Farewells and Blessings....
It would be very difficult for us to fully describe the last 10 days of our ministry lives here at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya. We are rapidly approaching our launch date of July 14th (immediately after attending the high school graduation ceremony of four Tenwek missionary kids from Rift Valley Academy). Since June 30th, we have taken part in many small and big parties, teas, celebrations, porch encounters in our honor to tell us goodbye and grant us God's greatest blessings as we move to Bristol, TN before the end of July. We will be joining the Christian Medical and Dental Associations (CMDA) in leadership with two of our heroes, Dr. David Stevens and Dr. Gene Rudd, as well as nearly 70 national and regional staff members. We have had a series of significant "lasts" at Tenwek including Mike's final surgery of his Tenwek career, his first ever bilateral femur nailing under one anesthetic using his favorite technique called a Russell Taylor nailing procedure. This was a less invasive procedure on an 18 year old scout leader who was hit as a pedestrian by a passing car. The young man was up and walking with crutches within a couple of days after surgery, PTL!
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| Assisting Ortho resident Watson and intern Brian with bilateral femoral nailing, my last case at Tenwek |
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| Patient Richard after bilateral femur nails. |
Tenwek leadership held a wonderful farewell celebration dinner for an entire evening, June 30th, Mike's last official working day as Medical Superintendent. It was attended by several board members, including the Board Chairman, Rev. Dr. Robert Langat, Bishop of the Africa Gospel Church, the Tenwek Management team, and many department heads as well as the long term physician staff. Over 20 speeches were made during the evening and gifts were exchanged between Tenwek and the Chupp family. Pam and our daughter Melody were in attendance for this special evening, celebrating our 20 years of service for Tenwek Mission Hospital. The Tenwek leadership very clearly expressed many heartfelt thanks and appreciation for the time of service to the staff and patients. It was an evening to be remembered and cherished, without question, for the rest of our lives. Some pics from our final weeks and farewells are below....
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| Tenwek Board Chairman, Rev/Dr. Robert Langat and Tenwek CEO, Mr. Geoffrey Langat, give farewell gift to us. |
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| Hospital Board and Management members pray for us a prayer of dedication in our new role at CMDA-USA |
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| Leading Doctors' devotions using CMDA course, Grace Prescriptions |
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| Prayer of commissioning at Bethesda church |
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| Mike with Radiology staff at Tenwek after farewell party |
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| Final Tenwek ad team meeting with Dr. Steve Burgert, my successor, attending |
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| It's easy, Dr. Steve! |
OUR SCHEDULE
July 12th: Departure from Tenwek Hospital
July 14th: Attend Rift Valley Academy Graduation in AM, fly out of Nairobi in PM
July 15th: Arrival in Chicago and St. Joseph, MI
July 16th to 19th: St. Joseph, MI
July 21st to 24th: Central Indiana to visit family and friends
July 25th: Move to Bristol, TN into CMDA rental house
Aug 1st: Ashley and Kayla begin high school classes
Sept 1st: Mike starts as co-Senior Vice-President with Dr. Gene Rudd at CMDA
We request your prayers, friends, as we say goodbye to our beloved Kenya and our wonderful team of missionary and Kenyan co-workers for all these years. Our two daughters, Kayla and Ashley, will have an especially hard time over the next couple of days saying goodbye to classmates and friends at Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe, Kenya. We also ask for your prayers as we travel to Nairobi and then the USA this Thursday, July 14th.
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| Farewell picture today at famous Tenwek sign |
I'll close with a wonderful verse, shared with us by some dear friends who serve in Burundi at another mission hospital, Psalm 40:5 "O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them." God has been so good to our family during these years at Tenwek. Many Kenyan staff have told us "Dr. Chupp, you have been faithful in many small things, now God is going to give you responsibility for even bigger things....please be our Tenwek ambassador in the US."
We could NOT have made it through these two decades of service without YOUR prayers, YOUR financial support, and YOUR encouragement time and time again. THANK YOU! As we transition to CMDA leadership, we covet your prayers and your ongoing support as we expand our ministry territory to raise up Christian doctors whose hearts beat to be faithful servants of Jesus Christ, using medicine as a tool.
More to follow.......
Mike and Pam
Our contacts:
Mike and Pam Chupp
email: kenyachupps@yahoo.com
Phone after July 15th: 423-366-2286
Address after July 25th: 490 Old Jonesboro Rd., Bristol, TN 37620
Support through Aug 31st: WGM Box 948 Marion, IN 46952
After August 31st: CMDA, Box 7500 Bristol, TN 37620 (note attached "Mike and Pam Chupp ministry")
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