Giving Thanks this Fall
Newsletter : November 2010

Giving thanks for:

The unchanging love of Jesus Christ our Savior
The opportunity to serve others around the world through Hospice care in His name
Our Honduran Volunteer Director Lourdes Argueta (more details later about her time with us here in the U.S. this fall)
Participating in Global Impact Conference with Biltmore Baptist Church
Celebrating Global Missions emphasis with our friends at Lexington Baptist Church
Precious final weeks spent with Susan’s mother and her peaceful home-going
Family and friends who bring joy and add beauty to our lives
A season of year to remember and worship THE ONE who makes all these things possible!


It was a very busy and full two week when Lourdes Argueta, our Honduras Volunteer Coordinator, came to visit and learn more about hospice in September. She enjoyed time with coworkers and team members who served with her in Honduras from Lexington Baptist Church in S.C. She was invited to speak about what God is doing in Honduras through ICH.

Thank you to Abbey Road Hospice of Columbia who opened their door and hearts to Lourdes. She learned much from their staff as she visited patients in their homes and attended hospice meetings. In N.C., at BBC Global Impact, Lourdes especially enjoyed meeting with people from other countries around the world and learning what God is doing. There were also opportunities for her to meet and talk with experienced Chaplains, Social Workers and Volunteer Coordinator at hospice in Asheville. Our goal was to increase her knowledge of hospice care and to translate that into ways she can implement these things she is learning for ICH in Honduras. Her time here was not all work and meetings. What fun we had celebrating Lourdes’ birthday and sharing a Honduran meal (which she prepared) with friends of ICH. Blessings on you, Lourdes, and we look forward to our times of ministry together this coming spring in Honduras!

Fall mission conferences are always a highlight of our year. It is so encouraging to us as we renew of friendships with others who are serving in hundreds of other places and ministries. Thank you to Biltmore Baptist Church, our sending church, for sharing in the vision God has given us. We also thank Lexington Baptist Church for their friendship and partnering with ICH.

Susan wishes to give a special thanks to those who sent their heartfelt prayers and comforting words of sympathy. Her mother, Clara Daves, went to be with the Lord on November 4. We had a beautiful celebration of her life with many family and friends and can’t tell you all how much your words and presence meant. “We do not grieve as those who have no hope” wrote the Apostle Paul. We miss those who die but have Christ’s example and promise for victory over death. One day we will all be reunited in the new heaven and earth enjoying REAL life as God planned it to be.

We pray that each of you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas Season full of His joy and peace!

Celebrating in God’s Grace,

Ron and Susan

International Christian Hospice
Wilson’s Story
August 2010

The pain from the blow to his eye faded after just a few hours. And so did his sight. It was very scary now when he rubbed his left eye or the glare of the bright sun caught his face because his right eye was blind. This has been Wilson’s experience since last April.

Five year old Wilson Photo of eye damage

We met Wilson and his mother, Elvia, in Salem Baptist Church in Talanga, Honduras. This new church was built 2 years ago as a mission church in a remote area in central Honduras. Lourdes Argueta, our Honduran Volunteer Coordinator for International Christian Hospice, arranged and accompanied us as our translator as we presented our hospice training here and offered eye screening earlier in the day. We set up “shop” and began to see many adults who needed reading glasses and a few older folks with cataracts. Some we could not help but recommended they travel to the capital, Tegucigalpa, to be evaluated. The reality is that few in this poor community will have that option. We were surprised when our final patient, 5 year old Wilson, arrived with his family who are church members. It saddened us to see what appeared as a crack in the lens of his right eye. His mother reported that no one in the local clinic could offer any help nor had they heard of anyone in all Honduras who could restore Wilson’s sight. We showed her how to put comforting saline drops in his eyes and began to pray for God’s intervention.


Salem Baptist church

Within a week we had traveled to the other side of Honduras to the town of El Progreso. A few years ago God connected us with Medical Missions International, an organization based in Dominican Republic, which specializes in Ophthalmology. One branch of MMI is in El Progreso and our friend Melvin Tejada is the director.


Name of eye clinic

Building housing clinic

We were reminded anew of God’s perfect timing as we arranged for Wilson to be evaluated by a Pediatric Ophthalmic surgeon from the U.S. who was scheduled to be doing eye surgeries in El Progreso in just three weeks. Upon viewing the pictures we had taken of Wilson, Melvin was very optimistic that he could be helped.

