In service of the King

Look out world...

2009-03-09T05:30:00.004+03:00

He's walking. Here is a video of the first day he started walking. The video doesn't really show off his "skills", but it is adorable! You can hear the full story on our other website http://paulandbecca.wordpress.com

God's Creation

2009-01-22T11:21:00.003+03:00

Today we heard a new little heart beat. Today, for the first time, we saw God’s creation in our second child. It was so amazing to see this tiny baby that is currently only 2.7cm or barely over an inch. God is an amazing Creator. We feel incredibly gracious to be pregnant.

I am currently about 10 weeks along and we are expecting the little one around August 18th. We actually found out we were pregnant on Christmas morning. It was so special to have an extra gift and we were even able to tell our families when they called that day. We had previously decided we would come home to the US to deliver in order to be with family and for a planned c-section. (Nathan was a c-section and it was decided by us and our OB then that future c-sections would be a good choice.) So we are planning a trip home. Nathan and I will travel to Houston in early June and Paul in early August. We are already dreading the time apart, but know it will be best for Nathan and me to come home in plenty of time. We hope to travel to Dallas in June, but other than that I will have to stay put.

Nathan is very excited about having a brother or sister. He loves other children or babies of any age and we know he will be a great big brother. He has been doing handstands where he makes a little triangle by standing on his feet and hands and then looks under through his legs. Etagainu said that in Ethiopia that means they are looking for a little brother or sister to come along.

We feel so blessed to be able to pray and nurture this little life. Although God is the one who is sustaining it’s life and creating it in His image.

I should tell you this is still not our permanent blog. We are unable to post to blogspot with where we live, please visit us at http://paulandbecca.wordpress.com for the latest stories in Ethiopia.

Love to All!
Paul, Becca, Nathan and very tiny Baby

WE'VE MOVED

2008-08-21T17:31:00.001+03:00

Not only have we moved to Ethiopia, but we have also moved our blog. Our blog has moved to www.paulandbecca.wordpress.com Please come and join us there. We promise pictures of Africa!

Goodbye blogspot!

Hello? Is this thing on?

2008-08-18T14:53:00.000+03:00

We have asked our friends in Dallas to post this information for you. We apologize for the lack of input on this blog since we arrived in Ethiopia, but it appears Ethiopia has blocked many blogger sites and we are unable to access the site from Soddo. We are in the process of setting up a different site and will post the new information on this site and in our next mailed newsletter as soon as we have the information. Thank you so much for your patience and looking forward to sharing our experiences! As of now, we are doing well. God has been merciful and kind to us and we are settling in.

Paul and Becca

We Made It!

2008-08-10T02:34:00.001+03:00

We have made it safely to our new home! We are in Soddo, Ethiopia.
We have been settling in and Paul starts at the hospital on Monday.
Most of the things packed in our really heavy bags seems useful,
however we did not bring enough warm clothes. When we got off the
plane it was 59 degrees and it has only broken 70 one day. But trust
me we are NOT complaining after hearing Dallas was scheduled to 107 a
few days ago.

The trip went well and after arriving in Addis Ababa we spent a few
days there buying appliances and meat and cheese. We are 8 hours
ahead of central time and we are over jet lag. Nathan did great
switching his clock to African time.

We are having trouble accessing our blog and have had our good friends
Dan and Diedra post this for us. Hopefully we will figure it out and
be able to access it soon, but we do have reliable email, so feel free
to email us at paulandbecca@gmail.com

Thanks for the prayers and encouragement, they have helped a lot.
Please let us know if there are things we are missing out on in your
lives, so we can be praying for you.

love, Becca, Paul and baby Nate

Peope, people, everywhere

2008-08-04T04:36:00.003+03:00

I'm thankful that God has arranged a little time for reflection before we fly to Ethiopia. As Becca mentioned below, we are currently in Washington DC and will be departing for Addis Ababa tomorrow evening. We arrived at the hotel via shuttle with our quarter ton of luggage so we aren't going anywhere except back to the airport tomorrow afternoon. Perfect!

It has been a long time of goodbye's. God has blessed us with so many wonderful people that it takes a long time to say goodbye to only a fraction of them! Wonderful parents who raised us and taught us to be the people we are today (Mom, JD, Dad, Kim, Patty and Steve, I'm going to miss you all big-time). Amazing grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Close and endearing friends (today I talked with a very dear friend, Chad, a surgeon in Dallas). They are all over the world. Due to our layover here we had the opportunity to spend an evening with one of my long-lost and much-admired uncles, Uncle Dan. He lives here in Washington and works for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He's a brilliant lawyer, one of the smartest people I know. The congressmen may talk about their laws, but Dan is the one who writes them. I haven't seen him in over 10 years and, thanks to this trip, we had a great dinner and I got to show off my wife and son.

It makes me think of all the places God is putting people. I recently talked with an old roommate and friend from college who is leaving for the mission field in Angola as a church leader and pastoral educator. As we talked, we realized that three of the seven of us guys who shared a suite in college will be living in Africa! In addition to the two of us, our other friend is working for the US government in Nairobi, Kenya. One of my best friends from medical school is living and working at a mission hospital in Cameroon as a family practice and obstetrics doctor. My sister-in-law and her husband, two people dear to my heart, will be leaving for the mission field around December this year to work with Wycliffe Bible translators, likely in west Asia.

For an introvert who has often struggled with people skills, God has put a lot of awesome people in my life! I realize I'm kind of rambling, but it's late and I've had about seven hours of sleep in the last 72 hours. I say all that to say this: it's people that really matter. I thank God for the people I've met and known. I'm going to miss all you people, but it's for people that we're going. I'm also excited about the new people we will meet and befriend. Looking forward to sharing them with you.

Paul

Half Way There...

2008-08-04T00:43:00.002+03:00

Well, we are in Washington DC and although it is not technically half way to Ethiopia, we are very thankful we have made it this far without any hassles. In fact, at 4am this morning in the Houston airport we had the nicest ticket agent. She was such a hidden blessing. We were afraid they would give us a hard time about having 7 huge bags, but she was so friendly and helpful and even let us board early with Nathan. Now we just have one more flight from DC, USA to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is a direct flight with just a stop in Rome to refuel, but we won't get off the plane.

We leave DC at 8:30 eastern time Monday and should arrive in Addis in the evening on Tuesday. Which will be around midday central time. We hope to be able to blog from Ethiopia in a few days, to let you know we made it safe and sound...

to 4 years of Marriage!

