July 2009

July Update from IHP

Dear Ones who support IHP US-TZ,

How do I go about describing the tremendous impact on the building of Nyakato Hospital that two groups can have? We had two very special groups, both from the Kansas City area, in the last month. The group from One Community Spiritual Center, formerly called Christ Church Unity, worked on the Bogumil Birthing Center (and Dave Bogumil joined this group!), and the group from Atonement Lutheran Church of Overland Park, Kansas started the eye center. Please go to their blog by Googling eyes4mwanza. Their pictures are FAR better than any I could have taken and posted.

If there is one thing that living here has taught us it is that Prayer Works. None of this could possibly happen without God’s direction. Each and every person who came, or donated so that someone else could come, or supported the work with prayer and effort of any kind, is part of an answered prayer and therefore, part of a miracle. Thank you.

I’ve never had a more difficult time trying to pick the pictures that would best tell the story of the month’s events. I asked people to write a paragraph or page telling of their experiences.

Again, I want to remind you that Dexter Quiggle is loading a container of dental equipment from the Rotary in California that will be staged mid-August. There is still plenty of room left to fill, so please, if you have anything destined for us, THIS is the way to send it. Please contact him at quiggs@sbcglobal.net. You’ll also need to send about $10.00 per cubic foot to Dexter to help defray the cost of shipping the container to us.

Speaking of Rotary; we’re involved with several projects to help build Nyakato Hospital, one of which is solar power. We’d like very much to tell any local Rotary clubs about this, so if you are a Rotarian, please contact us about our speaking schedule while we’re in the U.S. so we can hook up as many clubs as possible.

We’re still looking for speaking opportunities in the U.S. In October and November, we’ll be in the Midwest and Oct. 11th, 18th and 25th are open. Mostly we’ll be in Minnesota and Iowa then. After that, we’ll be going south. Nov. 22nd and 29th are the open Sundays, but we may have tentative invitations for those days. In December, the 13th and 20th are open and we’ll be in Texas and Arkansas areas then.

Okay, here goes with the guests’ comments:

July Update

By Adam Kuhn

As a 27 year old non-medical professional, I came to Tanzania unsure of what I’d be able to help with but excited about the uncertainty ahead of me. My goals were to gain a new perspective on what comes so easy in the United States while doing anything I can to make a tangible difference – check and check!

One of the more surprising aspects of my trip was the multitude of things I was able to help with. When I arrived, a team of nearly twenty from a church in Kansas City was already hard at work in the birthing center. So naturally, without a bone of construction excellence in my body, I jumped in. Before I knew it, I was drilling holes in concrete for walls, building shelves, working on various other projects, and even found a big barrel we converted into a trash can and painted it my favorite color of green.

After the first group left Tanzania, we started preparing for the next big group that would come shortly thereafter. I helped organize the tool shed, inventoried all the materials the next group would need, repaired doors that had been broken in transit, and sketched on the eye clinic’s bare concrete slab all the walls for the rooms so the next team would have a point of reference.

Along with the arrival of the next group, was also the beginning of more memories that will last a lifetime. I remember when we picked them up from the airport and I couldn’t help but think, “This group has an amazing energy about them… but they’re almost all near, at, or past retirement age. I felt a little guilty thinking it, but I questioned how much we’d be able to accomplish. Enter one of the most pleasant surprises of my life. Within the first couple hours of the first work day, I could tell good things were going to happen. I’m no construction expert, but when 34 people with a common goal are all finding ways to get involved in support of the leaders of the group, amazing things happen. Looking back now over the week that I’ve spent working with this group, I can hardly believe how much we’ve accomplished. The team not only built and raised all 270 feet of exterior walls, but also raised several internal walls, prepped the walls for plaster (a huge job itself), and made significant progress on the roof. Unbelievable.

In addition to all the accomplishments I’m proud to say I played a part in, I also gained many invaluable perspectives. Over my four weeks in Tanzania, I learned first-hand the clear differences between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’. I’ve learned from the personalities of numerous amazing people that have dedicated their lives to making the world a better place. And lastly, I saw more proof than ever the lasting differences that small groups of people working together can have on much larger numbers of those in need.

As I prepare to say my goodbyes to Tanzania, I’m excited for what the future holds. I’m excited for what I feel is the destiny of the Nyakato Health Clinic and for what I hope is in the future of Tanzania itself. For it is Tanzania, and my experience in Nyakato, that I owe a great deal: the most crazy approach to life I have ever experienced, the most calming sense of focus I have ever attained, and the most contagious desire to be a better person I have ever felt. Thank you.

* * * * * * * * *

JoAnn Quinn was one of the team leaders from Christ Church Unity/One Community Spiritual Center…

The Daily Word for the day we left was: “Divine energy is bringing about wonder in my life and in the world.” That’s what Denny, Paula, Mary Ellen and we had – Divine Energy. And, I am so blessed to be a part of that.

* * * * * * * * * *

Ginny Gawthorpe volunteered from Port Orange, Florida and joined the Christ Church Unity group. Her comments:

Volunteering in Tanzania was such a fulfilling experience. The Tanzanians are such a deserving, uncomplaining people who sometimes seem to take suffering as their lot in life. Hopefully, all of us who have worked over here have made things better for them. And, amazingly enough, our own lives, as well.