Through the efforts of Lourdes, Pastor Guzman of Salem Church and our dear friends Pastor and Lesly Moreno of El Progreso God provided for the bus trip across the country as well food and lodging for Wilson and his father Luis. We wish to give special thanks to Dr. Arlo Jennings and his wife Arleen of Asheville, N.C. for donating $200.00 which covered the cost for a successful procedure which has restored Wilson’s sight. We also note that this procedure in the U.S. would cost thousands.

Our latest news was of a very happy little boy and a family and church who are praising God for the gift of sight! We give Him thanks for taking us to this remote little village that day and His special miracle that unfolded for Wilson! We also thank all you who pray for ICH ministry around the world. God is answering those prayers in great and unexpected ways!

International Christian Hospice
Newsletter August 2010
Honduras
Prior to our arrival in Honduras two representatives for ICH attended the Central American Christian Medical Conference. 200 doctors and medical students from all of the Central America gathered in Tegucigalpa.

ICH Country Director, Pastor Francisco Ilias and ICH Volunteer Director Lourdes Argueta manned a display table offering information about ICH. One key note speaker was an MD practicing in Palliative care which is a specialty of pain and symptom management for end-stage illnesses. This area of medical care goes hand-in-hand with hospice and is a new concept in Central America. This is an answer to a seven year long prayer that end-of-life care would be recognized and addressed by the medical community. Many important contacts were made at the conference and we are praying for God to burden likeminded Christian physicians to work with us.
It is always a pleasure to return to Honduras! We welcomed Chuck McCurry, one of our ICH team leaders from S.C., accompanied by Pastor Ken Freeman as they arrived at Tegucigalpa airport. By the end of our travels we have logged 1,800 miles in our car, both in Guatemala and Honduras. Thank the Lord for His gift of safety for which we know many of you are praying!



Home visits are always a highlight. Many of you have followed our stories about our young friend, who lives in Tegucigalpa, Ever who is now 19. Lourdes, our Volunteer Director in Honduras, has been faithfully visiting him and his family since we met him two and a half years ago. He was a victim at age 16 of a gunshot wound to his back resulting in bone infections and lower extremity amputations. Although his body continues to fight chronic bone infections, worsening pressure sores and weight loss, Ever readily testifies of God’s blessings in his life. His church youth group and trained ICH volunteers come every Wednesday to sing and worship in his home. We brought supplies for his care, Ensure and a new hooded sweatshirt to him. He tells us that he is always cold and cannot eat very much. Our time of prayer with him, his grandmother and two small sisters was very sweet. Please continue to pray for Ever’s comfort and for the ICH volunteers who are serving him. We know that he has given his testimony openly in the community and that God has a special plan for the rest of his life.



We were successful in presenting four out of six ICH training seminars to a total of 140 people. This is the rainy season and Honduras has suffered much damage to roads, bridges, churches and homes. It was unfortunate to have two seminars cancelled but God gave us safe travel throughout the capitol city. Sometimes this required detours through “not so safe” areas. We were also welcomed by Pastors, church leaders and youth in the small towns of Guaimaca and Tolonga in the central region of Honduras. Thank you Chuck and Ken for the flexibility and leadership you showed while faced with challenging situations. One thing we always can testify to is the divine appointments God orchestrates for us. Everywhere we go people are ready and looking for peace and comfort during times of suffering and loss. International Christian Hospice ministry transcends any geographical or cultural differences with the message from God’s Word that there is hope in Christ!


We want to share about one of those divine appointments. We spent a wonderful Sunday morning teaching about hospice care with believers in Salem Baptist Church in Guaimaca. Pastor Luis opened his home and we were served a delicious meal prepared by his wife and ladies in the church.

