Thursday, July 28, 2016

Wings For Africa

The Alliance national church in Gabon has broken ground on the PK 27 project that will be home to many social care programs run by our Gabonese colleagues.  It will also feature a landing airstrip and hangar.  Now, along with the US-based facilitator of the project, E4 Project, we are brainstorming what kind of educational opportunities might flow out of the aviation program to equip nationals.  We invite you on this journey!  Here is more info, via video...

If you are having issues loading the video below, please go to this website: https://vimeo.com/169423859

Wings for Africa from Stephen Straw on Vimeo.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Bongolo Hospital Needs

Year after year, dedicated supporters of medical missions at Bongolo Hospital make and collect items to be sent, via shipping container, to Gabon.  I have actually been in Gabon, when these containers are being processed at the port, unloaded, and put into use.  Be rest assured that ALL ITEMS are used to bless those that come seeking health and hope in a very remote part of Africa.  Our Gabon team of international workers are so blessed to have this teamwork.

Thank you for considering joining in the provision of the current needs at Bongolo.  The next shipment will depart Cleveland, Ohio (ARK Transport), September 1st, so it's a good idea to get the word out now.  Details are below.


Here are some urgently needed items at this time:
  
A.  Centrum (or similar with all the trace minerals) multivitamins 
-  Needed for Adults and, especially, for children (not "gumball" shaped; but the chewable ones).
-  Note:  "Equipping the Saints" (www.etsusa.orgsells "Vine Vites for Kids"- 1000 chewable tablets @ $18.95/bottle (must buy a case of 12 bottles). 


B.  Benadryl tablets (not capsules)
-  Generic is OK

C.  Artificial Tears 
-  like Systane or Generic 

D.  Covers for Delivery & Operating Room Tables
-  See instructions below**

E. Sterilization Wraps
-  See instructions below*

F.  Vision Glasses
-  new reading glasses & glass cases
-  used eye glass frames & used glass cases (either you or they will remove the present glass) 
-  disposable pen lights for eye clinic
-  Note: there are ideas on making glass cases on the internet
-  Small toys or stickers for kids who come to the eye clinic.

G.  Medical Supplies
-  Interosseus needles
-  Chest Tubes- sizes 10-16 and adult 30-40
-  Chest tube draining systems

H.  Medical Apparel
-  long white lab coats
-  new or slightly used scrubs sizes small to medium (right now there are enough of the larger)
-  children’s patient gowns (see patterns on Internet:  LINK 1 ;  LINK 2
-  reusable underpads (34" x 36")
-  Note:  see websites like www.allegromedical.com

I.  Inexpensive “sippy cups”

J. hand towels new or slightly used (no white ones please)

*NOTE:  If you think you have useful items that are not listed, please call Coleen Lofgren (218-245-2706).

HOW TO PREP YOUR BOX:

1.  PACKAGE SIZE LIMITS:  The packages should be no larger than a total of 72 inches (length + height + width) unless you have special permission.  Please limit different types of items to 3-4 per box and put each type of item in it’s own plastic bag for easier sorting at the hospital.
          
 2.  E-MAIL NOTIFICATION:  Please e-mail Gabon’s shipment coordinator, Linda Chae at linda.chae@att.net and a copy to me, Coleen Lofgren coliemark@gmail.com with the following information: 1.  Church and address; 2. Contact’s name, phone number and e-mail address; 3. Total number of boxes sent.  
          
3.  LABEL EACH BOX!!!  Please label each box by letter and numbers, for example, if your church is in Plain View, Iowa and you’re sending 2 boxes, you might choose PVIO#1, PVIO#2.  Please include the two letter state abbreviation in your label as there are a lot of churches with similar names.
          
4.  BOX LIST:  Each box/container should have a list of contents.  All contents should be categorized in one of the following categories:  PERSONAL EFFECT; MEDICATIONS;  MEDICAL EQUIPMENT; or FOOD.
     
5.  PAYMENT FOR SEA FREIGHT:  Calculate the total cubic feet of all of your boxes/containers and multiply by $15.  Send this amount to:  C&MA Finance Dept., 8595 Explorer Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.  On the check memo write "Bongolo Hosp. Med Supp./Shipping acct. no. 09037-4340."

GET ITEMS TO SHIPPING CONTAINER:
NOTE:  SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 DEADLINE!!!

