Ox Carts and Extra Digits

In Dono-Manga there are no ambulances, EMTs or Medevac Helicopters. If you have a serious illness you get to the Jordan Health Center anyway you can. When 35 year old Moguira from Kanyoura Village, 13 miles from our health center, became very ill her family put her in the ox cart and they were on their way. Fortunately the long ride over dirt roads did not prove too difficult and the family arrived in time for Moguira to receive the treatment she needed.

Moguira arrived in time to receive the treatment she needed.

It is always busy at the Jordan Health Center. Each day brings a variety of ailments and patient needs. I am amazed at some of the situations we are able to handle. Little Beunia was brought by his parents to JHC to remove a sixth finger from his left hand. Children with such deformities are often picked on and bullied because they are different. While this is not a life threatening condition it is one

Beunia’s hand before surgery.

that could have long last consequence for this little guy throughout his life. Eloi, our highly trained nurse, and his assistant were able to perform the amputation and Beunia is recovering just fine.

After surgery

From September through January of this year JHC treated 1849 patients, delivered 48 babies and only had to refer one patient to a hospital. 1183 of the 1849 patients were children. All of these patients were treated in a small room no larger than a doctor’s examination room. Many were treated outside in the open air.

Two ladies being treated for dehydration.

This is why the addition to the Jordan Health Center is so important and why we need to complete the construction as soon as possible. This new section will have two new wards with four beds each. The additional space will provide a private examination room, clean delivery area and beds to lie on instead of the ground.

Construction has begun and was made possible by a special donation of $8,000 from CMI Medical Missions. We need to raise the remaining $12,000 to complete the construction and furnish the building with needed supplies to open for business. Would you be willing to make a sacrificial gift to help us complete this project? Any amount large or small would be deeply appreciated.

You may mail donations to Hope Springs International, 118 Wessington Place, Hendersonville, TN, or make your donation online at our website: www.hopespringsint.com. Help us continue to save lives and bring hope to the thousands of people in

Patient being treated outside.

Dono-Manga and the surrounding villages.

Remember our 100% pledge. 100% of the money donated for a specific project is used only for that project.

Patients waiting to be seen.

Blessed By Our New Internet Connections To Dono-Manga

Hearing them reminded me again that what we are doing is so very important.

Our new Skype connection with Dono-Manga, Chad has brought us so many blessing this past week. It was made even more special this morning as Barb and I watched and listened to our now 63 orphans sing, “We must follow Jesus no matter how rough the road”. Rambi Ayala, our Director of Operations for Africa, had taught it to our team of four as we traveled many hours across three nations in Africa in 2010. Now during his visit to Dono-Manga he taught it to our orphans.

As the song ended with hands waving with thumbs up and shouts of “Thank You”, I thought of the 7 ladies who have faithful

The well on the compound provides plenty of clean safe water.

provided the monthly donations that enable us to feed these children. I remember also when we returned from our trip in 2010 sharing the dream of providing an orphanage “someday” in Dono-Manga and two families stepped to the plate and said we will do that. Within a matter of a few months the orphanage was built complete with a walled compound, their own well, and the location chosen was less than 100 yards from the Jordan Health Center that would provide for their health care.

Our orphans playing on the compound grounds.

It will soon be 4 years since we answered that first SOS from Dono-Manga. There has not been one day during that time that I questioned that this was the work of God’s hand. It is without a doubt the most humbling work I have ever been a part of.

To those of you who support this work, thank you seems so inadequate to express how we feel about you. You are not only a blessing to the people of Dono-Manga, you are a blessing to us as well. Without your willingness to be used by God we simply could not do what we do.

Doubling the Blessing

Have you ever ordered yourself a meal and then found out you got a free dessert? How about receiving a gift you expected and then upon opening it discovered that the giver packed a little something else just to surprise you? It’s a wonderful feeling to be blessed more than you believed.

