REPORT FROM CHICUQUE

Last July, eighteen team members, representing First United Methodist Church, San Marcos traveled to southeastern Mozambique to help build a hospital wing at Chicuque Rural Hospital. Mozambique is the second poorest nation in the world and Inhambane Province, where Chicuque is located is the poorest province in Mozambique. Unfathomable to us, they continue to rewash disposable gloves and have little or no anesthesia for most procedures. We witnessed, first hand what little the people in this village have. Children wearing t-shirts until they literally turned to strings, construction workers with no shoes and some very sick children.

The main illnesses seen at CRH are AIDS, Malaria, Meningitis and Tuberculosis. Surprisingly, the burn unit was full most of the time with women and children. There is a severe problem in the area with vendors who sell kerosene for cooking, mixing the kerosene with gasoline or diesel to further their profits. What results is often a sometimes fatal fire.  Since the women usually have their children tied onto their backs, often they both end up with severe burns.

The team was there for two weeks and really fell in love with the community – especially the children. We are all very anxious to return to Chicuque next summer. As part of our continuing support of Chicuque Rural Hospital in Mozambique, the team will be selling scented candles from Sunset Candle Company throughout November.  For every $20 candle sold, $10 will go directly for supplies and building expenses for the Mission to Mozambique, 2005. Next summer we plan to continue our efforts in helping fund a new kitchen. The hospital itself remains limited in its capacity to meet demands for feeding the 200 patients, their single bowl of soup each day. Currently the kitchen is outside, next to a dirt road with no oven or stove and the soup is prepared over an open flame.

Please continue to be in prayerful thought for this ongoing mission. It is the strong desire of the team that we find medical personnel willing to volunteer their time to support the mission next July.  To become involved with this project in any capacity, or find out how you can help us sell candles, please contact Diana Wiley at 512-557-7734.

SOME PICTURES FROM MOZAMBIQUE

A NEWSLETTER FROM JEREMIAS