Portable Hospital for South Sudan

Local Nonprofit Builds Hospital for Southern Sudan

Wichita, Kansas – As Southern Sudan holds a referendum in which it is expected to vote for secession, Wichita nonprofit Hospitals of Hope is constructing a portable hospital due to ship to Kajo Keji, Sudan this spring.

Refugees have already begun to return to the South, only to find that infrastructure there is even worse than it was before. Returnees are living in schools, crowding in with other families, and living in camps. There are not enough schools for them, and health care is hard to come by. Because of this dearth of infrastructure, Hospitals of Hope is working with Covenant Presbyterian Church and the Healing Kadi Foundation in Omaha, Nebraska to construct a “Clinic in a Can” hospital –a small hospital built out of three forty-foot shipping containers. This small hospital will contain exam rooms, a laboratory, and surgical and radiology suites. It will contain a generator and water system, enabling it to be self-sufficient regardless of the surrounding infrastructure. Hospitals of Hope has previously sent clinics built in shipping containers to Haiti, after last year’s devastating earthquake, and is currently
building a three-container hospital for Haiti, as well.

The Healing Kadi Foundation eventually plans to construct a larger hospital, but that will take years. In the meantime, this pre-built hospital will provide much-needed medical care to the more than 450,000 refugees living in Kajo Keji.
As Hospitals of Hope continues construction, they are in need of skilled volunteers, as well as of construction supplies and medical supplies and equipment. If you would like to help, please contact the Hospitals of Hope office at 316.262.0964 or via email at info@hospitalsofhope.org.

Hospitals of Hope is a Christian medical relief organization based in Wichita, Kansas. Hospitals of Hope aims to improve the healthcare of the under-served, both locally and internationally, through the gathering and distribution of medical supplies and equipment, the establishment and support of low-income clinics and hospitals, and the sending of volunteers to serve abroad. To learn more about Hospitals of Hope, visit www.hospitalsofhope.org.

If This Were Jesus, Would You Give Him Your Blanket?

In 1999 I was a member of Grace Covenant Church in Arlington,Texas. I had been introduced to a ministry based in Bartlesville, Oklahoma by a former home church, Hillcrest Church,in Dallas, Texas. This ministry is called Voice of the Martyrs. They are a ministry that brings our attention to the "persecuted church" all over the world. I received one of their monthly newsletters that focused on Southern Sudan and they mentioned a project called, "Blankets of Love for Sudan". At that time I was on the Missions Committee at Grace Covenant and suggested we participate in that project. We collected our blankets and they were sent to somewhere in southern Sudan.

On the inside of that newsletter were three stories of Christian Sudanese young people who had been persecuted by Islamic soldiers because of their faith. It was hard seeing their pictures- one was burned from head to toe. One had huge scars across her chest. One had been nailed to a board and left to die. My first instinct was to look away. That uneasy feeling was creeping up. But then I felt compelled to look again. To see their faces. To know their names. I felt like the Holy Spirit was reminding me that this is reality. Things like this are happening everyday around the world whether I wanted to know it or not. And I really felt like I needed to take action. I knew I couldn't change the world, but I wanted to do something.

VOM (Voice of the Martyrs) has been working in Sudan for the last ten years, delivering medical care, Sudan Life Packs, Scripture and pastoral training. Their current outreach is asking American Christians to send good quality, new or used blankets along with $2.00 (per blanket) -that covers the cost of shipping and an illustrated Bible storybook that will be delivered with each blanket. For the Sudanese, a simple blanket means a good night's rest. A means of shade during the day. A way to carry an infant or their few possessions.

Sudanese Christians have faced horrific persecutions and atrocities at the hands of a radical Islamic regime. An estimated two million Sudanese have been killed during two decades of civil war, including many Christians. A glimmer of hope exists with the peace accords, and we can help our Sudanese brothers and sisters rebuild their lives and Christian witness. Even more hope comes with the recent Referendum vote to secede from North Sudan and become their own country.

Sudanese Christians live a simple lifestyle, owning few or no material possessions. However, some items are essential to their survival. One blanket can make a difference.

Now with VOM's Sudan Blanket and a Bible ministry outreach, everyone can have a part. Along with each blanket sent, VOM will provide a copy of He Lived Among Us, an illustrated Bible storybook. This program sends a strong message to our Sudanese family that they are not forgotten, and we stand with them in rebuilding their communities with the love of Christ.

Taking Part in VOM's Blanket and a Bible Outreach is as Easy as 1-2-3

1. Collect good quality, new or used blanket(s)
2. Add $2 per blanket for handling, shipping into Sudan (VOM will add a
He Lived Among Us illustrated Bible storybook.)
3. Send blankets and collected funds to:

"Sudan: Blanket and a Bible"
The Voice of the Martyrs
1815 SE Bison
Bartlesville, OK 74006

New Container Hospital for Kajo Keji, Wudu, South Sudan