Hospitals of Hope

Bolivia Update: Impacting for Eternity

2012-01-24T09:58:00.000-08:00

Our ministry in Bolivia continues to grow! Read this week’s Bolivia update about how our volunteers have made a great impact in the community.

Last week and this week, our Hospitals of Hope volunteers have been doing checkups at a Compassion International Center here in Vinto. They have over 200 kids there. So far, they've been surprisingly healthy.

We also did checkups at "kidwashing" on Saturday. (Kidwashing happens once a week. Poor families bring their kids for a bath and clean clothes in the main square in Cochabamba. Other missionaries bring hot water, clothes, and tents to wash in.) Although we regularly participate in kidwashing, this was the first time we've done checkups there. We would like to keep doing the checkups on a regular basis, because these are some of the poorest of the poor, and they all have issues. We saw kids with parasites, skin infections, and more.

In addition to doing check ups for the children, we are going to the square where the glue sniffers congregate on a weekly basis to provide wound care (as they're always inflicting new injuries on each other), bring food, and try to start building relationships with them. One of them has started to go to church with Shelly and Rachel.

God has also worked in the life of a former intern here at the hospital, who has really been searching over the last several months. He told me the other day that he thinks he's a Christian now. He says he hasn't "signed the papers" yet and been baptized, but he's just about there.

Thank you to our volunteers who are using their talents and abilities to make an impact not only for the community, but for eternity!

Bolivia Update: "Arco iris" God's promise of hope

2012-01-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

Read this story from Leta of how she was able to comfort a young girl while Hospitals of Hope Bolivia saved the girl's mother.

As we rode back to the hospital in the ambulance, returning from doing checkups in the community where our paramedics are stationed, I got a call on my cell phone. It was Jose, the paramedic we'd left back at the post, while Pablo drove us home. "We need the ambulance now," he told me. I told Pablo to stop the ambulance, and we all, with the exception of two EMTs who were with us, piled out. The ambulance turned around, sirens blaring, and we took a taxi back to the hospital.

We had barely arrived back at the hospital when we heard the siren announcing the ambulance's return. Soon it appeared, followed by a pickup, its bed full of people. They both pulled up in front of the hospital, and the paramedics and hospital staff started unloading patients. The most severe appeared to be a woman with her arm bandaged, blood covering her clothes.

As hospital staff and volunteers attended patients in the emergency room, I waited outside. A little girl, about six years old, was sitting alone, sobbing, blood stains soaked through her sweater. She only had a few minor scrapes, but her mother was the one with the injured arm.

I sat down next to her and put my arm around her as she sobbed. She pulled up her sleeve to show me her scrapes and told me, "My daddy will fix it. He has band aids!" She told me that their car had overturned, and that her puppy was really scared. She sobbed out her fear when she told me, "My mommy's arm is hurt, and I don't know how to cook!"

We have a children's illustrated Bible story book in the hospital, and I got that out and started to read to her. Listening to the story of the creation and the fall distracted her while we waited. As we read the story of Noah's ark, she pointed to the rainbow -- an "arco iris" in Spanish -- and told me, "My name is Iris -- I'm named for the arco
iris!"

We waited for what seemed like hours, while the doctors worked on stopping her mother's bleeding and re-bandaging her arm. "Don't worry," I told her. "The doctors are doing everything they can to help your mom."

"Will they give her a new ear?" she asked. I hadn't realized it, but her mother also had a head wound.

"We'll see," I said. "They're going to do the best they can."

Finally, the emergency room doors opened, and interns began rolling her mother's gurney toward the operating room. The doctor came out and spoke to the other family members who had arrived, telling them that she needed surgery, but that she would be fine. Iris's aunt came to get her, but before they left, Iris and I prayed together for her mother and for her family.

This morning, I saw the doctor who was on call last night and asked him how the woman was. He said that the surgery had gone well. I asked him about her head injury, and he said that, while the gash was near her ear, her ear itself was fine.

As I walked outside of the hospital doors, Iris greeted me, a big smile on her face, and ran over to give me a hug.

Bolivia Update: Felicidades!

2012-01-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

Leta writes us from Bolivia with an update about last month's volunteers, the holidays, and life in Bolivia.

I traveled back to the States for a quick visit to family and friends in November. I came back [to Bolivia] three days before a group of PA students arrived. They wanted to get out of the city and do a bit more rural work, so we took them to the town of Entre Rios, in the Chapare (the jungle region of Cochabamba, where mosquitoes swarm and coca grows). Our driver forgot to tell me before leaving that his bus was in bad repair, so our 4-5 hour trip ended up taking 12 hours, but we got there. We treated around 50 patients in one morning but had to cancel our clinic for the second day, since we knew the return trip would probably take just as long. On the way back, at least, we got to stop at Parque Machia, a refuge for monkeys that had been taken from the forest and raised as pets.

We celebrated Christmas in half-Bolivian, half-American style. We went to my church on Christmas Eve (Noche Buena), where we got roped into taking part in the youth Christmas play. I got to play the part of a girl gathering firewood. Then we stayed up till midnight, like good Bolivians, and ate Christmas Eve dinner with the firemen who live on the hospital compound. We would have shot off fireworks, if it hadn’t been pouring. Christmas morning, we opened the alpaca stockings I bought at la Cancha and filled with various Bolivian foods (passion fruits and quinoa granola bars!), plus a couple of things I brought back from the States that you can’t get here (Hershey’s kisses and apple cider mix!). We all skyped home in the afternoon and relaxed. [Pictured is Leta when she came back for a visit in November and got to meet Isabella Wawrzewski]

In between celebrations, I’ve been filling in for Rudy, the hospital administrator, as he takes his first vacation in 3 years. He can’t ever really go on vacation, so he’s come in about 50% of the days, but at least he’s not at the hospital all the time. So far, I’ve mostly dealt with financial and personnel issues. I will be VERY glad when he’s back for good and I can turn over his key. (Update: Rudy is back from his vacation and Leta is happy to be back to her regular duties)

I got to go to Rudy’s twin daughters’ 2nd birthday party on Friday night, and, on Saturday, his mother-in-law, who also goes to my church, invited me over to learn to cook a Bolivian almuerzo (lunch). We made Sopa de Mani (peanut soup), which I actually already know how to make, but her version was different enough that it was basically a different dish. She has plans to teach me to make Picante de Pollo (spicy chicken), aji de fideo (noodles with chili pepper), and a number of other things. It was fun getting to go over and hang out with their family, which has kind of adopted me in the last few months.

