Bongolo Hospital

Meet Fidele (plus Feb 26th update)!

Carolyn_editor — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:29:23 +0000

As told by Dr. Renee Valach and Pilot Steve Straw:

Dr. Valach wrote that Fidele had been one of the workers who cut the grass on the (Bongolo) mission station until a heart problem stopped him from working. February 21st Dr Valach will accompany Fidele to a hospital in Kenya, where he will undergo surgery to fix his heart valve. He has small children, and his heart problem is serious so this is a wonderful opportunity for him.

Recently, Fidele flew to Libreville with Air Calvary for part of his passport application. This was his first trip in a plane and Pilot Steve Straw explained the important safety issues like the seat belts. There were a few local men standing near the plane, and while Steve spoke they clarified each thing. Steve wrote that the flight went really well. If Fidele was nervous, he could not tell. Fidele would occasionally point out the window and ask Steve to please identify the villages that they were flying over. He also made many comments about the river that was below their flight path for much of the journey- the Ngoungie. He said it was very big! During the leg of the flight that passes over the city of Lamberene, Steve identified the city and told him to look below. Fidele said, “Yes- I see it. Here- let me open my window so that you can see also.” Steve assured him that he was familiar with the town and didn’t need to see it today. Upon landing Fidele thanked God repeatedly and said “Dieu est Grand” (God is Great).

Dr. Renee Valach is now attending a medical conference in Kenya which will end just before Fidele flies from Libreville to Nairobi, Kenya. She plans to meet Fidele at the Nairobi airport on February 21st and be there while he has heart surgery. Pray for Fidele as he travels alone to Kenya, that the flight would go smoothly. Pray for the surgeon as he operates on Fidele’s heart valve. Pray that the operation will be successful.

If you would like to GIVE to “Bongolo Heart Send Project” so that others get the same opportunity for open heart surgery as Fidele click HERE.

To get updates about the new Bongolo Medical Aviation program with Air Calvary follow Pilot Steve’s blog “Arrivals and Departures” by clicking HERE.

Update on Fidele!

February 26

Dr. Renee Valach wrote concerning meeting Fidele at the airport in Nairobi and then going with him to Tenwek Hospital in Kenya. It worked out perfectly that she was able to meet up with and translate for Fidele at the Visa/Immigration desk, since he did not speak Swahili or English. The next day was the day for the surgery. Fidele was already anesthetized for surgery but before starting, another test was performed for his heart. Everyone were very surprised to find the problem with his valve was no longer severe, but is now mild to moderate! Fidele had been seen by one cardiologist over the course of many years and at least two other visiting cardiology specialists at Bongolo, all of whom had all agreed that his heart valve condition was severe. Since the problem was now no longer severe, the surgery was not done! While Fidele was not completely healed, God said, “Not now” for his operation in a very dramatic way!

Both Dr. Valach and Fidele returned to Gabon. Fidele plans to start working again as a Bongolo station yardworker.

Let us join Fidele in Praise the Lord for HIS touch!

“I need to read my Bible.”

Carolyn_editor — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:25:16 +0000

By Dr. Wendy Hofman, Ophthalmologist.

We missionaries have been praying for the arrival of our airplane for Air Calvary for many months….but I think that we weren’t the only ones who have been praying.

A couple of weeks ago, I sat down to do a “routine” cataract surgery here at Bongolo Hospital, for a patient named Samuel. The nurses and I were just getting ready to pray for the patient before starting, as we usually do, when Samuel started talking away in Nzebi, a local Gabonese language. My nurses explained that Samuel was asking to pray for his own cataract surgery. I had never had a patient do this before, but the sterile drapes covering his face and the eyelid holder in place over his eye didn’t hinder him one bit as he prayed fervently for his own operation.

Within the first week, the operated eye, which had been blind, achieved 20/20 vision. But Samuel was still concerned. “I need to read my Bible, so I can share the gospel,” he explained to me insistently with his toothy grin. He said this over and over, just to make sure that he had succeeded at crossing the language barrier. It turns out that Samuel is a “retired” Gabonese evangelist, whose heart is still passionate for his work despite being in his 70’s.

I realized that in order to give him the best vision, Samuel needed a laser procedure done for his other eye. I had been explaining to other patients for months that they would have to come back later, once “the laser had arrived.” Then the laser had been waiting in the capital city of Libreville for an additional month, because the 10-hour drive to Bongolo down often rugged dirt roads would have been too jarring for the delicate equipment. We needed the airplane. But that day had arrived! The Air Calvary plane had gently landed its very first flight just two days before, bringing the laser with it. I smiled at Samuel.

As I escorted him to the laser, I thought about God’s faithfulness in answering Samuel’s prayers. He is “the LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands…” (Ex 34:6-7a).

Air Calvary Cessna 207 Arrives!

Carolyn_editor — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:26:20 +0000

Today the Air Calvary Cessna 207 plane arrived at Lebamba, the town where the Bongolo Hospital is located. It came into the country last week but it took several days to get all the paperwork completed before it could be flown down to Lebamba and the Hospital. Many went to the airport to welcome pilot Steve Straw and his family after their two hour flight from Libreville.

Bongolo Missionaries- December 2009!

Carolyn_editor — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:43:47 +0000

December 13th the Bongolo Hospital Missionaries got together for Christmas cookies and a photo shoot. It was the only day that everyone was present at the same time so the photo could be taken!

Airplane Commissioning!

Carolyn_editor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:58:01 +0000

From Pilot Steve Straw we learned that there were “About 200 supporters gathered at CXY Aviation in New Cumberland, PA on Saturday, October 24th to celebrate a milestone. Soon, the aircraft refurbishment phase will be giving way to the start of (the Air Ambulance) operations in Gabon! The event was a great time to see so many friends, give thanks to our great God, and then, to lay hands on our “fill-in” airplane and ask for the Lord’s continued direction on this remarkable journey we’re on.”

CLICK HERE to read Steve’s Blog about the event

CLICK HERE to see 35 captioned photos of the event