Filipino Adventist Network: For Cora from Heri Mission Hospital

Heri Adventist Mission Hospital
Kigoma, Tanzania

From: Joselito Coo, MD

Heri Adventist Hospital

P. O. Box 1056

Kigoma, TANZANIA

June 27, 2004

Dearest ones,

It was exactly a week ago on a Sunday afternoon, June 20, 2004, when I first arrived here at the Heri

Adventist Hospital in Kigoma, Tanzania. I had flown first by KLM from LAX on June 16 at 4pm to

Amsterdam then to Nairobi, Kenya. I waited 8 hours in Amsterdam and 7 hrs in Nairobi for my

connecting flights until I finally arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on June 18 at 3 pm..

Michael Kuyenga and his wife, Sophia, met me at the Dar-es-Salaam International Airport. Mike is the

station manager for the Tanzania Union Media Center and has been the speaker for the VOP and AWR

for the past 6 years. He had just completed his MA in mass communications from Oxford University.

Sophia lived and studied in the Philippines on the Silang, Cavite campus of Phil Union College (now

AUP). Her parents (the Otienos) were sent by the Tanzania Union to upgrade in our school. Later,

I also met Sophia’s younger sister, Paradise, who remembered their stay in Silang.

It was Friday afternoon when I arrived in Dar es Salaam and learned from Mike that I was to spend the Sabbath in Dar. He arranged for a room in the Media Center’s guest house for me and also invited me to speak in one of the 40 SDA congregations in the city. Mike was in the midst of a 3-week long evangelistic crusade for one of the 3 largest congregations there. This particular church where he was holding meetings has 1,500 members while the other 2 congregations has 2,000 members each.

I learned that there are at least 5 SDA Tanzanian medical doctors in the city of Dar but I didn’t meet any of them. Instead there was a senior medical student in Dar, an Adventist from Zambia, with whom I spent some time in discussion of his experiences. On Sabbath afternoon there was a 13-year old girl who started thrashing and moaning near the close of Mike’s meeting. While several church members prayed around the girl and tried to cast out what they believed was an evil spirit oppressing her. the Zambian medical student and I tried our best to examine her.

I left Dar on Sunday, June 20, past 1 o’clock in the afternoon and arrived in the Kigoma Airport by 5 o’clock pm. Dr Niels Heinrich Oster and other hospital personnel were there to welcome me. However, Heri Adventist Hospital was another hour-and-a-half ride on a dirt road from the airport. Dr Oster is from Denmark but came to the USA in 1955 as a young man, first to complete pre-med requirements at Columbia Union College and shortly thereafter to Loma Linda for medical studies. He graduated in 1961 and interned at the Glendale Adventist Medical Center. He has been at Heri for the past 11 years. Previous to this he practiced general surgery in Tappahannock, Virginia and knew uncle Al and aunt Nellie Roda, aunt Consuelo Roda-Jackson, Drs Pros and Elma Lou Roda. There’s a group picture around an operating table on the wall at Heri that was painted by a certain Luther Jones of Tappahannock dated 1979. Dr Oster told me that the operating surgeon was supposed to be uncle Dr Pros while he, Dr Oster himself, was one of uncle Pros’ assistants.

I’m staying in Dr Oster’s house at Heri. He just called his wife, who is in Virginia, telling her that he will soon be coming home in September 2004 for a final, final, final, PR!!!!!!!!!!!

Our nearest neighbor is Dr Gerson Araujo Jr whose house was built only within the past 2-years of his stay at Heri, from funds donated by a Korean doctor—a plastic surgeon and former classmate of Dr Gerson. Dr Gerson is a head and neck specialist as well as a general surgeon. He is in Brazil as of this writing, learning to perform cataract operations so he can make use of this additional skill wherever God might lead him and his family, at Heri or elsewhere.

So far I’ve been occupied with daily surgeries and the follow-up of in-patients together with Dr Oster. The other members of our medical staff include: one experienced, skilled assistant medical officer and two clinical officers who go on day/night duties alternately.

