Author: Scott Moore

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The Sprout Report

Volume 30 Issue 2
From: Scott & Cindy Nelsen

“As we were talking, you can see and feel her joy and peacefulness on her face!”

In addition to the clinic days, our medical team does home visits for those who have challenges getting to and from our clinic. Our nurse Cheradee was reporting to me on a home visit they had made earlier in the week.

She shared with me the testimony of a patient we had been caring for since August of 2021.  This 54 year old woman had been through some very challenging times.  Both she and her husband struggled with diabetes, a disease that is often overwhelming in this resource limited setting.  The cost of proper care is insurmountable for many families.  In January of last year her husband died from complications of his diabetes.  By July, her diabetes was so poorly controlled she needed an amputation of her left foot.

She had become a Christian 10 years earlier but was in deep despair.  While lying in the hospital she cried out to God.  She wondered how she could possibly afford the necessary medicine, testing and doctor visits she so badly needed.  After discharge from her surgery she was no longer able to work.  Things looked bleak.  Her former employer heard about our clinic and suggested she try getting care with us.

Now, 10 months later, her perspective is completely different!  Our clinic provides her with medicine and regular check-ups for free.  We were also able to provide her with a wheelchair and she is thrilled to be able to attend church now because of it.  Her life and witness have become a testimony in her community to God’s faithfulness.

Her story reminds me of Psalm 30:10-12 which says “Hear me, O LORD, and have mercy; O LORD, be my helper. You turned my mourning into dancing; You peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing Your praises and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks forever.”  Berean Study Bible

Thanks for your faithful role in helping us express God’s faithfulness!

Love, Scott and Cindy

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Mobile eye clinic goes to Trou-du-Nord

Mobile eye clinic goes to Trou-du-Nord

Dear Loved Ones,

Greeting. We hope that each one of you is relatively in good condition to enjoy this Palm Sunday week end. We are anxious to wish you God’s speedy healing in whatever may be your condition.

Covid-29 has imposed to each living human being on this earth today some unique challenges. Those challenges, instead of limiting the staff of the eye clinic, they are created a unique opportunity for the staff to be close to their people.

Beside Covid-19, the insecurity and the limited resources for many of our people are limiting patients to go to the hospital unless the illness has gotten to the point of non-retour, the no turning point.

Each week the staff of the eye clinic pack to go to remote villages to treat people where those people live. Wednesdays of this past week they were in the city of Ouanaminthe where they treated 43 new cases without counting the retuning ones. 

Last Friday they went to Trou-du-Nord where they saw 88 patients: 1 baby, 3 children, 50 women and 34 men.  All those patients would not have this golden opportunity if the staff did not make this saving move. Some would wait until the situation gets worse before seeking professional help.

Wish you knew the impact of your fervent prayers, material, and financial support to the ministry of the eye clinic.  

We join and add our voices to those of the staff and patients to express our deep gratitude for your love.

In Haiti,

Nzunga & Kihomi  

Dear Supporters,

Although still limited on what they can do the eye clinic tries to respond to requests from pastors and priests to come to their location.  They must use rented vehicles and other hassles to do this.  However, help is on the way.  We have received enough donated money to buy the truck and it will arrive around the first week of May.  The big unknown is the duty and taxes that will be levied.  Right now, we have about half a what we are estimating may be required.  Covid has greatly reduced the income of custom agents so any leniency we have received in the past probably will not happen now.  $4 or $5 thousand more is all we need.  If you can help close this gap it will be greatly appreciated. 

Happy Easter everyone.  He has Risen!

In Christ,                                                                                               

Denny Shewell – MPT Communications Advocate & Convener

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2 year old eye saved by eye clinic

2 year old eye saved by eye clinic

Greeting. In the photo you are looking at Rudy Lamorte, two years old from Gonaives. Her mother brought her to the clinic after they have tried all the cheap means to treat her. The situation of the little girl was worsening day by day and she was about to lose her right eye.

Many times, and over and over again, we receive cases where family members will start by applying what they think can help, then move to a clinic where the nurse with no solid training in ophthalmology will give an ointment or a drop to apply. By the time they come to us, it may be sometimes late to save the eyes.

Rudy Lamorte has a very serious problem with her cornea seeking a careful eye operation.  Since we are the only clinic in the Northern Haiti operating on children free of charge, Rudy has been welcome. Next week, our team will take good care of the little girl.   

We pray and hope that both mother and Rudy will return jumping and praising  the Lord for the miracle of healing as the man at the beautiful gate.

Thank you for standing by our sides.

Yours in Haiti,

Nzunga & Kihomi 

Dear supporters,

I cannot imagine having a sick child and no money or knowledge of what to do.  In Haiti, the lack of money causes them to go the cheap route and the national religion of Voodoo tends to mislead them in the wrong direction.  Sometimes if they know about the eye clinic getting there can be a major problem.  The next journal will have more on the expanding remote clinic situation that makes a big difference. 

Thank you for helping this little girl and many, many more. 

In His Name,

Dennis Shewell deshewell@gmail.com

Nzunga and Kihomi Missionary Partnership team.