* * * * * * * * *

Patrick Handley came with his daughter with the One Spiritual Community/Christ Church Unity group:

If you’re considering a service trip to Africa to help with IHP, then Spirit is whispering to you. Answer the call. You’ll find it immensely rewarding. But, don’t be surprised if the gifts you receive are grander than what you were expecting to give.

You may go thinking it would be nice to build a section of a hospital. Yet, you’ll leave discovering that Sprit intended for you to develop a new friendship that you never expected.

You may go believing it would be good to help those less fortunate in material goods, but don’t be surprised if you leaving having discovered that the people of Africa gave you the gift of laughter and appreciation for the smallest and sweetest of moments.

You may go planning to use a certain talent or skill you’re good at, but you’ll leave having identified a new ability and perhaps even vision of what you want to do with your life.

That’s how Spirit works. It calls you to give then rewards you with unexpected gifts.

* * * * * * * * *

Sherlyn Vaupell from Atonement Lutheran writes:

I’m a widow with grown children and 12 grandchildren. Since I no longer have the responsibility for family, I am doing other things that are important to me. This is certainly one. Our team had great respect for each other. I worked on the eye team sorting glasses. I have been so impressed with the patients and soft-spoken ways of the people. Many of them have little but do not seem disgruntled and make the most of what they have. Many sacrifice to send their children to school, even private schools.

I watched Lucy prepare food to feed 40, three times a day, without convenience foods or much refrigeration; no hot water unless heated on the stove. It’s like indoor camping! And yet, this is normal for here. Mothers have babies strapped to their backs and carry heavy loads on their heads!

Wonderful people. Wonderful experience.

* * * * * * * * * *

Phyllis Jensen is a “just retired” school counselor:

This week has been amazing! We have prepared for this experience for over a year and it far exceeds my expectations.

I think that cooperation with a goal in mind has driven the work here. I have seen God’s hand in what we have done. Also, being able to meet other people from an entirely different culture has been so enlightening. This experience has helped cement my belief that we are all one people – God’s people. It has strengthened my faith. Asante [thank you] for the opportunity.

* * * * * * * * * *

Jim Williams, age 57:

I retired 7/1/09 as an Assistant Chief from the Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department. I was very inspired by the construction and am so proud and feel very blessed to have been a part of this wonderful process. This entire complex is a gift from God, a place to be healed, and a place to build faith for the Africans. More than this, it is a place to reconnect with our faith and it would be impossible to leave here and not feel closer to God.

* * * * * * * * * *

Pat Schroeder:

Paula and Denny, my main reaction to this week’s experience is awe…

Awe at the variety of God’s creation (which includes some puzzlement about the great challenges of some environments and the relative ease of others)…

Awe at your work here and at IHP, and that’s without knowing all of what is done!

Awe at your contagious spirits and energy and your care of people

Awe at the relationships and loyalty of people working with IHP

Awe at the experience of working with the Atonement folks, many of whom I hadn’t known. Their skills and generosity at sharing them are a great experience of God working in community.

Awe at your thoughtfulness in helping others help themselves.

Thank you for the experience of working here in Mwanza, for the excitement of new adventure, for the regular devotion to God’s work, for the thrill of good work accomplished.

May God continue to bless and prosper your work here. May all the community of people touched by IHP share God’s care and call to service. May we all be part of a solution, not part of a problem.

* * * * * * * * * *

Now, from one of our medical students, Isabella Divisch shares:

Hujambo, everybody!

I am Isabella and I am from Austria (the best place to learn skiing!).

At home I study Medicine – expensive high-standard medicine. At Nyakato Health Center, I study “how to get medical improvisation skills”. When I work at an Austrian clinic, I see a lot of patients with cancer, diabetes, trauma, obesity, heart problems, psychological problems, etc. Here the most common problems are malaria, urinary tract infections, typhoid, HIV, tuberculosis, sickle cell disease, and so on.

So I have to ask myself: What does a healthy world look like? Which disease will come, when we get rid of cancer? We can cure the illness, but can we heal the mankind?

But all these questions disappear, when a 3-year-old boy suffers from cerebral malaria or a woman who is going to lose her breast because of simple mastitis.

And, what else matters, when the same boy comes back 1 week later and smiles at you? When you can see, that this breast heals and your stitching was successful?

I have learned so much, since I have been in Tanzania, but the most important fact is, that there are more similarities than differences between all humans on this world – that makes me happy!

Hakuna matata!

* * * * * * * * * *

Paula writing again,

All of the above experiences, for the volunteers, for the patients, for the students, depend on our ability to “keep going.” To do that we need donations. Without financial help, it all stops. We live and work here month to month. Each month we worry first about if we’ll be able to make payroll. Then we worry about keeping the vehicles running so we can get the supplies we need to keep the clinic running. Then we worry about obtaining the supplies we need and the building supplies so we can keep expanding. We need your donations. It’s that simple.

To keep IHP alive and well, please send whatever you can to:

International Health Partners, US & TZ

Joyce Zemel, Treasurer

1811 So. 39^th St. #36

Mesa, AZ 85206

We are grateful to you for making this possible. We are grateful to God for giving each of us this opportunity. We have grateful patients thankful to you for the care they are able to receive. We have grateful staff who appreciate having a job and a calling they can fulfill. Your gifts touch many, many lives. Thank you.

Blessings and gratitude,

Paula and Denny

Now for some pictures:

One Community Spiritual Center Team.