This season brings treasured moments with loved ones and celebration of our Savior’s birth. Our hearts are so thankful as we reflect on the year that was. 2025 brought growth, stretching, and grace in many areas of our lives. As we enter this Christmas season, we are reminded that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is the calm in the chaos and our anchor in unsteady times. We are believing that 2026 will be a year marked with peace…. in our hearts, family, and the greater world around us.
Provision. We have seen the Lord provide in so many ways this year! Many generous donations, financially from individuals as well as hospital supplies from all over the world, made our work in Chad possible.
Exaltation. Our hearts are filled with exaltation for the many good things God did this year! Our grandson Skip, who was born last Christmas Day, has faced many health difficulties since his birth at 26 weeks gestation. God has been so faithful to little Skip and he continues to grow and develop despite the challenges he faces. He brings us much joy with his big smiles and is a testament to God’s goodness! We also shared treasured family time in July when we had all our children and grandchildren together in one place— a rare treat!
Acceptance. This year we have been challenged to trust God through uncertain times. Bert’s health (diagnosis of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy or PSP ) has been challenging which has forced him to pause and slow down. The Lord has taught us to accept the unexpected and to learn to be dependent on Him in every season of life.
Connection. Our ministry in Africa centers around connection… connections through medical care and through relationships with the ultimate goal that the Chadians we work with will come to know and be connected to Jesus! This year we saw new connections forming with the leaders of the village where the hospital is located, within the hospital team and also amongst the missionaries on the field.
Empathy. Empathy and God’s call have driven us in our ministry in Africa over the last 39 years. We know God cares and sees the people of Chad, the third poorest country in the world. This year we had a renewed sense of God’s heart for His people and are inspired to do what we can in 2026 to provide health and spiritual care for those who need it most.
Thank you for walking with us— we are so grateful for you! We pray peace over your Christmas season and God’s steady presence over the year ahead!
Debbie recently returned from a trip to Chad that coincided with the rainy season- our favorite time of year in Chad! Rain chases away the dust storms of the hot season and brings new life everywhere you look! Crops are plentiful, beautiful birds (my favorite are kingfishers!) abound, and lush green overtakes the thirsty brown landscape. Life springs forth and reminds us of the kindness of God even in the way He created the seasons. No hard times last forever…He makes everything new in its time. The sun always rises after a dark night and rain comes mercifully after a season of lack— what hope we have!
Kingfisher in our backyard!
Preparation for a trip to Chad begins months before the travel date! Air travel has made so many things easier when working overseas especially a country as poor as Chad. Many important items can be stuffed into suitcases to help make the care at the hospital and also activities of daily living easier. It really takes a community to raise a hospital. In the last year, we brought a broken X-ray head back to the States and a repaired one back to Chad. A new electro-coagulation machine, portable X-ray stand, twenty-four stretcher wheels to replace the overly/well used ones, and a dermatome and skin Mesher (for skin grafts), fetal Dopplers, caster wheels and solar powered outside lights are just some of the things brought. In August, Debbie brought back a replacement piston for our old portable X-ray stand. Ron O’Neal, founder of InRayPart, was able to coach us via video WhatsApp to replace the broken one with the new one. Not only suitcases are important to missionaries but also technology and willing knowledgeable individuals to help with the process! Thanks Ron!
Our patients will be happier with their ride! New wheels!Ron helping replace the piston via WhatsApp!
There is so much to learn from other cultures and Debbie was reminded of this when Patrice, one of our hospital employees, lost his father. A group of employees and Debbie went to visit him and once again, she was, once again, struck with the way death is handled in the African culture. Funerals are attended by all in the community, not just the friends of the deceased. So, whether it is a close family member, neighbor, a tribal member, Chadians prioritize being involved in the wake, funeral and during the mourning period. Everyone sits together on the floor on mats or plastic chairs, men and women in different sections for up to a week. In one of the tribes, a family member dresses like the deceased walking around impersonating them. The bereaved are held by the community with love, support, and most importantly, presence. Life expectancy is 55.4 years according to the Chadian government statistics. This low life expectancy is attributed to poverty, instability, lack of healthcare, shortage of clean water and medical resources. Death is quite literally a “way of life.” Chadians are comfortable with death in a way and there is comfort in that. There can be a sense in Western culture of not knowing how to act or what to do when someone dies because it is so unfamiliar, but in African culture, the natural response is to mourn together, as a community. It is beautiful and inspiring to see humans care for each other through all the ups and downs of life.