Hope Spring International is sending a blessing down to Dono-Manga, Chad in the form of a portable well drilling machine and a generator. This alone is more than a blessing to the people so desperate for clean water, but we have a chance to double that blessing in a unique way. Isn’t it wonderful when we see an opportunity that allows us to show the love, generosity and understanding of a people of Christ from across the ocean?

A shipping container containing this portable well drilling machine and generator will be on its way soon, but there is plenty of room left in this container for more blessings.

New rig has been tested and ready to ship!

The school children in Dono-Manga, Chad are learning English and what if they were standing by the adults unpacking this equipment and saw loads of Children’s books, writing tablets, chalk, pens, pencils and other school supplies? How big do you think those children’s smiles would be to receive gifts?

Although this is easily accomplished by single contributions, Hope Springs International would like to issue a challenge to double the blessing to our communities, schools, churches and other groups who feel led to help us fill the empty spaces of the container with gifts of love.

Just a part of the 600+ kids in our school in Dono-Manga

Will you accept this challenge of a double blessing opportunity?

Meet with your groups and issue our call to action and let’s see if together we can fill these empty spaces and leave no room. If you would like to collect funds to apply to the purchase of these items, checks can be made to “Hope Springs International” and add “Double the Blessing” to the “For” line, then mail to 118 Wessington Place, Hendersonville, TN 37075. You may also visit our website to donate through PayPal.: www.hopespringsint.com. You do not have to have a PayPal account to donate and will be given the opportunity to specify how you would like us to apply your donation. All donations will be used for the purpose you designate.

Our “double the blessing” list is as follows and needs to be collected by March 22, 2013:

• French New Testaments ($1 each or a case of 48 for $50)
• Children’s Books in English (new or used)
• School Supplies (chalk, pen, pencils, writing tablets, etc.)

Collected supplies may be mailed to our address above. If you live in the greater Nashville area we will make arrangements to pick up your donations if the size is too large to ship. Call 615.390.2134 for more information.

by Alycia Neighbors

Ground Breaking Ceremony at Jordan Health Center, by Rambi Ayala

The memory of today’s event will for a long time remain in the minds of the people of Dono-Manga.  At 7am four block masons and their assistants arrived to review the building plans and to discuss other minor details before the arrival of invited guests at 9:00am. There was much excitement in the air as people gathered for the ceremonies and our school children lined up to welcome the government officials and the local chiefs. In addition to the invited dignitaries two journalists from the state’s print and digital media were present to cover the occasion which was aired later that evening throughout the country. There were goodwill messages from the Tribal Chief of Dono-Manga, Chief Mayengar Basie; the Chairman of the local government, Brahim Bashir Ahmed and the doctor in charge of the area, Dr. Koudou Ngakoutou.

Chief Mayengar Basie

Chief Mayengar Basie expressed profound gratitude to God for placing the vision of Hope Springs in the hearts of those who began this organization, and he asked for God’s divine blessings to remain upon them. He urged the people of the Dono-Manga community to guard jealously all the projects being executed by Hope Springs for their benefit, pointing out that the younger generations who stand to benefit more should take advantage of all the efforts being made by Hope Springs. Chief Basie also promised his continual support to Hope Springs.

Chairman Brahim Bashir Ahmed

The chairman of the local government Brahim Bashir Ahmed, confessed that he was fed with wrong information about Hope Springs, and the Church of Christ when he assumed duty. Mr. Ahmed who is a Muslim then said he “can now bear testimony of the great work Hope Springs is doing.  He challenged Christians of other denominations to demonstrate their faith the way the Church of Christ is doing. He said, “We now drink potable water provided by Hope Springs, our children now can go to school, a good number of men have been trained in dry season farming, the orphans being taught animal husbandry, and above all the health facilities that are being provided. What more could they ask for, he asked?” This he said is even what the policy directive of the Federal Government of Chad is all about at the moment, education, health, agriculture and water supply. The chairman stressed that he has not seen any organization throughout the country doing the kind of efforts being done by Hope Springs. He further pledged his administration’s commitment to support the effort of Hope Springs.

