Greetings from sunny North Carolina! Last week at this time, it was not sunny at all. As many of you have seen on social media, Hurricane Helene created havoc in Hendersonville, Asheville and much of the northwestern part of our state as well as in several other southern states. We are so grateful that both our home and Philippe and Brenna’s home were spared. After seeing the devastation firsthand and not knowing when the water or electricity would be turned back on, Philippe, a firefighter, suggested that it would be safer that we go and stay with friends in South Carolina. Kenyon and Cathy Wells graciously opened their home to Bert, Brenna, Oliver, and me. We were able to return home five days later as the water and electricity were back on.
It was good to be able to go back to Chad for two weeks from the 16th of August to the 1st of September. It was so encouraging to see the work continue even with the challenges of rainy season. One of the things that encouraged me the most were the many positive comments from patients, family members and government officials appreciating and thanking us for the work that the hospital has provided to the people of Chad!
After one of the hottest hot seasons in Chad this year, rainy season hit Chad with a vengeance! To add to the problem a dam upriver in Central African Republic failed, emptying its contents into the already swollen Chari River. There has been much flooding in the area, crops damaged, houses crumbling, and many people displaced. The roads to the hospital have sometimes almost become impassable preventing patients and staff from being able to reach the hospital! Pray for our staff as at least two families’ houses have fallen, and others are dealing with leaky roofs and unstable foundations.
Levi and his grandmother
Many times, patients arrive for treatment at the hospital after having gone from one hospital to the next looking for treatment. Levi, a 4-year-old boy born with club feet, was brought to the hospital by his grandmother. Although Levi could only crawl along the ground to get around, he still had a beautiful smile. Levi’s mother had abandoned him at birth, so his grandmother was his caregiver. His grandmother had gone to various hospitals trying to get help for him. After hearing that orthopedic surgery was done at G2, she decided to try one more place to see if she could find help for her grandson! Kalbassou saw Levi and thought this was a case that needed to be referred to a larger hospital that had access to more specialists.
X-ray of Levi’s legs and feet! Feet are totally twisted in!
As there are no hospital in Chad with these specialists, Kalbassou made a few phone calls to Cameroon. He was informed that an orthopedic team from Italy would be going to a hospital close to Meskine Baptist Hospital, Cameroon, to perform surgeries on handicapped children for a nominal price. The grandmother was so grateful that they were willing to operate on Levi! What an answer to prayer! Levi and his grandmother will be traveling to Cameroon for his surgery in the coming weeks. Funding was donated to cover the cost of the trip and operation.
We continue to covet your prayers for the work in Chad with its many challenges! Thanks for your continued partnership through encouragement, prayers, and support! Many hands make work light!
When I think of summer the words that come to mind are: new beginnings, growth, pruning, and lots of work! I love working my garden and flower beds, pulling weeds, and just being outside!
It is so amazing to see how we sometimes think that a favorite plant did not survive the winter, but suddenly a small green shoot can be seen coming out of the ground. Sometimes, despite our hard work it seems that weeds grow the best.
I have found that it is so easy to pull out the delicate plant by accident as I am trying to pull out a weed whose roots, especially thistles, are tenacious! The weeds roots seem to be never ending and appear to go from one side of the flower bed to the other!
This image makes me think of Christian life! Recently I have been meditating on the fruits of the Spirit (Galatian 5:22-23). Growth, in our spiritual life, can be difficult as we don’t always want to be stretched! Instead of showing those fruits in our lives we seem to allow the weeds to show forth! Pray with us as we continue to grow in the Lord and the work that He has for us!
We have been so blessed over the many years by the people that have come into our lives unexpectantly and helped meet a need that we are having.
For example, my parents are part of a senior center where the women would get together and make various projects for the local community.
When my mother told them about our hospital in Chad, one of the women, Lois, started knitting and getting others to make these beautiful little newborn sets to use in our maternity department at Guinebor 2 Hospital.
Lois and her friends knitted so many of them that we were also able to send some to Meskine Hospital in Cameroon. Even though my mother has passed away, Lois and other women are continuing to knit matching little sacs and hats for the babies of Chad.
I will be returning to Chad with a suitcase full of these buntings. Another example are the non-profit organizations, Faith in Action Initiatives (FIAI) and SOS. They have been a big help to our ministry in the last two years.