PRAISES:
Debbie’s trip to Chad went smoothly. It’s always great to reconnect with the staff and community. Bert enjoyed his time in Texas. He was quite spoiled by Greg, Lily, Hannah, Dane and little James.
World Food Programme donated 4,600 mosquito nets to be distributed to the women attending prenatal clinic and the children being seen in our vaccination and malnutrition clinics. Malaria is a significant public health concern with children under 5 being the most vulnerable. The use of mosquito nets is a crucial preventive measure. We also received a donation from Quatar Charity of ten new wheelchairs (to replace our delapitated ones) and twenty blood pressure monitors.
Joël and Jenny are so grateful that Skip is finally home after 271 days in the NICU. Presently, he is still on oxygen and being fed via a G-tube. Thanks to each of you for your prayers, messages and phone calls. Skip will continue to need therapy as he has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Continue to pray for wisdom for Joël and Jenny as they navigate through this new chapter in their lives.
Delivery of 4,600 mosquito nets!Reconnecting with the Midwives!
SUPPLICATIONS:
Americans are still not able to renew/get visas to enter Chad. Please continue to pray that these decisions will be reversed as many missionaries are facing uncertainty with regards to staying and/or returning to Chad. This new policy has affected our team- preventing two long-term families from returning and medical short termers from coming to help.
Our solar power system at the hospital continues to have problems. Please pray that the inverters ordered from China will arrive in a timely way.
That the new believers will grow in their faith and be a true testimony to those around them.
We continue to have urgent needs for personnel: general surgeon, OB/GYN, anesthesiologist, CRNA, IT specialist, physical therapist.
Thank you for walking this journey with us! Your prayers, support, and encouragement make all the difference. In Him,
Overloaded trucks, cows on motorbikes, and seriously heavy burdens… oh my! As comical as these pictures are, these frequent sights in Africa cause pause for us to reflect more deeply on how often we, in our striving, struggle under the weight of responsibility and worries of life. Mathew 11:28-30 says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” These verses serve as a reminder to trust God with every area of life and to rest in His perfect plan for our lives. It is an invitation to lay our burdens and weariness at His feet and take up the yoke of freedom and grace that He has for us. As we conclude the first half of this year we praise God for what He Has done and we approach the needs we have with peace, knowing that we can choose the light yoke the Father offers us.
PRAISES:
Philippe, Brenna and Oliver, 2, welcomed Asa Bern Oubre, our seventh grandchild. He was born May 20th. We are so grateful that Brenna and Asa are doing well. Oliver loves his little brother.
An new IT system was put in place for our cashiers in February. This new system will help in proficiency and better accountability .
Our new Brazilian missionary couple, Mailson and Johanna, arrived in March and have well settled into life in Chad even with the hot season heat, cultural and language challenges. Mailson is an emergency room physician and Johanna is a family practitioner.
We are so grateful that Dr. Martin Mauser, a German surgeon, was able to come and spend a month helping at the hospital.
SUPPLICATIONS:
Debbie will be returning to Chad for two weeks July 29th– August 13th. Pray for safety, good health and that she might be an encouragement to the teammates on the field. Bert will be staying with his son, Greg, and Lily in Texas during that time.
As you might have heard, Chad is not issuing new visas for Americans as a counter response to America not issuing visas to Chadians. Please pray that these decisions will be reversed as many missionaries are facing uncertainty with regards to staying and/or returning to Chad in the near future.
Our solar power system at the hospital is having some problems. Please pray for some quick solutions so that we can decrease the use of our generator as diesel fuel as become more difficult to find at times and is costly.
That the new believers will grow in their faith and be a true testimony to those around them.
Skip, our grandson, is starting to smile and babble more. Continue to pray that he that he would not suffer complications due to his prematurity. Pray for Joël and Jenny as they have to adjust to the ups and downs of Skip’s prematurity.
Last week, Debbie’s 100 ½ year old father woke up to not being able to see. Dad explains it as being in a very thick fog. It was discovered that he had a bleed of unknown origin in both eyes. The specialist thinks that it will take a bit of time but the bleed will be reabsorbed in time. Dad still lives alone but without vision other decisions will have to be made. Pray for complete healing and wisdom for the future. As with every new system installed, there is a big learning curve. Please pray for patience for our patients and staff as the new IT system is being implemented!
