Global Health

GLOBAL HEALTH Newsletter of Global Health Ministries

May - June 2008

Vol. 21 No. 3

Board Elects New Officers, Sets Strategic Focus on “Cycles of Success” In her last meeting as GHM president, Carol Berg, observed, “I see evidence of Jesus’ love in each person involved in the healing ministry we support…our overseas partners, the many volunteers, and GHM staff are all inspired by that sense of being loved by Jesus to reach out to those who are sick or in need of care, to be instruments of God’s healing touch.” Newly elected to the Board’s Executive Committee for 2008 were: Donna Wright, President; Dr. Randy Hurley, Vice President; Dr. Susan Vitalis, Secretary; Dr. Karen Plager and Barbara Wang, members at large; Dr. James Hart and Wilhelmina Holder, Alternates; Ken Dahlberg, Treasurer. “We praise God for what has been accomplished through our support of international partners in the past year,” Berg concluded, (see the 2007 Annual Report insert for details), “and there is much yet to do in response to the growing number of opportunities presenting themselves.” During the meeting’s second half, president-elect Wright (left) led a discussion of strategic goals that she and the board have been developing during the last year. “We will be creating tools to identify and strengthen “Cycles of Success” in key dimensions of our mission,” Wright said, “including the gathering and shipping of medical supplies and equipment, developing new leadership and donor support, accountability and vital partnerships.” Cited during discussion were reports to the board on recent survey trips to Liberia and Cameroon by GHM Director of Operations, Scott Lien, documenting the need for improvements in storage facilities and inventory management once GHM shipments arrive. Such challenges to mission success also

present important opportunities for strengthening partnerships, it was said, and for recruiting volunteers with varied expertise to assist in assessment and problem-solving missions. In other actions, the board adopted a charter for a new Dental Health Advisory Committee, heard plans to hold a conference on practices in mission hospital management, and committed to complete the organization’s warehouse expansion capital campaign by year-end.

GHM party in their honor on March 12. Bishop Gimbi thanked those attending for their friendship and for the opportunity to be of service at GHM to the people of Tanzania and around the world. Reading from 1 Timothy, he exhorted his friends "Do not be weary in well-doing," and prayed that "the Lord Jesus and God our father, who loved us and gave us good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word." Bishop Gimbi and Elly have now returned to Tanzania to share their experiences with other friends and thus continue the circle of faith and fellowship found in the body of Christ. We miss them dearly and hope this story will inspire others.

Friends Return Home to Tanzania In December 2006, Bishop Amos Gimbi, recently retired from the ELCT Central Diocese in Tanzania, arrived in Vadnais Heights, MN with his wife, Elintongela (Elly for short) to visit their daughter and spend time with their grandchildren. Shortly thereafter, they joined First Lutheran Church in White Bear Lake, MN, and became involved in the various activities there. Elly joined the quilting group and befriended Arlene Handlos, a long-time Tuesday volunteer at GHM. While working on quilts, Arlene shared with Elly her work at GHM and suggested she might be interested in coming out as well and bring her husband too. The couple visited GHM and quickly made friends. Elly inspected and blessed midwife kits, while Amos worked with hospital linens and other projects. Both became an integral part of our regular Tuesday group and frequently participated in container loading events on Saturdays, especially when the container was going to Tanzania. During coffee and lunch breaks, it was common to hear stories from Tanzania, or a conversation in Kiswahili with other volunteers returned from the mission field. After more than a year, the call to return home to Tanzania arrived. Amos and Elly bid farewell to their friends at a

Bishop Gimbi and Elly say farewell

Power Surge Protection Project Advances In 2007, Global Health Ministries approved a Power Surge Protection Project (79XX-Q1503) in support of the 20 Lutheran hospitals in Tanzania. Electrical power to these hospitals has long been erratic, unstable, and unreliable, creating problems that range from improper operation to damage and destruction of sensitive hospital equipment. As a key provider of such equipment, GHM has an important stake in protecting it. The project was divided into three phases: evaluation of each hospital to assess and document the status of their electrical service, purchase appropriate equipment to stabilize this power and provide protection from power surges, and finally the installation of the equipment. "ELCT Power Project" continued page 3

