Final farewell to Ecuador?
September 2022
Shell lets us leave really hard. In the last few days, the surgeon and trauma surgeon have been on vacation and training. So Eckehart was asked to help out almost to the end. The surgeon Dr. Morales and his wife will move into our house. They take over the lemon garden.
We have a specialist from Cuba for speech therapy and mental treatment of disables patients, mainly children: Annia Rojas.
The hospital has with Dra. Farah Cuadros a new dermatologist. The medical service is growing.
The old canteen with kitchen will be converted into a self-catering kitchen. This means that almost the entire old hospital building has been renovated.
What do we need in the future?
The future lies in international cooperation. So far, a team from Germany has come to renovation work several times. We want to invite such teams from other countries also, for example from a church community or youth groups, to these activities in the future as well. For this purpose, we expand our focus on house for international encounters. In the last letter we reported that the house had been completely cleared out. Now it needs to be remodeled inside. The estimate so far was USD 30,000. With furniture, bedding and all the details, we now come to $47,000. We pray for this amount. It cannot be paid from the current hospital budget. And with more international teams, Hospital Shell will once again become multinational. Many young people are looking for such a place to get to know missions work. The world of the future, contrary to some nationalistic tendencies of our time, is an open, multicultural society. Where else would I, Eckehart, have learned so many medical treatment methods, especially for children with cerebral palsy, but also during disaster relief operations and from visitors from all over the world in Shell. It was giving and receiving. And only those who open up also receive – a biblically true meaning! That’s why we need the international meeting center.
Our current team is international also and we learn from each other every day. Please pray for new missionaries. A family from the USA has postponed their assignment at Shell for a year. We need more missionaries for a longer period of time, otherwise the process to get recognized as a physician in Ecuador is not worthwhile, plus the “año rural”, the year in the country required by the Ministry of Health, a long preparation period. Our team at Shell needs your prayer. Some of the employees have permanent positions in the state system and work with us on days off, nurses and doctors. They are seldom present at prayer, at Bible studies, at morning devotions. The result could be a two-class system. After the unity of the pioneers of the beginning, something new must now grow spiritually. Management is aware of this. There are new approaches that have to prove themselves.
And the Wolffs: Eckehart remains the official head of the foundation (from afar) and thus of the hospital. The Ministry of Health won’t release him until 2024. We’ve got everything covered for remote signatures. The last few months have shown that it is possible.
As a farewell, we have produced a video in three languages that will be published on the website. It is intended to publicize the Hospital Shell project around the world. You’re welcome to use it. We say goodbye, but remain connected to Ecuador in prayer and thoughts.
ECKEHART & KLAUDIA WOLFF
You can send your tax deductible US contributions to Lightway Medical Foundation at the address below. As of right now, 100% of your contribution will be given to efforts here in Shell. There is NO administration fee because of the volunteer service of those running Lightway.
Contributions can be sent to:
Lightway Medical Foundation
PO Box 8066
Fort Wayne, IN 46898
Or you can donate through the website:
Donations – Lightway Medical Foundation
or
Hospital Shell