We had a pretty laid-back New Year’s Eve. We had dinner with the paramedics and a former intern (Juan), and then we tried to keep our eyes open till midnight, when we shot off the fireworks that we didn’t get to set off at Christmas. A couple of the volunteers went with the paramedics, in case of accidents, since there are often a lot on New Year’s. They just went out on one call, but it was a bad one. A car went over a cliff in the mountains west of the city and fell about 90 feet. Surprisingly, only one of the passengers died. Two of the others had minor cuts and bruises, and the other had to be carefully lifted out of the car and then pulled up the cliff on a stretcher. She’s in our hospital now and will probably have surgery in the morning, but she should be okay. [Pictured is Leta, far right, with some volunteers from this month]

If you all were here right now, I would air-kiss all of your cheeks and tell you “Felicidades!” in honor of the new year, but, since you’re not, I will content myself with just sending “felicidades” (happiness) in your direction. Prospero año nuevo y muchas bendiciones a todos! (Prosperous new year and many blessings to all!)

2011 Yearly Review

2012-01-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

2011 Yearly Review Our end of the year update reflecting on all the exciting events of 2011 is now available.

Click here to read a PDF the 2011 Yearly Review.

Once again, we at Hospitals of Hope have been amazed by the way God has used your generosity to accomplish his purposes.

Thanks to you and others like you, we were able to show Christ’s love by healing bodies and souls around the world. We count on the support of people like you to make it possible for us to save lives and share the hope of Jesus.

With your help, we were able to send out thousands of dollars of life-changing medical supplies and equipment in 2011. People in eight countries around the world felt the effects of your generosity and saw their lives changed for the better.

We are grateful for your support this year and are excited for a new year of opportunities. With your help, 2012 will be a great year of sharing the hope of Jesus, and providing lifesaving medicial care to the world’s most impoverished communities.

Thank you,

Your friends at Hospitals of Hope

The Next Level Christmas

2011-12-21T13:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas is just days away! At Hospitals of Hope we’ve gotten into the Christmas spirit thanks to Bob decorating the our tree and others bringing in holiday snacks! Christmas is such an exciting time with all the decorations, the music, the holiday traditions, time with family and so much more. But we would be doing ourselves an injustice if we did not take time to reflect on more that just the surface level excitement of Christmas.

As Christians, we take Christmas to the next level by celebrating the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. The story of Christ’s birth is a testament to God’s power, love, and grace and gives us all a reminder of the hope we have in Christ.

But is that the ultimate end of celebrating Christmas – celebrating Jesus’ birth? I think there is yet another level with Christmas. While Jesus’ birth is reason to reflect and celebrate, his life and time of ministry give us an incredible example for the holiday season.

Jesus spent much of his time on earth healing the sick and caring for the poor and loving those that weren’t loved. When a widow’s son died, he brought him back to life. When ten lepers met Jesus while he was traveling, he healed them all even though only one came back to thank him. He talked to individuals like a tax collector and a prostitute that were considered the outcast of society.

Jesus himself stated why he had come in Luke 4:18 “…he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.”

James, the brother of Jesus later wrote “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1:27)

Christmas time is fun with all the festivities, traditions, and presents. But what better way to take Christmas to the next level than by following the example he left of caring for those who need it. It is easy to get caught up in the endless gift lists and holiday parties. But we hope that you take time not just to celebrate Jesus's birth, but to be Jesus to those around you and those in need around the world this Christmas season.

We are very grateful for many of you following the example of Christ and helping us with the mission of caring for the sick and bringing hope of Jesus to so many. Thanks to your support and encouragement, Hospitals of Hope has been able to continue in another year of ministry of bringing healing to bodies and souls around the world. Without your financial gifts, prayers, and encouragement we would not be able to have the impact that we have had. We do wish you a Merry Christmas and we hope you are surrounded by the beauty and hope of this Christmas season.

Thank you for an amazing year and we are excited for another great year of bringing Christ’s love and healing around the world.

Medical supply container and Clinic In A Can head to Africa

2011-12-09T08:38:00.000-08:00

The first week of December proved to be a busy and exciting week for Hospitals of Hope!
This week we sent a 40 foot shipping container full of medical supplies to Burundi, Africa. We partnered with an organization, Friends of Kibimba Hospital, to send the container.

The container held a wide variety of supplies from basic medical items like needles and bandages, to equipment like an autoclave and patient monitors which were all supplies Hospitals of Hope had collected and were able to redistribute to Burundi.

This was Hospitals of Hope’s third container of medical supplies sent with Friends of Kibimba to Burundi.

Volunteers with the organization spent many hours over the hot summer organizing and packing the container. The container is set to arrive in February and a team from the organization leaves February 15 to meet it in Burundi.

Hospitals of Hope is thrilled to have had another opportunity to partner with Friends of Kibimba by sending much needed medical supplies and help bring healing to bodies and souls in that community.

Also this week, we received word that the three-unit Clinic In A Can that we built in June is on the next leg of its journey to South Sudan. When we finished building the container clinic, we sent it to Omaha, Neb. where it was on display at the Methodist Women's Hospital. The Clinic In A Can could not be sent immediately to South Sudan because of the raining season there.

Hospitals of Hope’s Clinic In A Can ministry worked with Covenant Presbyterian Church and the Healing Kadi Foundation in Omaha, Neb. to send the container clinic to Kajo Keji, South Sudan.

This portable hospital is constructed in three forty-foot shipping containers and will be set up in a “U” shape. This small hospital contains exam rooms, a laboratory, a pharmacy, and surgical and radiology suites. It also holds a generator and water system, enabling it to be self-sufficient regardless of the surrounding infrastructure.