We continue to have urgent needs for personnel: general surgeon, OB/GYN, anesthesiologist, CRNA, IT specialist, physical therapist.
We continue to covet your prayers for the work in Chad with its many challenges! Thanks for your continued partnership through encouragement, prayers, and support!
Happy New Year 2025! “The Lord is our Shepherd we shall not want” Psalms 23:1. This verse that reflects how we have felt through 2024 and the first three months of 2025. It does not mean that life was a bed of roses but we felt His hands and arms around us! Is it not amazing that we can say that the creator of the universe, made us in His image and loves us so much that we can be His sheep, His child, and the apple of His eye! Even with our faults, He will use us for His glory when we allow Him to work in our lives. Thank you, Jesus, for that gift!
Skip Bryant Oubre at 10 weeks old
On Christmas Day 2024, Joël and Jenny welcomed their baby boy, Skip Bryant. Skip was born at 27 weeks weighing in at 1 pound 4 oz and has been in the Neonatal Intensive Care unit since his birth. There have been many challenging moments but we continue to believe in the Great Healer and that Skip’s life will be a testament to God’s presence! We, as a family, have been overwhelmed by the words of encouragements, prayers raised for Skip around the world and feeling God’s presence. If you would like to follow Skip’s journey, you can sign up for them on prayersforskip.wordpress.com. Joël and Jenny have done an amazing job with keeping us updated daily!
Proud parents
After a bit of a rough start with our flights to Chad, Bert and Debbie arrived to Chad on the 17th of January with six suitcases full of supplies for the hospital. It felt great to be back to our African home! Seeing and hearing how the Lord has been using the hospital to bring others into the kingdom. He has been growing our team as they take up the reins of the hospital work and becoming a cohesive team.
Bert greeting the staff
The first weeks after we arrived, our senior management team and guest house staff were very busy getting ready for the annual board meetings. Some might wonder what does that entail? Power point presentations, financial reports, and statistics have to be gathered, written, reviewed, be submitted to the board of governance for approval, and finally sent out to all attendees. These reports and presentations have to be done in both English and French.
Our village chief, Djibrine, who Bert met on his first trip to Guinebor 2 in 2003
In between taking time for the paper work, meetings have to be attended, housing and meals for all the guests arriving are discussed and planned. Yes, this time of the year is always a flurry of activities and time of high stress for the staff on the ground! We are so encouraged to see how the various teams involved worked as a unit even during this stressful time. The positive feedback from the local government officials and other attendees were so encouraging to us and the constructive criticism given to help us improve the work for God’s glory.
Wayang and his daughter, Haoua
About two years ago, I was talking to one of our staff members just asking about his family. Wayang told me that his two-year daughter, Haoua, had problems seeing. I asked him to bring her to the hospital to be seen. It was determined that she probably had congenital cataracts. I suggested that he take her to an eye center in Cameroon and we would help them with the cost. They went and were told that she was too young to have the surgery. A few months later, I asked him again about Haoua. He told me that after the trip to the eye center, the family decided that Haoua needed to have traditional medicine. They put sugar in her eyes in the hope that it would get better. Well, you can imagine how upset I was upon hearing that! Fast forward to January 2024. While talking to Wayang, he told me that there was an eye team coming to one of the local hospitals to do eye surgery. Again, I suggested that they take Haoua to the hospital to see if the surgery could be done. Haoua had her surgery in November and can now see. Her parents are so grateful that Haoua’s future looks much brighter and she will be able to go to school without much hindrance due to visual impairment!
Wayang and his family
PRAISES:
We had a fruitful trip. Bert says that this time was truly the last time that he will be able to travel to Chad! We shall see.
The annual meetings were encouraging to all present. A new board of governance was elected. We felt the power of your prayers and a spirit of unity in our board meetings.
Upon our arrival, Million, one of our Ethiopian chaplains, came to find us with exciting news. One of the local national that he had been talking to, sharing the Good News of Christ over the last five years had accepted Christ as His Savior and now wants to be baptized. Please pray for Ousman as he is taking a strong stance in his newfound belief by wanting to be baptized!
Haoua was able to have eye surgery with excellent results!
SUPPLICATIONS:
Bert and Debbie’s prayer for 2025 is that our desire to grow in Christ will increase daily and that God will continue to bless others!
As we look around us with everything going on in the world, it is easy to become discouraged! Pray against discouragement and that God will open our eyes to see how He is using us.
