Zambia Update #046

Three busy weeks have past since my last update and I am grateful for a national holiday today which reduced the size of our out-patient clinic and gave me a quiet afternoon and evening.   The medical side of the work has been particularly busy.  We have had both plastics and orthopaedic surgery marathons, there have been a number of very sick patients, and I have also spent a week up at Chavuma, a mission hospital about 120km away and much closer to the Angolan border than Chit.  Their Congolese doctor, a believer in assembly fellowship was called Home to glory very suddenly back in June, so that the two Japanese missionary nurses have the huge responsibility for the running of the hospital.  They have been promised a new Zambian doctor, recently qualified, who should be joining them soon, God willing, though he will be spending some time at Chitokoloki with Dr McAdam before he flies solo at Chavuma.  

Please remember Tamako and Ayumi in your prayers as they work and witness for the Lord at Chavuma that He will strengthen them and give them wisdom in all that they do. Pray too for the new doctor, that he will settle well  and  that he may come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour if he is still in his sin.  Also remember Dr Henry’s widow and family as they must make important decisions about their future, that the Lord will guide and direct them.

The busy period began with the visit of the plastics team in mid-July.  The main part of their work at Chit is cleft lip and palate repair as well as skin grafts and release of soft tissue contractures.  This keeps the theatre team busy for a couple of days or so and we all help with the provision of meals.  The Orthopaedics visit involves a larger number of patients attending the outpatient clinic and between 15 and 20 surgical cases the following day.  Chavuma and Loloma hospitals send their referrals over to us, making a large number of patients to be seen.  The orthopaedic surgeries went on late into Friday evening, but all went well for which we thank the Lord.  

That same week as the orthopaedic visit, we had a number of evening/night emergencies.  The Tuesday evening Bible study was cancelled as we were all in theatre dealing with a child with an obstructed airway (however did he inhale a stone?)  Dorothy Woodside did the journey from Mpidi to Chit in 1 hour along the sandy ‘road’– a record which must be unbeatable – as she brought him to hospital.  Then a couple of days later we were all up till the early hours with a Caesarean section.  It was freezing cold taking the theatre orderly home at 01.00h on the quad bike.  There was just one warm spot when we passed the remains of a roadside fire.  Oh how good that felt!  Over the past week the weather has warmed up considerably and we can confidently say that the cold season is over for this year.

I went up to Chavuma last Monday morning after my ward round and stayed until Friday afternoon. I greatly enjoyed Tamako’s fellowship in the home – she looked after me so very well.  I hope that I was able to be of help at the hospital.  I saw a couple of children with disability during my visit and was able to offer some advice to the families.  Also the Luvale Bible revision team were in session at Chavuma.  This group particularly involves Paul and Eunice Poidevin, together with other missionaries and a number of able Zambian brethren who are native Luvale speakers.  It is a task which demands much care and rigour – and they need our prayers, that the true meaning of the text will be clear in the translation.  We enjoyed fellowship with them over several meals.  It was also nice to meet up with Martha Logan and Beth Young again. Janette and Margie Young passed through along with two other former missionary ladies who used to be based across the Zambezi river from Chavuma, at Lukolwe.  We had a good evening together listening to all the stories of the Lord’s unfailing provision over the years, never too early, never too late.  A real encouragement.

The school term finishes at the end of the week and the hostel girls will be going home until September.  A number of them have exams coming up and I have been helping them with their maths as time has permitted.  We had our last Friday evening bible study last week.  We sat round the fire, sang a few choruses and then I spoke about Hannah and her commitment to God.  We finished with chocolate cake which was rapidly polished off!!  You might pray for them as they return home until September – only a few have made professions of trusting Christ for salvation

The camp season is almost upon us and next weekend numbers of girls will be heading out to the assembly camp site for several days.  The junior girls camp is all in Lunda while the senior camp is in English. It is a great opportunity to get the Gospel across to these children. Please pray for all who are involved.

I have enjoyed neighbours in the Duplex for the past couple of weeks – Dave and Kari Wagler from Canada and their daughter Leah were here for a couple of weeks before they headed out to Dipalata to spend some time helping Betty Magennis there.  Dave has been out here several times as part of the well-drilling team, but it was Kari and Leah’s first visit.  They made great strides to get to know the local people, and I am sure they will not be forgotten quickly.

DV I leave Chit on 20 August to head for Loloma and finally to Lusaka on 24 August, ready to return to UK later that night.  Both David McAdam and JR will be away in November/December, so that I will be returning in late October to ‘strengthen the things that remain’ as it were.  DV we will have a visiting surgeon and midwife team which will help Alison Brundage and myself to cover all aspects of the hospital.  I would greatly value prayer for what lies ahead in the will of the Lord.

Pictures below:  Left: Tamako and myself at Chavuma, Right: twins on their way home to Angola after a hospital stay

“Be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” 1 Cor 15 v 58