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Direct Lines from the Director We are pleased to enclose our 2007 Annual Report with this edition of Global Health. It was a year filled with accomplishment, for which we give God praise and glory, and sincere thanks to all of you whose volunteer service and voluntary donations of money, supplies and equipment were given freely that others might have life. We cannot predict what our report for 2008 will look like, but in spite of the dark clouds of recession and anxiety, we know that the year will be one of opportunity and, with God’s help and your continued support, a year of promise! I had an inspiring experience in celebrating the Passover with my family recently. At the suggestion of American Jewish World Service, a fifth question was added to the original four that begin, as you will remember, with “Why is this night different from all other nights?” The fifth question this year was, “How can we make this year different from all other years?” The question was followed by prayers of commitment that I commend to all of you: • When tasting the matzah, the bread of poverty, let us find ways to help the poor and hungry; • When eating the maror, the bitter herbs, let us commit to those whose lives are embittered by disease; • When dipping to commemorate the blood that protected our ancestors from the angel of death, let us pursue protection for lives that are threatened by violence and conflict; • When reclining in celebration of our freedom, let us seek opportunities to help those who are oppressed. How can this year be different from other years? Here are three possibilities: 1. There are reports that a large scale campaign will soon be underway that will engage Lutherans and Methodists as major agents in combating malaria, the leading cause of death and illness in the developing world. An astounding $200,000,000 initiative was announced by the ELCA, LCMS and Methodists with Ted Turner’s United Nations Foundation “This will be the largest campaign of its type ever for Lutherans,” said the Rev. John Nunes, president and chief executive of Lutheran World Relief. The denominations were chosen by Turner "...because of their overseas experience and ability to advocate for the project in the U.S. The money will be used for prevention, treatment and improving health care in areas at risk for the disease through the Global Fund to

GLOBAL HEALTH Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.” (Associated Press, April 1, 2008) Such a campaign has the promise of eliminating deaths due to the disease, and we can only pray for its success in achieving such a goal. 2. A member of the GHM/Minneapolis Area Synod health care team, Jay Johnson, recently departed for Nigeria for the third time in as many years. Johnson, a trained water engineer, has offered his expertise in assessing how best to build a clean water program with the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, where women may walk a mile or more to retrieve water for household use that is often already contaminated. This year, Johnson received an inheritance that he took as an opportunity to leave his job and dedicate more than two months to developing plans to make pure water accessible to the many communities served by the Church. Johnson says that the future is not entirely clear, but he feels somehow liberated in placing what lies ahead in God’s hands. For Jay, it certainly will be a year different from all others!

Farewell party for Jay Johnson. L-R: Gary Sande, GHM Nigeria Project Manager; Dana Sabiya; Sally Johnson; Jay Johnson; Rev. Tim Iverson

3. Since I last wrote to invite your prayers for our mission in the Central African Republic, an exciting candidate has come forward with an abundance of gifts and a full measure of faith and courage to pursue the Gallo Project Manager position. She comes from Kenya, and will visit with us in May before going to CAR for her assessment of the tasks, challenges and opportunities and for interviews with Church leaders there. At this time, insurgent activity has lessened and there is finally serious talk of peace among the conflicted parties. A German missionary formerly stationed near Gallo and an advocate for the proposed health center, will return to CAR at the same time as our candidate to assist in her planning. The past has seen only violence, insecurity, and paralysis of efforts to bring hope and healing to the region. Please join me once again in praying that this, indeed, will become a year that is different from all other years! Rev. Tim Iverson

May - June 2008

The B-line by Bea Haagenson Rolled Bandages - revisited. Please note the change regarding white bandages only. Rolled bandages made from sheets are still needed in many areas of the world where commercial bandages are often expensive and in short supply. Bandage rolling has been an ongoing project and we appreciated the many thousands of bandages that have found their way to the GHM warehouse and from there to overseas hospitals and clinics. However, since WHITE bandages are preferred we find it necessary to change our policy and ask for WHITE bandages only (No colors or designs). Suitable materials used are bed sheets, cotton or cotton blend. Please no knits or flannels. You can find the revised instructions, dated April 2008, on the GHM web site, or if you prefer, request a revised handout from the GHM office. From the B-line mailbox: Q. Our women love to roll bandages but often feel bad about tearing up perfectly good sheets. A. Flat and fitted bed sheets in good condition, especially single and twin size, are always needed. Sheets can be white or pastel colors. Pillowcases are also in demand. Q. What happens to donated medical supplies and equipment that can not be used overseas? A. The GHM warehouse staff and volunteers inspect and sort diligently to make sure that only useful and needed items are packed and shipped. The supplies are also checked for expiration dates and not shipped unless we can be sure they arrive overseas in plenty of time before the printed expiration date. Equipment that cannot be repaired, cannot be used overseas, and is not needed by other agencies in the U.S., is recycled. Volunteers take it apart, sort it into different types of metal and take it to recycling centers. Q. What kind of response have you had to the request for baby blankets? A. We have had excellent response. Many beautiful blankets have been shipped already. It is a joy to see the many colors and patterns and the obvious love with which the blankets are produced. A big thank you to everyone, who has taken on this new project. Note: Local volunteers are needed to assemble knitted and crocheted bandages into baby blankets. These are the bandages that arrived after the project was discontinued, and we want to make good use of them. Please call the GHM office if you can help with this project. Questions for the B-line can be addressed to GHM, attention Bea Haagenson