2008-07-31T21:38:00.005+03:00

Happy Anniversary! It has been a great 4 years of marriage. Before we left Dallas we took a few pictures at some of the places where we have great memories in Dallas. Unfortunatly, 2 of our favorite Dallas restaraunts have burned down and the place we went for our first date is closed down. (You can see pictures of the hole-in-the-wall "Ben's Half Yard House" above.) Also, featured is the place we got married and our first apartment, (which is also where we first met on a blind date...at that exact door step). "Awwww, how romantic..."

After 4 years, we have a son and a new country and now we finally feel like we can "settle down."

Some cute pictures

2008-07-29T04:52:00.003+03:00

We won't be able to download large pictures once we get to Ethiopia due to having dial-up internet connection. So we thought we would upload these recent pictures. My dad took these pictures of our little cutie.

Recent Newsletter

2008-07-29T04:48:00.002+03:00

Below is an informational about us that was featured in the recent PAACS newsletter:

PAUL AND REBECCA GRAY JOIN THE PAACS TEAM AT SODDO

Next month, Paul and Becca Gray will leave their home in Texas to travel to Soddo, Ethiopia, where Paul will become the new Program Director.

Paul wrote recently: “I first felt God's tug into medical missions during a college mission trip to a hospital in central India. Over the next several years God confirmed this as I finished college and attended medical school at the University of Louisville.

“I first learned of PAACS in a lecture given by Dr. Dave Thompson at the Global Missions Health Conference at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville during my second year of medical school. I was drawn to the idea of training others to multiply what a single missionary surgeon could do during his entire career. Furthermore, this was in keeping with Christ's example. While He ministered to a tremendous number of people in His lifetime, He mainly poured Himself into twelve men who carried on after He left.

“Following medical school, I attended a general surgical residency at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. There I met and married my wife, Rebecca. During my third year of residency, I contacted PAACS by email and subsequently spent the month of May, 2007 at Bongolo Hospital in Gabon, working with Dave Thompson and his residents. This was a definite confirmation of God's plan to us. After asking where we might best contribute, Dave and Bruce Steffes suggested that we prayerfully consider Soddo Christian Hospital in Ethiopia.

“During our prayer and research about Ethiopia, we were visited by both the Andersons and the Adolphs. Once again, we felt confirmed in our decision. God directed to Global Outreach International as a sending agency, and after being accepted as missionaries we set about raising support.

“After graduating from residency in June, 2007, I worked for one year as a trauma/critical care surgeon at Baylor while raising support. At this point, we have liquidated life here in the USA and are excitedly anticipating the transition to a missionary life that is ten years in the making.

“We feel like we’re now on that part on a roller coaster ride where you are strapped in and chunking up the slope to the first drop. You have a dry mouth as you eyeball the height, but there's no turning back! We are confident in the Lord, though, and ready to trust in His grace and provision. The challenges that await us at Soddo are more than daunting, but we’re eager to get at it. May God be praised!”

Who loves Baby?

2008-07-28T18:35:00.007+03:00

We have a book called "Who loves Baby" and several people have tried to read it to Nathan only to find the sad conclusion that no one is in the book. It is a book you have to put pictures into, so we have been taking pictures of Nathan with family and friends to be able to fill his book, with people who love him.

to Andrew Wayne, "In the palm of His hand"

2008-07-24T04:55:00.009+03:00

"Today is a day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

I always hear this phrase in the morning, when I don't yet know what that day holds. But what about yesterday? Yesterday, was a day the Lord had made as well, even when yesterday was blanketed with pain.

Yesterday was a day the Lord had made... Let me tell you about a few things that happened yesterday, July 22, 2008. Three of our close friends had babies yesterday. But July 22nd was not only filled with the joy of our friends and their families.

Yesterday...
Mary Margaret was born to Mary Evelyn and Dan Fore in Memphis, Tennessee
Caden was born to Jen and Jeff Richardson in Austin, Texas
and
Andrew Wayne was born to Brooke and Scott Holliday in Houston, Texas.

Shortly after Andrew was born, he died. I do not know all of the details, but I do know that there are many family members and friends who are grieving for this small life. Many people who are feeling the pain of losing such an innocent soul. We don't always know why the Lord chooses such painful situations and I don't pretend to know here. I am just a mother grieving for another mother.

to Andrew Wayne Holliday: I know you were such a special blessing to your parents and your sister. Although you knew this world for a short time, the love and prayers that surrounded you were abundant. The way your mom and dad prayed for you even before you were created was so gracious. You have traveled to so many places and have been to parts of the world that other American children will only hear about. You have a bond with your mother that only a mother can know. You brought so much joy to your parents as you grew and as you kicked around. You are such a special boy and although I never knew you, you have made me remember how big our God is. How God is so powerful and so mighty that he can love us and forgive us. That He can grant us the kind of grace and love that is even more powerful than a parents love. Andrew, in the midst of the pain and longing I feel, you have made me reflect on how God has all of us in the palm of His hand. And there is no other place I would rather be.

As we rejoice in the Lord for these new lives we rejoice Him for our own. As Paul and I are 12 days from moving to Ethiopia with Nathan, we have to realize that no matter where we go we are not in control, but we are in the palm of God's hand.

Please pray for my friends Brooke and Scott during this time. And may we pray for all parents who have dealt with the loss of a child. Earlier this week I was reading a mother's blog who recently lost a daughter after 2 short hours of life. Please pray for her as well (Her blog is here).

Lord, my prayers to you are such a small offering of love for those who are hurting. I pray tonight for Brooke and for Scott and how they must be on their knees, filled with sorrow. I pray that you would give them glimpses of your peace and comfort. And that you would help them through this day and then through tomorrow and then the next. Amen.

love, Becca

Traveling Around

2008-07-18T01:19:00.003+03:00

We have been having a great time traveling to see family and friends. We are currently in Atlanta and have driven almost 2000 miles! Only 1000 miles to go... Nathan's favorite thing has been his Baby Einstein DVD. That is a road trip life saver! And we figure he won't see TV for a while so few hours of Baby Mozart over and over again won't hurt. Also, a friend gave us a sign language DVD, so we are starting to teach him a few simple things, in order to increase the communication beyond grunting and crying. (Thanks Beth!)

You can see Nathan chillin' with his paci and DVD here. He uses the DVD holder as a foot rest as well. He is such a cutie!

2008-07-18T01:00:00.001+03:00

Things went pretty well as we wrapped up in Dallas. This is a picture of our garage give-away! That picture doesn't even begin to describe the stuff we got rid of.

We were happy that some friends came by and took a piece of our Dallas life to their own homes. We know they will think of us in Ethiopia as they use the items.

Thanks to all of our friends for tons of help moving and storing and cleaning! You have no idea how much you helped.

A Busy Week...

