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Today after lunch we will be making our way back home.  The last couple of days have been busy, many people have come with conditions we unfortunately cant help with.  We have seen terrible keloid scars that would come back often worse when removed. A 38 year old pregnant woman came in with a large tumor growing in her left cheek, probably from the salivary duct and had broken through to the inside of her mouth. Another lady arrived with fractures of the arm and thigh, we don't have fracture sets to fix them. A man came with extreme weight loss, he couldn't eat because food would get stuck, we used the scope and found esophageal cancer, he and his family are deciding on a feeding tube, the cancer cant be removed.  Along with those frustrations and other heartbreaks, we have had successes.  We have removed several large thyroids. a very difficult gall bladder, large renal cyst. We were able to repair an incarcerated lumbar hernia (hernia thru the back) and use mesh sent by Samaritans Purse. We did a hysterectomy, removing a uterus as large as a full term pregnancy.  Most of these surgeries would not happen for these people without short term volunteers coming to places like Adi.  The Congo has a reputation as you all know and the people freely acknowledge.  The reputation of uncertainty, insecurity and risk.  Our trip here has shown none of these.  

Adi is a small community of about 2000 within a larger population of 10000 or so more.  The hospital has developed a very good reputation and is considered a referral center and patients come from neighboring Uganda and Sudan as well as Congo. Pastor Yoma Balonge Charles gave me a brief history of Adi passed on by his Grandfather Yonad Akudi.  The Good News was brought to Adi by way of Aba where AIM (African Inland Missions) developed a base.  A missionary named Richardson from England then went to Kulunga then to Adi in 1924. He brought 3 things to Adi, The Good News (The Bible and its teaching), Education, and Health Care.  Originally the people were treated on the missionary's veranda and later a clinic was built and run by Richardson's assistant Daniel Yeka, who he trained. This left Richardson free to preach and teach. The clinic moved multiple times until its present location in the 1950's.  

The Church was the nucleus of support for the development of Adi.  The church supported financially and with labour the building and operation of the clinics and also developed a successful bible school. This school began in Aba and eventually moved to Adi in 1948.  It was originally a 2 year school which expanded to 4 years when it started in Adi.  They have graduated more than 500 pastors which have spread the Word throughout the region of central africa.

During the civil war of the late 90's, Adi was occupied, and unfortunately pillaged. The books were burned, the church and school ransacked and much distroyed, the Wiltons (AIM missionaries) home was occupied and looted and the hospital closed and pillaged.  The school and hospital basically started from nothing and rebuilt. The spirit of the people overcame and there has been stability in this area since 1998.  

There are frustrations.  The pastor says they need materials to combat the growing pressures of Islam in the region.  The young people have increasing diversions and they would like to develop more youth programming. They need French and Lingala Bibles and materials.  Like much of Africa, this country is rich in natural resources but only a few profit, virtually none reach the people.

The accomplishments and opportunities we have experienced could not have happened without the support of World Medical Missions, Samaritan's Purse and Dr. Warren Cooper.  Warren called several weeks ago and asked us to comed with him to Adi, a place he has been several times.  It has been a true blessing.  Warren is a general surgeon in the truest form.  He is the youngest son of a missionary couple who grew up in places like Vietnam and the Ivory Coast.  He did his medical training in Chicago and immediately began work overseas.  He has truly worked worldwide, from South America, Asia, and Africa.  He married a year ago. His wife Lindsey is completing her fellowship in pediatric intensive care and they plan to continue with medical mission work.

Samaritan's Purse is most commonly thought of as the Christmas Shoe Box organization, but its principle work is relief work in disaster and war torn areas.  An arm of Samaritan's Purse is World Medical Mission which places Christian doctors for short terms with hospitals worldwide.  This helps relieve severe shortages of physicians in many needy places.  All specialties are needed.

We will be leaving Adi today after lunch.  The trip back will include 3 hours of dirt road, a border crossing, an overnight in Arua, Uganda. Tomorrow we will fly back to Entebbe, wait about 11 hours then fly back to knoxville via Amsterdam and Detroit.

We have had a great team, Mary has been scrubbing and first assisting the difficult cases and made difficult cases possible, Greg of course has done outstanding anesthesia and has done great work with training the local anesthetist who has just completed training and is very "green".  Gina has been more than a blessing with her compassion and touch to the patients and families.  She would spend hours with the family when their loved on was in surgery, she would show love to them despite the language difficulty.  She taught the children and encouraged the employees of the hospital in ways that none of the "clincal" team could.

Thanks for following the blog.  I hope to have photos posted when I get home.

In Christ,  Mark, Mary, Greg and Gina