On Wednesday, 23 June, a young man was flown in on a small airplane piloted by Andrew Blake, a Scottish pastor with Mission Aviation Fellowship. Pastor Andy’s plane landed on the hospital airstrip. Andy is based in Kasulu which is about 50 kms from Heri. However, the forest guard that Andy brought in was more than more than 400 miles away in a game preserve where he, our patient, was reportedly shot in the face by poachers.

Yesterday, Sabbath afternoon, our business manager, Mr Dickson Matiko, together with an ADRA foreman, invited a group of us to see the hydroelectric power plant that was more than 2 years under construction as a joint project of the Danish gov’t and ADRA-Denmark. I learned that Dr William C. Richli (Flying Doctor of the Philippines) drew the plan for this hydroelectric power plant 20 years ago. It was here at Heri, in a church ground nearby, several steps from where I’m staying, that Dr Richli was buried following a car accident that cut short his mission service in Africa. Written on the marker of his grave were the following:

Dr William C. Richli

Born 14 November 1913 – Died 12 June 1985

He lived to serve!

Dr Richli’s dream of a hydroelectric power plant for Heri will soon be realized. I’m so blessed to be

part of the group that will witness this significant event.

This evening there was a group of Catholic nuns, one of them being the only physician and medical director of a hospital that is only 50 kms from Heri. They came with a representative from the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees). In the Roman Catholic-run hospital and at Heri are refugees from Burundi and the Congo.

Among the Filipino doctors who were in Heri that you might know include Dr Alvin Rocero, Dr Magdadaro, and Dr P Llaguno. Dr Rocero is presently serving in a hospital in Uganda together with Dr Victor Valenzuela.

There’s more to tell, but let me end here for now..

Love,

Dr Alvin Rocero, center; Dr Niels Oster, fourth from right

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From Joselito A. Coo, MD

Heri Adventist Hospital

P. O. Box 1056

Kigoma, TANZANIA

5 July 2004

Dearest ones,

On Friday and on Sabbath afternoon, July 2 and 3, I visited the grave of Dr Richli who was known among Adventists as THE FLYING DOCTOR OF THE PHILIPPINES. His gravesite is on the church ground that is only within a few steps from where I’m staying at the Heri Adventist Hospital in the Kasulu district of Kigoma region, Tanzania. The marker on his tomb had the following inscription:

Dr William C. Richli

Born 14 November 1913 – Died 12 June 1985

He lived to serve!

I heard of Dr Richli for the first time when I was a college freshman at Philippine Union College.

I was told that he came to the Philippines to join the Manila Sanitarium and Hospital staff immediately

after the Second World War. He left the country around the second half of the 70’s. It was my privilege

to have been associated with him if only briefly as a sort of handyman, for Dr Richli was always busy

in the workshop during his frequent visits to the Naga View campus of Philippine Union College.

That was when the school was starting its post-secondary program for college freshmen and I was one

of the single faculty among the young men that included Willy Tortal and Eufe Tantia. We dined in the

school cafeteria, so did Dr Richli, thus we always knew when he was around.

On Sunday, July 4, two young doctors from Denver, CO, arrived for a 3-week stint with us. Dr Mary O, an internist, and Dr Andrew K, an emergency physician, have just finished 3 months of tropical medicine studies in London and were recommended to us by a certain Dr Larry Thomas of Loma Linda U. Dr Mary O in particular had made annual visits to Haiti on countless medical missions while she was still a medical student and internal medicine resident. The folks at Heri have had visitors like these dedicated young people in the past so this was nothing new here. Annually guest doctors and doctors-in-training from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark and other countries come to Heri for a brief visit.

Regarding the slot I filled as volunteer-appointee by the General Conference, I was told that it was originally a “closed-call,” meaning someone in particular was invited to come. At the last minute, however, he decided he was not ready. Thus the urgent need for a relief surgeon became an “open call”. In any case, as in the past it has always been a delight for me to respond to a genuine need for my services.

Hope you’re all fine as I am here.

