Friends of Kibimba Hospital

Confirmation!

2012-02-10T11:36:00.001-06:00

We have confirmation that our container is in Dar Es Salaam, and will be transported by truck to Kibimba. It should arrive sometime the first of next week. Thank the Lord for our friend in Burundi, Pontien, who called the shipping company in Dar and got the arrangements taken care of on that end.

The team from Chandler Friends Church, led by Chris Stanfield and David & Mae Kellum will be there later next week to help unpack and sort things. The Lord's timing is always perfect!

Our Container Has Arrived in Dar Es Salaam!

2012-02-08T11:06:00.001-06:00

According to the Maersk line tracking system, our container was delivered to the port in Dar Es Salaam on Friday, February 3. We will hope for confirmation from our friends in Burundi soon. Praise God!

Thank You to Hospitals of Hope!

2012-01-25T14:57:00.002-06:00

Our friends at Hospitals of Hope have recently decided to change the focus of their ministry from shipping equipment & supplies to hospitals and clinics around the world to that of creating “Clinic In A Cans.” These inexpensive, portable clinics have been used in many countries already, including in Haiti after the earthquake there. You can learn more about them on the Hospitals of Hope website (www,hospitalsofhope.org)

Because they are changing their primary focus, they needed to clear their warehouse here in Wichita to make room for work on the clinics. Due to our close relationship with them, FKH was given the first opportunity to choose from 200 pallets of medical supplies, as well as gurneys, x-ray, ultrasound, baby warmers, etc. We have enough to fill another container to send to Burundi! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

You can imagine our gratitude and excitement at the prospect of sending the THIRD container in as many years and the impact that this can have on the patients, families, and community in and around Kibimba Hospital. The ability to show Christ’s love through the healing work of Dr. Elisee and the staff is priceless.

Tracking Our Container

2012-01-25T14:54:00.002-06:00

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Dar+es+Salaam,+Tanzania&hl=en&sll=15.029686,64.511719&sspn=39.967393,85.693359&oq=dar+es+s&vpsrc=0&hnear=Kinondoni,+Dar+es+Salaam,+Kinondoni,+Dar+es+Salaam,+Tanzania&t=h&z=3

Our ship is somewhere in the Arabian Sea between Mumbai, India and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Container Number THREE is Headed to Kibimba!

2012-01-25T14:40:00.009-06:00

These pictures were taken on Tues., Dec. 6 when we watched the container being loaded onto the truck and then it took off for Kansas City where it will be loaded on to a truck and sent to Norfolk VA where it will be loaded on a ship for Dar Es Salaam and then to Kibimba. It was exciting to watch that truck pull out and we hope to watch the truck with the container pull into Kibimba in February. We need to uphold this container in prayer as it takes this long journey without any locks on it.

Container Packing - Almost Ready to Go!

2011-08-24T10:20:00.007-05:00

Here are some pictures that were taken as our crew finished packing most of the container. You can see that we still have a little room on the top of one crate where we will put some moniters that Mike (with Hospitals of Hope) is checking out for us. Then we need to do a little bit of stuffing around it. We had a bunch of layettes that came into to Northridge so Twila Flowers with the help of Ben Staley transported them to her garage and then we took them to the container.

We want to say a special "Thanks!" to those who helped pack the container. We really appreciate it.

Another Container Headed to Kibimba

2011-08-03T14:15:00.000-05:00

The Friends of Kibimba Hospital board is excited to inform you about another opportunity to send a container of equipment and supplies to the hospital at Kibimba in Burundi, Africa.

We would like to invite you to participate in this undertaking. The cost to ship a container to Burundi is several thousand dollars. We also have needed to purchase parts to repair & update some of the equipment. Would you consider making a donation to help cover the cost of shipping the container and other costs associated with preparation? You can send your tax-deductible contributions to: Friends of Kibimba Hospital, c/o Connie Young, 3220 S. Oak St., Wichita, KS 67217. If you cannot support us monetarily, please continue to keep the Kibimba Hospital and our FKH Board in your prayers.

A New Guest House

2011-08-03T14:14:00.003-05:00

Dr. Elisee recently sent these pictures of construction on a new guest house at Kibimba Hospital that will have 15 rooms.

Pictures of the Guest House & Car Park

2011-06-02T14:34:00.003-05:00

The New X-Ray In Use!

2011-06-02T14:27:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures of the first xray that was taken with the new machine we sent in the latest container. The man in the apron is the techanican from Gitega who is checking out the machine. He has now trained to guys from Kibimba to take the pictures. The man who is getting the xray is one of the pastors from Mutaho area who broke his arm. You can see that he is using a chair for the xray table.

A Report from Dave Kellum

2011-05-23T15:52:00.002-05:00

In January, 2011, David & Mae Kellum made a trip to Burundi to meet the container when it arrived. Below is David's report on that trip:

REPORT OF THE KIBIMBA HOSPITAL TRIP

By David Kellum

Mae and I left Oklahoma City on January 19^th for Burundi. The first change of our trip came in Oklahoma City when they changed our flight. The Atlanta plane was delayed and we would miss our flight to Amsterdam so they sent us to Memphis. As soon as we arrived there we were escorted to our gate where the agent took care of our boarding pass and taken to the airplane.

We arrived in Bujumbura on Saturday and were met by several people from the hospital and the church. At Bujumbura airport you can no longer go inside the building to meet people without special permission. People wait in the parking lot that is across the street from the airport building. With the position Modeste holds in government she has security and protocol people accompanying her which gives her and her party permission to enter the building.

The hospital had purchased a Honda CRX for their guests to drive. It was just right for 4 people. They brought it to Bujumbura so we had transportation while we were there. We stayed in Bujumbura until Monday and then traveled to Magarama guest house in Gitega. On our way to Gitega we stopped at the hospital and took a tour of the grounds. We saw the new Pediatric, Maternity, Restaurant, Chapel, Morgue, Family planning and the Doctor’s buildings. In the doctors building there are offices for the doctors, for the business manager and assistant director of the hospital. Dr. Elisee has his office and a room for consultations. Each two offices share a restroom. There were two rooms empty so they gave them to us to work in while we were there. One room we used as our office and the other one was where we put equipment and supplies. It is where they checked out the equipment.