Continue to pray for the villages of Guinebor 2 (G2) and Dougia that the people hearts will receive and believe the Good news of Jesus Christ.
That the new believers will grow in their faith and be a true testimony to those around them.
Little Skip that he would not suffer complications due to his prematurity.
We continue to have urgent needs for personnel: general surgeon, OB/GYN, anesthesiologist, CRNA, IT specialist, physical therapist.
We continue to covet your prayers for the work in Chad with its many challenges! Thanks for your continued partnership through encouragement, prayers, and support! If you want to personally hear about our ministry, we would love to share more with you!
This time of year fills our hearts with so much joy! The miracle of our Savior’s birth never loses it wonder, and we are profoundly grateful for all the many wonderful things God has done this past year!
“My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” Luke 1:46-47
There was rejoicing in heaven because three people accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior! Sami was in a bad motorbike accident about 20 miles from G2. His left leg was badly fractured, so his family took him to the government hospital for treatment as it was closer. As his leg was not getting better, his family decided to take him back home to be treated by a traditional healer. After several weeks, his leg became gangrenous. The family decided to bring him to Guinebor 2 Hospital where the only treatment that could be offered was an amputation. Sami did not follow any religion but his wife, Asha, was a Muslim. The prayer team and our three chaplains visited Sami, his wife and her sister regularly sharing the Gospel and praying with them. A few weeks ago, they accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior! Million, one of our chaplains, is discipling them.
BLESSINGS:
God has been so good to us! He continues to bless us with friends to love, encourage, pray, and support us!
Travel mercies to Chad, no medical issues and encouraging times during our travels to Chad.
Thankful that work at Guinebor 2 Hospital continues to be a light in the darkness. The hospital started with 30 beds and has now grown to 70, from 20 staff members to 120. It is amazing that we have grown but more importantly, the Gospel is being shared daily with patients and visitors. Every Wednesday mornings, a team goes from bed to bed praying with each patient. The Jesus film is televised in the waiting areas. Praise the Lord, six people have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior this year and others are still seeking!
God has sent new partners to shoulder the work at G2. Our team is growing again as we will be welcoming two new families in January. Mailson and Johanna, from Brazil, are Family Practitioners. Roger and Ingrid, from England, accompanied by their two sons, Mark and Joel, are prosthetists and will be developing a new center for prosthetics and orthotics.
Because of your gifts to G2, we were able to improve many departments in the hospital. Some of the biggest changes were in our Triage and Emergency Departments. Our triage now houses 2 triage stations, and our five bed Emergency Room has increased to 13 beds. These areas are spacious and comfortable for waiting patients!
Nurses Station in ER
Ousman, our ultrasound technician, and Dia, one of our midwives, have completed a 12-month ultrasound course in Cameroon and will be returning to G2 as certified ultrasound technicians. Ousman will be our abdominal ultrasound technician and Dia our OB/GYN one.
Five years ago, we purchased a new blood count machine. Our patient numbers have increased so the demand for laboratory tests has grown. Our old machine was having more issues keeping up with the increase in numbers necessitating an upgrade of our equipment. God provided the funding for a new one, from UK and USA, for which the lab team is so grateful! More tests can be done more efficiently!
Lab new Full blood count machine
After only a year of use, our new solar system had already reached its maximum capacity. Once again, God has provided funding through the Hungarian Baptist Aid to increase our solar power. This will be an immense help for the comfort of the staff and patients and less dependence on generator powered electricity.
In May, we were able to have a family get together with our children and their families. Heidi, Petter, Hudson (10), Sawyer (8) and Mae (5) continue to live in Kingscliff, Australia. Philippe, Brenna, and Oliver (2) live next to us in Hendersonville, NC, and are expecting their second child in May. Joel and Jenny live in Louisville, KY, and are expecting their first in March. We are looking forward to the arrival of the two grandsons!
In July, we travelled to Waco, Texas, to visit Greg and Lily. We also got to meet our great-grandson, James Roy Decker, Hannah and Dane’s first child!
Greg-Lily-Hannah-James (6 months)-Dane
October 17, we were able to celebrate Debbie’s father, Willi Gyger, 100th birthday! We are so grateful for the example that he has been serving the Lord, his spunkiness, and his passion for learning new things!
SUPPLICATIONS:
Our believing staff, that they will grow in the Lord and those that do not know Christ as their Lord and Savior that they will come to know Him!
