December 2012 - Health Outreach to the Middle East

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A Newsletter from Health Outreach to the Middle East for Christ
www.HomeForHim.org December 2012
A Cry From Syria: “ Come and Help Us ”
With more than 40,000 people killed and more than
2 million people displaced, HOME healthcare
doctors and partners continue to reach out to the
Syrian people with medical help and with the
healing message of Christ.
sandwiches to over a hundred fifty people in a
nearby park. Also, they went to a school full of
women and children to offer them hot food and
they made all the children participate with them in
some funny games and paintings. It was so
wonderful to see a smile and an excitement on the
faces of the children and their mothers.
Below is a letter we received from one of our
physician leaders in Syria:
“
Thank you very much for your prayers and
support. The situation is getting worse every day, it
is heartbreaking becoming familiar to witness a
family without a father with children wandering
around. They have no place to stay, looking for a
safe park to spend the night and having no money
to buy food for their children. I can not describe the
amount of pain and anger that fills our hearts to see
such people with fear and lost on their faces and
weary children dragging their feet with a small
plastic bag in their hands. Either mothers with no
husband or a husband looking defeated, hurt and
helpless to protect and feed their precious ones. You
know I am writing this and could not help stop a
rush of tears and squeezing pain seizing my throat.
Syrians being displaced due to the life
threatening situations they face everyday
The church is trying to reach out to as many as
possible, I am so thankful to the Lord for blessing us
with a wonderful team that is working day and
night in organizing lists, registering displaced
families, raising support, visiting the displaced in
their homes, purchasing food and non food, getting
medicine to the ill, and many other smaller and
bigger tasks. They visit two to three hundred
families a month. the youth team prepared
We thank our sovereign Lord for the opportunity he
gave us to share His CURE with many at this critical
time. We are using the medical center in Tabbale and
our churches in Qusour and Jaramana as meeting
points for relief and for sharing the gospel. The Lord
is blessing this ministry and many lives have been
touched and souls have been saved.
Thank you for your support,
Please keep the church and the country in your
prayers. We are praying that the Lord would keep
those safer areas safe to be able to continue to
receive the hundreds of thousands of refugees.
Rich Blessings,
!
!
”
!
!
!
!
!
!
— Dr. E. A.
Syria
Inside This Issue
Juba Clinic - S. Sudan
committed to offering
high-quality diagnostic
and curative care at no
cost.
Page 2
Merry Christmas!
Message form HOME
Interview with Dr.
Samuel Labib in Egypt
Page 3
about the Aileen
Coleman Nursing
Program
Page 4
HOME Newsletter, December 2012
HOME Banquets
Medical Mobile Units,
Egypt
Daily Strength
HOME events to raise
support for the mission
Page 5
Reaching out to the
precious people of
Egypt
Page 6
My heart overflows
with praise and
thanksgiving for these
promises You have for
me, O’ Lord!
Page 7
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H E A L T H
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Good Shepherd Clinic in South Sudan: An Oasis of Grace
Juba
South Sudan
Good Shepherd Clinic in Juba, South Sudan is now operated by HOME
By God’s grace, and because of its long-standing
presence in Sudan, HOME is now officially
registered in the Republic of South Sudan as a nonprofit organization. This has facilitated that HOME
establish, support, and run a high-quality facility
(Good Shepherd Clinic) that is strategically located
in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. Juba is home to
a large population that has been largely affected by
years of conflict and wars. As a result, many of the
people are now living in abject poverty, where
medical care and basic necessities are scarce and
often unaffordable. The Juba clinic is therefore
committed to offering high-quality diagnostic and
curative care at no cost, and is dedicated to
compassionately serving the poorest and most
destitute people. The clinic is open 5 times a week
and sees over 600 patients a month. In addition to
the consultation rooms, there is a lab and a
pharmacy, with future plans to add another wing to
the clinic and thus expand on to the medical
services that are currently being provided. The
government of Sudan has strongly endorsed this
clinic because of the exceptional quality and wide
range of medical services that are being offered. The
HOME- sponsored physician and the staff that
manage and oversee the daily operations of the
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clinic, take every opportunity to witness and
minister to the patients, by providing physical
healing, and by also sharing the love of Christ with
patients. In addition, the Juba clinic is involved in
mobile medical outreach. At least once a month, the
physician who works at the Juba clinic, partners
with local Evangelical churches, and travels to
nearby villages, offering medical care, handing out
medications and most importantly, sharing the
message of Hope, Healing and Saving Grace with
the villagers.