Their goal is to recover and redistribute the surplus medical supplies. Faith in Action Initiatives, bswhealth.com, is part of the largest-not-for-profit health care system in Texas.
It receives supplies from Baylor Scott & White Health and donates them to other needy organizations in the USA and overseas, and disaster relief.
Stephanie Piotrski introduced us to SOS, soshealthandhope.org, located in Louisville, Kentucky.
SOS supplied Stephanie with four large duffel bags full of medical supplies when she visited Chad in January.
I will be returning to Chad with supplies provided by FIAI and SOS in August. The staff at SOS and FAIA have always been so welcoming, helpful, and willing to serve us in any way they can.
The last example I’d like to share began in February 2023, when one of our missionaries was contacted by a Swiss audiologist, Ben von Gunten, founder of Ecoute-moi (French for Listen to Me), goal is to reach people with hearing problems.
Many countries in Africa do not have access to the instruments needed for proper hearing evaluations, plus hearing aids are expensive.
In addition, opportunities for audiology training in French are also not very accessible.
Ben and his family had worked in Cameroon for 10 years but had to leave because of insecurity and civil war in the Bamenda area.
Ben started working in Chad in 2019 partnering with the School of the Deaf in N’Djamena. But he felt that there was still a piece missing to his work and was looking for a hospital to partner with.
After discussion and prayer, it was decided that Guinebor 2 Hospital would partner with Ecoute-moi to open an audiology department testing newborn hearing to begin with. This department has been opened since January 2024.
One of our staff members, Moussa Alina, started on-line courses for audiology working with Alice, a Chadian Ecoute-moi staff, that had been trained in audiology.
Ecoute-moi has provided all the technology need for audiology testing and the continuing education, on-line and in person, to Moussa. Once again, God used these surprise contacts to bring a needed service to the Chadians! www.ecoute-moi.ch.
We want to continue to thank each of you for being part of our team, encouraging and praying for us, and supporting us financially!
Please contact us if you would like more information about the work in Chad. We would love to personally chat with you and tell you more about what the Lord is doing!
“I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.” Psalms 57: 9-11
Psalms 57 was the subject of Sunday’s sermon. Our pastor encouraged us to embrace God’s big purpose for our lives, enjoy living our purpose, and depend on God in our walk with Him. This really spoke to us and encouraged us to look back on how and why we continue to go to Chad. Not everyone knows or remembers the story of how our work in Chad started, so we thought it would be timely to review how God lead us there.
In 1987, while working at Mbingo Baptist Hospital in the Northwest Province of Cameroon, one of Bert’s leprosy patients was instrumental in God’s direction for our future. The Fulani, an unreached people group, could easily be found in the surrounding area of Mbingo Hospital. A Fulani man, whom we will call Musa, had been at the hospital, for over 6 months on bedrest, without much improvement of his chronic ulcer on the sole of his foot due to leprosy. Musa had traveled three days to Mbingo from the Extreme North Province to receive care. Bert performed a specialized surgery on his foot which finally healed. A friendship developed during which Bert prayed and shared the gospel and Musa who accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Hearing about the lack of medical care in the Extreme North Province and learning that there was a large concentration of Fulani pushed us to investigate the possibility of working further north. After prayer and counsel from our pastor and friends, we felt that God was opening doors for us to move to in the Extreme North Province of Cameroon. The goal was to open a new medical work, amongst the Fulani, sharing the love of Jesus Christ with them.
After one year of French studies for Bert and a year of Bible school for both of us in Switzerland, we arrived in Meskine, Cameroon, in January 1992. Bert hit the ground running. The government provided a 5 acres parcel of land in Meskine, a predominantly Fulani village, about 20 minutes from Maroua, the provincial capital of the Extreme North Province.
As we were forming friendships with the local Fulani chief and villagers, a two men team started planting trees on the barren land. After all the proper documents were secured, construction started, and we began the hiring process for our hospital staff.
