Fanning the Flame

Living in Two States

In 21 years of marriage, Pam and I have never been apart for longer than two weeks. That time is now three weeks and growing each day. Pam and three of our kids are living in Chattanooga with Pam's parents while I have come north to St. Joseph, MI and rejoined my surgical group with the Southwestern Medical Clinic (SWMC) and Lakeland Regional Health System (LRHS).   My partners have been so helpful and accommodating, as have the staff in the office and at the hospital. Learning a new electronic medical records system called "Epic" has had its challenges, BUT I believe the worst of those are behind me as I enter week three. Tenwek administration has actually pursued and researched similar systems in Kenya and has identified a product that the leadership believes will be of great help to patient care and information management.   This experience with Epic could prove quite beneficial in the future to help me be supportive and a champion of such technology at our mission hospital in Kenya.

Pam has helped Steven achieve a couple of important victories since his setback of being turned down by the Army in August.   One such victory was landing his Tennessee driver's license and with it some degree of transportation independence. Developing friendships at his new church (Silverdale Baptist) has been slow but not because he isn't working hard at it! We think he gets the award for the most church activities attended by a college and career class member in August and September.   The second victory was successfully getting registered for two college classes at Chattanooga State Community College just under the wire, 24 hours before the registration deadline. Classes had already started but he has caught up and is even many lessons ahead in his college math class. At this point he is probably going to pursue a degree in criminal justice with an interest in eventually serving in the FBI, DEA, or other law enforcement agency. We and he are most grateful for your prayers. Many of you, upon seeing one of us, have assured us of your prayers for our first-born and we are humbled by the prayers and encouragement for Steven. THANK YOU!   His email address is scrummysteve@gmail.com for any who would still like to write him for encouragement. ("scrummy" is a rugby term just in case you were wondering)

Our 16 yr. old daughter, Melody, has been back in Kenya now for three and a half weeks attending Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe, Kenya. Varsity basketball, Sunday evening worship team practice, pre-calculus, and other fun classes have kept her too busy to be "homesick", we think.   The two younger girls, Kayla and Ashley, have thoroughly enjoyed classes and new friends at Silverdale Baptist Academy in Chattanooga though the wearing of uniforms hasn't exactly been their "cup of tea".

The news at Tenwek back in Kenya this week was disappointing: the Kenyan doctors in the government again decided to go on strike and our young doctor interns followed suit to show support and solidarity with their government counterparts. Losing these eight interns has an impact on the morale and ministry of Tenwek but imagine the government hospitals in Kenya where now there are NO doctors! Please pray with us that this strike can be brought to an immediate end for the benefit of Kenyan health care and the ongoing training of our first year medical officers. A similar strike took place last December but our interns were only off the job for parts of three days.

I (Mike) would also appreciate your prayers for me as I undergo a minor surgical procedure on Thursday to have a small skin cancer on my nose removed.   I am hoping the bandage and the pain won't be too significant as I start a three day stint on call, covering the St. Joseph ER, the next day!   A local Christian plastic surgeon, Dr. Sam Logan, has kindly agreed to fit me in on Thursday in his office.

Many have asked me why I am working these two months in general surgery in the US and there are several answers. First, my presence and work are allowing my senior partner, Dr. Roy Winslow, to take a two month sabbatical and do short term medical missions work in Cameroon at Mbingo Baptist Hospital. Second, my recertification in general surgery is due in mid 2014 and the last exam for me to take before then is Nov 2013. Before that time I need to turn in a log of general surgery cases of some significance so am glad that these two months are available to me with SWMC. Third, is that working within a contemporary US surgical practice is quite helpful to orient me to what is new and available in the US, hopefully making me a better teacher and trainer for our surgery residents back at Tenwek. A fourth reason, never to be underestimated, is to encourage and challenge other Christian physicians within SWMC and LRHS to be more involved in serving as STM's within a medical context, whether that means Tenwek Hospital or one of many other wonderful ministries around the globe. It has been WONDERFUL seeing some old patients of mine, some of whom are cancer survivors, either in the office or at the hospital, or even in the community.   Their bright smiles and warm hugs have meant a great deal to me. Thank you, Jesus!

A GREAT HONOR FOR A FRIEND

In a couple of weeks the American College of Surgeons will be gathering in Chicago for its annual clinical congress, a huge meeting attended by many thousands of surgeons and support personnel from around the globe. At this meeting one of my surgeon partners at Tenwek, Dr. Russ White, will be honored by the ACS with the "Humanitarian of the Year" award. Russ has been heavily involved in many aspects of clinical and research work at Tenwek since 1997 and is the Program Director for our general surgical residency at Tenwek. Russ and his wife, Beth, will be flying to the US from Kenya late this month to attend the meetings and to accept this award. Just before the ACS meeting there will be a joint meeting of all the program directors and the leadership of the Pan African Academy of Christian surgeons led by Dr. Bruce Steffes, CEO of the organization. Russ, our missionary partner Dr. Carol Spears who serves as Assistant Program Director, and I will be attending that two day meeting held near Wheaton College in Chicago. The Tenwek program currently has 10 general surgery residents making us the largest program within the PAACS system in five countries across Africa.

NEEDING NEW WHEELS

In 2010 as we returned to Tenwek we thought we would purchase a newer vehicle to repace our 1996 Toyota van which had served us so well since our first year at Tenwek. On our arrival we found the van still in decent shape and running well so we put off making such a purchase and just did body and engine work on the van. Thank you to those who donated funds for a vehicle purchase (about $5,000 was given by a VBS program and some supporters in 2010) as we used some of those funds to refurbish our van. Now after 16 years and over 130,000 "African" miles on the van, we think it is time to make the new (used) vehicle purchase. We already believe that we have approximately $20,000 available for such a purchase in our vehicle account but need approximately $20,000 more to be able to purchase a used four wheel drive that could last us for the next 10 to 15 years if the Lord tarries. With Mike's position as Assistant Country Director in Kenya, it has become more necessary to travel to more ministry sites in Kenya that are at the end of pretty rough roads. Our family is down-sizing with Steven remaining in the States so we think a four wheel drive is the best option at this time in our ministry. Would you prayerfully consider giving a gift to help us make this purchase? Our goal is to raise these funds by Christmas, just before we return to Kenya on December 29th. If you would like to give a gift, you can send in a gift to WGM with a note attached to the check "Gift for Chupp ministry vehicle purchase" to the following address: World Gospel Mission, Donor services, Box 948, Marion, IN 46952. You can also click on one of the links in the right hand column of this log for the vehicle or our ministry support. Thank you!

Our contacts these days:
Mike and Pam Chupp
Mike's cell: 269-355-8833
Pam's cell: 269-985-8023
Our email: mike.chupp@wgm.org
Ministry support: World Gospel Mission, Box 948 Marion, IN 46952
US mail: 300 Cyndica Drive Chattanooga, TN 37421

Rev. Mark Smith, our pastor at Berrien Center Bible Church, spoke this morning about an attitude of gratitude from the book of Luke and the story of the ten lepers. As members of the congregation got up and shared what they were thankful for today, I realized that I could probably have taken up an hour sharing all the incredible blessings that the Chupp family has experienced since coming home to the US in late July (I didn't and I am sure Mark was glad about that!) I don't want to be like the nine lepers who never thanked Jesus in my relationship with our heavenly Father or with any of you faithful friends and family who have stood by us these 16+ years we have served with WGM at Tenwek Hospital. I want to echo the words of the apostle Paul "I thank my God every time I remember you......." We can't tell you enough that we are deeply indebted to a most generous God who blesses us daily AND to His people who have helped carry us these many years in Kenya.

God bless you BIG TIME this week in your walk with Him.

Mike for Pam and the kids in the US and Kenya

FAMILY MATTERS........

We are very overdue for an update on our family, so I wanted to send a quick note to fill you in on what's happening with us these days.

Mike has finally finished his two months of surgical work at Southwestern Medical Clinic and has returned to Chattanooga this week! We're very glad that our family is mostly back together. We are definitely having some cool fall weather; the leaves have been beautiful! Mike was quite pleased with the results of his nose biopsy/excision: there was no cancer much to the surprise of a general surgeon and two plastic surgeons. PTL!

Melody is doing well at RVA, and she will return to the States on November 24. We do look forward to the time when we can all be together again!

I (Pam) have enjoyed living with my parents these past few weeks. It has been wonderful to spend time with them and catch up on their lives again. Kayla (8th) and Ashley (5th) are at Silverdale Baptist Academy this semester, and Kayla is also playing soccer on the middle school girl's team. They have made some friends and are doing quite well, although they do really miss their friends in Kenya.

Kayla just hanging out during fall break from school

Steven has been working part-time at Bojangles Chicken as well as going to a couple of classes at Chattanooga State. He has been seeking the Lord for direction for his future, and decided that before making any new decisions, he wanted to contact the other branches of the military, tell them his situation, and see what they had to say. He called the Air Force recruiter, and after telling him that he had a history of sleepwalking, was still interested in talking to Steven. The short version is that the Air Force is looking for Parajumpers (PJs for short), who are rescue medics that are sent in to give aid to injured soldiers behind enemy lines and also help civilians in natural disasters. Since Steven does not currently sleepwalk, but just has it in his history, they are willing to continue the initial recruitment process. Steven did very well on the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) and qualifies for any job in the Air Force. He has been training at the YMCA pool, as he must pass a swimming test, as well as a 1.5 mile run, push ups, pull ups, etc. to get into the PJ training program. He is hoping to get through the Air Force processing/physical test by mid-November and Lord willing, begin boot camp in January. We are amazed and excited that this has opened up for Steven, and continue to pray that the Lord will guide him and continue to keep this door open if this is what He wants Steven to do. Please pray with us for Steven, as the next couple of months will be very crucial in deciding his vocational path. The picture below is Steven prepared for a weekend outing in Gatlinberg with the College and Career class at Silverdale Baptist Church.

Pam

MINISTRY MATTERS......

With less than two months before our planned return to Kenya and Tenwek Hospital, we have many sky and ground miles to cover.   We are planning on visiting 10 states over the next five weeks with a trip to Albany, NY and Faith Baptist Church this weekend. (They have been blessed by minimal effects from the recent super storm.)   Our schedule looks like this:

Nov 3rd to 5th: Faith Baptist Church, Albany, NY
Nov 8th to 10th: Global Missions Health Conference, Louisville, KY
Nov 12th: Friends of Tenwek Board meeting, Charlotte, NC
Nov 13th to 15th: Family and supporters, Greenville, SC
Nov 16th to 19th: Ambassador Bible Church, Clifton, VA
Nov 20th to 25th: Thanksgiving with family in TN and Atlanta, GA
Nov 25th to 29th: Meetings in Orlando, FL with Tenwek alumni, supporters, and med students
Dec 3rd to 6th: WGM Gathering in Marion, IN
Dec 8th/9th: First United Methodist Church, Tuscaloosa, AL
Dec 15th to 18th: Chupp family Christmas gathering, Indianapolis
Dec 19th to 28th:  Pam's family Christmas and preps to leave!
Dec 29th: Leave from Atlanta to return to Kenya

Yes, we will be huffing and puffing after 10 states in five weeks, but our family is eager to get back to our home and work and life at Tenwek Hospital. Our ministry and work there are made possible by all the family and friends and churches who have supported us in those 10 states over the last 17 years.

