1998 Harvey Holiday

HIGHLIGHTS

St. Patrick's Day

Dear Friends,

GREETINGS from the Evangelical Hospital of VANGA, in the Bandundu Province of the former ZAIRE! We've been here since January, gathering ideas for when we establish the first Christian Hospital in the Republic of Congo. Building layout & design; water, electrical, & communication systems; personnel structure & policies; financial procedures; these are some of the subjects we've considered. Overall we are very impressed with how well Vanga is set up and functions. A good standard of care is delivered at such a reasonable cost. For example, the charge for a mother & newborn following a normal delivery--including 5 day stay, medications, and supplies--is under $10! How about a hernia repair for $15? But keep in mind, the average nurse's salary is only $50/month!

In addition to in-patient care, this church-run hospital also oversees 60 satellite clinics for prevention & primary care, and training programs for doctors, nurses, and assistants. We've got a lot of work to do in Congo! We are trusting God to provide the team, land, buildings, government approval, equipment, medicines, supplies, and finances as they are needed to make the vision of a Christian Reference Hospital in Congo a reality.

FAMILY NEWS

OLIVIA's first grade class & teacher survived the transcontinental move, with the adjustments to climate & surroundings. She is now reading books on her own, and enjoys learning to speak in French & Kikongo. CLAIRE has been a faithful playmate to our new African, European, and American neighbors. She likes it best when the boys give her flowers from their garden. ISABELLE has adopted some of the local traditions like eating luku, and greeting everyone with "Mbote" and a special handshake. The all are happiest when playing outdoors in the dirt. JOEY & BECKY are getting along well too, and in general we are enjoying life here as a family very much!

THANK YOU for praying us through this time of adjustment. It has been good to add these pleasant and peaceful memories to our ongoing African experience.

WHAT'S GOING ON IN CONGO?

THE CIVIL WAR in Republic of Congo officially ended on October 27, when General SASSOU-Nguesso ousted the former president Pascal LISSOUBA, with the help of Angolan troops & alleged French military intelligence & financial support. \par \par \tab In February, Joe took a trip to BRAZZAVILLE for 1 week. The situation there remains tense. Walking & staying with friends around town, I could sense the uneasiness that still prevails. Streets are disturbingly empty, though many have returned from the villages to their homes in the city. Items for sale on the streets made me wonder if I'd seen them before. The manner in which most vehicles are driven makes one wonder if the only license or title the driver has is the caliber of gun he is carrying.

In spite of an atmosphere of ongoing tension, God did help me get some work done. I was introduced to the new MINISTER OF HEALTH, who invited us to return to Congo to continue our medical mission. Also, the MINISTER OF SOLIDARITY (in charge of helping refugees) agreed in writing to provide exoneration from customs and transportation from the port (Pointe-Noire) to the capital (Brazzaville) for 5 containers of medical supplies & equipment. On behalf of the Congo Christian Health Association, I agreed to solicit the donations and oversee their distribution.

HANK YOU for continuing to pray for peace and reconciliation. PLEASE PRAY now as we work on the logistics of securing & shipping the donations.

THE EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF CONGO

When I went to visit our church in TANKOMBO, the believers were waiting for me! They have been praying faithfully for us to return. We are humbled by their faith. Not a single church member died during the war, and reportedly none of the young people joined in the fighting. Most of the faithful had lost some or all of their belongings, but not their joy in Christ.

As far as the building goes, God is so good, it was hard for me to believe my eyes! All around town homes, stores, even schools, had roofs & walls blown open by the many bombs that fell, and had been stripped bare by looters. But the Tankombo Church sustained only minimal damage!

There were 4 tiny holes in the roof over the sanctuary from falling bullets. Downstairs a rocket fired from an attack helicopter entered the clinic, went through two interior walls, and lodged itself in the foundation. On the way in it also took the valve off a full 55# LP gas tank. Even though all the gas leaked out, there was no explosion! You'd think some heroes of the faith were praying for that building!

...I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread (Psalm 37:25).

THANK YOU for praying for those that have suffered so much as a result of the war. Please continue to pray for our worker Achille. We still have not heard from him.

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND!

In our last newsletter we told you about PHILIPPE HEUGENIN, a missionary doctor who died in Congo last year. We asked you to pray for God to comfort his widow and their children. Well, as God would have it, we were able to extend our layover in Switzerland at no extra charge, and so we will be seeing them soon.

While in Geneva we will also be meeting with another mission to discuss plans for a Christian Hospital in Brazzaville. The Salvation Army has extensive medical work in other countries in Africa, and in Congo they have 5 well-run clinics, but no hospital. We hope the Salvation Army, and other Christian churches in Congo, will be willing to come alongside us in this endeavor.

PLEASE PRAY that our time with the Heugenins will be a blessing to them. Our visit virtually coincides with the anniversary of Dr. Philippe's death. We hope to be a comfort, and we hope that our plans for continuing/enlarging his ministry will encourage them.

WHAT NOW?

Currently our plans are to return to the US in order to continue working on project proposals for the hospital, present the vision to the Congo Ambassador & potential partners (churches, organizations, & people like you), recruit team members, gather supplies, and prepare them for shipping.

We plan to return to Congo once the medical shipment is on its way and enough stability has returned to the country for us to live there as a family, and to do the work we've been called to do. When we return, we will probably live in IMPFONDO first, in order to reopen the church clinic & leprosy work there. Impfondo is located in an isolated region of the country and is usually safer than the capital. We could then make trips from Impfondo to Brazzaville to establish the Christian Hospital as conditions allow, using the materials we are collecting now.

THANK YOU for praying for us & this tremendous task. We thank God for His guidance in the midst of uncertain situations, and are confident that His purpose will prevail. THANK YOU for your support. As a reminder, we are enclosing our new photo prayer card. If you did not receive one & would like to, please contact our mission. If you would like to help with specific needs, feel free to consult the latest list which is available on our home page, or by contacting us.

A FIRM FOUNDATION ON THE SOLID ROCK is key to lasting success in any ministry. We encourage you to be patient with us during these times of shifting sand as we seek to lay a firm foundation for the first Christian Hospital in Congo, Brazzaville.

For the Glory of God,

Joey & Becky, Olivia, Claire & Isabelle HARVEY

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