Monday, September 16, 2013
Photo from Emily Rudolph
A true
blessing to have the opportunity to be here. This is Sophie counseling a mother
of twins. The little boy is losing weight. He is 5 months old. Pray for him. The clinic was for prenatal care and high risk infants. As many of the missionaries here express, God is sovereign . This is
what we hold to in times of not understanding.
Emily
Emily
Salaam from Rhett Rudolph in Ethiopia!
Salaam
from Soddo Christian Hospital in Soddo, Wollaita Ethiopia.
My experience here in the Orthopedics department has been
busy and rewarding . Dr. Duane Anderson through God's grace and hard work has
certainly created a wonderful healing and teaching center for Orthopedic
surgery here. People come for treatment here hundreds of miles away to have
their medical and ultimately their spiritual needs met after horrendous
injuries.
While here I have seen everything from dislocated toes, knees and hips. Broken fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips , femurs, tibias, tibias, tibias , tibias ankles and a few more tibias have been treated in the two short weeks I have been here.
The work has been long and hard but what impresses me the most are the young long term missionary staff physicians and families that have devoted this portion of their lives to serving God as ambassadors for Christ in this far corner of Africa. They have sacrificed a comfortable life in the States to bring their children and spouses to a far away land with uncomfortable cultural differences and a lot of mud. Their hearts are excited for The Lord and their mission. Despite some disappointments of not being able to have a part in saving all patients physically and/or spiritually they concentrate on the good things. Philippians 4:8 is certainly lived out in a sure way every day in the lives of these families. Praise God for them but also pray for them. There is an endless supply of patients, each with their own language, cultural, financial and medical issues that can easily drag down the most optimistic and faithful physician .
They spend their days not just caring for patients but also teaching the staff and residents at the hospital. They strive to teach "whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God". They realize they are not working for people or an organization or a hospital complex, but in all they do for His honor and glory. I suppose this is knowledge that keeps them going even when they miss their extended family, or they lose hours of sleep,or she things don't go as well at the hospital they would have planned.
Pray for this hospital and its staff to be lights for Jesus in Soddo, Ethiopia .
Rhett
While here I have seen everything from dislocated toes, knees and hips. Broken fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips , femurs, tibias, tibias, tibias , tibias ankles and a few more tibias have been treated in the two short weeks I have been here.
The work has been long and hard but what impresses me the most are the young long term missionary staff physicians and families that have devoted this portion of their lives to serving God as ambassadors for Christ in this far corner of Africa. They have sacrificed a comfortable life in the States to bring their children and spouses to a far away land with uncomfortable cultural differences and a lot of mud. Their hearts are excited for The Lord and their mission. Despite some disappointments of not being able to have a part in saving all patients physically and/or spiritually they concentrate on the good things. Philippians 4:8 is certainly lived out in a sure way every day in the lives of these families. Praise God for them but also pray for them. There is an endless supply of patients, each with their own language, cultural, financial and medical issues that can easily drag down the most optimistic and faithful physician .
They spend their days not just caring for patients but also teaching the staff and residents at the hospital. They strive to teach "whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God". They realize they are not working for people or an organization or a hospital complex, but in all they do for His honor and glory. I suppose this is knowledge that keeps them going even when they miss their extended family, or they lose hours of sleep,or she things don't go as well at the hospital they would have planned.
Pray for this hospital and its staff to be lights for Jesus in Soddo, Ethiopia .
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Greetings from Rhett and Emily
It is Monday evening at Soddo Christian Hospital. We are doing well.
Unlike last year when Rhett served here, things have not slowed down any during
week two.
Your continued prayerful support is appreciated. His back is feeling better than last week. Not well, but better.
The young families here who have dedicated themselves to full time medical missions are all such a blessing. They have struggles beyond anything that you could imagine. It has been in some cases, heartbreaking to hear some of their struggles. It is only through the strength that our Lord and Savior that these folks can make it through each day.
Pray especially for a young general surgeon, David Hardin and his wife Carissa. They have five young children and have only been here since April. The transition has been difficult.
Rhett continues to have an upbeat attitude and tries to be an encourager for the young doctors here.
Most of my time continues to be working on the new charts and helping the young mothers with their children. There are 17 soon to be 18 young children amongst the 5 younger families here. So there is an abundance of "grandma Emmy" fixes here.