I could REALLY use some prayer right now (Mike asking). Next week will be the huge medical missions conference in Louisville, KY and over 2,000 people will be attending like last year. Last year God did incredible things in bringing some precious servants into the Tenwek ministry fold. This year we are asking God to prepare the hearts and minds of many doctors, residents, students, others in attendance who have training and passion that would make them suitable for service at Tenwek. Tenwek has many needs for staff including a long term dentist, a second eye surgeon, a full time general internist or intensive care provider, one or more family docs, another pediatrician, another Ob-Gyn specialist (we only have one and three are needed), and others. Would you pray for the right servants to come across the Tenwek team's path?   A second request, a mountain that seems too high for me to climb because IT IS: the Tenwek management/leadership asked me to help raise funds for several key projects at Tenwek that are needed right now but funds are lacking. These projects include a new Health Management Information System that will bring Tenwek into the 21st century in terms of financial/medical records management (yes, an EMR system at Tenwek). This project is WAY overdue but so needed and the software/hardware/infrastructure cost is over $450,000. Friends of Tenwek has been asked to raise these funds so our Board meeting next week to discuss this will be quite critical. I have no idea where these funds might come from and neither does anyone else at Tenwek! Would you pray with us over this need?    We are SO grateful that USAID has committed $800,000 toward the Tenwek Eye and Dental Center!!!   Your tax dollars at work. :-) Dr. Ben Roberts, our long term eye surgeon, has already raised $210,000 so only $190,000 is needed to fully fund Phase I of this 26,000 square feet facility. The total budget for the construction is over $2.5 million so much work is left for us to do.    Other projects that are on my heart and mind: 1) a multi-specialty unit remodeling of our current Ob-Gyn ward adding 30 to 40 new beds to our crowded maternity and medical capacity at Tenwek ($125,000 needed to add to that much already committed) 2) Remodeling and expansion of the Tenwek Emergency room and outpatient wing (~$400,000 budget). 3) Surgery resident salaries, 2 new residents this year at $1,500 per month each.

So, you can see that Dr. C. needs your prayers!!!   If I were honest with you and transparent, then I have to tell you that I get just a little overwhelmed and discouraged when I think about these fund raising needs for Tenwek Hospital. I KNOW God has done great things for Tenwek in the past. I KNOW that He has all the resources Tenwek could ever need at HIS disposal and I KNOW that in His providence He will supply all our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. I also KNOW that waiting on Him for His timing and His provision is a key requirement for His children (my life's verse is Isa 40:31).   So, as I pray and ask and explain, would you pray that I will wait in humility and respect for His providential plan for the Tenwek ministry? THANK YOU!

I do want to praise our wonderful Father for the way He allowed me to be a part of Southwestern Medical Clinic and Lakeland Regional Health System in southwest Michigan for September and October. The office and hospital staff were SUPER! I learned so much about EMR (electronic medical records) and dictating into DRAGON (voice recognition software) and doing laparoscopic appendectomies and....... the list is long. I finished up the two months with one incredibly busy week with little sleep BUT took courage in the fact that my coverage was allowing Dr. Roy Winslow to serve in Cameroon, West Africa and Dr. Beth Knefelkamp to serve in Haiti with a team from SWMC. Thank you surgery department!

Deb, Deb, and oh yeah, Deb in the SWMC surgery office in October

Well, there is a whole lot more to share but Pam and I plan on doing more regular weekly or biweekly updates until we leave the US so that ya'll (local Chattanooga friendspeak) are not so overwhelmed by the Chupplink.

Have a blessed weekend and, if you live in Albany, New York, or its environs come on over to Faith Baptist Church in Glenville on Sunday as they have a special guest speaker for both services! :-)

Mike

Global Missions Health Conference (GMHC): Nov 8th to 10th in Louisville, KY

There is no question that the "shot in the arm" experience for us medical missions types every year is to attend the meeting listed above also known as "the Louisville conference" at Southeast Christian Church every November. (a friend of mine calls this 22,000 member church "Six Flags Over Jesus" because it is one incredibly big and busy place!) The conference this past weekend was no exception with nearly 3,000 people in attendance. Pam and I together with Manchesters and Steurys and Dr. Phil Renfroe plus many Tenwek alumni "manned" the Tenwek booth in the second floor exhibit hall. There were many highlights for me (Mike) but topping them off was getting to meet with two couples whom I met at the same conference exactly one year ago for the first time. Dr. Paul and Ashleigh Espy and Dr. Todd and Jen Lavery were both at last year's conference and had talked with me at length about God's call in their lives and the possibility of joining us at Tenwek Hospital to serve together long term. This weekend BOTH couples met with us as they are preparing to go to Tenwek to serve early next year (Paul is a urologist from Georgia and Todd a brand new general surgeon from Michigan). In addition, a third couple I met last year, Dr. Joy Draper and husband William, have already arrived at Tenwek for a two year term of service in the ObGyn department. What an answer to prayer these three couples are! In addition they have been joined by several other couples and singles, some of whom were at the same conference last year, to go to Tenwek to serve for extended periods of time. Annette, Aaron and Stephanie, Eric and Erin, and Mike and Katie are among those preparing and planning to go to Kenya, with families in some cases, in the next 8 to 10 months for at least two years. These Christian health care professionals were joined this year by several doctors, dentists, nurses, and other professionals, including those in training, who have felt God calling them out to serve Him in Kenya at Tenwek Hospital. The common theme for all these recruits is that God has put this passion and desire on their hearts for some time, and for some of them MANY years! God was calling, preparing, equipping these saints long before they came to the Tenwek booth. What a relief and peace it brings to our hearts and minds that God "is at work in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." Phil 2:13 Would you pray with me and with the medical staff at Tenwek that God will call out an eye surgeon AND a dentist as well as several other specialists on our "most needed" list to serve with us long term?

Hundreds of people at the GMHC make commitments to go and serve!

Steven and the Air Force

On Monday our son Steven will be heading to Knoxville for an overnight appointment to have a medical exam and testing as a final hurdle before being eligible to go for basic training in the US Air Force. He and we hope that he will pass with flying colors and be qualified to begin his basic training early next year, possibly shortly after we return to Kenya at the end of this year. He has faithfully and daily been working out at the local YMCA to improve his best swimming and running times and calisthenics maximums. He is so appreciative of the MANY friends of our ministry who have asked us about him during our ministry travels or written to get an update. THANK YOU to many who have prayed for our big guy!

Friends of Tenwek (FOT)

Mike is a current member of the "Friends of Tenwek" board (FOT), an organization that is relatively new and just getting its sites on helping Tenwek with a couple of key projects for 2013. The Board met yesterday in Charlotte, NC at Carmel Baptist Church, the site of a big Tenwek celebration in 2009 marking the 50th year since Dr. Steury began his ministry at Tenwek. The FOT decided to take on two vital fundraising projects, one for Tenwek infrastructure support (assisting Tenwek to get a new hospital management information system (HMIS)) and the other to help Tenwek build a new ward expansion that will increase the Tenwek bed capacity by 40+ beds AND give mothers of babies in our nursery a place to sleep and stay while babies are getting treatment. More to follow in a later Chupplink on how YOU can help FOT achieve these goals to help Tenwek before the year ends.

Our Friends of Tenwek Board members and special guests at Tenwek in May with Mr. Langat CEO at Tenwek: (from left to right) Mike, Dr. David Hoover, Mr. Geoffrey Langat, Mr. Donald Hoover, Mr. Peter Wright, Mr. Jay Steenhuysen, Mr. John Wright

Just a quick verse to conclude with from Mike's devos a couple of days ago..... Psalm 111:1-2 (NLT) "Praise the Lord. I will give thanks with all my heart as I meet with His godly people. How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them." As I met with friends from Carmel Baptist Church last night in Charlotte, before their annual fall business meeting, my heart was overwhelmed with gratitude for a group of God's saints who have committed themselves to supporting pastoral training and children's rallies in Kenya. Already they have reached over a 100 pastors for training and more than 3,000 children with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). They are now striving to reach 18,000 children over the next three years as a church. Wow! Just think of the amazing things that God can and will do in the lives of those kids as the Charlotte church partners with CEF in Kenya. My heart is filled with thanks for the passion His godly people have for Kenyans in need of Christ.

Your co-workers while Jesus delays a little longer,

Mike and Pam

Mike and Pam at Cloudland Canyon near Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, TN

WE KNOW WHEN IT'S OVER......

Yes sir, Jesus told us when the end of the world would come in Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and THEN the end will come." So, in a way, you have missionaries at least partially to blame for the end of the world coming! Trouble is, it is a little hard to know exactly what end point to use in determining when the gospel gets preached in the whole world. The Chupp family, other WGM families, and Tenwek Hospital are taking seriously our role in getting that gospel all across Kenya and even East Africa. Our time in the US on Homeland Ministry Assignment (HMA) is quickly drawing to a close. We are scheduled to leave in one week from Atlanta through London on to Nairobi, arriving in Nairobi New Year's Eve. This brings to a close five wonderful and blessed months of time in the US with our families, hundreds of friends, several churches and conferences, and two months back on staff with Southwestern Medical Clinic. Our mission has released us to return to Tenwek to resume our duties as staff general surgeon, Assistant Country Director for WGM in Kenya, home-school teacher, hostess, Children's Bible quizzing co-directors, and ....lots of other great stuff!

AIR FORCE PREPARATION FOR STEVEN

Steven is really pumped after having passed his physical endurance and strength testing with Air Force recruiters in Chattanooga in mid December to qualify for Pararescue Jumper (PJ) indoctrination after basic training. Basic training might be offered to him in January but Steven is more likely to "ship out" for March training in San Antonio, Texas. He will be staying with Pam's parents in Chattanooga until basic training begins. Meanwhile, he works out daily at the YMCA with another Christian recruit for the Air Force who also hopes to become a "PJ".

Graduation ceremony: A Tenwek surgery department first!

Residents and general surgery faculty at Tenwek on our back porch

We are excited that one day after landing at Tenwek, Mike will be participating in Tenwek's first ever ceremony to honor two graduates from our five year general surgery residency under the auspices of the Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS). Dr. Agneta Odera and Dr. Arega Fekadu as well as our surgery faculty and administration will be decked out in grad gowns as we honor these two hard working and accomplished young surgeons. Both passed international examinations in Ethiopia this month and have attained the designation of "Fellows of the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa" (COSECSA) Agneta plans to pursue a pediatric surgical fellowship, possibly in South Africa, while Arega has already joined the staff of a rural mission hospital in Ethiopia, his home country. Eight junior residents will move into years two through four of the program next month together with two new first year residents (Dr. Mark Oloo and Dr. Valentine Mitei) who get started in January. There have been some financial challenges for our program and the PAACS organization in 2012. Patients at Tenwek do not bear the cost of this training program as salaries and benefits to our Christian residents are provided by donors through PAACS and World Gospel Mission. Would you consider helping support one of our two new residents at Tenwek? Please see the WGM website (www.wgm.org) and follow links to the Tenwek Surgical Residency to donate toward their support or visit the PAACS website (www.paacs.net) to see how to contribute to the training of African surgeons for Africa . It takes approximately $1,600 per resident per month to train and equip these men and women at Tenwek to become surgical ambassadors for Christ in East Africa.

FINAL WEEK SUPPORT CHALLENGE:

As we reach the one week mark before our departure, we are grateful to God for several new friends who have joined our support team and one church that has decided to increase our monthly support. As a result, nearly half of the new ongoing monthly/regular support we have been seeking has come in. In addition, gifts toward the purchase of a newer four wheel drive vehicle (which we hope to purchase this term) have come in and we are very close to our goal of $40,000. We still lack about $500 a month in regular ongoing support commitments. Would you consider helping us with this need? To give or make a commitment you can click on the link on the right side of this blog page to go to our WGM page for donations to the Chupp ministry. All gifts are tax deductible and WGM will send you an appropriate receipt

Thank you and have a peaceful, joyful Christmas wherever this blog finds you!