Two other American families joined us eight months after our arrival. Hôpital de Meskine opened its doors in 1994. As the hospital’s reputation grew over the years, we started seeing a large influx of Chadians, traveling five to six hours over insecure roads, seeking medical care. Once again, Bert was on a fact- finding mission, having conversations with missionaries (locally and those serving in Chad) and Chadians seeking care in Meskine, about the medical care and unreached people groups in Chad. The more he talked to people, the more he felt God tugging at his heart to start another medical project in Chad to continue to reach unreached people groups. In 2002, we returned to Meskine to say goodbye to the many friends and staff.
In December 2002, Bert, along with our friend, Jim Benham, went to Chad to do a survey, seeking the Lord’s guidance as to where we should start the new medical center. After traveling around Chad, consulting missionaries, national believers, and government officials, God opened the door for a new work.
The government invited us to build a hospital in the village of Guinebor 2. This was a small Muslim village, about 30 minutes northwest of N’Djamena, the capital (it really seemed like the bush back then but now it has grown so much!). The local chief was happy to welcome us and an 18 acres parcel of land was provided for the project in 2003. The same process was followed as we did in Meskine – friendships formed, paperwork started, trees planted, construction began, and staff hired. Hôpital de Guinebor 2 (G2) opened its doors in 2010. (This is a very brief snippet of how it all started. If you want to know more, contact us as we would love to share with you!)
Once the land was allocated to the work, we found out that at least six unreached people groups lived around the hospital. This was exciting as we were reminded that God always goes before us, paving the way and placing us exactly where He wants us and in this case in the middle of unreached groups so that we could be lights and salt to those there. You might ask “What is an unreached people group?” According to the Joshua Project, the definition of an unreached people group is a group with less than or equal to 5% Christian adherent and less than or equal to 2% evangelical. Most unreached groups are in the 10/40 window. This area includes North Africa (Chad is included), the middle East and Asia between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north latitude covering 68 countries. Some of the unreached people groups living around the hospital are: the Shuwa Arabs, the Daza/Goran, Zakawa, the Kanembu, the Kotoko, the Fulani and the Nomads. (The information about the tribes can be found on https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups). In this newsletter, we give you a brief summary about three of these.
SHUWA ARAB, or Baggara-this is the predominant tribe in the village of Guinebor 2. These Arabs are originally from Sudan. Their wealth is in their animals. Although they are respected by the Chad government because of their wealth in animals, they have never played a large role in Chad’s political arena. Their pastoral lifestyle has also saved them from being forced by the government to change culturally—an action that has disrupted the lives of the more settled peoples. The Shuwa Arabs of Chad are Sunni Muslims, but they are not particularly interested in Muslim fundamentalist ideals. The complete Bible has been translated into their language.
DAZA/GORAN-Many of Chad’s leaders have been Toubou (Gouran), including president Goukouni Oueddei and president Hissène Habré. They have the reputation of being fierce and independent Islam is part of the Daza’s cultural identity. There is great social pressure to participate in prayers and fasting, and giving alms to the poor. Some portions of the Scriptures are translated in their language.
KOTOKO/Mpade-The Kotoko cultivate millet, sorghum, maize, beans, and peanuts. In Dougia, many of the Kotoko are also fishermen as they live along the Chari River. Many of the Kotoko do not attend school or stop going at an early age therefore, they end up working menial jobs. The Kotoko claim to be Sunni Muslims. Their Islam is mixed with folk religion and animism. The Bible is starting to be translated into their language. We know of several who are seekers and now reading the Word.
There now are members from each of these tribes who believers and seekers. Some of these believers were saved at G2. Some have experienced much persecution because of their identification with Christ.
PRAISES and THANKFUL HEARTS:
We have tickets booked to return to Chad from July 14th- August 14th.
Continued unity in our senior management team (SMT).
Our team on the ground, both Chadians and expats, to continue to stand strong even through difficult times.
Solar project is completed and the hospital uses solar energy about 90 percent of the time. We are thrilled that our diesel expenses have drastically decreased!
PRAYER POINTS:
Safe travels back to Chad, endurance and health.
Personal and project financial support.
That God will reveal Himself to those around us and that their hearts will turn to the one true God.
Many refugees are fleeing from Sudan into Chad- pray for the missionaries close to that area as they are trying to be a light for Christ in the midst of the darkness.
The Chilvers, Schrubsoles and Spears families have returned to the UK leaving a big hole in our team and the work. Pray as the families readjust to life in their home country. They will be missed!
