Dear friends,         

Shell Hospital – Another Turning Point 

In April 2025, we didn’t write an update letter because we were visiting Shell ourselves.  We wanted to get a personal impression of what was happening.  All debts are paid off.  The operating room has been completely renovated and is being used increasingly.  The international guesthouse is fully furnished.  A donation for it came in just in time.  The workshop is still working on some furniture, a door, and small furnishings like purchasing bed linens.  However, the kitchen is finished, there’s a washer and dryer, and once the instant water heaters are connected, several guests can shower at the same time.  The first guests have already visited.

Now we are like the people of Israel.  After 40 years of wandering in the desert and countless miracles from God, they are finally in the Promised Land.  Everyone has their place.  It’s about finally taking possession of the land and using it.  At the end of the Book of Joshua, we read a personal testimony from the old leader about how he prepares the people for the future.  He and his family are setting a good example.  It’s important to prove oneself in everyday life.  The people of Israel have only partially succeeded in this.  Now, management must work with the staff to develop a strategy for the future and involve everyone in future plans.  As with the people of Israel, complacency and stagnation must not prevail.  Then the danger grows that the missionary momentum will fizzle out and routine will dictate the goals.  

Klaudia and Eckehart visited to accompany the team at this turning point.  All further plans must now come from the management team itself.  There were some personal wounds that needed to be healed.  However, many of these issues were quickly resolved in a meeting of the responsible parties, even though they previously seemed insurmountable.  We have seen solutions.

I, Eckehart, was particularly pleased to welcome our Cuban surgical colleague, Dr. Eliado Pupo.  He now lives on the compound with his wife, making him approachable and happy to help.  He has broad training and experience beyond routine general surgery skills.  He also has gynecological and urological experience.  Today, a newly-graduated general surgeon who diagnoses a tumor immediately sends the patient to an oncologist, where countless costly preliminary tests are conducted.  Unnecessary testing and referrals can be avoided with a more experienced surgeon.

We were also pleased to see the team of nurses and nursing assistants.  They accompany each patient on their journey to examinations, labs, x-rays, etc.  There’s always someone on hand to answer questions and help.  This improves the working atmosphere, and patients feel well-cared-for.  Training sessions are also ongoing.  The success is palpable.   Now the hospital team faces a huge task.  

The monthly deficit currently amounts to around USD 5,000 per month.  This is because the inpatient department is underutilized.  The nursing staff’s night shifts aren’t profitable due to the low inpatient census; higher-acuity hospitalizations would generate much more income.

There are clear long-term goals: 

We need a new power generator.  The old one works fine, but had to be repaired.  A diesel generator donated from Quito was helpful for this.  It provided valuable spare parts, but both machines are a good 40 years old.  A new one would be more fuelefficient, quieter, and more powerful.  However, we first need to determine the hospital’s potential future electricity consumption, factoring in a larger X-ray machine or even a CT scanner.  The cost of a new generator is approximately USD 25,000. 

In addition, the roof of the student accommodation needs to be replaced, and some carpentry work needs to be done in the rooms. This would be a near-term goal, as it currently leaks here and there when the wind is strong enough. 

We are praying and looking for an internist, because Family Medicine physicians are legally prohibited from treating some patients as inpatients.  This should be a full-time doctor at the hospital.  We have experienced frequent turnover of medical staff who have other employment contracts and only work with us occasionally in their free time.  When the opportunity arises, they accept the next, better-paid offer.  That’s why we are seeking your prayerful support.  We would ideally like a committed Christian to take over this crucial position. 

On June 3, 2013, we first heard the call to take over the hospital.  It’s been 12 years of preparation and construction work now.  And what God has brought to life with the help of many is enormous.  We have “taken over the land.”  Now it’s time to expand it wisely and manage it properly. 

• We primarily ask for prayers of unity among the leaders.  – The transition to significant financial independence, if possible this year. 
• This primarily includes an internist. – That the Morse family can finalize their preparations to move to Ecuador. – That the spiritual aspect of the work doesn’t get lost in the comfort of everyday life. 

Warm greetings from the entire team who celebrated with us; here’s to our second golden wedding anniversary!

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 website.  

LightwayMedical.org/donations.