2008-07-06T03:53:00.008+03:00

We have been busy this week packing up the apartment. Here are some pictures to show just a few of the things we have been up to in prepartion to saying goodbye to Dallas.

Nathan started eating rice cereal. My parents took this picture while they were in Dallas helping us move some furniture.

2008-07-06T03:30:00.001+03:00

The dietitians at Baylor had a little get together where we could hang out and Nathan and I could say goodbye. Of course at a dietitian party the babies are the only boys allowed...(Nathan is in the back and the other little guy is Pierce in the car seat.)

2008-07-06T03:25:00.000+03:00

We put some of our things in storage. This was Paul's last trip of a million, he has worked so hard. Nathan was taking a ride on the dolly. Oh...and Paul shaved his head. It was part of a celebration of one phase of his life and he has been talking about forever and since he was done working at Baylor he decided it was time. I like it!

2008-07-06T03:20:00.002+03:00

This is our storage space. It is 5' by 5' and 8' tall. And we used every inch. Nathan was a big help, so we decided not to store him, but to continue to raise him. He is so cute and has been so much fun as he turned 6 months.

2008-07-06T03:15:00.004+03:00

And to top off our very exciting and busy week... Nathan started rolling over. He had been rolling from stomach to back. But for the first time in his crib he rolled from back to stomach. We all of a sudden heard him crying very loud...and then the cry got muffled and we ran in there and he was on his tummy. So he is figuring out how to sleep on his stomach when he ends up on his belly. He is also very ambitious and goal oriented (like his parents) and only rolls over when there is something to reach for. We love him so much and he is developing such a cute and sweet personality. Paul prayed for him last night and when Paul opened his eyes Nathan was just looking at him and smiling. When Nathan looks back at me like that I always think he is saying, "I love you too!"

T-Minus 48 Days to Ethiopia

2008-06-11T02:33:00.005+03:00

"Nathan's Response to Being Told He Won't Be the Topic of Every Blog Post"

OK, I've been negligent in keeping up with blogging. Here is a summary of where we are at in regards to the transition to the mission field.

The visit to Wheaton, IL, for the board meeting of the St. Luke's Healthcare Foundation (Owns Soddo Christian Hospital, the hospital to which we are going)

We visited Wheaton, IL, recently to attend the annual board meeting of the St. Luke's Healthcare Foundation. This foundation owns Soddo Hospital and we had an informative time getting to know them as they got to know us. We spent three nights in Wheaton and were privileged to share a condo with Duane and Jackie Anderson, the orthopedic surgeon essentially in charge of the hospital and his wife. They answered our long list of questions and we learned more about their needs and how we could help. Duane and Jackie are a wonderful couple, full of love and compassion, and we are excited to be their neighbors (they will be the other occupants of the duplex in which we will live). They are expecting their first grandchild this January so we hope Nathan will be an acceptable substitute in the mean time.

The foundation is composed of an energetic group of individuals, including a lawyer, a former hospital administrator, a financial adviser, a construction owner, a doctor and several other helpful individuals. They have an ambitious plan for the growing hospital and we are proud to be able to pitch in for the work. Here are some prayer requests that came out of the meetings:

1. Good relations with the local government
2. Continued cooperation with the local churches
3. Discipleship of new believers from the hospital
4. Raising of funds - especially for a new electrical generator (their current one is being overworked), a new well (more water will be needed for expansion), new residential housing on the hospital grounds (both for the surgical residents and visiting physicians), and new hospital wards (two)

Meeting with Bruce Steffes, MD, CEO of PAACS (Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons)

During our visit in Wheaton, we were also pleased to spend a short period of time the CEO of PAACS, Dr. Bruce Steffes. Bruce is one of the most productive, energetic and articulate men I've ever met. PAACS is lucky to have him. He gave us some advice regarding our beginning at Soddo. First, in a view to the long haul, he strongly recommended I not begin clinical duties at the hospital for at least two weeks after arrival at Soddo. We have to support each other as a family during the initial adjustment phase. "Go to the market with your wife," he said, "learn how to cook, shop, take care of a child and live in a third-world setting." Statistically, he says the most common reason for leaving the mission field is family problems. A sobering thought and good advice for a type-A kind of guy.

After 31 years of being a student, it is a challenge learning to transition to the role of a teacher. This year at Baylor has been helpful as I have worked with the residents of my own prior residency. Next year, however, will be a whole new ballgame. Though I will not technically be the program director at Soddo for a couple of years due to PAACS rules regarding experience requirements for program directors, I will clearly be immediately stepping into a leadership role of the residency program. This is a daunting challenge and I will need all of the Lord's grace and guidance to make it work. I recently spoke with a general surgeon who spent a couple months helping with the program last year. According to him, the residents of Soddo have had a long string of short-term general surgeons for the last three years and they are most in need of someone who will be there long term... someone constant, to whom they can look as their leader. Imagine a sports team whose coach changed every month or two. Though young and inexperienced, I pray I can at least provide an abiding presence with these young surgeons and help lead them to maturity as doctors.

"I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, your senior drill instructor. From now on you will speak only when spoken to, and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be sir. Do you maggots understand that? Sir, yes, sir!!"

Carrying the responsibility for the excellence of new surgeons has been a particular burden for me lately. How high do I set the bar? As I've spent this last year working with residents at Baylor, I've discovered a disjoint between my level of expectation regarding my own performance as a resident and my expectations of the residents with whom I work. As a consequence, I don't think I have led residents to the highest possible level of their potential. I am encouraged and inspired by the fact, however, that as Christians, we are called to an even higher expectation. The standard to which we ought to compare all of our activities is no less than Jesus Himself. We should do all things with excellence, serving as unto the Lord. This of course is beyond our abilities but I believe that God will give us the grace to proceed. These residents will be among some of the first graduates of a training program that bears Christ's name. I pray that their excellence, and ours, will be a testimony to the goodness that the Lord offers to the world.

Saying goodbye to Dallas

Becca and I are wrapping up our time here in Dallas and it will certainly be difficult to leave. We have loved our time here and it will always provide fond memories for us. As an Army brat, I've lived in a lot of different places growing up. I've actually spent more consecutive time here in Dallas than anywhere else. I met my wife here. My son was born here. Lifelong friends are here. I learned my profession here. God has led me considerably further down the road of my faith here. June 25 will be my last day at Baylor Medical Center (two more call days to go...) and our family will drive away July 8. Though we are excited about the changes to come, we will miss what we are leaving behind.

Saying goodbye to family and friends

We will be taking a 3000 mile "road trip" to visit family and friends around the southeast US before leaving for Ethiopia. These goodbyes will certainly be the hardest. We are so thankful for the wonderful and supportive relationships the Lord has given us in our family and friends. We are who we are because of them. We pray that these relationships will be sustained across an ocean in the years to come.

