From the Field
Updates from Luke Society Ministries
Bamenda, Cameroon
Young Woman Finds Safety at Mt. Zion Clinic
In April, 2005, a 20 year-old woman named Nancy was arrested at her workplace, and falsely accused of stealing a cell phone. She was thrown in jail and guarded by Cameroon security forces called “Gendarmes.” While being detained, she was raped by an officer. Soon she was released when the store owner found the missing cell phone. And Nancy found herself without a job and pregnant.
In May, Nancy came to the Luke Society’s Mount Zion clinic, where she heard about Dr. Paul Atem’s free prenatal care. Dr. Atem took care of Nancy and provided for her because she lost her parents at a young age. “We also tried legal action against the security officer, but to no avail,” Dr. Atem said. “In Cameroon, the Gendarmes are above the law.”
Praise God on January 6, 2006, Nancy delivered a baby boy at Mount Zion clinic. The mother and nurses named the baby Awesome Ezekiel King. “We welcome baby Awesome, and we thank God for his mother Nancy who is also a Christian and doing well in the Lord.”
Dakar, Senegal
Jesus’ Messenger Among Muslims
Dr. Ousmane Soh answered God’s nudging to witness on Christmas Eve. “We invited from friends from Dahra and Lingurere, most of them are Muslims and some are Christians. We showed Jesus film to a crowd of about 70 men, women and children,” Dr. Soh says. “At the end of the film, I shared with them regarding the meaning of the birth of Christ, and we had diner together after that.”
Then Dr. Soh waited on the Holy Spirit to water the seed. “Two days later a student from Dahara, who has been so negative about Christ, came to me and said, ‘I am convinced that Christ is my Savior!’” Dr. Soh then prayed a prayer of confession with the student. Praise the Lord for another brother in Jesus!
On February 26, 2005, Dr. Ousmane Soh had Mr. Niang as a patient in his clinic. When he came into town, the person he was staying with told him not to go to Galle Kasal because the doctor there is a Christian! So in the morning, on his way to another clinic, he met an Islamic teacher who asked him the reason of his presence in Dahra. Mr. Niang said, “I am sick and come see a doctor!”
His friend asked him, “Why don’t you go to Dr. Soh?”
Mr. Niang replied, “People told me he is a Christian and not a Muslim!”
The teacher said to him, “Go! Do not worry about that. He cannot change you from your religion! And he is good. I myself, send my family to him!”
Praise God, Mr. Niang went to Dr. Soh’s clinic and he treated him, and he came again three weeks later for follow up. He was happy and invited Dr. Soh to visit his village!
Irian Jaya, Indonesia
Time Management Leads to More Bible Reading
Dr. Julius Surjadi spent time with his wife, Debby, in Bugalaga, continuing the work of discipling the people. “When we checked their daily devotion time, almost all of them admitted that they did not read the Bible every day,” said Dr. Surjadi. “Their argument was that they were busy going to the garden or to the jungle to find food. So, we taught them how to manage their time every day. We showed them how to read the Bible, how to memorize the verses and how to read the Bible together as a family. The next morning, we heard from the huts, singing and praying voices. They practiced what they had learned right away. We also have been renewed and refreshed by doing morning prayer together. Praise the Lord!”
Jalapa, Mexico
Children Celebrate Day of the Kings
Dr. Jose Luis Guerrero reported that 160 children attended a “Day of the Kings” celebration, a traditional holiday in Mexico. “The kids praised the Lord with very nice songs, played, and ate chocolate, tamalitos and king’s bread.”
Thanks to Dr. Guerrero’s efforts, a young mother in their ministry area was recently given a wheelchair. Elizabeth suffers from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which hinders her from caring for her 2 ½ year-old daughter. “Further, she is receiving opportune medical attention in order to try to help her with her health problem,” Dr. Guerrero said.
Patzun, Guatemala
Hurricane Stan Wreaks Havoc on Ministry Village
Although the hurricane season is long past, the effects of its damage are still evident in developing countries. Hurricane Stan hit Guatemala in October, and nearly 200 people lost their lives. Dr. Axel Suquen and the staff of Asociación Vida (the Luke Society clinic) responded to many needs after the hurricane. Here is one story:
“In the community of Pachut, the damage from the storm was severe. One consequence in particular was the destruction of a significant part of the school building. The classrooms filled up with water, mud and rocks and many of the school materials were no longer usable. Instead of paying a group of builders from outside the area to repair the school and in turn almost rob the community of their sense of responsibility and capability, Asociación Vida came to an agreement with the leaders of the community that pleased everyone. The members of the community would work to rebuild the school and repair the damage, and Asociación Vida would pay them for their work. Therefore, the school of Pachut opened this January to begin the school year and the villagers not only felt proud of their work, they also met the needs of their people and took responsibility for their community.”