Pray for wisdom for the work in Dougia and for partners to work amongst the Kotoko people.
That the new believers will grow in their faith and be a true testimony to those around them.
Bert and Debbie will be returning to Chad for our annual board meeting from January 13- February 14th. During our board meetings, we will be voting on our revised by-laws and constitution. Our prayer is that God’s name will be glorified in all our decisions!
We continue to have urgent needs for personnel: general surgeon, OB/GYN, anesthesiologist, CRNA.
Note: If you would like to watch the video that was made in August about our work in Chad, you can go to: www.medicalmissions.tv – Guinebor II Hospital
We continue to covet your prayers for the work in Chad with its many challenges! Thanks for your continued partnership through encouragement, prayers, and support! We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Greetings from sunny North Carolina! Last week at this time, it was not sunny at all. As many of you have seen on social media, Hurricane Helene created havoc in Hendersonville, Asheville and much of the northwestern part of our state as well as in several other southern states. We are so grateful that both our home and Philippe and Brenna’s home were spared. After seeing the devastation firsthand and not knowing when the water or electricity would be turned back on, Philippe, a firefighter, suggested that it would be safer that we go and stay with friends in South Carolina. Kenyon and Cathy Wells graciously opened their home to Bert, Brenna, Oliver, and me. We were able to return home five days later as the water and electricity were back on.
It was good to be able to go back to Chad for two weeks from the 16th of August to the 1st of September. It was so encouraging to see the work continue even with the challenges of rainy season. One of the things that encouraged me the most were the many positive comments from patients, family members and government officials appreciating and thanking us for the work that the hospital has provided to the people of Chad!
After one of the hottest hot seasons in Chad this year, rainy season hit Chad with a vengeance! To add to the problem a dam upriver in Central African Republic failed, emptying its contents into the already swollen Chari River. There has been much flooding in the area, crops damaged, houses crumbling, and many people displaced. The roads to the hospital have sometimes almost become impassable preventing patients and staff from being able to reach the hospital! Pray for our staff as at least two families’ houses have fallen, and others are dealing with leaky roofs and unstable foundations.
Levi and his grandmother
Many times, patients arrive for treatment at the hospital after having gone from one hospital to the next looking for treatment. Levi, a 4-year-old boy born with club feet, was brought to the hospital by his grandmother. Although Levi could only crawl along the ground to get around, he still had a beautiful smile. Levi’s mother had abandoned him at birth, so his grandmother was his caregiver. His grandmother had gone to various hospitals trying to get help for him. After hearing that orthopedic surgery was done at G2, she decided to try one more place to see if she could find help for her grandson! Kalbassou saw Levi and thought this was a case that needed to be referred to a larger hospital that had access to more specialists.
X-ray of Levi’s legs and feet! Feet are totally twisted in!
As there are no hospital in Chad with these specialists, Kalbassou made a few phone calls to Cameroon. He was informed that an orthopedic team from Italy would be going to a hospital close to Meskine Baptist Hospital, Cameroon, to perform surgeries on handicapped children for a nominal price. The grandmother was so grateful that they were willing to operate on Levi! What an answer to prayer! Levi and his grandmother will be traveling to Cameroon for his surgery in the coming weeks. Funding was donated to cover the cost of the trip and operation.
We continue to covet your prayers for the work in Chad with its many challenges! Thanks for your continued partnership through encouragement, prayers, and support! Many hands make work light!
When I think of summer the words that come to mind are: new beginnings, growth, pruning, and lots of work! I love working my garden and flower beds, pulling weeds, and just being outside!
It is so amazing to see how we sometimes think that a favorite plant did not survive the winter, but suddenly a small green shoot can be seen coming out of the ground. Sometimes, despite our hard work it seems that weeds grow the best.
I have found that it is so easy to pull out the delicate plant by accident as I am trying to pull out a weed whose roots, especially thistles, are tenacious! The weeds roots seem to be never ending and appear to go from one side of the flower bed to the other!
This image makes me think of Christian life! Recently I have been meditating on the fruits of the Spirit (Galatian 5:22-23). Growth, in our spiritual life, can be difficult as we don’t always want to be stretched! Instead of showing those fruits in our lives we seem to allow the weeds to show forth! Pray with us as we continue to grow in the Lord and the work that He has for us!
We have been so blessed over the many years by the people that have come into our lives unexpectantly and helped meet a need that we are having.