In partnership with the School of Medical Mission
in Egypt, (a project that HOME has established and
supports financially), HOME is committed to
provide the means for training, building and
equipping physicians, with the purpose of sending
them out (similarly to the Antioch model – Mark
16:15) to serve in different countries in the Middle
East, including in Juba (an Arabic-speaking nation).
Many of these physicians are willing to “go” from
Egypt to Juba (whether on short/long term tasks)
upon graduation, and lend their services as well as
their expertise to serve the people of Juba. The clinic
in Juba is able to accommodate and host these
physicians who turn out to be a tremendous
blessing to the local staff, as well as to the patients.
However, given the sizable nature of these projects
and activities, the financial support required to
maintain and sustain such an operation is
substantial.
Dr. James (far left) with the clinical team
serving in the Good Shepherd Clinic in Juba,
South Sudan
HOME Newsletter, December 2012
H E A L T H
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Merry Christmas from H.O.M.E.
Send a Christmas gift to the new born Child by supporting His family in the land where He was born
Health Outreach to the Middle East
P.O. Box 711109 Houston, TX 77271
Or you can send your gift online by clicking here.
Dear HOME family,
As the Thanksgiving weekend came
to an end; we at HOME still have so
much to be thankful for. God had been
good to us and we praise His name.
The ministry of HOME has been
expanding and branching out. New
vistas are opening, and networking
with other like-minded ministries
have opened many new doors. We can
see the white fields ahead with
harvest ready and awaiting workers.
We could not have done this without
you. You are our lifelines as you keep
HOME in your prayers and support
this ministry. We say thank you from
the heart. Please know that your labor
of love is not in vain. God will reward
you in His time. That is His promise. During this coming Christmas Season
we want to first of all wish you and
yours a most blessed time as you
HOME Newsletter, December 2012
"God loves it when the giver delights
in the giving"
2 Corinthians 9:7 the Message.
We have heavy hearts considering our brothers and sisters in the
beloved Middle East who are suffering, mourning the loss of loved
ones, living away from home, hit by poverty and fear.
celebrate God's inexpressible gift to
us. May you enjoy His presence, His
promises and His provision this
season and always. church of the living Christ, are one
with them in their hard times and we
must extend a loving hand to soothe
their pain and comfort their aching
hearts. This time of the year we are
We also have heavy hearts asking that you seek the Lord's
considering our brothers and sisters in guidance, and if so led, consider a
the beloved Middle East. The many generous donation designated to
who are suffering and sad, mourning wherever you desire, as part of your
the loss of loved ones, living away year end giving. Be assured that as
from home, hit by poverty and fear, you bless someone in need, you will
the suffering is indescribable. We, the be blessed indeed. Merry Christmas and a prosperous
and blessed new Year from our
HOME to yours.
Together for His Glory,
On behalf of HOME Board,
— Lamya Jarjour MD
On behalf of the Executive Committee, — Issam Raad, MD
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Aileen Coleman Nursing Program in Mar Sim’an Hospital
“Interview with Dr. Samuel Labib”
Dr. Samuel Labib Maher is the Medical Director of the Mar Sim’an Hospital in Mukattam, Egypt. He is a true man of God, a
distinguished physician, and an exemplary HOME partner leader. He has a great Christ-centered vision for Egypt and the Arab
World. Part of this vision is training nurses for Christ. HOME has established the Aileen Coleman Nursing Program and is
initiating this program in Egypt under the leadership of our beloved and trusted leaders, namely Dr. Samuel Labib and Dr. Khalil
Gamal.
Tell us a little
about how
the idea for
the nursing
program
came about?
Dr. Samuel Labib (far left) with Doctors
Christ Jenkings, John Crouch, and Issam
Raad in Jordan praying for the Nursing
Program
For years I have been praying
for the situation with nursing
in Egypt. Christians are not
being allowed in nursing
schools. Also, families look at
the profession as a disgrace
and refuse to let their children
become nurses because it is
not respectable. Doctors are
facing a critical situation if
they don’t find nurses and will
lose their evangelical focus. I
was driving in Upper Egypt
one day and the Lord revealed
to me the vision for starting a
nursing program.
How do you think the hospital in
Mukattam will benefit from this
program?
How do you plan to develop both
the professional and spiritual
aspects of the program?
The main spiritual aspects of the program will be taught by me with the help
of other ministries on living out their Christian values and having good
attitudes and integrity. We will teach them how to finish and not give up.
The professional curriculum will be taught by several nursing professionals.
Praise the Lord for people to help. I would like to thank all the people
sponsoring the program.
