Updates From Wendell Geary M.D.

Dear Christian Brothers and Sisters in Kuching; Tang Sie Hing, Simon Huang, Tan Poh Tin, Simon Wong with Lee Khoon Siew, Wong Howe Tung with Chuei Lian, Tiong Tung Hui, Sim Chai Say, and Poh Teck Hwa,

At long last, a moment to send a message of appreciation along to all of you.

Your friendship and partnership continues to be a great encouragement to the medical team here. We praise the Lord for each and every one of you.

A special thanks for the time of dinner and fellowship, Friday evening, 6 June – more than six weeks ago, plus the time Dr. Steve and I had with Dr. Tiong Tung Hui for dinner and for a visit to his office. Your generosity and hospitality blessed our group of ten.

Dr. Steve Anderson, ophthalmologist, plus an ophthalmology assistant, Mary Beth Seal, along with Roger Cabe and his son, Stephen, were the members of the eye team. Roger is a pastor but has been on a number of trips with the ophthalmologists helping with technical matters. During the three weeks plus that Steve was here hundreds of people were checked. I heard a figure of 58 cataract surgeries. Many other things were accomplished on the path to setting up a first class eye clinic for the poor people of Kalimantan.

The greatest thing for the eye team was the brief presence of Dr. Edy Lubis, the Indonesian medical doctor who is nearly finished with his residency training in ophthalmology at the Gajah Mada University in Central Java. Edy and Steve had opportunities to work together. The equipment the Lord has provided was set up (one example – the operating microscope). When Edy is finally finished and comes to reside here at Bethesda/ Serukam with his family – target date early August – he will be able to get a good start with his work.

The other members of our group were four young ladies who are studying nursing in the U.S. : Carrie, Anna, Hannah, and Maria.

On Saturday, 7 June, all ten of us boarded a chartered bus, arranged by Sim Chai Say, and were on our way to Kalimantan by 10 a.m. Chai Say, Poh Teck Hwa and Chuei Lian met us at the airport on 5 June – gathered all of us with our luggage (over 20 pieces, mostly eye equipment and supplies for eye surgery) and got us to the hotel. Chai Say found a place to store the items that needed to remain in refrigeration and got everything back together for loading on the bus on Saturday.

All of us with the luggage arrived safely at Bethesda/Serukam before sunset.

About 10 days later Chuei Lian met Brian Bowman at the airport and put him on the flight to Pontianak the next day. Brian is another young university student who hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps as a medical missionary. Brian spent about 10 years of his life in Pakistan where his parents worked. Brian and the four young ladies diligently studied and began to use a few simple sentences of bahasa. As departures began Chuei Lian met Brian and Maria and Hannah as they arrived from Pontianak and caught their flights out of Kuching the next day.

Only Carrie and Anna are still here, until 1 August – daily studying various aspects of missions and the missionary call as well as participating in patient care in the hospital and in the villages.

Oma and I thank the Lord for your many kindnesses, a few mentioned here and many others already forgotten. We count the events of these past two months as one of the unique miracles of our experiences in ministry here. Without your participation this could not have happened. The Lord is touching and calling some of these people to return to the harvest here. Pray that the Lord of the Harvest will send workers into the harvest here in Kalimantan. Praise His Holy Name.

The contribution of the air fares money by the three of you who participated in the Medical Missions Course III in March – RM $ 1,200 - was turned over to the Dorcas Fund. Contributions to the Dorcas Fund are used for helping indigent patients to buy their medicines and food and, in some cases, their bus fare to return to their homes. We praise and thank the Lord for the church family that sent you for MMC III in March and made available this sum to reimburse your travel expenses.

MMC IV is already being planned. Please do continue to pray and plan with us. The participation of clinicians from Kuching these last two years has greatly enhanced the MMC benefits for the young Indonesian generalists being sent out to their outposts.

In closing – a bit of news; Dr. Paul and his family departed for the U.S. on 10 July. They are presently in Pasadena with Becky’ s parents, sister and brothers and their families. In a few days they will begin travels to settle the family in Minnesota after which Paul will be traveling to a number of places in the U.S. to report and encourage the brothers and sisters who are partnering with the Bethesda Ministries. Paul plans to be back here in January for a few weeks. He’s hoping to bring Becky and the two youngest children back in May or June.

God bless you all!

Opa and Oma Geary