Introducing our baby!
June 24, 2024
God has been so good to us this season. After some hiccups while traveling, we reached the US at the end of March. It’s been so nice being reunited with our family here. We also were able to move into the same exact apartment that we were living in before moving to Rwanda, which felt like a gift. Transitions are always a lot of work, but we’re thankful for how smoothly things have gone and for God being with us through it.
What we’re thankful for:
The safe delivery of baby Luka on June 12th. Baby and I are home and healthy, recovering well. Noella and Matayo are in love with him, as are we.
We had the chance to attend the Central Africa Healthcare Organization (CAHO) Annual Conference in April and the Keystone Annual Conference in June. It’s been encouraging to reconnect with partners in person and to see how God is at work locally and around the world.
The new Emergency Department at the hospital has opened since we left. Construction on the entrance to provide safe and efficient access was also completed.
Two Obstetricians from Ethiopia have begun working at Kibogora Hospital, caring for patients and providing staff training. They were sent by the Rwanda Society for Obstetricians and are under a two-year contract. Our primary reason for returning to the US was to give our baby a greater chance of having a safe birth. Prior to the arrival of these two physicians, Kibogora did not have an OB specialist. We’re excited for the potential improvement to women’s health in rural Rwanda that their expertise provides.
What we’re praying for:
The clinical officer at the hospital resigned to obtain specialty OB training. While this will have benefits in the future, it leaves a hole in hospital leadership that has yet to be filled. We are praying for God to provide a candidate who can fulfill the duties of the role with the same level of passion and proficiency as the previous.
We still hope to return to Rwanda by the end of September. We have felt reaffirmed in this call since leaving by hearing from multiple staff members that our absence is felt there at the hospital. Now that Luka has arrived, we are starting to shift our focus to September. Of course there will be logistics to figure out, but we also have more support to raise. All of our family living expenses while in Rwanda are covered by donations. If you’d like to give one time or make a monthly commitment, follow this link: https://fmwm.org/africa/nzungize/
Thank you all for the support and prayers that you have sustained our family with already. We love this work, and we couldn’t be part of it without you!