I look forward to going out to the village clinic on Thursday. The Ethiopians are preparing for their New Year's Day celebration on Wed., September 11th. They are excited about the holiday.
It is my understanding that tomorrow night there will be many bonfires to ring in the new year.
On a side note.. We experienced a first on medical missions trips. We were able to watch the Panthers figure out a way to lose last night. One of the doctors is from the Seattle area and invited us to watch the football game last night on his lap top. It was a live feed from his parents tv. Too neat!
1 Cor. 10:31. A scripture verse that Rhett has brought up many occasions on this trip
Emily and Rhett
Your continued prayerful support is appreciated. His back is feeling better than last week. Not well, but better.
The young families here who have dedicated themselves to full time medical missions are all such a blessing. They have struggles beyond anything that you could imagine. It has been in some cases, heartbreaking to hear some of their struggles. It is only through the strength that our Lord and Savior that these folks can make it through each day.
Pray especially for a young general surgeon, David Hardin and his wife Carissa. They have five young children and have only been here since April. The transition has been difficult.
Rhett continues to have an upbeat attitude and tries to be an encourager for the young doctors here.
Most of my time continues to be working on the new charts and helping the young mothers with their children. There are 17 soon to be 18 young children amongst the 5 younger families here. So there is an abundance of "grandma Emmy" fixes here.
I look forward to going out to the village clinic on Thursday. The Ethiopians are preparing for their New Year's Day celebration on Wed., September 11th. They are excited about the holiday.
It is my understanding that tomorrow night there will be many bonfires to ring in the new year.
On a side note.. We experienced a first on medical missions trips. We were able to watch the Panthers figure out a way to lose last night. One of the doctors is from the Seattle area and invited us to watch the football game last night on his lap top. It was a live feed from his parents tv. Too neat!
1 Cor. 10:31. A scripture verse that Rhett has brought up many occasions on this trip
Emily and Rhett
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Rhett and Emily Rudolph in Ethiopia
Dear all,
It's Tuesday night and we are soon to retire. ( the rough trip out is catching up to us)
Rhett is very busy, but excited about the work here. Yesterday he left the house at 6:30 am came home at 7pm, had dinner and turned around back up to hospital. Tonight, he has not had to go back and hopefully, he will get to rest. We had dinner tonight with a retired couple from Norway. He is a radiologist , she a school teacher. It was interesting to hear their mission stories. A delightful couple who really love The Lord and the Ethiopian people. I am working on updating the medical charts for the hospital. (Not a lot of fun, but am willing to work where needed) Today I went to a women's bible study. Part of their time today was spent discussing what study to do next. It was similar to discussions we have back home. (You know, getting a group of women to agree on something)? Tomorrow is a men's Bible study which will be before Rhett starts surgeries. The needs are MANY here. From the needs for more orthopedists, to the physical and spiritual needs of the people and the support that the hospital needs to function. The missionary houses and the hospital could use some handy men to come help get things working properly. (This was a request at Bible study today). I hope to go out to the village clinic soon. But, again am here to do what they ask of me, not what I want to do. For some reason the hymn, "Count your Blessings" is on my heart. I think I'll go to bed now and do just that.
Love and prayers,
Emily&Rhett
It's Tuesday night and we are soon to retire. ( the rough trip out is catching up to us)
Rhett is very busy, but excited about the work here. Yesterday he left the house at 6:30 am came home at 7pm, had dinner and turned around back up to hospital. Tonight, he has not had to go back and hopefully, he will get to rest. We had dinner tonight with a retired couple from Norway. He is a radiologist , she a school teacher. It was interesting to hear their mission stories. A delightful couple who really love The Lord and the Ethiopian people. I am working on updating the medical charts for the hospital. (Not a lot of fun, but am willing to work where needed) Today I went to a women's bible study. Part of their time today was spent discussing what study to do next. It was similar to discussions we have back home. (You know, getting a group of women to agree on something)? Tomorrow is a men's Bible study which will be before Rhett starts surgeries. The needs are MANY here. From the needs for more orthopedists, to the physical and spiritual needs of the people and the support that the hospital needs to function. The missionary houses and the hospital could use some handy men to come help get things working properly. (This was a request at Bible study today). I hope to go out to the village clinic soon. But, again am here to do what they ask of me, not what I want to do. For some reason the hymn, "Count your Blessings" is on my heart. I think I'll go to bed now and do just that.
Love and prayers,
Emily&Rhett
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