Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings from SC!
Missionary life isn’t always the easiest as one gets settled in a place just to have to leave in a few months again. Last-minute visits with family and friends begin as we wind down our time in SC and are getting ready to return to Chad on July 16th.
As we get ready to leave, the last-minute emails start arriving from the field asking if there is still room for needed supplies for the work.
Next, frantic shopping starts: buying the various supplies and trying to remember what we thought we would want to bring back when returning (as we get older it is harder to remember 😊). Amazon becomes our best friend!
We have been sorting through the various medical supplies that we received, then packing, unpacking, repacking, trying to fill every nook and cranny but still making sure that no suitcase is over 50 pounds!
The last days can be very tiring but what keeps us going is knowing that we are returning to the work that God has called us to.
We look forward to seeing our team, both national and missionary, and the country and people that we have come to love.
The last few months in Chad have not been easy for the staff on the ground.
On April 11, rebels entered Chad from Libya in a coup attempt.
The president of Chad, Idriss Déby, passed away on April 20th after sustaining injuries on the war front. His son, General Mohamat Idriss Déby, was named interim president with a transitional council of military officers.
Because of the insecurity in the country due to the rebel’s advance on N’Djamena and then the death of Déby, most of our missionaries had to be evacuated to their home countries.
Kalbassou, our Cameroonian nurse/surgeon and General Director of the hospital, Maïmouna, his wife, and their children, and Paul and Celine Boni, French nurses serving with SIM France/Belgium, and their two children remained at G2 as their government did not require them to evacuate.
There is still some tension in the country, but missionaries are returning to Chad at this time.
Claudia Wahl, German OB/GYN serving with CFI, returned about three weeks ago.
Claire Bedford, British pharmacist, and Brian and Jackie Chilvers, British nurses, returned July 4th.
It is amazing to see how God has protected the hospital and staff during this turbulent time and we can praise Him for how He continues to bless the medical ministry!
We have been asked many times about COVID in Chad. There were almost 5,000 cases and 174 deaths according to the Chadian government, but we are not sure how accurate these numbers are because of the lack of testability and reporting outside the capital.
Our hospital has to refer all cases of possible COVID to the government hospital. The Sinopharm and Pfizer vaccines are now available in Chad.
We have met many people who have asked us for information about Chad so we thought we would share these facts about Chad with you. The source is Wikipedia.
- Landlocked and located in what is known as the “dead heart of Africa”. This name is given due to its distance from the sea and its largely desert climate.
- Is eight times smaller than the USA, the 5th largest country in Africa with a population of about 17,000,000.
- Colonized by the French and became independent in 1960.
- Ranked 187 out of 189 on the UN’s human development list.
- Capital: N’Djamena. G2 is about 20 minutes north of N’Djamena.
- The country is separated into 3 regions: in the north desert (Sahara Desert), in the middle Sahel (where G2 is located) and Savannah in the south
- Official languages are French and Arabic but has over 100 different languages and 200 ethnic groups.
- Life expectancy- 54 years. Under-five years old mortality rate- 113.8/1000 live births as compared to 6.98/1000 live births in the USA. (Source UNICEF).
- Literacy rate is only 33 percent which is one of the lowest literacy rates in Sub-Sahara Africa.
- Currency is the Central African Franc (CFA). $1= 575 CFA.
- There are only 345 physicians in country with very few specialists, for example no oncologist in country.
- Chad has religious freedom: 51.8% Islam, 44.1% Christian and 7.7% includes animism and 7.7% other.
- Crude oil is the country’s primary source of export since 2003 but most of the population does not benefit from the oil export. Much of the population live below the poverty line.
PRAISES:
- For the safe travels and quality time with family and friends during our time in the States.
- Interest in our early detection and treatment of breast cancer ministry.
- God continuing to bless the team on the ground and protect them through difficult times.
PRAYER POINTS:
- A SURGEON is urgently needed!
- No problems at customs with the supplies we are returning with.
- Our health and safety as we return to Chad. Bert continues to do well and now has a motorized wheelchair that will help him get around the hospital.
- That the Lord will show us exactly what projects we need to concentrate on during our time in Chad.
- For wisdom and unity amongst our national and missionary teams as decisions have to be made daily.
- To realize our goal of providing the best care to our patients under difficult circumstances so they will see Christ’s compassion in our work.
Thanks again for being part of our team keeping us in your prayers and supporting us financially!
In Him,
Bert and Debbie
Ephesians 6:10-20