Mike and Pam Chupp

A Momentous Transition

Praise God, we made it back to Tenwek Hospital on Thursday evening, January 3rd, five days after our departure from the US on Dec 29th from Atlanta, GA. It was generally a smooth, safe, and successful transition back to Kenya. Since our arrival in Nairobi on New Year's eve, we have dropped our two older daughters off at Rift Valley Academy to begin the second term of the 2012-13 school year. This is Kayla's first experience (8th grade) at the MK boarding school while this is the third year for our daughter Melody (junior in HS) to attend. Within hours of arrival at Tenwek, I attended a surgery department farewell dinner for our two graduating general surgery chief residents, Dr. Agneta Odera and Dr. Arega Fekadu Leta. The following day, Friday, January 4th, after unpacking many suitcases, trunks, and boxes galore, Pam and I attended the very first graduation ceremony for our surgical residency program at Tenwek where Agneta and Arega received many honors and accolades before changing the tassel on their caps. I joined several other surgery faculty, including program directors, Dr. Russ White and Dr. Carol Spears, and Tenwek leaders in full graduation gowns/garb for the ceremony. I even learned that I was on the program to make a five minute speech as I donned my gown! It was a wonderful God-glorifying ceremony with a focus on two humble but incredibly gifted and capable young surgeons who have left an indelible mark on Tenwek Hospital over the last several years. They have set the standard very high for future chief residents who will follow in their footsteps. They will be missed greatly, Arega as he returns to his home in Ethiopia to assume responsibilities in a mission hospital there, and Agneta as she works to gain a fellowship position in pediatric surgery, possibly in South Africa. We hope that Agneta will be returning to Tenwek eventually to take up pediatric surgery practice here.

Our chief surgery residents Dr. Odera and Dr. Leta

Agneta and Arega with their PAACS graduation cake on Jan 4th.

This weekend we finally were able to take a break from all the festivities and actually organize our home and prepare for life again within the Tenwek community. Life is now quite different with three of our four kids gone and only Ashley, our 5th grader, here with us.

Lone Star Steven

Just three days before our family was scheduled to leave from Atlanta, our son Steven received word from his recruiting officer that he had been given a slot for basic training in the US Air Force starting January 1st! We celebrated with high fives, tears, and many hugs. We had prayed that such an opportunity would open up for Steve so that he could join a couple of friends who were already scheduled to start basic this month in Texas. One friend in particular is a Christian young man with whom Steven had worked out on numerous occasions at the YMCA and with whom Steven had qualified in early December to enter the Pararescue Jumper training after basic training. We have received word from Pam's folks that Steven arrived in San Antonio on January 3rd and had begun 8 weeks of basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base. We would greatly appreciate your prayers for Steven that he will 1) adjust quickly to life in the Air Force 2) find Christian fellowship within this training context 3) have no compromise in his walk with our Lord and be a magnetic witness for Christ.

Ministry at Tenwek

Yesterday, Pam and I kicked off the Children's Bible quizzing season for this area with a coaches orientation session and registration for the kids. Three new sites, two schools and a church, are joining us this year. We are hoping for at least 150 children to be involved this year in studying and memorizing the second part of Acts, chapters 13 to 28. Our theme this year will be "Bringing salvation to the ends of the earth" taken from Acts 13:47b. When we see these kids in grades 4 to 8 get excited about learning God's Word, we get REALLY excited! Please pray with us that God's Word will work in amazing ways in these Kenyan kids' hearts and lives.

This week I (Mike) will be getting back to work in the hospital with my focus in the next six months being clinical general surgery. The Medical Superintendent role is being capably covered by Dr. John Spriegel so that I can focus on doing and teaching surgery for the next six months. In late November this year I plan on flying back to the US to take my second recertification examination in general surgery since finishing residency nearly 20 years ago. I have shared with the residents that we are going to get to know one another VERY well in the coming months. Two new residents joined the program this week as Agneta and Arega finished. Dr. Mark Oloo and Dr. Valentine Mitei started this long journey we call surgical residency training under the auspices of our surgical department and the oversight of the Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons. Mark and Valentine bring our numbers back to ten residents this academic year.

The "Tenwek Ten": our surgical residents for 2013

Coming National elections

We returned to Kenya to find many billboards and advertisements for various candidates running for offices in the government including the run for President of Kenya. National elections are scheduled forMarch 4th, less than two months away. You may remember that in 2007-08 the national elections were conducted here and immediately followed by widespread chaos and violence in reaction to disputed results. Will you pray with us over the coming weeks that God's peace will prevail over this event and results and that the enemy's attempts to bring destruction, violence, and bloodshed will be defeated?

We are SO GRATEFUL for YOU and YOUR PRAYERS for the Chupp family!

Our email remains either mike.chupp@wgm.org or kenyachupps@yahoo.com.

Have a blessed New Year!

Mike and Pam Chupp

It is not often that I recommend a book that has opened my eyes and revolutionized my thinking on an important topic, but this is one of those times. It comes just after I reached a life landmark in late January that my loving wife told me is "the new forty" (Yes, I am the big FIVE-OH). In December, at our WGM Christmas Gathering in Marion, IN, one of our fellow WGM missionaries, working in the Middle East, shared his ministry with us. He recommended a book to those of us on HMA (Homeland Ministry Assignment) entitled "Muslims, Christians, and Jesus" by Carl Medearis (see picture below).   I got the hard copy and downloaded the e-version on my Kindle. This book is the most succinct and informative book I have ever read on Islam and Muslims.  As an American missionary from the midwest who has had little contact with Muslims, even while serving in Africa, the information Carl shares in this book was a tremendous challenge to me. It is a powerful assist to any follower of Christ who desires friendship and fellowship with Muslims in his/her life. Reading this book has made me realize the huge "black hole" that exists in my knowledge base and experience in relation to what Muslims believe and who they are as a people/culture. I was amazed to read that the Qur'an, the Muslim Holy Book, is full of references to "Jesus the Christ" and that Muslims are encouraged  by the Qur'an to read the Gospel of Jesus.   Many Muslims are willing to read from the gospels including the book of Luke to study the life and teachings of Jesus.   It is the religion of Christianity, especially its western contextualization, that often turns Muslims off from the Church and Christ. Mr. Medearis shared many stories of faith in which Arabs and Shia and Sunni Muslims alike were attracted to Jesus the Messiah and his Book.   Jesus is considered one of the great prophets of Islam and therefore revered. As I finished reading the book, I had a wonderful opportunity to put into practice what I had learned from "Christians, Muslims, and Jesus". Less than a week after starting back on the surgery service at Tenwek, I had the opportunity to meet and care for a Somali patient requiring surgery whom I will call "Sunni" (not her real name). She and her husband had come to Tenwek from Nairobi because (as her husband told one of our residents) "doctors of faith will do the best job in caring for the sick". After doing her operation, just before her discharge, I had the opportunity to tell "Sunni" why I was serving at Tenwek, as an ambassador and follower of "Jesus the Christ". The following conversation ensued....
"Dr. Chupp, you know that I am a Muslim, right?"
"Yes, I do, and I know that your Scriptures have a lot to say about Jesus the Messiah, whom I follow."
"You mean you have read the Qur'an?"
"I am familiar with many of the passages that refer to Jesus, yes."
"Well, we don't believe that Jesus is the Son of God and we don't believe in the Trinity like you do."
"Yes, I am aware of that.   Would you mind if I gave you a copy of the Bible with Jesus words highlighted in red?" (This was the first time I had ever offered a Muslim a copy of the Bible.)
She looked at her husband, a very well educated and well spoken man, and then accepted the offer. "Yes, Dr. Chupp, I would like a copy of your Scriptures. Thank you."
We set up a follow-up time in our surgical clinic after a couple of weeks and said goodbye. I hope to see her soon in our outpatient clinic.   My daughter Ashley, ever the tenacious prayer warrior, has been praying for "Sunni" and her husband nearly every day since I shared the story with her and Pam.

A very short and simple interchange between doctor and patient but one in which both parties respected and listened to the other.   I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book which shares concepts that some may find very uncomfortable at the least and just not "Christian" enough in principle.   I challenge you to get a copy and ask God's Spirit to open your heart and mind to Carl's message of reaching a huge population in our world that God loves and Jesus died for.

Children's Bible Quizzing at Tenwek: Acts for Kids!

Over 200 children and coaches have joined us this year at Tenwek and a second site called Mosop Mission School about 30 minutes from Tenwek. Last weekend we had our first competitive quizzes and even many of the new schools, Sunday school teams, and quizzers showed they had really invested in studying and memorizing God's Word. This year the kids will receive gold medals if they quote 50 verses from Acts chapters 13 to 28. I have posted pictures from the two quiz meets on the Google web site with the following link:

https://plus.google.com/photos/114857210265127652487/albums/5842892735223314497

A really neat testimony from the Mosop headmaster is that some of the quizzers from the newly added schools nearby are coming from non-Christian families. Some of the most active quizzers come from families that are unchurched and unreached in the community. Please pray that God's Word "will not return to Him void" from its work in the lives of these children, grades 5 to 8.

Family Update

Our son Steven has called Pam's parents a couple of times from San Antonio, TX and reports that he is really enjoying this two month basic training in the US Air Force. Pam's parents are planning on attending his graduation ceremony the weekend of March 1st and we hope to be able to have real time conversations by phone after this two month period of silence between us. Melody and Kayla are on midterm break this weekend but Melody stayed at Rift Valley Academy with her classmates to prepare for next weekends Jr./Sr. banquet, one of the highlights of the school year. Kayla has really enjoyed getting to see Tenwek, other MK's and our home for the first time in nearly 8 months. Ashley has enjoyed the weekend visit of her sister and continues to study the book of Acts with the other four members of her team in the younger quizzing division.

Prayer items:

1) Praise God for abundant rain, even in the dry season. This means that electric power is available in abundance from Tenwek's hydroelectric turbine saving the hospital many millions of shillings and supporting our desire to care for the poor and needy of this region.

2) Praise the Lord for a growing Children's Bible quizzing program with many committed coaches at two sites.

3) Please join us in prayer for Kenya national presidential elections in three weeks. Our local Kenyan leaders feel that peace will prevail this time around but many international watchdog organizations are less optimistic. The church in Kenya is praying....will you join us, praying for God's peace to come over this land?

4) Pray for the results of an inspection Feb 11th (tomorrow!) by the Medical Practitioners Board in Kenya to consider accreditation of our five year general surgery training program. Up to this point the Board has not officially recognized our graduates so this could be the much awaited review that would allow the Board to give its "stamp of approval" to our program. We do not know what to expect and a few other programs in the same college in Kenya have been rejected. We would appreciate you taking time right now to ask God to come to our aid on Monday.

Hope to send out another update before the national elections in March. Until then.....let me close with a verse from I Corinthians 9:22 in which Paul explains how he reached out to build bridges with those from different religious backgrounds to win as many as possible:

"I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."

If Paul could become "like a Jew" to save some (and the Jews killed our Lord), it behooves followers of Christ to consider building bridges to Muslim neighbors, professional colleagues and others so as to save some! Again check out the book pictured above which does a great job explaining such a ministry.

Your ambassadors for Jesus in Kenya,

Mike and Pam Chupp

mike.chupp@wgm.org

011-254-708-114597

We had the privilege of speaking to our son Steven this week after not hearing directly from him for two months. He has successfully completed Basic Military Training in the Air Force and is considered an Airman at Lackland Airforce Base in San Antonio, TX.  He will transition tomorrow to his Pararescue "tech school" and begin with a 10-day orientation to the Indoctrination Course, which is an extensive 10 weeks of training in swimming, running, weight training, and calisthenics. Steven told us that in the last Indoctrination class, only 40 out of 150 Airmen made it through to the end without dropping out. Once this is completed, he will begin a "pipeline" of training that will last another 13 months, including airborne, diving and survival school, as well as a 22 week paramedic course and 24 week Pararescue Recovery Specialist Course.
We know Steven is right where God wants him, and we are so proud of the testimony he has already had with many of the other Airmen in his squadron. He has told us that his desire is to share Christ as he daily lives out his faith by demonstrating integrity, determination, and hard work. Please pray with us for Steven, that he will stay strong physically (free of injury), mentally, and spiritually, and that he will continue to find Godly guys to pray and read the Bible with. There is already a core group of Christians that he is meeting with, and we are thankful that Steven has this accountability group. We will continue to give you updates about his progress as he continues.