We went to see the new guest house that is being built. They built a big brick wall on the north side where they are building the guest house and the nurse’s dormitory. At this time they have about 30 student nurses from the nursing school in Gitega being trained in maternity.

After our tour we continued on to Magarama guest house. Since the Hospital guest house was not ready they helped fix up a room for us at Magarama. They brought in the bed and bedding for us. It was very nice and comfortable. It even had a while satin bedspread on the bed.

We traveled from Gitega to Kibimba everyday but Sunday. We ate breakfast and dinner at Magarama with morning tea and lunch at Kibimba. We were very well fed!!

The hospital needed a bigger Central Supply for medicine so the government suggested that they turn the storeroom, that was built for the last container, into a Central Pharmacy. So they had to move everything out of the building and put it in the old container. That was one of the jobs that they wanted Doris and Debbie to work on when they arrived at Kibimba. In the meantime they had to make preparation for the container that was in Dar-es-Salaam. There was another building which is next to the Central Pharmacy that they were preparing for a storeroom. The cement floor was old and damp so they put down wooden bed slats to set boxes on.

We had information that the container was in Dar-es Salaam so we told Doris Ferguson and Debbie Brown to come if they could. They arrived January 30^th and stayed two weeks. We kept waiting and watching for the arrival of the container. The road between Muyinga and Gitega has been paved so it is now the main road for truck traffic from Dar-es-Salaam to Bujumbura. We watched many container trucks go by the guest house at Gitega. One thing that bothered David was that a lot of the containers the doors were facing the cab of the truck and he knew that we would be in trouble unloading the container if we couldn’t open those doors. On Friday, January 28 we heard that the container truck was at the border and it arrived at Kibimba the next day. That day we went to Bujumbura and stopped to see the container. David was relieved to find the doors of the container faced the back of the trailorand a strip of metal was put on so the doors could not be opened. The container had traveled to Burundi without any locks on it

We brought Debbie and Doris up country on Monday and stopped by Kibimba. The hospital officials were working with the custom officials to get permission to open the containers, but they would not grant it until they were at Kibimba. On Tuesday, permission was given and the doors were opened. It was packed full, and things were in good condition. Just inside the door of the container was the washing machine. It was taken out and sent to the laundry room, because the day before the motor of the old machine and quit working. God answers prayer. The next two days were busy unpacking. Some of the incubators were moved from the container to maternity and had babies in them a few hours later. There was a lot of excitement as the warming beds, IV poles, blood pressure machines were moved to the Doctor’s building for inspection or to be assembled and then taken to the different areas of the hospital. The X-ray machine was moved into our office. The Lord provides before we knew it. We did not have a manual for the X-ray machine, but Dr. Elisee knew an X-ray technician in Gitega so he asked him to come and help them set up the X-ray machine. This guy looked at the machine and said I know it because I spent four years studying portable X-rays in Germany. He set up the machine and before he finished there was a pastor from Mutaho who came in with a broken arm. So they took the X-ray in the storeroom with him sitting on the floor and his arm on a chair. It worked great. He has agreed to train two people from Kibimba as X-ray technicians.

Doris and Debbie spent time going over machines and setting up equipment. Then they spent several days sorting things in the old container. The last two or three days they finally got into sorting stuff in the new container storeroom. Brad and Chelsea came for a couple of days and helped us sort things. After they left we continued with the sorting. We did what we could with our limited medical knowledge but there was a lot of work to be done when we left.

David was able to visit both the Sabunda and Musama clinics. The Sabunda Clinic is going very well but the Musama clinic is not doing well.

The day before Debbie and Doris left Burundi we met with Dr. Elisee and some of his staff. We were encouraged with the plans that they have for the hospital. They are a teaching hospital and have both student nurses and doctors on the compound. They require them to attend Chapel every morning and to keep to the same ethical standard that they have for the hospital workman. Dr. Elisee is very concerned about the chaplaincy program at the hospital. They do have two part time Chaplains at the hospital.

The container was put in the Southeast corner of the Hospital Compound near the Aid’s buildings. Before we left most of the layettes had been stored in the new container, along with other stuff. They plan to put a roof over it like they did the first container so it won’t be too hot inside of it.

We praise Dr. Elisee and his staff for what has been done and what they are doing at Kibimba. They have plans to enlarge the guest house, make a parking place for the hospital vehicles and build a building with private rooms. Kibimba hospital is known all over Burundi for the quality of care they give to the people so pray for them as they meet these medical needs.

Container Packing, November 2010

2011-05-12T11:43:00.000-05:00

FKH T-shirts Available Now!

2010-11-02T13:24:00.005-05:00

Want to support Friends of Kibimba Hospital? Go to www.chandlerfriendschurch.com and order a FKH T-shirt. Only $18 and all profits go to support the hospital.

Packing Crates!

2010-10-13T10:12:00.014-05:00

Our FKH Board members and friends are busy at work packing crates and getting them in place in the container. It is sitting at the Hospitals of Hope location in Wichita, where we have also rented a pod storage unit to hold materials and supplies as we are in the process. If you would be interested in volunteering some time to help with packing, please contact us! Below are some pictures taken recently of the work in progress. (1) The container & storage unit (2) Building a crate (3) Ready to fill (4) Four crates in place (5) Stuffing in and around the crates (6) FKH Board member Connie Young prepares to inventory the contents

We're Sending Another Container!

2010-09-29T15:14:00.003-05:00

FKH has purchased another container, and is now in the process of gathering and purchasing equipment & supplies to fill it, with the goal of shipping it to Burundi before the end of this year. We are actively seeking donations of medicines, equipment and money. Below is a partial list of items we are hoping to send. Please consider how you, your group, and your church can support this project.
New Portable X-ray - $14,500
3 Vacuum Systems - $400 each
5 Spacelabs Monitors - $350 each
Bronchoscope - $2,500
Portable Oxygen Concentrator - $1,350
Services & Supplies from Hospitals of Hope - $5,000
Container Shipping Costs - $20,000

Please keep FKH in your prayers, and help spread the word about this exciting new opportunity. FKH Board members would be happy to visit with your church or group and make a presentation about this project.