We are so honored by the warmth and hospitality offered to us everywhere we go. A lady who attended our training that morning invited us to her home after lunch. She is caring for her mother-in-law, Julia, who is dying of liver disease and renal failure. The doctors have said that all they can do now is to keep her comfortable. Julia and her family told us of the legacy she is leaving behind. Two of her sons and her grandson are Pastors in nearby communities. We discussed her physical problems and talked about things to do that would help. We read Psalm 139 together and rejoiced together that God knows and loves us so intimately! As we were leaving her daughter-in-law asked questions about the disease progression and tearfully admitted that she will miss Julia more than her own mother. With much encouragement we told her she was giving Julia the best gift. To be cared for at home, honored and loved by her family will give her the peace and dignity that we all would want. Hospice care in Jesus’ name gives true meaning to the words hope and comfort that the world cannot give!


We were able to travel to Seguatepeque and visit the SEBCAH seminary as well as the Evangelical Hospital. Chuck and Ken were a part of the ongoing discussion with Dr. Aguilar about our common dream of a Hospice/AIDs facility. We toured the hospital property and viewed possible sites which we are praying over for the future. Ron and Mark Fittz, a CAM missionary architect, are continuing to work with Dr. Aguilar on a presentation for the hospital board in October. Please continue to pray with us for God’s guidance and timing in this project.

We continue to look to God for His provision financially to continue the work of ICH around the world. Hospice is a well known and readily available service in the U.S. But what about the rest of the world? What about the people who are dying with no opportunity to know there is a Savior? The pictures we include are only a small representation of the believers in other countries who are eager to learn how to reach their own people. You have the unique opportunity to take God’s message of hope to people through ICH now working in:
South Africa, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, Nicaragua, Peru, Dominican, Republic, Ukraine and Moldova.
You are invited to join us on mission by becoming an ICH volunteer, prayer partner and donor. We welcome team members who feel God is calling them to go beyond the borders of the U.S. with an extraordinary mission.
Serving Him together,
Ron & Susan Naish
Ron & Susan Naish
Directors, International Christian Hospice

Tax exempt donations received at:
ICH 145 Chillingham Rd. Irmo, S.C. 29063 803-781-0656

International Christian Hospice News
July 2010
Guatemala

Greetings from Central America! Thank our faithful Lord for His presence and direction as we work among the beautiful people here. We are reminded again of the honor we are given to serve by offering hope in Christ through ICH.

We began our two months of ministry as Ron flew into Honduras ahead of time to prepare for Susan and the two volunteers from Biltmore Baptist Church. He found our car in good condition after 3 months of storage in Honduras. It is always risky to drive in Central America alone but God gave him safety and endurance for the long trip to Guatemala City. Ron picked up Susan, Janice Codington and Sarah Bradford at the airport where we were also joined by Yesinia Valesquez (a seminary student and our translator). We would like to say a special thank you to Dennis and Cindy McCutcheon who opened their home to all of us overnight. Dennis and Cindy are missionaries in Guatemala City who run a warehouse and distribute medical supplies shipped by container. from Tennessee with Vine International Ministries.


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The majestic beauty of the volcanoes, rugged mountains, sugar cane lowlands, jungle with coffee plantations and bananas always amaze us especially when seen through the eyes of first timers who come with us on mission. The road to Hospital Cristiana Sante Fe includes all this and more! Once again we thank God for our tough little 4x4 Ford Escape. What a challenge for car and driver (Ron)!

God had many special things for us to do and people to serve. Below you can see pictures of our work in the hospital with surgical patients. Families wait patiently for two or three days then patients are discharged and travel home together usually by hired trucks or bus.


Many of the people have never heard the Gospel. Yesinia shared stories and pictures with families by translator from Spanish to Quich’e. Praise God that several women and children prayed to follow Jesus!

On Sunday we led a worship service for the patients and families. The pre/post-op ward became a sanctuary for not only physical healing but spiritual healing.

Simultaneously we provided eye screening clinics. What a joy to see the smiles of many who could not see and we gave them free glasses donated by Dr. Steve Satterfield for reading or distance. One mother said, as she looked at her daughter and touched her face, “Now I can see YOU!” Each person received soothing eye drops (donated by Carolina Opthomology) and was prayed with individually.


Ron provided 2 sessions of training in use of a Glasses for Missions kit for eye screening and making glasses. These 3 people will now work alongside Dr. Sergio in this new area of ministry.

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The afternoons were full of laughter and fun in VBS. 100+ children sang songs, heard Bible stories and received lots of TLC. At any moment the children would gather for bubble making, hugs and pictures.

