It's been a bit of a stretch of no communication, and we thought we would double the fun this month!
In actual fact, projects are in full tilt, and we would love to not only update you on the happenings, but ask for your prayer in the process. Progress can be a test of patience, and even with deadlines looming, many key details have yet to be sorted out. Naturally, this brings with it a fair amount of stress. It think our heart rates might be reading as if we are doing a steady amount of cardio exercise these days.
As many of you will recall, last fall we ran the #WithoutWater campaign to bring more water to our hospital. The campaign was a roaring success, and we successfully raised nearly $60,000 to support obtaining more wells and infrastructure to support bringing more of this life-giving resource.
Little did we know that this past January, our water levels would reach an all-time low. Rainy season didn't come to our part of the country, and water restrictions began - 7 months earlier then usual.
Thanks to #WithoutWater, the hospital has been surviving off the added well.
God knew what he was doing when you all pitched in to make that project a success. Even with the additional well, our maintenance team are trekking to the dry riverbed daily to dig holes and supplement the hospital's water needs.
But we aren't done yet!
 |
Our maintenance team has been digging trenches (for weeks!) so we can connect the pipes and electrical to the wells in the fields. Still a ways to go! |
This year, we have continued to move forward to finish up the projects that began last fall. While our electrical overhaul began, we were unable to finish it...until now. At the end of June, a team of 9 from Ireland and Australia will come to help us run wires, upgrade the current transformer, add a new generator, and (Lord-willing) add a power conditioner to the hospital grid.
This is a lot of technical jibber-jabber. Basically, we hope that by July, we have more water coming in, and more, better quality power.
As we speak, Jesh is in the capital city trying to source equipment needed for the electrical upgrades (Don't even get us started on that - why is the power company not doing this, one might ask?). The container with the necessary cables for the electrical team is stuck in customs. An important shipment from the Engineering team in South Africa is also stuck. And our power conditioner didn't get sent in time...so we don't know if it will be here while the electrical team is still here.
Hence our call to prayer.
We recognize that at the end of the day, there is only so much we can do. And yet over and over we have seen God "make a way where there seems to be no way". These basic resources are fundamental to continued hospital operations, and ultimately patient care, so it propels us to do everything we can to continue forward.
We are asking that you join us in praying these projects through to the finish. We know that it might not all work out perfectly, but we are just praying that some of the pieces shift so we can see progress come to this struggling part of the world. We long to bring the resources that will fuel hope, healing and encouragement to the sick and weary in our corner of the world.
We will try to keep our facebook page updated as we move into this next month.
Oh, and would you pray for our family as well? I (Julie) am heading out of the country (Jesh and I will pass in the air!), and it feels like the worst possible time in many ways. I'm trusting these plans are meant to be, but praying Jesh and the kids will not only survive, but mange well (and selfishly, that I don't come back to chaos??:). Additionally, that we would find ways to navigate the stress and busyness of the next month with grace and strength. It's definitely full-on, and we are readying ourselves for the (hopefully) final push on some of these things!!
Thanks for standing with us,
By Julie