Another prayer request is for the country of Kenya, as the country-wide election is held tomorrow, March 4. We are very hopeful that peace will reign and that the country will witness free and fair elections. The national polls show the top two contenders are running extremely close, and even a run-off election might be necessary next month. Our close Kenyan friends and neighbors believe that peace will prevail in this election. As a missionary community, we are praying with them, that such peace will prevail. We covet your prayers over this entire election process here in Kenya. Please see the following link for pictures and a BBC article on the coming Kenyan election: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21616945. Our local pastor at Bethesda Africa Gospel Church finished a series on politics and the Christian with a panel discussion involving several of our church members, one of whom is on the local electoral committee for Tenwek. Tomorrow is a holiday in Kenya as citizens go to the polls.   We will keep you posted this week on the results of this election and to remind us all to pray that Kenyans will accept the results and move forward with future local and national leaders under a relatively new constitution adopted in late 2010.

Work in the hospital continues at its usually busy pace but we have decided not to do elective surgeries through the next three days as we await the election process to be completed. Mike has done many big and unusual cases in the last couple of weeks and is thankful for some good results with happy patients.   It is a great delight working with our ten Kenyan surgical residents who work very long hours but with good attitudes and strong spirits.

We depend on God's grace daily and upon YOUR regular prayers for our ministry here at Tenwek Hospital. Be blessed this week!

Mike and Pam Chupp
Serving with World Gospel Mission at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya

Easter and the Supreme Court of Kenya

This Easter weekend as we participate in some of our favorite resurrection celebration traditions at Tenwek Hospital, the nation of Kenya has breathed a collective sigh of relief after a Supreme Court ruling that was announced yesterday. The Court decided that the recent election results from March 4th were valid and to be honored. The election of the next president of Kenya was relatively peaceful and over 12 million Kenyan voters participated in the process which led to the Electoral Board/Commission declaring Mr. Uruhu Kenyatta, son of the first President of Kenya, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, as the winner. The victory was immediately challenged with a petition to the Supreme Court by his contender, Mr. Raila Odinga, who has been the Prime Minister of Kenya the past five years. Some threats of demonstrations and protests were rumored to be planned after the Supreme Court decision so the US Embassy encouraged American citizens to stay put and "lay low". Many of you joined us in prayer the first week of March for peaceful elections in this country so we want to thank you for your kindness in going to the throne of grace on behalf of this nation . We are asking the God of peace to overcome any spirit of violence and hatred between political and ethnic groups as the country moves on, anticipating the inauguration of the fourth president of Kenya, Mr. Kenyatta, on April 9th.

"Jesus really loves the children, Daddy"......

This is quote from a book that I read last year and found quite remarkable, Heaven is for REALby Todd Burpo. In this true story told by his father, Colton, at age four, has a near death experience during an operation for a missed ruptured appendix. While on the operating table, Colton spent three days in heaven and gave so many incredible details of the experience that ring true with scripture and with his own families history, that it encourages the reader with a delightful peek into eternity with Jesus. In the months that followed Colton repeatedly told his pastor father, Todd, that Jesus is deeply in love with kids and gave many examples from his visit to heaven to explain his view.

Why do I share this with you now? In the month of March, two precious babies at age 14 months, Ruth and Hannah, left their earthly bodies and went to be with Jesus from Tenwek and Kenya. Ruth was a 14 month old Kenyan baby taken in by the Africa Gospel Church Baby Center in Nakuru, Kenya last year. She was a real cutie in the annual baby center calendar with several of the month calendars featuring pictures of this smiling and happy baby. Baby Ruth developed a sudden illness at the Baby Center and was rushed to Tenwek very sick. In spite of heroic efforts by our peds and surgical teams to correct an intestinal twisting and sepsis that followed, Ruth went to be with Jesus from our ICU about three weeks ago. While our missionary and national staff were still hurting over this loss, another 14 month old girl, Hannah Kelley, only daughter and youngest child of our new neighbors at Tenwek, Dr. Aaron and Stephanie Kelley, suddenly collapsed at home after treatment for nausea and vomiting for a couple of weeks. Aaron, an emergency room doctor, performed CPR on his own daughter while rushing her up the hill to the Tenwek emergency room. Again, heroic efforts on the part of many attempted to stabilize her in the middle of the night in our ICU. A CT scan of her head revealed a large and advanced brain cancer that had pushed on her brain stem, suppressing her breathing and heart rate. She was rushed to our sister hospital, Kijabe, where a pediatric neurosurgeon successfully operated and removed the tumor on a Wednesday evening. On Thursday morning, little Hannah went to be with our Lord Jesus, leaving Mom and Dad and three older brothers behind. You can read a truly inspiring account of this story, told by Dr. Aaron Kelley, at the Kelley blog, www.aaroninkenya.com. It is amazing mostly because Aaron and Stephanie are such committed followers of Jesus, that they clearly clung to the Master through all of this and gave glory and thanks to God for the life of their precious daughter. The Kelleys have returned to the US and the state of Pennsylvania, where family and friends helped them celebrate the life of Hannah in two different memorial services in their home towns. They are planning on returning at the end of April to resume life and ministry with us at Tenwek. Aaron is our first longer term ER doctor (2 years) and has already developed good working relationships with our outpatient staff. Please pray for them as they spend time with family over the next few weeks and then come back to Tenwek without their lastborn at the end of April.

This Easter I am enjoying the thought that Ruth and Hannah and other small children who leave this life after illness at Tenwek Hospital are enjoying the best that Jesus, the lover of children and Lamb of God, has to offer them in his home in heaven. He defeated our enemy death, and his home in heaven is for REAL!
The girls are pictured below while still in earth's outfits.

Our tenacious teen......Steven update

Well, the road for our big guy hasn't been easy but he feels the prayers of many as each day he gets up at O-dark-thirty (before 4am) for muster at Lackland Airforce Base in San Antonio. After basic training in January and February, he made it through the first two weeks of a grueling "Development" Course for Pararescue Jumper training that saw only 48 young men make it out of 125 who began with Steven. In the next nine weeks of "Indoctrination" training possibly only half of these 48 men will graduate and advance to the next stage of the "pipeline", a two year period of training for the PJ's. We are amazed at how positive Steven remains in the midst of what sounds like very demanding days, being pushed to the limits of his physical and psychological capacity. Already one fellow trainee has passed out in the pool, underwater, while being trained to buddy breathe. We are enjoying long phone calls with Steven on weekends and his nearly daily texting at the end of his day to tell us how he fared that particular training day. We are getting lots of 2am texts and they often leave us wide awake for the rest of the night! He tells us that spending time with Christ throughout these very hard days is much more challenging than basic training but desires to do so. Pam posts quite a bit on Facebook about Steven's progress so if you want to "keep tabs" on Steven or on our family happenings, just send a friend request to her.

Our older two daughters, Melody and Kayla, are home from Rift Valley Academy for the one month Easter break. Melody has twin classmates, Emily and Katie, who are with us this Easter weekend visiting. The three girls had the opportunity to watch a C-section at the hospital today and then to visit with the precious healthy baby boy born to a Kipsigis mom of three now. Mom and baby are both doing quite well under the care of our long term Ob-Gyn, Dr. Joy Draper.

Melody (in the middle) with friends Emily and Katie Kinser in Tenwek OR

Bible Quizzing finals

After three months of studying and memorizing scriptures from the last half of the book of Acts, we have 14 teams from two sites preparing to compete in single elimination tournaments this weekend at Tenwek. This afternoon we had nearly 70 children lined up at our door to collect the 2013 Children's Bible quizzing T-shirt designed by one of our short term volunteers in action, Abby Carlson. The shirts highlight our theme taken from Acts 13:47 "Bringing Salvation to the ends of the earth". We are amazed this year at the numbers of kids, in 5th to 8th grade, who are going to qualify for a gold medal by quoting 50 select verses from Acts chapters 13 to 28. One girl from the second site this year, whom I will call "Mary", has a remarkable story that the Headmaster told Pam and I a couple of weeks ago. Mary was raised in a Muslim home in northeastern Kenya and came in contact with missionaries working for the Africa Gospel Church who were showing the Jesus film. She was in early grade school at the time and went home full of thoughts of who this Jesus might be. In the middle of the night, she had a vision of Jesus who came to her and talked to her in a loving way. The next day she went back to the missionary pastor and told him that the same Jesus in the film had come to her and asked her to follow Him. She gave her life to Christ and then heard of a special school in our area that caters to missionary kids and kids from mission fields in the church. Mary started attending and became interested in the Bible quizzing program last year. I (Mike) noticed that she was so full of joy and excitement over quoting scripture and studying the book of Acts. It was great to tell Mary (after the quiz competition) that God must have something very special in mind for her because she had such a personal invitation from the Lord Jesus himself to come follow Him. Please pray for Mary and the nearly 180 other children who have devoted themselves to earnestly study God's Word this year.

Have a super Easter celebration with family and friends! Thanks for your kind emails and prayers for our ministry here in Kenya!

Mike and Pam

A Super Surgical Training Week! (May 17th)

Ok, my wife might say I have just had too many cups of coffee this morning and my doctor might suggest that I am in a manic phase, but this morning in my devos I read Solomon's words from Prov 15:15 (NLT) "For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast!" The real explanation for my celebrating today is reaching the end of week one of the PAACS (Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons) biannual Basic Science Seminar. This week around 20 African surgical residents from several African nations, including Kenya, are being pumped full of good stuff spiritually, professionally, and surgically. The faculty in attendance (including Mike) number over 20 including visiting surgeons and physicians from the US. Rev. Stan Key, a long time friend of ours, is the "Spiritual Dean" of PAACS and has been sharing this week in morning worship from Exodus. Seven of our Tenwek surgery residents, Dr. Carol Spears, and myself have been in attendance this week. Yesterday the whole crew got into two buses and travelled into Nairobi to the Nairobi Surgical Skills Center at the University of Nairobi. For about 3 hours we enjoyed the opportunity to work with Christian surgical residents from all the PAACS programs, teaching them principles of knot tying, suturing, and performing bowel, blood vessel, ureter, and tendon surgery on specimens "donated" by a few pigs! (see pictures below) Each morning the first week the program directors, some of the spouses, and other faculty have met together to discuss with Stan and PAACS leadership ways to further develop our residency spiritual curriculum. The point of PAACS is NOT just to develop great African surgeons but to produce surgeons for Africa with big hearts for Christ and His Kingdom. Already 34 African surgeons have graduated from PAACS 5 year surgery training programs in five countries. The vision is to produce 100 African surgeons by 2020. Lord Jesus help us! Tenwek currently has 10 residents at four different levels of training and two recent graduates.

Mike with Six Tenwek surgical residents attending conference

Mike assists a resident from Ethiopia perform an aortic anastomosis at Nairobi Surgical Skills Center

The entire PAACS group at Nairobi Surgical Skills Center

Children's Bible Quizzing Finals

For three months nearly 200 children from seven local schools/churches/orphanages studied the second half of the book of Acts and memorized up to 50 verses from chapters 12 to 28. We gave out a record number of gold medals this year (over 80!) for kids who quoted, word perfect, all 50 verses we assigned to the kids. Our theme this year was "Bringing salvation to the ends of the earth" taken from Acts 13:47b. The final competition took place on April 7th at Bethesda Africa Gospel Church with 8 teams in the older division and 6 in the younger division. As one of our seasoned coaches told me after the final quizzes "This was the best quizzing season ever by far!" (see children and coaches in our 2013 shirts below) Many thanks to the wonderful long term and short term missionary and national coaches who invested so many hours in these kids. Let us not forget that God's Word won't return to him void! Would you pray that God's Word will be remembered and powerful in the hearts and minds of these kids?

