Stories:

The 1st Annual Bongolo 5K Walk-Run took place on July 2, 2011. There were 24 people who participated in this event, with others cheering them on. Missionaries, Africans, American visitors, adults and children on the Bongolo Station registered for the 5K just before 10 am and the then the event started right away. All who finished the 5K were WINNERS!

Get READY, get SET, GO!

January 8th Email from Joanna Thelander:

Today was an exciting day at Bongolo!!!
The fun started at 2 pm this afternoon.  Mel and LaVon (visitors from Ft. Wayne, Indiana) started digging under the 40 foot container that was placed in front of 2 apartment buildings 3 years ago that was needed back then to store materials.  We have prayed and prayed for a truck with a crane big enough to move it and Mel and LaVon were inspired to move this themselves by sliding and pulling it.  They have planned on doing this project since their last visit and Mel’s hobby is moving houses and barns so this 40 ft. container was nothing for them!

They dug under it, jacked it up, put a long “sled” under it and then the fun began.  At around 6 pm tonight (as it was getting dark) they started the slow movements to pull this 8,000 lb. eyesore to its final resting place (down a STEEP hill).

The sun set, it was getting dark and at one point they needed more weight in the dump truck that was pulling it since the wheels kept spinning in the soft, muddy grass.  So about 10 of us jumped in the dump truck (praying for a smooth ride and that the chain would not snap or we would not get ejected from the dump truck).  I was not really excited about climbing in the back of this dump truck and helping in this way, but honestly I thought, I have prayed and prayed and lots of you have prayed too that we would find a way to move this container.  I know it takes prayer (and we had lots of people praying), but it takes faith as well and that faith sometimes requires action.  So, I thought it was time for me to get in to the action and DO something.  So I climbed in the truck (with my heart racing)- praying the whole time.  Keir was in there too, so I figured we would at least die together, but then I thought of our kids….  OK it was a risk, but it wasn’t THAT risky.

We successfully drug the container around 3 SHARP corners (sparks flying behind the container and almost taking out some steps) and down a STEEP hill and at 7:30 pm it was sitting, off the road, ready to be pulled into its final resting place on concrete footers next.

So, it was quite a day!

We praise the LORD that no one was hurt in the process.  God is good, all the time.

Thank you for your prayers.  They were answered today.

Love from the jungle,
Joanna

Triplets were born at Bongolo just after noon on October 4th. It was the first time we’ve had three LIVE triplets born since I (Carolyn) arrived in Africa in 1977. There have been a couple of cases where one or two babies did not live but all three of these BOYS did fine after some day one problems with one of the babies.

Weights: Baby A- 1kg520, Baby B- 2kg050 and Baby C- 2kg170. To change these weights into Pounds, multiply times 2.2.

The local Television station came and filmed the babies, Father, Pediatrician and the head Midwife. The father and Head Midwife are hoping that the family can get some government subsidy for their family. They have four other children.

Praise the Lord that mother, Ely, Ben and Tom did fine. Mom and babies went home just after one month of ages. The boys’ father was at the hospital the whole time Mom was and he was fully engaged with helping with baby care. The couple know the Lord and are from an Alliance Church in another city. They came to Bongolo Hospital after finding out they were to have triplets. Thanks to all who knew about the Triplets and prayed for their birth and progress. Check out the photo of  the three boys shortly before they went home.

Word has been received by Bongolo Hospital that supporters have purchased a Firetruck for the Bongolo Hospital. Visitors had been at the hospital last year when a fire broke out in the main Hospital Warehouse. They returned to the States and purchased a used Firetruck online from E-Bay!

The Firetruck is a  1975 CF600 Mack Pumper Fire Truck.  May 23rd the Firetruck bound for Bongolo was presented to the Pittsford Community Church, Pittsford, New York. A 3 minute talk complete with 26 photos  was given and there was a Gabonese artifact-adorned display table and photo board.

Lots of kids were able to climb in, on and around the fire truck (as long as a parent was present). Lots of adults were able to stare in amazement that a 1975 MACK pumper was purchased on eBay and is en-route to Bongolo Hospital in the rain forest of Gabon Africa.

The truck has been prepared and inspected for use at Bongolo Hospital but has not yet been shipped. The Pittsford Community Church is raising money for the shipment of the truck. On “Presentation Day” in May funds were collected for the Firetruck’s  shipment to Gabon but the total amount has not yet been raised. Click  HERE to see  more details on the Firetruck Bound for Bongolo” project. Your tax deductible check may be made out to Pittsford Community Church with “Bongolo Fire Truck” in the note. Pittsford Community Church is located at 421 Marsh Road, Pittsford, NY 14534

Dr. Elisee Baruwa was featured in Eric and Wendy Hofman’s blog on June 26th. Read the following as told by Dr. Wendy Hofman, Ophthalmologist:

Thursday June 24th started as just about any normal day at the Bongolo Eye Clinic would start. After the morning devotional together with the hospital staff, the eye clinic staff arrived at 8am. We’re currently up to a staff of 7 people besides myself:

- Dr. Elisee Baruwa, from the Congo DRC, ophthalmology resident
- Jean Paul, senior nurse
- Edouard, nurse
- Marius, nurse
- Matthieu, nurse
- Oscar, nurses’ aide
- Marie Louise, janitor

We all filed through the doors into the clinic and began the day’s work. We saw postop patients from the previous day’s surgeries, then while consultations were taking place in the clinic, we began our surgeries in the attached OR. After I’d finished the fourth cataract surgery, it was time for Dr. Elisee to come in from the clinic to begin his cataract cases. Here are some of the instruments we use for this surgery:

Elisee’s patient was escorted to the operating table and the anesthesia given. Before the operation, the patient saw only the difference between light and dark in the eye scheduled to be operated on – he couldn’t discern any movement or form with it at all.

Elisee took his place at the head of the bed, began with a prayer, and started the surgery with me watching from the side observer scope of our microscope. Each step went well – the opening of the conjunctiva, the construction of the precisely formed tunnel incision, the paracentesis, filling the eye with viscoelastic, opening the capsule around the lens…lately Elisee has been ending there, but this time he was ready for the next step and he continued…lifting and extracting the opaque white lens (cataract), cleaning the remnants of the cataract, and finally inserting the new clear artificial lens. When he was done, the whole operating team let out a spontaneous cheer – this was Elisee’s first entire MSICS cataract extraction!

Here’s a picture of Elisee, grinning after the surgery, and putting his name down as chief surgeon on the operatory note for this case:

At the end of the afternoon, Jean Paul went to a local store and bought soft drinks for us all to share, and we had a party right there in the clinic, to celebrate a momentous occasion:

(Marius was taking the photo, so is missing from this picture.)

The next day, in the morning, we took the patches off of the patients who had been operated on. Then the visual acuities were measured – Elisee’s patient saw 20/40 already! Here he is examining his patient:

The patient was really happy, and shook Elisee’s hand with joy as we took their pictures:

In some way, I almost feel like this patient is some kind of grandchild of mine, because my student restored his sight.

The patient’s only question was when can we operate on his other eye . Praise God for His continued sustenance and direction as we continue our work here at Bongolo.