A Summer at Kibimba Hospital

2010-09-16T10:59:00.006-05:00

Below is a copy of Dr. Elisee's report on the activity at Kibimba Hospital for the past summer (May-July). (Sorry for the quality/size of the print. Each page is a jpeg image, so you can copy & paste somewhere to enlarge if you really want to read the details.) You will get a feel for how busy the hospital -- and Dr. Elisee! -- are all the time. Some of the medical terms are French, but you can figure out most of them.

New Maternity and Pediatric Wards

2010-09-16T10:00:00.014-05:00

Dr. Elisee has sent some pictures of the new maternity building and pediatric building. Notice the nice white tile floor in the delivery room!

Friends of Kibimba Hospital brochure

2010-07-21T13:33:00.005-05:00

Below is a jpeg image of our newest FKH brochure. Please feel free to copy & paste and print to hand out to those who might have a interest in this project.

Coin Bank Template

2010-07-21T13:25:00.006-05:00

Gary & Connie Young have made this creative coin bank template that you are welcome to copy & paste and print off to use to save money to donate in support of the Kibimba Hospital project. Thanks, Youngs!

A Letter from Dr. Elisee

2010-05-26T10:00:00.007-05:00

Below is a letter received recently from Dr. Elisee. It gives you an idea of the work that he and the staff at Kibimba Hospital are doing for themselves:

Dear Mae and David Kellum,

greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus. I am very happy to know that you plan to send another container to us in November.We will have a meeting of our staff this week, to determine all the needs of our hospital. I will let you know quickly the list of our needs in the end of this week.

About the hospital line from the transformer to the hospital, I think that it is possible, it is not a big problem. One person who works in REGIDESO at Gitega, told me that we need a big electricity meter which cost 2000$.

About our buildings , we will start to put the framing in the end of this week, tomorrow we will buy sheet metal because today, we have a holiday in our country because of communal elections. Last week , we started to built a building for doctor’s and nurse’s consultations. We finished to built a new mortuary.

Our laboratory has now enough equipment.Thank you very much for all things you are doing for us. May God bless you.

Yours Dr NAHIMANA Elisée

Here are some pictures that Dr. Elisee sent as well:

The picture of the Doctors and nurses building. We think they will be moving the clinic up there to free up some of the rooms in the other bulding. It is located just above the area where they parked the cars.

The Lab

Pediatric building. We understand that it is just accross from the maternity building.

The morgue. David Kellum thinks that is down near the road. It looks like it is close to the brick wall that they built.

FKH Board is hard at work!

2010-02-09T13:14:00.002-06:00

The FKH Board is still hard at work, meeting together to discuss ways to assist Dr. Elisee and his staff in continuing to improve and update the hospital facilities.

The Board met on Sat., Feb. 6. Those in attendance are pictured here: (L-R) Homer Smuck, Bruce Carpenter, Dick Long, Lorna Long, Willard Ferguson, Doris Ferguson, Debby McElroy, Twila Flowers, David Kellum, Mae Kellum, Gary Young and Connie Young.

Panoramic View of Kibimba Hospital

2009-07-22T09:18:00.003-05:00

Gary & Connie Young were among those from Mid-America who visited Burundi recently for the 75th Anniversary celebration of Burundi Yearly Meeting. They have sent this panoramic view of the hospital & grounds. Enjoy!

Dr. Elisee is in the US!

2009-07-22T09:12:00.002-05:00

We are delighted to have Dr. Elisee visiting in the States for a few weeks. He arrived with David & Mae Kellum late last week and is presently staying with them in Oklahoma. While here, he was planning to have some medical treatment for kidney stones, but it became necessary to expedite that treatment when he had a major attack while traveling to the States. He will be having a procedure this afternoon (Wed., July 22) to remove the kidney stones. Unfortunately, he will be unable to attend our Ministry Conference while he is recovering.
Next week, Dr. Elisee will be visiting a colleague and making presentations at the University of Missouri Medical School. He will spend several days enjoying the hospitality of Friends in and around Columbia, MO before returning to the Wichita area.
Dr. Elisee will be visiting Northridge Friends Church in Wichita on Sunday, Aug. 9 and Argonia Friends Church on Sunday, Aug. 16. These would be great opportunities for you to meet him. He flies out of Oklahoma City on Mon., Aug. 17 for Paris, where he will visit family there before returning to Burundi.
Please keep Dr. Elisee in your prayers today as he undergoes the kidney stone procedure, then for his swift recovery, travels, and productive time visiting and greeting Friends in the U.S.

Dr. Elisee to visit the States

2009-03-11T10:53:00.002-05:00

Plans are underway to bring Dr. Elisee to the U.S. this summer. We are making plans for him to travel back from Burundi with David & Mae Kellum when they return from their visit in mid-July. He will then spend some personal time in Kansas, ending with a visit to our Friends Ministry Conference at Barclay College in Haviland, KS July 23-25. He has been invited to present a workshop about the work at Kibimba Hospital, and to give official greetings to EFC-MAYM during one of the Worship Sessions.

Following Dr. Elisee's time in Kansas, he will travel to Missouri where he will be a special guest speaker at the University of Missouri School of Medicine's chapter of the American Medical Students Association. Dr. Lincoln Sheets was an intern under Dr. Elisee in July of 2007, and has invited Dr. Elisee to speak about health and medical conditions in rural Burundi, and his work there.

If you would like to contribute to the cost for Dr. Elisee's travel, please send donations to the Friends Ministry Center, 2018 W. Maple, Wichita, KS 67213, and designate them "Kibimba Hospital." You can pray with us as well that all the travel plans fall into place, and that Dr. Elisee has a blessed time of rest and effective communication about the Hospital during his time in the States.

Heading Back to Burundi

2009-03-11T10:50:00.002-05:00

Several of our FKH Board members are planning to visit Burundi this summer, both to see the progress at the hospital and to take part in Burundi Yearly Meeting's 75th Anniversary celebration. Board members who are planning to go include David & Mae Kellum and Gary & Connie Young. Both couples have served as missionaries in Burundi for many years. Please be watching for details about their trip on this blog.