Love,

_ HYPERLINK "mailto:CoraCoo@juno.com" _CoraCoo@juno.com_

From: Joselito A. Coo, MD

Heri Adventist Hospital

Kigoma, TANZANIA

8 July 2004

Dearest ones,

E-mail service is 50 kms away and about an-hour-and-a-half drive on a dirt road from an elevation of more than 3 thousand feet at Heri down to Kigoma town near Lake Taganyika. Dr Oster sees patients at the Kigoma dispensary on Tuesdays and at the Kasulu dispensary on Thursdays. I haven’t left the hospital since my arrival here. There’s a single telephone by satellite that the hospital uses but since there’s no ISP around this area we can’t use it for internet. Perhaps someone with technical know-how should tell us how this can be done.

The power by generator they use here is 220V so it immediately knocked out my computer as soon as I tried to use it. Fortunately there’s a 5 amps fuse we found to replace the one that blew up. There were other problems of a technical nature that we solved before the ones who retrieve and send e-mails in town for us could get through to you. Finally, today I was told that my 2 e-mails to you got through and that I have 2 messages from there.

The work we do here as expected stretches us beyond our collective store of clinical knowledge. We pray a lot and are grateful to know that there’s our family and church friends who pray for us.

Today there’s another patient, a young boy of 15 with a head injury, who was brought in by small plane piloted by Pastor Andrew Blake of Mission Aviation Fellowship. Drs Mary O and Andrew K, our guest doctors from Denver, CO have made the initial assessment and treatment orders for our injured patient. They are making the most of their planned 3-week stay with us. One of the two visiting young doctors, Andrew, was raised in Switzerland and speaks French which is a great help since we have several Congolese and Burundi patients who come to us from the refugee camp about 200 kms away. Many of them speak only French, but not English, in addition to their own native languages. Swahili is the common language around here and I’ve only learned a few useful words and phrases so far.

Until now there’s no assurance of a permanent replacement for Dr Oster yet. The latest we were told regarding Dr Gerson Araujo, Jr is for him to come back to Heri, probably with his parents, in September and stay only for 6 months.

Hope everything’s well with you all.

Love,

_ HYPERLINK "mailto:CoraCoo@juno.com" _CoraCoo@juno.com_

From: Joselito Coo, MD

Heri Adventist Hospital

P. O. Box 1056

Kigoma, Tanzania

14 July 2004

Dearest ones,

Just read Mommy’s letter of July 11 last night but I don’t think the attachment was retrieved by the person who received our e-mails.

Last night Dr Oster invited Claude Richli who is the asso executive secretary of the Eastern Africa Division. He grew up in Switzerland and migrated to Canada. Said he was in Toronto at the time of the death of his uncle, Dr William C. Richli, in Africa, and was able to attend the memorial service held by Filipino SDAs there. It was only yesterday that he was able to visit the grave of his famous uncle.

Elder C. Richli cancelled his planned evangelistic campaign in the Congo because of the political unrest there; instead came to Heri so he could assess the situation here in behalf of the ECD’s plan to establish a kind of health system for the division. We learned from him that Dr Gerson Araujo, Jr will return to Heri only to pick up his personal belongings. We were all saddened to hear this bit of unwelcome news since I’ve heard only good reports by hospital personnel and patients about Dr Gerson. Of course, Elder Richli asked me if I would be willing to return to Heri on a more permanent basis as a mission appointee since there’s definitely an acute need for a general surgeon in light of Dr Oster’s planned permanent return to the USA in September, Dr Oster’s wife has remained in Tappahannock during her husband’s 11 years of mission service so she could be with her children and grandchildren. BTW, Dr and Mrs Norval Rios were members of their Tappahannock SDA Church while they served together in the same hospital there.

Dr Oster shared with me the following letter from a group of volunteers from Portland who would like to come for a missionary visit:

Dear Dr. Oster:

My name is Ron Franzke. I am a physician in Portland,

Oregon. My friend, Erling Oksenholt, suggested that I

contact you regarding a possible mission trip to your

area.

