The Anthis Family Adventures

Volume 4, Issue #5 joel.anthis@sim.org

www.anthisfamily.com October, 2005

Anthis family in Nigeria

Anthis Update

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from Nigeria! The rains have slowed down, and as the farming season comes to an end the workload at the hospital is increasing. Over the last few months the Lord has shown Joel and me how important our role here is as teachers. As Paul encouraged Timothy to teach reliable men who will also be able to teach others, we are attempting to do that here in Nigeria in a variety of ways.

Joel regularly has family practice residents spending time with him in his ENT clinic. Some are from our own Christian missionary hospital’s Family Practice training program, but others come from the Nigerian medical school in Jos and some from a state hospital. Each resident spends about two to three weeks with Joel. During that time he teaches them primary care oriented ENT. Additionally, as he shares the Gospel and prays with his patients, the residents are also learning how a Christian physician integrates and shares his faith in his practice. Most of the doctor’s who come are Christians, but one resident from the federal medical school who recently came was a Muslim and another was a Hindu. With those residents, he has been able to share the hope that we have in Jesus. Joel’s ENT nurse is actually a Muslim background believer, and having this self-described “non-secular” Muslim resident in our clinic made him nervous. However, the Lord actually allowed Joel to share the gospel with a Muslim patient who was dying of an advanced cancer, partly using Joel’s visiting Muslim resident as translator. He certainly finished the rotation with an understanding of the gospel, as well as new knowledge in ENT. Despite all this head knowledge, he was probably most affected by being invited into our home to have lunch while he worked at our hospital. At the completion of each two week rotation, Joel gives each resident an otoscope (a tool used to examine ears) to use in their practice. In this way he is ensuring they will be able to make use of the skills they have learned. Despite all the ministry he is involved with, Joel feels this area of mentoring may actually be the most important in terms of bearing long term fruit.

Joel teaching in the ENT clinic

Since Abby started school, Cindy has begun to work several mornings a week in the outpatient department at Evangel Hospital. In this setting she is able to work with our own Family Medicine residents. She sees patients alongside the residents, consults on difficult cases, and schedules a case presentation by the residents once a week. She loves to pray and share with her patients and model this for the residents.

Joel has also become involved in a different kind of teaching. One day last December our Nigerian church here in Jos announced a new and exciting Adult Sunday School curriculum. Imagine Joel’s surprise when he saw his name up on the screen as the teacher of the 40 and older Sunday school class. He had never been asked to volunteer, but apparently this is the way Sunday school teachers are recruited in Nigeria and he jumped enthusiastically into this opportunity. He has a faithful class and they have tackled many tough issues as they study through the Ten Commandments and their relevance to us today. Recently his class was given an award for being the most faithful in the Church!

Joel with his Sunday school class

Medical Rounds

God continues to bless us with encouraging visitors from the US. In August we had a visit from Dr. Bill Weber, an Internist from Memphis, Tennessee along with his wife and daughter. Dr. Weber has the gift of teaching and was able to give a number of lectures to our hospital’s Family Practice residents. They even came early and stayed late for his last lecture! It is such a blessing for our residents to have excellent doctors willing to come and invest in their lives. Dr. Weber also challenged our residents to deliver competent, compassionate, and loving care and to share their faith with their patients.

Dr Weber with our Nigerian Family Practice Residents at Evangel Hospital

Hall of Fame

Dr. Weber’s wife Vicki and daughter Eliza also joined the “Hall of Fame” in August. Vicki and Eliza came prepared to help in anyway possible, so we gladly put them to work! They taught former street boys the Word of God during the boy’s annual camp, and were able to share the Gospel with many children using the wordless bracelet and a flannel story board. They also helped in our clinic for Muslim ladies and went on our Blind Town outreach. Bill, Vicki and Eliza all helped make a village medical outreach possible.

Bill, Vicki, and Liza Weber on an outreach

Kid’s Corner

Austin, Allison and Abigail have completed the first term of the school year. All three have done very well and had a great year so far. Austin loves fifth grade and has just completed a unit on Nigerian history that we all enjoyed. Allison received the “Fruit of the Spirit” award from her class this month for being the student that most expressed the fruit of joy in her life. And Abby can now write the first two letters of her name (which happen to be the first two letters her class has learned!)

Allison receiving her award

Prayer and Praise

Praises:

For God’s protection of our families in New Orleans and Houston during the recent hurricanes
For a great start to the school year
For our awesome prayer and support team

Prayer Requests:

For a short term team coming to minister with us in November from Christ EPC in Houston
For the continued healing of our two patients who underwent cochlear implant surgery in August and that the implants would work well.
For each patient encounter we have, that Christ would be evident in our words and deeds

Serving Christ on your behalf here in Nigeria,

Joel and Cindy

Austin, Allison, and Abigail

PS. GO ASTROS!