(Photo credit SIM)

Liberia (SIM/MNN) — Another U.S. missionary doctor has contracted Ebola while working in Liberia. Serving In Missions USA (SIM USA) confirmed the announcement yesterday afternoon, adding that the doctor is “doing well and is in good spirits.”

We’ve included SIM’s initial announcement below, edited for relevance.

“SIM USA reported today that one of its missionary doctors in Liberia has tested positive for the Ebola virus.

The American doctor was treating obstetrics patients at SIM’s ELWA hospital in Monrovia. He was not treating Ebola patients in ELWA’s Ebola isolation unit, a facility separate from the main hospital on the mission organization’s 136-acre campus. It is not yet known how the doctor contracted the virus specifically.

Upon onset of the symptoms, the doctor immediately isolated himself and has since been transferred to the ELWA Ebola isolation unit. The doctor is doing well and is in good spirits.

“My heart was deeply saddened, but my faith was not shaken when I learned another of our missionary doctors contracted Ebola,” said Bruce Johnson, president of SIM USA.

“As a global mission, we are surrounding our missionary with prayer, as well as our Liberian SIM/ELWA colleagues, who continue fighting the Ebola epidemic in Liberia. We have gifted Liberian doctors, medical staff, and support staff who are carrying on the fight.”

The latest updates on SIM’s role in the Ebola epidemic in Liberia are available at www.simusa.org/ebolacrisis.“

Dr. Kent Brantly
(Photo Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse)

Int’l (MNN) — Just as there are two sides to every coin and every story, there are two parts to the latest Ebola update. As Ebola-infected patients recover in the U.S., a new development worsens the crisis in Liberia.

Ebola update: U.S.A.
First, the good news: Dr. Kent Brantly and nurse Nancy Writebol, medical missionaries who contracted Ebola in Liberia while working at a hospital managed by Serving In Missions (SIM), are well on their way to recovery.

“As my treatment continues in the isolation unit at Emory University Hospital, I am recovering in every way,” writes Brantly in a statement released by Samaritan’s Purse.

“I thank God for the healthcare team here who is giving me compassionate, world-class care. I am more grateful every day to the Lord for sparing my life and continuing to heal my body.”

Samaritan’s Purse is working closely together with SIM to fight the Ebola crisis in Liberia. All but essential personnel have been evacuated from the hospital, and Samaritan’s Purse is continuing to monitor missionaries’ health.

(Photo Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse)

Missionary David Writebol shared a similarly-positive update about his wife, Nancy, on SIM’s Web site.

“I have had the great joy to be able to look through the isolation room glass and see my beautiful wife again,” states Writebol. “She was standing with her radiant smile, happy beyond words. She is continuing to slowly gain strength, eager for the day when the barriers separating us are set aside, and we can simply hold each other.

“We prayed together over the intercom, praising our great and might God for His goodness to us.”

Ebola update: Liberia
While missionaries and their families celebrate in the U.S., Liberia’s latest Ebola update reflects a darker tone. At least 17 infected patients have reportedly left a health center and returned to their communities. In addition, supplies contaminated with the Ebola virus have been stolen by protestors, a senior police officer told reporters on condition of anonymity.

“This is one of the stupidest things I have ever seen in my life,” he told BBC News. “All between the houses, you could see people fleeing with items looted from the patients.”

(Image courtesy Wikipedia)

Ebola is spread through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person–blood, sweat, feces, or vomit. Eyewitnesses of the weekend attack told the Associated Press that items stolen from the hospital had bloodstains. However, no reports have confirmed that the stolen items were used by Ebola patients.

Residents of the capital city’s largest slum, West Point, reportedly broke into a health center over the weekend that contained quarantined Ebola patients. Over 30 people were being cared for at the time, and they all fled when the attack began. Yesterday, Liberia’s government confirmed that 17 patients are still missing.

Prayer needed
Keep praying for the Lord to be made known through this horrible Ebola outbreak. Pray for the safety of medical workers who are caring for Ebola patients. Pray that the next Ebola update will bring good news.

More on the Ebola crisis here.

