Later in the afternoon, I found myself writing a letter to Paul, a Sudanese refugee from Dafur, whom we had befriended and given lodging to, who is now in prison in Aden. He was confirmed by Bishop Clive here in December along with a delightful Slovak pilot, having become a Christian in Sudan some while ago. Unfortunately his zeal has proved greater than his wisdom and for that he is paying a high price. A Yemeni friend is taking him food each day and we have managed to speak several times by phone. He has admitted that he was very foolish but still, typing to him the words of his favourite passage of the Bible proved a poignant and emotional experience – “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble, or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” (Paul was released from prison three days later).

A few weeks ago we had unexpected visitors, two couples who were part of a British tour group to Yemen. They had heard of Christ Church and appeared one Sunday morning just before 10 am asking eagerly what time the service was. We explained that our main service was on Fridays. They were very understanding – and very English. ‘Was there’, one asked, ‘a plaque listing past incumbents? Even a flower guild, perhaps?’ Nancy held back from admitting that she occasionally dusted the plastic ones in the sanctuary. Once they realized that we were not a typical English parish and had shown them the church and the work of the clinics, they were wonderfully appreciative, curious and encouraging. Some weeks later they kindly wrote to say that their visit here had been amongst the highlights of their three week tour of Yemen.

Vital statistics
Today was an exciting day in the medical clinic. After much research, some tough bargaining and receipt of a cheque for US$16,000 from the British Ambassador in Yemen, we took delivery of a brand new Toshiba Ultrasound and a Swiss made ECG machine. Both are overdue acquisitions and should make a significant difference to the service we can offer here. Our two doctors are being trained in the use of them.

In 2005, 12,000 patients were seen in the medical clinic, almost exactly the same number as in 2004 – an encouraging figure - given that for the past few months we have functioned without a midwife. Valentina, our able and much loved midwife returned home to Moscow in August after seven years in Yemen. Zainab, almost our longest serving staff member, we retired at the end of 2005. She took it very graciously and seemed well pleased with the party and the present given before she left. Doctors Nada and Shada (sisters) continue to serve the medical clinic competently and conscientiously, while at home they nurse their brother, who has now lain in their front room in a coma for over eighteen months. The family has coped well but it has been a very hard time indeed.

We have made our need of a midwife/gynecologist widely known but have yet to have anyone express interest. We would love to find another dedicated Christian of any nationality to fill this role.

In April this year we shall welcome three medical friends –  a General Practitioner, an experienced GP educationalist and a health visitor trainer who are linked through PRIME (Partners in International Medical Education). The purpose of their visit is primarily to help us evaluate the work of the clinics and to shape plans and prioritize for the future. October 12th 2006 will be the 10th anniversary of the opening of the medical clinic –

a good moment to take stock. Our medical staff are really excited at the prospect of their coming, which is wonderful.

The eye clinic has been busy – 6,000 outpatients seen and 1,172 operations performed – 83 of them on the island of Socotra. The bulk of the operations are carried out by Dr Osmany, our faithful Cuban surgeon, whose services we share with the nearby military hospital. Dr John Sandford Smith has also helped, making visits both to Socotra and Aden. He returns for a further fortnight’s intensive surgery at the end of March, and in a few days time Dr Jan Tynovsky from the Czech Republic will be coming to us. These visits are always eagerly anticipated, and they reduce considerably the patient pressure on Dr Osmany.

Eye testing at local schools

Sometimes local eye surgeons accuse us of stealing their patients. It is not true. Even if they reduce their fees by fifty percent, the patients who come here could not afford them. They send us their poor patients. Admittedly, we are very fortunate that we do not have to pay the salaries of our surgeons; they either come to us as volunteers or are funded by others, most particularly the CBM (Christian Blind Mission), who also supply us with equipment and are currently funding the further training of our Dr Amal in Pakistan. For our part, we scour the globe (almost literally) for medical supplies and drugs that are both reasonably priced and good.  In the past few weeks we have had consignments from as far a field as London, Abu Dhabi, Moscow and Mumbai. A friend visiting us recently from Dubai expressed amazement that the total annual operating budget for church and clinics (less the chaplain’s salary) came to US$125,000 - equivalent to keeping one senior, expatriate, company executive in Dubai for a year.