Ron and Susan presented ICH training in the meeting room of the hospital in the evenings. Local Pastors, clinic workers from nearby villages, church members and community leaders attended. One attendee, Pastor Eligio Garcia who leads a local Evangelical church turned out to be a critical contact.(More on this later) God is continuing to open opportunities for Hospice ministry as we prayed with a patient who was dying and visited in the home of a recent death.

A highlight of our week was to travel up into the jungle highlands to the village of Xojola. We assisted Dr. Sergio and another missionary, Diane Thompson, who have a clinic twice a month in this remote area.

Also in Xojola God has strategically placed Pastor Eligio Garcia who attended our ICH training. He is a well respected leader and new director of 3 large government schools. Currently there is no church and few believers in this Quich’e area and Pastor Garcia’s first desire is for Bibles for each of the 943 students. How exciting that the doors of the schools are open and we had the opportunity to teach, distribute Gospel stories and make crafts with the students in the classrooms. Thanks to Truth Action Ministry and to East Cooper Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, S.C. each child heard of Christ’s love and received an illustrated gospel booklet.



It was an exciting and full week of ministry! One personal story we want to include is about Lucianna. She attended our ICH training this week as the recent widow of Bayron. Through efforts of the BBC team last year this hospice family all came to faith in Christ. Bayron was dying of liver disease and passed away in January 2010. Lucianna continues to work and care for her 3 sons and she freely shared her story with our group. She testified that God sustained her throughout her husband’s illness and death and brought peace through her new relationship with Christ. Through tears she told of her journey of grief and the difficult decision she has made for her family to move into her father’s home in a nearby town. Thank you for praying for this family as they continue to follow Christ.

Thank you to everyone who had a part in the team ministry in Guatemala. We know that you will share in God’s blessings that we have received and were able to give because of our family, church and friends who were behind us. It is an awesome privilege to be the finger tips of the Body of Christ. We are the honored ones who can reach out to touch these dear folks with peace and hope that only Jesus can give.

More news about August ministry in Honduras is coming.

Serving Him together,
Ron & Susan Naish
Directors, International Christian Hospice http://www.intlchristianhospice@yahoo.com/ www.ronnaish@bellsouth.net
As always remember your tax deductible contributions are received at
ICH 145 Chillingham Rd. Irmo, S.C. 29063

International Christian Hospice News

March to June 2010
Teams prepare for Ministry with ICH
It is always an exciting time of anticipation as people prepare for short-term mission trips. God has brought together some very special people, of various backgrounds and talents, over the past few weeks. We are looking forward to working alongside these folks in the next two months and our work will take us to two different countries and two different cultures. But although there are many differences the need of God’s love is the same. Thank you to Dr. Steven Satterfield, O.D. pf Asheville, N.C. for a special day of training in eye screening. It was great to have 12 people gather at Biltmore Baptist Church to learn about basic vision problems and use of a focometer to screen for glasses. We pray that God will use this valuable tool and the extension of Dr.Steve’s knowledge to help many around the world. Contact info. For Dr. Steve and “In Focus” will be available below.

Thanks also goes to Dale Rozell who directs his organization called “Glasses for Missions Inc” in Fletcher, N.C. He provided training on use of a special kit which he developed to make corrective glasses on site. We are purchasing two kits which will be used in both Guatemala and Honduras, and Ron will give training to nationals for ongoing provision of glasses for the needy. Contact info. For Dale will be available below.
Guatemala in July
In July we will be returning for our third year to Chocola, Guatemala to help Dr. Sergio Castillo at Hospital Santa Fe.
The team from Biltmore Baptist Church will work with us in multi-opportunity ministry. We are planning to work in the general medical clinic, offer eye screening with corrective glasses, have Vacation Bible School in the afternoons for children in the community, provide hospice training to Pastors, church leaders and medical staff in the evenings as well as visit people in their homes who are too sick to come for care. We know God has some very specific divine appointments planned for each us and the folks we will meet. Much prayer and planning, by us and those who are supporting us, has gone into our preparation for this week.

