A New Beginning

A NEW BEGINNING

Prologue:  Sixteen years ago, a young man starting his legal career met a young woman searching for the path upon which God wanted her to walk.  As the years passed two things became clear:  the Lord was calling the woman to serve the women and children of East Africa, and He was calling the two together.  They were married in 2004, and in 2009 they joyfully became a family of three!  Through all this time, her call to Africa became their call to Africa, and they waited for the right time to serve. 

A NEW DAY DAWNS

At 5:00 p.m. this Friday our family will officially begin our life as full time missionaries with Christian Health Service Corps.  As this event approaches we are filled with the excitement that only a new adventure can bring, and the apprehension that stepping away from all that we have known also entails.  But of this we are certain: our family has been called to help minister to the women and children of southwest Kenya.  As we venture away from our lives as a doctor and lawyer in America, we are stepping out in faith and the belief that Jesus has asked us to go and help relieve suffering and offer comfort where the needs are, well, simply overwhelming.

As Friday passes, we will devote all of our energies to prepare to depart for Tenwek Hospital in Kenya.

OUR FUTURE

Tenwek Hospital is located in rural southwest Kenya, 150 miles from the capital, Nairobi.  Tenwek is the only hospital available to women in this area. It is a major teaching hospital as well, with a school of nursing, and residency programs in surgery and family medicine. Joy is an ob/gyn who loves to teach. She will be caring for women who have often labored for days, and have complications from protracted labor. In addition to obstetrical care, Joy hopes to have the opportunity to treat girls and women who sustain a specific birth injury known as  fistula.  This injury is incurred when women suffer from unrelieved obstructed labor.  This leaves these individuals incontinent, and they are often treated as modern day lepers in their villages.  This is an injury rarely seen in the states, but there are believed to be over a million cases in sub-Saharan Africa with an estimated 100,000 new cases each year. She will also be dedicating her time to teach African doctors how to do what she has been trained to do.

Bill will be working with a newly formed organization helping to raise funds for the hospital and helping with the Tenwek community's efforts to assist the Kenyans living near the hospital.  We also all intend to devote as much time as possible to working with the local orphanages.

SUPPORT UPDATE: WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE NEED TO BE

Our immediate needs include completion of our support raising.  While serving at Tenwek Hospital, we will not be receiving a salary. At this time, we have raised almost 40% of our needed support, and we continue to pray that God will move those who hear about our call to join our support team.  To those who are currently supporting our family, you have our heartfelt thanks and prayers.


Total amount we need to raise for two years: $80,000 ($40,000/year)
Monthly support needed: $3,000/month

We need supporters who will pledge $5 or $10/month. We need supporters who can pledge $100/month. We need one time gifts (a one time gift of $5 is appreciated and everything helps!)  and annual gifts.

 PLEASE consider joining our team. We cannot go without you! 100% of your money goes directly to this ministry. Christian Health Service Corps is a 501(c)3 and so all of your gifts are tax deductible.

PRAYER REQUESTS
 *     Please pray for the people of rural Kenya who surround Tenwek Hospital--especially the women who are expecting. Tenwek will be without an ob/gyn from September until we arrive.  Please ask the Lord to care for these women and the medical personnel who will be provide their care.

*     As we begin to pack up our home and prepare to move, we ask that you pray that we find a family who wants to rent our home.

*     Finally, we pray that the Lord will bring more people into our lives who want to join in our ministry.  If you or someone you know is interested in partnering with us please email us: irwins@healthservicecorps.org or donations can be made directly at http://www.healthservicecorps.org . We love to share about our call and this ministry--to individuals and groups--let us know if you would like to meet with us or have us visit your church, or community group!