Bongolo Fire Update Jan 24

Here is today's update from our Gabon team leader and Bongolo Medical Director, Keir T.:

The transformer shack sits on the edge of the
Bongolo campus in the white shack

"Greetings from the heating up jungle.

Just 6 days ago our main electricity transformer, which supplies the whole hospital and homes, caught on fire and then subsequently was destroyed.  We have been running on generator since, except for about 30 minutes of down time that we had due to a concern about a possible leak in the radiator of the generator; we checked this out and did what we could to address the problem.

The burned up transformer & damaged shack

We have seen God at work in amazing ways:

1.  No one was hurt in the fire

2.  Our generator has run for all but 30 minutes for the last 6 days, we have been on energy conservation mode, and God has sustained and had His hand on the generator

3.  Pastor Serge (our hospital administrator) was able to meet with…

 the director of a company that makes/builds transformers...a man that he knows personally, and as a result….

4.  Tuesday night a new transformer arrived complete with its own steel container-building

5.  Work continues to prepare the site and install the new transformer

We praise God for His quick provision of a replacement transformer, and pray that the work will be completed soon.

 

The New Transformer shack!

The final cost is going to be $175,000 for the transformer and installation, plus about $1000/day for fuel for each day that we have had to run the generator. 

How can it be that the transformer is already here?  

Because of the urgent need for a transformer, we have dipped to almost the bottom of our financial reserves and now are in a risky situation; there is essentially nothing left to tide over delays in insurance payments, or if a second impact or disaster should hit.  If you are interested in more of these details, please feel free to email us and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

If the whole transformer fire weren't enough, a few days before this explosion, we lost the automatic transfer switch for our generator when a lightning strike impacted our electrical system!  This had meant that someone was “on call” for starting the generator and switching us from the local power company to the generator, that is of course until the fire, which has meant that the generator is on 24/7.  

"Mister Paul"!

Paul (our maintenance guy) has been carrying the load of refilling the fuel tank, and just checking on things, meaning that he has been down at the generator several times a day.  Pray for his stamina.

So...a recap of things at this point:  first we lost our transfer switch (now requiring a manual work-around), and second we lost our transformer.  There actually is a "third" to this too, since we had a problem with the automatic start of the generator before any of the first two things came about...but that's another story!

We know that what Satan has meant to destroy and harm, God will use to strengthen our faith in Him and to demonstrate His glory.  We know that God will use this for good, because we believe that Romans 8:28 is true...even for us here in this particular situation!

 

The New Transformer!

Thanks for standing with us in prayer...prayer to, and in praise of, our Awesome Heavenly Father; He is "El roi," our God who sees, and "Jehovah Jira," our provider.  Thank you to all of you who have given prayer time, advice, and financially during this time of urgent need and spiritual attack.  Thanks for standing with us as one Body."

DONATIONS NEEDED

Bongolo needs help with this crisis.  As noted above, costs are rising to over $180,000 (USD).  Would you please consider helping respond?  If you can assist with a financial donation, please click the "DONATE" logo on the right column of this page (or here) to take you to the Christian & Missionary Alliance website.  Enter "Bongolo" into the search in the section marked "Give to International Worker or Special Projects" and select the first option that pops up ("Hospital Projects/Bongolo").  You will be receipted for your giving.

If you wish to give via US Postal service:

Make a check payable to C&MA write “Bongolo Hospital Special Projects" in the memo line.

Send to:

C&MA

P.O. Box 35000

Colorado Springs, CO 80935-3500

Critical, life-giving, hope-inspiring, work happens at Bongolo Hospital, shining a light of God's love in a remote corner of the world.  Please help that work to carry on.  Thank you so much.