Kakona Church Project

Adventist healthcare institutions continue to create communities of faith which serve as a conduit for proactive ministry. In keeping with the holistic approach to man, Yuka Adventist Hospital a rural health institution situated in the western province of Zambia, provides medical services to the indigenous Lozi population. Dr. Helard Mangold, the Hospital Administrator leads a multinational team of dedicated personnel not only in caring for the sick, but also sharing the good news of Christ return.

Sharing in the mission, the hospital staff continually seeks for opportunities of community outreach and development.
On one such occasion, Mr. Braulio Concepcion, a medical student who has dedicated 8 months from River Plate Adventist University in Argentina, was invited to perform a saxophone special at Kakona SDA church.

Accompanied by the Mangolds, there hearts were captured by the large concentration of children and the unwavering dedication of the church leaders to share their faith with the community. Kakona, consisting of about 60 members, is situated in the sandy district of Kalabo. The church structure consists primarily of bamboo, grass straw and wood branches.

Mr. Concepcion noted that, “when it rains, you need to use an umbrella in church.” Since their visitation, the church attendance has increased significantly. Simply through word of mouth, many villagers from the surrounding communities are coming to hear the good news shared through saxophone and the spoken word.

The Mangold’s, Braulio and the Kakona congregation have dedicated themselves to erecting a new church structure. Sunday’s have been designated as the day for community involvement in the construction. Their hope is to build a solid structure made of bricks with straw roofing. Mr. Mangold mentioned that it was important that the church body shared equally in the involvement of constructing the church.

Yuka hospital will be providing the oxen and cart, brick mold and voluntary manpower. However, the church will still need 90 bags of cement, gravel and support beams in order to complete the job. The church project is estimated to cost $4,000.00.

It is their hope that the church structure can be erected before August 2007.

Blind Sight

This long awaited Sabbath had finally arrived, it was the day that the chicks were expected to hatch. Mrs. Mangold, with anticipation rushed out of the house just to grab the first glimpses of two chicks as they cracked their way out of the shell. She had been waiting for this moment and now with more chicks on the way, her excitement grew even stronger.
Rushing off to church, the Mangolds and Mr. Conception worshiped at Kakona SDA, but after the closing remarks were given, instead of the usual pit stop inside the house she sought her way to see the new family of chicks. Upon arriving at the coup however, she screamed! Snake! Snake! It was enough to send Dr. Mangold and Braulio Concepcion from the house with a stick and machete. There the chicken laid dead with a black snack coiled in the corner. The snake had already swallowed multiple eggs and had proceeded with the chick as well. Due to the excitement though, the snake soon regurgitated the chick and prepared itself for attack. Thinking that it was a black Mamba, Dr. Mangold made his way behind the coup and obstructed by a straw mat blocking lining the side of the coup, used a stick to try and nudge the snake towards the entrance where Braulio was waiting at the door with a machete. What neither realized was that the snake slowly edged its way up the side of the steel mesh behind the mat and when it got within a line of sight, opened its jaws and heaved venom into Dr. Mangold eyes. To their surprise, it was a Spitting Cobra. Immediately, he rushed inside the house and washed his left eye out. While in the house, the snake went on to attack of Mrs. Mangold and Mr. Concepcion spitting poison reaching Braulio’s face and the other landing on Mrs. Mangolds dress. Helard rushed back out of the house again, with stick in hand and headed for the chicken coup. This time squatting, he nudged in the area where he thought the snake would be, however the snake craftily found a spot that provided him with a direct line of sight to Dr. Mangold, but this time he shot venom directly into his right eye. Charging towards the house once again, he began washing his other eye. Once he believed the poison was out, he rushed out once again, and adrenaline had overtaken him. Finally, after Dr. Mangold had struck the stick and it made its way out, Mr. Concepcion and the doctors repeatedly struck the snake with both a machete and stick. Devastated by the affairs of the afternoon, Mrs. Mangold began to reflect on the chicks. There was nothing to show. However, Mr. Conception heard out of the corner of his ear movement. He stooped down by where the chick who was expelled from the snakes mouth lay and saw that the chick wasn’t dead. Rushing to the nearest faucet, he washed the chick and the chick was fine. God really protected the Mangolds and Mr. Conception from the Cobra. For the first 24 hours, Dr. Mangold lay partially blind and he shared “I have never felt anything as painful as this.” By Sunday afternoon, he began to regain his sight and he still suffers from occasional blurriness but his sight has returned.