President of SIM USA. Bruce Johnson addresses
the press in Atlanta (Photo courtesy of SIM USA)

Liberia (MNN) — It’s now being called a “public health emergency of international concern.” We’re talking about Ebola. While you may not think it’ll affect you, the World Health Organization (WHO) made that statement to wake you up to the problem.

Two U.S. citizens, medical missionaries with SIM International Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, have been brought to United States for treatment.

WHO says Ebola took an additional 29 lives between Tuesday and Wednesday alone. Their report indicates Ebola has killed 961 people and sickened 1,779 others. This makes it the worst outbreak in history.

In a statement release by Dr. Brantly, he said, “I am writing this update from my isolation room at Emory University Hospital, where the doctors and nurses are providing the very best care possible. I am growing stronger every day, and I thank God for His mercy as I have wrestled with this terrible disease.”

He added, “We went to Liberia because we believe God called us to serve Him at ELWA Hospital. One thing I have learned is that following God often leads us to unexpected places. When Ebola spread into Liberia, my usual hospital work turned more and more toward treating the increasing number of Ebola patients. I held the hands of countless individuals as this terrible disease took their lives away from them. I witnessed the horror firsthand, and I can still remember every face and name.”

When Brantly started feeling ill, he isolated himself and remembered feeling a sense of peace. “Now it is two weeks later, and I am in a totally different setting. My focus, however, remains the same: to follow God. As you continue to pray for Nancy and me–yes, please pray for our recovery. More importantly, pray that we would be faithful to God’s call on our lives in these new circumstances.”

SIM International has been in the middle of the outbreak as Dr. Brantly and nurse Writebol contracted the disease working in their ELWA Hospital in Liberia. Speaking with MNN, SIM President Bruce Johnson says, “The hospital was closed briefly, but now it’s reopened. The people of Liberia continue to struggle, but we need to continue finding ways to help them.”

Since these Americans have contracted the disease, Johnson says doctors have responded by volunteering to go to Liberia to serve. “It’s that kind of sacrificial spirit that’s been such an encouragement to me, and I think really has been an encouragement to the whole church to see the sacrifice and willingness of our brothers and sisters to do that.”

Johnson says he could never have imagined being in the middle of this international media firestorm. SIM has been on many major television and radio networks. “We feel God is saying, ‘Express My glory through this,’ both in testimony as well as to help the U.S. government and other governments.”

David and Nancy Writebol, SIM Missionaries in Liberia. Nancy was stricken with Ebola in Liberia (Photo Courtesy of SIM U.S.A.)

Mission Network News was able to help SIM produce an interview with David Writebol, Nancy’s husband still in Liberia. “Greg helped us in that effort,” says Johnson. “As a result, we posted that on our SIMusa.org Web site. The media picked it up.” That interview featuring David’s testimony was featured for the world to hear on NBC Nightly News and the Today Show.

In the interview, David said, “It is a singular experience to look upon a loved one, especially one where we have spent 40 years together…. We were junior high sweethearts….. To see her on the brink of death and knowing there was nothing I could do to prevent that.”

David added, “We felt so strongly supported by our home church….. [Some have said:] ‘How could they (the Writebols) be foolish to put themselves in danger’…. And yet, it is that very calling and very sending and very going that demonstrates the characteristics of the great things Christ has done for humanity. If our Lord has done that, then we willingly and gladly will do that so others might hear about Christ.”

One of Johnson’s non-Christian friends told Johnson he was praying for SIM workers. Johnson says, “If this one person is expressing this, my sense is this is God saying, ‘I’m going to use this for My glory, and I’m going to bring people to saving faith. Just keep going, keep going, keep going.”

While Ebola continues to provide uncertainty, Johnson says they’re taking precautions. “We have returned 8 people who were in areas that were non-emergency personnel. We still have 40 to 50 Liberian staff and then four U.S. staff [still in Liberia].”

In the meantime, Johnson says God is using this as a call to action. “There might be medical personnel, mechanics, teachers, radio broadcasters, church planters who say, ‘I sense God is calling me.'”

If that’s you, click here to contact SIM USA.