For example, my parents are part of a senior center where the women would get together and make various projects for the local community.
When my mother told them about our hospital in Chad, one of the women, Lois, started knitting and getting others to make these beautiful little newborn sets to use in our maternity department at Guinebor 2 Hospital.
Lois and her friends knitted so many of them that we were also able to send some to Meskine Hospital in Cameroon. Even though my mother has passed away, Lois and other women are continuing to knit matching little sacs and hats for the babies of Chad.
I will be returning to Chad with a suitcase full of these buntings. Another example are the non-profit organizations, Faith in Action Initiatives (FIAI) and SOS. They have been a big help to our ministry in the last two years.
Their goal is to recover and redistribute the surplus medical supplies. Faith in Action Initiatives, bswhealth.com, is part of the largest-not-for-profit health care system in Texas.
It receives supplies from Baylor Scott & White Health and donates them to other needy organizations in the USA and overseas, and disaster relief.
Stephanie Piotrski introduced us to SOS, soshealthandhope.org, located in Louisville, Kentucky.
SOS supplied Stephanie with four large duffel bags full of medical supplies when she visited Chad in January.
I will be returning to Chad with supplies provided by FIAI and SOS in August. The staff at SOS and FAIA have always been so welcoming, helpful, and willing to serve us in any way they can.
The last example I’d like to share began in February 2023, when one of our missionaries was contacted by a Swiss audiologist, Ben von Gunten, founder of Ecoute-moi (French for Listen to Me), goal is to reach people with hearing problems.
Many countries in Africa do not have access to the instruments needed for proper hearing evaluations, plus hearing aids are expensive.
In addition, opportunities for audiology training in French are also not very accessible.
Ben and his family had worked in Cameroon for 10 years but had to leave because of insecurity and civil war in the Bamenda area.
Ben started working in Chad in 2019 partnering with the School of the Deaf in N’Djamena. But he felt that there was still a piece missing to his work and was looking for a hospital to partner with.
After discussion and prayer, it was decided that Guinebor 2 Hospital would partner with Ecoute-moi to open an audiology department testing newborn hearing to begin with. This department has been opened since January 2024.
One of our staff members, Moussa Alina, started on-line courses for audiology working with Alice, a Chadian Ecoute-moi staff, that had been trained in audiology.
Ecoute-moi has provided all the technology need for audiology testing and the continuing education, on-line and in person, to Moussa. Once again, God used these surprise contacts to bring a needed service to the Chadians! www.ecoute-moi.ch.
We want to continue to thank each of you for being part of our team, encouraging and praying for us, and supporting us financially!
Please contact us if you would like more information about the work in Chad. We would love to personally chat with you and tell you more about what the Lord is doing!
“I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.” Psalms 57: 9-11
Psalms 57 was the subject of Sunday’s sermon. Our pastor encouraged us to embrace God’s big purpose for our lives, enjoy living our purpose, and depend on God in our walk with Him. This really spoke to us and encouraged us to look back on how and why we continue to go to Chad. Not everyone knows or remembers the story of how our work in Chad started, so we thought it would be timely to review how God lead us there.
In 1987, while working at Mbingo Baptist Hospital in the Northwest Province of Cameroon, one of Bert’s leprosy patients was instrumental in God’s direction for our future. The Fulani, an unreached people group, could easily be found in the surrounding area of Mbingo Hospital. A Fulani man, whom we will call Musa, had been at the hospital, for over 6 months on bedrest, without much improvement of his chronic ulcer on the sole of his foot due to leprosy. Musa had traveled three days to Mbingo from the Extreme North Province to receive care. Bert performed a specialized surgery on his foot which finally healed. A friendship developed during which Bert prayed and shared the gospel and Musa who accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Hearing about the lack of medical care in the Extreme North Province and learning that there was a large concentration of Fulani pushed us to investigate the possibility of working further north. After prayer and counsel from our pastor and friends, we felt that God was opening doors for us to move to in the Extreme North Province of Cameroon. The goal was to open a new medical work, amongst the Fulani, sharing the love of Jesus Christ with them.
After one year of French studies for Bert and a year of Bible school for both of us in Switzerland, we arrived in Meskine, Cameroon, in January 1992. Bert hit the ground running. The government provided a 5 acres parcel of land in Meskine, a predominantly Fulani village, about 20 minutes from Maroua, the provincial capital of the Extreme North Province.
