendergrass, former lead singer for Acappella, and he would be added to the schedule.

Melissa had also arranged for Messiah’s Men to be on the program as well. When a sibling of four brothers in this group passed away suddenly and the group had to cancel, Melissa contacted Vocal Union and they graciously agreed to come in their place. In the end it was one of the best concerts I have ever attended.

I have told a number of people that Melissa Lancaster has more talent in her little finger than most musicians I know. But more important to me than her talent is her desire to use those talents to encourage others and to further the cause of the Kingdom of God here on earth. As I said in a blog article on the 11^th, SOMETIMES “THANK YOU” IS NOT ENOUGH

Melissa, you are a blessing!

(All photos are courtesy of and used by permission from Shelia Yates/Two Sisters Photography)

Over the last three years Hope Springs International has had the opportunity to working with a World Bank program that drills deep water wells in southern Chad. Because they also subsidized the cost of drilling we have been able to drill 35 wells for only $1,000 each. The 35^th well drilled under this program was their last in the nation of Chad and the program came to an end in October of this year.

The program has ended, but the need is far from over. A few months ago our board decided that we must continue to drill wells and that we would purchase our own equipment. We have located a company in southern Alabama that manufactures high quality drilling rigs. These rigs are smaller in size and cost, and they meet our needs perfectly for southern Chad. They are trailer mounted rigs and can be easily transported into remote areas. They are capable of drilling as deep as 400ft., which is well beyond the 200 to 250ft. depth for the wells in Chad. Their cost is considerably less than truck mounted rigs that can cost as much as $250,000.

We are excited to announce that on December 2, 2011 we received a generous grant from a local Christian Foundation that wishes to remain anonymous in the amount of $20,500 for the purchase of our first drilling rig..

We have placed an order for this rig and it is now in production. We believe that this rig will drill many wells and enable us to keep the cost of a single well to between $1,500 and $2,000. (The average cost of drilling a well most anywhere in Africa is around $5,000 to $6,000 and many times more). The estimated shipping and transportation cost we believe will run around $10,000.

Why not give a gift this Christmas that will continue giving for years to come. One well will provide clean water for over 2,000 people, and at the same time open many hearts to hear the message of a God who loves them more than they could ever imagine. Send your donations to: Hope Springs International, 118 Wessington Place, Hendersonville, TN 37075 or donate on line at www.hopespringsint.com

Yesterday (12.10.11) was a very emotional day for me. We have been looking forward to our benefit concert for a number of weeks. Set up began at 10:00am and continued until almost concert time. Pickup loads of equipment were loaded, unloaded and set up. Cords were run from here to there and technical language was used that was foreign to me, and then it was done.

What followed was a wonderful concert performed by some very talented people. Phil Barnes, our emcee for the evening introduced George Pendergrass who open our program with his crystal clear voice. He was followed by the multi- talented Melissa Lancaster and Durant. Vocal Union brought the program to a close by doing what they do best, showing the power of the human voice in blended harmonies. Their last song was a tribute to the group’s founder Gary Miller whose booming bass voice now sings with the choirs of heaven in the presence of the Lord.

I then watch it all being packed away and taken back to Madison Church to get set up for worship this morning. Many of those who made this concert such a success would not get into bed until early this morning.

Yesterday was a very emotional day for me because everything I just described was done by volunteers donating their time and talent because they believe in the work that Hope Springs International is doing to save lives and share the message of Christ with those who have never heard. Although I said “Thank You” at least a hundred times yesterday, for me it was not enough. So I just ask Father to bless each of you who worked so hard to make this concert a reality.  I am also grateful to those who took the time during a busy season of the year to attend. I want you to know that each of you is a personal blessing to me and to the thousands of people who will benefit from your gifts of time, talent and money.

Orphans Celebrate Their New Home and New Well.

On this Thanksgiving Eve we at Hope Springs International have so much to be thankful for. Because of generous hearts clean water is now flowing from 26 repaired wells and 35 new ones in Dono-Manga, Chad. Our new dispensary recently government certified as a “Health Center” is seeing over 1000 patients per month. Our 41 orphans have a new home. While only 7 of the 41 have sponsors, these funds are providing basic food needs for the children. We are also thankful for the new churches that have been established and the hundreds that have become Christians because they have seen the love of Christ in action.

We are thankful for each of you who have allowed God to use you in making all these things possible. May Father’s richest blessing be your on this Thanksgiving Day.

Lee Hodges, President

“The combined work of the dispensary, new water wells and orphanage in Dono-Manga continue to bring glory to God as souls are being added to the Kingdom on a regular basis now. There were twelve baptisms last week. Contaminated water is no longer an issue because the new wells drilled continue to provide sufficiently for both human and livestock needs.

The ministers working throughout Dono-Manga report that their work of evangelism is no longer being met with skepticism and distrust because of the work that is being done there by Hope Springs International. What more can we say than to give God the glory and ask Him to bless all those who contributed and continue to contribute to make this work possible.”

We learned earlier this month that 40 to 50 people per day are being seen at our Dispensary. That is over a 1000 people per month that are receiving much needed treatment.

We have also just received word from Dr. Eni, who is a teaching surgeon on staff of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital in Maiduguri Nigeria, and a consultant for our work in Dono-Manga, that our dispensary has been granted the status of “Health Center” by the Chadian Government and is now authorized to aid pregnant women with child delivery and preform minor surgery.

When we visited Dono-Manga one year ago this month the dispensary was nearing completion and the Orphanage and new wells were just a dream. Now that they are all a reality, lives are being saved, orphans carried for, an abundance of clean water is available, and the Gospel of Christ is being preached and spiritually thirsty souls are being saved.

Your one time or monthly gifts are needed as we continue this great work. Live are being saved physically and spiritual.  Send you gifts to 118 Wessington Place, Hendersonville, TN 37075 or you can make donations on line at www.hopespringsint.com .

Concert Tickets are $10 each. You may purchase tickets at our Website: Hope Springs International  by clicking the PayPal Secure Donation Button. All tickets purchased online from now through November 30, 2011. will be mailed. Tickets purchased December 1-9, 2011 will be available at the “Will Call” table at the concert. Tickets are also available from a number of Churches and individual in the greater Nashville area. Family and group rates are available. Tickets will be available at the door the night of the concert if seats are available. For more information email us at: hopespringsinternational@yahoo.com. PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGE FROM THE 9th to the 10th.

CONCERT LOCATION

GOODPASTURE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS AUDITORIUM
619 W. DUE W. AVE.
MADISON, TENNESSEE 37115

Stay tuned for details to follow!! You don’t want to miss this powerful concert!