What are the Burundians' planning?

2009-03-11T10:46:00.003-05:00

We are communicating with Dr. Elisee and our friends in Burundi about their plans, hopes & dreams for the hospital. Below is an e-mail from Dr. Elisee with a list of projects that they are hoping to complete. Many of these items are also on the FKH "wish list":

Dear David Kellum greetings in the name of Jesus
I send you the survey map of Kibimba Hospital and the buildings we plan to build in 3-5 years.It will depend with the money we will have.
The alphabetical letters represent the buildings we have.The numeral represent the buildings we plan to construct .
1The new maternity
2 Mortuary
3 Kitchen, shop, restaurant
4 Meeting room
5 Room for X Ray machine
6 Parking
7 Building for administration
8 Laboratory
9 Private rooms
10 Buildings for the staff of Kibimba Hospital

We started to build the new maternity on 2th March2009 .We would like to finish the building in the end of June.We will finish to build the enclosure in the end of March.We started to use the new building of AIDS last week.
Sincerely
Dr NAHIMANA Elisee

What is Friends of Kibimba Hospital doing next?

2009-03-11T10:13:00.005-05:00

The Friends of Kibimba Hospital board is still hard at work, making presentations at churches, meeting together to make future plans, and giving financial & prayer support to our partners in Burundi. There are many projects we are considering and talking with Dr. Elisee about, and items on our “wishes & dreams” list include:

Another Christian doctor on staff
Revamping the interior of the maternity building to allow more space for incubators.
Construction of a new delivery building to improve the maternity service.
Improvements to the 2 satellite clinics operated by Kibimba Hospital, including electrical work and lab equipment & supplies.
Construction of private rooms to accommodate those who are able to pay more.
Further organization & improvements to the storage facilities.
Continued improvements in the sterilization issues with laundry & trash.
Construction of a restaurant near the road to the hospital, generating income and assisting those visiting the hospital.
Continuing improvements to electrical & water systems at the hospital.
Purchase of a new blood warmer.

How can you be involved?

First, you can pray. See the prayer list below.
Second, you can help make others aware of the needs of Kibimba Hospital. Members of FKH would appreciate the opportunity to speak at churches to explain the vision for the hospital, as well as the need for funds to support Dr. Nahimana and help with refurbishing the facility and repairing equipment. If you would like to have them at your church, please contact David & Mae Kellum.
Next, you can make financial donations to help with the costs of restoring Kibimba Hospital. Funds may be sent to Friends Ministry Center, 2018 W. Maple, Wichita, KS 67213. Please designate your gifts “Kibimba Hospital Project.”

Pray for:
▪ FKH as they seek God’s direction.
▪ Dr. Nahimana, working at the hospital.
▪ Kibimba Hospital workers, providing physical and spiritual healing to patients.
▪ More trained, Christian medical personnel .
▪ The hospital chaplains.
▪ Necessary funds to be given to cover costs associated with the project.
▪ Wisdom and insight for medical consultants working with the FKH committee.

Doing For Themselves

2009-03-11T10:00:00.003-05:00

One exciting aspect of this work is what the Burundians are doing for themselves. When our team members arrived in July ’08 to help prepare for the arrival of the container, Dr. Elisee had already implemented several changes and improvements including:

Covered cement walkways w/benches for patients
Cabinets in rooms for patient belongings
Sinks installed in exam rooms
On-site maintenance staff doing many physical plant improvements
A large, new storage building constructed
Two new large outside toilets constructed
New patient kitchen with 3 showers behind it

In addition to these physical improvements, there are other exciting things to note:

Dr. Elisee has been chosen by the government to be the Medical Director for the Gitega district, and given a vehicle to use in the role.
A Swiss organization is considering funding an AIDS treatment center at the hospital.
The maternity ward at Kibimba is known and respected throughout the country.
9 pastors completed the chaplaincy training course taught by Willard & Doris Ferguson, and there are 2 on-site chaplains at Kibimba.
The hospital staff, led by Dr. Elisee, meets each morning for devotions & prayer together.
There is a positive atmosphere, pride in their hospital and their accomplishments.

Safely Home

2008-09-19T10:04:00.002-05:00

David & Mae Kellum, Willard & Doris Ferguson and Twila Flowers have all left Burundi, and most are now home. Twila was stopping to visit family on the way back, so she may not be in Wichita quite yet.

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for this project. We will continue to post news & information about the hospital as it becomes available. Also, our team members would be happy to present reports at churches & other interested groups. Contact Dave Kellum at the number or e-mail to the right.

Getting the Container Off the Truck

2008-08-29T13:42:00.007-05:00

Here are some pictures of unloading the container. You can see the container on the truck and then a couple of pictures of the container partly unloaded; one where it is on the ground, one of the truck and driver and the last one is moving it into place.
We are all fine, David

Twila is in Burundi!

2008-08-28T13:16:00.002-05:00

This just came from David Kellum:

"Just a note to let you know that Twila made it OK. Her flight was about 15 minutes late. David Bipfabusa; Pontien and I met her. We had a little shopping to do and then came up to Kibimba and got here about 5:00. The doctor just came in to visit a little while. We have another PTL, the doctor said that they had received word that the exoneration from customs went through.
God bless,
David"

Also, just in case you're wondering -- Fran Sigley and her son Owen are back home after their time in Burundi. Fran has promised a report for this blog when she gets a chance.

Unpacking the Bounty

2008-08-27T13:22:00.008-05:00

These pictures show the last crate coming off. Another shows the guys sawing up the boards from the crates for shelving; another picture shows the piles in the storeroom, and there is another one that shows taking the crate out. I will try to send some others of unloading the container later.
David

Off the Truck and On the Ground

2008-08-27T13:19:00.001-05:00

Good evening,

I have been trying to send you more pictures, but our computer is going slow tonight so will do that later. They finished unloading yesterday about 3:30. We tried to get a message out last night but we could not get a connection. They took the container off the truck this morning. We hired some guys from Gitega that said they had taken a container off a truck before, so they came out and did it. The truck drove out around noon. We are praising the Lord and tired and dirty. Lots of sorting to do.

