The Many Faces of Goodbye

And now as our two year contract with Samaritan's Purse has come to an end in Kenya and it is time to say goodbye...

Goodbyes to the staff at the dental clinic and for Sara the maternity ward and Theatre. Friends gathered in a circle with me and one by one shared their thanks, tears, appreciation, prophesy (that God would bring us back again), and prayers of blessings for myself and my family as we go. It was moving and surprising in a reserved culture where thanks is not commonly used that an impact was made even in people when you least expected.

Goodbyes involve tears represented by chalk images drawn by Amelia. Her pictorial response of her feelings in saying goodbye to Mocha our dog the past 18 months. Mocha moved to the orthopedist house (even with many attempts to escape back to our house), Lucy the gold fish moved to a dorm at RVA, and Flower the Bunny escaped to the forest.

Goodbyes to CS Meredith's best friend. Their smiles and hugs say it all.

Goodbyes to close friends in the mission community like the Shirley's were too hard to verbalize...and just better left at "we'll see you later."

Goodbyes to "things" brought relief as couches, piano, and our car all sold within two weeks and the rest was given to those who needed...coming back with much less than we brought.

Goodbye to the beautiful sunsets of the Great Rift Valley and the moderate sunny climate in which the Meredith & Amelia wore sundresses every day.

Goodbyes to a kenyan culture that we have grown to love.

Kwaheri Kenya!

Everything that has breath...

The donations of stuffed animals from the VBS kids at WPC in Akron were so plenty that the Meredith & Amelia enjoyed a second round of giving a little bit of cheer to the kids in the pediatric ward at Kijabe Hospital.










This sign was a reminder that all life comes from God and no matter how small are valuable in His eyes.

Iowa compared to Kenya

The ADA (American Dental Association) is kind enough to give me a free membership as a missionary/volunteer international dentist. With that membership I appreciate that JADA sends to me in Kenya their monthly journal.

Above are research pictures depicting children in Iowa "suffering" from moderate to mild Fluorosis of the teeth maybe caused by excess fluoride found in infant formula.

In comparison a typical patient of mine in Kijabe, Kenya suffering from severe Fluorosis surely caused by excessive fluoride in the well water due to the enriched soil of the great Rift Valley.

It's A Hard Life

As I walk to the hospital I see this man in a stocking hat. His name is Jeremy.

Jeremy, I see you out here each morning with a hammer and chisel. You work hard.
Yes, I am a craftsmen. I am a stone mason.

Jeremy, you are always barefoot Do you not have shoes?
No I have, you see the how the splinters spray (he drives the hammer against the chisel into the rock and chards of stone disperse) into the air. They would infest my shoes. It is better to wear nothing at all.

Do you live here in Kijabe?
No, I live in Nairobi. But I am here from Monday to Saturday. That is my temporary home (he points to a 10 x 20 shipping container in the field) for myself and the others. We work until evening.

Do you have family?
Yes. I have two children and my job as a craftsmen provides for them.

How are you paid?
It is paid by the foot. You see this one here is one foot (gesturing to the rock he just split). I am paid 15 Ksh per foot (about 20 cents). On a good day I can I do 100 foot of stone. But that is just a good day (he points to the quarry of rocks he has completed) when I am feeling strong. But you see these rocks are softer....the other rocks (pointing to a new delivery of rocks) are harder. For those maybe only 50 foot in a day.

How long have you been a stone craftsmen?
15 years. I am 37 years old. Can you help me with something?

Do you want me to hammer a stone? I am a dentist..we do use elevators, chisels, and things like that. I might be good at this. Can I give it a try? (Jeremy nodded in approval. I cradled the stone with my shoes, picked up the hammer, and place the blade of the chisel at a 45 degree angle to the rock. I pounded. Nothing happened. Adjusted the chisel and pounded again. Nothing happened...more force Jeremy said. I kept at it for about 5 minutes banging my knuckles with the hammer as frequently as the chisel. I picked up a new chisel and tried again (maybe the blade was dull?). 5 minutes later the rock looked no different. Jeremy's boss arrived so I handed the chisel and hammer back to him.)

No doctor, I could really use your help with some pain medicine. It is paining here (he points to his shoulders).
Yes, of course. I could imagine your muscles may hurt.

This is what you are building (we looked behind to the new Cure intern housing sixplex)?
Yes..to that I have added.