A few years ago we corresponded briefly about a

similiar project, but because of the lack of

transportation for a group of 20 - 35 people it did

not appear that it was feasible at that time. Dr.

Oksenholt told me that they now have larger planes

flying in and out of your area and that transportation

may now not be an issue.

Briefly, we are a group of SDA's from the Northwest

who have now completed 14 mission projects in Brazil,

Southeast Asia and Africa. Our emphasis is on the

whole person and, therefore, we like to provide the

following services: evangelistic series of 14 nights,

medical and dental services, building a small church

or other comparable building and providing a VBS

program for the children. We have found that the

combination of this type of program has resulted in an

effective outreach for the gospel and numerous

baptisms.

If your conference and hospital have any interest in a

group such as ours coming to your area I would very

much like to hear from you. We generally like to visit

Africa in the first four months of the year. This is

usually in accordance with the weather. Our group is

very mission minded and the Lord has graciously

blessed us in these undertakings and we would like to

plan a trip for this coming year. Please discuss this

with the local church leaders as to their possible

interest. Of course, we would like to lend whatever

help we could to the hospital. I am an

otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon. We usually

bring other physicians and nurses with our team. In

addition, we have 1 or 2 evangelists and accompanying

support staff for the series. They are very

experienced in this type of outreach. Our builders

have now built schools, churches and orphanages in our

projects. If you desire references from the places we

have been I would be happy to supply you with them.

Thank you for your consideration of this email. I will

look forward to hearing from you.

With kind regards,

Ronald O. Franzke, M.D.

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From Joselito Coo, MD

P. O. Box 1056

Kigoma, Tanzania

16 July 2004

Dearest ones,

The property that was known as Heri Mission Hospital in 1949 was built on 100 acres in the mountains of Kasulu district 50 km north of Kigoma on the western boundary of Tanzania. Heri is only a few kilometers from Burundi. In the northeast is Lake Victoria and Tanzania’s northern boundary with Uganda and Kenya. Further east is Africa’s highest peak--Mt Kilimanjaro—5897 feet above sea level. The climate at Heri is temperate so that we have cool, pleasant weather all year round like Imugan in Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. Kigoma, on the other hand, is hot and humid like Manila. The scenery and climate are probably similar to Mountain View College, perhaps cooler but not as cold as Baguio City. Tanzania is located just below the equator, while the Philippines is right above the invisible line that divides the globe into northern and southern hemispheres. Thus, most tropical fruits in the Philippines can be grown also in Tanzania.

On Sabbath, 17 July 2004, Heri’s business manager, Dickson Matiko completed his 2-week evangelistic crusade 2 kilometers away from Heri, up the hillside. It was held every afternoon from 4 pm to 6:30 pm in the open air. People sat on the grassy hillside within an enclosure of dried banana leaves and branches. A choir of the sponsoring church was present in every meeting, but two other church choirs also assisted from time to time especially during the 2 Sabbath services of the meetings. It was very encouraging and inspiring to witness the spirituality and zeal of members and church leaders. In one meeting I counted 15 adults who came forward for the first time and made decisions to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord.

We were hoping that the inauguration of Heri’s hydroelectric power station can be held on the 20th of July. However, Max Church of ADRA-Tanzania assured us this morning that this will be on September 9, 2004 instead. Together with Max Church of ADRA-Tanzania is Sarah Spangler and she’s taking pictures for him. Sarah is from Alberta, Canada and graduated 2 years ago from Andrews. She works in one of AU’s departments while her mom is with university relations. She said she’ll be back to AU by the 9th of next month, August, and I told her that Cecile will be performing in the graduation and marching at the same time.

Yesterday, Max Church and Claude Richli went to the waterfalls and watched with a great deal of satisfaction that the turbine functioned as well as they had expected when the water rushed down the 72-meter long, 55-cm diameter pipe that led to it. It was Dr William C. Richli’s draft for the hydro that the construction engineer and his work crew followed as far the volume of water that was needed from three separate sources flowing into one pipeline was concerned. Dr Richli’s design worked!!! Around the waterfalls and surrounding the hydroelectric power station are 250 acres of newly-acquired property that the hospital bought with help from a certain Dr Violet Krym of Manitoba, Canada.