More later,
David

Arriving, Opening, Unpacking...

2008-08-25T13:24:00.006-05:00

The container has arrived at Kibimba. Below are pictures of the truck arriving, unlocking the container, and starting to unload things. Mae writes:

"Hi to Everyone, The big news this evening is that the container arrived at Kibimba this morning. David and Samson went to Gitega and found that it was ready to go so they accompanied it to Kibimba. So much dust had gotten into the locks it took a lot of WD40 in the lock to make it work.
We went to work -- Doris was in charge of the storeroom and had several helpers try to put things away. The sorting will come later. They have unloaded about half of the container. They did get the xray table out. It took a lot of manpower. I will write more detail later.
I am going to try to send some pictures: One is the container in Gitega showing that the locks are in place, one is arrivning at Kibimba and the others are unpacking."

At Last!

2008-08-24T19:11:00.003-05:00

Here is the newest information from David Kellum. Feel free to shout Amen!

Hi to everyone;

The truck with the container arrived in Gitega this morning. It traveled 750 miles from Dar Es Salaam. About 360 were paved and the rest of it was dirt road. We do not know the time it arrived but we were at church in Gitega at Magarama when David Bipfubasa got a phone call from the doctor saying that it was in Gitega. David was not feeling well at his stomach so he went out and went to the guest house and Bipfubasa found him there and told him that the container had arrived. So they went to down to the old market square and found the truck there. They got the papers from the driver to photo copy so Bipfubasa could take them to Bujumbura this afternoon. These papers are from customs with the number on it that needs to go to the Minister of finances for exornation of custom. The doctor and his wife will work on that tomorrow morning. She works in the ministery of finances.

Tomorrow we will go to Kwibuka and pick up some things we need to help with unloading. We think that we have permission to bring the container to Kibimba tomorrow. Before we can open it a customs and a health official have to be there to open it. The health official will come from Buja and the customs will come from Gitega. Pray that both of them will be able to come on Tuesday morning.

Pray that everything will go well with the unloading of it.

David

Keep On Truckin'!

2008-08-21T06:15:00.002-05:00

Hooray! Mae Kellum gives this exciting update:

"This morning about 10:00 the doctor received a phone call from SODETRA with the news that the container is on the truck and is on the way to Burundi. We hope it will be here by Monday or Tuesday and maybe before that. Pray for the safe arrival."

Praise God!

Hospitals of Hope

2008-08-20T15:44:00.001-05:00

Our friends at Hospitals of Hope have an online newsletter that this month features an article written by our own Twila Flowers about our container. You can see it at: http://hospitalsofhope.org/pdf/august_2008.pdf

Patients/Patience While We Wait

2008-08-20T13:16:00.002-05:00

Mae Kellum sent this picture from the hospital today. She says it shows "big brother holding the IV bottle for his little brother." Mae thinks the little guy has malaria. This helps us remember what all this effort is about -- treating physical needs and touching lives with the love of Jesus.

No news today on the container. Keep praying!

All Signs Are Good

2008-08-19T09:29:00.002-05:00

David & Mae Kellum send this note from Burundi:

"Good morning Burundi time. Yesterday the doctor came from Bujumbura with news that the container is out of port; I suppose that means it is all cleared, and is ready to be put on a truck. After they put it on the truck it will take at least six days of travel. Could you update everyone on this. We are doing fine. David"

This confirms what we had heard from the shipping company. Praise God! Now keep praying that truck across Tanzania and all the way to the hospital. What a great celebration that will be when it finally arrives! Keep watching this blog for updates as they come -- we will hope for pictures, too!

Pray for Twila!

2008-08-18T14:29:00.002-05:00

Twila Flowers, from the Friends of Kibimba Hospital board, will be traveling to Burundi next Tuesday, August 26. She will be traveling alone, so please pray for safety and smooth travel, connections and luggage transfers.
According to the shipping company website, our container was "discharged" from the Dar Es Salaam port on Tuesday, August 12. We were expecting it to take about 2 weeks after it left the ship to be loaded on a truck and driven to Kibimba, so Twila and the container will hopefully both arrive at Kibimba before the end of August!

Finally! Some Good News

2008-08-14T13:31:00.002-05:00

David & Mae Kellum have sent us this good news! They also want us to keep praying that the final pieces will fall into place so that the container gets to Kibimba, is approved by customs, and the equipment & supplies can be unloaded. Here is the report written by David:

August 14.

Hi to everyone,
We have some good news. David and Willard went to Bujumbura with the doctor and when they went to SODETRA they found that the container is on the ground and should be loaded on the truck in two or three days. Then they said 6 days to Burundi. We are thinking maybe the container should be here around the 26th, but we hope we are surprised. I think the doctor has permission to bring the container to Kibimba. One problem is that the customs office has to be there when the door of the container is opened. Because this is hospital stuff the medical department may want to be here. Dr. Elisee is working on trying to get all of this together. But nothing can really be done until the truck gets into Burundi. Then he will present the packing list to customs. But yesterday in town, both the customs and medical requested a list of the content so they told them they would have to photo copy it and they did. Dr. Elisee says he is not worried he knows a lot of people.
We ask you to pray for a safe trip for the container, and that the customs and medical inspection will not take a long time.
Yesterday was an interesting day here at Kibimba. The Ambassador from Belgium stayed here last night. He has finished his assignment in Burundi and wanted to walk across part of the country. Yesterday he walked from Mwaro to Kibimba, a distance of 30 kilometers but not very hilly, today he walked on to Mutoya, a Catholic mission about 40 kilometer and he had some big hills to climb. He had 3 security guards with him and they stayed here in this house. David and I moved over to Marc’s house for the night. The doctor took him to see the hospital last night and he was impressed with the work they were doing there. We had dinner with them after the hospital visit.
I heard Doris turn the email on and I want to send this before it goes off.
God Bless you all,
David Kellum

While We Are Waiting

2008-08-11T13:41:00.002-05:00

I thought our friends would appreciate this article written for the Northridge newsletter by one of our wonderful volunteers who helped with packing the container, Norman Carr:

DRUG RUNNING CAN BE A GOOD THING
Can I get an Amen? Somebody? Anybody?

