Central African Republic Visit

Your generosity makes a difference!

This past January I had the privilege to travel to the Central African Republic (C.A.R.) to celebrate the dedication of the health clinic primarily funded by Hope Lutheran. It now has a new name, Emmanuel Health Center. Emmanuel is a word that comes from the New Testament that is literally translated: "God with us." It is a fitting name.

Emmanuel Health Center

The Emmanuel Health Center is the fulfillment of a dream for Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry (LPGM) and the Lutheran church in the CAR. LPGM is the organization we partnered with for the completion of this project. The health center is located in a village of Gallo in the North West region of the country. This clinic will provide basic medical services to a region of this country that has no health care. Imagine if you can, what it would be like to live in place where the average life expectancy was only 40 years, and where the average family lives on less than $1 a day. Imagine that finding enough food and water for daily consumption is your single highest priority. Imagine that one out of every five children would not live to see their fifth birthday often due to preventable diseases related to poverty, lack of clean water and hunger.

Construction and Dedication of the Emmanuel Health Center

Needless to say, the construction and dedication of the Emmanuel Health Center was received with great joy. It was clear to me that the health center was more than just a place to get desperately needed health care....it represented the hope of Jesus Christ. For the people of CAR it represents that their brothers and sisters in Christ stand with them in their struggle. The theme verse for our capital campaign came from 1 Peter 1:3, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope..." (NIV) This clinic was truly a "new birth into a living hope" for the people of this region!

The dedication of the clinic was filled with the Holy Spirit! Over 2,000 people gathered for a 5 ½ hour worship service! It was a privilege to be there to represent the congregation I serve. Although financed by our congregation and Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Austin, MN, the hard work of building this clinic was directed by Theresa Obwaya, Eunice Olson and President Andre Golike of the Lutheran Church in CAR. It was a joy to meet these faithful and humble servants of our Lord. Although obstacle after obstacle stood in their way (like no tools, no electricity, unreliable transportation, no food, etc.) they persevered and by God's grace were successful in completing the clinic.

Central Temple

In addition to visiting the health center, I had the great joy of visiting "Central Temple," the congregation that Hope Lutheran financed during our "Mission Possible" sermon series four years ago. An AIDS medication storage facility is in the basement of the church. It was great to meet with the pastor of Central Temple and hear about their thriving ministry.

The Call of God is Clear

While the people of CAR face many significant struggles, it was clear when worshiping with them that their faith is joyful and full of hope. The partnership we have with the church in CAR is a great gift to our congregation. Your generosity is important! It makes a life changing, often life saving, difference for the people of CAR. The call of God is clear. As people of Hope Lutheran, we are called to reach out with Jesus to help meet the needs of a broken world. That's why I am excited that during the next few weeks we have the opportunity to once again further our outreach to this world. Please take prayerful note of the exciting opportunities listed in this Words of Hope to reach out with compassion to a broken world in Jesus' name!

Children in Gallo				School in Bouar				On the road to Bangui