Category Archives: Ministry

From Dr. Tom in the Field

Hi everyone,

Hasn’t been too eventful of a week. I am thankful for 3 children  with comas awakening from their comas. Two with meningitis and one with malaria. The kids with meningitis take 3-4 days to wake up where with malaria they wake up within 24 hours.I am just thanking God they all awoke. What a joy to see the happy parents.

A mother brought a child in Friday night severely dehydrated. For 5 days the witch doctor who tries to tell people that we give meds that kill people cared for the child. While we were giving IV  fluids and 50% dextrose and antibiotic the mother was saying they are killing my child. I did not understand all this and was told later by the community health worker. Later she pulled the IV out of the child but we already had given 500 ml of fluid and child was stable. I could not believe a parent could watch a child get so sick before coming in but it is just ignorance. I am sure for many years the folks only had the witch doctors and it takes time to earn the people’s confidence. The child is doing well for which I thank God.

I preached at church this AM and I think it went well. I also helped lead music. I love singing Amazing Grace it brings back good memories.

I have been fighting off an intestinal bug which has limited me to work and rest. I hate those bugs.

CHE Training Update By Rick Morse

“And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.” – Acts 5:41

I was reading Acts 5:17-41 today. That was a pretty amazing time and the apostles were filled with the Spirit of God. Gamaliel told the Sanhedrin in vs. 38 and 39 “…leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

My mind was immediately brought to our CHE work in South Sudan. In general, I feel some scepticism about the many humanitarian efforts that go on in Africa (including some in which I have been involved), and I feel that many of these efforts cause more harm than good.

Somehow though, I felt that our recent trip to Sudan was different. I felt that the Spirit of God was present in a way that was stronger than in any other activity that I have been involved in the past. These words in Acts seemed to ring true that if this work is from God, no one will be able to stop it, but if it is of human origin (perhaps like a well intended humanitarian effort on our part) then it will fail. Of course if you read on in Acts you will notice that the apostles got beaten, so everything is not always warm and fuzzy even if God’s Spirit is present.

I can’t say that I look forward to being beaten, nor do I have a desire to live in South Sudan.I love Kenya and Uganda and enjoy being there and feel comfortable. But if the Spirit of God is descending on this troubled part of the planet, it will be amazing.

So, please pray as often as you can remember for these areas in Tonj and Akot in South Sudan where we have introduced CHE. Especially pray that the Spirit of God will envelope this whole area.

Medical Team

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the LORD Jesus, giving thanks to God and the father by him” – Colossians 3:17

We are so excited with the new additions to the IDAT medical team. The addition of Auxillia and Annie to Margaret all nurse midwives has given a great boost to our nursing care and ability to treat sick patients both in and out-patients. Patients in our clinic and Malony outreach are well cared for in the competent hands of our nurse midwives.

Our clinic is also well covered in the night shifts. Some people call our clinic a hospital since many things are covered here especially the hernia surgeries which Dr Stick had done for three months. We thank God also our new clinic is being built and so many things will be done as a hospital does.

There was a child who had the neonatal tetanus and he unfortunately died. Approximately 90% die in the best of circumstances. There was a child with meningitis and we are praying and trusting God for healing.

We sent a mother to Wau for an abruption of the placenta (the placenta breaks off the wall of uterus). They did a C-section and mother is fine but baby was born prematurely, please pray that he will live for our God is Jehova Rapha our healer, we treats but He heals.

Please pray that God will give our medical staffs the energy and strength to continue with the good work they are doing in Tonj.

Snakes in the Compound

Snake

“Thou shall not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that waisteth at noonday.” – Psalm 91:5-6

It was Friday night after dinner and our staffs were relaxing at the dinning after a long day of work. Suddenly they heard somebody screaming near the dinning and they all rushed outside to see what was happening. They found Margaret outside her room and she was astonished. There was a big snake outside her room about 3 feet long and thick.

Luckily Dennis and Pritty were able to capture and kill it. On the same day later in the clinic another snake was killed. It rained so hard and I think the snakes move to high ground. We thank God nobody had been bitten so far, we are also grateful because whenever there is a snake God alerts his people and the snakes get killed before attacking anyone.

Please pray for the safety of our staffs against snakes, scorpions and any other attack from the enemy. The enemy is always ready to attack but our God is our shield and our protector in the time of trouble.

Please pray for the safety of Albino who is on the way from Uganda, where he went to buy the materials for the construction of our new clinic. The truck takes at least 2 weeks from Uganda to Tonj, they are risks involved like theft and harassment from the boarders, please pray for Albino that he will arrive in Tonj safe and sound and also for the drivers God to give them wisdom and to direct their paths.

New Nurses In the Clinic

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10

A newborn was brought to our clinic with neonatal tetanus and is in the ICU. We have an Intensive Care Unit actually is just a room in building next to the observation room. With the added nursing staff the patients are well cared for in the competent hands of our three nurse midwives.

Dennis and the team have been caring for a young child with pneumonia and meningitis. Who before arriving at our clinic had convulsed for over 7 hour. The convulsions were stopped with meds but after convulsing that long the child remained in a coma for 6 days. We are still trying to wipe out the meningitis but the child is awake and breast feeding. Please pray for this child and the newborn with neonatal tetanus.

Last night Annie diagnosed a woman with cord compression who had been trying to deliver for 2-3 days in the village. Annie immediately realized that a C-section was needed and began the transfer process. The mother and her in utero child were transfered to Wau by our ambulance being accompanied by Auxillia our nurse midwife.

Auxillia who was hearing a fetal heart beat insisted the woman be seen by the surgeon. She stayed and did the resucitation on the newborn and the parents were very happy with a healthy baby boy.The surgeon told her that we must have a good team at IDAT because our diagnoses are always right. A good team with God as the head .

When the ambulance pulled up to the hospital in Wau several of our patients came to see who was brought this time to wau. A lady with obstructed labor who had C-section with out come of a healthy mother and baby. A woman who almost bleed to death during village delivery who we transfered to Wau for a transfusion.

All these people were helped by quick diagnoses and transports to Wau. But we are greatful to God for the construction of our new clinic and many of these things will be done in here in our clinic.

Please pray that God meet with all the medical supplies needed in the clinic, and will provide all the materials needed for the completion of our new clinic.