May - June 2008

GLOBAL HEALTH

Madagascar Integrated Program Hires Coordinator Following a thorough and highly competitive recruitment and selection process, RAMAROLAHY Lalaina has been chosen to be Regional Coordinator of the new Anosy Integrated Village Development Program. Participating in the selection process were: Lanto Rabenasolo, SALFA CFO; Agnes, Rasamimampianina, AIVD National Supervisor; Dr. Emmanuelson Randrianaina, Manambaro Hospital Medical Director; Rev. Mara Tovosoa Florent, Director, Manantantely Bible School; Dr. Sahondra Rasoarimanana, Fort Dauphin SALFA Clinic Director; Ms. Jeannette, leader of the Toby Nenilava; and Rev. Monja, Vice President, Faradofy Synod. Once hired on February 29, Lalaina began intensive orientation and training for the unique challenges of managing an initiative that will conduct careful assessments of community needs with village residents of the Anosy (Southeastern Madagacar) region, develop distinctive holistic action plans and budgets, and draw upon the community assets of the Church, government, business and regional NGOs for collaborative implementation. The AIVD assessment team, centered at Manambaro Lutheran Hospital, will provide traditional village outreach health care and referral services, while other partners will address diverse aspects of community health, including sanitation and clean water, evangelism and education, agricultural practices, and small business development. Dr. John Toso, former Madagasacar missionary and previous GHM board president will coordinate closely with the team as the stateside AIVD Project Manager for GHM. Support for this program may be designated to Madagascar, Integrated Village Development: 48IV-G0001.

Nurses Needed in Warehouse Global Health Ministries is looking for a few good nurses to help sort and inventory medical supplies in our fine sorting room. Training will be provided. Available days/time include Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9 am to 2 pm, and Tuesday and Wednesday evening from 6 pm to 8 pm. Please call the GHM office or visit for more details. We need you! GLOBAL HEALTH, published 6 times a year, is a publication of Global Health Ministries. Subscriptions are free upon request. GHM,7831 Hickory Street NE, Minneapolis, MN 55432 (763)586-9590. Rev. Tim Iverson, Executive Director and Editor, Dee Ingemansen, Production

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New Palliative Care Program in Cameroon It is a cause for celebration that many of GHM’S Lutheran health care partners have instituted home care hospice programs in recent years as a critically-needed and gracious response to widespread suffering and death due to the AIDS pandemic. Until these initiatives began visitations by hospital staff and trained members of local congregations, those who were ill often suffered in isolation due to shunning by their local community and even family. Hospice, or palliative care, programs are an important ministry of the Church through which such stigma is lessened and the Gospel of God’s love for all people is publicly proclaimed. Global Health Ministries supports these programs with start-up grants and regular supplies of Hospice Kits for use by families at home in the care of their loved ones. Thousands of people all over the nation participate in this ministry by preparing and sending these kits to GHM for shipment overseas. During 2006, Joan Holliman, a Minneapolis hospice nurse and GHM volunteer, consulted with the health program in Cameroon—OSEELC— to refine plans for a new program. She was joined in this effort by a U of M medical student, Matthew Fitzpatrick, whom Joan helped prepare for a three month rotation in Cameroon to assist Ngaoundere hospital staff in implementing their plans. In a recent OSEELC newsletter, editor TONGA Paul reported: “Financed by a $25,000 grant from Global Health Ministries, the Palliative Care Project started in January 2008 with the help of Matthew. The coordinator of the project is a nurse, Mr. KALNIME Remy, with the assistance of Mr. TABEBOT William BESEM, a social worker, under the supervision of Dr. EMAKAM Eric. The Palliative Care Unit is working in collaboration with all the services of the Hospital, and deals with each patient’s social, spiritual, and medical needs. May this wonderful initiative soon grow in service beyond Ngaoundere Protestant Hospital to the other two hospitals of OSEELC!” Cameroon, Ngaoundere Hospice: 09XX-D1040. "ELCT Power Project" continued

Survey reports have now been completed for several of the hospitals and submitted to GHM for review and consideration. To date, three ELCA Synods have committed to this project in support of their sister church’s hospital. The first project to be completed is at Gonja Hospital in the Pare Diocese. The ELCA SE Iowa (SEIA) Synod took action last year and raised the necessary funds. The equipment was purchased by the ELCT’s Health Care Technical Services (HCTS) and installed by Henry Sommerfeld, a biotech missionary from the Bavarian Church, and Todd Byerly, SEIA missionary. As Todd writes, “Henry and I installed the projection equipment just before Easter. Gonja, with some very good and expensive equipment, suffers many power dips, surges, brownouts and cuts weekly. For now, we feel secure in knowing the critical equipment such as two portable x-ray machines, an ultrasound machine, oxygen concentrators, suction machines, operating light, sterilizers, hematology and chemistry analyzers, CD4 counters and are protected. Thanks be to God for God’s people responding!” In other developments, the ELCA SE Minnesota Synod has raised funds for a project at Iambi Hospital in the Central Diocese. Work at IIlembula Hospital in the Southern Diocese will also begin soon. In 2006, Dr. Timothy Peterson and Carlene Embree, R.N., collaborated with GHM in conducting an assessment

