Dear Family and Partners,
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 Jenny Land, 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!
In Him,
Bert and Debbie Oubre
Lamentations 3:22-24