(Photo courtesy World Health Organization)

Liberia (MNN) — The Ebola epidemic sweeping West Africa is “out of control,” according to Doctors Without Borders. The deadly virus is concentrated in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, but there are concerns that hundreds who are unknowingly infected could be spreading the deadly virus even farther.

The disease has a fatality rate of nearly 90% in an outbreak that has killed more than 670 people in West Africa–the largest ever recorded, according to World Health Organization reports. It’s an incurable disease that’s spread through contact, so medical care workers are at high-risk of contracting the disease.

Reach Beyond regional director of Sub-Saharan Africa, Lee Sonius, confirms the latest reports. “I think the worst thing about Ebola is how highly contagious it is. It can be passed even from sweat. The hope that you can somehow bring the cases down all has to do with containment.”

Ebola Takes Its Toll

One of Liberia’s most high-profile doctors has died of Ebola, and on 26 July, the ELWA medical team said they were dealing with it personally: “The missionaries that have tested positive just in the last few days are working at ELWA Hospital in conjunction with Samaritan’s Purse.”

Dr. Kent Brantly, Medical Director for the joint SIM/Samaritan’s Purse Ebola Consolidated Case Management Center in Monrovia, Liberia, has tested positive for the Ebola virus. He is currently undergoing treatment in the isolation center at ELWA Hospital. Dr. Brantly is married with two children.

Nancy Writebol serves with SIM in Liberia and was part of the joint SIM/Samaritan’s Purse team treating Ebola patients at the Case Management Center in Monrovia. She tested positive for the Ebola virus and is also undergoing treatment at the isolation center at ELWA. Mrs. Writebol is married with two children.

Surviving the Virus

Although the mortality rate is high, 10% of those who contract the virus DO survive. Sonius explains, “There’s a much higher chance of survival if you are diagnosed very early. Of course, they’re getting the best care that they can get there.” SIM manages ELWA Hospital in Monrovia and has partnered with Samaritan’s Purse to combat Ebola since the current outbreak began in Liberia in March. “We really need to be keeping these people there in prayer,” says Sonius.

(Photo courtesy World Health Organization)

Medical operations continue at the Ebola Case Management Centers in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, the Liberia Ministry of Health, and other global health authorities.

Sonius explains the connection between ELWA and Reach Beyond. “ELWA has a long history of partnership with Reach Beyond, mainly because of the radio station that is located there. ELWA is the oldest missionary radio station in Africa.” Plus, Sonius has long family ties in Monrovia, Liberia.

Key to Crisis

Because Monrovia is also his hometown, Sonius has many friends and mission field ties to the area. He says that Reach Beyond is assessing how they can best help, whether it’s through fundraising or raising awareness about the crisis on a global scale. However, he notes, “To me, the key is prayer.”

Here’s how you can pray:

*Pray for peace of mind for the two colleagues currently diagnosed with Ebola infection, and pray for wisdom for those who are treating them. Pray that their treatment will be effective in arresting the disease. Pray for their families both in Liberia and in their home country that the Lord will grant them His peace.

*Pray for protection for all of the other staff members continuing to treat people suffering from Ebola.

*Pray for healing for the patients who have been admitted.

*Pray for rest and stamina for the medical team.

*Pray that people in Liberia will learn more about this illness and take proper precautions to prevent its spread.

We will keep you updated as information becomes available.

HCJB is involved with planting radio stations in many areas around the world. (Photo by HCJB Global)

Africa (MNN) — Have you wondered if your prayers would ever be answered? After a long journey, did God provide what you needed just in time?

Kurt Cole of HCJB Global spoke with us about long-term prayers being answered, and hard work paying off.

“In just the last couple of days, we’ve seen years of hard work and prayers and hopes and dreams come to fruition in the countries of Guinea-Bissau and Congo in Africa.”

Guinea-Bissau, located in West Africa, has a new radio station officially on the air. What’s so special about this new radio station? It’s a ministry opportunity like none before in the country.

Cole says, “This is one of those that we wondered if God would ever let it happen. We knew He would, but we didn’t know the timing. And it’s so exciting to see the first evangelical radio station ever in the country of GB and West Africa on the air.”

