Shipping containers still stuck in Nairobi, delaying expanded ministry work.

Kenya (MNN) — Millions of people in southwestern Kenya are impacted by World Gospel Mission’s Tenwek Hospital each year as they provide primary health care, surgical care, surgical referrals, and is a large teaching institution for medical professionals and students.

WGM’s Russ White says it’s holistic care with a Gospel focus. “It’s a busy institution, and always keeping at its heart its mission and ministry of providing compassionate care in the name of Christ to those who are in need, and ministering really to the physical, spiritual (and) emotional needs of a wide group of people.”

It’s ultimately about Jesus and ministering to people’s deepest need, says White. “As part of our stated mission, we want every patient who comes to Tenwek hospital to have the opportunity to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ presented to them.”

As one of the largest Protestant mission hospitals in Kenya, Tenwek is full of opporunties to further God’s kingdom, says White, especially when it comes to training medical professionals. “We see discipling Kenyan young doctors, nurses, medical students, residents as a major part of what we do. So we train them medically and surgically, and we also work with them and disciple them spiritually so that they will be expanding the work and multiplying the work in all parts of Kenya.”

They recently dedicated a new 19,000 square foot facility which has and will do a lot to help expand their work. The staff are pleased that they’ve been able to keep the budget low on much of the new facility. The building is constructed, and while they’re still doing some work on the upper floors, the lower floor is ready to go. White says, they’ve experienced a significant delay, “The major holdup is we have two forty foot containers full of equipment sitting in Nairobi. They’ve been sitting there since November, and we have not been able to affect their release from that facility.”

The expanded hospital is a tremendous opportunity for the Gospel to go forth, and if the equipment is not released, it prevents WGM and Tenwek Hospital from using those opportunities to their fullest. Another concern is that the equipment and things in the containers are still in good shape after sitting in Nairobi for so long.

They are so close to being finished with this much-needed project. White says prayer is needed. “All the t’s have be crossed, all the i’s dotted; We’ve done everything and anything we can possibly do to fulfill the requirements. And for some reason those containers are not being released. And yeah, we need to be in prayer that God would overcome this obstacle and allow those containers to be released as soon as possible.”

WGM still needs about $50,000 to completely finish the work. If you’d like to help financially or to find out more information on the hospital, contact World Gospel Mission.