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Hope City in Gabon

Check out the latest News from Henri, Joyce, Cherissa and 'Bump' Samoutou in Gabon...

Henri, Joyce Samoutou and their two-year-old daughter Cherissa, from Hope City Sheffield congregation moved to Gabon in Africa in October 2006. This is their latest news update...

BONJOUR du Gabon! So much has happened since we got back from our US tour that it is hard to decide what to highlight in this update.

Cause for Celebration!

The Samoutou family will soon become 4! Yes! We are expecting a baby in November!
Last year, through the work of the hospital, 1373 people said Yes to Jesus. So far this year, the total already stands at 850!
The eye clinic is truly buzzing! Just this week, there were 26 operations and 53 decisions to become Christians!
A showing of the film 'Jesus' in Mandji village saw a crowd of several hundreds come and 30 people asking Jesus to be their Lord and Saviour.

Family Time

We had lots of fun with Henri’s dad when he stayed with us for 2 weeks. Cherissa taught him English and in return, he taught her how to make animal sounds used in hunting! He was a great hunter and told us magnificent stories of lions elephants!
We continue to enjoy helping host lots of visitors to our hospital. We have already had 69 this year! They are mainly health professionals and construction workers from USA . In March, however, a team from Montana came to bless us by ministering to us at our annual prayer retreat. One of them was Andrea Hawthorne, who beautifully led our worship and kids’ sessions. With her permission, we are sharing what she wrote to show you what you would see if you could come yourself (which would have been a far better thing!):

One particularly vivid memory I will have for many years is of watching Henri doing cataract surgery. He invited me into his clean, peaceful operating room. In the background Hillsong music was playing. He gently led an older “mama” (their term of respect for an elderly woman) to the table to lie down. It was obvious that she had complete trust in this quiet, gentle man who was going to care for her. When all was prepared, he placed his hands on the woman’s head and prayed for her. His hands performed delicate, intricate procedures that my human eye could barely see. He explained as he went what he was doing. I watched in silent fascination as he removed an M&M size cloudy chunk, which was her cataract! At the moment he gently slid it out, the song “Open the Eyes of My Heart” began playing. I was reduced to tears of amazement and joy as I watched the hands of this man bring the miracle of sight to this woman. I was overcome because I knew that his deepest prayer for every person that he operates on is that the eyes of their heart would be open to Jesus, their only Saviour.

Prayer Points

Thank God with us for how He has given us the privilege to be involved in His work here in Gabon
Liza and Emma: For peace, strength and healing.
Our future: For wisdom as we make plans to prepare for the arrival of our new baby (which will involve going back to the UK ); and also as we make some major decisions about our long-term plans. We eagerly await how God provides all the practicalities for us e.g. air-tickets and housing etc..
Health for Joyce and bump!: Joyce has day and night nausea and vomiting (or ‘swallowing’ as Cherissa calls it!), and is waking up hourly in the night as a result. Please pray for this to go and for strength for her as she looks after Cherissa on her own during the day. With the only other family on the mission station away in the States on furlough, this can stir up some rather lonely feelings!
Village church plant: For the new believers in Mandji village church. And for us as we start planning a new church plant in another village. If it weren’t for Joyce’s vomiting, we would have started cracking at it! So we are rather disappointed but we suppose it is a season of ‘waiting, waiting and more waiting!’
Eye clinic: Thank God for the excellent press the eye clinic received during primetime national TV. We were recognised as the only successful cataract operating theatre in Gabon . This publicity will likely draw even more patients to an already overworked eye clinic. Please pray for joy and strength for the whole team, and for anointed leadership skills for Henri. The photos show Cherissa with one of the patients, the many patients waiting outside for care, and Henri with his new 'baby' - a gift that is a portable operating microscope that will allow him to operate in the villages!