This first and only evangelical radio station has the opportunity to reach hundreds of thousands with the Gospel. It is located in the country of Gabu. The potential audience is largely Muslim or followers of animistic beliefs.

The radio station is owned and operated by Serving in Mission (SIM),  the group with whom HCJB is partnering to assist in their ministry.

“It’s this partnership with this group that has a team on the ground that will be owning and operating the station,” Cole explains. “We’ve been praying with them for many, many years [that] this’ll be the opportunity to really reach the people of that country.”

HCJB assists the group with technical knowledge, advanced studies that make going on air possible, and ongoing training to keep them on air.

“We believe strongly that local Christian entities within the countries are really the best equipped groups to reach their own people. So we strongly believe in locally-owned radio stations.”

Cole explains that establishing locally owned and run radio stations has become a priority for HCJB. “We have open doors in many places of the world right now: places like Thailand, Nepal, different countries in Africa as well, in the Sahel area that we’re focusing on now.”

It is a different approach than church planting or pastor training. “We are very active in many parts of the world with what we call radio planting.”

Another answer to almost eight years of prayer is the radio station planted in Impfondo, Republic of the Congo.

The connection there was a partner named Dr. Joe Harvey who runs Pioneer Christian Hospital

“In 2006, we invited him to a consortium, a meeting summit that we had in Ghana, to bring our radio and potential health care partners together to dream big about what we could do together with ‘Voice and Hands’ ministry in Africa. And Dr. Joe walked away from that with a dream of having a radio station as part of the hospital ministry.”

Along the nearly decade-long journey, the team hit many snags. But God was faithful to honor their hard work and answer prayer.

“[It] went on the air on the 14th of January at about 6:45 in the evening.”

Beautiful News Radio is broadcasting from the hospital.

Pray for HCJB Global and their partners, that their radio planting would be successful in preaching the Gospel and bringing hope to the poor and needy. If you would like to come alongside HCJB in this effort, click here.

Conti is an SIM missionary to Peru. Growing up in a non-Christian family, she felt that God set her apart and protected her throughout her life. In university, she grew and became a leader within InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. She attended Urbana 1990 where she signed a commitment to pursue full-time missions. Twelve years later (after teaching high school in Indiana for ten), she joined SIM and went to Peru (2003).

Enter: Asian Access (A2). A sharp left turn, right?

Not really. Asian Access and SIM are partnering together to recruit and send missionaries to Japan to plant churches. Conti explains, "We're going to be their senders, and they're going to be the receivers on that end. So, we're going to help more on the training side and help them be more equipped to be missionaries, and they're going to take care of them once they get to Japan."

SIM assumes responsibility for recruiting missionaries, as well as the financial accounting and related human resources functions of missionary training and U.S.-based care. Asian Access retains responsibility for championing the overall vision in Japan, managing the strategy of missionary deployment through its vast network of Japanese churches, and caring for Japan-based missionary personnel.

At SIM's international conference, Conti met and got to know an Asian Access representative who was visiting to see what SIM was doing well. A friendship developed as both women talked about each organization's strengths toward a common goal. Conti says, "Our philosophy is ‘from anywhere to anywhere,' so currently I am the person in Peru who helps people go. So, if we have a candidate for Japan, we would go through Asian Access."

By leveraging the specialties of the two mission-sending agencies, they hope to maximize effectiveness toward the goal of planting 1,000 church congregations in Japan by 2020.

How do Peru and Japan fit together? Actually, it's not such a huge leap, notes Conti. "For Peru, specifically, it's very Asian. Our past presiden (two presidents ago) was half-Japanese (Alberto Fujimori)." Peru has the second-largest population of Japanese people in Latin America after Brazil, and the largest population of Chinese people in Latin America.

As for a timeline on seeing Peruvian missionaries in Japan, Conti reflects that it could happen in the next year or two. "I think there will be more people who will come through our training sessions, mix with SIM workers, and then go out to Japan. We hope that there'll be more missionaries in Japan because of it."