Above: Pam with her Bible quizzing team Below: Kids who participated in quizzing finals in April

Looming Leadership Challenges

After a one year "sabbatical" away from the official role of Medical Superintendent at Tenwek, Mike returns to the position again in early June. We are very grateful to Dr. John Spriegel, co-worker at Tenwek and also partner in our Michigan multi-specialty group, who has capably and faithfully held this role since June of 2012. John and his wife Linda, both WGM missionaries, are scheduled to return to the US in July with their soon to be high school graduates, twins Rebecca and Julia. Every year the role of "Med Sup" evolves into a responsibility for me (Mike) that demands a greater portion of my time and energy. To say that the job is "full time" is an understatement. At the same time, I really want to maintain my commitment to do clinical work, especially doing some patient care, surgery, and teaching of residents. Our WGM Country Director team, Jim and Alice Vanderhoof, are headed to the US for seven weeks this summer so I will also be taking an "Acting Country Director" role for WGM Kenya as well during that time. Am very grateful that Jim and Alice will be "monitoring" us missionaries by email and phone but I would be so appreciative of the prayers of God's people during this time they are away. Am glad that no major meetings or events are planned this summer by the mission or national church!

Steven's Homecoming (June 2nd)

Some of you have so kindly asked about and prayed for our oldest, Steven, and followed his experience in the US Air Force. After completing basic training for two months at Lackland Air base and then five weeks of Indoctrination course to be a Pararescue Jumper (Air Force Special Forces branch), Steven decided that life as a PJ was not what he wanted or what God wanted for him. He persisted until his group of 150 hopefuls dropped to 45 in number and then called it quits. Only 22 of the original group of 150 actually finished the 9 week training! Usually this would mean a different posting in the Air Force, but these days, with sequester of military funds being the hot topic in Washington, nearly all the airmen who drop out of the PJ training are discharged immediately. Steven received his final discharge and release from a six year contract in mid May. We invited him to join us at Tenwek and he flew into Nairobi this last Thursday. His sisters, Pam, and I were VERY excited to see our big man in quite good physical shape. We already have identified several assignments that will capitalize on his great physical shape to accomplish (our hydroelectric facility is soon to be modified and improved, adding a second turbine to the plant). He seems very excited about the possibility of service at and around Tenwek as a volunteer, not just as an MK. As a family, we will be praying with Steven and exploring possible options for school and/or training in the coming months while with us at Tenwek. We know of a few families, both here in Kenya and in the US, who have regularly prayed for Steven and his future. We are humbled by such loving support of our big guy! A lot of wisdom and direction from the Father is needed and your prayers mean so much. Thank you.

Our family all together again, June 2nd

Ok, I realize that this is a rather unusual title for a missionary blog or update, but this concept has been bouncing around in my brain for about six months. My daughter Melody and I have had a Christmas vacation holiday tradition over several years of doing a 500 or 1,000 piece puzzle between Christmas and New Years. We always have a ton of fun working on this together late into evenings since we are both project focused with good eyes for colors and puzzle piece design. For several years I would get so discouraged that the time came for us to take apart our work of art and put it back into its box until we discovered puzzle glue. For the past few years our completed puzzles have turned into complete pictures, even framed, which remind us of the special times we had as father-daughter over Mel's Christmas break. 500 unique puzzle pieces, each with its own characteristics, contributing to a beautiful picture, e.g. a Thomas Kinkade masterpiece. Each masterpiece made possible by a sticky see-through concoction called "puzzle glue".

Puzzle glue does its work on the back side of the puzzle, out of sight, against the wall, not distracting even the most astute observer. It allows a thousand small pieces to stick together, even hanging on a wall.

"I want you to be like puzzle glue, Mike." No, the voice wasn't audible but the message from the Holy Spirit to me this year has been clear, help the pieces of the Tenwek puzzle stay and work together, even under stress, even when "hanging".

It's not like I didn't know the stress, fatigue, and feelings of being overwhelmed at times were coming when I moved back into the Medical Superintendent office at Tenwek Hospital in June. My one year sabbatical from the office was partially to focus on practicing general surgery and partially to recharge my emotional batteries, preparing for service when Dr. John Spriegel left for Homeland Ministry assignment in July. What I wasn't expecting was a summer with so many demands and crises within the hospital, the mission, and Kenya in such a short period of time! Puzzle glue......yes, the thought occurred to me again and again, I'm meant to be puzzle glue. Whether the issue is

helping and mentoring a new missionary doctor and family that is plugging into ministry at Tenwek (we have several of these new families right now);
helping a missionary colleague deal with a new diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer leaving her partially paralyzed and needing referral for emergency neurosurgery in Nairobi and then insuring appropriate and standard care by Nairobi physicians;
guiding a large task force at Tenwek to handle the new and daunting challenges of incorporating electronic medical records;
being a mediator and facilitator between the growing medical staff at Tenwek and our administrative leadership team; (see puzzle picture below)
and many other examples I could give.

Each of these tasks has involved connecting people together for giving and receiving help in the body of Christ whether hospital staff,  WGM missionaries, patients, and families, or others.

The challenge in behaving like puzzle glue is often carrying on my administrative work behind the scenes and NOT getting upset about NOT being in front!    My own human nature desires to be noticed and acknowledged.   Such attention though can easily detract from the picture that Christ has designed by bringing together the various members of the body of Christ for administering His grace "in its various forms".

Our ultimate example of connecting different "pieces", behind the scenes and without glory, is the Holy Spirit.   The only way the Tenwek Hospital ministry puzzle has survived and even thrived over 75 years is due to God's Spirit working in and through literally tens of thousands of believers from many cultures and countries.   These workers, members of Christ's body, have stayed together in ministry because of the unseen "spiriutal glue" of the Holy Spirit. We don't give the Holy Spirit enough credit but Jesus did.  In John 16 Jesus cast a vision, a beautiful picture if you will, of what his disciples were to do and then he trained them to do it. Beyond that, however, he gave them the power to bring the picture together through the promised Spirit. His Spirit worked through their unique personalities and skills to touch the world with the saving and healing power of Christ......puzzle glue. :-)

2 Corinthians 4:7,8,16    "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair.....Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

The Tenwek Medical Staff "Puzzle"

Tenwek Medical staff in early July 2013

Left to right: Chuck Bemm, Joy Draper, Elijah Terer, Steve Burgert, Paul Espy, John Spriegel, Dino Crognale, Aaron Kelley, Todd Lavery, Ben Roberts, Miriam Wanjala, Kiprono Koech, Carol Spears, Matilda Ongondi. Missing from Pic: Russ White, Justus Lando, Meshack Odondi, Janice Crognale, Dan Galat, Steve Manchester

Chupplink Thanksgiving 2013

Part I (IN THE AIR)

Well, this is a first for me in writing to friends and supporters over the past 18 years of ministry….I am composing this Chupplink at 37,700+ feet winging my way into Chicago this afternoon on a British Air Boeing 777. After a couple of years of preparation and study for my American Board of Surgery recertification exam, I am returning home to the US to take the computer based exam this Monday, Dec 2^ndin Indianapolis. Not wanting to waste an opportunity, I’ll get to spend Thanksgiving with my parents in the central Indiana area for the first time in several years. This means our family will be on three continents this Thanksgiving as Pam and the girls remain back at Tenwek and Steven is in his second month of discipleship training with YWAM (Youth with a Mission) in Australia. (Does that mean the sun won’t set on the Mike and Pam Chupp family during this time? J)

Guess I feel like I am between two “boards” right now. The American Board of Surgery in front of me and last week the Board of Tenwek Hospital. Last Monday was a very important Tenwek Board of Governors meeting in which the Strategic Plan for the next five years for Tenwek was discussed and approved by that body. I had the opportunity to contribute to many of the details of that strategic plan as Tenwek’s Medical Director though dozens of department leaders spent many weeks and months praying and planning together over Tenwek’s future course. The five year plan, with God’s help and blessing, outlines a growth in hospital beds from 300 to 500 with several new buildings planned during that period. It also calls for the development of several new subspecialty services at Tenwek and more training programs to be developed.

It was also a delight to report to the Board that we are close to completing Tenwek’s first ever electronic medical record system for both our inpatient and outpatient care areas (called Kranium). This project has without question been one of the greatest challenges I have experienced in over seven years as Medical Director. The turning point in the project for me came in July when one of our Kenyan doctors, Dr. Matilda Ongondi, shared in our long term doctors committee meeting about her own problems and frustrations with all that wasn’t working with Kranium. But then she said, “This Kranium change is very difficult. We all know and can see how challenging this is going to be for us to make this work. Why don’t we look for the opportunity in the midst of this challenge to forge better relationships with our leaders in the hospital and with each other.” Wow! That really pricked my heart. I was so focused on how difficult implementing such an advanced system for medical records to Tenwek would be, that I wasn’t thinking about looking for the opportunities it presented for the Tenwek team. Thank you Dr. Matilda! As I look back over the last five or six months, I wouldn’t trade the gain in developing and deepening the appreciation I now have for many Tenwek staff, some of whom I really didn’t know that well before. Staff from our registration and billing office, IT staff, various nurses in charge of our departments, several young or new doctors, and the Kranium staff from India themselves, have all worked so hard to make Tenwek successful in this transition….to the glory of God. That is the one change in our mission statement since the hospital Board meeting…..we added five words. Tenwek Hospital is a Christian community committed to excellence in compassionate health care, spiritual ministry, and training for service, to the glory of God!

Nurses in the Tenwek Nursery using Kranium for patient care

Clinical officer Edna seeing an outpatient at Tenwek using Kranium

Part II (ON THE GROUND)

A few days have now passed and I am no longer at 37,000 feet. Jet lag is mostly gone and I am just a little over 24 hours away from taking my Board recertification exam. Trust that YOUR Thanksgiving was a blessed one, just as mine was, seeing parents and family in central Indiana who have been over 9,000 miles away for nearly a year. Pam and the girls celebrated at Tenwek yesterday with all the other missionaries in our annual potluck with many new families and faces. We are so thankful for the growth in our long term missionary community in 2013. By year end we will have added six families and three single missionaries to the Tenwek ministry workforce. PTL!

Thanksgving at Tenwek 2013

Pam, Melody, Kayla, and Ashley, with friends Lisette Lewis and Hannah Velling

Pam and I are so grateful this Thanksgiving for the people God has used and continues to use to enable us to serve in Kenya. This past August marked 17 years since our arrival at Tenwek and what a wonderful ride it has been!

We desire for you to join us in thanking our Loving Lord for the following:

1. Our son Steven has given us very upbeat reports on all the “crazy” things he is learning about our Lord Jesus in his Discipleship Training Course with YWAM in Australia. He will start outreach ministry with YWAM in January after this initial training, possibly in Papua New Guinea.

2. Good health this year for our whole family while living and serving in Kenya

3. An incredible team of national and missionary staff at Tenwek Hospital who desire to see God do miraculous things in the lives of our patients, their families, and their communities. (Tenwek now has over 700 full time staff and this year we could pass 15,000 patients admitted to the hospital and over 140,000 visits to our outpatient department.)

We would really appreciate your prayers for the following needs:

1. Mike to pass his surgery board recertification exams Dec 2^nd in Indianapolis.

2. Guidance for our daughter Melody as she has been accepted to several colleges this past month and desires to pursue a degree in nursing in the fall of 2014 after graduating from Rift Valley Academy.