of Illembula, and developed an excellent report for strengthening health care programs there. Dr. Peterson brought word of the opportunity to protect the hospital’s medical equipment through the Power Surge Project, and his home church, Emanuel Lutheran in Dayton, IA, took up the challenge and by March had raised the $11,000 needed. Attending a celebratory worship service to dedicate the congregation’s gifts to this mission were GHM board members Ruth Ehrhardt, R.N. and Momo Wolapaye.

At Emanuel Lutheran Church in Dayton, Iowa. L-R: Rev. Adam Dichsen; Ruth Ehrhardt; Dr. Tim Peterson; Carlene Embree; Craig Peterson, Emanuel President; Western Iowa Synod Bishop Michael Last, and Momo Wolapaye.

We give thanks to God for all responding to this important project that will protect life-saving equipment and enhance the healthcare ministries of the Lutheran Church in Tanzania. Additional surveys have now been completed at Bumbuli Hospital, Ilula Hospital, Nyakahanga Hospital, Lugala Hospital, Ndolage Hospital, and Machame Hospital. We pray the Spirit will guide and encourage other ELCA Companion Synods to hear this call and respond as well.

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GLOBAL HEALTH GLOBAL HEALTH

Page D

2007 Annual Report Summary

May - June 2008

GLOBAL HEALTH MINISTRIES May - June C2008

What is Global Health Ministries? GHM provides a-gift of life -- physical and spiritual -- through Lutheran 31, health care work across the world by providing project financial Statement of Activities Years ended December 2002 and 2001 support, locating and shipping urgently needed medical supplies, recruiting health care personnel, and funding the training of national health care givers.

email: [email protected] • Internet: http://www.ghm.org 763/586-9590 • 763/586-9591 (FAX)

Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Minneapolis, MN

GLOBAL HEALTH MINISTRIES 7831 Hickory Street NE Minneapolis, MN 55432-2500

PERMIT #4872

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

May - June 2008

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Shipment to Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea is an island nation rich in natural resources, spectacular scenery, and a fascinating mix of cultures with people from over 800 language groups. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG is the second largest Church in PNG, dating back to when the first Lutheran missionaries planted their roots in 1886, and now with over 1 million members from a total population of 6.1 million. In order to serve its people in a holistic manner, the ELC has its own education, health, and development departments as well as HIV&AIDS, Women’s, Youth, Lands/Finance and General Church Divisions. In support of Lutheran Health Services in PNG, and at the request of the LHS office in Lae and Madang, Global Health Ministries shipped a 40’ container on April 5 of basic medical supplies, midwife and hospice kits, rolled bandages and baby blankets, and much more. Supplies were assigned to Gaubin and Yagaum Hospitals, Bagabah Health Centre, Begesin Health Centre, Biliau Health Centre, Hote Aid Post, Kambuku Health Centre, Mapor Health Centre, Primary Healthcare, and LHS Offices in both Lae and Madang. Theological textbooks from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, were included for Senior Flierl Seminary in Finschhafen. And in partnership with the Fairmont Rotary Club in Fairmont, MN, and Cafe (Computer Access For Everyone), one hundred IBM P3 and P4 computers were included for the Madang Rotary Club in support of several secondary schools in the Madang area.

Indiana. Connie facilitated communications with the ELCPNG Overseas Office in Lae to complete the needs assessments of the area health centers. Connie was assisted in these efforts by PNG Church Women's Office staff, Lakele Tetac and Ruth Marsipal, whom she met at a Lutheran World Federation Women’s Conference a few years ago. Doug Hall, Director of Cafe and Fairmont Rotary Club, Connie Milner, and Scott Lien, GHM’s Director of Operations, will visit PNG in August for two weeks to assess the shipment and distribution of supplies to the various health centres and hospitals. Following this trip, a gathering of Papua New Guinea supporters is planned to report on their findings. Designated gifts for the PNG health ministry can be made to PNG General, 60XX-G0000.

Months of planning, emails, and conference calls preceded the shipment, especially with Connie Milner, Director of Materials Confirmation students from Granite Falls and Watson Lutheran A complete copy ofDaughters’ our audited financial statements for 2003 and Granite IRS Form is available request. Churches, Falls,990 MN. pack the recenton PNG container Management at King’s Hospital in Madison,