Serving the Nations: Q&A with Carey

Photo by Jeff Sharp

An Update on the Hospital in Gold Kingdom
Interview with Carey by Craig Walter

In 2004, Christ Community Church and our denomination, the Christian & Missionary Alliance (C&MA), embarked on a faith-filled risk to build a hospital focused on women and children in the West African country we call Gold Kingdom, one of the poorest countries in the world. At that time, the numbers were staggering. One in seven children died in childbirth, one in ten women died during childbirth, and one in four children died before the age of five from preventable sickness. Since Gold Kingdom is over ninety-percent Muslim, building a Christian hospital was a huge risk. However, we saw this Holy-Spirit-inspired endeavor as a chance to let the love of Jesus shine bright by caring for the needy and the sick.

When the hospital opened, CCC sent one of our own, a missionary nurse named Carey (last name omitted for security reasons). She has served at the hospital for most of the last thirteen years. I recently spoke with Carey to get an update on the hospital and the effect it has had on the people of Gold Kingdom.

Carey, thank you for carving out a few minutes in your busy schedule to share an update. We probably have many people at CCC who know almost nothing about this hospital in Gold Kingdom. Why did we open this hospital and what is its main focus?

The hospital was started as a partnership with the C&MA National Church and the Mission, which is made up of missionaries like me, as a way to help women and children in the local region. Gold Kingdom is always ranked as one of the poorest countries in the world and health care is minimal, especially among women and children. In 2002–2003, missionary nurses here witnessed several women in the area die from the inability to have a safe C-section. The initial vision was to build a referral center where women could receive a blood transfusion and a C-section, but it turned into a huge project to build a full-blown hospital. The hospital has grown to provide many services, but continues to focus on providing quality care to women and children.

Photo by Jeff Sharp

So everyone has an idea of the size, how many people are employed at the hospital and how many are international workers like you?

We currently have six missionary nurses and three missionary doctors working at the hospital. The national staff (made up of the people from Gold Kingdom) includes seven doctors and over 200 nurses and nurses’ aides. There are also other staff positions like housekeepers, guardians, administrative staff, pharmacy and lab workers, x-ray technicians, and more. Our citywide celebration on February 25 will be groundbreaking. Thousands of people from the Within Reach churches will gather to pray and worship together. These people will be commissioned as lights in the darkness, missionaries to our city to be Jesus to those who do not yet know him. This worship service is symbolic of the unusual unity that God has brought between churches around the mission he is calling us into.

The hospital has come a long way since it opened in 2006. Can you give us a sense of some of the statistics—like how many babies born, surgeries performed, and whatever else would be good for us to know?

We currently deliver about 3,000 babies a year. We are approaching 30,000 babies since the beginning of the hospital. We did around 2,000 surgeries last year, but I don’t have statistics on surgeries since the beginning. We have about 150,000 prenatal visits a year as well. We have other services such as pediatric surgery, cancer care, wound care, general surgery for men and women, care for premature babies, HIV care, and a dental clinic.

All of that is really amazing. How are things different today than when the hospital opened?

The hospital has grown tremendously since it opened in 2006. It opened as a small hospital that delivered babies and did C-sections and now we are a major referral center offering many services. The national nurses do most of the direct patient care, while missionary nurses work on training, administrative tasks, and support roles. All of the administrative positions like the job of medical director, director of administration, financial director, accountant, and human resources are all held by nationals. In the past, these positions were held by missionaries.

This photo and the thumbnail image by B-Twien Clicks Photography

CCC frequently sends the hospital food for the malnourished, as well as medical equipment and supplies. What kind of impact do those donations have?

Thank you for your generous giving of medical supplies and enriched rice packets! The hospital relies on donated supplies and equipment to keep patient fees reasonable. It is a constant tension to keep quality health care accessible to everyone (the poor and the rich) while still meeting the hospital budget in paying staff salaries, paying the electric bill, etc. Donations help make that possible! The nutritional rice is a blessing because while people do have food here, it is often lacking in protein and essential vitamins that help in healing from chronic illnesses, like a chronic wound, cancer, diabetes, or chronic malnutrition. The rice packets provide an immediate dietary supplement while we teach nutrition with local food options.

What kind of spiritual impact has the hospital had on the reputation of Christians and the name of Jesus in this part of Gold Kingdom?

The hospital cares equally for both Christians and those from the majority religion. We aim to provide quality medical care and show the compassion of Jesus Christ. Many people have accepted the Lord because of the compassionate care provided at the hospital. The medical care has opened doors to build relationships with families and many unreached villages.

Gold Kingdom is not an easy place for workers who come from America to serve. What keeps you and the other international workers motivated? What keeps you going?

Ultimately the “call” or the conviction that you are doing what God is asking of you keeps you here. However, relationships with national friends, as well as good team relationships, are indispensable to staying and working here long term.

Any final words of encouragement for CCC as we continue our support of the hospital?

Thank you, CCC, for your love and long-term commitment to supporting the hospital here. The work could not go on without dedicated partners in the US who faithfully give, pray, and come visit us! The people here have a blessing that they give: “May God put much back in the place of what was given.” That is our prayer for you—may God richly bless you as we continue to partner together to meet physical needs and make Christ known in this country.

Craig Walter is the Director of Missions at Christ Community Church.