Urgent needs: obstetrician/gynecologist, anesthesiologist, surgeon, family practitioner, ultrasound technician, business administration, midwives.
We want to continue to thank each of you, again, for being part of our team, praying for us, and supporting us financially! Without you, we could not do it! God’s richest blessing to each of you!
Dear Family and Friends, Happy New Year! We are so grateful that we were able to return to Chad January 10th.
Our time in Chad was a full and encouraging time. It was a time of meetings, welcoming many government officials to show them the hospital work, training of local staff and reflection. It was encouraging to sit down with many sharing their joys and challenges over a cup of coffee or coke, praying and encouraging them!
January is always a busy time as the annual board meetings takes place around the third week of the month. Coordinating airport pickups, housing and feeding our visitors, preparing statistics and reports, sending out invitations personally or via email are just some of the tasks that take place prior to these meetings. The meetings were attended locally and via Zoom. The internet worked amazingly well this year for which we were grateful!
One could see how the hand of God has been on the hospital as there has been many infrastructure changes and its good reputation has grown. Again, our focus is not that the hospital only grows physically but has a spiritual effect on those we come in contact with in the hospital and the community. The government officials, who attended the meetings, were very engaged, asking many questions, encouraging us, and verbalizing how impressed they were with all the advances in the past two years. Yes, there is still more work to be done to improve our services but it was good to hear from others that they appreciate the quality of work done!
During the meetings with our mission partners, much discussions centered around changes in the proposed restructuring of the governance of the hospital in the year to come. This change process needs to be approached prayerfully and with open minds. New documents with the proposed changes will be submitted to the Chadian government and we pray that our proposals will be accepted!
Visit with the American ambassador and American team at G2
It was nice to welcome the American ambassador, Alexander Laskaris, and the Swiss ambassador, Nicolas Lang, as they visited Guinebor 2 (G2). Over the last 5 years, we have been working closely with the Swiss Development Cooperation on various projects and we have been blessed once again with funding for a 36 KW solar power project for which we praise the Lord! The installation of the system should be completed in the first three weeks of March lifting a big financial burden for monthly fuel consumption.
Bert was able to go to Dougia twice to visit the leaders there. Presenting the good news of Jesus again is one of Bert’s most important reasons for the visits. We continue to pray that God will raise a team who would be willing to go and live among the Kotoko people, an unreached people group, sharing the good news of Jesus to through agriculture, sports ministry, small business development and medical work.
Almost a month into our trip, Bert started having lots of pain in his left leg and swelling up to his thigh. After consulting with our physicians and having various tests, he was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). He was then started on anticoagulants and spent five days in bed with his leg elevated. Our departure date had to be delayed but we are so grateful that Bert’s pain and swelling are gone!
PRAISES and THANKFUL HEARTS:
The great trip that we had.
Continued unity in our senior management team (SMT)
Bert’s health- no complications related to the DVT.
Our team on the ground, both Chadians and expats, continue to stand strong even through difficult times.
Our Ethiopian chaplains as they continue to visit the patients in the hospital and follow up with them in the villages around the hospital. Another Ethiopian family will be joining the chaplaincy team in April.
Dr. Anatole Nzanzu, a surgeon working with CHSC, has joined us for three months.
Funding for the new women’s ward (which should be finished in June) and solar project.
PRAYER POINTS:
Please join us as we continue to seek the Lord for His direction of our future ministry, i.e. time on the field, and in the States.
Stability of the government of Chad.
Wisdom for decisions made by the board of governance and that they will glorify the Lord.
More team members for the hospital as some have or will be returned(ing) to their home countries and others will be taking extended furloughs for further training. Some of our needs are for: obstetrician/gynecologist, anesthesiologist, surgeon, family practitioner, ultrasound technician, business administration.
Bert’s health- no falls as he is still on anticoagulants.
Would you join us in 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! God’s richest blessing to each of you!
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
Dear Family and Friends, Greetings from South Carolina once again! We returned from Chad, Africa, to the States the 4th of
February. In the short time since we have been back, we have traveled to Hendersonville, North Carolina, and Louisville, Kentucky to visit our children and their wives. It was great to spend time with them once again!