The National Drug Intelligence Center considers Interstate 35 between Kansas City and Wichita one of the most active overland routes for drug transportation in the United States, so I wasn’t surprised when a rack of flashing lights pierced the stormy Flint Hills sky. The highway patrol officer’s lights weren’t flashing for me this time.
A few minutes later, another patrolman’s lights burst through the grayness. He, too, chased after someone else. Relieved, I entertained myself by the thought of the patrolman humming, "This Little Light of Mine," every time he turned on those spinning beacons that sent terror into the minds of drivers.
"Good thing it wasn’t us," I said to my passenger as I watched the action play out in my rearview mirror. "Yeah," he said, "We’d have some explaining to do." He referred to our truckload of drugs we had picked up in a seedy, beaten down part of Kansas City.
Surprised that a normal looking, mild mannered guy seated in the pew next to you has such a past? My story is not so unique: Due to a lack of supervision, I fell in with a certain crowd and the next thing I know I’m jamming gears and running drugs.
As a young retiree, I lack supervision because my wife goes to work and leaves me home alone during the day. I got mixed up with the Friends of Kibimba Hospital, a "crowd" that partners with Burundi Yearly Meeting to provide medical and spiritual healing in one of the world’s most desperate national healthcare systems.
By providence and a string of small miracles, Hospitals of Hope (HOH), a Christian medical relief organization, channeled skids of donated medications — $300,000 worth — to Friends of Kibimba Hospital. (Now would be an appropriate time to give your Amen!) Don Losew, also unsupervised during the day, and I volunteered to drive HOH’s truck to Kansas City and collect the generous donation.
A dedicated crew of volunteers spent several hours loading the medications and tons of hospital equipment into a 40-ft. container. It shipped to Burundi on April 29. Fran Sigley, with other volunteers, now waits in Burundi for delivery, but ever-so-common obstacles in that part of the world have delayed the shipment. They need our prayers.
Northridge has a rich heritage of mission involvement, but we are not resting on past efforts. Today, we have a commendable team of young missionaries in various stages of their careers, countless youths and adults with short-term mission experiences, and former parishioners growing a new congregation. With determination, our light brightly shines. Even normal-looking, mild-mannered folks in the home pews have many and varied opportunities, such as stuffing Africa-bound crates, to help light the world.
Our commitment is evident by the inclusion of the flame symbol in our logo that represents sharing Jesus. Our flame has much in common with a Burundi proverb: Where there is love there is no darkness. As Christians, we know who dispels the darkness. In John 8:12, Jesus says, "I am the Light of the world." Knowing this, His followers have another opportunity to give an Amen!

Unloading Ideas

2008-08-09T19:32:00.004-05:00

We have received some news from David Kellum. They are still working on how to go about unloading the container when it arrives. There is no update on the container and/or ship's location. Here is David's message:

"Greetings to all of you . We are doing fine and being cared for very well. Dick should be home by now. We hope he had a good trip .

We have not had any new news of the container, but the doctor went to town this week end so he will check on it at SODETRA on Monday.

On Wednesday we heard that the Catholic mission about five miles from here had received a 40 ft container so we went to see how they unloaded it. The Italian father was not there, but he would be back in the afternoon. They did show us where they unloaded the container. They had built a special rig with six legs out of I beams and cross pieces with a roof over it. It was mounted on cement pads. They had hand operated chain winches, one could be moved for unloading either a 20 or 40 ft container. They backed the truck under it and unloaded in ten minutes. Before they had the rig set up they had used four large screw jacks for unloading. We returned in the afternoon and met the Italian father who was in charge of it. He was very kind and showed us around. We asked him about the jacks and he had only one of them. Two of the jacks were at another Catholic mission and he did not know where the other one was. He offered to let us use his rig and unload there, but we did not know how we would get the container to Kibimba.

The Catholic father asked the doctor if he was the doctor at Kibimba and Elisee told him, yes he was, then he said I have two hospital beds that just arrived in this container. When we went back to get the beds they gave them four beds with the possiblity of 20 more. They also, gave them several boxes of medicine. We hauled the beds to the hospital on Friday.

We do not know how we are going to unload the container but we are working on it. The doctor will check with SODERTA to see if they know anyone that can unload a full container .

Tuesday we plan to meet with the governor and see if he will contact the French Road Company who is building the road between Gitega and Muhinga and see if we can borrow their crane.

They are continuing to work on the area at the hospital where the container will set. We hope we will be ready for it when it arrives.

We continue to Praise God for His help with this project. Keep praying for us :

David and the rest of the gang"

Another Picture

2008-08-06T09:34:00.002-05:00

Mae Kellum has sent this picture that she says shows the new doors and windows at the hospital. She also reports that the trucking company there in Burundi expects the container to arrive before the end of this week in Dar Es Salaam. They are considering whether to change their travel plans to stay until the container arrives at Kibimba. Please pray with them for wisdom and clarity about this.

At Sea -- At Last!

2008-08-04T10:33:00.002-05:00

We have finally received a notice from the shipping company that our container has been loaded on to the MSC Federica, and departed Salalah, Oman on Friday, August 1. It is scheduled to arrive in Dar Es Salaam this Friday, August 8! Please keep praying -- we need the port congestion to clear so that the container can be unloaded from the ship to the truck, and then be on its overland journey to Kibimba. If all goes smoothly, it may arrive at the hospital before the end of August.

Also, Fran & Owen Sigley arrived safely and with all their luggage last Sunday. Steve Sigley, Fran's husband is recovering well from his emergency gall bladder surgery. Thanks for praying!

Bus Bombing

2008-07-28T11:30:00.001-05:00

If you hear about a bombing in Burundi dont be alarmed. Kibimba hospital is the truma center. We are fine. There are 19 patients here and 25 at other hospitals. Our ambulances were used to transport patients to other hospitals.

