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UNDER THE JACARANDA TREES

Maua Methodist Hospital September 2016

Vision: To be a model Christian referral and training center,

providing excellent health care in the community to the glory of God.

Mission statement: Maua Methodist Hospital is a Christian

organization committed to providing affordable, high quality

services given by competent staff, in a friendly environment, to

meet the health care needs of the community.

The Methodist Church in Kenya (MCK) was founded in 1862 by a group of

missionaries sent by the United Methodist Free Churches of Britain. Their

first Mission Station at Ribe, north of Mombasa began the spread and

expansion to other parts of the country. On January 7, 1967, the MCK

became autonomous from the British Methodist Church. From those humble

beginnings at the coast, MCK is now spread across the country.

CONTINUEING THE

HISTORY OF MMH

NEARING END OF

MISSION SEASON 2016

INTRODUCING

EXECUTIVE BOARD

FRIENDS OF MAUA

SIGN UP FOR 2017

TEAM SCHEDULE

ADVANCED SPECIALS

NAIROBI VIDEO TEAM

VISITED MMH

MAUA METHODIST

HOSPITAL

P.O. Box 63 Maua, Kenya 60600

Methodist Church Kenya

Phone: (254) 0736-41 3000

info@mckmauahospital.org www.mckmauahospital.org

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Under the Jacaranda Trees

I am sitting in my house early in the morning and listening to my alarm clock. I have a natural alarm –

Ibis’s! These unusual birds live on the hospital compound and spend much of their day near my house.

Every morning at 6 a.m., they fly by and screech their “good morning” to the world. Then each evening

you know exactly when it is 6 p.m. because they fly past again to let the world know it is time to rest. I

can count on these birds every morning, regardless of the weather.

After my alarm clock woke me, I walked from my house to the hospital under the stately Jacaranda

trees and I was aware of a familiar scent of sweet mild flowers. Everyday there are a few more of

those beautiful violet blue Jacaranda flowers on the ground. It won’t be long now until the whole path is

covered. The scent is wonderful and everyone knows that the rains are coming when the trees begin to

bloom.

This has been a very different year for the weather. Most of the people in our area are subsistence

farmers and depend on the rain for everything. It has been stayed cool with regular nightly rains, which

means the dry season didn’t arrive. There are other places in Kenya where the rains didn’t came at all

and the people are really suffering.

As you drive through the countryside, families are in their fields working hard to prepare the land for

the next crop. It is a life or death situation for many families as this is their only hope for food. So as

time goes by, the rains either arrive or not and the talk is always about the crops. Will the seeds grow?

Why is the weather not predictable this year? What will we do?

Kenyan people are very realistic because they have been through hard times before. But they also are

very firm in their belief that they will remain faithful to God and God will be faithful to them. So as

everyone waits to see if the crops will grow, they Trust in God! Very simple really. Just trust in God!

I learn so much from the Kenyan’s every time I am here. I learn patience, community, faithfulness. All

things that make me a better person. I am nearing the last of my stay here in country for 2016 and

leave with mixed emotions. I will miss my Kenyan friends yet look forward to being with my family. For

the next few months I’ll be in Colorado but will be working daily with the team leaders and the hospital.

There is much to do for the 2017 mission teams so the work doesn’t stop just because I’m not in Kenya.

I look forward to seeing old and new friends in Houston for the Friends of Maua meetings. Those I don’t

see, we will Trust in God that our paths will cross sometime in the future.

Bwana Asifiwe – Kathie

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History of Maua Methodist Hospital, continued:

Sr. Janet Mwalimu was the first Kenyan to be appointed as Matron at the hospital in 1977,

and served till her retirement in 2003.

The 50th anniversary of the hospital was celebrated in 1980. It was noted that much had

changed from the hospital’s opening in 1930 from 20 deliveries a year to almost 3000; from

begging mothers to deliver in hospital to two in a bed; from one full time doctor to three, from

one registered nurse to seven; from 50 beds to 130. Though much progress had been made

communicable disease were still rampant especially tuberculosis, venereal disease, worms,

gastroenteritis, malaria and measles which claimed the lives of many children. It was a time

when there came a realization that in addition to treating diseases a much greater effort

needed to be made toward prevention.

Sr. Mattie Tolley from USA was a leader in emphasizing the importance of

community health and preventive medicine. She served from 1977 – 1986

during which time community nurse training and the community health

department were developed. Subsequently efforts at preventive health were

greatly expanded. The TBA program was begun to improve the care of

mothers who for various reasons could not come to the hospital for prenatal

care or delivery.

