Tenwek Hospital

As many of you know, we served at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya for 2 1/2 years with Samaritan’s Purse’s World Medical Mission through the Post-Residency Program. Since completing that term, we have transitioned to World Gospel Mission (WGM), which is the long-term sending organization that helps to staff Tenwek.

WGM has been sending missionaries around the world for over 100 years. In 1935, the property that Tenwek Hospital now owns was turned over to WGM. Several few years later, Dr. Ernie Steury became Tenwek’s first physician (and for many years was the only physician). Now, WGM sends many medical missionaries and their families to Tenwek Hospital each year.

Our journey with WGM began while we were still in Kenya under the Post-Residency Program. We completed our applications and language school while living and serving at Tenwek Hospital. Upon returning from the field, we interviewed with World Gospel Mission at their headquarters in Marion, Indiana and quickly learned that we were not only accepted into the WGM family but that we also were appointed as career missionaries. This means that we will be able to serve in Kenya for a longer term (probably 3-4 years).

For now, we are living in Virginia as we prepare to return to Kenya. Lord willing, we will leave the States in January 2017 for our first four-year term at Tenwek Hospital. We hope the New Year will begin the first of many terms serving God in Kenya with WGM!

World Gospel Mission

Tenwek is a mission hospital run by the African Gospel Church and World Gospel Mission. It is located about on the outskirts of Bomet which is 150 miles (a 4 hour drive) outside the capital of Nairobi.

Tenwek’s mission statement is “Tenwek Hospital is a Christian community committed to excellence in compassionate healthcare, spiritual ministry, and training for service to the glory of God.” And the motto is “We treat, Jesus heals.” These statements of faith underlie all of the medical work and outreaches of the hospital. Everyone there strives to use their gifting and talents to bring physical and spiritual healing to our patients.

Decades ago, there was only one full-time doctor. Today, however, there are many full-time physicians (both national and American) that serve at Tenwek. It is a 300-bed teaching hospital that is rapidly growing. We have a maternity ward, an eye ward, surgical suites, casualty (emergency department), an ICU, an outpatient department, as well as several other departments and services.

In addition to treating patients, Tenwek trains nurses, chaplains, interns, and residents. There is also an active community health program that visits villages to immunize and to educate people about hygiene, healthy eating, and farming.

Aaron primarily works in the casualty department, the Kenyan version of an emergency department. There are currently only seven beds in the department, however, there are usually far more than seven patients being treated in casualty at any given time. In addition to treating patients, Aaron teaches his staff and works to make the department run more effectively and efficiently. He also heads the disaster management committee and has been director of Tenwek’s internship program.