Sunday morning blank page…

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Because of the contributions of one family, we were able to institute a “small loan” program with twenty of our workers at an average amount of $300US to be repaid over six months.  Saving money where there are no banks is quite a challenge because of both theft and a sense of entitlement from non-workers in the earner’s extended family.  To borrow money to make a single, larger purchase allows payback with salary, no money buried in the dirt floor of the home, no money available for the extended hands of family members, and provides some capital for the startup of a small business.  This can take the form of a motorbike for hire, extra seed for the field for products to be sold at harvest, classes for children in the city, purchase of a manual sewing machine, purchase of used clothes in the city to sell in the village, etc.  This “small” amount can literally change a family’s existence and take them from extreme poverty and hunger to regular meals and better health. We met together yesterday with the twenty people borrowing the money and great gratitude was expressed by all for this radically unique opportunity in this rural, cashless culture.

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We were able to purchase 500 simple hymnals for the local people to use at church services and at our morning meetings.  They are printed in their tribal languages and the work was done by wonderful missionary colleagues from the US and living in Huambo.  The hymnals are beautiful, paperback bound and will last for years.

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Henrique, an 85yo man, arrived with severe facial swelling from a dental abscess which spread to his neck and anterior chest.  He arrived a month ago, unable to breathe, swallow and almost unconscious.  This radical infection required multiple incisions and drainage of pus over this time period and his wounds are finally dry, he is walking, eating and will go home soon (photo).  We had a healthy 30yo man with the same whose infection continued to spread rapidly and he died over the course of a week.

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We have given over a dozen blood transfusions this past week to kids with malaria who would have died without.  They all recovered and will return home.  We emphasize to the parents, as did Jesus to those He touched, that their decision (to come to Cavango) saved their children’s lives.  We all, of course, have faith. In whom we choose to place our trust can transform us and our circumstances. When Jesus said, “Your faith has made you well,” He, of course, meant that the person’s choice, to place their faith in Him, affected the outcome.  Their choice made them well, as did the encouragement of others to seek out Jesus, as did Jesus’ “ability”…  It is the same in Cavango.  The choice of the parents as to where to seek care, combined with the abilities of the Cavango hospital and staff, and all those who contribute to this work… make the patient well.

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At our staff meeting this week, I reviewed with all of our workers the statistics of their work in 2023.  I emphasized that it is the choice of the patient to arrive in Cavango, combined with the efforts of every person on our staff, that allowed almost all of those arriving in Cavango to return home well.  This includes, of course, the efforts of those registering the patients, the nursing staff, the construction staff, the cleaners, the guards, the doctors, all who contribute to this work, and the One who arranges it all.  This message has been heard so many times (“vision, vision, vision”) and was, again, well received.  The majority of our staff embrace the vision that every contribution, of every person involved in the care of the patient, makes them well.

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The statistics of our work follow, followed by our activity summary for 2023 and our vision for 2024:

Cavango Hospital Statistics for 2023:

• 10,089 consultations  (ave 38/day M-F)

• 2,792 hospital admissions (ave 10/day M-F) (1 of every 4 consultations)

• 62 in-hospital deaths (1 of 162 consultations) (1 of 45 admissions)

*161 of 162 consultations returned home; 44 of 45 admissions returned home alive/improved

• 20-80 acute inpatients/day 

• 30-50 TB inpatients/day 

• 306 TB patients completed treatment of 8 months

• 81 patients were transported by air (via MAF) for life-saving surgery at CEML (1 of 125 consultations) (1 of 34 admissions)

*124 of 125 consultations and 33 of 34 admissions were treated locally

• 200+ daily morning gatherings/messages, with 50-200 people, discussing how to improve our spiritual health and physical (Public Health instruction)

• 20,000+ adults attended daily morning gatherings and heard a clear invitation to relationship with Jesus and what it means to live in relationship with Him…  

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         Most common admission diagnoses in 2023: Malaria, TB, Heart Failure, Renal Failure, Pneumonia, Diarrheal illnesses, Typhoid,  Liver failure secondary to chronic hepatitis, Cancer, OB complications, Burns, Infectious wounds

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The Cavango Mission Activities of 2023 and plans for 2024:

Activities of 2023:

