Hope Clinic Newsletter
November 2006
November 7th our feet left US soil once again as we headed for the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu. Our travel went smoothly and without complication. We arrived back on Espiritu Santo on November 13th. The smiling faces of friends welcomed us back.
Of course we were very curious to see how things had faired out in the bush during our absence. We decided to go out on November 16th to have a look around. Our travel out to the village was easier than usual due to a week of dry weather. We were thankful that we didn’t have to fight the mud! As we drove into the village, people hooted and hollered and came running to meet us. It made us feel good they hadn’t forgotten us. As we rounded the corner to where we could see the clinic area we were surprised by what we saw. Before us lay a beautifully manicured lawn and a mature garden with tomatoes, onions, peppers, egg plant, and of course island cabbage. Not only that, but there was a new thatched house standing near the clinic. They had built it to house patients and families during extended stays in the clinic. Our house was just as we had left it, just a little dustier. The clinic building was in good shape as well.
That evening we enjoyed roasted pig, chicken, rice, and sweet potatoes with our friends in the village. Everyone was curious to hear about our travel and our time at home. During our conversation I mentioned how nice the lawn looked. I found out the person responsible was a fourteen year old boy by the name of Timothy. Apparently a couple of weeks after Vicki and I had left in June our local Pastor, Mender Vebong, had been ministering in a village several miles west of ours. That’s where he met Timothy. Not long after that he gave his life to the Lord and moved to our village to help Mender. Timothy has an infectious smile and obviously wants to be a help to everyone around him. The next morning Vicki and I loaded up and came back to town with a list of all the supplies needed to get everything back to working order.
We are very excited to be back on the field. All the equipment for the telemedical project is on the ground. The next step is to recruit some local workers to team up with us. As soon as we find them we will then begin training. We still need some more medical doctors or nurse practitioners that would be interested in seeing patients in Vanuatu via their computers. If you know anyone that you think might be interested, please have them email us at brandon.forester@ma.agmd.org . Please pray with us that God continues to direct in this project. We would also like to thank everyone who caught the vision of telemedicine and gave of them selves and their finances to help us get to this stage.
So far our transition back to Vanuatu is going smoothly. We are almost recovered from the jet lag. The heat and humidity has been a bit of a challenge, but we are working through that as well. Our transition has been made much easier due to the ministry of Bill and Christina Widup who are missionaries with an organization called Friends in Action. One of their objectives in Vanuatu is to be a support to bush missionaries like Vicki and I. They picked us up at the airport when we arrived, fed us, and allowed us to stay at their home for several days while we recovered from our travel.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. Over the next 12 months, we are planning to trek out into the unreached villages of Big Bay using telemedicine as a way to open doors and build relationships with chiefs. Please be praying for wisdom and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that we would say and do what He would want. Our desire is to not only minister to the physical needs of people, but to see changed lives and decisions made to follow Jesus Christ.
Your servants in Christ,
Brandon & Vicki Forester
Missionary Associates to Vanuatu