Gray June 2010

the Door is Before Us
To our faithful Friends and Family,
This is a daunting newsletter to write because it is no newsletter. It is a step into unknown territory with an uncertain outcome.
In the past couple of years, God has led us on a journey and we have been privileged to see His faithfulness over and over. There
have been many periods of unknowns but Gods familiar hand has not failed us. So, Im learning to see these uncertainties with a
sense of anticipation. It is unknown and dark to me but not to Him.
It seems that Soddo Christian Hospital and its PAACS surgical training program are at the brink of something. It may go well or it
may go bad. But it will be a ride, either way! The work you are enabling here is getting interesting. A few months ago, the PAACS
program received an amazing and, frankly, unexpected gift from God. We were accredited as a surgical training site in Ethiopia.
Thank you so much for your prayers in this! They were heard. I continue to rejoice in our God for this milestone.
Allow me to share a little about the implications of this. Right now, Ethiopia is in desperate need of surgeons. There are about 140
surgeons for 88 million people; and most of those 140 live in the capital, Addis Ababa. According to the Secretary General of the
Ethiopian Surgical Society, Ethiopia graduated 10 surgeons in 2008. In the same year, 8 other surgeons left the country. PAACS is
training surgeons to stay in Ethiopia. The PAACS program in Soddo has graduated two residents so far. One is finishing his training
in pediatric surgery in Kenya and will return to Ethiopia in a year or two. The other is practicing surgery in an Ethiopian hospital.
The greatest obstacle we have faced in getting Ethiopian candidates for training has been
accreditation. God has now granted that. In fact, that accreditation has now been fully validated.
One of our graduated surgeons, Solomon Endrias, has now received a license as a fully-
recognized surgical specialist from the government. This is incredible news and we rejoice
greatly in it. Furthermore, I was amazed at one of the requests given during the accreditation
process. They want us to train many more surgeons than we are! We were invited by the
government to expand our training significantly. I can only marvel at Gods kindness and
provision. Should we be granted the ability to expand our training and should we continue to
produce surgeons for Ethiopia, we could soon become one of the principle sources of surgeons
in the country. And these would be men and women who love Jesus and desire to serve Him
and Ethiopia with their lives.
God has provided further encouragement with the promise of additional help. Two young
American general surgeons have committed to working with PAACS at Soddo Christian
Hospital. Lord willing, they may both be here in two years or sooner. Across the missionary
landscape, it is increasingly evident that there are fewer and fewer doctors willing to give a career to serving Christ in a developing
country. It seems to be a dying breed. I proudly stand with these men who are coming.
The Beachhead
In many ways, I think a helpful analogy of where we stand right now is from warfare. Before I begin, I want to be very clear about a
possible misinterpretation. Our battle is not against the governing authorities. Far from it, we want to be their partner and work
alongside them in achieving what is, in many ways, a common goal. Our prayer is that the authorities would see our institutions,
both SCH and PAACS, as allies in the ultimate goal of meeting a strong surgical need in Ethiopia. Therefore, our battle is with the
very real and necessary challenges to accomplish this goal.
In this battle, God has granted us a victory in establishing a beachhead. Weve landed in the target area and we have a toehold. But,
just like the beachheads established in warfare, our situation is vulnerable and fragile. We are not yet established and can be
defeated, pushed back into the sea.
Something truly substantial has happened but it is not yet secure. It is in jeopardy. And, like the beachheads of warfare, our need is
similar. We must receive an inflow of material and support to establish this beachhead and make it secure so that we can then
move further into the target area.
So what do we need? Why is the road uncertain and daunting? Our hospital needs development to do this. We have inadequate
housing. Our medical facilities need to be expanded. The accreditation is dependent on certain improvements to be maintained. All
of these needs are so far above me I feel dwarfed. But God has proven Himself faithful thus far and I am confident He can handle
these needs. Take a look at the needs below. Join me in pursuing them. Join me in prayer and lend me your advice and help.
Housing
We do not currently have
adequate housing for these
incoming missionaries. Nor do
we have adequate housing for
the residents we need to train.
Last year, we were visited by a
team from Engineering
Ministries International and
received a master plan for
development. Part of this
includes plans for a three-story
apartment building that will
meet most of our housing
needs. The estimated cost of
building it is $663,000 USD.
Half of one floor is seen here.
Once completed, the three
floors would provide 20 units.
Pathology
One of the stipulations given for maintaining our accreditation to train surgeons is to develop on-site pathology. We are probably a
long way from having a full-time pathologist but we can develop a telepathology unit. This would allow us to prepare pathologic
specimens at the hospital, prepare slides and photograph pictures of the slides. We would then email the pictures to a pathologist
in the US for interpretation. We already have a pathologist willing to partner with us. In addition to the accreditation issue, it
would also allow us to train our residents in preparing and interpreting pathological specimens. Weve been in contact with World
Wide Labs, an organization that partners with mission hospitals. We can get the materials to set this up for about $20,000 USD.
Intensive Care Unit Development