Attack on the Zambezi

Coco a 19 year old fisherman, coming from one of the Zambezi tributaries often times conducted business using his boat. While out fishing one day, an unsuspecting crocodile came up alongside the dugout canoe, ramming its side, tipped the wooden frame over, throwing both he and his friend over board. His friend, seeing the closest possible escape rushed towards the river bank where he was able to pull himself out.The crocodile realizing that the odds of finding Coco was diminishing, began to glide towards the rivers edge watching for any unsuspecting prey. The 19 year old with his indigenous survival instinct, had plummeted a couple meters beneath the surface and made his way upstream towards where he was suspecting his friend to be. Unknown to him was that the crocodile had swam towards the rivers edge, and camped near the grass brushes. When the 19 year old finally reached the surface, the current of the water soon began to wash him down stream towards where his friend stood. However, he didn’t see the fierce animal awaiting him by the tree until he heard his friend scream. Unfortunately, there was very little his friend could do. As the current began to carry him down stream towards his friend, the crocodile lay waiting. In desperation, he held out his hand towards his friend, however the crocodile with its crushing jaws locked onto the 19 year old boy’s leg. With arms locked, his friend pulled with all his might, but the crocodile wasn’t giving up that easy. Pulling with all his might, part of the 19 year olds leg was pulled out of the mouth but the crocodile was still locked onto the ankle. With continued force the foot finally came out of the fierce beast mouth. The friend helped the 19 year old out and they went around seeking for medical attention. Traveling from village to village, they found themselves as empty as they came. On one occasion, they even ran across a traditional witch doctor, but there was nothing that the traditional healer could offer the dying soul. Something had to be done soon, he was losing blood and infection began setting in. In reaching one of the villages, one of the residents set out by canoe to seek for help. Reaching Kalabo, they contacted African Parks who then contacted the Yuka Hospital Medical Director and sent out a speed boat to the village where the patient laid waiting. Three days had already gone by since the bite, and he was barely grasping onto live. Upon reaching the hospital, the staff took him directly into the operating room. Realizing that the only option was to amputate his foot, they used the sole of his feet and created a flap. He remained in the hospital for 3 months. However, after it was all finished he was discharged.

Breath Again

Yuka Hospital’s close proximity to the Angolan border allows the hospital to cater for many of the refugees that are seeking medical attention. In January-2007,an Angolan young man age 23 came to the hospital seeking medical attention for a large mandibular assist which had obstructed partial breathing. The young man arrived at the hospital by canoe, and because of the heavy concentration of patients waiting to be seen, was put on a three day waiting list to be seen. The hospital personnel noticed that he was very embarrassed about his existing condition. Each morning he assembled himself at the extremities of the waiting room with his face turned towards the corner, anticipating his name to be called. . Finally, after being seen by Dr. Douglas Singini, Chief of Medical Staff with further consultation from Dr. Mangold, the scheduled date for surgery to commence was set for the following day. The charge for the surgery was to be K15, 000(US3.57). The following morning, when it came time for him to be prepped, he was nowhere to be seen. It wasn’t until three weeks later; he pulled up on canoe by the bank of the hospital. To the hospitals surprise, he traveled home to Angola by canoe in order to find the money for the procedure. Under normal conditions, cases of this nature would be referred to a maxillofacial surgeon, but because Yuka is one of the referral centers for the region and it was costly to send the patient to Lusaka, the procedure was to undertaken by the doctors on hand. Without the adequate supplies to conduct the surgery, the team placed the matter in Gods hand, the one to whom healing would come. Placing the matter in Gods hand, they began to operate. Various obstacles presented itself, such as the voltage fluctuation of the light and the cautering machine didn’t work. The surgery took a total of 3 hours to complete and they closed with prayer over the patient giving antibiotics with additional doses of prayer. Soon after, they sent the patient to the ward, and for the first day he couldn’t talk. After 2 weeks of gargling with salt water, there was no infection and each day the smile of the young man got larger. His breathing returned to normal and he was able to speak. On Mr. Concepcion morning rounds he noticed a small mirror encased in the boys hand. At every opportunity, he marveled in the transformation that took place in 2 weeks. He was discharged from the hospital three weeks later. He later moved into one of the neighboring villages for a couple days, and the residents were struck at the drastic difference. Since then, many Angolan refugees have been coming to Yuka hospital. Serves as just another testimony to what God will accomplish through humbled servants.
Yuka Hospital is need of medical equipment, supplies and donations. Please contact AHI Zambia to find out how you can help. edward.martin2@gmail.com yolyhel@gmail.com