Taking a look at the larger scope, the partnership's innovation has not gone unnoticed in the missions' circles. Last September at the North American Mission Leaders Conference, SIM USA and Asian Access jointly received the eXcelerate Award for excellence and innovation in mission partnership.

Although the partnership is new, already SIM's first missionaries to serve in Japan are one the field: Robert and Roberta Adair. They're working with post-disaster relief post-disaster relief and development, working with young adults and responsibilities within Asian Access.

Please pray for all involved in helping this partnership take root, and give thanks to God for His guidance and blessing in the process. More specifically, says Conti, "Pray for wisdom and how to know what we don't know; how we can work well together, what are some policies and procedures that we haven't thought through that would make it easier."

Go to our Featured Links section for a closer look at what the partnership is doing in Japan.

Asian Access had a problem. They had 24 missionaries in Japan, but they couldn't afford them. A2's President Joe Handley says, "We had an economy problem that was increasing over time. And we said, 'What are we going to do? Should we fold, or should we figure out a new way to do this?'"

That's when they sought out SIM USA to help. SIM has over 700 missionaries in over 65 countries. SIM USA president Bruce Johnson says, "Working together with others is just part of the fabric over decades of SIM. It was a natural conversation for us. It's part of our strategy. It's our heart."

It took some time, but SIM and Asian Access formed a partnership that will allow SIM to service and recruit missionaries for A2's work in Japan. What has it done? Handley says it's saved them a ton of money. "At least $300,000 minimum per year, plus–think of this: we go from one half-time recruiter to eight full-time recruiters just in the United States."

Handley says SIM also helps provide for missionary care.

Johnson says they get a new field. "Together, we're trusting God that over the next 10, 15, 20 years we will help Japanese pastors and church plant 1,000 churches." He also hopes that as a result, these churches will send out 1,000 missionaries.

Johnson says this is a true partnership, not an acquisition. "Asian Access is the leader in Japan. SIM says, 'Your vision now becomes our vision.'"

Handley says the timing couldn't be any better: pastors in Japan are begging for missionaries in Japan. "We are desperate to send people to Japan, and we could not have done it on this scale before the beauty of this partnership with SIM."

Johnson says not just Caucasians, but all ethnicities can have a real impact in Japan.

If you'd like to go to Japan to serve, click here.

Many mission leaders are suggesting this type of a partnership needs to happen more often, which will ultimately save millions of dollars. Unfortunately, Johnson says, there's a fear factor. "The fear factor is 'I'll lose a sense of autonomy, I'll lose a sense of identity.' The uniqueness of this partnership is that actually both missions are strengthened."

While
the station was treated like a crime scene and an investigation was launched, there were few other developments until December 28, 2011.

Executive
Director of ELWA Ministries, Rev. Kedrick L. White, said construction of the new
studio building begins this year and that the entire broadcast facility will be
fully operational by 2013.

The
November 8 fire burned the ELWA radio building to the ground. The staff managed
to salvage roughly 30% of their recordings, but everything else was a total loss.
Damage estimates were slated around
$250,000.00 (USD), with replacement costs of about $400,000.00 (USD).

Despite the loss, the station was not silenced. Immediately after the fire, the team resumed
broadcasting from a standby studio located near the undamaged FM transmitter. Partner HCJB Global held a fundraiser and
sent Radio ELWA $27,000 for new equipment.

It's
time to build, according to White. Other
construction-related developments include a new high school, an amphitheater, a
guest house, the refurbishing of the ELWA housing stock, and a new hospital.

Samaritan's
Purse is bankrolling the hospital building project to the tune of $3.5 million
(USD). Construction begins in June 2012,
and when finished, it will be a 100-bed facility and include funding and space
for a residency program for training Liberian doctors.

ELWA
Ministry also faced a court challenge over the ownership of the 100+ acres of
land it occupies by the government of Liberia. The ministry successfully
defended its ownership through an act of the national legislature, a tribal
certificate and a well probated deed by the late President Tubman
Administration.

ELWA programming consists of several English-language Gospel broadcasts
per day, along with 1½ hours of programming in languages indigenous to the
area, including Grebo, Kru, Gola, Bassa, Kpelle, Kissi, Dan, Krahn and Loma.

