Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings from South Carolina once again! We have now been back to the States for seven months.
Our time has been filled with doctors’ visits, family time, a two week visit to Chad for Debbie in August, exploring, and praying about what our missionary life will look like in the future.
We are also preparing to move up to Hendersonville, NC at the end of September to live near Philippe, Brenna, and our newest grandson who made his debut at the end of September. We welcomed Oliver on 9/20/22 at 2:36 am. 6 lbs 12 oz, 21 in. Both mom and baby are doing well.
FAMILY TIME: After three and a half years of not being able to spend time as a family due to COVID, we were able to all meet in Greece for two weeks! It was wonderful to see the Klar grandchildren and their parents of course! This was such a fun time – playing, talking, seeing new sites, and making many memories!
July 21st was also a very memorable day when Hannah Oubre, our oldest granddaughter, married Dane Decker in a beautiful and God honoring ceremony! We are so happy to welcome another grandson to our family.
TRIP TO CHAD: Debbie traveled to Chad for two weeks in August, which was short but many things were accomplished. The goal of the trip was to check up on various started projects and not quite finished prior to our departure in February, encourage those on the ground, meet with local and expatriate staff, meet with the Swiss consulate to seek funds for a new solar project to power our operating room, a new women’s ward and maternity, help get guest houses ready for short-termers and a new midwife, Kristy Harrison, and her family, sort through medical supplies and our personal belongings.
This made the time in Chad move at record pace! The work continues to go well. Our French missionary family, Paul and Céline Boni and their children, Lénaëlle and Yohan, returned to France in June and will be sorely missed in the work at the hospital. A maxillo-facial surgeon and team were at G2 for a week in August, doing amazing surgeries to help reconstruct Chadian faces ravaged by tropical disease and trauma.
Bert stayed with Greg and Lily, his son and daughter-in-law, in Texas for 2 weeks and then flew to North Carolina to be with Philippe and Brenna until Debbie returned from Chad.
OUR FUTURE PLANS: Many have asked about our future plans. At this time, we will be spending more time in the States than Chad due to Bert’s health concerns. We will continue to be involved with the work at the hospital and also the satellite work in the village of Dougia. Our goals are to continue to support the work through fund raising and staff recruitment, securing supplies for the hospital, continuing to be part of the senior management team by attending meetings remotely, and visiting the field several times a year.
PRAISES:
➢ Family trip to Greece- great time of reconnection and making new memories.
➢ Safe travels to Chad and back.
➢ MBB Mousa is doing really well in Bible school in another country. He is so joyful to be able to serve the Lord!
➢ New team mates- Kristy, midwife, and Peter Harrison and their three children.
➢ New physical therapy department is now open. It is a much more conducive work place for the staff and patients who need this service.
PRAYER POINTS:
➢ Bert’s health.
➢ Peace in the country of Chad – there are national meetings going on at this time with the various political parties trying to come to a consensus of how to proceed with the elections in October.
➢ One of our faithful hospital workers, François, passed away August 30th. Praise the Lord that François was a disciple of Jesus! Pray for his family as some of the family members are not believers. (Pictured below)
➢ One of the MBB saved at the hospital continues to be persecuted by his family and has lost all his belongings recently due to flooding.
➢ For the new believers to stand strong as they are persecuted because of their faith in Christ.
➢ This year the rains have been abundant (unlike last year) but that also means lots of flooding, houses falling down and people losing loved ones and possessions. Prices of everything have gone up that poverty and suffering keep rising in Chad.
➢ The hospital’s solar system continues to break down- we need funding for a more efficient system.
➢ Continue to pray that the Lord will open the doors for those that He wants to join our team.
➢ Safe delivery for our grandson and no complications for Brenna.
➢ Would you join us and praying Psalms 83:18 over the work at G2: “Let them know that you,whose name is the Lord- that you alone are the Most-High over all the earth.”We want to continue to thank each of you again for being part of our team, keeping us in your prayers and supporting us financially!
We would love to hear your praises and prayer requests!
In Him,
Bert and Debbie Oubre- I Corinthians 15: 58