Heri’s pioneers and their successors wanted the hospital to be as self-sufficient as possible. Since 1992,

thanks to German technology, the staff prepares all the infusion fluids (bottles of dextrose, lactated Ringer’s,

and normal saline) for Heri’s patients. A “reverse-osmosis” equipment is used for this purpose plus an

autoclave for the sterilization of the final bottled product. This gift has proved to be definitely a great blessing

and savings for everyone concerned. The hydro equipment is also of German manufacture; however, it was

the Danish government and ADRA-Denmark that paid for it.

There’s a hangar for Heri’s small airplane that used to transport patients and made it possible for hospital administrators to travel far distances in a relatively shorter time than usual. In the past Heri had its own flying doctors. Among them was Dr James Twing whose mission service at Heri was cut short abruptly by an air-related accident that claimed his life back in 1972. He had engine trouble and could have landed safely on a soccer field to which he was directed by air controllers in Nairobi. However, instead of clearing out of the soccer field, all the people in the village ran toward the soccer field, gathering within it so they could watch him land. The plane landed outside the field, away from the crowd, unfortunately crashing into the branch of a tree, igniting the aircraft and killing Dr Twing. (Andrew Blake of Mission Aviation Fellowship has repeatedly expressed his concerned about children and villagers running towards Heri’s airstrip instead of away from it the moment they heard the sound of his plane circling above as a signal that he wanted to land,) After Dr Twing’s death, his widow, Ethel, returned to the USA but only briefly to complete her vocational nursing degree after which she returned to Heri and stayed until her official retirement in 2002. However, she’s still in Tanzania, on the Tanzania Adventist College campus in Arusha in Arusha among her numerous adopted children that she put through school.

When all union mission officials became nationalized, they decided in 1992 that it was they that needed the airplane more than Heri since the latter was just one institution among others. So the plane was transferred to Arusha. Shortly thereafter, when it became too expensive to pay for its annual insurance premium, they decided to sell the aircraft. This was about the time when the British pilot also went back to the UK.

Well, more later.

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From Joselito Coo, MD

P. O. Box 1056

Kigoma, Tanzania

25 July 2004

Dearest ones,

I know today is Mom’s b-day but you will receive my greeting sometime during the week, probably on Tues if someone goes to Kigoma and opens Heri’s e-mail at the internet café. On Friday, July 23, I received Cecile’s snail mail from AU. Thanks for the Father’s day greeting. I also remembered your June 30 b-day. I’m praying that the Lord will guide in all your decisions as He has always done for us all.

I finally read Mom’s “diary” since I left. I miss you all. Today I’m writing a letter to the US Embassy in Dar Es Salaam so I can get an application for a re-entry visa since my expected departure is not too far away—on September 16, 2004. Dr Oster promised to write them a letter on my behalf regarding my volunteer service at Heri.

There’s still no definite word about the arrival of a replacement for Dr Oster when he leaves in September. Dr Oster feels he cannot abandon the “ship” although he already told his wife he was coming home to Virginia..

They expect Dr Oswaldo Lara, a US citizen whose dad is Bolivian and who received his medical education in Argentina, to answer the call and come as soon as possible. .I met him in Blantyre a few years back as he was the surgeon at the Malamula Mission Hospital.

About the most common cases we handle here besides C-sections and hernia repair are malaria and bone infections. So far all of our 4 or 5 head injury patients have done well without surgery except for a 12-year old girl with a depressed fracture of the skull whose crushed bone fragments we tried to elevate but we couldn’t so we had to remove them, suturing her scalp over a portion of missing skull bone. I had one successful goiter operation so far under local anesthesia which they said hasn’t been done here in a long time for the surgeons here have always put their goiter patients to sleep during the procedure. I’m glad I learned to do this during my training at our Manila Sanitarium and Hospital.