A new beginning

We have purchased tickets (one-way) to Ethiopia for August 4. We hope to be on the same plane as the Anderson's for the journey to Addis Ababa. Though we are saddened by what we are leaving, we are looking forward to the blessings the Lord has in store for us as we serve in Soddo. Our time with the leadership of the hospital has invigorated our anticipation of what is to come. There will certainly be challenges but we are trusting that Christ will be with us, as He has promised. Looking forward to updates from abroad!

Love, Paul Gray

iGoogle is the best

2008-06-10T17:15:00.000+03:00

If you don't have iGoogle as your home page, you are missing out. It centralizes everything you need. I can even post ot my blog from the home page. I can also, check Gmail, read the verse of the day, look at our calendar, check things off the to do list, find directions to anywhere, see current weather, current stories, and make more lists or notes....

You should really try it, click here igoogle.com

Daddy and Me

2008-06-10T04:25:00.004+03:00

I thought these pictures were so sweet of the two most charming and handsome men in my life. Nathan loves his daddy. Paul often makes him laugh and giggle. Nathan is definitely posing for the camera in a few of these. He can be smiling so big and as soon as he hears the camera come on, he stares with this pensive look and stops smiling. Oh well, he is still adorable.

Can you stick your foot in your mouth?

2008-06-09T19:18:00.010+03:00

Paci!!!

2008-06-08T04:56:00.003+03:00

Nathan has finally started taking a pacifier. Since he was born, we have tried over and over again to get him to take a paci. Well, a few weeks ago he decided it was time. It is so nice to have something that will calm him when we can't hold him, bounce him, pat him and shh him all simultaneously...He really isn't that high maintenance any more. He has been so cute and such a joy. 5 months old seems to be that magic time for me to feel like we can go anywhere. Paul has been on call all weekend, so Nathan and I went to the pool with a friend and then Nathan and I went shopping and for some ice cream.

Memorial Day!

2008-05-27T22:03:00.003+03:00

Here is Nathan in the pool for the first time. It was about 95 degrees in Dallas yesterday, so a perfect day to introduce Nathan to the pool!

Nathan's First Flight

2008-05-26T19:17:00.005+03:00

Nathan is sitting up like a big boy in his very own airplane seat. Okay actually he was sitting in his Aunt 'Sica's seat, of course we didn't buy him his own seat. I went to Chicago for a Dietitian's meeting and my mom and sis went to help out with Nathan while I was in meetings. I was so thankful they could come and hang out with Nathan. We had lots of fun in Chicago, we went to the Navy Pier, ate Deep dish pizza and even went to a Memorial Day Parade. Nathan did pretty well on the plane. Luckily he likes to be held and loves attention, so with three of us to pass him around and entertain him he loved it! He did great being toted around the city. He spent most of the day in Bjorn, just looking around and soaking it all in.

So Sweet...

2008-04-28T19:16:00.006+03:00

This picture shows just how sweet he is! He has found his hands and he loves to hold on to them. It is like an automatic toy no matter where we are. Here he is sitting in the Bumbo. He loves to sit up and play in there.

After he gets up in the morning and eats breakfast we spend some time sitting and playing!

This was a mommy-get-together with some friends at the mall. We each have recently had our first child. And it has been a lot of fun to get together and share stories and ideas! Although it is adult time, all we talk about are our sweet babies!

From Left to Right: Meryn was born Dec 19th, Hunter was born Jan 25th and Nathan was born Dec 29th. They were so cute sitting together!

What we have been up to...

2008-04-10T05:23:00.013+03:00

Nathan is growing so fast and changing every day. One day he discovered his hands and now he can't stop putting them in his mouth. The next day he discovered his feet. He hasn't quite figured out how to put his toes in his mouth - yet, I'm sure it won't be long. He is so smiley and so much fun.

Enjoy a few pictures below of what we have been up to...

Nathan and Paul out to eat. Nathan loves the outdoors
and often if he is fussy, we take a walk outside. Dallas weather has been perfect and this night we enjoyed dinner outside.

Nathan and Meryn

Meryn is 10 days older than Nathan. We have had a lot of fun hanging out with Meryn and her mom Lauren.

Lauren and Meryn

Nathan flirting with Meryn

Having a picnic

Nathan hanging out during happy time

Tummy Time!

Nathan and Molly (the golden retreiver)

Trip to the Dallas Arboreteum

Nathan and Zso Zso (Becca's Mom)
Nathan and Becca

"Africa is the Hottest Ticket in Town"

2008-03-21T17:39:00.003+03:00

Well, there you go! I just heard on the Today Show (my window into the world as a new mom) that "Africa is the Hottest Ticket in Town!" Of course, they were referring to visiting a safari. But I think a hospital in Soddo, Ethiopia will be even better.

I just thought that would be a fun thing to blog about this morning.

Easter pictures of Nathan coming soon. And my dad is visiting this weekend, so maybe we will get some more award winning shots too!

May everyone have a great Easter and remember the Joy in the Resurrection of Christ!

Time with Friends

2008-03-18T00:54:00.009+03:00

On our trip to Austin we met up with a lot of my (Becca's) college friends.

This Nathan's newest friend, Malachi. He is 2 months older than Nathan. They were already talking to each other and Malachi was holding Nathan's hand.

Angela, Halim and Malachi

It was fun to watch them together.

Cole and Rilyn

Dr. Gray

2008-03-11T19:20:00.003+03:00

This is a picture of Nathan in his baby Scrubs. We took this on January 30th, to celebrate Paul passing his surgical oral boards! As you can see, Nathan was busy at work as his scrubs are all spit-uppy. I can't believe how tiny he looks in this picture.

Road Trip!

2008-03-10T03:54:00.010+03:00

We took Nathan to the Austin area this past week. He met his Great Gramps and Aunt and Uncle Seifert and Second Cousin Alex. We also hung out with many of Becca's college friends and their families. See pictures below:

Nathan was so happy with Great Gramps (Becca's mom's dad - Vern ).
He could have stayed in his arms all day!

Great Gramps and Becca with Nathan

This is Nancy Lee calming Nathan during his transition from happy time to nap time.

Nathan has been very snuggly lately.

Nathan and Great Uncle Jay

Nathan and Great Aunt Melinda

Nathan and Second cousin Alex

That is the first half of our trip. I will add more tomorrow. I promise Paul was there too, he just hasn't shown up in the pics yet.

becca

Happy Time!