1.  SEND YOUR BOX:
        WHERE TO SEND:  Send the boxes to : ARK Transportation c/o Gabon Shipment Bongolo Hospital, 17830 Englewood Drive, Middleburg Heights, OH 44130 by September 1st, 2016
          

OR...

2.  FIND A COLLECTION POINT:

-  State College, PA  ~  Contact person, Dick Straw, email:  drs9mjs@aol.com

-  Lewistown, PA  ~  Contact person, Judy Brown, email:  Judy.Brown310@comcast.net

MORE TO COLLECTION POINTS TO COME!

*NOTE:  We are currently looking for individuals or churches that would be willing to be a collection point and then be responsible for transport to ARK Transport, located near Cleveland, OH.  If you are so very kind as to do this, please contact Coleen Lofgren or myself (gabon.pilot@gmail.com).


SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:

* STERILIZATION WRAPS:  
Finished sizes needed are: 12” x 12”, 24” x 24”, 36” x 36”. 48” x 48”.  You can make them out of gently used cotton and cotton/polyester material, sheets or old tablecloths (don’t use flannel- it is too loose a weave).  Preferred colors are blue, green or white solid (others accepted though).  To make them, cut the material 1/2” larger than the size wanted.  They are to be double thickness, with the seams on the inside.  After sewing the two pieces of material, turn it inside right, then sew a seam about 1/2” around the entire square and then an “X” from corner to corner.  this way, when they are washed, they will stay in place.  Questions?  Call Coleen at 218-245-2706.

** DELIVERY & O.R. TABLE SHEETS:
Use flat sheets twin or full size, any color, out of cotton or cotton/polyester. Fold sheet in half so it is 48” x 66” (twin) or 48”x 81” (full).  Sew or Zig-zag around the entire doubled sheet, including the folded side, close to the edge.   Then measure half way down (33” or 40.1”) and sew across the sheet.



OUR WHOLE TEAM THANKS YOU FOR YOUR TEAMWORK IN BLESSING THE PEOPLE OF CENTRAL AFRICA!!!


Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Gabon PK27 Project Ground Breaking!

On June 19th, the Alliance church of Gabon had the ground breaking ceremony of the PK27 Project just outside the capital city of Libreville!  This property will be the home of a social works campus that will include a hospital, children's home, widow's home, career training, primary and secondary education, airport and hangar facilities.  More than half the population of Gabon lives within 40 kilometers of this campus!  A huge industrial complex is in development stages only 2 kilometers away.

For those of you who have followed our journey, you will recall some early stories about this God-sized project in 2012 and 2013.  It seemed that it was WAY TOO BIG of a dream, but, we have seen some really awesome things on this journey.








This project is being led and executed by the Alliance national church in Gabon.  Half the finances will come from the churches in Gabon and the other half from partnerships.  If you are interested in getting behind this effort, I will be posting the information sometime soon.  For more information, please visit the webpage of the partnership coordinator, E4 Project:  CLICK HERE

These pictures come thanks to partners organized by E4 Project.  If you or your group are interested in partnerships or a vision trip to Gabon, please contact me (gabon.pilot@gmail.com) or E4 Project (info@e4project.org).

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Quick July Update

A few news and notes from our world:
Meeting with Gabon C&MA Church
leaders.

> Praise the Lord for a unanimous decision of the delegates to the Gabon C&MA national council meetings to re-elect the entire national leadership last week.  Since our partnership in Gabon is driven by and with these leaders, it's nice when we have the same people in place.  More than that, however, this team of leaders in Gabon are Godly men and women that we really enjoy working with and being friends with.

> Sam, our youngest, will soon transition to college (and life) in San Diego.  Please pray for him.

> Please pray for the inter-church committee in GABON working to advance Bible translation in the nation.  They are making partnership decisions and setting plans.  Our aircraft has served these efforts already and are looking forward to more of this Kingdom-building work!

Pastor Jacob MOUELE, far right, Gabon C&MA Director
for Internatonal Partnerships
> Please pray for the national Gabonese church's "PK-27" project. A social works campus with a landing strip for our aircraft! They just had their cornerstone laying ceremony!










Pastor Victor NDOUKOU, national church President, at the June 19, 2016 Cornerstone laying ceremony.