Jeremy, that is many bricks you have made. And you are an excellent craftsmen.

Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly. (Exodus 1)

Jeremy told me he is a Christian. I imagine he can relate to the struggle of the Israelites differently than I can. With brick and mortar he is building a sitaplex (not a Pyramid). But, Jeremy works voluntarily, earns a reasonable salary, and is proud of his craftsmanship as a stone mason (as he should be). But, could you imagine hammering rocks all day long for 15 years? If this was your life would the Israelites plight look a little different? Would it just be an old story with a few good moral lessons to learn? Or might the book of Exodus really be a living document...that you would identify and claim as your own with every swing of the hammer.

Waxing & Waiting (A Walk Through Kijabe Dental)

Take a quick pictorial walk through Kijabe Dental Clinic.


Caroline (COHO) developing intra-oral x-rays with the old fashioned peripro-light box using the hand dip method.


Louis (COHO) scaling teeth with the old fashioned patient spittoon (now eliminated in the US because of OSHA) in the foreground. Patients always tell me they miss having this spittoon available to clear their mouth.


Just like in the U.S. our patients wait as well (or Queue as they call it). We try to recycle old magazines and leave them in the waiting room for their pleasure.


Dr. Friess at the Dental Clinic in a rare appearance with a suit and tie the day President Kibaki visited Kijabe. The comments were remarkable, 1) Dr. Friess you look smart today. 2) Dr. Friess you are being smart 3) Dr. Friess you are looking smart wearing a tie. 4) Dr. Friess- yes it is smart for you to wear a suit. I guess I said, "thanks! Imagine all the smarter clinical decisions I could make if I wore a suit and tie everyday. But on the other hand...if I'm smart when I wear suit and tie, how am I the other days?"


George (laboratory dental technician) waxing up a denture with a burner just as I did years ago in dental school.

State House News

The link below outlines President Kibaki's visit to Kijabe Hospital yesterday.

http://www.statehousekenya.go.ke/news/october2010/2010081002.htm

Rolling Out The Red Carpet

The Red Carpet was rolled out today for His Excellency the Honorable President of Kenya Mwai Kibaki. President Kibaki arrived at Kijabe at about 11 AM in a motorcade of vehicles.



The President greeting various board members of Kijabe Hospital and Pastors of Africa Inland Church.



The newly designed and expanded (and very clean) recovery room for patients immediately after surgery. We can take some pride that Samaritan's Purse (our sending organization) generously donated over 200,000 USD towards the total 500,000 USD needed for the theatre expansion at Kijabe.



The ever present white dry-erase board to keep track of the anesthetist, patient, surgeon, and procedures for the now expanded Theatre with nine different operating rooms.



Several thousand people gathered to view the presentations and hear President Kibaki speak.



President Kibaki spoke for 15 minutes. The president acknowledged the importance of religious organizations in responding to the great health care needs of Kenya. He commended Kijabe on its response to provide excellent compassionate health care at affordable costs to the poor. The President responded to a request by Kijabe to relieve 2 million KSH debt left by patients who could not pay, "I will deal with it," he said. The President agreed to insure that all supplies and medical equipment imported to Kenya with purpose to be used at Kijabe hospital could now come "Duty Free." The President even address the roads leading to Kijabe--and did not go as far as promising they would be fixed, but was sympathetic to the needs to have the roads repaired for safety and comfort for patient travel. In the end I found President Kibaki to be soft spoken, at times humorous from the podium, and responsive to the needs of Kijabe. He seems like a really decent guy.



The president being escorted away from Kijabe Hospital left with the words, "please let us (the government) know how we can help Kijabe." I want to believe the President was moved, impressed, and maybe surprised by this mission hospital that has grown in a hundred years from a little dispensary to a now a level 5 referral hospital with over 20 doctors/specialists, a nursing school, and a medical training facility. And that the Commander and Chief of a sovereign republic of over 30 million people will support and enable Kijabe to continue to share God's love through medical care.

Presidential Preparations

Tomorrow may be the biggest day in the history of Kijabe since 1905 when Theodore Roosevelt laid the cornerstone at Rift Valley Academy. We are excited that His Excellency President of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki will be coming to Kijabe Hospital. Kibaki has served as Kenya's President since 2002, but this will be his first visit to Kijabe Hospital. He has agreed to ceremonially open the Theatre (Operating Room) expansion. This expansion will triple the square footage of the operating room by adding 5 new operating rooms, a larger recovery room, patient reception area, staff chai room, and conference rooms. This will enable more patients to be treated and especially expand the capacity of surgical care in Plastic Surgery, ENT, Orthopedics, General Surgery, and make available around the clock an emergency OR (decreasing the wait time for urgent C-sections).

