It is a bit hard to believe that we have now entered into 2020. I can remember thinking of this year as extremely far in the future and wondering what the world might be like. You may have read some of the predictions that had been made for things that did not come true like flying cars. This has given a chance for us also to reflect back on all that God has done during this past decade.
The Hospital of Hope
It's mind boggling to look back at the changes that have occurred here in our area of Mango from the time the ground was broken for construction in 2009, to the inauguration and opening in 2015, to today. This year will mark the 5th anniversary of the hospital opening. There have been some extreme highs and lows for the team here during that time, but we are thankful that God is faithful and still at work here in our midst today. During that time, over 56,000 patients have been treated. There have been over 5,000 surgeries performed. We have seen God bless many with healing, both physical and spiritual, that would likely not have been possible without this ministry.
Surgery Department
There have been many challenges in our department to include the death of our leader and visionary, Todd Dekryger in 2016. We have seen our department go from dependance on those who could come for weeks or a few months, to three full time surgeons for a time this year. We also anticipate the arrival of two new surgeons this next year from language school. This has allowed us to do 50% more surgeries this past year than any prior year on record. We are especially thankful for the faithful work of our Togolese colleagues who have been the real stability and solid foundation of our department. We have been able to add two OR aides this past year, and we hope to soon add another anesthetist. God has definitely sustained us, and we wait in anticipation to see what these next years will bring.
Our family
In 2010 we were living in Augusta, Georgia while Bryce finished his last year of surgery residency. It was during that year at the medical missions conference in Louisville, KY that we first learned about the work going in Togo and met Bob Cropsey and Todd Dekryger. In 2011 we traveled to southern Togo for the first time to see what missions looked like in a mission hospital. After 3 years in the military and 1 deployment, in 2014 we returned to Togo and were first able to visit the Hospital of Hope while it was nearly finished with construction. After 3 more years of preparation, including 18 months in France learning language, in 2017 we arrived to work here in Mango full time. During the past 10 years, our family has experienced quite a number of challenges and changes. It is only by the grace of God's work in our lives that we have been able to overcome the many obstacles and participate in what God is doing here in Northern Togo.
We are looking forward to our upcoming furlough during 2020, and the chance to share with many of you in person more details about God's work here. Please let us know if you would be interested in hearing more in person. We are planning to travel back to the states to Greenville, SC in the middle of June. We hope to travel to our sending church, University Baptist Church in Beavercreek, OH and visit others in the midwest (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois) the end of July and first part of August before school starts for our younger children in Greenville, SC.
Prayer Requests
Our Family
Since we will be traveling back to the USA in 5 months, we have already started making preparations for the work here during our time away. Togo has in many ways become our home, and it's hard to imagine being gone for a little over a year. Please pray for us as we prepare to hand over our ministries to others. It's a good reminder to us, that this is God's work and it will go on without us. However, we do desire to have as few disruptions as possible and smooth transitions for our Togolese colleagues who don't take these long times away. Please also pray for us as we make preparations to live stateside- housing, vehicle, schooling for our children, etc.
Our Team
We have continued to see an ever growing number of patients, many with very complicated problems. Often times these patients have been to other hospitals and come to us in the late stages of their problems, or after all other options have been exhausted. We are thankful for this opportunity to help them in their darkest hour and time of need. This past month, intermixed in a record high number of surgeries, have been many such complicated and challenging cases. Please continue to pray for strength, endurance, and patience for our team here, both Togolese and expat.