The Healing Kadi Foundation eventually plans to construct a larger hospital, but that will take several more years. In the meantime, the Clinic In A Can will provide much-needed medical care to the more than 450,000 refugees living in Kajo Keji.

This container clinic was our tenth clinic and we have since constructed three more. You can read more about this Clinic In A Can here.

November News

2011-11-30T13:23:00.000-08:00

What's new in November?

In case you missed any of this month's news, get caught up with the monthly update. If you would like to receive the monthly email newsletter you can sign up on our website www.hospitalsofhope.org on the tab to the right that says "E-Mail Updates"

We trust everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed time with friends and family. The month of November was yet another eventful month as we are finishing projects for the end of the year and looking forward to the new year! We had our 30 Days of Thanks during the month of November. Each day we took time to express thankfulness for different people, ministries, opportunities, and much more that has had an impact on Hospitals of Hope.

This is a word picture of some of the different things we were thankful for during the month of November.

Baby Isabella arrives!

The most exciting news of the month is the newest addition to the Hospitals of Hope family. We are pleased to announce the birth of Isabella Maria Wawrzewski on Sunday, November 20 to founder Mike and his wife Elizabeth. Isabella weighed 7 lb. 7 oz. Mike reports that mom and baby are healthy and are doing well. We congratulate Mike and Elizabeth, and we are excited for this new member to the Hospitals of Hope family!

HOH travels to Missions Health Conference

Earlier this month, Hospitals of Hope’s Daniel White traveled to Louisville, Kentucky to attend the Global Missions Health Conference. The conference, in its 15th year, is one of the largest medical mission’s conferences in the world with over 2,500 attendees.

The conference is designed to bring medical professionals, those interested in medical missions and many others together to discuss and learn about a wide range of topics including disaster relief, holistic community development, sustainability and empowering indigenous people, clinical health and disease, and much more.

Daniel represented the Hospitals of Hope and Clinic In A Can booth and had opportunities to speak with individuals and organizations about our ministries.

Leaving an eternal impact

Every so often, stories from around the world get back to us of people coming closer to Jesus. It's those stories that remind us why we are a part of Hospitals of Hope and encourage us continue sharing Christ's love. A couple of stories recently came from Bolivia where Leta is teaching English classes at the hospital. She has had several opportunities to touch lives through this ministry. She shares:

I’ve been struck over the last couple of months by how easy it is to share my faith here. Although evangelism is not my gift, just the fact that I am here causes people to ask questions.

The interns who come to do rotations at the hospital are especially curious. We’re reading excerpts from The Purpose-Driven Life in English class, and, on Friday, one of the interns asked me, “What is the purpose of your life?”

Another of the interns, who just completed his 4-month rotation here, is hungry to learn. He has been coming to church with us the last couple of weeks, and, although he is off to work at another hospital now, he has promised to come back to visit. In a note he wrote me before leaving, he said, “I have spent a wonderful 4 months here. I have learned about medicine, and about God and his love.” He doesn’t call himself a Christian yet, but we are praying that God will continue to pursue him as he leaves here.

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. Without your help, we would not be able to have such great opportunities to share Jesus Christ around the world. Thank you.

A Thanksgiving lesson from Bolivia

2011-11-23T11:14:00.000-08:00

Being a nonprofit ministry, Thanksgiving has an even more special meaning than it does for most. For us, Thanksgiving is not just a time of being around family, eating lots of food, or a time of rest, but it’s a humbling time of being reminded how blessed we are.

All month we have been doing 30 Days of Thanks where we reflect on what we at Hospitals of Hope are grateful for. The more we got into it, the more we were reminded that this ministry just isn’t a job, but an opportunity for us and all you who support us to touch lives.

There are two recent stories from Bolivia that beautifully display so many things that Hospitals of Hope is thankful for this Thanksgiving season. Earlier in the summer, a little girl admitted to our hospital in Bolivia after a traffic accident. She was in a car driven by one of her teachers, along with several other students. Unfortunately, the teacher lost control of the car, and it went over a cliff. Most of the students were admitted to our hospital with relatively minor injuries. Lucia, however, was injured more severely and had to stay at the hospital for over 2 weeks, receiving 2 surgeries.

Hospitals of Hope aims to provide affordable care while still being sustainable. Lucia comes from a very poor family and did not have the financial means to pay the unexpected expense. In this case, our hospital administrator went through her bill line by line and removed every fee that he could, but there were still direct costs to the hospital for her care, for things like medications, anesthesia, etc. The remaining amount was over $1000, which her family did not have. We had some volunteers who had raised money over what was needed to cover their trip donate to help pay the bill.

Another story comes not from a patient at the hospital, but from those who work at the hospital. Leta teaches English classes at the hospital. She has had several opportunities to touch lives through this ministry. She shares:

I’ve been struck over the last couple of months by how easy it is to share my faith here. Although evangelism is not my gift, just the fact that I am here causes people to ask questions.

The interns who come to do rotations at the hospital are especially curious. We’re reading excerpts from The Purpose-Driven Life in English class, and, on Friday, one of the interns asked me, “What is the purpose of your life?”

Another of the interns, who just completed his 4-month rotation here, is hungry to learn. He has been coming to church with us the last couple of weeks, and, although he is off to work at another hospital now, he has promised to come back to visit. In a note he wrote me before leaving, he said, “I have spent a wonderful 4 months here. I have learned about medicine, and about God and his love.” He doesn’t call himself a Christian yet, but we are praying that God will continue to pursue him as he leaves here.

These two stories show us why we are so grateful this Thanksgiving season. First we are thankful to God for salvation and a hope that we can share. We are grateful for our founder Mike and his passion to see life change through the power of Christ’s love. We quickly realize, however, that we can’t just do this ministry on our own. With out the support of individuals, churches, family, friends and so many more, we would not have the financial means or encouragement to continue improve healthcare around the world while sharing the Gospel. Both the story of Lucia and the medical interns is a reminder of how grateful we are that we’ve had the opportunity to saves lives and share the saving news of Jesus Christ.