Dr. Adrian Goede and his wife Judith worked in Zaire before coming to

Maua in 1981. He was an adult generalist and she helped to develop the

TB/Leprosy program. After returning to Holland they continued to support

the hospital personally as well as through Sonnevanck, which continues to assist the hospital. Sonnevanck was a

major contributor to the new maternity and surgical complex, which opened in 1998. They were responsible for the

building of a new Isolation ward in 2006/7. Dr. John Harbottle from UK was Medical Superintendent from 1986-

1994. He played a significant role in the work of the indigent patient fund, TB relief fund, and the development of

the Mission Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS) organization which is a consortium that provides drugs and

supplies to mission hospitals at very favorable rates. During his tenure the X-ray department, a new administration

and outpatient building were opened in 1991. This included an eye and dental unit. The Eye unit was built in memory

of Dollie Leonah Patrick Scott of Louisiana USA who was the major fund-raiser.

Drs. Sharon and Lynn Fogelman from the USA, GBGM joined the hospital in 1986 -1996. They worked in the

Pediatric, Surgeon and Medical Wards. Dr. Lynn Fogelman became the Medical Superintendent and turned over to

Dr. Samuel Mwenda.

To be continued……...

Nursery in 1975

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Mission Teams Welcome -

If you are interested in leading or joining a team in 2017, please contact Kathie Mann at

kathie.mann@hotmail.com. You will be sent an information packet to help you make decisions for your

team and make plans to be part of this incredible journey. Dates for 2017 are available now but fill up

quickly. So don’t delay!

Kathie will make all in-country reservations for the team, assist you with your

planning and will host you will in Kenya. Making Maua home for half of each year,

allows Kathie to give complete mission support to your team.

Kathie’s Maua home

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3rd ANNUAL FRIENDS OF MAUA GATHERING OCTOBER 20-22, 2016 HOUSTON, TEXAS

Presentations, power points and agendas are being created both in the US and Kenya in preparation for

the Friends of Maua meetings. The steering committee has been working hard all year to bring ideas to

the table for implementation. These are the people and their work areas, who have been working behind

the scenes as the Executive Committee, so your experience in Kenya and at the Houston meetings will be

worthwhile and exciting.

Gabby Hukill - Secretary, has been spear heading the group (North Carolina)

Jordie Chalupnik – Volunteers/Teams (Texas)

Steve Freeman - Communications (Texas)

Dr. Susan Hillebert – Medical (Tennessee)

Colin Wilkinson – Projects (Texas)

Scott Brown – Finance (Texas)

Kathie Mann – Ex Officio (Colorado)

Jim Monroe – Advisor (Oregon)

This group of dedicated volunteers have been meeting monthly by Conference Call developing the FOM

into a functioning, fund raising and support entity for the Hospital. They each have worked hard in their

areas creating new guidelines and policy so we can move into the future as an established organization. If

you are attending the meetings, you will be presented with everything they have been working on. Plus

you will have time to be part of a discussion group so input will be noted. The Executive Committee will

have some people rotating off so new places will be open for people who are eager to support the Maua

Methodist Hospital.

Mission teams working hard -

In August, the mission team from Tomball UMC (Houston) arrived in Maua. They covered all their work

areas and were able to make a huge difference in moving the projects forward. This team ranged in age

from 15 – 83 years and all were first time missioners to Kenya. I love seeing African through the eyes

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of those who are here for the first time and hear their comments when they finally understand life here

and why missions is so important. One of the youth felt that God was calling her into missionary work and

she was using this mission journey to clarify that call. Before she left she was sure that God was asking

her to become a doctor and return to the mission field. After the family returned to Texas, the mother

wrote me saying her daughter is even more convinced that this is her path. Praise God! Maybe someday

she will return and serve at Maua Methodist Hospital.

Team leader serving from August 4-19 was Rebecca Jones from Tomball UMC, Houston.

Figure 1 Scraping paint on remodel of General store Figure 2 Chapel on Thursday

Figure 3 Ceiling work on new Administration office Figure 4 Dedication of the newly built home

This team built the ninth AIDS Orphan’s home this year. The local Assistant Chief and many neighbors

celebrated as the “KEY” was handed over. The family was so grateful and like all the other recipients

could never imagine such a house was now theirs. All the children will be enrolled in the Palliative Care

program at the hospital so they can be monitored and evaluated as they continue to grow. They also will

be able to now get health insurance through the donations of this team.