Special thanks to Brian and Ann Keay who have Truth Action Ministries of Asheville, N.C. They produce culturally correct, illustrated, Spanish (and other languages) children’s gospel stories and teaching materials. These were paid for and donated by East Cooper Baptist Church, Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Pastor Steve Tuck leads their children’s ministry who got directly involved with missions. The kids at East Cooper compiled and prepared 200 small gospel books which our team will place into the hands of children in Guatemala who may have never heard of Jesus. What a beautiful picture of the parts of the Body, Christ’s church, working together for the Kingdom.

Honduras in August
Lexington Baptist Church in S.C. continues to support ICH and the work we are doing in Honduras. We are looking forward to Team leader Chuck McCurry and Chaplain Ken Freeman joining us for a week of hospice ministry in and around the capital city, Tegucigalpa. Our ICH Volunteer coordinator, Lourdes Argueta, is planning our agenda to include hospice training in Guiamaca at the Baptist Hospital, local churches in Tolonga, follow-up work with folks who are currently doing hospice ministry and the staff of a Christian school. Please be in prayer for this team and for those we will be teaching and working with. We anticipate some opportunities also for home visits, especially with our dear, young friend Ever, who continues to hold on in his declining condition. Many of you have been praying for him for 2 years and we will be giving a report in our September news.
We also ask your prayers for our time in Honduras as we seek to follow God’s plan and timing regarding opening an ICH center for patient care and training. This is in the very early stages of discussion and planning and so we pray that we will learn much and be sensitive to God as we have strategic conversations.
Other Mission news
Our Board of Directors met in May. We thank Sharon Kast and Richard Banis for their leadership and support in decisions and plans. We also wish to thank Dave Robbins for his many hours of work helping Ron in developing a strategic business plan for ICH. Please pray that ICH will continue to move forward in the vision God has given us. We hope to make this information available on our website which is in the process of being refurbished.
South Africa News
LaVerne Busbee is returning to the U.S. the end of July for a few months for rest and visa renewal. We are excited to learn more first hand from LaVerne about her ICH work over the past year in South Africa. Please pray with us and her for the details of renewing her visa and that God will provide financially and in every way the support she will need to return to Huntington.
News from the ICH Office
We praise God for successful completion of a new roof for our ICH base in S.C. Severe rain storms resulted in leaks and roof damage that could not go unrepaired any longer. Ron was our construction chief for the entire two month process. From the planning and redesign of the rafters and support system, purchasing and logistics of materials, tearing off the old and building new, he persevered and we now are in the dry! We cannot thank those who volunteered hours and some even days to help in this huge but necessary job. Besides help from our sons-in-law, Stephen and Howell and Ron’s brother Frank, we experienced an unexpected gift of help

from our larger family, the Body of Christ. Friends from Three Rivers Baptist Church in Irmo, S.C. who heard about our need arrived with tools in hand. Our thanks to Eric Opsahl, and Scott Terrill for sending two of their company’s roofers, Lawrence and Chris. Thanks to Eric Loebs and especially Ben Amberg who even returned to help in spite of the hard work and heat he endured. We stand in awe of our faithful God and His provision at a time of great need!
More news to come!
We will report on our next two months of ministry in September.

Below are listed the contact info for the people and ministries listed above.

Dr. Steven Satterfield 828-255-8961 http://www.satterfieldod.com/

Focometer info. www.infocus.com (device for eye screening)

Dale and Anita Rozell www.glassesformissions.org 954-581-5266 (kits for making glasses)

Brian and Anne Keay http://www.truthaction.com/ 828-458-9284 (multicultural children’s literature)

Donations for ICH are tax deductible and are received at:
145 Chillingham Rd. Irmo, S.C. 29063

Newsletter for International Christian Hospice
February - April 2010

We are joining all believers around the world, this time of year, in remembering and celebrating our Savior’s death and resurrection. We pray that you will join us this Easter season in renewing our faith in Jesus Christ, the risen Lord. He is worthy of all praise, He who offers His grace freely to us, the One who would rather die than be separated from us now and for eternity!

International Christian Hospice has all the more reason to press on in our mission because of the living, risen Christ! He is the giver of each day of life and has a plan to give hope and peace even when we do not know how much time we have left to live.