3. For a super season of Children’s Bible quizzing studying the book of I Samuel starting in January 2014. We are hoping for over 250 kids from many schools and orphanages, grades 4 to 8 to come join us this year, discovering how “The Battle Belongs to the Lord”.

As I finish this Chupplink, I want you to know that I am most thankful for God’s Holy Word. This year I have been enjoying my first consistent read through the Bible in a year, using the New Living Translation. I have started many times in past years but never successfully through from beginning to end like this year. It never ceases to amaze me how the Holy Spirit inspired the authors to write themes and messages that are unified over the course of a thousand years and more. This Thanksgiving I am thanking our loving Lord for giving us such a clear communication of who HE is, what HE has done, and what HE is about to do. To HIM be glory forever and ever!

Mike Chupp

On December 10th an announcement was made that all the government employed doctors and nurses in Kenya were going on strike. What followed at Tenwek Hospital was a huge influx of patients and their families from several government health care facilities in the Bomet region. Our maternity ward was particularly inundated with women in labor, creating congestion and overflow patient conditions. New and expectant moms in maternity ward wear both green and red gowns so the masses of mothers waiting for delivery and just after delivery make for a Christmas color bonanza! Today, on Christmas Eve, there were 97 mothers in 59 beds. The nursery is also understandably overflowing with newborn babies for Christmas. As an institution we prayed hard that God would bring an end to the strike and indications of such came this past weekend. December has always been a very busy month at Tenwek for several reasons but this December has been especially congested with challenges admitting patients and keeping up with the backlog of patients for operations. Last week over 30 patients awaited their turn in our OR for orthopedic surgery to fix a fracture or treat an infection. Our eye department slows down the week of Christmas so our general medical patients invaded the 20 bed eye unit as overflow space. Because of the large numbers of patients awaiting orthopedic surgery, Mike was asked to pitch in and help the orthopedic team catch up. It was a welcome invitation to return to helping in fracture care. Mike ended up doing around 12 major bone surgeries in a week's time to help shorten the queue.

Mike's patient, Millicent, standing just one day postop after two months in bed with a femur fracture

Three year old Faith and her mom, one day after treatment for her left elbow fracture, ready for discharge on Christmas eve.

Tenwek Hospital this month reminds me of a crowded city in Judea over two thousand years ago when a couple expecting their first child couldn't find a bed anywhere so settled for "overflow accommodations" as well. No room on the wards at Tenwek usually calls for creative use of any and all space available. Transfer to another hospital is usually not an option. The birth of our Lord Jesus in a stable was even more creative, though options for the birthplace of the King of Kings were numerous. For some reason, God found it of greatest importance that His Son be born in the most humble of circumstances, in a smelly and probably uncomfortable manger. As I inspected the maternity wards this afternoon and took the picture below of one of those crowded rooms, I had the chance to shake hands with several new moms and congratulate them on the birth of their beautiful, tiny newborns. The smiling and joy-filled face of a young new mom with a baby named Cheptoo caused me to think of a young woman named Mary, beaming after the most significant birth of all time. What a precious bundle she held that first night of Christmas. Holiness and humanity wrapped into one small package, the greatest gift of all time, for you and me, from a loving and gracious Father. We joyfully share the good tidings that peace and forgiveness are available to all our patients and their families. We pray that many of our patients this Christmas will return home from Tenwek, glorifying and praising God for all the things they have experienced, heard, and seen, just as those shepherds did when they saw the Christ child up close and personal in that crowded Bethlehem at the first Christmas.

A crowded maternity ward this Christmas at Tenwek

Merry Christmas from the Chupp family, serving at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya.

CHILDREN'S BIBLE QUIZZING 2014

Children at Mosop Mission School committed to studying God's Word

Pam gives award Bible to Top quizzer in January, Dorcas Chepkoech

In January we kicked off the 2014 Children's Bible quizzing season with over 300 children from over six schools and two orphanages, studying the book of First Samuel. Our theme "The Battle is the Lord's" is taken from I Samuel 17: 47, David's battle cry before Goliath. During the same time period, Mike took the adults in our church through several character studies over four Sunday morning messages in January and February (Hannah, Eli, Samuel, and David). The kids, joined by 24 adult coaches, have really jumped into memorizing key verses and studying these chapters with great intensity. Many of the children are well on their way to memorizing, word perfect, 60 verses from 10 chapters in I Samuel. The title of this blog was taken from I Samuel 2:26, describing the young man Samuel, God's prophet and judge with incredible integrity. "Now the young man Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man." Sounds a whole lot like Luke 2:52 doesn't it, describing another young man, our Lord Jesus, when he was with his parents. I chose this verse and theme because the last three months have brought a great deal of favor for our family in ministry AND for Tenwek Hospital where we serve. Let me explain........

FAVOR WITH GOVERNMENT, BOTH UNITED STATES AND KENYAN...

On Christmas eve 2013 we received notification that Tenwek's grant application for Phase II of a new Eye and Dental Care Center had been received favorably by the American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) branch of USAID. The award being negotiated is for $1,000,000! This would be added to the Phase I grant of $800,000 already received back in 2012. We have now tentatively scheduled a ground breaking ceremony on Phase I for April 15th with some prominent guests likely to be in attendance. In terms of favor or help from the Kenyan government, WGM Kenya Country Director, Jim Vanderhoof, together with Africa Gospel Church Bishop Rev./Dr. Robert Langat and our Tenwek CEO, Mr. Geoffrey Langat met this month with immigration officials in Nairobi over some work permits that had been delayed in getting approval. All three work permits for an internist, obstetrician, and a general surgeon have subsequently been granted. We praise the Lord for the way he has used our partners in ministry to open the door for these doctors to continue in service with us at Tenwek Hospital.

Future Tenwek Eye and Dental Care Center depicted by architects above

FAVOR WITH A BIG COMPANY.....
On January 28th, the x-ray tube on our Toshiba CT scanner failed, leaving our busy CT scan service shut down. We receive referrals from all over southwestern Kenya and do many "in house" scans daily. We were given a price quote for a new tube at $120,000, an amount of money that we could not afford to pay to get our CT scan operational again. After Mike encouraged the doctors and staff at Tenwek to pray, he sent an email to our friend, the President of Assist International, Mr. Bob Pagett, who was instrumental in securing the donation of the Toshiba scanner to Tenwek in 2011. After a few emails to officials at Toshiba Inc. in California, Mr. Pagett received word that Toshiba, USA, had agreed to donate to Tenwek another used but fully functional CT scanner tube valued between $20,000 and $40,000! Within two weeks, the donated tube arrived at Tenwek Hospital and was immediately installed, making the scanner fully operational again. That very night a trauma patient with a head injury was diagnosed with a blood clot on his brain, seen on the CT scan, and taken for life saving surgery in our operating room. The scanner was operational again exactly one month after it went down. That may seem like a long time, but in terms of high tech equipment breakdown in Kenya and finding solutions, we believe the rapid replacement of such an expensive part was a direct answer to our prayers. Jehovah Jireh used a large corporation like Toshiba to assist Tenwek in meetings the needs of hundreds of sick and injured in southwest Kenya. We praise YOU, LORD!

Toshiba CT scan tube that failed and would have cost $120,00 to replace new!

One of the first patients getting a chest CT on Feb 28th with xray tube donated by Toshiba, USA.

FAVOR WITH GOD: HE KEEPS CALLING DOCTORS AND OTHERS TO TENWEK!
Our WGM headquarters informed us a couple of weeks ago that FIVE new doctors were in process with applications to come and serve full time at Tenwek with WGM. Two family physicians, an orthopedic surgeon, and a married couple who are both general surgeons. WOW! As Medical Director at Tenwek you might imagine that my heart did flip flops with that news. :-) With our brand new five year strategic plan calling for the growth in patient beds at Tenwek from nearly 300 to 500 over the next five years, the calling of more physicians to come and serve with us is delightful news. We definitely need more nurses, more clinical officers, more specialty doctors, and other kinds of staff from within Kenya to also feel God calling them to come and join this work where our ministry cry is "We treat - Jesus heals"!

Family Update:

Our son Steven has nearly completed five months in Australia and Papua New Guinea with YWAM (Youth With a Mission) and returns home to Kenya next week. He has talked with us several times by Skype and told us of many opportunities to see God at work in him and through him to touch the lives of many people, including young people in the slums of Port Moresby, PNG. Thanks to MANY of you who have prayed and given to make this opportunity for discipleship training and ministry outreach a reality for our son. Our daughter Melody, a senior at Rift Valley Academy, leaves for Uganda this week with a group of 10 classmates to serve and learn during an interim experience in that country for 9 days. She attended the annual Junior/Senior banquet at RVA last month, decked out like a princess (see pic below-she is only lacking the tiara!). She is planning on starting nursing school this fall and has been accepted already at the school she is most interested in (Cedarville University in Ohio). Kayla, our high school freshman, just finished a fun season of JV soccer and a good academic term also at RVA. She is REALLY looking forward to the April break coming soon. We are all eager to get back together as a family for our annual family vacation on the Kenyan coast in early April with Steven home and the girls off from school. Ashley, in sixth grade, is putting her full energies into Bible quizzing, lots of homework, and fun around campus with many friends.

Our daughter Melody, senior at Rift Valley Academy

Prayer Needs:

Let me close this update by sharing a heart-felt need for your prayers for our family and our current ministry. I have been reminded this week of the truth of Eph 6:12 that we "wrestle not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of darkness in high places". It gets really easy to focus on the circumstances and people who cause us pain or discouragement in ministry at times. Misunderstanding and busy schedules can lead to conflict in ministry in missions. We must be ever vigilant because our adversary, the devil, seeks to frighten us, devour us, disable us in any way he can. Would you pray that Pam and I can hold on to God's promises during times of personal trial? We sang an old hymn in our church today and one verse "jumped off the page" for me: "though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blessed assurance control: that Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, and hath shed His own blood for my soul". (from It is Well with My Soul)

Be blessed this week, dear friend of the Chupp ministry!

Dr. Mike and Pam Chupp

Missionaries at Tenwek Hospital with World Gospel Mission in Kenya

mike.chupp@wgm.org

Hope for little Caleb... It's been a number of years since I was last on call on Easter weekend. I guess it was finally my turn to cover the surgical service on this most special of holidays for believers all over the world, resurrection Sunday celebration. The weekend started off very special as I was able to attend the wedding on Saturday of one of our second year surgery residents, Valentine Mitei, who married Peter Mbithi. It was a fun Kenyan wedding with much more of a celebration tone than what we American missionaries are used to in our stateside weddings. Valentine is a hard working, intelligent young doctor who has anticipated this weekend for many months now. Nearly our entire surgery department and most of our residents were able to attend the ceremony in a town about an hour from Tenwek. There have been a number of patients who have come to Tenwek over the last few days with head and brain injuries, suffered in car or motorcycle accidents. One little boy, however, a three year old named Caleb, was just playing near his mom at home while mom was cutting down a nearby tree. Things didn't go as planned and the tree fell right on three year old Caleb, pinning his head to the ground. He was brought immediately to Tenwek where a head CT scan showed a huge blood clot on his brain and terrible swelling. A visiting neurosurgeon from California (Dr. David Levy who recently wrote the book "Gray Matter: a Neurosurgeon discovers the power of prayer one patient at a time") took Caleb to our operating room and evacuated the hematoma and relieved some pressure but the injury was too severe. This afternoon I prayed with a young mom and dad in complete shock over what had happened to their little guy. Over and over again the Swahili word for hope "tumaini" punctuated my prayer with them. They attend a church in their home and asked that we support Caleb overnight on the ventilator to give them, their, family, and their church time to pray for a miracle. I guess this Easter, with Caleb facing leaving his earthly body in a few hours, I have thought about the certainty of our hope because of Jesus' victory more vividly than ever.