NEW DEPARTMENT AT G2:
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Chad in females. It is common in young as well as older women.
Early breast cancer detection and caring for the women and men who have this terrible disease has always been a special interest of Bert’s.
The goal of the breast cancer project is to find tumors and treat them early. In the past few years, Bert has been diagnosing breast cancer more frequently.
He has trained two staff members to perform breast exams. Gisele and Salema examine the women and teach them how to do self-breast exams. This service is being done at the hospital and also in Douguia, a village 70 miles from G2.
If a breast mass is found, while examining a patient in Douguia, they are referred back to G2 Hospital for treatment.
Our prayer is that we will be able to continue to support these women and men who have been diagnosed with breast cancer both medically and spiritually.
Yes, men do have breast cancer. Bert performed breast cancer surgery on two men the week before we left.
In the near future, we hope to add an oncological service and hospice care for these precious people.
GOD’S MIRACULOUS HEALING:
A three-year-old boy, whom we will call Abdoulaye, was admitted to the hospital with severe malnutrition and vomiting due to a huge congenital umbilical hernia.
The mass was larger than the size of a softball and had several pressure sores. Bert was called to assess this little boy who was in much pain.
On assessment, Bert found that he had an intestinal obstruction and the only intervention was surgery.
Upon opening his abdomen, Bert also found that the intestinal obstruction was due to a malrotation of the gut and liver.
To take care of this little one, Bert had to think outside to box to get the edematous intestines back into the small space without compromising his organs.
For a while it was touch and go!
Praise the Lord that after about a month, three surgeries, and having his mother constantly at his side, little Abdoulaye was able to go home.
Our prayer is that through this difficult time, that his mother, who was constantly at his side, will have seen Jesus through the compassion, care, and prayers of the staff who spent many hours caring for him.
He continues to be followed in our malnutrition clinic and is making great progress.
FUN FACTS:
1. Many people ask us if we live in mud huts and have indoor plumbing?
We live in homes built with cement bricks and have indoor plumbing. In the villages, much of the population, unless they have a job, live in mud huts with tin roofs. Their water supply is mainly provided by wells and they have outhouses.
2. Another frequent question- do you see lions or much wild life?
Where we live, most animals have been hunted and killed. Further out in the bush, one might see antelopes, elephants, monkeys and other wild animals. Zakouma National Park located in southern Chad, is a place where you are more likely to see lions, elephants, buffalos, giraffes, leopard, black rhinos, baboons and all kinds of birds.
3. Are there snakes in Chad?
Yes, there are all kinds, but I have seen and killed more snakes in South Carolina than I have in Chad.
PRAISES:
No major health problems during our time in Chad. Bert’s motorized wheelchair was a great help to him.
The new surgeon’s house and early detection breast cancer center have been completed and are in use.
New believers coming to the Lord through the ministry of our teammates.
We have a new surgeon that will be starting to work part-time in April.
PRAYER POINTS:
For the new believers to stand strong through persecution because of their faith in Christ.
Still looking for another surgeon.
Life in Chad has become more and more difficult for many people due to inflation and a poor rain fall.
We are still having problems with the hospital solar system.
Please join us in praying that the Lord will open the doors for those that He wants to join our team.
Rest during our time in the States and that the Lord will give usdiscernment for our future plans.
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!
Greetings from South Carolina! Fall is in the air, the trees are changing color, and the weather has been great. It is a crazy time for us as we have been busy making preparations for our departure on October 27th back to Chad. We have been making last-minute phone calls, packing suitcases, ordering medical supplies, having meetings, and visiting with friends and family.
Our time in the States has been quite different than other furloughs, but also a time of rest, reconnecting with family and friends by phone, and social distancing. We have been able to spend more time with Philippe, Brenna, Joel, and Jenny than we have in years! It has been a great blessing during this difficult COVID 19 time.
The highlight of our time in the States was Joël and Jenny’s beautiful wedding on October 10th in Johnson City, Tennessee. Unfortunately, Heidi, Petter and the children were unable to attend due to travel restrictions. Hurricane DeIta and COVID 19 did not damper the mood and it was such a joyous occasion to see the two take their vows before God and man. A night to remember full of joy and laughter! Please pray for them as they embark on this new journey we call marriage!