Central America News

We returned to Guatemala in February to spend time with Dr. Sergio at his small mission hospital in Chocola. We learned both happy and sad news. You may recall our ministry time with Dr. Sergio last July. We had the joy of seeing Bayron and his family decide to follow Jesus. In January, Bayron died of liver disease. We rejoice that God granted him 6 more months with his family as a new man in Christ! Together they joined a local church, where the Pastor and staff had received ICH training, and now Luciana and the three boys are being surrounded by them.

We also learned of two other terminal patients with whom we had the opportunity to do hospice ministry and they have gone on to be with the Lord. Please pray for the grieving family of a 57 year old mother and grandmother as well the family of an 18 year old boy who died of Leukemia. Please pray for Dr. Sergio and his staff. They and many believers who live in this community received ICH training to have an ongoing outreach to those who are dying and their families.

It is always a joy to report the blessings and success when a team joins us in ministry. In February we welcomed our team of four people to Honduras for a week of training seminars. We extend our thanks to Don and Sue Smith from Lexington Baptist Church, in S.C. who have become experienced ICH team leaders/trainers and brought with them Linda Lovern, also from LBC, for her first field work. Thank you also to Linda Gill, Hospice RN, from Taylorsville, N.C. who came to work with this team. They presented ICH training for 172 people, including interdenominational church workers, community leaders, medical personnel and business owners. 30 of these people are Pastors serving throughout the large central region of Honduras. Once again it was reinforced to us by these folks how they valued the Christian Hospice teaching we shared. Several Pastors came to us personally to say how difficult they find it to visit and minister to people who are ill and facing death. Now they have counseling skills as well as a better understanding of the stages of death and grief that will help them in their desire to help others.


The remainder of our work in Honduras this spring was spent in preparation for the future. God opened the door for a meeting with Dr. Rodas, a leading pioneer in Palliative Medicine, in the capital city, Tegucigalpa. Dr. Barbra McCune, who directs an Episcopal mission clinic, joined us at this meeting and we all shared a common passion of bringing comfort care to people at the end of their lives. Dr. Rodas has a small day clinic where he sees patients with end stage diseases and then he drives to visit hospice patients in their homes within a 2 hour radius of the city. He is an example of the small segment of the medical community who are beginning to be aware of the huge need for end-of-life care. ICH is pressing on in our goals to encourage and educate the nationals, such as Dr. Rodas. We discussed together the possibility in the future for a Hospice/Palliative care workshop for physicians in Central America. Our meeting with him and Dr. Barbra was closed with a sweet time of prayer in which we all recommitted ourselves to serving together to bring comfort, dignity and hope in Jesus’ name to people who are suffering and dying.

While in Tegucigalpa we had the opportunity to make a home visit with our Volunteer Coordinator, Lourdes Argueta. She and her church have been providing hospice support to our young friend Ever, and his family, whom we have known for 1 ½ years now. It was a blessing to see his smiling face and we could detect the huge effort he made to get into the electric wheelchair ICH had provided. Ron was able to make some adjustments to his electric hospital bed and we delivered some much needed food and medications to his home. The toll of chronic, systemic infection was evident in his very thin, frail
body but Ever testified again to God’s faithfulness on the good days and the bad. Please pray for Ever and his family during his slow decline, and for the ICH ministry that is supporting him. Thank you Lourdes, and our other ICH volunteers, who are at work serving God and their own people through ICH in Honduras.

New Mission Members

We wish to welcome Richard and Babara Banis who have joined ICH as missionaries. We had the honor of working with them in Israel 10 years ago and became friends with a common goal in service for the Lord. When we founded ICH seven years ago they were our first supporters and biggest encouragers. We are thankful to God for opening this door of ministry to them and for the experience and skills they are bringing with them. Rich and Babara have served as full time missionaries for 28 years working in many different countries. They both have strong organizational and management skills, as well as Rich’s accounting experience. They are based in Marshall, N.C. and Rich’s primary responsibility will be to keep the financial books for ICH. We believe that God has sent them to minister with us and look forward to serving with them. They are faith-supported missionaries, and will only receive the donations designated for them through ICH.

Please Read their introduction letter.

BANIS BEACON
Winter 2010



Proverbs 16:9, “The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps”

Dear friends and family,

A new year holds great possibilities. How will God reveal Himself to us? Are we ready at our age to receive from Him new challenges and a new direction? Several years ago our daughter-in-love gave us a beautiful wall hanging that says: “When God closes one door He opens another.” After 28 years with Helps International Ministries, God is closing the door there for us and has opened another door. As we change our direction the Lord has new plans for us.

