ON CALL

(Dave & Becki Thompson are medical missionaries serving with the Christian & Missionary Alliance in Gabon, central Africa at the Bongolo Hospital.  They are currently on furlough in the US until July, 2005)

 February 19, 2005

 Dear Friends,

 Well, in case you were wondering how old we’re getting, here’s a picture of us to confirm your suspicions.  We’re using this photograph for our new ‘prayer card’ that we will be sending out soon.  God continues to grant us good health and a growing excitement about returning to Bongolo Hospital this coming July.  Thank you for praying for us this past month and for supporting us through the Great Commission Fund and through gifts for the hospital and our work.

STRATEGIC FIELD REVIEW?

            Earlier this month our missionary colleagues in Gabon undertook a week-long, in depth study of the C&MA’s missionary effort in Gabon, encompassing the past, the present and future.  The study was carried out by our field leadership team, our Regional Director for Africa (Chris Braun), the Field Director for the neighboring Republic of Congo (Ron Julian), and David Kennedy, from the C&MA’s International Ministries office.  The study group consulted with all the members of the Gabon missionary team and with the Gabonese Alliance Church leadership.  It was called a “strategic field review,” and the results were very encouraging to us. 

Although the final report is not out, we can tell you that the review group recommended that our missionary medical team continue its ministry at Bongolo Hospital for another 10-15 years.  The hospital’s ministries of proclaiming Christ to the sick, planting churches, fighting AIDS, and training and discipling nurses and surgeons for Africa were considered strategic.  We will still need to aggressively recruit and train Christian Gabonese doctors for our staff, and as they are able, to turn over to them our responsibilities. 

The hospital will also serve as a training ground for new C&MA medical missionaries sent to work in Africa.  The official report will doubtless provide many additional details, clarifications and recommendations. 

NEWS FROM BONGOLO HOSPITAL

            Dr. Karen Stel, a family practice doctor and ‘missionary intern’ serving with the Canadian C&MA joined our Bongolo team in late January.  Dr. Stel will be helping us out until September of this year.  Pray that God will provide the hospital with a doctor to take her place after September, 2005.

            Carolyn Thorson recently reported from Bongolo that Christine Ilobo, the bookkeeping trainee that Carolyn and Becki have worked with for the past four years, is finally making good progress in doing the hospital bookkeeping on computer.   This is a major answer to prayer!

            One of the problems we were experiencing when we left Bongolo last July was low voltage for our electricity. During peak usage, our voltage was around 190 volts, instead of 220. This was hard on all our electrical equipment, and our ultrasound and X-ray machines often malfunctioned and even  burned out. Experts told us that we would need to move the large transformer belonging to the electrical company to within 300 feet of the hospital, instead of 2000 feet. This transformer steps the current down from 30,000 volts to 220 volts.

            Several months ago our Administrator asked the electrical company how much it would cost to move the transformer closer.  Since it would involve bringing high tension power lines 1700 feet closer to the hospital, the estimate came to around $170,000.  Our Administrator told the electrical company that we did not have the money and asked all of us to pray.

            Several months later, the director of the electrical company visited Bongolo.  He was amazed at everything he saw and before he left, announced that his company would move the transformer closer at no expense to the hospital!  We praise God that the project is now near completion.

VISA & MEDICAL LICENSE PROBLEMS

            Please pray that God will touch the hearts of immigration and health officials in Gabon who are demanding that all our missionary doctors and surgery residents pay a very large sum of money each year for medical licenses.  This is apparently a new requirement for foreign physicians before they can obtain a two-year visa.  Dr. Walker, our pediatrician, and Dr. Stel are currently without long-term visas and are awaiting an appeal by the hospital.  Becki and I will need to go through the same process when we return to Gabon in July, as will Dr. Jean Faya Yaradouno, from the C&MA church in Guinea.  He will arrive in Gabon on February 22 to begin four years of training in surgery at the Bongolo Hospital.  Dr. Yaradouno has received a four year support scholarship from a Presbyterian church in Palm Springs, Ca. (thank you for praying for that request!).

A CONTAINER FOR THE HOSPITAL

            A group of churches from upstate New York where Becki and I toured last Fall are packing up a forty-foot container of medical supplies and equipment for Bongolo Hospital.  The effort is being directed by David & Anna Shipe, who have filled and shipped other containers for relief and medical projects in the past.   This is a direct response to your and our prayers asking God to provide to ship donated items to Bongolo. 

The participating Alliance churches and volunteers are paying all of the costs of filling and shipping this container!  It is filling up fast with wheelchairs, crutches, oxygen concentrators, gurneys, hospital beds, mattresses, a portable X-ray machine, two anesthesia machines, and an assortment of medicines and other donated supplies.  The plan is to ship it from Syracuse before the end of March.  Please pray that God will provide the churches with the $6,000+ needed to fill the container, ship it and pay the insurance costs. If you would like to help, you can contact David Shipe at shipedl@yahoo.com. 

MISSIONS TOUR IN CALIFORNIA

            Our speaking tour to missionary conferences in Washington State and California continues.  We have had wonderful opportunities to minister and have been encouraged and blessed at the Ellensburg and Langley C&MA Churches in Washington, and at the San Francisco Chinese Alliance Churches. 

This week we are at the Brentwood C&MA church, about 45 minutes east of the San Francisco Bay area.  Thank you for praying for us.   Other than suffering from Acute Grandchild Deprivation Syndrome, we are healthy and in good spirits!

Here’s what our schedule looks like for the next couple of months:

Spring Tour

Feb 21-27: Long Beach Alliance Church

Feb 28-March 6: The Neighborhood

Church & Trinity Alliance Church in Redding, Ca.

March 7-13: Paradise Alliance Church

March 12 (Sat. evening): Neighborhood

            Church, Chico, Ca.

March 15 (Becki, Tuesday AM): Womens’ Ministries meeting, Neighborhood Church of Chico

Other Speaking Engagements

April 3, 2005: Neighborhood Church           Castro Valley

April 9-10 (Dave): Coral Ridge             Presbyterian Church, Florida

April 15-17 (Dave): Fairhaven C&MA            Church, Ohio

April 24, 2005: Butte Bible Church,             Chico, Ca.

April 25-27 (Dave): Rocky Mountain            District Conference

PRAYER REQUESTS

1.  That God would call two Gabonese Christian doctors to work at the Bongolo Hospital.

2.  That we would finish our furlough well and would be Spirit-anointed for the rest of our speaking engagements. We are booked up through mid-June, and need to leave the rest of our time to say goodbye to our families and pack up.

3.  That God would change the hearts of officials in Gabon about paying expensive, annual medical license fees for our doctors and would quickly grant visas for Drs. Walker, Stel, and Yaradouno;

4.  That God would provide funds for the hospital’s construction projects.  They include:

- finishing two wards for eye patients

- an AIDS outpatient clinic and pharmacy

- a large room addition for making IV solutions

- gifts to our Endowment Fund to pay African doctors’ salaries

- insurance for our airplane so that it can begin regular service for the hospital between Libreville and Bongolo

Friend, we count you as God’s gift to us and to our ministry.  Thank you for your prayers, for your support and love for us.  Your love for God is always an encouragement and blessing to us.

Until Jesus Comes,

Dave & Becki Thompson