Prayer Letter From Dr Wendell Geary 28 Jan 2010

YEARS’ END PRAYER UPDATE – WENDELL AND MARGIE GEARY – JANUARY 28, 2010

Isaiah 48:17 This is what the LORD says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow”.

THANK YOU for your prayers and generous giving throughout 2009. Both of us are in good health but shivering a bit even though we are in our warm home here in cold Minnesota (since Christmas Day). As the New Year begins join us in asking God to teach us and show us what paths we should follow in 2010.

CHANGES: We departed the U.S. on January 12, 2009, intending to return in August after the departure of summer workers. The trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand, February 12th, as the medical missionary speaker for the Dr. David Stewart Memorial lecture was a great blessing. February 28th, the provincial governor, Mr. Kornelis, enthusiastically urged that Dr Geary be awarded a permanent resident permit in his speech at the lavish ceremony marking the 35th anniversary of Bethesda Mission Hospital (see our photo below together with doctors and nurses in their brightly colored Dyak costumes ). An unexpected invitation to speak in August at the Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan, as part of a symposium on International Medical Aid also was a unique blessing. However, instead of returning to the U.S. in August we returned to Bethesda Mission Hospital to receive the permanent resident permit and to assist the x-ray repair team from California. Both of these matters were postponed to November (needed x-ray equipment was in the delayed container shipment). We arrived back in Minnesota on September 15 to care for pressing personal matters and departed again on October 24th after a brief delay to confirm the correct treatment for Margie’s severe sinusitis condition. The Crandell/Toombs x-ray team met us in Singapore. We arrived together at BMH to start repair of the x-ray equipment. Another x-ray team of three from Malaysia arrived November 15th to install their donated x-ray machine. All teams departed on November 17th – mission accomplished! RESULT: Four functioning x-ray machines including mammography replaced one poorly functioning unit! A twelve month extension on our temporary visa was put in our passports. Due to a technicality we did not receive the permanent resident permit. Paul suffered a gash and break, left ankle, plus cuts and scratches from a dangerous motor bike accident on Nov 21st. As he recuperated at home Wendell made extra efforts to stand by at the hospital advising & encouraging the medical staff. Paul was much better as we departed BMH to return here, Dec. 10.

MARZUKI’S STORY: In May, Wai Hong, Malaysian medical student and summer worker, visited the remote village of Tengon with the Rural Health Evangelism Team and found Mr. Marzuki ALIVE – both physically and sprititually! Two years ago Marzuki, suffering with hardening of the liver due to hepatitis, was bleeding heavily from a ruptured vein in his esophagus. Early in the day he asked the Lord to hold back rain. Under dark clouds, he and his wife departed their rain forest home. Traveling 5 hours by trail on hired motorbike and river boat they arrived at the edge of the road and caught a bus. Continuing to pray, they rode three hours to the hospital. As a blood transfusion flowed into Marzuki’s body the rain began pounding the hospital roof. The next day the ruptured vein was closed (endoscopic banding) by Dr. Paul. According to Wai Hong, Marzuki is active in the local church and is a living testimony of God’s Grace and Healing Power. Many of his neighbors continue to seek help for their illnesses and problems through sorcery and idol worship.

CONTAINER SHIPMENT AND EYE SURGERY: The 40 foot container was closed up for shipment by Paul in Minnesota in late May hoping that the contents could be received at BMH by August. The shipment arrived in Kuching (Malaysian Borneo) in July. Complications at the Indonesian Consulate in Los Angeles delayed the Tax Free Import permit. Safe storage was arranged near the Malaysia-Indonesia border crossing. On October 17th, eye surgeons, Steve Anderson and Edy Lubis, joyfully witnessed the arrival of the heavily loaded trucks at BMH. Excitedly, they located the crates of their precious eye equipment. Now there are two well equipped theatres for eye surgery. Steve and Edy are visiting scattered health centers, some remote, where government nurses have announced the coming of the Bethesda Eye Team. Hundreds of people with eye problems, especially blindness due to cataracts, are screened. www.globaleyemission.org is Steve’s web site with photos of Steve and Edy. Pray that God will use this outreach to enable many eye patients and their families to hear the gospel and begin to seek Jesus as they come to BMH for their eye surgery. Restoration of their sight is a God-given opportunity that most rural people could otherwise never afford.

EVANGELISM: Additional staffing in the chaplain’s department has been needed for some time. Praise the Lord that He has sent new workers; Leedaniel, Franky, Benjamin, and Charles have come in the past few months. Yelly and Ester, two choice young women, are now in orientation. Ask the Lord to give special wisdom to Dr. Herman, hospital director, as he makes assessments and assignments for this group.

Six months ago, Mr. Po Fu, age 64, was rushed into the ER, coming by ambulance 30 miles from a hospital in Singkawang City. Almost dead from lack of oxygen due to choking on some food, he was rescued by the quick action of BMH doctors and nurses. As his condition stabilized on a ventilator in the ICU we learned that 15 days before a tumor had been removed from his brain at a medical center in Malaysia. After the operation he had to be fed via a stomach tube in his nose. He got into BIG TROUBLE when he came home to Singkawang. Despite instructions to the contrary a local doctor had removed the uncomfortable feeding tube from his nose!

In December, after many weeks of care during three hospital admissions, Mr Po Fu recovered the ability to swallow. This was predicted by his Malaysian surgeon who says his tumor is 100% gone. We thank the Lord for the faithful visits of an evangelism team from a Chinese church in Singkawang. They come every Tuesday to witness to Chinese speaking patients at BMH. Speaking with Mr. Po Fu in the local Chinese dialect they have developed a warm relationship with him and his family. They also visit him at his home. Pray that Mr. Po Fu, through these contacts, will respond to the Holy Spirit and turn from idolatry to follow Jesus.

FINAL WORDS: We hope to return to BMH in late May to help receive and mentor summer workers at BMH. Pray that the airline will upgrade Margie’s economy ticket to business class with her flight miles so she can avoid DVT. In high travel season almost all business class seats go to paying passengers. Thank you for your letters and e-mails and your assurances of prayer. E-mail contacts: W – borneodoctor1@earthlink.net M – omamag@earthlink.net Your prayers keep us going! In Christ’s love – Wendell & Margie.