We continue to praise the Lord that the number of COVID cases in Chad have remained relatively low and that all staff members at the hospital have remained COVID free! We are looking forward to being with and working with the staff soon. Our amazing team at Guinebor 2 Hospital continues to keep busy.
Let us tell you about a case, unfortunately not unusual! “Moussa” (not his real name) is a thirteen years old boy who was brought to the hospital by his parents because he broke his right arm and left leg in a motorcycle accident.
The family, being poor, thought it would be easier and cheaper to take Moussa to a traditional healer who bound up Moussa’s arm tightly.
Unfortunately, the dressing was much too tight causing the arm to lose its blood supply, and the arm became gangrenous.
The parents, who had originally asked the traditional healer to help them, decided it was making their son worse so they brought him to Guinebor 2 Hospital. They had noted that there was a bad smell coming from the arm.
Kalbassou and the staff were able to set the child’s left leg without any problem, but were not so fortunate with his right arm because the arm had developed gangrene and a bone infection. The only solution was to amputate it above his elbow.
Because of generous gifts given to the hospital’s “Poor Fund” by friends around the world, the family was helped with their bill and were so grateful for Moussa’s care and financial help! Pray for this family that they will be touched by Christ’s love because of the care they received at the hospital!
We are so looking forward to getting back to Chad and being with our staff and missionary friends again, but it will be hard to say goodbye to family and friends.
We want to thank each of you who has helped us with prayer, financial gifts and other ways of encouragement during our prolonged stay here in the States! We had intended to be here for about 5 months post-Bert’s total knee, however, because of COVID, another unexpected major surgery, and various health-related complications, we have now been here for almost 9 months. We will be returning on October 27th.
We thank you for continuing to pray for:
1. Bert’s health,
2. Our trip back to Chad (with lots of luggage),
3. That no problems would arise with customs in Chad because of all the supplies and equipment we are transporting for the hospital, and
4. The readaptation to the October/November heat and dust as the rains have ended the beginning of October.
Prior to leaving the States, we are required to have a negative COVID test. Upon arrival in Chad, we are required to quarantine the first week, repeat our COVID test on day six with a negative COVID result before we are released to go back to work at the hospital.
Thanks for your continued prayers and financial support. Without you as “our team” we couldn’t continue our ministry for the Lord in Chad!
Although the covid 19 pandemic has, mercifully, been less severe here in Chad than in many other countries, it continues to make its presence felt, primarily through the heightened economic pressure it has placed upon an already very poor country.
Here at the hospital, the prices of many of our consumable products have continued to rise, and their availability to decline, while the capacity of our patients to pay for the goods and services we provide them has reduced.
Keeping our pharmacy well stocked is becoming more and more of a challenge and, now that the generous COVID 19 relief grants we received from BMS, CEF, SIM-France, and through individual supporters via CHSC, have all finished, we’re facing acute financial challenges.
To make matters worse, the hospital recently – and in our opinion unjustly – lost a court case which had been running against us through different levels of the legal and appeals system for almost two years. This resulted in a substantial fine and the demand to pay it within 8 days.
We managed to pay the first half to keep the bailiffs from the door (the plaintiff is well connected and had access to the power to seize assets if we refused to pay), and have negotiated some delay on paying the remainder, which God has provided for through a generous individual donation. However, even paying that first half was a big hit for the hospital which functions on very tight margins at the best of times, without the means to save for such eventualities, and in a country without viable insurance protection.
The hospital management team has been wrestling with the tri-fold challenges of rising prices for drugs and consumable supplies, reduced numbers of patients (partly seasonal during these heavy rains, partly due to COVID 19 and its socio-economic impacts), and the fact that most patients would not be able to afford it if we increased the prices we charge them.
To prevent continual stress around paying for pharmacy and lab bills, we want to establish a “revolving drugs fund” whereby all revenue from pharmacy sales and lab tests is set aside specifically to pay for laboratory reagents and pharmacy bills (these amount to more than $15,000 / €13,500 / £12,000 each month).
In order to do this, we first need a cash injection to do a major re-stock of both our lab and pharmacy – the latter most urgently, as we’re starting to run out of many drugs including those desperately needed for malaria.
