Miles In Missions

Over a year ago, while looking for HIV/AIDS resources for Spring of Life Egbe counseling center, I stumbled across a hospital in Jos called Faith Alive.  What started out as a small clinic for HIV/AIDS patients is now a three-story hospital that serves over 10,000 patients a month with various medical problems, provides ongoing care for HIV/AIDS patients, provides maternity care and performs about  3-4 surgeries each day. What makes Faith Alive unique is that all medical care is offered free of charge. Dr. Chris Isichei , Founder of Faith Alive, relies on local Nigerian doctors to volunteer their time outside of their regular jobs at other hospitals.  Dr Chris has been a source of encouragement and help to me in my ministries in Egbe over the past year. When I asked how could I help him, his only request was for more volunteers.

After some research and legalities I was able to establish a partnership agreement between SIM, my mission organization, and Faith Alive. Now I am able to help Dr. Chris by recruiting missionaries to come serve at Faith Alive Hospital.

My first volunteer (guinea pig) is Carman Marflak.  Carman is a nurse anesthetist who has made several mission trips to ECWA Hospital Egbe and is also a member of one of our supporting churches back home in America.  She was coming to ECWA Egbe Hospital for her 5^th visit and was interested in seeing our ministries in Jos.  I was excited to tell her about the needs of Faith Alive Hospital and she agreed to come serve!  

At the time of writing this post, Carman Marflak has almost completed her 2 weeks at Faith Alive in Jos. During her time here the staff have been trained and encouraged.  She has improved their spinal block techniques, taught them how to place OI needles and has started organizing the operating room (OR).  Carman has also given several lectures at University of Jos to medical and nurse anesthetist students. I visited her at the OR a few days ago and the smiles and thank you’s from the staff for letting “Grandma” come were overwhelming. The staff of Faith Alive have fallen in love with Carman and I know she has fallen in love with them.

It hasn’t been easy being our volunteer guinea pig. The OR at Faith Alive is under equipped.  They need a new anesthesia machine, new OR beds, running water, better sterilization equipment and so much more.  Many times Carman was the only anesthetist available due to a shortage of nurses on surgery days.  “Grandma” Carman has survived an exhausting but rewarding two-weeks and her experience is helping me better prepare future medical volunteers for their service at Faith Alive. We currently have 2 pre med students and 2 nurses coming to Jos in June and a general surgeon is coming long term next year!

If you or someone you know is interested in medical missions, please email us at jos.personnel@sim.org. Faith Alive is only one of our many medical missions opportunities. We also have an amazing revitalized hospital in the bush of Egbe with an eye and dental clinic called ECWA Hospital Egbe, we have an eye clinic in Kano that serves a predominantly Muslim population call Kano Eye Hospital,  and the largest VVF (Vesico-Vaginal Fistula) clinic in the world located in Jos that ministers to women from the “North”. In addition we have several community health and medical outreach opportunities throughout Nigeria.  If you are looking to serve in a foreign country- come visit us in Nigeria. I promise it will be a rewarding experience you will never forget!  

See this latest video my husband, SIM Communications Specialist, put together about Medical Missions in Nigeria. https://vimeo.com/272002516