2008-03-05T02:17:00.003+03:00

Nathan has learned to have Happy Time! Usually after burping he spends some time in the bouncy chair looking at a singing mobile and then we have kicking time on his activity blanket. He smiles a lot and is so cute, as you can see. These are just a few of his cute faces. He has also started talking to me, we have been discussing the economy and the upcoming election. Just kidding, he just oohs and ahhs.
~becca (a proud momma)

p.s. He is sleeping at least 7 hours in a row at night! Which makes Happy Time for all of us.

Youthful naivety or obedience?

2008-02-28T05:21:00.002+03:00

I recently visited scenic El Paso, TX, for an Advanced Trauma Life Support Instructor class. The class was about as excited as the title entails, but I did have a very interesting conversation with an orthopedic surgeon I met there.

Since I started my surgical training in 2002, when asked, I have told people of my career plans to enter the medical mission field. I've heard a lot of different responses from different people, doctors in particular, surgeons especially. Most of the surgeons I encounter are not Christians so I'm not surprised by the lack of understanding regarding my motivations to serve overseas. The comments I received from this orthopedic doc in El Paso were fairly common. Uncommon, though, was his familiarity with the difficulties of Africa.

As the only two guys from out of town, we ate dinner together one night and shared about our lives. In his late 50's (I think), he clearly has a broader perspective of life than me and his story in particular provides a broader perspective than usual. He grew up in Capetown, South Africa. Apparently his family was Christian, at least in name, and he was familiar with the Bible from childhood. After finishing his schooling, he joined the South African army and felt like this was his calling in life. As he puts it, "the South African army is very different than the American army." He states that by the time he finished basic training, he had been through so much that he literally did not remember his parents' names. The only familiar name to him was his sister's. In the ensuing years, he witnessed and participated in horrors that he would not relate. He witnessed first-hand examples of the genocide we only hear about in the news. These evils respected no person, regardless of sex or age. At the time, he himself felt he had a real gift for killing. In the face of all this, his bitterness for the world, human nature and Africa in particular grew and grew. Any belief he may have had in a loving, interactive God was erased. Per my questioning, he does believe in an agnostic God that created the universe but has nothing to do with its inhabitants. He made it his goal to get out of Africa and never come back. He attended medical school in South Africa and orthopedic surgery residency in Canada. He then worked for about 15 years as a general orthopedic surgeon and now is working in south Texas as an orthopedic trauma surgeon.

Though he denied calling me a victim of youthful naivety (I asked for clarification!), he did say he felt my somewhat ignorant optimism would be burnt out after five years and we would be back in the US by then. In his mind, the realities of Africa are simply too great. He has truly seen the ugliness and pervasiveness of sin in a way that those of us raised in the United States cannot understand. Raised in a country whose government and legal system were designed by men familiar with Biblical truths, it is hard for me to imagine an entire continent ruled by "might makes right." Our month in Gabon taught us a little, but we have much to learn. Though deeply wounded and cynical, this doctor said he still envied our hope and he wished the best for us in spite of his prediction of disillusionment.

Though his honesty and sincerity were refreshing, this man's message was like most of the other messages I have received from the secular medical profession regarding the medical mission field. It is a message of despair, of futility. Some call it youthful naivety, some call it a search for adventure (soon to be soured by reality), some call it "peeing in the ocean" in regards to the daunting ratio of resources to needs, and some simply call it a waste. On a slightly more positive note, some call it "noble", very "big of you." Well, what is it really? Why on earth are we packing up our young family and leaving a six-figure income to move to Ethiopia?

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt 28:20
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant" Phil 2:5-7
"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." Heb 11:13-16

We aren’t noble, foolish, ignorant or even all that nice (well, Becca is). In truth, we are incredibly grateful. Becca and I both know the unspeakable joy of grace as we have both encountered Jesus and His cross. From Him and through His sacrifice, we have each received life… amazing, undeserved, delicious, eternal life. Both of us know what it is to be lost in sinful rebellion, in separated enmity to the only source of life in all existence, and we have received His surprising and radical mercy. We now belong to Him and we will go where He leads us. We feel He is leading us to Ethiopia. That’s really about it. May He be glorified in all we say and do, and we are excited to see what the Lord has in mind for us in the years to come. (5 years and beyond!)Though we don't fully know the trials that are to come, Jesus has promised to be with us (see the verse from Matthew above). And, through his walk with Jesus, the apostle Paul learned the secret of contentment in each and every circumstance: he could do all things through Him who gave him strength. Christ is our motivation and our sustainer. We praise Him and offer all we are to Him.

Paul

The Happiest Wise Baby Whisperer on the Block

2008-02-21T16:59:00.002+03:00

Many of you are wondering, "where did Paul go, we want to hear from him on the blog." Well, soon enough, he recently passed his surgical boards and I am sure will be joining in on the blogging soon. But until then you have to read another baby blog...

For those of you who have had babies over the past few years, you have probably heard of at least one of these books...

The Happiest Baby on the Block,
Baby Wise,
and
The Baby Whisperer

Well, I started out reading the baby whisperer, only to discover I do not have the patience or ability to stay at home all day, to make this work. I did however, begin the feeding schedule, including cluster feeds and a dream feed. Nathan was sleeping well at night, but very fussy during the day...so we desperately read about the Happiest Baby on the Block. Hoping Nathan would join in the happiness. That taught us that Nathan likes to be swaddled tight and he likes loud noises (including the vacuum). And Nathan learned to have happy awake time! A huge success for us! Finally, I read Baby Wise. Which is not as structured and helped me learn to relax and pay attention to what he wanted, instead of a strict schedule.

I did take something from every book, but Baby Wise is my favorite. I think someone should make cliff notes on all 3. That would be a best seller. Nathan will sleep 6 hours at a time at night, which is great. We are now working on sleeping until 7am (to help with mom's sanity).

So now Nathan is the Happiest Wise Baby Whisperer on the Block. Especially since I haven't seen any other babies on our block yet.

~becca

Nathan is famous!

2008-02-20T18:18:00.003+03:00

Already, I am bragging on my son... But this is more just showing him off. And although Nathan did cooperate very well for the above picture, my dad (Nathan's Granpa) gets all the credit.

My dad's picture won the top prize at a Houston area photo contest. Click here to see the story on page 7.

~Becca

Family Picture

2008-02-19T17:09:00.004+03:00

After a few weeks I realized we didn't have a picture of the 3 of us. This family photo was taken February 10th at church. It was the day Nathan was dedicated to the Lord by Paul and me and our church family. It was exciting to state publicly what we have been praying for months, that Nathan would be raised for the Lord. That he would come to have a personal saving knowledge of the grace of God, not through the power of our prayers or actions, but through the power of the Holy Spirit.

He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.
~Proverbs 14:26

Adored

2008-02-04T21:58:00.007+03:00

Happy Valentine's Day !

