It’s a new year! What does our future hold?  We can tell you. We celebrated the new year’s entry in Vanga, with missionary colleagues Tim and Kathy Rice and our extended medical staff family.  During the eight-hour drive on the paved road, we eyed the sky suspiciously knowing the final three hours on dirt roads included clay hills – slick when wet.  Fortunately, the rains held back, and we arrived uneventfully.  In addition to Vanga being Katherine’s childhood home, the hospital there is the springboard for over 100 years of mission health work in Congo.

Tim took us on a scenic ride up the Kwilu river and a refreshing float down steam.  Adventures of Katherine’s childhood replayed in her mind through the soft ripples of the current, chirping song birds, and tree-lined banks.

Wayne spent a day installing a 50 KW solar inverter for the hospital in collaboration with engineers in Germany who assisted via phone.  Remarkably, the system worked on the first try.

Niami front, Jeanscy back, Bruno right, Walter and Harold on Wayne’s phone.

The Vanga hospital is a 450-bed teaching hospital with family medicine residents, medical students on rotation, and nursing students.

On New Year’s Eve, staff doctors and residents organized a dinner party under the stars.  An hour into the festivities, completely unannounced by thunder, lightning or wind, large rain drops began falling.  We all took refuge in a house used by Kathy Rice to home school the staff’s children.  Clothes (and food!) dampened, but not spirit’s, the party rocked on.  We celebrated with a “family” photo.

This is the future!  We thank God for raising up these laborers to work in Congo’s ripe harvest fields. (L to R).

Dr. David – completing residency this month, inspired convener of a biweekly virtual meeting for/with colleagues to explore ‘best practices’ in caring for diabetic patients in a resource deprived context (poverty, no refrigeration).  The meeting includes a former missionary physician at Vanga – now at the Swiss Tropical Institute, and an expert in tropical internal medicine.

Dr. Jaebets – first year resident, with an insatiable compassion for the poor and suffering who surround him in the wards.

Dr. Gloria – 3rd year resident, excelling in surgery but faithfully being the salt and light his patients need to leave the hospital knowing that Jesus LOVES and Jesus heals.

Dr. Junior Burubu – ObGyn specialist, rotating in Vanga for 3 months with its high patient load, and wholistic approach in maternity care .

Dr. Tim Rice – Internist/pediatrician, esteemed missionary colleague, and director of Vanga hospital.

Dr. Jean Aime – graduate from the family medicine residency program, then staff doctor and preceptor at in the hospital.  He subsequently specialized in ophthalmology and now directs ophthalmology surgery, patient care, and training of nursing assistants from sister Baptist hospitals who provide basic eye care in these rural / underserved areas.

Dr. Mibwa – also completing the residency this month; poised to serve as medical director at one of the fourteen Baptist hospitals in our network.

Dr’s Ngoy and Hertier – newest members of the team, awed at what it means to be providers in the Christ-centered medical care they are experiencing at Vanga.

Dr. Toussaint – 3rd year resident; quiet, reflective, whose unshakable conviction is to serve God through his patients, wherever God will plant him.

Dr. Matadi – first year resident whose persistence convinced us to recruit him into the Vanga program to respond to God’s call.

Dr. Junior (plate in hand) – staff doctor and senior preceptor of the junior colleagues, leads the team in improving diagnostics.  His passion for research into the common diseases in Congo has gotten him into a Phd program at Oxford University.

Dr. Mukenzi – third year resident who from early childhood chose the medical profession from his experience as sibling and playmate for a handicapped younger brother.
Front row:  Dr. Madinga – graduate from the family medicine residency program, staff doctor and junior preceptor.  He is passionate for teaching Sunday school, and admired for his sense of humor, his well-rounded leadership, and commitment to Christ

Dr. Boboto is a dentist!  Recruited to expand the services offered to Vanga patients.

We are thankful for God’s continued call, God’s faithfulness to us in the mission to which he calls us.  Your prayers and faithful partnership uphold this journey.  The dedication of colleagues around us inspire hope.  We grasp the future with renewed vision.  God holds the future!

Thank you, and God bless you.