What are the long term plans for
the program at your hospital and
in Egypt?
• Program- select 1/2 of the people in the nursing aid program to move on
to step 2 in becoming a nurse
• Have projects outside Mokattam. There is another place in Ezbet El
Hagana ‘The Village of Camel Riders’ where we plan to start the
curriculum
• Put together a book for the curriculum
How can we specifically pray for
this endeavor?
• Girls to have commitment and passion to sustain and be fruitful
• Trainees to have hearts for this and to do marvelous works
• Donors to be rewarded and may this program be fruitful for many other
areas
A lot, a lot, a lot! For example, during the uprising it was the only hospital
caring for all people as no one was going out in the streets. The hospital
cares for the poor, feeds the hungry and cares for tuberculosis patients. The
church is not just for spiritual but social work as well.
What is the typical skill level of
someone who is currently hired to
be a nursing aid at the hospital?
• To be a Christian believer- not a center just for graduating nurses but to
teach evangelism
• To be teachable
• To be trainable
• Commitment- care for the poor, mentally disabled, and elderly and
committed to evangelism
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Sister Aileen Coleman next to an X-Ray machine
in Mafraq, Jordan
HOME Newsletter, December 2012
H E A L T H
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HOME Chapter Banquets
supporting our mission work in the Middle East
Houston, Texas
Washington, D.C.
Los Angeles, CA
The annual HOME banquet and fundraiser was
held in Houston, in November at the JW Marriott
Hotel. There was a tremendous effort to organize
this event to share the message of HOME including
it’s mission, vision and activities with its members,
supporters and guests.
On behalf of the DC Chapter, we wanted to share
the good news about our annual HOME Banquet.
Approximately 100 people gathered at the Bethesda
Marriott on 13 October to enjoy an evening of food,
fellowship and fundraising. We were blessed to hear
songs by Fares Abufarha. Our guest speaker, Dr.
John Crouch, challenged us not to let the culture
around us block our ears, but to listen to the
Macedonian call and respond as the Lord directs.
We were able to give a clear presentation of the
HOME vision and current ministries. The group
responded well above expectations and gave over
$40,000 for use in building His kingdom.
The HOME Chapter of Southern California
experienced God 's amazing presence during the
annual fundraiser banquet that was held with the
support of our sister ministry ACMA:Arabic
Christian Medical Association. The date was August
11 and the place was the Rio Hondo Golf Course
Banquet Hall in Downey.
Drs. Bruce MacFadyen and Issam Raad were the
two keynote speakers and Lydia Shadeed and Tina
Shadeed provided beautiful worship music to set
the mood of the event.
The supporters and
attendees of this special evening were given an
overview of many of HOME’s projects and clinics
not to mention the amazing love, work and
dedication that goes on behind the scenes to make
an organization like this function at its best. The
evening truly illustrated the Lord’s handiwork
throughout the Middle East, touching lives and
sharing His love.
—Houston HOME Chapter
—D.C. HOME Chapter
The beloved brother Nasef Sobhi led the worship.
Dr Issam Raad was the keynote speaker and
delivered a powerful message updating the
audience about the Middle East ministry status and
challenged them to raise the banner of The Lord
higher than ever because He is at work and is
looking for dedicated workers to carry His Great
Commission. The time is right as the fields are
white!. We are ever so grateful for the bond of love
that binds HOME /ACMA and propels God's work
forward for His Glory and the extension of His
Kingdom.
—California HOME Chapter
HOME Newsletter, December 2012
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New Mobile Medical Ministry in Upper Egypt
Dr. Wajih taking care of a patient in Assuit, Egypt
It is so sad that the situation is in Egypt
continues
to
deteriorate
politically,
economically and even socially. During this
time, HOME and the believers around the
world gather to pray for peace and stability in
Egypt. Despite the deteriorating situation at
all levels, particularly recently, in the month of
November of 2012, the work of the Lord
continues,
specially
through
medical
ministries. During and after the HOME
summit in Jordan 2012, several projects were
initiated by HOME. Among these projects is
the Mobile Medical Units Project launched in
at least 5 countries in the Middle East. This
project was initiated under the monitorship
and leadership of Dr. John Crouch (President
of In His Image International and President of
CMDA) and the generous support of Mr.
Foster Friess and Mobile Medical Network.
HOME is very thankful to Dr. John Crouch
and Mr. Foster Friess and the Mobile Medical
Ministries International in helping purchase
“
of Dr. Khalil Gamal. We praise the Lord for the
unity and the Christ-exalting agenda that
CMF and HOME are bringing in order to
improve the healthcare as well as sharing and
reflecting the love of Christ to all patients in
Egypt.