The pictures are of Nathan in his Valentine's outfit. Nathan is not only adorable, he is adored. His second outfit (after some spit-up) said "Mr. Right in Training" daddy is sure to train him well in that area.

I found the following to be appropriate for Valentine's day...

"Our thought habits are those of the scientist, not those of the worshiper. We are more likely to explain than to adore. 'It thundered,' we exclaim, and go our earthly way. But still the Voice sounds and searches. The order and life of the world depend upon that Voice, but men are mostly too busy or too stubborn to give attention. "
~"The Pursuit of God" AW Tozer

May we pause and adore God and His creation.

becca

The Newest Fan

2008-01-17T22:29:00.000+03:00

Even the Cowboys youngest fan could not bring them a victory. Tony needed more than this adorable newborn in his "Romo onesie," but at least mommy has someone to watch the games with now.

Today instead of football we read AW Tozer. They say you should sing to your baby, but I find reading to be a valuable alternative. I figure he won't know the difference between Tozer and Dr. Suess for a while, so maybe I could do some learning too.

from Becca and Nathan (currently a sleeping bundle of joy)

The week in review...

2008-01-05T22:32:00.000+03:00

Click here for more pictures: pictures

It's been a great week with the family. Grandparents have been in to see him. We are developing some semblance of a routine. Many pictures have been taken. By my calculations, at this current pace we will have taken about 41,200 pictures by the time Nathan goes to college. Thank heaven for digital photography. Well, for you people still hungry for more pics, here's the link: pics.

Bathtime

2008-01-03T04:22:00.000+03:00

After heating the bathroom to resemble a Turkish spa, we embarked on Nathan's first bath. Amazing how such little things as baths are seen in a new light when dealing with your 7 pound offspring. He did fine.

HE'S HERE!!

2007-12-31T05:10:00.000+03:00

To see more photos, click this link: PICTURES (Warning: baby nudity)

Wow. No words to adequately explain what we are feeling. We are definitely one step closer to understanding the magnitude of God's love for His children. Until you've held your newborn baby, I guess you just can't really explain it.

We’re parents! Nathan Paul Gray was born on December 29, 2007, at 9:59 am, 7 lbs 4 oz. Taking after his father, he was stubborn even in the womb. He refused to rotate his head in the correct direction to make it through the pelvis, despite all attempts by the obstetrician to turn him. Therefore, he entered the world in the best of all places for a surgeon’s son… the operating room! His first words were, “Nurse, wipe my brow!” Just kidding, it was the typical irritated holler of a person being rudely pulled from a warm, dark, cozy environment to a bright, cold, harsh one.

Becca and Nathan both weathered the process beautifully. Becca is healing quite well and has her pain well controlled. Nathan is healthy in all respects and doing well. I have always told Becca that not all babies are cute and that I would shoot her straight about our own. Nathan is perfect, clearly the best looking baby ever created.

Becca will be in the hospital for the next few days until cleared to go home after her surgery. We are proud as can be and excited about the upcoming days/months/years. Till the next update!

To see more pictures, please click here. (Warning, baby nudity.)

Paul and Becca

The nursery

2007-12-27T05:25:00.001+03:00

Has nesting begun? Probably... The nursery is now ready for the new arrival.
To view more pictures, click here.

Could be any day now. Should be this week. Or medicine will intervene on Jan 2.

Soddo Update From The Anderson's

2007-11-30T16:44:00.000+03:00

Though we are still trying to get to Soddo, Duane and Jackie Anderson, the orthopedic surgeon in leadership of the PAACS residency and his wife, are already there. I wanted to include an update from their time and service at Soddo. Hope you enjoy!

Paul

NOVEMBER UPDATES FOR THE ANDERSONS IN ETHIOPIA

DR. CAL JONES RETURNS TO SODDO
Last November Dr. Cal Jones helped jump start our fledging residency program. This year he has returned for five weeks and sees improvement. "These are a great group of young surgeons," he comments. He especially enjoys letting them do surgeries under his careful supervision. Cal is from Baltimore, MD., a retired vascular surgeon, with a continued interest in the hospital. His church small group made a significant contribution to our new pharmacy building. He is delighting in taking progressive pictures of the building to share with his wife and friends. It is a pleasure to share Thanksgiving with him again this year. And what a surprise to have him remember our (Duane's and Jackie's) birthdays with special gifts.

OB/GYN DOCTOR AND WIFE CONSIDER SODDO CHRISTIAN HOSPITAL
Dr. Mark and Alison Karnes were our new duplex neighbors for the first two weeks of November. From Muskegon, Michigan, the Karnes had earlier missionary experience in Cameroon. After living in the States for the last 20 years, they are eager to return to Africa on a long term basis.
Dr. Mark set to work delivering babies; in fact, his wife and I watched twins born on my and Duane's birthday! It was a C-section and Mark fastidiously explained each step to the resident. A healthy boy and girl were quickly wrapped in blue sheets and fell asleep. The next day Alison accompanied me on my hospital rounds with our woman chaplain, Sarah, translating. We gave two baby blankets to the tired mother who is concerned about caring for twins.
Alison was a great partner for the two weeks. She gladly took my English students when I was busy cooking for all our visitors. She enjoyed the prayer times on the wards, pausing to hear from God concerning each patient. She visited schools and found opportunities to teach in the future.
On one of her last days, I gave her my old monkey puppet that has arms that wrap around your neck. When you move the mouth, it squeaks. We entered the children's ward and frightened many of them at first. The monkey dispensed gum so eventually we overcame the fears. Even grown men would scream and pull back as if the cloth toy was alive with an evil spirit. When she removed it from her arm, a great gasp went up.
Soon we had a crowd of student nurses and patients' relatives following us down the covered walkway to another ward. In orthopedics, one of our favorite girls pulled back in alarm. We coaxed her to touch the monkey and soon she followed us, confident that is was a lot of fun. Over an hour of joking and laughing brought joy to many bored patients. They are asking Sarah, "Where is the monkey? When is it coming again?"
Dr. Mark expressed enthusiasm at developing the OB/GYN department of the hospital.
We hope Mark and Alison will return as long term residents here.

AMERICAN MIDWIFE INSTRUCTS NURSES
Judy Stewart from Yakima, WA, arrived November 8th with the New Covenant and Real Life Ministries team. Judy's red hair characterized her energy and passion for teaching. At 7 AM Friday she began her twice a day teaching to the staff nurses. Amber, another nurse from California, helped her the first three days before following the team to Dilla, Ethiopia. Judy continued through Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. She even squeezed in teachings in the middle of the day at the local nursing college. Thankfully, we were able to house her in the duplex on the living room floor so that she was available to help Dr. Mark Karnes with night deliveries. What a whirlwind of activity for a first timer in missions! We think her partnering with Sister Tigist, the nursing college instructor who also does quality assurance training here at the hospital, helped win her students.