Most of all we pray that with the President of Kenya attending this event, the national spotlight will shine on Kijabe and God will be glorified through compassionate health care.


Gallons of Glossy White have been painted to make the walls sparkle.

Believe it or not, 10-20 casual workers have spent the past week sanding the exterior walls of the hospital by hand (fine grade paper I think).

The buzz of the President's visit has mobile phones ringing and text messages flying.

A stage is being built for the President to speak after the opening of the Theatre expansion. Even more interesting new green turf (seen in lower left hand corner of the picture) is being laid to sharpen up the field.

Even new steps are being laid in cement to the backdoor of the hospital to welcome the President's visit.

Have you ever met a current or former president of any country?

Are Physical & Spiritual Healing Inseparable?

In 1974 the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization declared, "We affirm that evangelism and socio-political involvement are both part of our Christian duty," thus emphasizing social ministry as an important part of missions.

Many Christians now stress Holistic ministry; that is evangelism and physical/social care go hand in hand. We encourage the connection of spiritual and physical, loving each other and sharing the good news, soup kitchens and proclaiming God's glory, health care for the needy and advancing the Kingdom of God. Franklin Graham has said, "Holistic ministry (Medical Missions) just plain works."

But the idea of holistic ministry was introduced far before this declaration in 1974. Luke 4:18-19 explains what Jesus was sent to do:

to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed.

Some say this (preaching, setting captives free, healing, and standing up for the oppressed) should be the goal of the church and the main thrust of missions (note; preaching the good news is included). Others stress that the Great Commission in Matthew 28 should be our thrust:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.


That is (discipleship, baptizing, and teaching the Gospel) is our mission. In the history of Christianity we have seen the pendulum swing back and forth. Some time it leans too far towards social action (let's give food to the hungry healthcare to the sick, and fight for the oppressed but let's avoid words like Jesus or God's love; those terms are too loaded and controversial these days). Then the pendulum can tip too far in the other direction (The Bible tells us we will always have the poor with us. We can't get distracted by this world, we must focus on the next Kingdom. We just need more churches, more preachers, and more getting people saved.) These extremes are easy to recognize, but in real life I think missions and the role of the church is more subtle.

See how DeYoung writes:

When you love, you love the whole person, right? So why do so many churches seem disinterested in the human problems in their community and around the world? Didn’t Jesus heal the sick? Didn’t the Good Samaritan help the beaten man just because it was the neighborly thing to do? He didn’t give him a gospel tract first. Look, I’m in a city with crime, homelessness, poverty, broken families, and a failing education system. If we love God and we love people, how can we not care about these problems? Yes, I want to see people come to know Christ. People need the gospel more than anything else. Hell is real. They need reconciliation with God above all else. But they also need food and a job. Christians should care about these needs too. We are supposed to seek the peace of the city. Therefore, our vision needs to be bigger than providing a safe church for middle class people to have a safe experience of God so they can drive back to their safe neighborhoods and ignore a world of problems around them. The Bible has too much to say about loving the poor and caring about justice for us to simply save souls. Heaven is not a place for ghosts to fly around. It’s an earthly place with resurrected bodies where matter matters. We don’t reflect the reality of heaven if we turn a blind eye to the flesh-and-blood world in which we live.

and to the other direction:

Yes, we agree that the Christians should love people in word and deed. We too want to see our communities flourish. We think it is good and right to support relief work in Haiti or build an orphanage in Africa or repair a park in our city. But we are jealous not to lose or de-emphasize in any way what makes the church unique. The goal is not to make the world honor us for our good works, but honor God in their hearts. There are any number of institutions or humanitarian organizations or even members of other religions devoted to the problems of poverty and suffering. But what about eternal suffering? Who will give the perishing the words of life except the church? If we truly love people we will share the gospel and disciple them in Christ. Of course we want the peace of the city. Who wouldn’t? But biblical shalom is not simply human flourishing, it is also, and irreducibly, faith and repentance. There is no kingdom without worship of the King. Besides, we aren’t going to change the world or transform the culture, at least not by our efforts and strategies. It’s too complicated and we’re too ignorant. Only God builds the kingdom. The church is not the custodian of the culture. The church’s role is to be the church. This means preaching and sacraments, discipline and membership, and displaying a counter-cultural community. We’ll influence the world, but do so as we live our regular lives, pursue our specific vocation, and love the people as God puts in our path. So absolutely I want to help people. But the church can only do so many things. And the main thing we must do is testify to the work of Christ and raise up disciples of Christ.