Another of the stipulations for maintaining our accreditation is the development of an ICU with ventilation capabilities. This means
being able to treat patients with breathing machines. Already God has provided the money for the purchase of seven new
anesthesia machines for the hospital. These machines have built in ventilators and we plan to use some of them in building the
upgraded ICU. This purchase is already underway. However, we have a desperate need for sufficiently trained nurses to staff this
ICU. They are not available in this country. No such training exists here. We need western ICU nurses who are willing to commit
themselves to work with our nurses and train them, on-the-job, so to speak. Realistically speaking, we need people willing to come
for at least six months, though we would be thrilled to have them longer. Only God can provide this need.
Emergency Room and Outpatient Care

Though surgeons may be loathe to
admit it, surgery doesnt happen in a
vacuum. A good surgical training site
requires adequate primary care
support. Our current Outpatient
Department is woefully inadequate
and is overcrowded. Our emergency
room is also inadequate. Our
pediatric care needs expansion and
needs room to do so. One of the
many blessings God has provided is
another young doctor willing to give
his career to missions, a pediatrician.
He and his family will also be with us in the next two years. Our current six-bed pediatric ward will be nowhere near enough.
Engineering Ministries International is also working with us for plans for a new Outpatient Department that will provide and free
up adequate facilities for these crucial hospital needs. A floor plan is seen below. It will cost $600,000 USD.
The Beachhead Needs to Be Stabilized!

We are requesting about 1.3 million dollars and people (including ICU nurses and people knowledgeable in construction to oversee
our building projects). These needs are God-sized needs. I want to make them known to you and ask for your help in an effort to
seek Gods provision of them. First, pray. The Bible says God actually answers prayer. It amazes me that an all-powerful,
sovereign God has chosen to use the prayers of mankind to accomplish His will in the world. But He has done it nonetheless.
Oh, that we would recognize this truth, for it would compel us to pray more than ever.
Second, obey whatever God may be leading you to do. If He wants you to give something of
My grace
what He has entrusted to you, please do so in full confidence of His direction and desire. is sufficient for you,
Finally, help me. We will be returning to the USA this October. I will approach for my power is made
whomever God wants me to approach. But I dont know who to go to. This is very perfect in weakness.
foreign territory for me. If God brings to your mind any individuals or companies or
2Corinthians 12:9
organizations I should visit, please contact me and let me know. I firmly believe God can do
this and am willing to be used by Him in the process.
Finally, before I close, I want to pull back from heady discussions of training and governmental
recognition and hundreds of thousands of dollars, and return to the reason all of this is being done.
Jesus says in the book of Matthew that when He returns the nations will be divided into two groups.
To one of those groups He will say, Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to
eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.
Then those will answer Him, When did we do these things? And Jesus
says He will answer, Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to
one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.
In the end, our eyes and aims are on those least people Jesus cares so
much about.
Thank you for your help and prayers.
Love,
Paul, Becca, Nathan and Lydia
Will you help us take these steps?

As Paul said in the first paragraph it sounds daunting, but we
are excited about the doors God is opening here and we trust that
he will provide for His plans. Thank you for being a part of
Gods work in Ethiopia. If you would like to donate, please in-
dicate your wishes; either towards the project in general (Soddo
Development) or to the specific project you would like to support.
As always, 100% of donations given through Global Outreach
will get to the hospital.
Current Contact Information

Email: [email protected] Financial gifts to support our ministry may be sent to:
Website: http://paulandbecca.wordpress.com Global Outreach:

P.O. Box 1, Tupelo, MS 38802
Mailing address:
Soddo Christian Hospital Checks can be written to Global Outreach with our names in
the memo. 100% of funds go towards our ministry and per-
Paul and Becca Gray sonal needs.
Pictures in this newsletter were
PO Box 305
used with permission, by Caffery You can also give online at: www.globaloutreach.org and
Soddo, Woliatta, Ethiopia click on Please give a donation
Photo, a visitor to Soddo, Ethiopia.

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Gray June 2010

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the Door is Before Us

To our faithful Friends and Family,

Intensive Care Unit Development

Emergency Room and Outpatient Care

The Beachhead Needs to Be Stabilized!

Thank you for your help and prayers.

Paul, Becca, Nathan and Lydia

Will you help us take these steps?

Current Contact Information

Website: http://paulandbecca.wordpress.com Global Outreach:

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