Dear friends,
October 2025
Jesus visited Jerusalem frequently during his lifetime and later with his disciples, celebrating the festivals with thousands of fellow human beings from Palestine and many other countries. Festivals were an important part of his life, and according to the Gospel of John, his public ministry began with a wedding feast in Canaan near Nazareth. Festivals are either the beginning of something new, like a marriage, or they are commemorations of something that has already happened, often a long time ago.
On October 12, 2015, the anniversary of Columbus’s discovery of America, we opened our clinic in a rented house near the hospital. Six months later, we were able to rent the old Hospital Vozandes del Oriente. God was faithful, and we were later able to purchase it. Since February 2025, the entire site, including the buildings, has belonged to the Fundación Misión Cristiana de Salud. This month, our team is celebrating God’s faithfulness, a little later on October 17, 2025, due to vacation in Ecuador. The “child” will turn 10 and continues to mature.
The team is celebrating this day once again in a difficult time. Parts of the country are paralyzed by a strike. The Pastaza province has been mostly spared, but road connections are difficult. Dr. Stephen Morse, a new Family Practitioner from the USA, wanted to visit Shell recently to prepare for his upcoming arrival with his family. He didn’t come because traveling through Ecuador would have been very difficult and perhaps impossible. His family is growing. Jessica, his wife, is expecting their fourth child in mid-November. They wanted to make a definitive decision about when the whole family would come. We are waiting for her. Unfortunately, the strikes are another delay, as has happened so often.
Due to the nationwide strike, fewer people came to our clinic. September is traditionally a month with fewer patients. School has started. Families have to cover the costs of school supplies. Health is being put on the back burner. Things are moving forward again in October, although the strike is still ongoing in some regions of Ecuador. The spiritual development of the team is a cause for concern.
When a highly educated phycologist who is also a pastor of a church joins the team, all responsibility for devotions, short sermons, and the organization of pastoral care is given to him. It is so convenient to delegate responsibility. When this person leaves, many things are thrown into disarray. The team is currently learning how to organize Wednesday mornings, pastoral care, and communal services themselves again. It is clear that the founding staff who have been with us from the very beginning still form the spiritual foundation of the hospital. Many new members have joined, be they doctors or nurses, but they do not feel as strongly spiritually responsible. In this process, our team needs the prayers of those accompanying us from afar.
We’ve put the plan for a photovoltaic (solar) system on hold for now. A nearby university in Puyo built such a system with significant government funding, but today there are more problems than light. Moreover, a system would only pay for itself in about 40 years, and we do not feel that this is the best stewardship of our resources at this time. The budget is still tight and we have so many other needs right now at the hospital.
Nevertheless, for now it’s time to celebrate. We think about how God called us, how he faithfully rebuilt the hospital, how he knit a community together, how individuals
grew and matured. We made mistakes and learned from them. The project was often on the verge of failure. The land has been purchased, and we are debt-free. The building has been completely renovated and expanded for the future. We have a good management team. Shell Hospital has its place in the health system of the Pastaza province.
There is once again a positive atmosphere for the mother mission Reach Beyond. If you would like to see it, we recommend a video on YouTube.
So we’re back to reality. We need our money and donations for “small” purchases, like roof repairs and an anesthesia machine.
Most importantly, however, we celebrate God for 10 years of faithfulness and stability. The mayor and local authorities are invited to the ceremony. But the staff, in particular, also need spiritual reflection. We have trained some of them in a year-long course as hospital chaplains. Now they need to put this into practice. To do this, they need prayer and support.
That is our external task. Let us stand before God´s throne together for Shell Hospital.
Thanks for all the help and solidarity,
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