Dr. Koudou Ngakoutou was next to speak. Dr. Koudou has just been recently appointed to oversee all the health providers in this region. He

Dr. Koudou Ngakoutou

applauded the initiative to establish a health center to serve the population here. He said within the short period he assumed office, today was his fifth time he is visiting JHC and that he is quiet impressed with what he found. Mid way in his speech, Dr. Koudou received a phone call, which he later announced to the crowd, was from the health commissioner in Lai the headquarters of Tadjile State where Dono Manga is located. He had earlier informed the commissioner about the event, and the commissioner wanted to convey his best wishes and support to Hope Springs. Dr. Koudou promised to visit regularly to hold clinic sessions at the Jordan Health Center in addition to his oversight responsibilities. However, he suggested that there is an urgent need to employ additional trained nurses to compliment the effort of Eloi our only qualified nurse on staff.

80 year old Nantadjingarti Paul,

After all speeches were given, we moved to the building site for the main event of the day, which is the symbolic foundation laying ceremony performed by Brahim Bashir Ahmed, the chairman of Dono-Manga local government. As chairman Ahmed completed the ceremony cheers and thunderous applause went up from the excited crowd. Then 80 year old Nantadjingarti Paul, a pastor of an Evangelical church, offered prayers for God’s blessings on the project. He thanked God for sparing his life to be part of the occasion noting that many of colleagues have gone before him. He said he identifies himself with the biblical Simeon who witnessed the Christ child at his old age. He then asked God to use this health facility to bless his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren even to the fifth generation, that God should bless all those who are

L to R Rambi, Chairman Ahmed, Dr. Koudou

making personal donations towards this project.

If you would like to contribute the the completion of this project send you gifts to Hope Springs International, 118 Wessington Place, Hendersonville, TN 37075 or donate online at: http://www.hopespringsint.com Check back often for more updates from Rambi coming from Dono-Manga, Chad.

 

 

 

 

 

Chairman performing the brick laying ceremony

Children and their teacher in attendance

Director of Operations for Africa visits Dono-Manga

Left to Right: Rambi Ayala, Madam Tekomtie, Yangar, Dr Yangar, Pierre Rimorbe

Earlier this week Rambi Ayala, our Director of Operations for Africa, arrived safely in Dono-Manga for an extended stay. After a difficult journey lasting four days with vehicle breakdowns and numerous security checks Rambi was met by Pierre Rimorbe our representative in Dono-Manga at the border between Cameroon and Chad. They traveled to Ndjamena the Capitol of Chad for a meeting with Pierre’s Cousin Dr. Miandjingar Yangar who works with the Federal Ministry of Health in Ndjamena. Dr. Yangar is originally from Dono-Manga. Rambi shared this report about their meeting.

“We were warmly received by Dr. Yangar and his family and treated graciously. I shared the mission and vision of Hope Springs with him this morning, telling what we have done, what we are presently doing and our intentions in the future. I further requested that he partner with us given the fact that he hails from Dono-Manga. He was very elated and happy to learn about all that Hope Springs is doing. On his last visit to DM he saw for himself the transformation that is taking place due to Hope Springs’ involvement there. He offered to pursue with vigor the registration of Hope Springs with the government, ensuring that when the drilling rig/medical equipment in the crate being shipped arrives it will be cleared duty free. He also offered to be a part of any coordinated medical team that will henceforth be visiting, and to help in any way possible as needs arise.”

Rambi and Pierre traveled to Dono-Manga the following day and arrived safely late that evening.

We continue to be so thankful for the way God continues to bless this ministry. Dr. Yangar’s eager backing of our efforts will open many doors important to the future of our efforts not only in Dono-Manga, but as we expand throughout Southern Chad.

One other blessing from this trip is our new 3G internet connection in Dono-Manga. Dono-Manga is an extremely remote area located 60 miles off the nearest paved road. The closest internet café is over 100 miles away. But thanks to new technology we now have a 3G phone modem and Rambi is able to send daily reports and pictures of his activities. So stay tuned for more reports from Rambi’s visit to Dono-Manga.