• Full-time hospital workers – 56

• Autonomous full-time clinicians: Tim, Eduardo, Jocelyn, Florindo

• New part time clinician – Jordan Yarbrough, NP, US missionary from Huambo

• Ministry visits from CEML, AGA, MAF, VCDC (Tim’s sending church), Vineyard Columbus, YWAM Angola,, SIM Angola and UIEA

• Graduation of lab tech x 3 after four years of training with return to work at Cavango in 2023

• Discipleship and evangelism through storytelling and drama weekly with church leaders

• Children’s and youth ministry

• Initiation of husband/wife chaplain program so that every patient receives personal care and prayer daily.  It’s been very well received

• Initiation of construction of future main hospital building.  Roof, exterior and interior walls complete.  Wiring and plumbing to begin in March, 2024

• Renovation of old water tank, spring water to tank via gravity, tank to hospital via gravity.

• Operation of the “Transition Hospital” built on the foundation of former hospital (destroyed in 1976)

• Electricity and water in each room
  • 5kW solar power system x 2, with 15kW generator backup
  • ICU, Emergency Dept, Operating Room
  • Consultation rooms x 3
  • Laboratory – basic machines purchased and operating well
  • Radiology with digital, portable X-ray – functional
  • WiFi functional in all rooms

• Construction of roofed outdoor market at entrance of campus.  It’s thriving

• Construction of jango (grass roof, no walls) for motor taxis, which transport most of our patients to the hospital

• Completed security fencing around hospital campus (almost)

• Construction of fifty metal hospital beds by our local staff.  Very well done

• Airstrip fully functional

• Initiation of Cashier System for patient payments for service

• Construction of additional outdoor latrines x 5

• Maintenance/repair of the raft to cross the Cubango River; addition of two guards for raft and airstrip

• Construction completed for housing for DeSouzas, SIM Guest house for visitors

• Completion of construction of Patient Family Housing (Vila) roofed, wall-less structure, outside of campus walls with latrine and jango x 2

• Completion of simple housing for diabetic patients x 2

• Transition of former clinic and inpatient building to house TB patients only

• Completion of 40’ pharmacy shipping container storage with new inventory system (working very well)

• Painting of the old hospital, transitional hospital, interior, exterior

• Solar “street lamps” scattered on hospital campus

• Sidewalks w pavers connecting all hospital buildings

• Landscaping – a local man has embraced this job and beautified our hospital campus using local plants…

• “Employment” of four cats (wages – daily food) has completely resolved our perpetual rat problem

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Plans for 2024:

• Delegate leadership and management of various areas and functions of the hospital work.

• Completion of interior construction of the main hospital building

• Continuation of construction of Family housing (one 40’ x 80’ structure and possibly a second)

• Initiation of a “microfinance” Loan Program for workers (average of $300 each x 20)

• Increase water capacity with new tanks and borehole for both clinic and local village

• Completion of jango kitchen (grass roof, no walls) for daily meals for workers

• Begin training and facility capability for simple surgeries, including Cesareans

• Increase solar energy capacity (additional 15-60kW) for main hospital building  

• Continuation of sponsored training of four teachers, who will return to teach the children of the Cavango region in 2026

• Drilling of boreholes and installation of manual pumps in 5-10 selected villages within a day’s walk of Cavango

• Continuation of discipleship and evangelism through storytelling and drama weekly with church leaders

• Continuation of Children’s and Youth ministry

• Continuation of Agriculture Project and cultivating/planting of vitamin-rich fruit trees in former orchard area on campus.  Consider augmenting program to include housing bees, protein supplementation via protein packets, fish farming, other means…

• Welcome MAF pilot family, the Goud’s, to Cavango while they construct a house, to be completed in 2024

• Beginning of construction of the second (of three) dedicated inpatient building with AGA, local workers

• Welcome of three additional full-time Angolan nurses from outside of Cavango

• Construction of simple supplemental housing for visitors and staff from outside of Cavango

• Installation of more basic lab equipment to increase diagnostic accuracy

• Improve ventilation in three TB inpatient buildings

• Construction of simple bridge over Cubango River

• Installation of solar energy for Kubacki and DeSouza houses which are both currently without 24/7 electricity

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All of this is only possible because of the contributions of so many who have chosen to place their God-given faith and resources in the hands of their Father to serve those without.  On behalf of so many who have benefited and will never know – Thank you!

Estamos juntos!