Excitingly, in the first two days of announcing the trip more than $3,000 has been raised! That means the plane ticket has been purchased! I mailed off the visa application to The Embassy of the Republic of Congo in Washington, D.C. yesterday! Can you tell I’m excited? 🙂 The application should arrive in D.C. on Monday morning and hopefully be returned before October 16. Thank you to all who have supported this trip financially and to all who are lifting me up in prayer during this time!
I thought it would be helpful to answer a few common questions to give a better understanding of the trip.
Where is Pioneer Christian Hospital (PCH)?
The hospital, which is blessed with the capacity of 60 patient beds, is established on 17 acres of land deep in the Republic of the Congo in the town of Impfondo.
PCH serves as a referral center for an estimated population of 300,000 people, including local residents, villagers, and vulnerable people groups including indigenous peoples, refugees, the poor, elderly, chronically ill, and AIDS orphans and widows.
What does the hospital do?
A combination of missionary volunteers and paid Congolese staff provide a full spectrum of services 24/7 including: Obstetrics, Medicine/Pediatrics, Surgery, Consultation, Laboratory, Medical Imaging, Pharmacy, Chaplaincy, Administration, Maintenance, and Security.
Conditions commonly treated include malaria, sexually-transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, HIV/AIDS, leprosy, meningitis, monkey pox and other infectious diseases. Less exotic conditions including pregnancy, hernia, hypertension, gastritis, diabetes, trauma, and other diagnoses are also commonplace.
The hospital aims to offer healing to the whole person, integrating physical, social, and spiritual treatment as needed. As a result, PCH is already having a positive impact on the mortality and morbidity of the entire region through the medical, surgical, and chaplaincy services provided.
How are you getting to PCH?
I will be flying from Fresno, CA on October 19th. My stops include Los Angeles, New York, Johannesburg and Brazzaville. I will have a two day layover in Brazzaville and will catch a final plane that will take me to Impfondo on Friday, October 23. I’ll be in the air for 26 hours over a course of two full days.
My stay will last for 51 days. I am expected to leave Brazzaville on December 15 to arrive home on December 17.
What will you be doing?
I’ll be working as an assistant to Dr. Joe Harvey while at PCH. My job is not clearly defined, however, I’ve been told the work can range from tasks involving government liaison projects to assisting in the hospital. There will very likely be technology support involved during stay as well. 🙂
To the degree I feel comfortable I will be able to perform clinical rotations where I will be accompanied by a mentor. Dr. Harvey is aware that I am hoping to gain insight into pursuing a career in the medical field and has spoken optimistically about receiving opportunities to get experiences to learn from. Opportunities in clinical work will vary depending on a number of factors. To see a full list of what those opportunities could include visit this link.
How are you paying for this?
As some of you are aware, I just finished serving with Mercy Ships for two years where I was required to raise support in order to serve onboard. PCH is setup in the same way. All of the support I’ve received so far, over $3,000, has come through donations from supporters from all over the world. Supporters are just as much a part of the trip as I am. It would be impossible to go without people who support through prayer and finances.
My faith in Christ is the ultimate motivation in why I serve and I am called to trust His provision to provide for the finances needed for this trip. He showed me over the last two years that He is faithful to provide where He calls you.
I am still in need of $1,985. If you haven’t supported financially, I would greatly appreciate it! The green link above will take you to my online support page.
Current prayer points (please pray for me!)
Yes, please pray for me and please pray for Pioneer Christian Hospital! I would deeply appreciate it! I have listed a few prayer points below for more focus, but please pray as the Holy Spirit leads.
- Visa arrives before October 16
- Final finances ($1,985) come in before October 16
- Peace and continual courage as time gets closer to depart
- Favor with luggage as I’ll be carrying extra supplies for the hospital
- For continual encouragement
I’ve found that those who serve abroad can be great at giving hope, but can also find themselves in what seems like hopeless slumps. In just the last week I have been blessed by encouragement from multiple friends and family members who had no idea how much they were encouraging me. I do value and appreciate you taking time to pray for me!
Keep posted, there is more exciting news to follow! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
God bless you!
-Ryan
*Some content for this post came from http://www.congohospital.org/
Ryan Cardoza 