Seven years ago our friends, Ron and Susan (a hospice nurse) Naish, started a new ministry, International Christian Hospice. We were involved with its inception with suggestions, encouragement and Barbara’s secretarial skills. She was privileged to type the handbook for the seminars that Ron and Susan give. It started slowly, but has since grown to seminars being held in several countries and the U.S. Rich is doing ICH’s accounting and is on the Board of Directors. We feel the Lord calling us to serve Him now through ICH.

The ministry verse of ICH is 2 Cor. 1:3,4, “Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” Not only are seminars held, but what a tremendous opportunity to share the Gospel with the dying and their families. In many overseas countries hospice care is unheard of. When someone has a terminal illness they are left alone to die. Ron and Susan teach caregivers how to care for the dying to make the remainder of their lives more comfortable. Many times the dying and their families hear of God’s saving power and accept Him as their personal Savior. For more information about ICH look at their website: http://www.ichospice.org/ or the blog at http://www.ichospiceblogspot.com/.

We will minister with them as much as possible through accounting, any secretarial skills needed and taking trips overseas when possible. We appreciate the prayer and financial support you have given us over the years and would ask that you continue the support and send it to: ICH, 303 Madison Heights Drive, Marshall, NC 28753. For you who have supported us with prayer we ask you to continue to pray for us especially through this transition. If God leads you to support us in this new ministry we will greatly appreciate it. As always your gifts will be tax deductable.

It has been a pleasure serving the Lord with you these last 28 years and look forward to serving the Lord together again with you.

Still available to Him,

Rich and Barbara

Contact them at : 303 Madison Heights Dr. Marshall, N.C.


South Africa News

ICH in South Africa continues with God’s blessings under the direction of LaVerne Busbee. In just a brief update we can tell you that she is continuing to work in several villages with Home Based Care givers, AIDs patients and is also providing ongoing ICH education. Living with the South African villagers since July ‘09 she has demonstrated daily her compassionate hand-on approach. LaVerne is seeing fruit to her labor as several more people have come to faith in Christ through her ministry. She is now praying about how God is leading her in future ministry with ICH. LaVerne is also faith-supported and receives only the donations designated for her from her supporters.

Another Language

Another piece of exciting news is the completion of our Pastor’s training manual in Haitian Creole. A dear friend named Paula, whom we met in Dominican Republic, has been working for several months on this translation between her own ministry work during this time of turmoil following the earthquake in Haiti. Much thanks to her and to the Lord for this fourth language in which ICH will be available.


Praise:
· Central America ministry time this spring
· Pastors and laypeople trained for Christian Hospice work
· New translation of ICH materials into Haitian Creole
· New believers through ICH ministry
· Rich and Barbara Banis new ICH missionaries




Prayer:
· Team preparation for Guatemala and Honduras in July and August
· LaVerne Busbee, South Africa ICH
· Future plans for Hospice/Palliative Care Center in Honduras
· Financial needs for ICH work to continue
· Web site improvement
· Development of business plan and upcoming Board of Director’s meeting


Thank you for your prayers and interest in International Christian Hospice. We are honored to serve God and be an extension of each of you taking hope and comfort in Christ to rest of the world.

Donations to ICH are tax deductible. Send to:

International Christian Hospice
145 Chillingham Rd.
Irmo, S.C. 29063

• International Christian Hospice News Update for January 2010
  Ecuador is an amazingly beautiful country set within the majestic Andes Mountains of South America. It was our privilege to fly to Quito, the capitol, and spend 10 days learning and experiencing some of what God is doing there. Since meeting Sheila Leech, RN in November at the Global Health Mission Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, we were eager to respond to her invitation to visit the two organizations she is working with which provide hospice care in Ecuador.