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Easter message from Rev. Sharon Koh

Easter message from Rev. Sharon Koh

Happy Easter 2021!On behalf of International Ministries, our CEO/Executive Director Sharon Koh wishes you a happy Easter in the name of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

NEWS YOU CAN USE 

You Mean We Have to Talk to One Another?!

Listen to the latest episode of our Short-Term Mission office’s podcast, Bridges 4 Mission, as Pastor Dennis Strawn shares how short-term mission trips impacted him and formed a circle of friendships between his Illinois church and Costa Rica: https://bridgesformission.buzzsprout.com/1358701/7942513-you-mean-we-have-to-talk-to-one-another.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

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Congo Medical Residency

When you support the Congo Medical Residency project you provide medical residents with quality training at the Vanga Evangelical Hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as they prepare to serve in remote hospitals throughout the region. This residency program was started in the 1970s by well-known IM missionary Dr. Dan Fountain and re-purposed in 2015 as a means to raise up and equip Congolese doctors to provide health care in rural areas. Access to trained doctors impacts mortality rates, decreases lifestyle-related diseases, improves nutrition, and increases overall public health. This program recruits teachers from Europe and the U.S., who volunteer time to train the students. You can learn more about the program here: https://www.internationalministries.org/congo-medical-residency-program/. Join us in asking God to raise up medical students who will impact the communities where they will serve.

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Following God through the wilderness

Following God through the wilderness

“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

In the Hebrew Bible we are reminded of the Exodus of the Israelites in the wilderness. They did not like the wilderness and were sorry they had left Egypt. God sent them manna, but the people got tired of eating manna. They wanted some meat. Forty years of journeying—the days were intense, hot, dry. The people were weary. They learned through every hard and grueling step how much they had to rely on God.

One year after the global pandemic, humanity has been forced to rethink the way we relate, work, have fun, celebrate, or even process our losses. Christians have been greatly affected because the very act of entering a building to gather, share, pray, sing, and study the Scriptures puts our health and our neighbor’s health at great risk.

We have been asked to stay home and seek new ways of being church. While many people have died and others are fighting to survive all over the world, having lost health, homes, jobs, and the ability to put food on the table, some of us are angry and complaining, unable to rely on God. How will we, as Christians, be remembered in history during this pandemic? As the Israelites in the wilderness?

This year of desert wandering has been difficult to endure. The hardest struggles we face have the greatest potential to teach us patience. Are Christians going to look back at this year as the most strengthening, faith-building time of our lives? Is the world going to look at Christians as those who did not miss the miracles of God’s provision out of busyness or stress, and who were always willing to be God’s instruments of grace and love?

God’s promise is still the same to us as it was to the Israelites: “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” We cannot enclose God in a building, in a tabernacle, in an image, not in liturgy, or in a certain creed. No pandemic will be able to destroy our faith, no Herod or Pilate will be able to kill God. No government will be able to abolish our beliefs, no culture will ever camouflage the Spirit.

As long as there are women and men of good will who, in the depths of their hearts, live the Good News of Christ the Risen Lord, God’s presence is with us as we reflect God’s love and grace to others. Be the presence of God and find rest and hope in God’s faithfulness.

Rev. Dr. Adalia Gutiérrez Lee
Area Director for Iberoamerica and the Caribbean

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New Equipment for the Eye Clinic

New Equipment for the Eye Clinic

Dear Loved Ones,

Greeting. This Friday March 5, 2021, at the eye clinic in Cap-Haitian, Haiti, it was a fete but also a thanksgivings celebration.

Why?

Since we are in the States because of Covid-19 and our annual deputation, the staff has been bugging me to get them some equipment.  There is not a single week that goes by without them asking if I have ordered some equipment for them.

Lately, thanks to your loving financial support I was able to order one Pachymetry for glaucoma that arrived yesterday, Thursday March 4. Right there, the doctor and his staff tested it and called me to share the good and exciting news. 

Today patients joined in unison to give thanks to God and to each and every one of you for helping achieve a milestone in caring for the non-names of our society.

Serving the Master in Haiti,

Nzunga & Kihomi

Dear Friends,

The eye clinic personal wanting better equipment shows how much they want to provide the best care in Haiti.  They also want to provide it beyond Cap-Haitian.  There is still time to help get them a new vehicle.  One unknown is the duty.  Due to the Covid-19 crisis the amount of goods flowing into Haiti has been greatly reduced.  Therefore, the custom agents are not getting their normal income.  This means that amount they are going charge is a big unknown.  We do know that the items sent over by Nzunga, such as this equipment, are getting charged much more than usual.  We may need more than we thought so if you can help it is greatly appreciated. 

In His Name,

  Denny Shewell – MPT Communications Advocate & Convener

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Fox Valley Christian Action 2021 Gala

Our 44th Annual Gala

will be presented virtually in early 2021.

Details coming soon

We’ll take a look at the special vision we feel God has given the ministry of Fox Valley Christian Action and the different ways this vision is being put into action.  It is a great way to look back on all the ways God has been faithful while also looking ahead to what we hope and pray can be accomplished in the future.

Our Annual Gala is the perfect time to introduce friends and family to the ministry!