New jobs for Steve & Alene in Kenya!

Steve & Alene are requesting prayers for their new jobs

Steve and Alene have been given expanded roles...and we need your prayers!

We missionaries often use the term "being stretched" as we describe our service on the mission field taking us beyond our prior experiences and expectations. This is definitely the case for both of us now! Steve has been appointed to serve as the Tenwek Hospital Medical Superintendent as of July 1st and Alene is already working on her new administrative assignments for the Kenya Field of World Gospel Mission.

All of us at Tenwek Hospital are very proud that our current Medical Superintendent, Dr. Mike Chupp, will be moving from Tenwek after 20 years here to become the Senior Vice President for the Christian Medical and Dental Association in Bristol, TN. Mike and Pam Chupp will be greatly missed. ... and most acutely by Steve as he assumes Mike's duties of Medical Superintendent for this 300-bed hospital, as well as more administrative roles for World Gospel Mission Kenya.  

Mike congratulates Steve on his appointment to follow him as Medical Superintendent

The WGM Kenya Field includes nearly 100 missionary adults and children.  Coordinating all of the necessary services for the field has grown over the years and starting this year is being managed by a team of missionaries. With the Chupps' departure and two others leaving for Home Ministry Assignment (furlough), the administrative responsibilities are expanded for Alene to serve as the Director of Partner Relations and Acting Director of Member Health, and for Steve to serve as the Director of Human Resources. We sincerely request your prayers for God to provide strength and wisdom to serve well for our team and for His kingdom.

"If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." 

1 Peter 4:11

Endoscopy Research and Training Progresses

We are pleased to have Endoscopy Research Coordinator, Betsy, and Endoscopy Research Assistant, Winnie, now serving on our research team. They have been vital for our expanded esophageal cancer research work this year.

 

Winnie (L) and Betsy (R) prepare the Lugol's iodine solution to detect pre-cancer changes in the esophagus

We are also delighted to welcome Dr. Emmanuel Kiniga as our 2-year Endoscopy/Research Fellow. He is quickly learning to do our procedures and looks forward to research opportunities as well.

 

Steve guides Emmanuel to perform the endoscopy procedure

Endoscopy Doctors Are Urgently Needed

With Steve now doing more administrative duties there is a great opportunity for short-term or long-term service by Gastroenterology Endoscopists at Tenwek Hospital. We are grateful to have a commitment for coverage of endoscopy services in December, but we still await coverage for the other months. Please feel free to pass along this request to appropriately-trained physicians and lift up prayers regarding this urgent need. Of course, contact Steve by email via wgm@wgm.org and he will gladly provide more information.

Numbers of Staff members and Trainees continue to grow at Tenwek Hospital

Many of the consulting staff, interns, and residents at Tenwek Hospital

Loaves of bread distributed at the women’s prison for Christmas 

Correctional Ministry Continues to Bless Many!

The Kenya Correctional Ministry team of 11 chaplains gave inspiring reports at their annual meeting this month regarding the scope of their work sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ inside the prisons, as well as their ongoing efforts to reconcile released offenders back to their families and home communities.

We are eager to share the full Correctional Ministry newsletter and allow you to better enjoy the stories of lives transformed by faith. If you are interested please drop an email to wgm@wgm.org with subject line "Burgert CXM newsletter," and we will promptly send it to you. 

Refreshment and Renewal at our Kenya Field Retreat - "THRIVE"

Each day at our field retreat we celebrated our theme song "Thrive" by Casting Crowns. Please enjoy it with us: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3fNhCDvLNfqeF9jTzk3blRrTWc/view

Part of the lyrics are:

"We know we were made for so much more than ordinary lives.

It's time for us to more than just survive.

We were made to thrive."

Alene had the privilege to perform 2 youth and 2 adult baptisms in the Indian Ocean during retreat.

 

Chuck assists Alene to baptize Peggy

Please thank the Lord with us:

•   For Alene's recovery from a dogbite and well-being after the series of rabies shots

•   For educational and spiritual growth at the international missionary doctors CMDA conference in April

•   For renewal and encouragement for us members of the WGM Kenya Field at the annual retreat last month

•   For physicians from many specialties already committed to start at Tenwek Hospital later this year, serving for 6 - 24 months 

Please pray with us:

•   For the Lord's guidance, wisdom, and strength as Steve and Alene assume added responsibilities

•   For Endoscopy physicians to come to serve at Tenwek Hospital

•   For additional financial support to cover travel expenses for extra meetings for Steve and Alene in their new roles

•   For peace and encouragement for the entire Tenwek Hospital team with many missionary families in transition from the field or returning to the field

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT -

Please click wgm.org/burgert to financially support our ministry.