We also have pressing material needs, such as replacing the 16 solar batteries in our main building (we just managed to replace the 8 in our wards in August), which are almost dead, meaning that the lights go out soon after 5pm in our 24/7 pharmacy, and the fridges in the lab and pharmacy lose power, unless we run the generator at night and burn more fuel.
We know that times are difficult for everyone right now, but if there is any way that you can help us to meet these urgent needs then that would really help us to keep treating all the patients who come here.
Our international church in N’Djamena has been studying the book of Acts recently, and we are reminded that when progress is being made for God’s kingdom it often meets with opposition.
We’ve been blessed to see much progress this year at G2, but we are now also feeling the pressure of that opposition, through the court case, the increased security risk, and our financial challenges. We need God’s grace to persevere through it so that our labors for him will be sustained and continue to bear fruit.
The Team at G2:
G2 hospital has always attracted a mixture of long and short-term mission workers, in addition to our core team of Chadian staff.
We have recently been blessed with a real answer to prayer in the form of an obstetrician/gynecologist. Dr. Claudia Wahl was already serving in Chad through the German mission agency Christliche Fachkräfte International (CFI) and will now be working with the maternity department at G2 until the end of 2021.
Maternal and infant mortality remains one of Chad’s many big health challenges and so we are very glad to welcome her skills and her contribution to the team here at G2. May God bless all her efforts!
After many months of school closures, it’s been a blessing that the two international schools re-opened in late September. As well as being good news for all the G2 mission children, this has also freed up their parents to work more at the hospital.
In particular, Bizunesh and Genet, the wives of our two Ethiopian pastors, are now ministering alongside their husbands here at the hospital, which is a real boost to sharing the Gospel here, especially for our female patients in this very gender-orientated culture.
We’ve also experienced the potential of our new football/soccer field for use in outreach ministry to local boys, although, unfortunately, the combination of the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic and recently heightened security situation has meant that developing this exciting new ministry is on hold again for now.
When working in Chad, it seems that steps forward can often be followed by steps backward, which can be discouraging, but we will keep persevering.
Lives Transformed at G2 Hospital:
After the intensely dry hot season, the rains that start in June are very welcome indeed. The air cools and the landscape rapidly transforms from a barren desert into lush green grassland.
It does not take long however before much of the area around the hospital becomes flooded. Not only does this see some roads become impassable and others much more challenging, but the cases of malaria increase relentlessly through July, August, and September.
This affects every age group, but we see all too readily that it is often the children who are more severely affected. Amina* is one such child. [*Name changed to protect her identity.]
Amina* & her mother, after successful treatment for severe malaria. [*Name changed to protect her identity.]
Amina is 10 years old and was brought into the hospital at the beginning of September, having been comatose already for 3 days.
Her malaria test was positive, and she was admitted for treatment in the pediatric ward with daily injections and IV fluids. The malaria parasite destroyed her red blood cells and caused her to become anemic. Thus, she needed blood transfusions. And as she was unable to eat, we also started feeding her through a tube into the stomach.
Each day we saw a small amount of progress until finally after 7 days of being in hospital, she opened her eyes for the first time.
All of the staff who had been caring for her were delighted to see the amazing recovery that she made. The photo above was taken another 4 days later. She was still a little weak, but able to walk, and she replied with a smile when we asked if she was ready to go home.
See & Learn more about G2 Hospital:
BMS World Mission made an excellent short video about the work here at G2 hospital. If you haven’t seen it yet, then please watch the “Operation Chad” film. Watch it here.
We are still in urgent need of a Surgeon. If you have these skills and are willing to serve, whether long or short term, then please do contact us at Guinebor2@gmail.com
Please pray for our financial situation. By the grace of God, we have kept the doors open and staff paid through the last 6 months, but bills and needs continue to mount without respite.
Pray for journey mercies for our staff coming into work and the children who live here going out to school each day. Three months of heavy rain has severely deteriorated our un-surfaced/dirt access road and made getting in and out of the hospital an endurance test for people and vehicles alike. Our ambulance was stuck in mud for two hours recently with vital oxygen bottles and vaccines in it.
Continue to pray for strength for Kalbassou, our General Director, who has also been our only surgeon for the last seven months, working almost ceaselessly.
