Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings and love from Maua. We pray that each of you are well and that the end of Oct. and Halloween day is filled with fun and the beauty of God's world.

In June of 1997, at my going away party at Irving Community Hospital, Mr. Waldo Cecil, the chairman of the Governing Board approached me and asked if I thought Maua Methodist Hospital could use some medical equipment. Mr. Cecil was on the Medisend Board, a Dallas based organization that sends medical equipment to hospitals around the world. It happened that days earlier I had received a long list of medical supplies that the hospital was needing. When I received the list I couldn't imagine any way I could help provide that equipment. My response to Mr. Cecil's question was a resounding "Yes" and I quickly gave him a copy of the needed medical items. He announced that day that the hospital would raise the funds and send a 40 foot container of medical equipment.

Over the next two years, Mr. Cecil and others have worked continuously to that end. Friday 22 Oct. 99 a enormous truck pulled into the Maua Hospital compound and for the next 1 1/2 hours hospital staff unloaded the 40 foot container. As the hundreds of boxes and larger medical equipment was unloaded, I felt completely overwhelmed by the generosity and loving kindness of YOU! As you may recall this is our second shipment of medical equipment and what a difference it will make.

The hospital pays all the day to day expenses and yet about 1/3 of the people we serve cannot pay their bill. To say we struggle is an understatement but with this equipment (from sutures, catheters, x-ray machines, endoscopy sets, linens, orthopedic equipment [like walkers and crutches and potty chairs], wheel chairs, IV poles and on and on and on) we can continue to give care and improve the care we are giving on a very limited budget. Medical equipment from the US, that usually ends up being stored or thrown away, is a most incredible gift to the people here. I have been asked why you would send so much to people you have never seen or met. My reply is that you know God's love and you are sharing it with us.

Today our preacher read from Ephesians 1: 15 - 20. All I could think of was you. "I have not stopped giving thanks to God for you.....How very great is His power at work in us who believe".

Thanks to all of you that worked so hard to make these two containers of desperately needed medical equipment a reality for Maua Methodist Hospital. Thank you for your prayers, your gifts, your time, your work, your love. Thanks for reaching half way around the world in love. You have brought us joy and hope and the continued ability to serve the people in this area. May God bless each of you as you have blessed us.

Yesterday Bill and I took a walk into the hills surrounding Maua. It was a beautiful day -- the sun was shining but it was neither hot nor cold. As we made our way up a road that winds around a hill (we'd call it a mountain) we meet numerous people on their way home. There were two people that particularly caught my attention.

As we rounded a sharp curve a small herd of cows was moving quickly down the road. Running along side the cows was a boy about 3 years old. He was carrying a stick that was at least as long as he was and hitting the cows to keep them in the middle of the road. I looked around to find someone else with the cows and finally spotted a boy about 6 years old slowly walking a good distance away. He seemed quite content to allow his younger brother to do the work and I was amazed at what a good job the three year old was doing. On our way down the hill we met the two boys again. This time the cows were drinking some water from a small stream and the two boys were resting. When I spoke to the three year old to tell him I had seen him working very hard, he beamed and stood up to resume herding the cows.

As we were walking up a particularly steep part of the path we met up with a large group of men and women both young and old. Most of the women carried large sacks of potatoes (20 to 50 pounds I would guess) on their backs and some were also carrying water in jerrycans. None of the men were carrying anything. Leading the group was a very elderly looking woman carrying a load of cut wood that had her bent almost in half under the weight. On her right and left side were two teenage boys that were talking to her. They carried nothing. I have always found this particular custom one of the most difficult cultural differences to accept. I realize that my way nor their way is right nor wrong, just difficult but I struggle when I see it (almost daily).

In my struggles, I am often reminded of how much change has happened in this area in a very short period of time. Last night we ate dinner with a good friend. As we ate, he told us about growing up in a village in this area. His father had been a well known medicine man or traditional healer and well respected elder. He had sixteen wives and our friend's mother had 10 children. His mother had the fewest children of any of the wives. He laughed as he told us that his mother was always quite concerned about anybody that had a small family and believed that the mother or father must be very ill. Our friend has one wife and two children. In one generation there has been that kind of change. Please pray that the changes that are happening so rapidly and those that are not, will happen with God's guidance and in His time.

Thank you for your emails, for your prayers, for your support and for your love. We could not be here if it were not for you.

In His light,

Jerri and Bill

PS Our Ki-Swahili tape is doing so well. It went on sale last Sunday. On Monday morning I heard it being played in town. Today at choir practice it was announced that we only had 130 of the 500 tapes left.

Jerri and Bill

You can answer this letter at savuto@MAF.org

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