REAL LIFE MINISTRIES TEAM IMPACTS HOSPITAL
We welcomed familiar white faces Thursday, November 8th. Jim Putnam and Brandon Guindon from Real Life Ministries, our local Post Falls, ID, church arrived a bit stiff and jet lagged. They plunged into teaching at the Friday chapel with Jim's personal testimony and the need for discipleship in the church. Intense meetings continued throughout Friday and Saturday. People were challenged, encouraged and interested. Several doctors expressed a desire to start small groups as well as be in a group so that they can experience what they were taught. The fruitful time seems to be the beginning of some great growth here. Pray we can follow up with materials and meeting times. Duane and I both desire to be effective disciple makers. We are hoping another couple from RLM's staff will join us to jump start this work. We feel inadequate but Jim encouraged us that God has placed us here for this time for a reason.
We enjoyed a group pizza night on Friday. I made 16 pizzas for the group. We used our outdoor eating area with the wood burning pizza oven. Candlelight broke the pitch blackness of the African night and the fellowship seemed anointed by God's Spirit.

DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING
To make disciples that make disciples is our goal. Duane is casting that vision again to his small groups. I (Jackie) was very encouraged by several of my relationships here. Tzion, the hospital account, shared with me this morning that she had been taking our Bible study materials and teaching them to several of her friends. This is what I had hoped would happen! We both laughed and hugged as we talked about multiplication of disciples. I am also encouraging a second group of women to take the proverbs lessons and teach at least one other person each week. We will see what happens!

DUANE'S INTERESTING PATIENTS
He was so sad. His mother says he is 13 but he looks more like 8 years old. Dirty, ragged, with no shoes, he is obviously very poor.
He is a burn patient with the right forearm and hand attached the upper arm since he was an infant and fell into a fire.
Adequate care would have saved this arm but he lives in a far bush area where Dr. Mary Vanderkooi and Dr. Ruth Droppers have a twice monthly health clinic. They told him about the free care for the poor at Soddo Christian Hospital so he and his mother came by bus.
His hand is contracted with fingers embedded into the arm. He was probably bandaged tightly in that position for too long.
Dr. Frehun and Dr. Duane Anderson separated his hand and forearm from the arm and then skin grafted the defect.
His elbow is now at 90 degrees and he is wiggling his fingers slightly. We gave him a clean T-shirt and toy. He will have a little use of his hand and elbow. He seems to be happy and less fearful now.

SAVING A HAND
A young 18 year old insulted his neighbor's wife and was attacked with a machete with the intent to cut his head off! He threw up his arm to protect his neck and the machete sliced through his wrist, almost completely amputating it. He cut all the tendons except three. He cut all the major blood vessels and nerves. And completely cut through the bones of the wrist. He arrived in the OR about three hours after the injury. Dr. Jones, visiting vascular surgeon spent four hours repairing the ulnar and radial arteries. I pinned the bones in the wrist. He left the operating room with slow capillary refill to the middle finger and a cool hand which indicates poor blood supply. I expected the hand to be cold and dusky the next morning but to an answer to our prayers and to our delight, the hand was warm and pink. Three days later Dr. Frehun and I repaired his many severed tendons and repaired the ulnar and median nerves. The surgery lasted another 3 -4 hours.
He was ready to go home two days later. His father did not want to pay the bill and gave many reasons why he couldn't! We hope he does his follow up care and follows our instruction after all this effort to save his hand.

BEREKET
Bereket means blessing. It is the name of the slight eleven year old girl sitting with two leg casts upon the hospital bed in the far right corner of the orthopedic women’’s ward at Soddo Christian Hospital. A bright grin breaks out as she sees Sarah, the chaplain, and I enter the room. Denashish( Good Day),” we call as we turn left and right to greet the women and their relatives gathered around the beds.
Bereket has club feet. She was born this way in a city two days travel from Addis. She could not walk far but school was near home so she has knowledge of Amharic as well as English. She seems bright.
“I had no friends,” she whispers shyly. “I walked to school with my younger brother. The children would imitate my funny walk, shout and stare.”” Her big brown eyes are serious and her face downcast in memory.
Her mother heard from a missionary that a specialist was in Soddo. With the help of the missionary, the two traveled to the hospital. Dr. Anderson could help her but it would take a long time and many casts on her feet. Slowly, the feet turned in the proper direction and meanwhile they both were hearing about Jesus.
“I didn’t hear about Jesus in my church,” Bereket sweetly smiles. “As we prayed and listened to the chaplains, I learned God is faithful. I can be saved by His righteousness. Before I believed that if we do good things, we could become righteous.”
Colored papers are on her wall showing the Bible stories we have taught her. A slightly tattered children’s Bible, an early gift from me, is tucked inside the bedside table.
Her mother returns from shopping with a plastic bag of bananas. Soon the ward is happy with many eating the produce. Bereket calls me to her and gracefully, with hand on opposite elbow, gifts me with a banana and piece of gum. I am delightfully surprised and her mother is pleased as well.
Bereket’’s mother is passionate about her new faith. She is attending the chapel services and sharing with other patients. She wants to be an evangelist!They are both blessings to me.

Attached to this newsletter

1. The fistula patient that has been in the hospital for a long time. I wrote about her last month; her name is Kaybitu. Dr. Mark Karnes, Dr. Cal Jones, and several residents/ staff are praying for her .

2. Dr. Mark and Alison Karnes, Duane and Jackie, and a German medical student, Sebastian Van Aarken.

3. The burn patient

7 Months Gestation

2007-11-04T16:39:00.000+03:00

Well, here she is, folks. If the boy is half as active on the outside as he is on the inside, we are in for an energetic 18 years.

Questions regarding financial support

2007-11-03T03:57:00.000+03:00

We are already amazed at everyone's generosity and God's faithfulness in meeting the needs! It warms my heart knowing that God has put such caring and supportive people in our life. We cannot do this alone, but a team will be necessary. I have no doubt that the Lord will meet all needs and we eagerly look forward to serving you and sharing with you as this all proceeds towards departure and beyond.

A common question has been coming up as we have been sharing the vision of our plans in Ethiopia. What exactly do we need, financially speaking?

We are looking with an eye toward the "long haul." We hope to build a long standing relationship with you and certainly plan on staying on the mission field for a career length of time. This would ideally need monthly giving. We will be able to head overseas once our budget is met on a monthly basis. Though we certainly plan on sharing more in detail with you when we get in touch with you personally, I wanted to give a brief description of how this looks. Including our personal and ministry budget, accounting for all costs, we will need around $3400 per month in support. Though this number is daunting, the encouraging reality is a little here and little there really adds up.

