Dear friends,
November 2023
October 31st is Reformation Day, a time that 500 years ago began to shake up the world. Alongside this new change was a lot of suffering. It was a turning point. On October 31st of this year, there was just such a turnaround at the hospital in Shell. The manager left the hospital again. Things couldn’t go on like this anymore. There were fewer and fewer patients. The financial deficit grew. There were still unresolved employee conflicts. There were many who suffered under the leadership and felt they were being treated unfairly. This comes out unconsciously. We have largely squandered our reputation as a Christian hospital. Now we have to start again from the beginning. The new beginning in September didn’t work out.
Proclaiming Christ through our work as Christians is very important to us and more important than money. We at the foundation have made mistakes. The first hospital manager appointed was single and didn’t show enough personality to run the whole thing long-term. Then came a couple whose priority was not spiritual leadership. This created internal pressure with reprisals, which led to a toxic working atmosphere. That needs to be changed now. Instead of a new management from outside, there is now a dual leadership made up of proven employees as senior managers. Ella Villacis toke over the administrative management, and Dr. Aslin Santos the leadership of the medical part. The current working groups should act independently but be accountable in the short term. It is very important to us that reconciliation takes place and that the many injuries are addressed and forgiven. This is an important process that the new leaders have addressed. And in all the renewed chaos, we see God’s hand, even if things are not going well financially.
The hospital and the area with the residential buildings have been paid off except for a small part. Thank you very much to everyone who helped so actively! We can now focus on our own important values and the treatment of those in need:
An elderly lady comes in with knee pain. It turns out to be an abscess and she undergoes emergency surgery. Now she can move her knee again. The inflammation subsides. She goes home feeling better. There doesn’t seem to be any long-term damage.
And then seemingly unimportant operations. A young man has a deviated nasal septum that
prevents him from entering military service. It is important not only for him but also for his family that he gets this job. It means social security for the whole family. So, they all pitch in, and we help a little so that the operation can be performed. The mission’s hospital also helps out.
A 17-month-old girl came to us weighing only 5 kg, meaning that she is severely malnourished with critical anemia. She is the youngest of 4, and her mom is a single parent. She was in the state health service, but her mother couldn’t pay for the medication. So we helped in the acute phase. Saving lives is important to us. Once we get her through the acute phase, the Ministry of Social Affairs will take care of the further course of events.
Shell Hospital has taken a new direction. The staff is motivated and the team is growing together. Thank you for your help during this time of reformation. We will keep you informed in this very important process.
Thanks for your prayers and financial.
Best regards,
The Shell team
ECKEHART & KLAUDIA WOLFF
Eckehart.Wolff@gmx.net
KlaudiaWolff@gmx.de
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