HOME/CMF Medical Mobile Unit in Upper
Egypt (Aswan/Assuit) has started in July of 2012.
They serve all the age groups and the people of
different backgrounds. Our ministry is to serve
people with the practical love of Christ though
family medical healthcare and in distributing some
medicine for free. We also serve the Christians
openly by individually and through home visits.
We also cooperate with the local churches
(Catholic, Evangelic, and Orthodox) along with
some local charitable clinics. We serve in the Saidi
area in Egypt (Asiout – Aswan). We serve around
300 – 400 individuals each month (12 days/
month). Our Doctors are Dr. Siham Ameen and
Dr. Wajih Abdo.
Patients in Assuit seen and examined
through the Mobile Clinic
HOME is very thankful to Dr. John Crouch and Mr. Foster Friess and the Mobile Medical Ministries International
in helping purchase and launch 5 medical units and clinics in 5 Middle Eastern Countries
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and launch 5 medical units and clinics in 5
Middle Eastern Countries. Among those is the
Mobile Medical Ministry in Upper Egypt
(Aswan/Assuit) recently established and
launched by HOME and the Christian Medical
Fellowship (CMF-Egypt) under the leadership
”
HOME Newsletter, December 2012
H E A L T H
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Message from the Vice President:
Daily Strength — to
all those serving
Him through HOME
T O
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On the other hand, the wise Solomon says: “If
you faint in the day of adversity, your strength
is small”. To me this means that your strength
will be minimized if you become faint and
overwhelmed with the measure of stressors
and respond by growing weary and
depressed or withdraw from facing these
challenges with staggering steps and
trembling hands. In other words your supply
of strength for that day will be minimized,
because why would God give you a strength
that you will not make use of. You might say
let Him give me the strength first and once I
feel it running through my inner being then I
will face these challenges; how- ever, I say to
you: where is the faith then?
E A S T
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Message from the President:
Radiating Hope in
the Middle East
“
During
this
Christmas season,
it is important to
remember
that
As we reach
two
thousand
out
to
the
years ago, healing
suffering in the
love was born in
midst of turmoil
the Middle East. It
occurring in our
took the form of a
land, we should
man—they called
always remember I challenge you to be like Peter, leave your
Him, “Jesus.” He
the blessing of ship and face the roaring sea, trample it under
was the “Great
God for Asher, your feet and you will immediately find the
P h y s i c i a n ;
announced
by strength running through your whole being to
wherever He went
Moses
i n carry you and make you walk on the waters!!
and whoever He
Dr. Issam Raad
Deuteronomy
touched, He healed
HOME, President
33:25 “As his My beloved, God will not make new supplies
body, soul, and
days, so shall his of energy for us to face our daily troubles, for
mind. He reached
Dr. Maher Samuel
strength be. Two He has it already deposited in our ac- counts out to the broken hearted and healed the
HOME, Vice President in the things
in this to be cashed only when we are in the battle suffering, irrespective of race, religion or
Middle East
blessing
have field, not while we are asleep.
gender. However, since His birth, He was a
caught
my
suspect. The world around Him could not
From another prospective Paul the expert in
attention”:
tolerate Him. They offered Him no place to be
spiritual life and its daily struggles, prays for
The first is the statement “your days” from his brothers in Christ to be strengthened with born, no place to lay His head…no place
which I conclude that God doesn’t consider all might, according to His glorious power, for except the cross. Yet, He took His cross and
our age by the number of years, months, or all patience and long-suffering with joy transformed it into an operating room,
transplanting new hearts – tender hearts full
even weeks we live on earth as we physicians (Colossians 1:11).
of forgiveness, grace, love and healing. do when calculating the age of a fetus in the
womb; however, God counts our days!!! For me the meaning of “with all might” is not
which means that He is interested in all the in the magnitude of the strength but in the Death could not contain Him for after His
crucifixion He rose again. He rolled the stone
daily details of our lives.
multiplicity of the types of strengths that
away and emptied the grave from the
matches the different circumstances we face.