The current trend is that churches and denominations are pulling a way from medical missions (a holistic ministry). Medical missions has been accused of forgetting the spiritual component of healing (we would say they are intrinsically linked). But I think sometimes they are right. We can get so wrapped up in medicine that we forget the main thing. You can see a lot of prescriptions, surgeries, and clinic visits at a mission hospital and sometimes very little open Bibles, praying, or preaching. There are many mission hospitals that have taken a slow decline to becoming just another hospital.

Is this lack of spiritual ministry intentional by missionary doctors and the hospital staff? Are they nominal Christians? I don't think so. Some aren't good multitaskers (I'm not good at taking a sexual history and transitioning into prayer). Some find it awkward (while we straighten your teeth lets straighten your walk with the Lord). Some are just too plain busy (with a Queue of 50 patients, a lecture to give, and hysterectomy on schedule.... trying to explain Salvation in another language is the last thing I have time for) . And language and culture are real barriers to sharing (even after being in Kenya over 19 months).

My observations are still optimistic. I see that holistic ministry is happening here at mission hospitals in Kenya (hospital wide but perhaps not doctor specific). The doctor may do the life saving surgery... and the chaplain is present to see a life reconciled by Jesus. A team approach: physical and spiritual healing inseparable.

Scenes Around Kijabe Hospital

The black spots on the wall are Locusts that have invaded the hospital. They are attracted to light and it is really not possible in this environment to close all the outside windows. Fresh air is a necessity in the Wards. I'll just leave it at that.



We have been drenched with rain at Kijabe. God has opened the clouds like not seen in the last decade. It has made the process of converting the operating rooms a little difficult. This is the storage area... or perhaps where operating room tables go to die.




I call these guys the Kijabe Thrashers (sounds like a good name for a horror flick). But I always wondered why the hospital would not buy them a lawn mover or weed eater. Them someone said, "of course the hospital could buy a lawn mover..but then the Thrashers would not have job." So they keep thrashing away all month long until the weeds are shoulder high once again.



Then I found out many of the Thrashers are not paid at all by the hospital. They bag the grass and sell it has Cow Feed.

53 patients

53-the number of patients brought into our casualty Thursday morning after a bus lost control while being passed by a car. It was standing room only and overall I was again impressed with the function of our triage under such enormous patient pressure. How many other ERs get 53 trauma patients in one hour? The commonality of such trauma here is underlined by the lack of mention these events receive in the news. 

Should Mission Hospitals Be Self-Sustainable?

Is it reasonable for Mission Hospitals to operate such that patient fees are sufficient to cover all of the outgoing expenses?  Or simply put, should mission hospital be able to financially stand on their own two feet without help from outside donations? 

Yes.  

Christian mission hospitals should and must stay afloat on their own via patient fees without depending upon outside donations.  This is the only hope these hospitals have to last and provide any type of long term medical and spiritual impact on the community they serve.  

First, it is quite reasonable to expect that missions hospitals can be self-sustainable because payroll is low compared to the West.  Even for skilled workers like nurses, chaplains, and scrub technicians salaries of 250 dollars per month are very competitive. 

Second, in some countries there is national health insurance.  In Kenya as long as a patient is signed up for NHIF which costs less than 4 dollars per month all of their inpatient care and surgeries are paid for.   The reimbursements to the hospital are substantial and can more than cover patient expenses.  

Third, missionary doctors (who are free work and collect no salary) can not be counted on for the long term.  This is not an insult against lack of commitment by the missionary community but the realities of Westerners living in the developing world.  So many situations can arise including political instability, personal sickness, child-raising issues, lack of fund-raising, or change of mission focus are just a few reasons that may cause a sudden exit of a missionary doctor or the whole medical missionary staff.  What happens and at what level can a mission hospital function if the missionaries leave?  Mission hospitals must find a way to continue operating even if the missionary community leaves.    