Thank you to all our friends and family for your continued support and helping us in another year of ministry. This Thanksgiving, we are humble and grateful for all everything God has blessed us with.

Baby Isabella Wawrzewski arrives!

2011-11-22T12:51:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce the birth of Isabella Wawrzewski on Sunday, November 20 to Hospitals of Hope founder Mike and his wife Elizabeth. Isabella weighed 7 lb. 7 oz. Mike reports that mom and baby are healthy and are doing well. We congratulate Mike and Elizabeth, and we are excited for this new addition to the Hospitals of Hope family!

ELWA Building Destroyed by Fire

2011-11-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

Last week, our partner hospital in Liberia, ELWA (Eternal Love Winning Africa) reported that one its buildings caught fire and burned down. The building containing the radio station was destroyed by fire late last week. The cause of the fire is yet to be established. ELWA is still able to broadcast its radio station from a satellite site.

“[Praise the Lord] that we are still broadcasting the gospel which we trust will give some hope and courage to our many listeners and sympathizers during this crucial period,” said one of the ELWA administrators.

More discouraging news come from Liberia as the presidential elections took a violent turn last week. This update comes from our missionary friends in Liberia:

Today was a rough day in Liberia. Our runoff election is scheduled for tomorrow but one of the political parties is asking all of their supporters to boycott the elections. They had a protest today and began to march into town. Things became heated when the Liberian police backed by the UN tried to stop them and several people were killed. We had some of our missionaries in town and they had a bit of a harrowing time getting home. Everyone is safe and we are now restricting our movements. Please be praying for peace and righteousness to prevail.

Hospitals of Hope has had a presence in Liberia, Africa since for several years now.

In our first two years of working in Liberia, we primarily focused on JFK Medical Center in Monrovia, Liberia, the main government hospital in this country of 3.5 million people. When we began work there, JFK was in need of basic equipment, but Hospitals of Hope has donated $1.1 million of medical equipment to JFK, greatly increasing its capacity to effectively treat patients.

Since then, we have shifted our focus to ELWA (Eternal Love Winning Africa), a well-respected and established ministry, which has been at work in Liberia since the 1950s and began as a ministry of SIM (then Sudan Interior Mission).
Although ELWA offers quality care and has great plans for the future, the hospital is in dire need. With only 1 doctor for every 28,000 people in Liberia, ELWA is swamped with patients, and their limited resources are stretched thin. In summer 2010 we sent a volunteer team to work at ELWA, and, in early 2011, we partnered with the Brother's Brother Foundation to send necessary equipment to the hospital.

Join with us as we pray for both ELWA as they recover from this fire and for peace in Liberia through the remainder of the elections.

Update from 11/16/11

It was announced this week that President Sirleaf was re-elected as Liberia's president. Below is a congratulatory statement from the United States that also describes last week's election protest.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY CLINTON

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I want to congratulate the Liberian people for exercising their right to vote in last week's presidential and legislative elections. These historic elections are important milestones on Liberia's path toward democratic reconciliation. The United States congratulates President Sirleaf on her re-election and we will continue to work with her and all elected officials to advance democracy, and promote peace and prosperity.

The United States commends the National Elections Commission for conducting free, fair, and transparent elections. We applaud the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and others for sending observers to monitor the elections, as well as the UN Mission in Liberia for promoting security during the electoral process.

The violence on November 7th marred this otherwise peaceful process, so we welcome the creation of a Special Independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate the incident. We are also deeply disappointed by the Congress for Democratic Change’s decision to boycott the run-off election in an attempt to delegitimize the election. We urge all political parties to respect the election results and resolve their differences peacefully.

The United States is a long standing friend of the Liberian people and we are committed to their future. Congratulations on this momentous occasion.

The World Race: Blessings in Bolivia

2011-11-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

This month we had a team that was participating World Race work with Hospitals of Hope in Bolivia. The World Race takes teams to 11 countries in 11 months to serve in ministries located in each country. The following post is from Amanda who was part of the team who served with us in Bolivia. Check back for more post from other World Racers describing life in Bolivia.

Never did I ever think I would live at a hospital, but Bolivia proved to be a month of firsts. My team was partnered with an American organization called Hospitals of Hope which runs a Hospital in the Bolivian countryside just outside of Cochabamba.

From the second we arrived we knew God had beyond blessed us. The house we lived in behind the hospital was enormous and beautiful, and our contact for the month, Leta, was American and spoke English! This was huge for us, after struggling with elementary amounts of Spanish and contacts that spoke no English for two months our brains were ready for a rest.

Our first night in the house Leta told us the hospital was going to be in a parade for the festival the next morning and they wanted us to be in it too - wearing scrubs. So that night we went through the hall closet filled with scrubs and each picked out the scrubs that fit us best. They didn't typically match, but that was ok. At the parade, the ambulance went first, followed by the med-students/interns and then us, a rainbow blob of white faces with no idea what to do. So we marched on, and when we finished marching we piled into the ambulance and drove back to the hospital.

The hospital itself is made up of two sections, Emergencias, and general medicine. Doctors take appointments every morning from 8 A.M. to noon in specialties such a pediatrics, internal medicine and cardiology. In the US these same doctors would typically work in their own office, in a building far away from a hospital, but in Bolivia, everything is different, and doctors only work half days.

On of my ministries for the month was working at the hospitals' coffee shop, Xelda, serving coffee to the patients as they waited in the waiting room …. Tea or drip coffee was free and occasionally patients would take advantage of it but we also made drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos, often for the doctors or interns, so many mornings I was able to have good, although choppy conversations with the interns and I found that my ministry was really on both sides of the spectrum, both patients and doctors.

My most interesting moment in the hospital however happened when I became the patient. We were conveniently at the hospital all month, so I figured it was the perfect opportunity to get more medication for my hyperthyroidism. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Leta came to the appointment with me because, well, she is fluent in Spanish and I am not. From the second we walked into the room I knew it was going to be an interesting experience, why? Because of the six med students staring at me. We sat down and Dr. Oquendo, the internal medicine doctor, asked me some questions, then he asked me to get up on the examination table. The sea of med students had to part to let me through. He asked me to lie down and I soon figured out I was the teaching subject. Three med students held my right arm, another was listening to my heart, yet another was taking my blood pressure and the last one was poking at my stomach and the whole time the doctor lectured them on the differences between hyper and hypo thyroidism. It was the most awkward five minutes of my life. Even more awkward because these were people I would see and interact with on a daily basis.