Of that figure, US$85,000 was met last year by the Diocese.  The balance was made up from patients’ fees, designated gifts and guest room income.

‘Out of Egypt’
There have been a number of significant developments in the eye clinic over the past year. In the summer, Naguiba was appointed as theatre nurse. Qaid, the head of the eye team, has set up an excellent system for recording the effectiveness of operations and treatment given here. Most significant perhaps, was the visit made to us at the end of last year by two Egyptian doctors, Adel Wahbe, an eye surgeon and Michel Awad, an anesthetist (and now Assistant Director of Menouf Hospital). Their names were given to us a year ago by Bishop Mouneer, whom we visited in Cairo on our way back from Synod.

Faith and Hope
The proportion of this report devoted to the work of the clinics represents accurately where the bulk of the director’s energies have gone. But prayer, and one hopes, a truly Christian perspective upon the work sustains and guides all we try to do. The working days begin with prayer in the church with our Christian staff and sometimes visitors, while at six each evening (except on Thursdays when one of the Ethiopian fellowships worships) we gather again to pray.

Our regular congregation has probably, like many other congregations in the region, changed a great deal from a year ago. There are new teachers, Canadian and English, at the language institutes, an NGO with the German development agency, several young families, including Australian and Egyptian, and in recent weeks a number of Filipino men. We are glad to have the Nigerian fishermen still with us. Numbers on Friday hover around thirty, though we are often joined by visitors, usually from Taiz and Sanaa, staying in the guest rooms.

In November we redecorated the guest rooms, divided the bathroom into two and created a little but more than adequate kitchen out of the corner of the largest guest room. There have been well over a hundred guests of all ages, sizes and nationalities since the work was finished. Not only has it been enormous fun welcoming people here, but it has also proved a most useful source of additional income.
 

As mentioned earlier, Bishop Clive visited in December and amongst other things, conducted the confirmation of Paul and Milan. A few weeks before, I baptised Milan using the stone font rescued by Colin Noyce along with the bell from the long abandoned British garrison church near Silent Valley. It is now mounted on a strikingly attractive metal stand made by a young Adeni welder. “His father,” I was told nonchalantly, by one of our staff, “is a Yemeni Christian – a good man.” There are, we have discovered, more of them around than we had thought.

On the Sunday evening before Christmas, we joined Fr Matthew’s congregation at the Church of the Good Shepherd just down the road here in Tawahi. Our main Christmas service was on Christmas Eve. There were about fifty present. In the course of the service we processed with candles out of the church to ‘Bethlehem’ – a roughly constructed shelter in the garden, where we knelt in the dust before a wide eyed Ethiopian baby – Jesus. As the last notes of ‘Hark the Herald’ faded, one of the congregation, a lovely Iraqi Christian, spontaneously continued the song in Arabic. Afterwards we all shared a meal together. Unfortunately, work on the seafarers’ front is on hold. While Peter has recovered well enough to drive, at least around Aden, he is not yet up to jumping for gangplanks. Hopefully by Easter…

“People there are kind”
During Ramadan, we had a phone call from a woman in Sanaa, enquiring what ‘humanitarian help’ we offered people. We explained. She seemed satisfied and said that she would visit when she was next in Aden. Six weeks or so later she appeared here. She spoke good English, which she said she had learned in Mogadishu. Again, she asked about humanitarian help and we replied as before. She sounded resigned, her face except for her eyes, was well covered. As she thanked us and made as if to leave, we asked her whether there was ‘anything else?’ She hesitated, but then asked if we believed in evil spirits. We told her that we did. She then told us briefly an unhappy story. Later, with her consent, we prayed for her in the name of Jesus. As she left us, we asked how it was that she had found her way to Christ Church? “Oh,” she replied simply, “a friend, a neighbour in Sanaa, came here for an operation. She told me, ‘the people there are kind’”.

We count it a great privilege, as we believe do all our staff, to work in this place. We remain enormously grateful for your continued prayers, your interest and your very generous support.