Forth, mission hospitals can not rely on donations of finances, medical instruments, and supplies to stay afloat.  Donations are erratic for many reasons.   Financial donations rise and fall with the wayward economy of the West.  Some equipment is excellent and useable.  Other instruments are too technical and fragile to last in a dusty, high-use developing world environment without medical tech support. Some donated instruments are just plain out of date or non-functional and put in the category we call, “Junk for Jesus.”  Some donated items never arrive or are costly to import due to customs and taxes. Mission hospitals must find affordable streams of medical supplies in-country or in nearby places like India.

Fifth, mission hospital medical care in the developing world is often higher standard, more compassionate, and more expedient than the government hospitals. Certain patients will seek out the Mzungu (white) doctor for his or her expertise.   Some of these patients are middle class, have white collar jobs, and are able to pay for “private attention.”  Mission hospitals have a unique opportunity to capitalize off these “private” patients and charge fees that can subsidize the care for those patients that do not have the ability to pay.  

No.  

It is not reasonable nor should it be expected that a mission hospital could possibly be sustainable on patient fees alone.  Christian Mission Hospitals need and should be propped up by donations and the care given by missionary doctors for many reasons.  

First, the average Children’s Hospital in the USA relies on foundations and or donations at a rate of 30% of their overall budget.  If we don’t expect a hospital in the West to stand alone, how can we possibly expect our counterpart here in Africa to make it without help from outside donations.  

Second, operating a medical missions hospital is expensive.  Much more so than discipleship, church planting, or building a seminary.  It doesn’t make medical missions right or wrong, or better or worse just expensive.  Operating rooms, medicine, staff available 24 hours per day it all makes this type of ministry expensive.  To expect the meager fees to cover the operating expenses for things like hysterectomies, long term in-patient tuberculosis treatment, or out-patient medicines is not realistic.

Third, making the mission to treat “the least of these” in a hospital setting is a terrible financial decision, but glorious spiritual decision.  Mission hospitals target (as they should) the poor, the homeless, the jobless, the orphans, the widows, the rural farmers, the rejected (HIV+) who often have no income and no where else to go.  Patient fees are intentionally kept low such that no one is turned away.  Outpatient fees are often less than one dollar. A dental extraction costs less than 3 dollars.  A surgical c-section and in-patient stay is less than 100 dollars.   Despite honest work to round up money from family and community, patients often leave the hospital without paying and collection is rarely pursued (as expected).   Fifty percent of all Kenyans live as subsistence farmers on less than one dollar per day.   Keeping fees low to treat the poor and staying out of the red are diametrically opposite goals.  Business goals collide with spiritual goals.  Economics mixes strangely with ministry.   Biblical mandates (caring for the poor) contact paying the bills.     

Fourth, a noble goal of mission hospitals in nationalization.  That is training the national staff (nurses, doctors, administrators, technicians) to take over key positions in the hospital thereby replacing the missionary staff.  This is already happening at Kijabe.  Many of the consultants doctors, all the nursing staff, the CEO, and all the residents are African. This is a good thing!  But, no one wants to talk about the nasty hidden cost of nationalization of a mission hospital.  Missionary doctors (who work for free) are replaced with national doctors (who must be paid a reasonable salary or see them leave).  As mission hospitals become more nationalized they may rely further on donations to keep from sinking financially. 

I guess yes & no is the answer to "should mission hospitals be self-sustainable."  Likely, the right answer lies somewhere in between.  

Creativity

Maybe in your career (stay at home parent, teacher, accountant, pastor, construction, engineer, business owner) like ours, you find your day not so much filled with what you were educated to do (teaching, preaching, designing, leading, operating) but more filled with problem solving. Sara and I have both had many days like that:

