It's hard to believe we are already in April. 2022 has been our busiest year of work and ministry since we arrived here in Mango. We are grateful though to be part of what God continues to do here in northern Togo.
We wanted to share with you an answered prayer since our last newsletter. We were praying for a nanny to watch Josiah and Mélyna, so that Natasha could continue working in women's health. As we were praying, the Lord brought to mind a woman we met when she brought her son into the hospital for a severe medical problem. We saw the way she cared for her own son who is now doing very well after a couple of surgeries. Before we left for furlough, she asked us if we knew of any work for her. At the time, we did not, but little did we know that God was already at work orchestrating an answer to both of our prayers. Upon our return, we reconnected with her and offered her the job. She accepted with joy and gratefulness. She moved from the city to our north and has been caring for Josiah and Mélyna since November. The kids love her dearly, and she loves our children as if they were her own. Her son has become one of Melyna's best friends. We helped him enroll in the christian school that was started here in Mango last year. He is thriving in school and was the top in his class this past quarter.
Natasha has been staying busy as we've had several visiting ob/gyn surgeons since the start of the year. One of her patients that she has been caring for since she started doing women's health is a friend of ours. She and her husband got married around the time the hospital opened. They had been trying to conceive but had been unsuccessful. After several years of infertility consultations and various treatments, heartache and yet hope that our God indeed had a plan far bigger than what we could comprehend, it is in many ways a miracle that she has been able to become pregnant. She is due in September, and we are praising the Lord for His answered prayers and this miracle child!
Bryce was chosen to be the medical director for this year. In addition to the surgery work, he has been working to improve and update the systems that are in place in the hospital ministry. After 7 years, the hospital has changed and grown with new staff and more patients. We really have a great team to serve alongside, and God is at work in our midst. We have had many colleagues leave permanently and temporarily the past 6 months. Others are scheduled for furloughs this coming summer. One of the biggest challenges most missions hospitals face is how to maintain adequate staffing, especially of medical providers (doctors, PAs, NPs). This year we hired the first Togolese doctor at our hospital, a new graduate from medical school. It's challenging to find people who are willing to leave the capital, the big city with access to most things, and come to the far north to work here. He was an answer to prayer, but it has also helped us to realize the need to consider staffing now and for the future.
We have been praying for several years about training medical doctors at our hospital to become surgeons. There is a program that was started in Africa to train surgeons for Africa. It's called the Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons. There are currently surgery training programs in 9 countries. Only a few of these are French speaking programs. The program involves 5 years of training and discipleship of christian doctors to become surgeons. In February our team voted to pursue a partnership with PAACS. PAACS accepted our application, reviewed our site, and we are awaiting final approval at their upcoming board meeting. Please pray for wisdom for all parties involved as we seek to move forward with this new avenue of ministry and training.
We also wanted to let you know we will be returning stateside for a brief 3 month break in July. As we've reflected on life and ministry, we are hoping to try and take breaks in this way approximately once a year. We hope to see many of you, but it will be a little more challenging as 3 months will pass quickly. Please let us know if you would like to connect while we are stateside, as we are still planning our time.
Prayer requests:
Our family: Prayers for wisdom as we plan our 3 months stateside (July, August, September). Also, we will be in need of a vehicle large enough for our family of 8. Please pray with us as we seek out a solution to this need. Vehicles, especially large ones, seem to be extra expensive and in short supply these days.
Our Team: URGENT NEED: We have a thriving MK school here, but we have an urgent need for a teacher this upcoming year. One of our two wonderfully gifted teachers will be permanently returning stateside to take a different ministry position. While we are happy for her to fill this new role, we are fervently praying for the provision of a new teacher to help educate and pour into the lives of our precious children. If you are interested or know of someone who might be a great fit for this role, please let us know or contact Amanda on the photo below. Additionally, please continue to pray for wisdom for staffing and our potential partnership with the PAACS.
Ministry: Please continue to pray with us for a couple of surrounding villages where the ground has been hard and there are still no church or Bible studies. Also pray with us for our Muslims friends who are currently in Ramadan. This is a time during which they are seeking God, and we pray for increased sensitivity to the hope found in the Good News.
