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Claire Bedford
June 2025
Prayer Letter
Hello from Chad! I hope you're all well and for those of you in the UK, enjoying the driest Spring on record! As I type the rain is falling here, the first rains of the season and they are most welcome. The climate during May was almost unbearable at times with temperatures well into the 40s by day, associated with higher humidity later in the month as the rains started down South, but not in N'Djamena. Anyway, last night we had the first rain, and we were out dancing in it and enjoying feeling cool for the first time in many months! The photo shows me along with Dr Mailson and Dr Michel, a recently-arrived long-term Brazilian-Colombian couple, Mark (Roger and Ingrid Hamlet's oldest son) and Timothée (Kalbassou's grandson who lives with him here at G2). It was fun for us who've been here longer to show those more recently arrived how we celebrate the start of the rains (and the end of hot season!).
Another two months seem to have flown by since I last wrote a prayer letter!
The installation of the new IT system overall has gone well but it was not without many teething problems as you can imagine. We are still bedding it in really but we're all now slowly getting used to it and getting a bit more agile with it. There was high stress at the start, because we were slow in using it and the patients didn't like having to wait (who does?). However, the team has done well in getting adapted to the new ways of working and it is helping our finance and admin team keep track of income and expenses more easily, as well as helping Cleopas and I manage the pharmacy stock in a manner that's more acceptable to international audit standards (we hope. Time will tell when the 2025 audit is done!).
Cleopas's holiday was over in a flash as predicted but the days without him were long! I'm glad to have him back and now that there is no-one else in pharmacy on annual leave, Valerie is back in her deputy-head role. This is great, as it frees me up to get other tasks done, linked with being on the hospital's management team, leading the team of BMS workers at G2 and also managing the guest house.
It feels like there's never a shortage of things to be done. Please pray for the solar-power system at the hospital. It struggled a lot during hot season, which often happens, but also some of its components have failed which is putting a drain on the rest of the system. All of our equipment here, whether it's the solar, xray machine, ultrasound machine, oxygen concentrator, lab machines, computers, printers, our three submerged water pumps for the water towers, all have to work incredibly hard, in harsh physical conditions. We have maintenance contracts on a lot of it which helps but doesn't negate all the problems.
I had a wonderful 9 days out of Chad at the end of April. It did me the world of good to have a change of scene, explore a new place and also spend time with a great friend of mine. I'm so grateful for the opportunity. Life at the hospital can be all-consuming and so these breaks are vital. Next weekend I am having a weekend at another mission's guest house in N'Djamena and then I'll have another break out of Chad in July to celebrate another friend's 'big' birthday.
Life here can be very transient and recently I've said a couple of 'see you laters' to friends who have returned to their passport countries. Being single in an overseas context means your friends become like family and so saying 'à bientôt' never gets much easier. I am really grateful for the friends I've made here over the years. Especially those who are still here, but also those who've relocated away from Chad…..as it means I've now got friends in many different countries who I can visit!
In terms of seeing my family in the UK, I've habitually done that during my home assignment each Autumn. However, this year I am changing things a bit due to BMS holding an 'all staff' conference in the UK in June 2026. I am planning to do my next home assignment late Spring 2026. In order to see my family and close friends in the UK a bit sooner than that, I am planning to come to the UK this Autumn for a few weeks, but this will solely be annual leave and not work (e.g. no church visits). Some of you may be wondering why you've not had the normal email come through, announcing that you can request me speak at your church/group this Autumn, this is why :) Look out for that email late 2025/early 2026!
Praise and prayer points
Praise points:
The rain finally arrived, chasing away the heat
Successful installation and adaptation to the new IT system
A good holiday out of Chad in April and a friend to enjoy it with
The friends God has given me, from various countries, here in Chad
Prayer points:
Safety on the roads now that the rains have started. The final part of the road to G2 still hasn't been tarred unfortunately
Continued adaptation to the IT system
A solution for the failed parts of the solar-power system
The good functioning of all of our mechanical and electrical equipment as without it, we can't function, and it works hard with the dust and heat of Chad
As always, your faithful prayer and financial support are a real blessing to me. Thank you for being part of the team at G2, we couldn't do it without your support!
Blessings
Claire