Action-Filled Summer
New Sight News – October 2024
What an amazing action-filled summer we’ve had! We’ve had so much fun hosting nearly 40 visiting volunteers who gave of their time, money, and talent to come all the way to Congo to make our new hospital a place called home. They worked incredibly hard, but they told us that they had the time of their lives. It is possible that they’re just saying it to be nice, but then again, how can one not get excited to play a part to see this incredible dream come true? The plans for the hospital were made by our volunteers from around the world, the materials sourced by our teams in Hong Kong and the UK, the building built by the Congolese, then came the teams from Canada and USA to unload containers, assemble furniture, organise supplies and spare parts, install fixtures and systems, fix and commission the electricals and equipment of the hospital! All this made possible with your generous support. Here are some snapshots from our wonderful summer.
HKICF x New Sight Virtual Choir video premiere
The Virtual Choir 2024 premiere was held to great fanfare on 24 August – it was almost one year in the making and involved many helpful hearts and hands. Our thanks must go to Hong Kong Inter-School Choral Festival and their artistic director Kelvin Lau for inviting New Sight as the featured charity, and their support for our work in Congo. We must also thank Joyce Cheung for composing this moving song that allows Hong Kong and Congo to connect through music. A big thank you to every participant of the choir – including our own inter-school choir in Ouesso, our Congo team, especially Wendy, Spencer, Arnaud, Sabin, Maxine, Ezra and Karis – your heartfelt and pure voices and efforts have touched our hearts and many people around the world.
The music video for this original song commissioned for New Sight was featured in the big screen in Times Square in Hong Kong in August. If you missed it there, you could see the YouTube Premiere and more on this page: Virtual Choir Project 2024.
Captions (clockwise from left): The premiere screen; Joyce shared an encouraging message with the audience; Dr Natalie Chau shared her experience visiting Ouesso; the video was shown in Times Square open piazza TV screen, Hong Kong; New Sight Hong Kong board member Dr Alan Ng introduced the charity’s mission and work
Romeo, our 8-year-old heroic patient
Eight-year-old Romeo was brought to us after he was injured when playing with a hunting arrow. Romeo is such a sweet and cheerful boy that he kept smiling and giggling during examination, so the medical team had to help him practise staying still like a soldier! When he was able to go home after his operation, we were glad that he was better, but we all miss this charmer and the sunshine he brings!
Captions (clockwise from the left): Romeo outside the clinic with community health agent Orchidee; happy and doing well after surgery; Joyce practising being a soldier with Romeo; a check-up to make sure Romeo’s eye is healing well after surgery; Romeo undergoing surgery
Hospital construction update
The construction company returned to the hospital site to finish the final work and left in June. The work included: construction of a canteen for patients; roof and ceiling repairs; outdoor light installation; indoor installation of handrails, plastic flooring, sinks, showers and the all-important toilets! Then it was time for the local services to clean before the volunteers moved in to do the fit-out! By the end of summer, the offices were ready, the consultation area and patient wards have been set up, and work will continue on fixing and installing the operating theatres, the water, power and waste systems. We are close to completion, yet we need a final push with the interiors and paperwork, and we definitely need your continued support. For details and more photos, visit the Construction update page.
Captions (clockwise from left): various work continued indoors for operating theatre flooring installation; operating theatre lighting installation; outdoors for canteen construction; and streetlamp installation
Volunteering summer
This summer, 3 volunteers, 3 mission teams, and 1 work team of 4 contributed to the hospital’s fitting out.
Wilfred from Georgia, USA, who visited New Sight in 2022, returned this summer as a married man with his lovely wife Lily, to help our staff and volunteer teams in the new hospital. They were such a blessing and even helped us solve an issue with the new surgery doors that the team had struggled with for months! Gabriel from Toronto, Canada, whose dad is our project manager Victor, spent the whole summer to serve with all 3 short-term mission teams and lived to tell the tale!
Captions (clockwise from the left): Wilfred and Lily Howe; Gabe with Cherissa, Faith, Micah and Ezra; Wilfred and Spencer fixing the surgery door locks; Wilfred and Gabe drilling the ceiling; the boys fixing the fan control
Our 3 short-term mission teams came from different parts of USA and Canada. They learnt about New Sight and responded to the call for help when they heard the sharing by Joyce and Henri in their Fall 2023 tour at various churches and conferences. The Boston Team arrived in June, the Canada Team (from Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto) came in July, and the Texas team joined in August. Even though they had never met in person, they worked together like a flawless relay team!