The title of this blog comes from I Corinthians 15 in “The Message” paraphrase: “And why do you think I keep risking my neck in this dangerous work? I look death in the face practically every day I live. Do you think I’d do this if I wasn’t convinced of your resurrection and mine as guaranteed by the resurrected Messiah Jesus?....Not on your life! It’s resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection.” This weekend has involved at least four deaths in our ICU, three of the four from bad head injuries. While I personally don't face death every day like Paul, it seems that we do" look death in the face practically every day" as we care for patients at Tenwek Hospital. Sharing "tumaini" because of the power Christ exerted over death, is the central theme of the gospel we get to share with dozens, if not hundreds of patients each week on our wards and in our outpatient department. There is hope for Caleb and his parents and I ask you to pray with me for these shocked and grieving parents that they will cling to this hope no matter what happens in the next 24 hours.

After another wonderful Easter Sunday morning, begun with our annual sunrise service at the cross in one of our neighbor's yards, the Chupp family trusts that you also delighted in the hope and glory of history's most incredible event, the defeat of death by our Lord Jesus nearly 2,000 years ago.

I would also ask you to pray with us for the salvation of a visiting worker at Tenwek who has been with us for several months working on a special project. We don't usually have non-Christians working at the hospital, but the nature of the specialized work that he does under a contract with a secular company, has led to his work with us on a daily basis for nearly 10 months. For months God has laid this young man on my heart and I have prayed weekly for opportunities for me and others to share the hope we have in Christ. Today he attended our English Easter church service and spent a good amount of time with many of our missionary staff. Would you pray with me that God will give me and others wisdom, opportunity, and boldness to share the gospel truth with him even this week as we work together at the hospital?

Happy Easter from Kenya. He is Risen, He is Risen, always we proclaim, He is Risen Indeed!

Dr. Mike and Pam Chupp

Missionaries with World Gospel Mission at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya

kenyachupps@yahoo.com

As we prepare to leave Kenya......

In 12 days our family will be launching from Jomo Kenyatta National Airport headed for Chicago and one year at home for Homeland Ministry Assignment. Our daughter Melody graduates from Rift Valley Academy on July 17th and the next evening we depart from Kenya. Our two oldest kids will be starting University studies, both medical related, in the next two months. Melody starts nursing school at Cedarville University in mid August and Steven begins an Associate degree in paramedic medicine in early September at Southwest Michigan College.    Transitions for our family have come with different stressors over the last 18 years as missionaries with World Gospel Mission. This one seems to be especially filled with unexpected events just prior to our departure:

1. Mike's parents were both admitted to a Greenville, SC hospital on Thursday with completely different problems, Mom after shoulder surgery experiencing respiratory complications, and Dad with acute heart problems stemming from a heart rhythm problem. Mom was admitted to the ICU with very low oxygen levels and Dad to the cardiac unit with a very rapid heart rate and congestive heart failure. They were admitted just hours apart from one another. Dad Chupp saw Mom being wheeled by on a stretcher as he was being treated in the Emergency Room. They are now both just four doors apart on a regular med/surg unit at Greenville Memorial Hospital. While Mom is improving, Dad still has the rapid heart rate and likely to stay in the hospital for several days. Dad just turned 73 last weekend.

2. We received an email this morning with the news that the basement of our home in Michigan had flooded due to thunder storms that dumped tons of rain on our area AND knocked out our power so that the sump pump in the basement was not working. Our rental agent is working on getting the water out of the basement as I write and we are trusting that insurance will cover the cost for this endeavor.

3. Concerns for peace and security in Kenya: tomorrow the Opposition party in Kenya has planned a large rally in downtown Nairobi which will be broadcast on national television.   It is linked to a very sad day in Kenyan history called "Saba saba" or 7th of July when protestors and police clashed in Kenya several years ago and many Kenyans died. As missionaries we are planning on staying put at Tenwek and at other sites in Kenya in case things turn violent in association with the planned rally. We would appreciate your prayers as well that God's Spirit will bring peace and quiet over this event and situation, protecting the lives of Kenyans and others all over this nation.

4. As Medical Director at Tenwek, Mike has been playing a key role in some new initiatives and projects that are very important for this ministry.   Included in these initiatives is a brand new Task Force at Tenwek to discuss and explore ways that Tenwek Hospital can become more missional and outreach focused, looking at making a difference as an institution in unreached areas of Kenya and East Africa. This group meets for the first time on Tuesday this week so we would ask you to pray for this effort. Even though Mike will only be attending one meeting before we leave, please pray that the results of this first meeting will be foundational for the efforts that follow and that there will be a real sense of excitement, calling, and urgency to accomplish this vision.

5. Final week of work: in addition to the new Task Force above, both Pam and I are facing very important hand overs for our station and hospital and mission responsibilities.   Would you pray that God will help us to finish well in the coming few days so that those taking our places will be informed, equipped, and settled as we leave?

Sometimes when it rains, it pours (and floods your basement!) and it feels today like some stressors have rained down on us. Thanks for responding to this appeal to pray. We look forward to seeing many of you who have lifted us up over the last 18 years since we came as missionaries to Tenwek Hospital.   Our prayer today echoes that of Moses in Psalm 90:17 " And may the Lord our God show us His approval and make our efforts successful, yes, make our efforts successful."

Be blessed BIG this week,

Mike and Pam Chupp
Missionaries with World Gospel Mission
Serving at Tenwek Hospital since 1996
mike.chupp@wgm.org

While going through our renewal seminar at World Gospel Mission headquarters last week, we received information about what missionaries go through when leaving their "host" culture and re-entering their "home" culture. The phases we experience when we go back and forth between countries is:
Engagement/Settled
Leaving (unsettling)
Transition (CHAOS)
Entering (re-settling)
Re-engagement/Settled
We are definitely in the CHAOS phase at this point. After arriving in St. Joseph, MI on July 19th, we have been living out of suitcases and traveled to our WGM headquarters in Indiana for 10 days of re-entry and workshops, and are now in South Carolina visiting Mike's parents. Thankfully, they are both doing well and we have enjoyed our visit with them! We will then head to Chattanooga for a few days to see Pam's folks, and get Melody ready for college. We will take her to International Orientation at Cedarville University on August 12th and she begins classes on the 18th. We will finally head back to St. Joseph, MI where we will move back into our home. On September 2nd, Steven will be starting at Southwestern Michigan College in their Paramedic program, Kayla and Ashley will start school again at Grace Christian School, and Mike will begin work at Southwestern Medical Clinic. It will feel SO good to get settled and to put down roots again.

However, we have also experienced many BLESSINGS during this chaotic time. A dear family has generously loaned us a vehicle for this first month that fits our family of 6 perfectly, and it also includes a trailer hitch which we will need to bring back a trailer with some of our belongings from Chattanooga. Pam's dad also has a minivan that we will take over payments on for the year.

We visited our home and were able to check on the flood damage in the basement. It was not nearly as bad as we were expecting, and had been dried out well. We have plans to have the drywall and flooring redone before we move in on the 19th. It will not cost as much as we had feared to repair so we are praising the Lord for this!

We hope to reconnect with many of you during our year in the States and also visit many churches to share what God is doing at Tenwek. Please visit our Chupp ministry in Kenya channel on Youtube to view a couple of videos we have posted of the ministries at Tenwek.

Thank you for praying for us that we will make this transition well, and that we will find joy in being back in our "home" country again.

Here's a picture of our sweet daughter Melody on graduation day.

America is pretty great, Dad!

Selfie on our 23rd wedding anniversary, Aug 17th

After four weeks on the road passing through nine states and traveling well over 2,500 miles, the Chupp family finally landed in St. Joseph, MI, home of Southwestern Medical Clinic and Lakeland Regional Health System. Whoo hoo! We are minus our oldest daughter Melody whom we left at Cedarville University on Aug 16th to begin a BS in Nursing. The school did an amazing and thorough job of orienting both MK's and parents to life on an American college campus. Since we are from Kenya and she enjoys running long distances, she "walked on" the women's cross country team joining nine other freshman. Cedarville historically has had a strong cross country team each fall so we know she will have to work hard to stay on the squad. She LOVES it and actually thinks that Chemistry will be her favorite class. ( a chip off the ole Chupp :-)

Melody between us during International student orientation at Cedarville University

Today (Monday) was a banner day for our 20 year old son Steven. In preparation to begin a two year paramedic training program at Southwest Michigan College next week, he bought his first car, an incredibly well preserved 2001 Chevy Impala. (see pic below) He will be living on campus about 45 minutes from St. Joseph so we hope to get to see him on most weekends. He has already joined a college aged group at New Life Baptist Church here in St. Joseph where some old Grace Christian School friends are group leaders.

Steven's first car in preparation for college life

Our youngest two girls, Ashley (7th grade) and Kayla (10th grade) will be starting Jr. High and Sr. High classes after Labor Day at Grace Christian School not too far from our home in St. Joseph. Volleyball practice has started for both girls and a few old friendships have already been rekindled. During our 9 state "tour" they REALLY enjoyed Grammy and Granddad's pool in Chattanooga.

Killer bee at 3 o'clock!

With great anticipation of many hugs, handshakes, and warm smiles at our home church in Berrien Center last Sunday, we prepared to enter Berrien Center Bible Church (BCBC) when I (Mike) felt a severe burning pain under my right arm. Looking down I saw a huge hornet next to my Bible with stinger inserted on the underside of my arm as the cause of the pain. Ouch! It was just a little tough to enjoy all those wonderful, welcoming saints at BCBC when it felt like a fire under my sleeve! A kind EMT, Chris Hall, came to the rescue and loaded me up with Advil and Tylenol so that by the end of the Sunday school hour, I could actually pay attention and worship during the main service! My head was spinning for a while though I tried to pay attention to Pastor Bill Zebell's excellent class on the Holy Spirit's job description on behalf of the believer. It was not til later in the afternoon as I thought back on my unexpected trial that I remembered the passage of scripture I had read early on Sunday morning from I Corinthians 15:55 - 57: "Where O Death, is your victory Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law." But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. One of the many hugs received at BCBC was from Dr. Chuck Pierson who, as a missionary doctor, introduced me to missionary surgery in the African country of Sierra Leone when I was a college student at Taylor University in 1983. That experience changed my life and left me with a great excitement and desire to become a missionary doctor, possibly in Africa. Chuck, retired now for a few years in Berrien County, shared with me the news that the "sting of death" (ovarian cancer) had taken his beloved wife Ruth this past December and she is now with her Lord Jesus. How grateful I am today that the Lord Jesus disarmed our great enemy, Death, so that sin no longer holds power over Ruth Pierson or any of us who trust in Jesus. While I didn't exactly appreciate the painful nature object lesson required to lead to my deeper meditation on I Cor 15:55, I am thrilled for the hope of my aging medical missions heroes, some of whom, like Dr. Ernie Steury, have already crossed the finish line to be welcomed into Jesus' loving arms.

HOMELAND MINISTRY ASSIGNMENT 2014-15

This week will be quite eventful for our family as Mike goes back to work for the surgery department at SWMC and Lakeland Hospital for two months and the two younger girls begin 7th and 10th grade at Grace Christian School.

We have been contacting pastors, missions committees, missions organizations, Tenwek partners, etc. preparing a speaking and singing schedule for this year. Our HMA video titled "Until He Comes....We Treat, Jesus Heals....Fanning the Flame of a Legacy", is available on our YouTube Channel: Chupp Ministry in Kenya. Click on the following link to catch a 10 minute glimpse of a very busy and growing place called Tenwek Mission Hospital, where Mike has been serving as Medical Director.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll9pqvlVIRo

We would be DELIGHTED to come share and challenge your church, Sunday school, Bible study group, even family about fanning the flame of God's gifts in your own life and using them to help fulfill Jesus Great Commission. Please email us at mike.chupp@wgm.org if you would like to discuss such a challenge/message to your group. Mike is setting aside November, December, February and March to travel and speak and share with God's people about answering the call and becoming a champion for the Great Commission. Hoping to share the many opportunities in medical missions today with many groups of medical students, residents, nurses, dentists, and many other health care professionals. We will remain on support with the mission given the short duration of work with the clinic and hospital and many months of travel on behalf of WGM and Tenwek this year home.