As we were forming friendships with the local Fulani chief and villagers, a two men team started planting trees on the barren land. After all the proper documents were secured, construction started, and we began the hiring process for our hospital staff.
Two other American families joined us eight months after our arrival. Hôpital de Meskine opened its doors in 1994. As the hospital’s reputation grew over the years, we started seeing a large influx of Chadians, traveling five to six hours over insecure roads, seeking medical care. Once again, Bert was on a fact- finding mission, having conversations with missionaries (locally and those serving in Chad) and Chadians seeking care in Meskine, about the medical care and unreached people groups in Chad. The more he talked to people, the more he felt God tugging at his heart to start another medical project in Chad to continue to reach unreached people groups. In 2002, we returned to Meskine to say goodbye to the many friends and staff.
In December 2002, Bert, along with our friend, Jim Benham, went to Chad to do a survey, seeking the Lord’s guidance as to where we should start the new medical center. After traveling around Chad, consulting missionaries, national believers, and government officials, God opened the door for a new work.
The government invited us to build a hospital in the village of Guinebor 2. This was a small Muslim village, about 30 minutes northwest of N’Djamena, the capital (it really seemed like the bush back then but now it has grown so much!). The local chief was happy to welcome us and an 18 acres parcel of land was provided for the project in 2003. The same process was followed as we did in Meskine – friendships formed, paperwork started, trees planted, construction began, and staff hired. Hôpital de Guinebor 2 (G2) opened its doors in 2010. (This is a very brief snippet of how it all started. If you want to know more, contact us as we would love to share with you!)
Once the land was allocated to the work, we found out that at least six unreached people groups lived around the hospital. This was exciting as we were reminded that God always goes before us, paving the way and placing us exactly where He wants us and in this case in the middle of unreached groups so that we could be lights and salt to those there. You might ask “What is an unreached people group?” According to the Joshua Project, the definition of an unreached people group is a group with less than or equal to 5% Christian adherent and less than or equal to 2% evangelical. Most unreached groups are in the 10/40 window. This area includes North Africa (Chad is included), the middle East and Asia between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north latitude covering 68 countries. Some of the unreached people groups living around the hospital are: the Shuwa Arabs, the Daza/Goran, Zakawa, the Kanembu, the Kotoko, the Fulani and the Nomads. (The information about the tribes can be found on https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups). In this newsletter, we give you a brief summary about three of these.
SHUWA ARAB, or Baggara-this is the predominant tribe in the village of Guinebor 2. These Arabs are originally from Sudan. Their wealth is in their animals. Although they are respected by the Chad government because of their wealth in animals, they have never played a large role in Chad’s political arena. Their pastoral lifestyle has also saved them from being forced by the government to change culturally—an action that has disrupted the lives of the more settled peoples. The Shuwa Arabs of Chad are Sunni Muslims, but they are not particularly interested in Muslim fundamentalist ideals. The complete Bible has been translated into their language.
DAZA/GORAN-Many of Chad’s leaders have been Toubou (Gouran), including president Goukouni Oueddei and president Hissène Habré. They have the reputation of being fierce and independent Islam is part of the Daza’s cultural identity. There is great social pressure to participate in prayers and fasting, and giving alms to the poor. Some portions of the Scriptures are translated in their language.
KOTOKO/Mpade-The Kotoko cultivate millet, sorghum, maize, beans, and peanuts. In Dougia, many of the Kotoko are also fishermen as they live along the Chari River. Many of the Kotoko do not attend school or stop going at an early age therefore, they end up working menial jobs. The Kotoko claim to be Sunni Muslims. Their Islam is mixed with folk religion and animism. The Bible is starting to be translated into their language. We know of several who are seekers and now reading the Word.
There now are members from each of these tribes who believers and seekers. Some of these believers were saved at G2. Some have experienced much persecution because of their identification with Christ.
PRAISES and THANKFUL HEARTS:
We have tickets booked to return to Chad from July 14th- August 14th.
Continued unity in our senior management team (SMT).
Our team on the ground, both Chadians and expats, to continue to stand strong even through difficult times.
Solar project is completed and the hospital uses solar energy about 90 percent of the time. We are thrilled that our diesel expenses have drastically decreased!
PRAYER POINTS:
Safe travels back to Chad, endurance and health.
Personal and project financial support.
That God will reveal Himself to those around us and that their hearts will turn to the one true God.
