Prayer Letter

Things in Chad had been progressing well before we left. The 'phase 1' of the prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) building was finished, and we had adapted the metal shelves and tables we had acquired to suit our needs; we also had some wooden furniture made. We had been hoping that the tools and machinery from Switzerland would arrive before we left, but unfortunately the consignment was delayed. It arrived, much to our joy, in our first week in the UK and we have had photo confirmation of the four large crates in the P&O building. We are looking forward to sorting through it all when we return at the end of the summer!

In other great news, we have had confirmation that a grant application for just under £70K towards the larger phase 2 of the P&O building to Guernsey's Overseas Aid and Development Commission, has been successful! This, alongside BMS funding for the remaining one third of the building costs means we are planning to start construction for this phase in October 2026. Given the difficult funding landscape at the moment, we are really grateful to God for this provision as it will be a huge step forward in the project. We have also secured a lot of the funding needed for the solar energy system to power the department building and its incredibly energy intensive workshop. BMS are very aware of the consequences of the climate crisis on the poorest in this world, and we are extremely fortunate that they chose to fund our application for the solar installation, as the current hospital solar energy provision would not be able to cover the P&O workshop as well.

The family are happy to be back in the UK for a couple of months, although it does also seem strange to step out of life in Chad for a while. The UK still feels very familiar and there's a certain sense of ease that we'll probably never have to the same extent anywhere else. The boys have enjoyed spending time with Ingrid's family and having a pretty steady supply of ice cream, even if they have been having to wear trousers and jumpers in the cooler climate! We're looking forward to visiting our supporting churches, we'll visit around 20 in the next six weeks, and we'll spend some time in Scotland, to see Roger's family in Stirling.

A big part of our project at Guinebor 2 Hospital (G2) is to set up the department so that it can become Chadian led, ensuring a sustainable workforce for the future. With this in mind, we have selected a Chadian G2 worker for formal training in P&O. This three-year course is in Togo, so it's a big commitment for the candidate and the hospital. Their application has recently been submitted to the P&O school, and we are hopeful that they will be able to start the course in October of this year.

Praise God:

That the phase 1 P&O building is completed.

For the arrival of the workshop tools and machinery from Switzerland.

For the successful applications for the full department building and partial solar funding.

Prayer Requests:

For those in Chad who are contending with rainy season and the undoubted increase in malaria that the hospital will see.

For our candidate for training as he prepares to move away from family and friends.

For the sample orders of materials and componentry that we have coming from China that will travel to Africa by ship. That it would arrive safely and promptly.

For our family as we travel around the UK for our church visits.

We'll be in the UK until the end of August visiting many churches in England and Scotland as we travel around for our home assignment. We look forward to seeing many of you soon!