PS: Not sure if my previous e-mail reached you. So here it is again.

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From Joselito Coo, MD

Heri Adventist Hospital

Box 1056

Kigoma, Tanzania

9 August 2004

Dearest ones,

My last e-mail to you all was dated 25 July 2004 but I don’t know when it was finally sent. I was told by Dr Oster since a week ago that there was an e-mail for me but the person who saw it didn’t (know how to) retrieve it!

Claude Richli of the ECD (East-Central Africa Division) wrote the people here asking them to persuade Dr Oster and me to stay till December while they are still processing the transfer of Dr Alvin Rocero from Ishaka Hospital in Uganda to Heri as medical director and his wife (as lab tech) by January 1, 2005. However, Dr Oster and I agreed we both should go so others can fill our places as soon as possible—meaning, by next month! So I’m counting the weeks till I actually fly home.

Although Dr Gerson Araujo, Jr expressed his desire to resume his mission service at Heri, the GC still decided to vote him PR in view of his wife’s unwillingness to come with him. All the people here, especially Dr Oster and including me, are still hoping though that we can persuade the powers-that-be to change their mind and allow Dr Gerson to continue serving here. Clearly, Dr Gerson is a gifted head and neck, general surgeon and that this fact has done much to further enhance Heri’s reputation as an excellent referral hospital in the western Tanzania region.

I miss you all. Hope you’re all right and well.

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From Joselito Coo, MD

Heri Adventist Hospital

P. O. Box 1056

Kigoma, Tanzania

16 August 2004

Dearest ones,

I read your e-mails last week finally after the same person who went to Dar Es Salaam and was away for 2 weeks returned and retrieved my e-mails for me in Kigoma..

Hope this reaches you tomorrow.

I’m so glad that Cecile will be going to Montemorelos although this was a genuine surprise for me since there was no hint at all from her that she applied for it or that someone recommended her. I feel blessed to have a daughter with a heart for missions and for God. I know she’s well prepared for this and God has been leading her in this direction. I won’t be able to see you off, will I?

Our much-awaited hydroelectric power should be up and running this week we’re told although the grand inauguration is scheduled on September 9. Many important guests are expected to arrive and join us in the celebration. Up to now our electricity by generator runs 3 nights a week and during the day when we’re operating so that the time I want to use the computer is when the power is off!!!

I’ve made up my mind to come home next month although they’ve asked me to stay till December and possibly longer. Dr Oster will probably remain until his successor arrives. He told them he was going home on PR since last year but he has been unable to leave permanently yet. Mrs Oster has been waiting for the two of them to be together again in the past 11 years!!! In contrast, strangely enough, denominational executives won’t let Dr Gerson Araujo, Jr to return to Heri without his wife!!! We’re hoping and praying for a divine solution that will be acceptable to all concerned. .I’ll meet him at Heri before I go.

_ HYPERLINK "mailto:fesahat@ecd.adventist.org" _fesahat@ecd.adventist.org_

cc: ferrers@ecd.adventist.org "mailto:dicksonmatiko@yahoo.com"

Dear Dr Fesaha:

I received the e-mail from you re: EXTENDING MY STAY IN HERI HOSPITAL thru my wife and she promptly expressed her agreement should I decide to stay longer in light of the need at Heri.

When Elder Claude Richli visited recently, he and I had a dinner conversation together with other guests so evidently it was all polite talk that we had. I wish that there was more opportunity for you and I to talk about the situation here about what I’ve learned since my arrival and brief stint instead of just a formal exchange via e-mails.

In any case, let me say how much I appreciate your, and co-ECD officers’, making it possible for me to come in light of the ECD taking care of my travel expense in the first place. Moreover, the fact that you have asked me to stay longer, and so did Dr Oster and the kind folks at Heri, is affirmation enough regarding the healing mission God has assigned me to perform and I’m very grateful for this privilege. However, I have decided to leave as I earlier planned. After all, Dr Oster will still be around until his replacement arrives and truth of the matter is I was able to add little to what he did except to substitute for him when he was away attending to patients in the distant dispensaries under Heri. Needless to say, he was an inspiration to me as a fellow medical missionary and I shall remember him always as a responsible friend and reliable co-worker.