But as awkward as some of the moments were at the hospital, I really enjoyed my time there. I loved riding in the ambulance, walking the long, white, hallway between the waiting room and the ER, and how the ER doctors and nurses all jumped in anticipation every time we would open the door late at night to go in the hospital and use the internet.

Hospitals of Hope is the first ministry I've worked with on the World Race that I could really see myself going back and partnering with again, in fact I plan to, but you know how plans go... there's still 8 months left in the race, so I guess I'll see what God has in store.

From the Founder

2011-10-25T13:36:00.001-07:00

Hospitals of Hope founder Michael Wawrzewski writes about the many changes happening at HOH. You can read about all the latest news that Michael mentions and more in our fall newsletter (PDF).

After thirteen years of ministry, many things are changing around Hospitals of Hope. Personally, we will be adding another member to the Hospitals of Hope family this November as Elizabeth and I are expecting our first child, a little girl. With all our international traveling and Elizabeth’s dental school, we did not think it wise to add to our family before, but now all seems right….ready or not here she comes.

Here in Wichita, we have also implemented many changes. The warehouse, which has always been packed with medical supplies, is now almost completely empty. Bolivia and many African countries have instituted new laws that prohibit the importation of expired medical supplies, which is what we generally receive in donation. With this in mind, over the past five months we redistributed our supplies and equipment to our partnering organizations. Now the space once used to house donated supplies is a production area for Clinic In A Cans. Over the past year, we have built nine container clinics that have been shipped to Haiti and Africa and we continue to build more. We believe this to be a very economical method to replicate our ministry providing a completely contained, cost effective medical clinic to areas of the world in great need.

Elizabeth and I just returned from Bolivia in September after being absent for seven months. I must admit that I am impressed at the growth and organization of the hospital led by Rudy Guzman, our hospital administrator. Leta Reppert is now in charge of the guesthouse and volunteers serving at the hospital and she is doing a great job integrating the volunteers at the hospital. Another great addition and change was converting one corner of the patient waiting area at the hospital into Xelda’s Café. We have created a very warm and inviting environment. As patients wait to be attended at our hospital, volunteers serve free drip coffee, tea and cookies. Patients feel more comfortable sitting at one of the small coffee tables than a hospital waiting area. These patients more readily reveal personal problems, health concerns and family matters to our staff who take the opportunity to listen and pray with them.

We are very excited about all the changes taking place and the new opportunities to minister around the world!

Thank you as always, for your support.

Michael Joseph Wawrzewski III

Bolivia Update: Growing in Opportunities

2011-10-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

Leta updates us from Bolivia about volunteers doing the World Race and about news from the hospital.

The volunteers we have right now are with the World Race, which means that they’re traveling around to 11 different countries in 11 months, volunteering in each country. Since they’re not medical, like most of our volunteers, I’m having them help out at a variety of different organizations. Several of them are helping out at a school for deaf kids, a few of them are painting the school down the road from the hospital, several are helping at orphanages, and a couple are working at an organization that provides support for kids who work (selling things, shining shoes, etc).

With help from them, Shelly, and Rachel (two nurses who are here long-term), I’ve been teaching an English class in the hospital for staff and interns. It’s been a lot of fun. I’ve always loved teaching but hated grading, and, in this class, I get to teach but not grade anything! It’s a lot of fun seeing them being able to start fitting sentences together and starting to understand the way a new language works.

Shelly and Leta in Bolivia

After going back home for a couple of weeks, Shelly is back here, working again as a surgical nurse. She and Rachel are also training to be intensive care nurses. Since we live right behind the hospital, they will be able to go to the hospital with just a couple of minutes notice. Most of the nurses here who are able to do intensive care live 30 minutes to an hour away from the hospital, so having Shelly and Rachel able to just show up and start work will be a huge help.

We have a volunteer coming in a couple of weeks who is studying for her Masters in Public Health. I’m really excited about the work she’ll be doing here – she is going to be working on developing materials so that future volunteers can give more presentations on basic health topics. It’s always sad to me to see how many people are sick with things that could have been easily prevented, or to see kids with their teeth rotting out because they don’t know how important it is to brush their teeth.

Thanks to all of you who are praying us!

80 Hours Makes a Difference

2011-09-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

80 hours – the number of hours it takes to drive back and forth from Wichita to Las Vegas twice, the number of hours it takes in class credits to be considered a junior in college and also the number of hours our volunteers gave this month to help Hospitals of Hope.

September was a great month for Hospitals of Hope. We had a number of individuals volunteer their time and abilities to help us continue making progress on our warehouse. Several weeks in a row, we had students from Northfield School help us out. A group sorted materials so we could recycle the metal. Another group inventoried medical supplies. We also had a group of students help us clean our newly constructed Clinic In A Can. We were very appreciative of having these students be willing to do this for us. We also had six physician assistant students from Wichita State University volunteer with us last week. They tackled more inventorying medical supplies and entering them into our data base. Some more people wanted to help, but couldn’t make it into our office during the day. These individuals were willing to still help by looking up values of donations from their home.

We also had some volunteers join Hospitals of Hope in Bolivia this month. Shelly Humphries moved to Bolivia earlier in the summer, but had come back to the United States for a couple weeks. She returned to Bolivia this month to continue working in the hospital. Rachel Longton also moved to Bolivia this month to volunteer in the hospital.

Of course we can’t talk about our volunteers without mentioning our dear friend Bob. Bob is a dedicated volunteer who comes in almost everyday. He even came in on Labor Day to make sure our trash got taken to the curb so none of the staff had to come in on our day off to do it. Earlier this week, Bob had an accident while he was tearing down a barn. He is doing alright, but is very sore. Needless to say we will be missing him around here for a while as he recovers. We are praying for him to heal quickly and to not be in too much pain.

