Hello,

Please read the brief update from IMCK/Good Shepherd Hospital in Tshikaji, Congo Democratic Republic. Bernard Kabibu Bimvulu visited with many congregations last Easter week and has sent this information and the few pictures to the organizations and people with whom he met during his spring tour in the US to tell about the work of that medical center. While I am a bit uncomfortable with my name being in the letter. It is as sent by Bernard and I’m not sure I feel I should alter his letter.

If you wish to send support to IMCK, all donations small and large, are significant in supporting the important work of this medical center.

Three ways to help:

1. Make a donation through the Medical Benevolence Foundation (http://www.mbfoundation.org/) by making a check to Medical Benevolence Foundation and designating it for IMCK/CONGO. Mail to: Medical Benevolence Foundation, 3100 S. Gessner, Ste 210, Houston, TX 77063. Donations can also be made Online or 
2. Make a donation thru the Presbyterian Church of the USA (www.pcusa.org) by making a check to PCUSA and designating it for IMCK Account E320202. Mail to: PCUSA, Remittance Processing, PO Box 643678, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3678. Donations can also be made Online at the PCUSA web site.
3. Make a donation through Rivers of the World Congo-Kasai Chapter. Donations may be sent to ROW CK, 3640 Hewatt Court, Snellville, GA 30039. You may also go through the www.row.org website. Please designate IMCK either online or on your check.

 Thank you so much for caring about medical work in Congo and may God bless you!

Jimmy Shafe
Director, Rivers of the World Congo-Kasai Chapter
October 2009

Dear Friends,

 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

 As you may have heard, Drs. Leon Mubikayi and Augustin Mwala have resigned from their respective positions of Director of IMCK and Director of Good Shepherd Hospital (GSH).  Two new people have been appointed to fill the vacancies. The IMCK Board has named Dr. Beure Mbaindonadji to be the new Director of IMCK and Dr. Blaise Ndandu has been appointed to be the Director of Good Shepherd Hospital. Beure is a urologist from the country of Chad. This is a specialty that we have never had at Good Shepherd Hospital. Blaise is a former resident in the IMCK program. He has worked in the surgery department of IMCK since September of 2005. We strongly hope these new leaders will bring in new ideas and new ways of doing things.

Times at IMCK are still economically and financially difficult. But because of all kinds of support we have received from you as individuals and/or congregations, we were able to carry out several projects, which would have been difficult to accomplish if you had not helped us.

1)   We did, in due time (July), the annual maintenance of the hydro electrical plant. We replaced the various lubrications, fixed the pump, and inspected different points of the connections to ensure that the system is in good working condition. We have electricity where it is needed at the hospital and at the nursing school.

2)   The problem of the defective water pipes remains unsolved. For the time being, it is unpleasant to work in the wards, particularly in the men’s medicine and surgery wards, where there is no water. The health professionals (nurses, doctors) who work in these wards cannot wash their hands between cases, nor can the patients use the bathrooms or take showers. This work environment has become unbearable and sanitarily dangerous.

3)   We have supplied our pharmaceutical depot with some essential drugs, so that patients can get the needed medications from the hospital pharmacy. This has put an end to handing the prescriptions to the patients and asking them to go buy drugs at the market or on the street.

4)   We completely rehabilitated the roof at PAX Clinic, our busy downtown clinic in Kananga. We replaced all the old leaking roofing sheets, the destroyed roof lumber and ceiling, and the doors, thanks to a grant we received from Rivers of the World Congo-Kasai Chapter (ROW) through efforts by Jimmy Shafe. This has done more than give PAX a new look; it has vitally prolonged its life. It was one of IMCK’s goals this year to rehabilitate the aging infrastructures.

All this has been possible because of you. We wholeheartedly thank all of you for your prayers, your interest in our health ministry and your willingness to provide financial support for IMCK.

 May you grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ until He comes.

Bernard Kabibu Bimvulu
IMCK Administrator