Safe Haven CEO Takes Team to South Sudan
Scott Burpee, CEO and President of Safe Haven Health Care recently took a team to South Sudan with International Aid Services. The Safe Haven team works everyday to provide excellent service to people throughout Idaho. Safe Haven Health Care provides assisted living, behavioral care, home health care and other services from Challis to Kuna. Safe Have also welcomes the opportunity to visit under privileged people around the world and help with things from health care to infrastructure. Below you will find a glimpse of the Safe Haven’s team most recent experiences in South Sudan.
Saturday, Feb. 16th
The South Sudan team reported that they are are on the ground in Juba. The temperature is 105 degrees and all is well. Safe Haven CEO Scott Burpee and his team will spend the next two weeks on a humanitarian trip and will be posting updates and photos on this blog throughout their mission. Safe Haven has been a long-time supporter of International Aid Services.
Sunday, Feb. 17th
Hi all! Today we went to the church that started in our home here when we lived in Juba in 1980. Adam, who was one of the translators, was 14 at the time. He recognized us and it was a wonderful time. The church did build a building some years back, but it was destroyed during the war so they erect some steel poles every Sunday and hang cloth between them to make a tent for several hundred people. We also ate at an Ethiopian restaurant tonight (yuck).
Tomorrow we board a World Food Program flight to a place called Aweil where we will be picked up and driven 3 hours to . One interesting note, when Chris Hamilton flew in this afternoon an International Red Cross plane crashed on the runway just before her plane landed. She was on a large jet and the tower closed the runway to anymore flights, however the Kenyan Airways pilot decided the fire was out and most of the emergency trucks were in the grass with the wreck so he landed anyway… Welcome to South Sudan!
Monday, February 18th
Our team has arrived in Nynibuli. After a very frustrating morning at the World Food Program we were finally allowed to board their flight to Awel. Apparently this branch of the UN has figured out how to use their planes for profit and operate an airline here in South Sudan. We then spent another hour getting registered here in the province with Nyinbui. Finally after a 2.5 hour ride over horrible roads the team arrived just before dark. We had a meal of rice and beans and are looking forward to getting to work tomorrow. I think several members of our team are surprised at how primitive things are here.
Tuesday, February 19th
Today Jan and I helped in the clinic. Jan was in the pharmacy dispensing medications and I was doing vital signs and people that came in sick. One baby had a seizure and stopped breathing. Jan and I were praying for this baby as we helped take care of her. We had to get her fever down quickly. We all worked as a team and the baby came around and she is now nursing again. It was awsome to see God working to help these people. We saw children and adults with pneumonia, malaria and stomach ailments. Love in Christ, Connie and the team.
February 20th
Today we split up. Jan and Connie went to the clinic and helped with a number of sick patients, this evening they treated a boy that was hit by a cow, really laid his face open, maybe broke his cheek bone. I spent the day with the construction team digging the footings for a new permanent building we are building here.
Ryan worked on the solar power to the clinic. Chris went to Aweilwith Peter and Debbie to pickup another Kenyan clinic officer and to network with local officials about the clinic work here, this is especially important now that there is an all weather road to this place.
The big event was the pastors training that Michael Moga led who joined us in Juba. Brian, the Christian ministries director here, had spread the word and expected about 20 church leaders from around the area, we had 40 and tomorrow will be even bigger.
This trip is a real coming out for Moga as he has been sidelined in Kampala after being evacuated from Maridi a year ago after collapsing at a church service. Everyone. Is doing well, it is just hard to get much done after noon, as it gets terribly hot here. Ryan Potts member of IAS team checking voltage of solar system at Nyinbuli clinic. Ryan works at the skilled Nursing facility in the maintenance department
3 year old boys playing in IAS compound
Scott spends some time with this cement worker who has one leg and is helping the team put a foundation in for a new building.
February 21st
After lunch we spent time filling the bottles in the pharmacy with medications (they use little baggies). Chris was busy with her continued teaching and trying to get the microscope so it would be working at the clinic. On a sad note, a 3-week-old baby died early this am. It so saddened our hearts, but we know she is in heaven in the arms of Jesus.
Ryan and Scott have been busy with the building project and getting the foundation poured. Deng, a Sudanese who lost one of his legs during the war, has been supervising the work. He is an amazing fellow who rides his bike here every morning, with just one leg. Micheal Moga who is the Evangelist for IAS has had two wonderful days of Bible teaching with the local Pastors, and laymen. We were so thankful Micheal could join us, as the need is so great for Spiritual growth.
Continue to keep us in your prayers, and for the Sudanese people. Connie and I will be sharing Saturday morning with the women, and would appreciate your prayers for God to use us to proclaim His Word. We are all healthy, except Ryan has had some cold symptoms. posted by Jan
February 22nd
We are still working on the new building foundation project. Today was pregnant women’s health care day. Jan, Connie, Chris, Debbie, and Emmanuel took in numerous women that are expecting for check-ups. Tomorrow we will continue with clinic operations. We will construct a form and pour cement to make a foundation for an incinerator to be used by the clinic. Moga spent the day preaching at DOC today. Our Lord Jesus is so obvious in this community. It is so heart warming to see people so on fire for the Lord. We thank all of you for your support and prayers.
Post by Ryan Potts
Picture of Mud bricks for new building we are working on
Sun Up in Africa, it doesn’t get any better than that
Chris during a training of clinic staff
February 24, 2013
Today’s church service at Sudan Pentecostal Church, Nyinbuli
Today was Sunday and we split up to attend the two churches in the area. Ryan and Chris went to the Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS). Jan, Connie, Moga and I went to the Sudan Pentacostal Church (SPC). I preached, then Moga prayed for the sick and anointing them with oil. We then anointed the elders and prayed for them. The service was over 3 hours, but it was good and the believers were overjoyed to receive us in both churches.
Because of our short time here Chris continued her training with the microscope and Jan and Connie worked with the staff organizing the dispenserey. Tomorrow we will get staff pictures for fund raising efforts when we get home. Funding for this work has become scarce, but what these folks have accomplished is remarkable. I have recovered from a bad cold and a kidney stone attack the other night. Tuesday we drive back to Awel where we catch a World Food Program flight back to Juba, and on Wednesday we head home. Please pray that these flights go off without a hitch, so far everything has been a real hassle for travel.