FKH mission contiengent

More Hospital Pictures

2008-07-27T13:45:00.011-05:00

Here are some more pictures received from Dick Long this morning:

The New Kitchen

The New Storeroom

The New Incinerator

A Little News from Kibimba

2008-07-26T17:58:00.006-05:00

Our team members in Burundi have finally gotten access to E-mail! Here is a brief update from Dick Long. (He is having to type on a French-format keyboard, so his messages are short & sweet until he gets the hang of it a little better!)

"We are eating too well and sleeping good. There is not as much maintaince stuff to do so we have not been busy with small work. We have done a lot of planning toward the container placement and where to put stuff. We are going to a meeting this morning for a certificate presentation. Tomorrow we will go to the airport to pick up Fran and Owen. First picture is new awnings. Second is new shop by the generator."

Please continue to pray for safe travel for Fran & Owen Sigley as they make their way to Burundi. Also, keep Fran's husband (Owen's dad) Steve Sigley in your prayers. He had an emergency surgery this morning to remove his gall bladder. Pray for his recovery and for peace for Fran & Owen that they will entrust Steve to the Lord's care.

Burundi Bound

2008-07-25T09:21:00.002-05:00

Fran Sigley & her son Owen Sigley will be departing today for Burundi. They have decided that because their schedules would not permit them to go at a later date, they would go ahead and make the trip as planned. The container will not arrive until after they have been there, but they will work at the hospital with preparation for its arrival and doing anything else that Dr. Elisee and the staff there asks of them.

Twila Flowers has postponed her trip to the hospital until after the container's arrival, whenever that may be. We do not have any new information about it, so we are assuming that it is still sitting in Salalah waiting for the congestion at the Dar Es Salaam port to clear.

Several members of the FKH board made a presentation at the Friends Ministry Conference at Friends University on Thursday evening. They showed the DVD that has been used and added information about the contents of the container (including over 500 layettes from Mid-America Friends Women's groups). The report was well-received, and the work of FKH has been recognized in several of the printed reports of various boards of EFC-MAYM. We are so grateful for the support of our Friends churches throughout the region.

Keep watching for updates from the team already in Burundi, the container's whereabouts, and the Sigley's trip. As always, we covet your prayers.

Safe Arrival

2008-07-21T11:49:00.002-05:00

The Kellum's, Ferguson's & Dick Long have arrived safely in Burundi, along with their luggage. Here are excerpts from a note received from them this morning:

"Greetings.
We are glad to let you know that we arrived safely and all bags finaly arrived.
We recommand the other team not to come; the container is still in Saudi Arabia.
We met with SODETRA and they have received our money and they have done all they can. We very well welcomed , eating too much , good quarters and you will not recognize the hospital , many good changes , now they have 100 beds .
Best wishes.
David, Mae Kellum and Dick Long"

As you can read above, they were able to confirm what we had thought -- the container is not going to arrive as we had hoped. That means that the travel plans for Fran, Owen and Twila are now "up in the air." We are waiting for further instruction from the Kellum's about that. Please keep praying for clarity from God about this matter.

God Is In Control

2008-07-17T09:46:00.003-05:00

Seems that all of our planning has again been overrided by the Master Planner. After several days of wondering, E-mailing across the world, and deciphering messages from New York City, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and Salalah, Oman, we have determined that our container is still in Salalah. Furthermore, it is scheduled to be loaded on a different ship than we thought -- the MSC Federica -- which is scheduled to depart now on July 26. The ETA in Dar is now August 2. If it takes a week to get it off the ship and onto a truck, then another week to travel overland to Burundi, it will be at least August 15-16 before it gets to Kibimba. Realistically, we're probably looking at the 3rd week of August. We will just trust that God has a perfect plan for all of this, even though we don't see or understand it now.

The first group (David & Mae, Willard & Doris, Dick) from our team is still traveling to Burundi on schedule. They are leaving from Wichita today and will be working on preparing a site for the container to be placed. They will also be working to devise a method to get the crates out of the container. We don't think the Burundians have any idea what unpacking this container is going to involve!

Willard will also be teaching the training course for chaplains at the hospital. Please remember to pray for him and those who will be in the class. This is one of the most important aspects of our Board's mission & purpose, and one that can easily be overlooked in the excitement of sending equipment & supplies. We must remind ourselves that the ultimate purpose of all of this is to show the Burundian people who come to the hospital the love of Christ. The chaplains will play a crucial role in this.

We will keep you posted on their progress with the preparations. Also, will let you know what Fran, Owen & Twila will be doing about their planned trip. Thanks for your support & prayers!

God is in control!

Still No Word

2008-07-11T11:08:00.002-05:00

There is still no word on our container & ship. We will just have to trust that the Lord is once again working in His perfect time, and that everything will come together in just the right way.

We had a great day on Wednesday, July 9, with several people helping to pack trunks with more medical supplies & equipment, layettes, tools and a few personal items for the folks preparing to travel to Burundi to prepare for the arrival of the container. Those who worked were David & Mae Kellum, Gary & Connie Young, Fran Sigley, Owen Sigley, Twila Flowers, Dick & Lorna Long, and Debby McElroy. We packed 10 trunks Wednesday, and there will be an additional 6 that team members are packing separately, for a total of 16 trunks going in the next month.

Please remember to pray for David & Mae Kellum, Dick Long, and Willard & Doris Ferguson, who will depart from Wichita next Thursday, July 17 to travel to Kibimba. They will be making preparations for the container's arrival at the hospital, including some type of concrete pad for it to sit on to serve as storage space. Willard will also be teaching a course on chaplaincy while he is there, in order to fulfill that crucial aspect of the ministry of the hospital.

Fran Sigley, Owen Sigley, and Twila Flowers will be leaving Wichita the following week. They will be helping with unpacking, sorting, setting-up equipment, and storing supplies.

Please pray that God will keep His hand of protection over the container, that the container will arrive at the hospital in a timely fashion, and for traveling safety for our team members. Pray for Dr. Elisee and the hospital staff - that they will be able to quickly learn the most efficient and effective use of the equipment, and that many lives will be touched both physically and spiritually. Pray for Willard as he prepares for and teaches the chaplaincy course.

Thank you for your prayers & financial support. Keep watching for updates!