We are so grateful for our volunteers and supporters. It’s amazing our volunteers gave over 80 hours to help Hospitals of Hope continue in ministry. Our volunteers and supporters have been such an encouragement to the staff. It is refreshing to see others have a passion and desire to make a difference and help us continue in our mission to heal bodies and souls. Thank you to each and every volunteer who has served with us either this month or previously – we couldn’t help change lives around the world without your support!

Xelda Ministries Moves to Hospital

2011-09-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

Leta shares some exciting news from Bolivia about the Xelda Ministries and the recent relocation of Café Xelda.

Xelda Ministries was born with the help of a donation from the estate of Xelda Ditmer, the grandmother of HOH’s founder, Michael Wawrzewski. She was passionate about sharing the good news about Christ and inspired Mike to take his first mission trip.

After her death, Mike decided that the best way to honor her memory was to start a branch of Hospitals of Hope that would be focused on building relationships and sharing Christ’s love through friendship. The original plan was to start a coffee shop in the city of Cochabamba, but, due to complications with finding the right personnel and a good location, it has now been moved to the hospital, where it can be a more integral part of our volunteers’ ministry and where it can better serve our staff and patients.

We have been serving coffee in the hospital for nearly three weeks now, and it has proved to be a great way to get to know those we interact with on a daily basis. It provides a welcoming environment, rather than a cold, sterile waiting area. Patients often take the opportunity to chat with us about their lives, sharing a bit about their hopes and fears. Sometimes they choose to just sit quietly, reading the Bibles on the center of each table.

We’ve got great plans for the future of the café, as well. In the next few weeks, we’re planning an English class that will meet in the café area, and we’re also hoping to bring in live music, as we’ve got some volunteers coming who play the guitar.

If you’re ever in the area, feel free to stop by for a cappuccino and a chat. We’d love to see you!

September 11: When Volunteers Became Heroes

2011-09-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

Not single September 11 comes around without us thinking back to where we were that morning, how we heard about the attack and how it’s changed life forever. One of those changes was actually a positive change. After September 11, 2001, volunteers became more of a hero than a volunteer. You saw people giving their time, efforts and resources to treat survivors, clear wreckage, comfort the families of the victims. In the ten years following that fateful day, we have seen more people willing to volunteer and help others in grave need. While it has been tragic to see loss of life over the past ten years from hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, war, tornadoes, and most recently famine, we have been privilege to see people step up and become heroes.

It is no different than what we’ve seen at Hospitals of Hope. Our volunteers have given their skills, time, money and more to help bring relief, healing and hope to people all over the world. These heroes have treated earthquake victims in Haiti, car accident victims in Bolivia, brought new life into the world in Liberia, as well as so much more all over world.

We are honored to have some of the best volunteers in the world. Our volunteers have not only a desire to serve, but a passion to see change and give hope.

“There is just such a pressing need for help in this country [Liberia] ... [Serving here] has been a renewed fuel to the passion and fire I had to become an international physician,” one of our volunteers said. “I really hope to someday come back and serve in a country like this, if not maybe here.”

While it is always solemn to pause and think about all the lives lost ten years ago, we have been honored to see the positive change of people becoming heroes and respond to the needs not just in the United States, but around the world. Thank you to all of our amazing heroes who make Hospitals of Hope happen.

Friends of Kibimba Hospital excited to send third container to Burundi

2011-08-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

One of our partners, Friends of Kibimba Hospital, recenlty filled another container of HOH supplies to send to Burundi. Read more from a blog post about the container and where it is going.

The Friends of Kibimba Hospital board is excited to inform you about another opportunity to send a container of equipment and supplies to the hospital at Kibimba in Burundi, Africa.

Our friends at Hospitals of Hope have recently decided to change the focus of their ministry from shipping equipment & supplies to hospitals and clinics around the world to that of creating Clinic In A Can. These inexpensive, portable container clinics have been used in many countries already, including in Haiti after the earthquake there. You can learn more about them at www.clinicinacan.org.

Because they are changing their primary focus, they needed to clear their warehouse here in Wichita to make room for work on the clinics. Due to our close relationship with them, FKH was given the first opportunity to choose from 200 pallets of medical supplies, as well as gurneys, x-ray, ultrasound, baby warmers, etc. We have enough to fill another container to send to Burundi! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

You can imagine our gratitude and excitement at the prospect of sending the THIRD container in as many years and the impact that this can have on the patients, families, and community in and around Kibimba Hospital. The ability to show Christ’s love through the healing work of Dr. Elisee and the staff is priceless.

We would like to invite you to participate in this undertaking. The cost to ship a container to Burundi is several thousand dollars. We also have needed to purchase parts to repair & update some of the equipment. Would you consider making a donation to help cover the cost of shipping the container and other costs associated with preparation? You can send your tax-deductible contributions to: Friends of Kibimba Hospital, c/o Connie Young, 3220 S. Oak St., Wichita, KS 67217. If you cannot support us monetarily, please continue to keep the Kibimba Hospital and our FKH Board in your prayers.

Doctor hopes to help with Clinic In A Can

2011-08-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

The Omaha World-Herald recently featured the Clinic In A Can being to sent to South Sudan. Click here to read the feature article and learn more about why this container clinic is very much needed in South Sudan.

Earlier this summer, the three-unit Clinic In A Can was sent to Omaha, Neb. as part of the first leg on its journey to South Sudan. The container clinic is being held there until the proper funds can be raised to send to South Sudan. While in Omaha, the converted shipping containers have generated much interest.

This portable hospital is constructed in three forty-foot shipping containers and will be set up in a “U” shape. This small hospital contains exam rooms, a laboratory, a pharmacy, and surgical and radiology suites. It also holds a generator and water system, enabling it to be self-sufficient regardless of the surrounding infrastructure.

Covenant Presbyterian Church is sponsoring the container clinic through The Healing Kadi Foundation which eventually plans to construct a larger hospital, but that will take several more years. In the meantime, the Clinic in a Can will provide much-needed medical care to the more than 450,000 refugees living in Kajo Kaji.

