A brief summary report [submitted June 20, 2008]:

Dear friends,
I am sure most of you have read of the previous reports sent to you by our correspondents about our trip, but you may be wondering whether you will ever get the chance the read details from me.  We have been so extremely busy that I could not get the chance to write until now.  Some of you have told me that you enjoy my live reports from Ghana .  Some find the reports very entertaining, connecting you to our work over here.  I do not want to disappoint those who find these reports useful, so here is an update.

Trip to Agbozume , Ghana
A 31-member IHDN volunteer team left Chicago on June 10, through London .  We arrived safely in Accra , the capital city of Ghana , on June 11, with all but one suitcase.  This contained important laboratory machinery.  We spent the night at a guest house (bed & breakfast) in Accra .  Because of the high cost of hotel rooms in Accra , over $200 per night, we had to settle for below $100 range.  Though this was not an ideal situation, it was a very nice accommodation.  The next day we traveled to Agbozume in three 15-seater buses, a car, and a boxed truck that carried our luggage.   There were excellent roads for the first 100 miles of this trip. The remaining 30-mile portion of the road had very large potholes which made travel very difficult and uncomfortable.  We thank God we made it safely to Agbozume. 

Moving of furniture and equipment to hospital
The next day, we went to the IHDN Mission Hospital to examine the status of work and what needed to be done.  Most of the major work was completed except for some painting, countertops, shelves, and locks.  We spent Friday, June 13, moving equipment and furniture from storage to the hospital site, a 5-mile trip.  We had to get the building ready for commissioning on June 14, so we worked very hard late into the night.  It was amazing to see how after a few hours of working, the first floor, which was empty on our arrival, became populated with furniture and medical equipment.  The hospital beds in the emergency room and other furniture immediately transformed the atmosphere into a hospital.  Our excitement was so great that we did not feel the jet lag very much.

Commissioning Ceremony
The next day, IHDN Ghana hosted over 2,000 people at the Hospital Compound.  This was an absolutely beautiful ceremony, not seen in this part of the world for a very long time.  There were several dignitaries including government officials, chiefs, pastors, doctors, lawyers, nurses, journalists, friends and colleagues, and people from all walks of life.  The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Health represented the minister, Major Quashigah (retired).  This ceremony was planned to give thanks to God Almighty for keeping faith with IHDN over the years and helping us accomplish this feat within a short time—20 months to be precise.  The chiefs were dressed in their ceremonial African attire and ornaments.  A brass band provided very inspiring live music.

I gave an inspiring speech about the history of IHDN and the Mission Hospital , and God's call on my life to serve.  I shared about my parents' challenge to use my knowledge to help the people and not only think about ourselves. I was told later on that some of the experiences shared brought people to tears.  I know that God laid some of the words on my heart and this needed to be shared with people.  June 14 was our elder daughter's birthday. The experience of the day brought back great memories and feelings that June and I experienced when we Sarah was born 17 years ago.  After the ceremony we had a health fair and screened several people for hypertension. 

Church Service and Trip to the Beach
We attended church services at Agbozume on Sunday. Mr. Steve Seiple, Executive Pastor of Hope Evangelical Free Church, Springfield , preached the sermon on John 9 on the topic “Jesus Christ the healer.”  This was well received and encouraging. After church we went to the hospital to do some cleaning and packing, then went to the beach in the afternoon.  This is a 10-mile drive from Agbozume. The team had a great time swimming in the Atlantic Ocean .

Medical & Surgical Clinics
We started full-scale work at the clinic on Monday, June 16.  Dr. Wichterman and Susan Lobb spent the time sorting, arranging, and cleaning the OR equipment. I am pleased to inform you that we had our first surgery on Wednesday, June 18.  

Dental Clinics
Dr. Burris & Joyce have been very busy with the dental clinics. They extracted several teeth and filled cavities.  They also went to the schools to teach on dental care

Laboratory training
Mr. Garry Thompson, who has been training the lab staff on use of the new machines, will be leaving Ghana to return to the U.S. today. He starts a new job next week.  We thank Garry for his service.

English Language Classes and Christian Leadership training
Mr. Seiple is having a great time teaching English language in one for the local high schools.  He was joined by Dr. Emmanuel and Jane Attiogbe in hosting a Christian leadership conference.

Computer Science
Dennis Albanese and Kenneth Porter have been working on completing the network, and also complete the software for medical records.

Packing and Logistics
Both Sally Seiple and June [Agamah] have been busy going through our inventory here and organizing it well.

We are very thankful to all for your support and encouragement.  We thank God for His blessings. Please keep on praying for us.  We will be here until next Saturday [June 28].  We will keep you posted.  God bless.