Trip to Bongolo Hospital

Bongolo Hospital was greater than I expected.

After traveling more than 10 hours on unpaved roads and surviving a few driving mishaps, we made it safely to the hospital in the middle of the jungle.  The scenery was beautiful:  a raging river, palm trees, and exotic flowers were in abundance.  The bugs were also bigger!  Within the first 10 minutes of being there, we saw a beetle that was the size of my cell phone...thankfully, that was the only giant beetle we saw!

We took a tour of the hospital and it was awesome to be there.  I had heard so much about this ministry before, so I was excited to see everything for myself.  The hospital was comprised of a number of different units- pediatrics, HIV/AIDS, opthamology, maternity, dentistry, ect.  We had the opportunity to meet a number of missionaries who worked as nurses and doctors in the hospital.   I enjoyed hearing their stories and learning more about what the life of a medical missionary entails.

We visited some of the patients in the hospital.  We visited an infant who was born with dysfunctional kidneys.  The hospital is unable to perform transplants, so there is nothing they can do for her.  Our group prayed for the child and her family, and my heart was filled with sadness for this family.  Once again, I gained an appreciation for the health care I have at home- I take so much for granted!

God is doing amazing things through Bongolo Hospital.  This is pretty much the only hospital in the country, so people will travel days to get there.  The Gospel is preached openly to the patients, and thousands accept the Lord every year! 

When it came time to leave, It was hard to go.  I would love to stay there for a longer period of time to witness more of what God is doing there.   He is doing amazing things in Gabon, and I am so humbled and excited to see it firsthand!