1) Your resident is not here today and has asked for an emergency day off to get her hair done for a wedding. Can you talk to her?
2) Your patient is here (5 year old) from Mombassa (6 hours away) for full mouth restorations and our portable compressor is down. Can you talk to their family and let them know we will have to reschedule?
3) Another high-school student wants to observe a delivery in maternity ward (the last one fainted) and they have no medical experience. Should we allow people to hospital gaze? Do we need a policy? But we don't want to discourage people?
4) Our new financial management software for dental is up and running? How does it work? Don't we need another computer? We are now going to be collecting our own fees? Can we get a safe? We need another receptionist don't we? Can we hire?
5) The nurse midwifes are not comfortable with breach deliveries and the use of vacuum and forceps. They are requesting (if not demanding) more and more c-sections. How do we change the practice philosophy and their attitudes to get our c-section rate down?
6) The staff is not coming to devotions in the morning. Do I make it mandatory? Do we eliminate devotions and just see patient from the get/go? Are the devotions I'm leading just not relevant, inspiring, or interesting to their live?
7) Our phones lines at our house have not worked for 5 days. I have called maintenance 8 times. Sara is on-call tonight and needs phone service....what else can I do?
8) The patient is demanding infertility treatment..but she is single, or perhaps HIV+. Can you explain the ethical issues to this patient from a Christian perspective,,,and they only speak Kikuyu. How do I talk to them?
9) The country of Kenya is out of IV ampicillan. What should we do?
10) They already orally intubated your dental patient before you could arrive in Theatre, but you need access to the full mouth and needed nasal intubation. What to do?

These are just a few examples of the problems we try to solve each day (many don't get solved). Some do by God's grace. Having the ability to communicate clearly, compassionately, and patiently cross-culturally becomes a paramount skill. The mechanics and science of medicine and dentistry at times seem easy compared to managing these type of problems.

I think we as a family need creative outlets. Maybe you find this as well. Doing something that does not present with a problem (how can I fix it), but presents with a blank template (I get to create). Maybe this is gardening (an empty flower-bed), fishing (tying a new fly), book club (sharing a new idea).



I think kids have a lesson for adults in creativity. How much of their time (pretending, playing house, coloring, gluing, acting, dancing) is spent on creative activities? Indeed if we are made in the image of God (He is a creator) being creative is an important part of who we are. It does not take much. Amelia, Meredith, and a few rocks become a sparkly dust factory.



Sara and I have both found blogging as an outlet for creativity. A blank post is soon filled with opinions, pictures, feelings, and stories. Some fabric, an idea, and a used sewing machine and Sara is quilting.

You Tube Video

Sara has put together some pictures and music of what is happening with our family in Kenya. With recently better internet service we have finally been able to link it to our blog in a functional form. I think you will enjoy it! The easiest way to view this 7 minute video is to double click on the video screen to the right (not the red play button) and you will automatically be linked to the you tube clip. Let us know if it works!

What we are not.

There is perhaps nothing more frustrating than being portrayed as you are not. Tenwek (We Treat, Jesus Heals) and Kijabe (Health Care for God's Glory) are forthcoming in their Christian underpinnings. But I was shocked, angry, and saddened to find out what others assumed about how a Christian Mission hospital actually functions.

Let me share with you an excerpt from a book written by a volunteer NGO physician in Africa...

"When the work was done, many of them would smile, grab my arm, and say, "God bless you." People often asked if we are affiliated with any denomination. Our answer is, "No, we will work on you for free even in if you don't believe in Jesus." ....Our work does not trade (healthcare) for a commitment to attend revival indoctrination services. It is not necessarily to manipulate or reflect a dogma, but rather we demonstrate our love for human beings, by helping when needed. We do not pretend our culture is superior."

Please let me correct these misconceptions. And if you still have doubts you are welcome to visit.
1) We treat all patient regardless of race, religion, culture, citizenship, or ability to pay. We do not require a patient to have Christian name, carry a Bible, or claim membership to a Christian Church. In fact many of our patients do not believe in or have never heard of Jesus.
2) Our surgeries, medicine, and care comes with no strings attached. "Revival Indoctrination services" are not required. In fact I don't think I've ever seen a Tent Indoctrination service. We have a chaplaincy service that is available, not mandatory for any patient in need of prayer or counseling.
3) We do not manipulate or coerce our patients into death-bed confession. We do not withhold care or medicine until a decision or conversion occurs. On the contrary we seek to give them a high standard of compassionate healthcare such that patients get better.
4) We as a Christian Mission Hospital have set of beliefs that is anything but dogmatic. We have a sympathetic and humble attitude that you come broken, sick, hurting and in need of compassion, love, and healing.
5) We do not demand that our culture is superior. We respect our Maasai, Kikuyu, Kaligen, Kamba, Somali, Sudanese, Luo, Luya, Wahindi and all other other tribes and nations of patients. We do not try to make you into middle class Americans.

I hope these misconceptions about Christian Mission Hospitals are rare and quickly disappearing. And above all I pray these misconceptions are never true. Instead lets us be known as Christ has commanded us.

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, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:34-40)