Please
pray for the Liberian leaders and staff of the station, ELWA's executive
director Rev. Kedrick White, James Kesselly, and many others. Pray for wisdom
to recover and move forward.

The Monrovia-based Eternal Love Winning Africa (ELWA) burnt
to the ground Tuesday night. Lee Sonius with HCJB
Global says, "They
lost everything. I've already seen some pictures of the building, and the
destruction was quite widespread. They lost all of their equipment, programs, and
music."

The fire started around 9 pm local time. As to its cause,
"The cause of the fire has not been completely determined yet, but it
doesn't look like it was due to an electrical problem." Several reports
coming out of Liberia have been hinting at arson connected to political
unrest.  

After speaking with the station manager, Sonius
explains, "The investigation is
leading more toward the possibility that it was arson, or that it was
intentionally set. Because the run-off election was yesterday, I asked him (the
station manager) if he thought it could have anything to do with the election,
and he said, 'Well, I can't rule that out.'"

The good news is that the transmitter was in a separate
building and is unharmed by the fire. Sonius adds that "they actually had a
small, emergency portable studio at the site of the transmitter. They are already back on the air in a
temporary way."

Sonius was ELWA's station manager in 1990 when civil war
first destroyed the facility. In 1996, radio
ELWA was silenced again during renewed fighting. The staff, with the help of SIM, regrouped
and rebuilt. Seven years later, HCJB came on board to help provide most of the resources for short-wave
broadcasts from a unique transmitter and antenna, which they developed and
installed.

The staff is shell-shocked, says Sonius. "I think the staff at this point must be thinking, 'Why is all of this happening?'" However, Sonius says they've come back from
total destruction before–a faith journey that encouraged growth. "We have
seen their resiliency in the past, and the ministry has been going on. So I
would be very, very surprised if the staff doesn't get behind rebuilding and
getting the Gospel back on the air." 

Their ministry journey together will continue, says Sonius. "HCJB definitely wants to help, and
that's why I called them this afternoon to just assure them of our intention to
help get them back on the air. Obviously, they'll need to rebuild, and they'll
need all the studio equipment."

The radio station daily broadcast eight hours of English programming
and one and a half hours of Liberian language programming. About three-quarters of the station's income
come from local listeners and churches. Both SIM and HCJB are raising funds to
help. Click here if you would like to help.

With the help of its partners, SIM can now distribute multiple consignments of SEJO (a highly-nutritious, sorghum-based meal porridge) throughout eastern Zimbabwe.

Since 2000, little food has been produced in Zimbabwe. Starvation has claimed hundreds of lives, and in August a cholera epidemic sickened thousands more. The 5.5 million people living on a single meal or less per day commenced international concern. SIM responded through a partnership between its Zimbabwe HOPE for AIDS team, Multi Ministries, and the Central Methodist Church of Johannesburg. Despite demands that President Robert Mugabe step down, he refused and rejected offers of humanitarian aid.

SIM continued its work in other African ministries and hoped for a breakthrough. Thanks to concerted prayer and careful negotiations, SIM can now put its food aid plan into action.

Phase One aims to benefit 800 families throughout the volunteer infrastructure of local United Baptist Church congregations, whose churches spread across the eastern highlands. Without shelter and sanitation, the scenario remains one of near humanitarian disaster.

SIM will continue to participate in food relief for thousands of displaced individuals in Musina, a South African border town. The Central Methodist Church of Johannesberg will also receive SIM assistance, providing refuge for 1,500 people. Director Tim Barrow of SIM-ROSA (Region of South Africa) and SIM-UK Director Keith Walker recently assisted in Musina with ministry and food distribution for over 2,000 refugees.

Pray for the sick, young and elderly who will receive this food aid.
Pray also that they will see and know Jesus through Shona Bibles
distributed along with the food aid, and the love shown by volunteers. 

Pray that God provides wisdom and stamina for SIM staff and partners as they plan and work with needs that outweigh resources. If you'd like to know how to help, click here. You could help four people with a gift just over $100.