Captions (clockwise from the left): the Boston team at work; the Canada team at work
They tackled tasks at various stages: unpacking and sorting contents of 10 shipping containers; assembling furniture; setting up workspaces, rooms and wards; clearing and cleaning storage spaces; fixing and installing equipment, facilities and systems; and the most arduous of all, working on top of the roof (very hot!) and right underneath the roof (very stuffy!) to fix and install numerous cables for the internet system. It was exhausting work and sometimes without lights, water, fans or air conditioning, and they powered through it with humour, smiles and camaraderie. As Angela from the Texas team wrote, “Though the work was exhausting, seeing the hospital transform from a warehouse-like space into a functioning medical facility was incredibly rewarding.”
Captions (clockwise from the left): the Texas team at work; the hospital looking terrific after the teams’ collective effort
In September, our work team from North America visited, which includes our project manager Victor from Toronto and our engineer Jack from Boston, together with Andy and Tom from Cincinnati who have been advising the project remotely. They organised fixes of crucial issues and installed equipment and electronic devices to help move us closer to being ready for operation.
It was no mean feat to pull off hosting so many visitors in 10 weeks, but our hearts could not be fuller. Our deepest gratitude to our visitors and their supporting friends, churches and organisations, including Boston Chinese Evangelical Church, Toronto Simpson Chinese Alliance Church, Fort Bend Community Church, and Alliance Global Serve Canada. You are history makers!
Summer reflections from volunteers
Helena of the Boston Team said, “Our two weeks in Ouesso were filled with profound experiences and meaningful accomplishments … We rejoiced alongside the five patients who regained their sight following surgery … The Samoutous and New Sight staff showed unparalleled hospitality, providing accommodations that were the best we have experienced on a missions trip.”
Donna of the Canada Team said, “We had the chance to serve the children’s ministry in a local church. We taught them bible stories, songs, and little crafts. The children were amazing, many of them walked to church on their own, to arrive for a 7 o’clock start! It was not unusual to see little girls carrying their baby siblings on their hips. … They were so happy with the simple beaded bracelets they made with us, each coloured bead representing the gospel message. Many of the kids wore them all week, returning the following Sunday sporting them….”
See more reflections from the short-term mission teams here: Summer Reflections from Our Volunteers
Captions: The Canada volunteers teaching the kids at Sunday School to fold paper boats; the Texas volunteers teaching fun activities to the kids at Elim Church
Samoutou family travels
We have wonderful news that Cherissa has started university in a program that matches her passion! She is only an hour away from where Ezra and Karis are, so they can still see each other and travel together to Congo easily. In other news, Joyce and Henri will be returning to the Global Missions Health Conference in Kentucky this November, to recruit medical and non-medical staff members who are interested to work at our hospital. They will also pass by Illinois, and Indianapolis where they have also been invited to speak at other venues, such as Wheaton College.
Captions: Cherissa, Ezra and Karis helping with the fitting out; the Samoutou family back together again
Recognition at the FCA Gala hosted by the First Lady
Joyce and Henri were honoured to be invited to attend the Fondation Congo Assistance (FCA)’s 40th Anniversary Gala in Brazzaville on 21 June.
The event was hosted by the First Lady of the Republic of Congo. Guests included the President, the Prime Minister, several ministers and ambassadors to the Republic of Congo, as well as the First Lady of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Joyce and Henri were the only guests who were invited to stand to receive recognition and thanks for New Sight’s contribution to the country.
We are truly encouraged to know that New Sight is making an impact in the country. We must share this recognition with you, our supporters, as your continued support and encouragement made this happen. The recognition must therefore also go to you!
Captions: Henri and Joyce at the FCA gala; being asked to stand and receive recognition
Message from Joyce and Henri
There are no words to describe how amazing this quarter has been. We are seeing so many dreams unfold after so many years of hard work, audacious prayers, dogged determination and patient perseverance. This is through the sheer grace of God and would not have been possible without you. The needs and challenges are greater than ever, and so are the opportunities to grow and make an even greater impact. Please keep empowering us with your prayers, encouragement, connections, donations and contribution. As Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”