Many refugees are fleeing from Sudan into Chad- pray for the missionaries close to that area as they are trying to be a light for Christ in the midst of the darkness.
The Chilvers, Schrubsoles and Spears families have returned to the UK leaving a big hole in our team and the work. Pray as the families readjust to life in their home country. They will be missed!
Urgent needs: obstetrician/gynecologist, anesthesiologist, surgeon, family practitioner, ultrasound technician, business administration, midwives.
We want to continue to thank each of you, again, for being part of our team, praying for us, and supporting us financially! Without you, we could not do it! God’s richest blessing to each of you!
Dear Family and Friends, Happy New Year! We are so grateful that we were able to return to Chad January 10th.
Our time in Chad was a full and encouraging time. It was a time of meetings, welcoming many government officials to show them the hospital work, training of local staff and reflection. It was encouraging to sit down with many sharing their joys and challenges over a cup of coffee or coke, praying and encouraging them!
January is always a busy time as the annual board meetings takes place around the third week of the month. Coordinating airport pickups, housing and feeding our visitors, preparing statistics and reports, sending out invitations personally or via email are just some of the tasks that take place prior to these meetings. The meetings were attended locally and via Zoom. The internet worked amazingly well this year for which we were grateful!
One could see how the hand of God has been on the hospital as there has been many infrastructure changes and its good reputation has grown. Again, our focus is not that the hospital only grows physically but has a spiritual effect on those we come in contact with in the hospital and the community. The government officials, who attended the meetings, were very engaged, asking many questions, encouraging us, and verbalizing how impressed they were with all the advances in the past two years. Yes, there is still more work to be done to improve our services but it was good to hear from others that they appreciate the quality of work done!
During the meetings with our mission partners, much discussions centered around changes in the proposed restructuring of the governance of the hospital in the year to come. This change process needs to be approached prayerfully and with open minds. New documents with the proposed changes will be submitted to the Chadian government and we pray that our proposals will be accepted!
Visit with the American ambassador and American team at G2
It was nice to welcome the American ambassador, Alexander Laskaris, and the Swiss ambassador, Nicolas Lang, as they visited Guinebor 2 (G2). Over the last 5 years, we have been working closely with the Swiss Development Cooperation on various projects and we have been blessed once again with funding for a 36 KW solar power project for which we praise the Lord! The installation of the system should be completed in the first three weeks of March lifting a big financial burden for monthly fuel consumption.
Bert was able to go to Dougia twice to visit the leaders there. Presenting the good news of Jesus again is one of Bert’s most important reasons for the visits. We continue to pray that God will raise a team who would be willing to go and live among the Kotoko people, an unreached people group, sharing the good news of Jesus to through agriculture, sports ministry, small business development and medical work.
Almost a month into our trip, Bert started having lots of pain in his left leg and swelling up to his thigh. After consulting with our physicians and having various tests, he was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). He was then started on anticoagulants and spent five days in bed with his leg elevated. Our departure date had to be delayed but we are so grateful that Bert’s pain and swelling are gone!
PRAISES and THANKFUL HEARTS:
The great trip that we had.
Continued unity in our senior management team (SMT)
Bert’s health- no complications related to the DVT.
Our team on the ground, both Chadians and expats, continue to stand strong even through difficult times.
Our Ethiopian chaplains as they continue to visit the patients in the hospital and follow up with them in the villages around the hospital. Another Ethiopian family will be joining the chaplaincy team in April.
Dr. Anatole Nzanzu, a surgeon working with CHSC, has joined us for three months.
Funding for the new women’s ward (which should be finished in June) and solar project.
PRAYER POINTS:
Please join us as we continue to seek the Lord for His direction of our future ministry, i.e. time on the field, and in the States.
Stability of the government of Chad.
Wisdom for decisions made by the board of governance and that they will glorify the Lord.
More team members for the hospital as some have or will be returned(ing) to their home countries and others will be taking extended furloughs for further training. Some of our needs are for: obstetrician/gynecologist, anesthesiologist, surgeon, family practitioner, ultrasound technician, business administration.
Bert’s health- no falls as he is still on anticoagulants.
Would you join us in praying Psalms 83:18 over the work at G2: “Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord- that you alone are the Most-High over all the earth.”
We want to continue to thank each of you again for being part of our team, keeping us in your prayers, and supporting us financially! God’s richest blessing to each of you!