You can find more information about Clinic in a Can at our new website www.clinicinacan.org

New Clinic In A Can Website and Facebook Page

2011-08-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

We have a new Clinic In A Can website! Visit www.clinicinacan.org to check out all the information, latest pictures and videos of Clinic In A Can. We also have a new Facebook page at www.facebook.com/clinicinacan where you can “like” us.

We are very excited for this new phase in our ministry. Over the years, many people and organizations have asked for assistance to build a hospital for their community in developing countries. While we would like to help everyone, we simply cannot reproduce ourselves on that level. The cost, time, and government limitations make it impractical and unobtainable. However, we recognize that medical needs exist and something must be done to bring hope to the communities with no health facilities for hours or even days away. We had built several Clinic In A Cans before, but beginning this year, we decide to shift the focus of our ministry to converting shipping containers into clinics. We cleared out our warehouse to make more space for construction. We also have dedicated much time to making new contacts of people interested in Clinic In A Can, new marketing material like the new website, and laying the foundation so we can have a strong Clinic In A Can ministry.

We are taking these steps in faith that this is the new avenue for us to bring quality health care to the underserved. We are excited for the future as we partner with more organizations to utilize a more effective and efficient way to bring medical facilities to remote communities. More than this, however, we seek to continue to share with those we serve the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Back from the Jungle

2011-08-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

This is story from Marcia a volunteer, who spent a month in Bolivia with Hospitals of Hope earlier this summer.

Last week was an amazing adventure! Early Tuesday morning our group of 10 people met up with Miguel and Franklin (missionaries with Cristo para la Ciudad) and Anghelo (a doctor with Hospitals of Hope) and began our journey into the Bolivian Amazon jungle.

The travel consisted of four segments: (1) a harrowing 5-hour drive through beautiful mountains that initially were covered by farms and then gradually began to look like the mountains in the show Lost. (2) then an hour drive on a bumpy road through banana tree groves (3) then a 40-minute ride on a carved wooden canoe. We all sat on the sides and had to bail water out the whole time. (4) and finally a short hike through huge jungle plants to the town. It was so awesome!

We were there from Tuesday early evening through Friday morning. The whole thing reminded me so much of Jim Elliot and those crazy missionary stories. We learned this morning at the international church we went to, in talking to a pilot with New Tribes, that a similar event happened with this tribe. In the 70s, when New Tribes missionaries were still establishing contact with the nomadic tribe, one man was shot with a bow and arrow by the Yuquis hunters due to some superstitious beliefs they have about death. He was rescued after lying on the jungle floor for 48 hours and later returned to the tribe. Amazing! In 1999 New Tribes had to pull out of the area because of the area becoming a Red Zone for cocaine production, diseases, and other reasons.

So about six years ago, Miguel and his wife through Cristo para la Ciudad went into the town, though not living there full time, and have ministered to the Yuquis until now. It was obvious how much the Yuquis respected and cared for Miguel by how they were always crowding around the house asking for help or with gifts and how the kids were always so excited to sing the worship songs Miguel played on his guitar.

During our few days there, we did a breast cancer presentation (which we think was the first time any of them were even informed about the disease), including breast examinations - THAT was interesting for me to say the least. We also made lunch for 70 school kids both Wednesday and Thursday, and thankfully God made the food stretch to feed everyone. In the afternoons we did a Bible lesson, which I did one day, singing songs with Miguel, and then playing games and coloring. We did dental presentations for both the kids and the adults, distributing toothbrushes and toothpaste, and putting fluoride on whatever remaining teeth they had. Their teeth were a pitiful sight; even many of the young children's teeth were rotting away and few of the adults had any.

Nevertheless, they were a beautiful and precious people who I now miss, after the short time we spent there. The kids were so affectionate, constantly clinging to us and saying they wanted to go with us when we leave, and were very sweet and happy. Even the adolescent boys (who are too cool to cooperate with anything in the States) were kind and respectful, attending the Bible classes and joyfully worshiping along with everyone else. That was such a beautiful sight. I spent as much time as I could talking, playing, and kicking the soccer ball around with the kids. One of my favorite things was how all of the kids would call me "hermana" (sister).

Being there helped me to see that I would love to work with a remote tribe like that in the future. Although the tribe has become more Christianized, many of the adults still maintain there animistic beliefs and need prayer.

You can read more from Marcia's time in Bolivia at her blog.

Haiti Team Builds Brighter Futures

2011-07-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Hospitals of Hope's Daniel White recently led a mission team of 19 from Central Christian Church in Wichita, KS to work with Mission of Hope in Titanyen, Haiti, a town 40 minutes north of Port-au-Prince.

During their week serving, the team spent the mornings putting on a VBS for the children of the surrounding communities. Anywhere from 200-450 kids came each day to play games, do crafts and learn from the Bible. They also were taught basic health care like the importance of washing their hands, how to brush their teeth and the need for proper exercise.

Another part of the team’s time was spent helping with the construction of a school at a satellite location. The school will open in September for elementary grades. The team was able to help by roofing the school buildings and installing doors. The group also did other projects for the community including clearing brush and painting houses.

The team had two nurses who were able to serve with their medical skills. They spent several days working at Mission of Hope’s clinic at the main campus and also spent a day in the mountains providing immunizations for about 200 people.

The team was also able to see a Clinic in a Can that Central Christian Church sponsored to give to Mission of Hope in the fall of 2010. The container clinic is located on the same compound as the newly constructed school and has been used for monthly outreach clinics, but will be staffed fulltime in September once the new school opens.

“It was a blessing for our team to partner with Mission of Hope and the great work that they are doing in Haiti,” Daniel said. “We are excited to continue working with them in the future!”

A Reminder of the Need for Container Clinics

2011-07-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is easy for us to take for granted our access to even basic medical care in the United States. Read this account of an experience from our staff. It’s stories like these that remind us at Hospitals of Hope of why we are here and why we hope to bring change.

