Donor Letter Update
Luke Society Supporters Continue to Give
Every year, the Luke Society sends out a variety of letters, raising support for specific needs within the Luke Society family. The response to these letters has been tremendous, and the Luke Society directors and staff are thankful to all of our supporters for their prayers and donations. In order to keep our supporters updated on our projects, here is a list of the past few donor letters and the results of each request:
In March, 2003, a request was made to support the Luke Society ministry in Patzun, Guatemala. Luke Society director, Axel Suquen, was given a chance to buy a house previously owned by a U.S. missionary to renovate into a clinic. With the help of our faithful donors, the funds were raised, and the new Luke Society clinic is up and running in their new facility. Their newest addition to the clinic is an X-ray machine, which is providing the community with services they previously did not have.
In June, 2003, the Luke Society presented a project to raise support for New Ministry Development. Through the work of our Regional Coordinators, Dr. Apolos Landa in Latin America and Dr. John Boateng in Africa, the Lord is leading us to many new potential ministries. After communicating by email and in some cases, face to face interviews, some of these contacts develop into full-time ministries which have startup costs. Through the prayer and donations of our supporters, the Luke Society has developed two new partnerships in 2004, in Bolivia and in Cameroon. As several potential ministries are on the horizon, we ask for your continued prayers and support.
Our newest ministry in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, was the project needing support in September, 2003. Dr. Hyacinthe Tudiabioko was living in Zambia when the Luke Society began the partnership. Moving his family into the country and starting the clinic presented significant physical and emotional strain. The Luke Society Congo is now celebrating their first year of partnership, and the clinic is already outgrowing its building! We praise the Lord for the impact Dr. Tudiabioko is making in this community, as many people are receiving quality medical and spiritual care on a consistent basis.
The Thanksgiving letter was designated for Mali in 2003. Luke Society director, Indielou Dougnon, emphasizes the importance of preventative medicine in medical ministry. His calling is to deliver vaccinations and other medical care to the nomadic people living around the Mali/Mauritania border. Although there are very few Christians in this primarily Muslim area, Indielou’s compassion for the people is opening doors. The letter requested support for building a clinic in Mali, a place for Indielou to store his medicine and provide acute medical care. The clinic is scheduled to be completed in December, and Dr. Wrede Vogel will attend opening ceremonies.
In December, 2003, a request was made to provide support for the evangelism efforts of all of our ministries. As Luke Society staff visit the ministries throughout the year, we are continually blessed to hear the testimonies of the people touched by the Luke Society. By providing physical care, our directors have an open door to reach further into people’s lives by giving spiritual care as well. Evangelism remains an integral part of all of our ministries. The support given through this letter is being used to enable and encourage our directors to share the Gospel.
In Accra, Ghana, the Emmanuel Eye Center is providing unique Luke Society care by supplying basic eye care and performing cataract surgeries. In March, 2004, the letter told of the staggering amount of people living in rural villages who had no access to eye care. A request was made to support the purchase of a mobile eye clinic that would be used by Dr. Charles Cofie to provide eye care for those in rural areas. “Concerning this outreach, we are doing it in full earnest,” said Dr. Cofie. Every Saturday, a team including a chaplain visits a community and provides care. “The spiritual aspect is becoming better as an increasing number of people are giving their lives to Christ in each outreach,” he says. The Luke Society Ghana was also blessed by receiving an individual donation to supply Emmanuel Eye Center with a laser for eye surgeries. We thank the Lord for His faithfulness.
In July, 2004, Dr. Ligia Camargo’s work in Quibdo, Colombia, was the target for the letter. Dr. Camargo had stressed a need for a pharmacy to serve her patients. The current pharmacy services in Quibdo were inadequate, with poor quality of medicine and, in some cases, simply not having the necessary medicines available. And because of the poverty in this area, many of Ligia’s patients were unable to afford the medications that were available. The support was raised for the pharmacy through the letter, and it is in the beginning phases of setting up and getting stocked.
In October, 2004, a request was made to support the need for a van in Encarnación, Paraguay. Luke Society director, Dr. Jorge Gomez-Frey, was using his personal van for ministry work when it broke down. They needed a van to bring staff and supplies to community outreaches and also to transport patients to the clinic. The support raised by the letter has been generous, and Dr. Gomez-Frey is now in the process of purchasing the van.
To all of the Luke Society supporters who have bowed their heads in prayer on our behalf or have given donations to further our work, we thank you. This ministry work around the world is supported by generous Christians who give of their time and money regularly. With God’s guidance and your support, we will continue to Touch Lives in Jesus’ Name.