Dugger June 2007 Email Update

 

27 June, 2007

 

Dear family and friends

 

What a month it’s been!   We mentioned last month that we would be having lots of visitors this month, June.  To date, we’ve had 13 guests.   J   All have been good visits and we’re glad to have been able to host our Denali Bible Chapel family here for a week, plus our former UFM field director, and just recently, a RN from Australia for a couple of days. 

 

As we settle down to a more routine schedule both at home and at the clinic, Kim reminisced about his decision to be a missionary.   He recalled how he decided for himself that he wouldn’t go to Africa because of the prevalence of the HIV/AIDS problem there.  He preferred to do other kinds of clinical work.   And he had said before, he preferred a village-like and rural setting for a medical ministry.   So we headed to Papua, and left the bustling town of Sentani for the interior town of Wamena.   Well, God has His pleasures and desires; and it’s all His ministry and will.  Now, we live in a town setting, although not urban nor cosmopolitan, it is definitely not a village.  And Kim is diagnosing at least one patient a day (or one couple a day) with HIV and more often than not, they have full blown AIDS.  He counsels them – telling them there is no medicine to cure them, and of course, somehow tell them they will die soon, and why.   Although there are HIV/AIDS posters and signboards in town, many do not understand how HIV/AIDS is contracted and what the consequences of their risky behaviour and lifestyle choices mean. 

 

So part of what Kim thought he would avoid doing medically by coming to Papua is now “in his face” and is very much part of his ministry!   Kim is realizing everyday that we do not pick what we want to do to serve God, but God calls us to what He wants us to do!

 

And he’s seeing people blessed by the clinic.  Not only patients but the Papuan staff.  This week during the staff meeting, I’m told that one of the nurses shared that when she worked at the government hospital, she went in from 9 to noon, and didn’t really like her job.  But now, at Calvary Hospital (Rumah Sakit Kalvari – RSK), she comes in at 8 am and leaves no earlier than 4 pm – and loves her work.   I would imagine she is learning more medical treatments from Kim, has more responsibility as a nurse and now sees her work as a ministry to her own people.   PTL!

 

The official opening of the clinic (which we fortunately are not responsible for) has been postponed from mid-May, to mid-June to late June to now mid July.   The nursing staff is excitedly planning on white nursing uniforms (they’ve been using donated blue polo shirts with the Calvary Hospital logo).  There are other things they do that illustrate their commitment to this ministry. 

 

 

 

Since Kim couldn’t find a Bunsen burner to buy to use for a TB test, and what he could find cost close to USD 100, Debi, the lab technician together with Stefanus, the maintenance guy, put together what they could with local materials.  Kim was impressed!

 

 

 

 

Our AK visitors took the clinic staff out to dinner the last night they were here.  This is our funny photo – the formal one was too serious!

 

 

 

Last week, Helimission pilot Tom Hans dropped off a patient from the Korowai area, at the clinic (first photo, green roof building on far top left corner), using the helipad that Paul set up. 

And I got to go along for my first helicopter ride. J

 

Everyday, there are new challenges for the clinic staff – from disgruntled patients, the pain of telling a patient that a family member is going to die, broken plumbing (that Kim has to fix), more furniture building projects, fixing yet another malfunctioning piece of medical equipment, meetings with government officials, emergency patients – but Kim senses everyday that lives are being blessed and God’s love and compassion reach out to yet another person.  Without your prayers and encouragement, this could never be – we thank you.

 

Working for Him

 

Grace (for Kim & Claire)

 

 

If you’d like to begin or continue supporting this ministry, you can mark your donations

Project 37707

 

and send to:

CrossWorld, PO Box 306, Bala-Cynwyd, PA 19006