And thus it begins...

2007-10-27T20:50:00.000+03:00

After a mere nine months, it's time for the next post on this blog! Our hope is to use this as a reliable means of communication and updates. Ergo, new posts are soon to follow!

We have now become missionaries with an organization called Global Outreach (GO). GO is a non-denominational sending agency that exists to facilitate getting missionaries to wherever the Lord is leading them. GO does not maintain its own projects or ministries under its own institutional name so it does not dictate to its missionaries where they are to go or what they are to do. Obviously, they remain vigilant to be sure all of its missionaries and their activities are consistent with GO's beliefs and standards. We have been very impressed with their integrity and devotion to the Gospel and are happy for their help and accountability.

Becca and I have now started the process of support raising for Ethiopia. If you are reading this, you have probably already received a letter from us. I wanted to give a brief explanation of how we are going about all of this. The first letter was an introduction, intended to share just the basics and let you all know that the time of departure is approaching! Over the next nine to ten weeks, we will be getting in touch with each person in order to share the details of what God has laid on our hearts. We know you all have busy schedules and we want to honor them. While letters are helpful, we do want to share face to face with you, if possible, or at least on the phone, if not.

KEY POINT OF POST:
As a typical, prideful American, I am fearful and leery of the whole idea of asking people for money. As a Christian, though, I must move beyond that and try to explain our process. We feel God is leading us to leave our jobs and move our family to Africa. There we will be ministering to the needs of the people of Soddo, Ethiopia, through the avenues of surgery and other medical care, nutrition and evangelism. In addition, we will be involved with discipling and training African doctors to become surgeons so that they too can carry on the ministry of Christ across Africa. If this is to succeed, there are many needs that must be met. This will include God's blessing and grace, consistent and persistent prayer, the relational and emotional support of family and friends, and funding. We are absolutely confident that God is faithful to provide those needs. As we discuss these needs with you, please understand that we wish only for God's will and direction in all this. As we head into this ministry, we want to invite you into it, as active and necessary participants. That is, we want you to be a part of it, an owner of it. Therefore we want to point not to ourselves but God in heaven as we share with you. Please pray that He would lead you to a "yes" or "no" about this, and then obey! Again, we are confident that God will provide, so please do not worry if the answer is "no".

We look forward to meeting with you and sharing with you!

In service of the King,
Paul and Becca Gray

Introduction

2007-01-20T20:46:00.000+03:00

Hello, all!

We are Paul and Rebecca Gray. This blog has been created to serve as an informational platform to share what God is doing in our lives and, hopefully, in doing so, encourage you in your own life by pointing to the source of our joy, Jesus Christ.

I am completing my last year as a resident in general surgery at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Becca is a dietician, also at Baylor, serving in the trauma department. We feel God has called us to serve as career medical missionaries and are making plans to serve in Africa. Here in America it is difficult to imagine the experience of having a illness that requires surgery and yet having no chance of seeing a surgeon. Yet this is the reality for most people in third world countries. In Africa's best served countries (excluding South Africa), there are only one surgeon for each 250,000 people! In its worst served countries, there are only one surgeon per 1 million people! Furthermore, even if medical care is nearby, there is no chance of receiving help unless you are fortunate enough to have money to pay for these services. Most do not. Therefore, mission hospital represent the vast majority of medical care for most people in these countries.

How can one surgeon ever make a difference in this setting? As one of my attending surgeons argued to me, it's like peeing in the ocean! (I don't think "pee" was the word he used, but you get the idea.) First, God has never demanded that we help the entire world's problems. We are to love and care for our "neighbor" (Luke 10:25-37), that is, the person before us. We are only responsible for the people God brings into our lives, so Becca and I are content to help whatever people we can. Second, there now exists a unique opportunity in Africa to share our lives in an expanding way. There is a saying that states if you give a man a fish, he eats for a day, but if you teach him to fish, he eats for a lifetime. The Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS) is an international organization dedicated to developing quality training programs in general surgery at Christian hospitals in Africa, and to assuring a high level of professional competence among its members.

How about some algebra! Instead of spending a career treating x number of patients, we can treat those patients while training y number of residents, who will each then go out and treat x number of patients in their lifetimes. For you math folks out there, that's a total of x times y patients! Now, let's really get crazy. If z number of those residents then go on to become attending surgeons and train y number of residents themselves, who each will then treat x number of patients, that leads to (x times y) raised to the z'th power number of patients impacted by one career spent with PAACS! Granted, there are multiple unaccounted for variables that will slightly skew this computation, and I'm clearly slightly weird, but I think you get the idea. PAACS is currently training African surgeons at four mission hospital across Africa and will likely soon expand to two more. In addition to serving the sick of Africa, we want to be involved with teaching and mentoring these African residents as they learn to serve Christ in mission hospitals and operating rooms across Africa.

One of these hospitals is Soddo Christian Hospital in Soddo, Ethiopia. Dr. Duane Anderson, an orthopedic surgeon from Minnesota, is currently serving as the interim program director and there are five residents training there. The program is in need of a long term general surgeon to serve as the program director and Becca and I are prayerfully considering offering ourselves to fill that post. Here's where we are at.

I will be working with the trauma department at Baylor for about one year after I graduate in June, 2007, to complete my board certification and pay off my student loan debt. This will also allow me to gain experience as an independent surgeon, taking care of the wide variety of patients in the trauma and urgent surgery settings. In addition, during the intervening time, we will be raising prayer and financial support to go to Ethiopia long term.

One of the purposes of this blog, as mentioned before, is to share what God is doing in our lives. We are the branches and Christ is the vine; we are completely dependent upon Him. If I am the finest surgeon in the world but have not the guiding and strength of Christ in my service to Him, I will utterly fail in Africa. We will desparately need your prayers! My hope is that this web site would serve as a generic update to keep you all informed of what is going on, to enable your prayers to be specific. This is merely to supplement our personal correspondence with you, however! We want to hear from you and share personally with you. Please feel free to email us at anytime!

For more information about PAACS or Soddo, please the web links on this site. I've also included a power point presentation I gave at a grand rounds at Baylor regarding a month we spent with Dr. David Thompson at Bongolo Evangelical Hospital, Gabon. Dr. Thompson is the field director of PAACS and was instrumental in its inception. Bongolo, a hospital with the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, was the first training site for PAACS. Beware, however, some of the pictures are not for the faint of heart!

God bless you!

In service of the King,
Paul and Becca Gray