Sincerely,

Joselito Coo, MD

"Tsegaye Fesaha" _ HYPERLINK "mailto:fesahat@ecd.adventist.org"

To: "Joselito A Coo" <_ HYPERLINK "mailto:joselitocoo1@juno.com_

Cc: "Sergie Ferrer" <ferrers@ecd.adventist.org _ferrers@ecd.adventist.org_

<_ HYPERLINK "mailto:dicksonmatiko@yahoo.com" _dicksonmatiko@yahoo.com_>

Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 16:31:07 +0300

Subject: EXTENDING YOUR SERVICE IN HERI HOSPITAL

Dear Dr. Coo,

Thanks for accepting to come and work in Heri hospital and I am sure

they are keeping you busy.

As you remember I had mentioned to you that

we might need your services and negotiate with you when the time comes.

We need your service right in Heri Hospital and we would appreciate if

you could stay in the hospital until the end of December, 2004.

I have discussed the current situation at Heri Hospital with the ECD

Officers and they have requested me to renegotiate with you in different

terms. We would like to contract with you from September up to December

with different financial terms. If you are willing to stay until

December, 2004 please could you contact Elder Ferrer Sergie and send me

a copy as soon as possible. Elder Ferrer e-mail address is:

Thank you for your continued service at Heri Hospital and may God bless

you.

Fesaha Tsegaye, MBBS, MMed, MPH

ECD Health Ministries Director

NB. MR. MATIKO COULD YOU PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE TO DR. COO. THANKS.

FESAHA

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From: Joselito Coo, MD

Heri Adventist Hospital

P. O. Box 1056

KIgoma, Tanzania

20 August 2004

Dearest ones,

I just read Loni’s August 11 e-mail from Geneva that Mom forwarded. He should be back in Maryland by now.

Andy Blake of Mission Aviation Fellowship brought another patient on Wednesday on his small plane while I was busy in the operating room so I didn’t see him or his plane land. This was the 3d time he came with a patient since I arrived here.

We had 2 successive camp meetings in the past 2 weeks with a dozen churches participating in each of them. Officers from the West Tanzania Field (or Mission) were around including the Executive Secretary of the Tanzania Union. The daily meetings in the open air were all well attended and I was able to come to the Sabbath meetings. There are baptisms, dedication of children, and ordination of elders and deacons. Since Sunday night, August 15, we have been watching Mark Finley’s NEW LIFE crusade for all Africa from nearly Kigali, Rwanda via satellite on a small TV screen that they placed on the hospital grounds. Everyone, including children, have been very attentive, I noticed. There were several choirs that were featured. On Wednesday night a group that called themselves The Maharlika Singers composed of 2 Filipino couples and one African young woman sang “The Saviour is Waiting to Enter Your Heart” while the preacher made his final appeal, The names of the singers were not mentioned and I don’t think I’ve seen them before. Of course, they sounded different from the other groups and I felt like I was at home again, back in Baesa or Silang. I must say, however, that all the Tanzanians I have met—hospital workers and ordinary church members--ALL seem to know how to sing in tune.

25 August 2004

We’re still waiting for the hydropower to be put on which they said will be this week. It’s usually when

I leave the operating room that they also turn off the power from our generator so that I can’t use the

computer. Yesterday someone saw 2 e-mails for me when he went to Kigoma but failed to retrieve and

transfer them to a diskette. He promised to do this when he goes to Kasulu tomorrow kesho, as they say in Swahili—Thursday. Dr Gerson Araujo, Jr will be in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, August 28,

so we expect him to be here next week to pack up his things and leave.

I still haven’t heard from the US Embassy in Dar Es Salaam although I expect to leave Tanzania on September 16 and arrive there on the 18th. I’m beginning to count the days until my departure and the memories I’ll take home with me—of specific patients and their families as well as beloved co-workers here.

Hope you’re all well.

* * * * *