Dear friends, last month I used the example of Caleb and Joshua being the only two scouts of the twelve with a vision for the future. The Israelites would have stoned them for this if God had not intervened directly. The result was a further 38 years of wandering through the desert until they were finally allowed to enter the Promised Land.
The team in Shell has this vision and also the motivation, but they had to survive a difficult month – the peak of the annual rainy season. In March the rain in this region slowly increases. Then the earth is saturated with water. If a heavy downpour occurs in a valley, landslides occur, making all roads from the highlands to the lowlands nearly impassable. This year the road from Baños to Shell was blocked in about 20 places. Houses were swept away, leaving as many as 16 people dead in their sleep. The area around Shell was cut off from the outside world for almost two weeks.
The rainy season is always something special for our hospital, too. Patients often stay away simply out of fear of not being able to return home. Many of our doctors come from outlying areas and have been unable to see patients. Operations have been cancelled on short notice. For a hospital without major financial reserves, this is life-threatening.
Once again, we were only able to manage payroll and other obligations with great difficulty. July has also been quite challenging.
Such a time brings the team closer together again. Prayer meetings are becoming more important as people bring forth their needs. The employees pooled their money and brought free food, medical aid and even dental treatment to the suffering people on the streets of Shell. “If we can hardly find any patients in the
hospital, we look for the sick in their
homes!”
And those who give also receive something: The secret to living by faith. When we were generous, we were given generous donations. That is the story of the Shell Hospital. Our team has exceeded itself. They have made new friends along the way. That is our testimony.
The process of financial recovery is proving to be very difficult. The pharmacy and the laboratory are the adjustment screws. The accounting department has a large program to manage. The most important thing, however, is that the new surgeon from Cuba passed his exam with the Ministry of Health and is thus licensed to work with us. We are happy about this but will not believe it until he starts working with us full-time in August. We will report and ask for prayers that the verbal promises become reality.
That is why we know that progress is being made despite many difficulties. The international guest house is growing and will hopefully be finished by year’s end. The kitchen/laundry room, the bedrooms and the lounge are still under construction. We continue to thank you for prayers and donations.
The next pressing issue is a pay raise for the staff.
- We have not increased most of their wages for 11 years.
- The Ministry of Health is also calling for an extensive renovation of the two operating rooms and has given us a deadline of early 2025.
A group of volunteers is coming from Europe this summer. Please pray that they fit in well with the local hospital team. Thank you for all the prayers and gifts during these difficult times.
Thank you all for your support,
The Shell Team
(Eckehart & Klaudia Wolff)
Donations: Lightway Medical Foundation
PO Box 8066 Fort Wayne, IN 46898
Checks can be mailed there, or you can donate through the websites. LightwayMedical.org/donations.