The second conclusion I have from the words
tyrannical power of mortality, radiating hope
When we are ill we need strength, when we
” your strength” is that God in His infinite
to all humanity. After His resurrection, He
are oppressed we need another kind of
love not only cares about the quantity of our
poured His Spirit into the hearts of His
strength, for financial burdens there is a
days but their quality too. He cares about the
disciples, and changed the world, one heart at
special strength required, and for problems
number of days we live on earth and how we
a time. with our children’s there is yet another kind of
live them. Therefore, with every day He adds
strength. For every kind of stress or trouble, Today in the midst of death and destruction,
to our lives, He gives us the strength needed
God has for you a special kind of strength that the Great Physician continues to move and
to face the challenges we are going to
will meet your need. The picture now is clear, live through the lives of hundreds of
encounter through the day.
for every day there is strength appropriate in thousands of His disciples in the land He once
How wretched we are if we have to face what quantity and quantity to the measure and called home. In more than 25 HOME clinics
our days bring without this strength. For our kind of stressors that we are going to face on and hospitals from Beirut to Baghdad, from
days will then be a heavy burden not a
Amman to Cairo, the Great Physician is
blessing. Facing the day without its strength, that day.
moving in the Middle East. Through His
in my opinion, is the root behind most cases of
gracious, loving pierced hands, He is touching
anxiety, depression, and discontent in life.
the lives and the hearts of many, giving hope
to the hopeless and life abundant to those who
There is no doubt that the amount of this daily My loving God, my heart overflows with praise and
are dying. strength is proportionate to the stresses and thanksgiving for these promises you have for me.
troubles of the day which are, without a Forgive my ignorance when I try to go through the
This is HOME: it is the life and the move of
shadow of doubt, well known to God day relying on my own strength. Teach my how to
the Spirit of Christ. This is the Spirit of healing
beforehand. So if you are going to face a very open the channels of my spirit to your Spirit every
grace and reconciliation that unveils Christ,
stressful day that is out of your usual routine, morning to receive your strength. Help me remove
through Christ-like healthcare professionals,
your measure of your strength from God will the obstacles that prevent this overflowing supply
who reach out with His healing touch to the
be greater than your usual strength and is of your power that I need in my daily life.
suffering, offering His Cure of loving
equivalent to the increased measure of
stressors.
kindness. “
”
”
HOME Newsletter, December 2012
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H E A L T H
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Over the last few years, HOME is blessed to see how the Lord has been moving our ministry in exciting new directions, allowing
us to reach more needy people in different parts of the world. To further the Kingdom of God, we ask that you join your hearts to
ours and join hands with us as partners with HOME in accomplishing what the Lord has burdened us to do through these various
projects.
If you wish to donate, receive a copy of our free brochure or become a member, simply complete our Information Form via our
website: http://www.homeforhim.org/info.html
Or send us a request at our address below or by emailing us at: [email protected]
Board of Trustees
Director of Operations in the Middle East
President — Issam Raad, MD
Executive Vice President for North America — Farid Bakht, MD
Secretary — Khoulood Fakhoury, MD
Treasurer — Cary Watson
Executive Vice President for Middle East Affairs — Maher Samuel, MD
Michael Abdul Malak, MD
Emad Asham, MD
Ray Hachem, MD
Raja Hawit, MD
Ragaa Iskarous, MD
Lamya Jarjour, MD
Ehab Fahmy, MD
Regional Board
Chair — Khalil Gamal, MD
International Advisory Board
Chair — Marc Erickson, MD – (Missions Pastor at Eastbrook, WI)
Co-Chair — John Crouch, MD - (President of IHI Int’l, President of
GSHS, President of CMDA)
Scott Hughett (Annoor Sanatorium)
Maher Kozman (Comet-USA)
Bruce MacFadyen, MD – (PAACS)
Todd Price, MD – (IMO)
David Printy (UAE)
Vinod Shah, MD – (ICMDA)
Chris Steyn, MD – (HCFI/HFE)
Kevin Vaughan, MD – (Chairman ICMDA)
About H.O.M.E.
Health Outreach to the Middle East (H.O.M.E.) is a Christian, interdenominational organization that exists
to bring physical, psychological and spiritual healing to poor and suffering people in the Middle East in the
name of Christ.
For a multitude of reasons, from armed conflicts, political and economic difficulties, to resource scarcity,
many impoverished people live in this part of the world and are deprived of appropriate healthcare. The
mission of H.O.M.E. is to pro- vide adequate and high quality healthcare services to even the poorest of the
poor. What sets H.O.M.E. apart from other non-profit and faith-based organizations is the fact that its
leaders are Bible-believing physicians who are them- selves from the Middle East, and are also well
connected with other healthcare workers from that part of the world. In addition, H.O.M.E. donations are
unique in that 100% of contributions go directly to the mission field; H.O.M.E. administrative costs are
covered through external funds.
International Headquarters
Health Outreach to the Middle East
P.O. Box 711109 | Houston, TX 77271 United States
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HOME Newsletter, December 2012