Pray also for the safe return from the USA of our founder and surgeon, Dr. Bert Oubre, and his wife Debbie, due back in Chad later this month.
Please pray God’s protection over this hospital and this country, not only through the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, but also against the increased threat from Boko Haram, who have become much more active in closely neighbouring Nigeria and Cameroon, and are also present here in central Chad.
Keep praying for the work of our two Ethiopian pastors/chaplains and their wives, and for all those they are reaching here with the Gospel.
G2 Hospital is very grateful for all the volunteers, prayers and financial support we receive from all over the world, including from AIM, DWAM, Encompass World Partners, Humedica, CFI, CHSC, SIM-France, CEF, BMS World Mission, and individual private donors and churches. We could not keep doing what we do without your ongoing support.
May the Lord continue to bless you in all that you do!
Do not be anxious about anything, but inevery situation, by prayer and petition withthanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends allunderstanding, will guard your hearts and yourminds in Christ Jesus.
Wow! What a year this has been so far! So many things happening around the world starting with fires and floods in Australia, China, Pakistan, volcanoes erupting, locust invasions, protests, riots, and of course the Coronavirus that has closed many countries to travel, caused economic disasters, loss of lives, anger, despair, loss of hope, isolation, increase in suicides, time of reflection, new ways of meeting and greeting friends.
There are too many negative consequences due to COVID 19 that we could talk about but… we know who holds this world and who holds our hands through all these various trials!
Our time in the States did not turn out how we had planned it either.
Bert was to have a total knee surgery in February, then plans for physical therapy for 2-3 months, celebrating with my Mom’s 90th birthday June 12th (which was canceled because my mother fell and broke her hip on the 9th of June), traveling to visit our partners and family updating them about our work, getting ready to go back to Chad the end of June.
Those were our plans, but things didn’t go as planned.
Bert had his total knee on February 17th, but then on April 23rd, Bert started to feel nauseated, with abdominal distention. So being a surgeon, he started assessing his abdomen and decided that we needed to go to urgent care for a possible bowel obstruction.
He had surgery the next day for a small bowel obstruction, was hospitalized for twelve days without visitors post-op. It was a difficult time for all and the recovery has been long and hard for Bert. He is slowly gaining back his strength.
At this time, Chad’s borders are still closed to incoming planes so we are still seeking the Lord’s direction for when we will be going back.
One of our fears was that Chad would have many cases of COVID, but the Lord has protected that country and there are less than 1000 cases. But this has affected the hospital’s income (decrease by 30%) as fewer patients came to the hospital because the bus taxis were not able to travel as usual making them have to use taxis that are too expensive for most of the population.
But God intervened and the hospital received several donations to help pay the staff salaries, buy supplies and we are glad to say that no staff had to be furloughed during this time. No staff member was diagnosed with COVID for which we praise the Lord!
Even in the midst of what we consider a disaster, God has used the hospital to take care of those who need medical help.
Meet Fatime
When Fatime was 1 yr old, she picked up a hot piece of coal and burned her hand.
Unfortunately, her parents took her to a traditional healer and she did not get the care that she needed. She arrived at the hospital a few weeks before we left with her hand totally deformed with all fingers contracted down like a boxing glove—a totally useless hand.
Bert talked to her parents and it was decided that he would do surgery on her little hand to release the contractures and try to free up her fingers to make her hand more useful. They were also told that it would take more surgeries and physical therapy. Fatime did well through the first surgery.
When we left, the hand was healing well, but she needed more skin grafts. The OR team, led by Kalbassou and Tyler, continued the care for this beautiful little girl. We are told that she is coming along well and she is healing. She will still need more specialized surgery when Bert gets back. We pray that this family will see the love that was shown to them and will want to know more about the true Messiah.
Meet Jenny
Other exciting news for our family, our youngest son, Joel finished LSU Medical School (no graduation ceremony because of COVID), is doing his preliminary year of a surgical residency in Johnson City, Tennessee, and was engaged on May 31st to JennyLand, a travel nurse.
Joel and Jenny are getting married on October 10, 2020.
Thanks for your continued prayers and financial support. Without you as “our team” we couldn’t continue our ministry for the Lord in Chad!