  HCJB (radio call letters) has been present for nearly 80 years in Ecuador as the hub of Christian radio broadcasts. Not only do they minister with multilingual radio programming stations all over the world but they also have a Medical Mission arm of which Sheila is the International Director. She has served in Ecuador for 30 years and currently organizes and leads medical teams to provide health care globally. Sheila has just returned from doing medical relief work in Haiti. Please pray with us for Sheila and her team of doctors and nurses, both U.S. and Ecuadorians, who are at this time giving medical care in Ghana, Africa in Jesus’ name. We wish to thank her for her hospitality and time spent with us during her brief time back at her base of ministry in Quito between her worldwide travels.
  One of the highlights of our time in Ecuador included Hospice Children’s Day. 30 children, whose families have been served by Hospice and have experienced a death of a loved one this past year, gathered Saturday January 23rd for a day of fun and learning. The Palliative Care/Hospice staff, including medical doctors, nurses, a psychologist, volunteers and chaplains of the Jersey Foundation presented activities, games and crafts designed to address the grief of these children. We all had fun participating and helping the children to express their feelings and each were given opportunities to talk about their loved one who died. Much creativity and love went into their creations of memory boxes and stickpin boards. Several HCJB volunteers, including Sheila, minister with the Jersey Foundation in hospice patient care, support groups and bereavement of adults and children.
  The Jersey Foundation has a Palliative Care/ Hospice program unique to the Quito area. The missionary director, Dr. Nicky Bailhache from Jersey Island of England, invited us to observe several aspects of the ministry she has developed over the past nine years. She, along with Ecuadorian Dr. Ximena Pozo, are both specialists in Palliative Care and provide disease and symptom management for patients who have terminal illnesses. We accompanied Dr. Nicky and Amanda, registered nurse, on home visits one day. We saw the love of God in action as they helped patients and families who are coping with physical, emotional and spiritual problems common near the end of life.
  Later in the week Sheila Leech invited us to the Day Hospice Center which she directs for HCJB. We enjoyed a delightful day with five patients who are terminally ill but still able to gather for crafts, music, Bible study and a meal once a week. We were honored to see this loving, volunteer team laugh with, serve and bring God’s living word into the lives of people who are often the forgotten ones.
  What great learning experiences we had this week observing and working with others who have the common passion for Christ-centered Hospice care around the world. Thank you to the Jersey Foundation Team for their time meeting with us and sharing what they have learned. We remember the words spoken to us by the nurse Amanda after a home visit, “How can someone hear our words if they are suffering and in pain?” Another person once said, “People don’t care about what you know until they know that you care!” Our Savior taught us by example as He ministered to people’s physical needs so their spiritual eyes could be opened. These truths are coming to life through this vibrant, God directed hospice ministry tucked away in the Andes Mountains.
  One afternoon we had the opportunity to take a tram-lift from the city of Quito which is at 9,000 ft. elevation up to 13,400 ft. for breathtaking views. Yes, literally breathtaking! Our cardiovascular and respiratory systems had to adjust to this height where oxygen masks are recommended if one were in an airplane at that altitude. We hiked slowly up to where we could view the snow capped volcano Cotopaxi to the south emerging between layers of clouds and a glistening glacier to the east. Although we wore coats and hats because of the frigid wind, we both got light sunburns on our limited amount of exposed skin. Weather on the equator is so unique that the temperature varies only a few degrees year round.
  We were greatly encouraged and uplifted through the things we learned during this time of ministry. We feel like we were students in school again and we eagerly tried to absorb all we could about hospice serving the people in this culture. God has shown us some exciting new possibilities for International Christian Hospice through all the people we met serving Him in Ecuador. We also learned more about the challenges we face in order to grow International Christian Hospice in the direction He desires.
  We anticipate this year to be one of growth and request that you join us in prayer for the following:
  · Additional board members, particularly a Medical Director
  · Technical assistance with web and media
  · Revised, improved and expanded training materials and modules
  · Follow-up ministry among the existing ICH trained Pastors, Volunteers and Medical Personnel
  · God directed strategy to fulfill the organizational vision and goals
  · Financial partners who have the common passion of reaching people who are nearing death with the comfort, peace and hope only Christ can give
  
  
  
• In February and March we will be returning to Honduras and Guatemala. Pray for us as we travel and also for a Team from Lexington, S.C. who will be joining us there in ministry.
  
  

God bless you for your interest and for any financial gifts that God may lead you to give.
Please make them to: International Christian Hospice Tax deductible receipts available.
145 Chillingham Rd. Irmo, S.C. 29063