from the ground up

I must admit from the get go, that I am dreading writing this today. I will get into why in a minute, just go easy on me today.
Your right, not that you wouldn't if I hadn't warned you.

The first day of  clinic in the Hospital

Here we are plugging away into early August. If you were fortunate to have relinquished your mailing address to me at some point in the past, you should have received our family midyear newsletter. If anyone else would like to subject themselves to any future newsletters, please send your name and address to me here, at RyanandKatieAnn@gmail.com .

A small portion of the supplies that came on the container

Since my last resurfacing, we have received and unloaded the entire contents of the most recent shipping container and opened the new facility to acute medical care clinics, two days a week. We are using this time to refine the new process and work the kinks out of the new facility. Each day when we open the doors to let the patients in, there are more and more people. We have also begun seeing an increase in patients wanting to be seen all days of the week.

Not a week has passed without being forced to turn away a neighbor in need. Some days its a young man with a sore back. Other days, its the parents of a newborn with a fever, or a worried first time mother in search of some explanation for the pains she is having. Whether the illness is life threatening or just a plea for help, each one that we must turn away is a missed opportunity. Whether to share the shade, or pass a smile, reassure a new mama or make plans for an emergency medical flight, they are all missed opportunities. Opportunities to love on these souls and share all we can. Opportunities where these people are coming to us in need and we are forced to turn them away, still hurting, still searching, and still scared.

For now, we have no choice but to ask most of these cases to return for a regularly scheduled clinic day, or to seek help somewhere else. Our hope is to be able to see patients around the clock, with the help of an on call physician and medical team.

This brings me to me next tangent....

We have seen such an amazing surge in construction support and progress over these last two years. With the facility being so close now, closer than ever, (duh!) the prospect of providing 24 hour medical care here in sleepy Canilla actually seems real, and at the same time completely overwhelming. In order to facilitate the growth of the ministry, one of the very real needs is full time resident housing.

If you recall, nearly 2 years ago we were beginning to wrap our minds around renovating our to-be home that we live in currently, and all that would need to be done before the dawn of the coming year.  Well, here we are, at it again. Same goal, same time line, only we are starting from scratch this go around.

We have officially broken ground for our new, new-to-us home. We will work together as much as possible with the help of the crew when they are not needed around the hospital construction site. Our hope is to move in, you guessed it, before January. So I guess you could say we are in the early stages of a long sprint, and I'm going in tired.

Setting up batter boards 

While our family will be downsizing, our relocation will literally open the door for any and all to-be resident physicians, long or short term, to stay on site and be available for medical emergencies, and always be close to home. This was always the plan for us, but we didn't expect it so soon. We thought maybe in a few years, but we know now, that it is time. So, the clock is ticking!!!!

This, unfortunately brings me back to why I am dreading this. Ugh...

Ready to dig

Since we first decided to commit, dig in, and get started on the house, I knew I needed to share the details with you all.  We will invest, a small fortune of $20,000 US, to build this ministry home over the next 6 months. With your help, we can continue to pour into this community, this nation, and the Church.

Our needs don't stop at windows, doors or roofing. Our monthly support has been severely hurting since we first moved down, in September of 2014. Why do I mention this? Well, I need your help. I am not going to asking you to take out your checkbook, or change your lifestyle. I need your help in prayer.
We have a small group of, very cherished, regular and some spontaneous, supporters. We lean on them each and every month. By God's grace, we are still here.

We have been working towards offsetting our donation deficit over the last two years. Aside from seeking Gods will through prayer, we have begun using our hands in other ways. We started butchering our own beef and poultry, raising egg layers, and we are also selling our own yogurt.

Honestly, I really enjoy having our children involved in putting food on our table and in their bellies. Ryan and I devote a large portion of our time to making these hobby-farm type tasks happen, and I am not sure how much more we can do, or how much more our time will allow.

We do not take any of our support for granted.  Could you help me by praying for these select few that have decided to support us?  In praying that their generosity would not go unnoticed, that they would continue to be blessed financially, and lastly, that more people like them would stand behind us in prayer, love and support. If we are to continue living and working here in Canilla, we are going to need the village behind us.
We are grateful to all who stand behind us, and we thank all of you who will thoughtfully consider joining our support team.

In the end, we know that if it is God's plan for us to serve here and raise our family, we will have all our needs met and will continue to be a blessing for others just as you have been for us.
Starting on the new home has been an exciting distraction for us, and u hope to keep you posted as we continue to turn our little patch of grass into a home.



Thanks for reading and for your payers.

KatieAnn Ficker

Ready to pour the floor and then start the walls!