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Video Team visits MMH-

Located in Nairobi, a professional Video crew arrived at the hospital along with Dr. Jon Fielder.

Dr. Fielder is the founder of the African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) which assists mission

hospitals in Africa in many ways. The Maua Methodist Hospital has partnered with AMHF to locate

Doctors, equipment and so on. Because of a project Dr. Fielder was promoting within AMHF, the crew

was filming Maua and the hospital.

It was quite the topic around the compound in preparation for the filming. Everyone was cleaning their

work areas and the grounds people were freshening up the lawns and bushes. When the crew arrived

they interviewed many of the staff and set up a location in the residential part of the compound.

Figure 5 Interviewing Location Figure 6 Checking the light and sound

The first video made for the AMHF contest can be seen on AMHF website www.amhf.org. It was filmed

at Maua Methodist Hospital and around town. The next video which will be coming soon is for MMH

directly, explaining the hospital. We will use it for team recruitment and gathering new partners.

Thank you Dr. Fielder for all you have done and are doing for Maua Methodist Hospital.

From the mail box:

My kids and I truly enjoyed our time in Maua. We miss it all... being awakened early in the

morning by the Muslim call to worship (sounds odd but it became familiar & was actually

quite lovely), the beautiful smiles from Virginia and Lena at breakfast, the devotional

services at the hospital, working with and getting to know our Kenyan friends, being a part

of something bigger than ourselves, your hospitality, and of course... hot, fresh, rosemary

tea!! I pray that God will lead my family back to Maua one day... it has become a part of our

hearts. -Loretta Marshall, Houston area

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Helping the least of these…

Just a few days ago, Stanley Gitari came to my house looking for baby socks. Now you might ask

yourself why I would have baby socks. Many teams over the summer have left clothes collected from

their wonderful church members. With all these donations, I now have a closet with baby clothes up to

about size 4 in varying amounts. The hospital knows they are here and when there is a need, come over

and take what is available.

So on this day, Stanley said there was a very sick baby at Community Health and he wanted to send the

mother home with things to keep the baby warm. The little boy was 7 months old. We found a packet of

socks, a blank and a couple of warm shirts. Off he hurried because the mother was ready to leave and

he really wanted to make sure the baby had these items. Thank you so much to all the wonderful donors

out there who are thinking of the children here. You will never meet them, but they have met Christ

through your donations.

Remember the Advance Specials

Beginning in January 2017, the Advance Special numbers will change along with their descriptions.

Make sure you use the following information through December. Please mark in the Note on all checks

and online where the donation is going, so we can post it exactly where you intend.

There is no other fund raiser that will impact the hospital more than donating to the Advance Specials. Please consider

helping one of these Advance Specials at Maua Methodist Hospital! 100% of your donation goes to the ministry.

1. Community Integrated AIDS Time-Initiative, Maua Methodist

Hospital - Projects #140160 - Providing family planning and health outreach for people

with HIV/AIDS, malaria and disabilities

2. AIDS Orphans Project, Maua Hospital - Projects #140161 - Providing food, tuition,

uniforms, shoes and medical care for 2500 children orphaned by AIDS

3. Maua Hospital - Hospital Service Fund - Projects #09613A - Providing life-saving

inpatient healthcare for the critically ill

4. Maternal and Child Health Program, Maua Hospital - Projects #140159 - Providing

preventative and curative healthcare for pregnant women and young children.

5. Maua Hospital, Operational Outreach - Projects #09610A - Implementing primary

healthcare in remote villages, while increasing education and awareness.

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The extravagant generosity of people like you means that Kenyans will be healed, children will have the opportunity to an education, and mothers will be able to stay healthy so they can care for their families. These gifts will reach to the poorest families and give them a new level of life. Help us empower and protect the people we serve in Maua!

Kathie Mann, Mission Partner Kathie Mann is an Individual Volunteer with the General Board of Global Ministries. If you

would like to help with her ministry, please use the Advance Special #982465 and designate her

by name on your gift. You can donate one of two ways:

Go to: http://tinyurl.com/q3shsnk . Select “GIVE NOW”.

VERY IMPORTANT: Please indicate that your gift be designated for Kathie Mann.

Make out a check to : Advance GCFA In the memo write: #982465 and Kathie

Mann.

Mail a check to: Advance GCFA

458 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE

Atlanta, GA 30308

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Kathie Mann, Mission Partner

Kathie.mann@hotmail.com

US cell: 281-615-6051

US hm: 970-568-7195

Kenyan cell: 0790504126