Goodbye for now
March 19, 2024
We are soaking in all the beautiful views here as we prepare to leave for the US later this week. We will travel from Kibogora to Kigali on Saturday before flying out on Sunday.
What we are praying for:
As we prepare to leave we have both been working hard to hand off our various responsibilities. We are praying for the different projects we started and committees we are involved in to continue to grow and function well in our absence. We are praying specifically for the functionality of the minor procedure room while Emmanuel is gone and for the work of the Education & Research Committee that I help to lead to continue with consistency.
What we are thankful for:
We were able to work with the Alabama Team, Kibogora Hospital, and Kibogora Polytechnic to organize a second mobile clinic last month. We also involved the local health center and community health workers. This allowed further screenings to be offered. The services provided included heights and weights to screen for malnutrition, testing for hepatitis B and C, blood pressure checks, and blood glucose checks. Patients with abnormal screenings were referred to the local health center for proper treatment. We also organized a soccer match to take place during the mobile clinic to engage the community more, and we ended up screening nearly 200 people. It was such a fun afternoon combining health, sports, and community. We’re thankful to everyone that we partnered with to make it all possible.
The new Emergency Department (ED) project is fully funded! In our last newsletter, we mentioned that the previous Emergency and Maternity building would need to be demolished and the ground would then need to be redeveloped and paved to provide safe and efficient access to the new ED, which is under construction. Thanks to hospital donors and support from partners including the Central Africa Healthcare Organization (CAHO), Kibogora Initiative, Free Methodist World Missions, and the Alabama Team the project will be completed without any delay. It’s been amazing to see God bring all the funds together so quickly. We are praying construction goes smoothly and that this new space will further improve patient care at the hospital.
A new pediatric play space was created in the pediatric building. An organization called Project Life invested in this project and came to visit the hospital to reimagine the play room in the pediatric building. It turned out beautifully! The organization has also agreed to pay the salary and to provide the training for a staff member to fulfill the new role of Child Activity Coordinator. Emmanuel and I assisted with the selection process, along with the nurse manager of the pediatric department. We are praying that the candidate selected will do well in this new position. We are so thankful to Project Life and to God for providing a way that we can better serve and care for pediatric patients at the hospital.
Family Updates:
Emmanuel has begun applying and interviewing for nursing jobs back in the US. He plans to work full-time while we are back. Please be in prayer that he secures a job soon that works well for him and our family as a whole. I also plan to look for a per diem nursing job once we get settled in a little. We don’t plan to draw from our missionary account for the majority of our time in the US. If you would like to continue or begin financial support of our family though, that is still needed. All funds sent while we are in the US will contribute toward us being able to return to Rwanda later this year. Thank you for your support!
Noella and Matayo are getting excited to fly and to be back with family in the US. We also know they will miss their friends, family, and community here too though. Please continue in prayer for them as we transition to our other home and life in America.
Pregnancy has been going well, and baby is healthy. I will be 28 weeks while we are traveling. Please pray for comfort on the long trip for me, and for the pregnancy to continue to be normal and uneventful.
It is bittersweet to be leaving. We have been saying so many goodbyes this week, which has been hard, but we are also looking forward to seeing many of you once we are back in the US. We will continue to send updates on the hospital and our family while we are in the States. Thank you as always for your prayers and your support!