Somewhere On the Arabian Sea

2008-07-03T13:49:00.005-05:00

According to a container tracking website that I managed to locate, the ship with our container departed from Salalah, Oman on Sunday, June 29. It will travel from there to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Please continue to pray for the safety of the ship and the contents of our container.

Also, pray for the members of the Friends of Kibimba Hospital board who will be traveling to Burundi in the next few weeks to assist in unloading, set-up and storing the equipment and supplies.

The MSC Stefania

2008-06-26T15:45:00.004-05:00

Mae Kellum has found a website to track "our" ship. The container for Kibimba Hospital is being transferred today to the MSC Stefania and according to the schedule shown, should arrive in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania on the 28th or the 30th. We were told that once it arrived in Dar, it would take something over 2 weeks for it to be unloaded and transferred to the truck. Then it will take another week or so for it to travel overland to Kibimba. Keep praying!

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow! (and flow!)

2008-06-20T13:46:00.000-05:00

Thanks to God's abundant provision and perfect timing, a 40-foot container, completely stuffed with medical equipment, medicines, layettes, and VBS supplies is on a ship headed for Burundi. This phase of the project would never have been completed without the generosity and obedience of the people of EFC-MAYM.

The second phase of the container project will happen in mid-July. The container will arrive in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and then be transported by truck to Kibimba. Three of our board members, David & Mae Kellum and Dick Long will be traveling to Burundi to supervise and assist with preparations for the container’s arrival. This will include construction of a concrete pad for the container to sit on for future storage use, as well as re-wiring some of the hospital facility to accommodate the equipment when it is installed. They will depart from Wichita, KS on July 17.

On July 26, several more people from our board who have medical knowledge will be going to Burundi to help with unpacking, setup and organization of the equipment and supplies. These include Fran Sigley and her son Owen, Twila Flowers, and Willard & Doris Ferguson. They will spend several days ensuring that everything is properly stored, helping to install and train the hospital staff on the equipment, and making sure that everything we send will be used effectively to increase the impact of the hospital in the area.

You can watch this blog for news from Kibimba Hospital as the container arrives and is opened and unpacked. It will be so wonderful to see the excitement & celebration as the people there see what God has provided through the generosity of His people in the States.

Packing the Container

2008-06-20T13:35:00.002-05:00

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Hospitals of Hope and our friends Mike Wawrzewski and Daniel White. They, along with volunteers from Friends of Kibimba Hospital and others spent countless hours sorting, counting, and packing equipment and supplies for the container. An article about the project appeared in the April 4, 2008 Wichita Eagle.

How Can You Get Involved?

2008-06-20T13:33:00.000-05:00

First and most importantly, you can pray.

Second, you can help make others aware of the needs of Kibimba Hospital. Members of FKH would appreciate the opportunity to speak at churches to explain the vision for the hospital, as well as the need for funds to support Dr. Nahimana and help with refurbishing the facility and repairing equipment. If you would like to have them at your church, please contact David & Mae Kellum.

Next, you can make financial donations to help with the costs of restoring Kibimba Hospital. Funds may be sent to Friends Ministry Center, 2018 W. Maple, Wichita, KS 67213. Please designate your gifts “Kibimba Hospital Project.”

If you would be interested in being a member of a medical or construction team to visit the Kibimba Hospital in the future, please make your interest known to FKH. Teams will be formed as needs become evident.

Kibimba Hospital today

2008-06-20T13:30:00.001-05:00

Dr. Nahimana and his staff are treating patients at Kibimba. In 2005, there were 13,360 outpatients, 3,003 inpatients, 723 baby deliveries, and 172 AIDS tests administered. Water and electricity supplies are better, but still not ideal. Dr. Nahimana is training the staff in matters of hygiene, as well as performing surgeries as needed.

FKH members are working to prioritize needs, raise awareness, and seek funding and support for the many needs at Kibimba Hospital. With the guidance of experienced missionaries and U.S. medical professionals, we believe that Kibimba Hospital can become a valuable resource for physical healing and spiritual witness in the Kibimba area.

Dr. NAHIMANA Elisee

2008-06-20T13:24:00.000-05:00

Dr. Nahimana is the third child of Pastor Bahenda, and was born at Kibimba Hospital. He is a surgeon, who studied in Madagascar with financial support from Friends Women in MAYM. He returned to work at Kibimba Hospital from 1990-1993 as a physician and director, but was forced to flee the country during the war. During the years he was away from Burundi, he continued his study of surgery in the Ivory Coast.

Dr. Nahimana has recently returned to Kibimba Hospital with two dreams, to “see it rehabilitated and treat many sick persons who come there as it was during the period Dr. Rawson was there” and “to bring patients to Jesus because our physical life is for a small time but our spiritual life will live for eternity.”

What is Friends of Kibimba Hospital about?

2008-06-20T13:22:00.000-05:00

In 1934, Arthur and Edna Chilson established the first Friends mission station in Burundi at Kibimba. The mission grew as homes, churches and schools were built. Through the years, Friends missionaries ministered to the Burundi people by telling them about Christ, teaching their young people in primary and secondary schools, and giving medical attention in improvised clinics. These clinics were located under eucalyptus trees, then in small dispensaries, and in 1955 the Kibimba Hospital was built and originally supervised by Dr. Perry Rawson. EFC-MAYM nurses who worked there include Doris Ferguson, Twila Jones Cody, Bob Shaffer and Geraldine Custer. The hospital thrived and thousands of people were shown the love of Christ through its staff.

The hospital continued to function through the civil unrest of recent decades, though in a limited capacity due to water and electricity supply disruptions, lack of adequate staff, and many other difficulties. Several teams from Mid-America Yearly Meeting have visited in recent years, and worked to improve electrical and water systems, as well as treating patients alongside the Burundi medical staff .

It was during these visits that the vision for restoring the Kibimba Hospital to its best condition was inspired. The Friends of Kibimba Hospital (FKH) came together in the fall of 2006 to try to determine how people in the U.S. could partner with those in Burundi to accomplish this goal.

Welcome to Friends of Kibimba Hospital

2008-06-19T09:56:00.000-05:00

This blog has been created to allow our supporters and friends to keep up with the Friends of Kibimba Hospital project. More to come!