A New Water Well

You probably have never considered water usage as a critical part of medical care. In western culture such an issue would never cross our minds. However, in developing countries water and water-related needs are a part of every facet of life. Due to the expansion of our medical facility in Arusha, Tanzania, the number of patients treated daily continues to grow and we have developed a very acute water shortage. Clean water is critical to hygiene and quality care at a medical facility and a lack of adequate municipal water was threatening our ability to handle the daily patient load. The need was so critical that the government had considered limiting the number of patients we could see, despite the pressing medical needs that abound in that community. This summer one of our visiting team members heard of this plight and immediately offered to pay the entire cost of having a well dug for the clinic. Wells are expensive and this was a very generous ands totally unexpected offer. We are happy to report that on the very first day of drilling we found an ample supply of clean safe water! Our visiting team members often provide the catalyst for future growth. We are thankful for the success of this project and for the donors who made it happen.

Esther's Miracle

This story begins with the incredible life of a young Masai man by the name of Luka. Luka moved to Arusha, Tanzania and came under the influence of our partners Vernon and Mary Smith. It was here where Luka became a passionate follower of Jesus Christ. A few years ago, his new found faith was severely challenged when he found out his traditional Masai father was going to sell his 12-year old sister to a 40-year old chief with four wives. In an incredible act of grace, Luka and his wife decided to buy his baby sister from his own father and allow her to live with them. What an incredible act of selfless love! Luka and his wife also have a six-year old daughter named Esther. She was terribly burned on her legs in a fire five weeks ago. Our medical director Dr. Byemba has been skillfully and consistently treating her since she was burned, but the condition was getting more complicated. Noticed that she was developing scar tissue that would impair her ability to walk naturally. Doctor Byemba was willing to try a skin graft on Esther, however he has never done this particular procedure before and was a bit uncertain of his ability.

The story now takes an amazing turn. We had a team join us this week from Campbell St. UMC in Springfield, Mo. We did not know anything very specific about this team of young people and their four adult leaders. On the second day after their arrival I casually asked one of the ladies what she did for a living and found out that Carla was a veteran doctor. Upon further conversation we learned that Carla was an experienced plastic surgeon. Esther and her serious need immediately came to my mind. I think you can anticipate the beautiful climax of this story.

Upon arrival in Arusha, Carla and Dr Byemba conferred and after examining Esther they agreed that a skin graft was needed. On Saturday, July 13 Dr Carla performed the three-hour operation with Dr Byemba assisting. I am happy to report that Esther is doing great and that Dr. Byemba feels confident that he could perform the procedure on his own for future needs. What are the odds of a random traveler also being a skilled plastic surgeon just in our hour of need? This is an amazing story of a miracle for Luka, Esther, and his family. Thank you Dr. Carla for being the answer to our prayers and for an amazing story of God's incredible providence and faithfulness to Luka and his family.

It Is Well!

2012 provided us with the opportunity to deepen our relationships, enhance our work, and learn more about the specific needs of our various projects around the world. At our orphanage for children with special needs in India, we recognized their critical need for a deep water well.  We could not exaggerate the importance of a well at this orphanage:

1. There was no clean drinking water readily available at the orphanage compound.
2. Purchasing sanitary drinking water was prohibitively expensive.
3. There was not enough water for basic laundry or hygiene concerns.
4. And there was not enough water to grow vegetables in order give the children a balanced diet.

There was no money budgeted for this need, nor were any donors identified as we looked at the New Year wondering how we could address this pressing need. Incredibly, during the first few days of 2013, a previously unknown donor stepped forward and offered to fund 100% of the drilling costs for a new well! We immediately transferred the funds to India and before the end of January, wonderful, clear, clean, and drinkable water abounded for our children.

Not only are we able to meet the previously mentioned immediate needs, but we are now able to teach the children the self-sustaining skill of farming! The well also allows us to provide water to many of the poor villagers that live within close proximity of our facility. It is such a blessing to see the passionate and generous response of our donors who time and time again come through above and beyond our own expectations.

Summer 2013

For some the number 13 has an unlucky connotation, however for New Hope Initiative the summer of 13 promises to be a season of amazing opportunities. We have an incredible schedule of nine teams, 150 motivated individuals, who will join us in East Africa with a great desire to make a difference through the work of NHI. We have some of the most diverse and talented teams we have ever assembled. Our work will include day camps, musical teams, sports camps, village ministry, medical opportunities, construction teams, and women’s initiatives. Also during this summer we will dedicate the new wing of our medical center in Arusha, Tanzania and begin a major building program for the school and clinic in Kibera. We also will focus in the coming weeks on major improvements to the Kibera New Hope School. We are confident these changes will help make the school one of the finest educational establishments not only in Kibera, but in all of Africa. We would ask you to pray for our leadership, the team leaders, and every team member coming to work with us in Kenya and Tanzania. Pray that this summer will be a life changing experience for all.

Tanzanian Clinic Expansion

We are putting the finishing touches on an exciting and extensive remodeling project at our medical clinic in Arusha, Tanzania. The new wing will more than double the space of the facility and make it more effective for us as our patient base continues to expand. The new two-story wing will host all of our imaging services (x-ray and ultrasound), a new receptionist office, and a waiting area that will greatly improve crowd flow in the facility.

We will have an entire floor upstairs that will be set aside for future development. The new facility should be fully operational in the coming weeks and will not only improve the effectiveness of our center but also raise the visibility of our presence in the greater Arusha area. We are still in need of about $25,000 to finish the project so please be praying with us that these funds will be available shortly.