A Lot On My Mind

I had my 4^th heart catheterization two weeks ago. As they wheeled me down the hall to the Cath. Lab my thoughts were not on the procedure about to take place, but our Jordan Health Center in Dono-Manga, Chad. I don’t mean to sound flippant about the heart cath. It’s always critical and risky when someone goes poking around your heart. My thoughts were about the quality of care available to me as compared to that in developing nations like Chad. In reality there is no comparison.

I am thankful for hospitals like Centennial and their professional personnel. I am also so thankful for the Jordan Health Center. This small health center was built a little over two years ago. It’s a small building not much larger than a one car garage. It’s nothing in comparison to the state of the art facility I was in for my procedure. But from the time JHC opened its doors until now thousands of men, women and children that have come for treatment, and there is no way to know how many hundreds of lives have been saved.

35 Year Old Moguira from Kanyoura Village a distance of 21km brought by seven relation in an Ox Cart for treatment.

People come from miles around for treatment. Some walk, others are brought in Ox carts. One man, near death, was carried by his family on a homemade stretcher from their village 20 miles away.

In February of this year we began construction on a 1600 sq. ft. addition to the Jordan Health Center. This expansion is so desperately needed to handle the ever increasing flow of patients. The new facility will contain an office, an exam room and two wards with 4 beds each. What a blessing this addition will be. People will no longer have to lie on the floor during treatment. Consultation and treatment areas will be a clean, sanitary and private.

Walls are going up quickly!

In February when we began construction it was a step of faith. The foundation is now complete and the walls are up. We need an additional $11,000 to complete the building, $7,000 to complete construction and 4,000.00 for interior work and furnishings.  Total construction cost will be under $20,000. That is a bargain at less than $12 a sq. ft.

It’s urgent that we finish this project before the rainy season. Heavy, unrelenting rains begin in early June. They peak in August and begin to taper off by the end of September. There are heavy rains most every day during the peak period. Without a roof and exterior stucco to protect the walls the rain could cause significant damage to what has been accomplished so far.

Will you consider making a sacrificial donation to help us finish this critically needed addition? Beyond a shadow of a doubt, your gift will save lives!

Donating is simple. Go to our website and click on the Donate Button at the home page. Debit and Credit Cards are welcomed. Or if you prefer simply mail your check to: Hope Springs International, 118 Wessington Place, Hendersonville, TN 37075.

Thank you for being Jesus to the people of Dono-Manga. Your gifts not only bring physical healing, but spiritual healing as well.

Lee Hodges, President

The spirit of Dorcas is alive and well in middle Tennessee

Part of the 161 handmade dresses going to Dono-Manga, Chad

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Dorcas. (Acts 9:36-43) It takes only 8 verses for Luke to tell her story, but what a wonderful tribute to this lady. Dorcas was a gifted seamstress and used her talent to serve others and bring glory of God. The story opens with her death. Mourners came to her funeral to honor her by showing the clothing she had made for them, a testimony of her love and servant heart.

I am here to testify that the spirit of Dorcas is still alive and well. As many of you know we are preparing to ship a new well drilling machine to Dono-Manga, Chad. We have been gathering items to fill the empty space around and above this machine. This week the ladies sewing groups from the Madison and Joelton Churches of Christ blessed us with 161 handmade dresses of all sizes from infant to teen. Madison’s group “Sew-it-Seams was aided by the 5th and 6th grade girls class who helped by cutting out the dress with patterns. The Joelton ladies have been doing this type of work for sometime now and have sent many dresses to Hatti over the last few years.

Thank you to the ladies in each of these groups for your willingness to use your talents to bless others. Your dresses will be the first new article of clothing our girls have ever received. I can assure you that these little girls will be so excited!

The Flip Flop Saga Continues…

Brand new for less than 4 cents a pair

It continues to be obvious that God wanted our kids in Dono-Manga to have shoes on their feet. A lady that works for Dollar General Corporation just dropped off 300 pairs of flip flops, brand new, assorted sizes and colors. She was able to purchase the whole lot for $10.00. Yes, you read that right. That works out to be less than 4 cents a pair! And I thought that getting 3500 pair for 20 cents a pair was cheap.

God is good all the time. All the time God is good.

If you missed how this story began click here.

Jesus said, “Ask, Seek and Knock…”

Barb Hodges

When my bride of almost 50 years and fellow board member Barb Hodges saw the pictures of our orphans in Dono-Manga without shoes she said, “Those kids need shoes, something on their feet.” (It just so happens that we are planning to ship a crate of good to Dono-Manga containing a new well drilling rig, but still had a lot of room of other needed items). Barb shared this need with a couple other ladies and the ball began to roll. The foot ware of choice would be flip flops. The ladies began to spread the word at NorthField Church where we worship, and money and flip flops began to come in.

At the time this was going on a 10 year old young lady named Autumn had just open a Facebook site because she too was concerned about people without shoes to wear. Autumn learned about the flip flop campaign and she joined the cause and more shoes began to come in.

Not long after Autumn joined the effort Cheri, a lady who worships at a sister campus, heard about the need. At about the same

Autumn with Lee Hodges, President of Hope Springs Intl.

time she visited a local online auction site that had just added, of all things, pallets of flip flops, to their inventory. Although she has visited this site often she had never seen flip flops before, so she began to spread the word to friends and began to bid on the pallets of flip flops.

A few days of competitive bidding followed and Cheri purchased 7 pallets of flip flops totaling over 3700 pairs at a price of only 20 cents a pair.

Today the final total from all efforts has resulted in just under 5000 pair of flip flops.

Flip Flops purchased at auction

Can anyone doubt that it was God’s desire for these kids to have shoes on their feet? When our asking, seeking and knocking meets the will of God, He supplies that need abundantly.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Eph. 3:20, 21.

A special Thank You to NorthField Church members and other individuals who provided funds and donated flip flops as a part of this special effort for our kids. You are the best!