At the JFK Memorial Medical Center in Monrovia, Liberia, a man limped into the emergency room. He lived in a remote part of Liberia and had gotten bit by a poisonous snake while working in a field. Since no proper medical clinic was nearby, he first visited the witch doctor who basically just applied manure to his leg. After his leg only got worse and not better, he walked two days to the hospital for treatment. By the time he arrived, his leg was so swollen that he could barely walk. He desperately needed the proper anti-venom to counter-act the poison that had already worked its way through his body. He was immediately treated for the snake bite but he needed to have the leg that had turned gangrene amputated. Because in his culture he would be viewed as worthless if he did not have his leg he would rather die than have his leg amputated. His condition worsened and he died hours later.

It is tragic experiences like this that inspired Hospitals of Hope to find an innovative and practical way to provide the basic medical care that is needed around the world.

One of the most exciting ways we work to prevent unnecessary deaths and give quality medical care is with our Clinic in a Can program. Clinic in a Cans are self-contained medical clinics built in 40-foot shipping containers that can be sent nearly anywhere in the world, creating an instant, fully-equipped medical clinic.

We are thrilled we have been able to send a total of ten container clinics, but we know there is always a need. We hope to continue partnering with other organizations to bring these innovative container clinics to even more communities around the world to help bring change.

Bolivia Update From Leta

2011-06-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Leta updates us from Bolivia about the past couple of weeks as the new volunteer coordinator. Here is what she reported:

For nearly the first time since I arrived here, I have the house almost completely to myself. The volunteers are off adventuring, one group in the city at la cancha (the biggest open-air market in South America) and the other at Inca Racay (Incan ruins about a half hour away). I considered joining the group hiking to Inca Racay, but, since I’ve been a little sick, I decided to stay home and take it easy. (It’s just a cold, Mom, don’t worry!)

This last week has been crazy. A group of 5 volunteers went home (and we miss them!) and another 17 volunteers arrived. That would have been crazy enough in itself, but a lot of them had trouble with their trips — canceled flights, lost luggage, etc. But now we have everyone and their luggage here, so life should calm down a bit.

This last week we did checkups on the kids at the school in Anocaraire, the community down the road. There are 540 kids there, but we only managed to get through around 200 of them. They’re starting their winter break this week, but hopefully we can go back once their vacation is over. We treated a lot of kids for parasites and skin infections, and treated one intestinal infection caused by salmonella. The hardest cases to see were the malnourished kids, because there’s really not much we can do for them. I’m hoping to go back there later this summer/winter and do fluoride treatments and hygiene education.

This coming week we’re doing an English camp at a girls’ orphanage, the Casa de Alegria, as well as doing a couple of clinics at other orphanages. We’re also starting to send medical students to the AIDS orphanage in the city. There’s only one pediatrician in the city of Cochabamba that can prescribe ARVs, so HIV positive kids don’t receive a lot of medical attention. We’re hoping the med students can help the staff at the orphanage monitor the kids’ health. We’re also starting to send volunteers to help at the main government hospital in the city, feeding and doing physical therapy with malnourished kids, as well as working with kids in the burn unit. I’ve been working hard to set up these partnerships, so it’s exciting to see them panning out and the volunteers getting excited about them.

Well, that’s about all the exciting news. I think I’m going to go take a nap in the hammock — life in Bolivia does have its perks!

Container Clinic Featured in Local Media

2011-06-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

Hospitals of Hope’s Clinic In A Can has recently been featured in local Wichita media including the tv news station KAKE and also the radio station KFDI. You can see our stories by clicking on the following:

KAKE TV Broadcast

KAKE TV Article

KFDI Article

Hospitals of Hope is sending a three-unit Clinic In A Can to Southern Sudan later this year. The Clinic In A Can is converted from 40-foot shipping containers. This container hospital is Hospitals of Hope’s tenth Clinic In A Can. The first Clinic in a Can was sent in 2005 to Jefferson parish in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Another six Clinic in a Cans have been sent to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

While the news that Southern Sudan is set to become the world’s newest country in early July brings hope for many refugees, the infrastructure there is still unstable including access to adequate health care.

“The Clinic in a Can is a practical solution to not only the immediate healthcare needs but also the long-term healthcare needs,” said Michael Wawrzewski, founder and CEO of Hospitals of Hope.

Hospitals of Hope is working with Covenant Presbyterian Church and the Healing Kadi Foundation in Omaha, Neb. to send a Clinic in a Can hospital to Kajo Keji, Southern Sudan. This portable hospital is constructed in three forty-foot shipping containers and will be set up in a “U” shape. This small hospital will contain exam rooms, a laboratory, a pharmacy, and surgical and radiology suites. It will contain a generator and water system, enabling it to be self-sufficient regardless of the surrounding infrastructure.

The Healing Kadi Foundation eventually plans to construct a larger hospital, but that will take several more years. In the meantime, the Clinic in a Can will provide much-needed medical care to the more than 450,000 refugees living in Kajo Keji.

The public and media are invited to tour the three-unit Clinic in a Can before it ships next week at Hospitals of Hope’s office at 3545 N. Santa Fe in Wichita, Kan. For questions or more information contact the Hospitals of Hope office at 316-262-0964.

Container Clinic Continues Bringing Relief in Haiti

2011-06-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

Hospitals of Hope’s Clinic In A Can was mentioned as continuing to bring to relief work in Haiti.

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Center (JDC) recently reported on the relief efforts continuing to help Haiti recover from the devastating 2010 earthquake.

“Through Partners in Health, (known in Haiti as Zanmi Lasante), the international health organization founded by Paul Farmer, they have brought a “clinic in a can,” a fully equipped medical facility set up in a container to provide services to Fondwa and its environs.”

This container hospital is one of Hospitals of Hope’s ten Clinic In A Cans. The first Clinic In A Can was sent in 2005 to Jefferson parish in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Another six Clinic In A Cans have been sent to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. Hospitals of Hope will send a three-unit container clinic to Southern Sudan later this year.

To read the rest of the article from JDC click on the following link: http://jdcambassadorscircle.blogspot.com/2011/06/jdcs-efforts-in-haiti-highlighted-in.html