ANSWERS TO PRAYER, CALL TO PRAYER

Thanks to several of you who have asked about Mom and Dad Chupp's health. They made it home from the Greenville, SC hospital in July and have been convalescing and gaining strength and health for the past six weeks. Dad's pacemaker is working ok and they are getting out, attending church, shopping, etc. Our flooded basement required major salvaging efforts here in St. Joseph, MI, but we are able to live in the upper floors and there is ample space. We are also grateful to the Father for the provision of a large SUV (Yukon Denali) for the first six weeks we have been home, a great loaner vehicle from a retired couple here in St. Joseph.

We would like to ask you to pray for our son, Steven, as he begins his college experience this Tuesday, pursuing a paramedic medicine associates degree at Southwest Michigan College. He learned today (second hand) that the program had cancelled second year classes, forcing second year paramedic students to scramble this fall to attend other schools. Needless to say, this has caused us alarm just two days before classes begin and a re-examination of his training goals. We have seen his excitement and desire to go through this two year program over the past few months grow, so this news appears to be a set-back. He has a good attitude and affirms that God can and will close doors that He sees necessary to close in our lives.

Please also pray for Mike's replacement in the Tenwek Medical Director position, our Southwestern partner and WGM missionary, Dr. John Spriegel. John has done the job in the past and did a great job, working with the Tenwek administration, nursing department, and the medical staff. The role can be very stressful and get that way in a hurry! John and his wife Linda just returned to Tenwek from St. Joseph after a year also on Homeland Ministry assignment.

Our USA contacts:

Mike and Pam Chupp

487 Maiden Lane

St. Joseph, MI 49085

mike.chupp@wgm.org or kenyachupps@yahoo.com

Mike's cell: 269-985-8564

Pam's cell: 269-985-8561

Support: Mike and Pam Chupp ministry, World Gospel Mission, Donor services, Box 948, Marion, IN 46952. or click on the link in the right column of our blog: http://www.wgm.org/chupp to give on-line.

Happy Labor Day all you Kingdom Workers!

Hey friends,

Just received an 8 minute audio clip from WGM Media department of an interview piece I did in late July. It is a brief explanation of where God has brought me in ministry at Tenwek Hospital in terms of leadership and medical administration. My voice was a little raspy as I was recovering from a cold BUT it will give you a glimpse into what God has done in my ministry life over nearly 20 years at Tenwek Mission Hospital. Be encouraged that most certainly God has created YOU with your special set of spiritual, emotional, academic, and personality gifts to accomplish HIS purposes in your life. Keep hanging on to the truth of Ephesians 2:10, dear friends!

Click on the following link to hear my testimony:

http://missionscentral.wordpress.com/2014/09/02/medicine-and-administration-bringing-glory-to-god/

Blessings, brothers and sisters, and all glory to God for the creative ways he gifts and prepares us to serve one another in HIS Kingdom, fulfilling HIS Great Commission.

Mike with Ronald Kibet, one of our senior CT scanner techs, at Tenwek in the CT control room

Mike and Pam Chupp
Missionaries with World Gospel Mission, serving at Tenwek Hospital, Kenya

This week two events take place with significance for accomplishing the task God has given to Mike as Tenwek's long term Medical Director while home in the US. Both happen in North Carolina this week..

First event:
Annual fall Friends of Tenwek (FOT) Board of Directors meeting in Charlotte, NC on October 8th. This young organization (kicked off in 2009) continues to grow in passion and influence upon the work and vision of Tenwek Mission Hospital. Growing the Tenwek volunteer community stronger in connection to the work and programs at Tenwek has been a major goal of FOT. We have also been choosing one or two projects each year to get behind with a goal for fund raising to make those projects happen on time. This year two projects are being promoted by the FOT Board at the request of Tenwek Hospital leadership: 1. Building a dining room for the recently expanded Tenwek School of Nursing AND 2. Developing a new site for outpatient care by Tenwek Hospital within the city of Bomet itself. A small private hospital/clinic facility was offered to Tenwek on the outskirts of Bomet town, just four miles from the hospital, which our hospital management and Board of Governors saw as a great opportunity to help serve the community better and closer to a large population within our county. The Tenwek outpatient department has been overcrowded for the past few years with no easy solution for long lines and long wait times by patients from every walk of life (600+ visits a day) The new Bomet Annex has the potential to offer a "FastTrack" clinic which could offload 50 to 100 patients a day, many of whom need more streamlined and efficient outpatient care. Friends of Tenwek has seen the benefit of helping the Tenwek School of Nursing AND the Tenwek Outpatient Department this year by raising a significant portion of the budget required to make these two projects a reality. If you are interested in helping FOT with either or both of these projects, go to the Friends of Tenwek website (www.friendsoftenwek.org) to learn how to give electronically or by check.

Mike, Dr. Steve Manchester (Head of our Outpatient Dept) and Nelson, one of our long serving nurses in our Outpatient Department, standing in front of the new Bomet property that FOT is helping to purchase this year.

Second event:

The annual Prescription for Renewal (PFR) Conference will be held this Thursday to Sunday, Oct 9th through 12th at the Cove, the Billy Graham Conference Center near Asheville, NC. Each year hundreds of Christian doctors from all over the US converge on the Cove to learn, be challenged by missionary testimonies, and hear from the Lord about opportunities to volunteer and serve using medicine as a tool for advancing the gospel. This year Dr. Kent Brantley, who became a national hero this summer after contracting and beating the Ebola virus at ELWA Hospital in Liberia, will be sharing his testimony at the conference. Many past and possible future Tenwek volunteers attend this conference so it is a wonderful opportunity to network, encourage, invite, and recruit for needy departments in the next few years. Please pray with us that Mike will have many opportunities to talk with specialists in areas of greatest need including ObGyn, anesthesia, eye care, dental, pediatrics, and others. There is NO question that Tenwek Hospital has become the ministry it is today with the partnership and support of World Medical Mission/Samaritan's Purse under the leadership of Mr. Franklin Graham. If you would like to attend PFR, check out the World Medical Mission website for info on how to register.

Would you pray with us for:

1. Spirit directed meeting of the Friends of Tenwek Board on Wednesday at Carmel Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC.

2. Safe travel to Charlotte, Asheville, and home on Sunday

3. Divine appointments with doctors and their spouses who are searching for an opportunity to fill a need at Tenwek or one of many other World Medical Mission supported mission hospitals around the globe.

4. Ongoing challenges in construction at Tenwek of two buildings: the new Eye and Dental Care Center which started in April, and a new medical trainee housing building that broke ground a couple of months ago and is desperately needed for completion in January due to incoming trainees for growing training programs.

5. Some decisions that our son Steven is working through for his own future.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRAYING FOR THE CHUPP FAMILY!

Mike and Pam Chupp

mike.chupp@wgm.org

What an amazing opportunity I had this weekend to hear in person the testimony, through many tears, of Dr. Kent Brantley at the Prescription for Renewal Conference at the Billy Graham Training Center near Asheville, NC. He was introduced by Mr. Franklin Graham, Founder and CEO of Samaritan's Purse who himself shared of the incredible way that God saved Dr. Brantley's life by delaying the arrival of the specially equipped isolation plane that eventually brought Kent home. That delay of 19 hours, due to a problem of pressurization of the plane, allowed for the single vial of ZMAPP serum, never used before on a human, to travel by taxi, canoe, private cars, to ELWA hospital in Monrovia, Liberia where Kent had become critically ill with a fever to 105, bloody diarrhea and vomiting, and the worse headache Kent had ever had. Kent shared with his pastor in the US that all he could think of was the story of Shadrach, Meschack, and Abednego in the fiery furnace where they were placed to be executed and how Jesus showed up and saved them.

In the audience at the Cove on Saturday evening were teammates of Kent's who had treated him in their personal protective outfits including the physician leader who took over when Kent became ill. Emails later shared with Kent from nurse teammates were that he looked horrible, fiery red from head to toe, and on the verge of dying. Repeatedly and very humbly, Kent shared about how God was so faithful and merciful to hear the cries and prayers of tens of thousands of family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ around the world to spare Kent's life.

Kent's life was spared and he has been clearly and confidently sharing with the world that God healed him from this lethal disease. I was the first person in the audience to shake Kent's hand after the main speaker, Dr. Ed Lutzer of Moody Bible Church, concluded his challenging message. I was thrilled to shake the hand of someone just as courageous as Stephen in Acts chapter 7 or the Apostle Paul or any one of the millions of martyrs who have stood for our Lord Jesus under a fiery trial, testing their faith. That opportunity was mine this weekend. The compassion and example that Kent and Nancy Writebol and others on their team displayed in Monrovia in July, not running from the growing epidemic but facing it head on, inspires me and challenges me to evaluate my own commitment to being the hands and feet of Christ, even when it is risky.

The US media has moved beyond the Brantley story to the frenzy of the first Ebola cases here in the US this month. There is much speculation over what the future will bring for this outbreak in Africa, the US, Europe, and other places. I really don't know what the future will bring in terms of this Ebola epidemic, but I do know that the world now seems very anxious about tomorrow. Even back at Tenwek Hospital, leaders are discussing appropriate measures to take just in case the disease makes its way to Kenya.

It behooves us as followers of the Great Physician to make the most of every opportunity, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the power of God's Spirit to change lives forever. God's healing power, more than the genius of the CDC or the healing power of modern medicine, is the real story being told by Dr. Kent Brantley. It is a story worth hearing and repeating. I am pretty sure that Samaritan's purse will post a link for Kent's testimony in the coming days and I'll do my best to give you all the link when it is available.

Captivated by the Courage God gives to His Children,

Mike

Living in Two States

A GREAT HONOR FOR A FRIEND

NEEDING NEW WHEELS

Global Missions Health Conference (GMHC): Nov 8th to 10th in Louisville, KY

Steven and the Air Force

Friends of Tenwek (FOT)

Mike and Pam at Cloudland Canyon near Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, TN﻿

WE KNOW WHEN IT'S OVER......

AIR FORCE PREPARATION FOR STEVEN

Graduation ceremony: A Tenwek surgery department first!

Residents and general surgery faculty at Tenwek on our back porch

FINAL WEEK SUPPORT CHALLENGE:

A Momentous Transition

Lone Star Steven

Ministry at Tenwek

Coming National elections

Children's Bible Quizzing at Tenwek: Acts for Kids!

Family Update

Easter and the Supreme Court of Kenya

"Jesus really loves the children, Daddy"......

Our tenacious teen......Steven update

Bible Quizzing finals

A Super Surgical Training Week! (May 17th)

Children's Bible Quizzing Finals

Looming Leadership Challenges

Steven's Homecoming (June 2nd)

Merry Christmas from the Chupp family, serving at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya.

CHILDREN'S BIBLE QUIZZING 2014

Family Update:

Prayer Needs:

As we prepare to leave Kenya......

America is pretty great, Dad!

Killer bee at 3 o'clock!

HOMELAND MINISTRY ASSIGNMENT 2014-15

ANSWERS TO PRAYER, CALL TO PRAYER

Our USA contacts:

Happy Labor Day all you Kingdom Workers!

This week two events take place with significance for accomplishing the task God has given to Mike as Tenwek's long term Medical Director while home in the US. Both happen in North Carolina this week..

Mike and Pam at Cloudland Canyon near Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, TN