Outneadk JMeHnatianal

Sckr 72 iBethei, Mi^dowd 63434

^Pftjom: (660)284-6528 Sax: (660)284-6256

Reggie Hundley, Dir.
Mission Services, Inc.
Knox. Tn.

Oct. 6, 2001

Dear Reggie:

there.

Have appreciated your work and your words in Horizons, glad to see you
May the Lord be praised in all we do in His Name as co-workers in Him.-

Reggie, about 6 weeks ago, I had a friend come to me, who was seeking
out my advice on service in a project in Africa. He is a ret. military man, has
been teaching Bible at Dallas Christian College, and is a Harding University,
(Church of Christ) grad. He has been a great friend since my wife and I moved
down to Texas to help recruit for PBT. Anyway, I am sending you his
explanation of our meeting, and what transpired as a result. I wanted you to
know our plans, you already know thei Scripture in Prov. 16:9 which states. "A
man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." So in light of that fact, I
wanted you to be among the first to know that VOM (they will have a booth also
at the NMC booth no. 3 I think) has invited me to work with the above

mentioned friend. Dr. Mike Smith, on a project of Voice of the Martyrs in Sudan.
They needed a person to help develop further a Bible training school in
Southern Sudan, where they have taken on (VOM) a hospital project for
persecuted (refugees) Christians. I hope to leave with Mike Smith from DFW
on Oct. 21, Lord willing , jas. 4:15, coming up soon! My responsibility will be
training chaplains for the hospital and training preachers for the area churches.
I think my office in Bethel, here, daughter Sonja, and my son jonathan who will
be taking on my other recruiting responsibilities will give you more info, as
time goes on in this project. It is a volunteer basis, but they pay my way over
to the field, and we work as a team to provide needs for the Christians there in
Sudan.
Hope I can get word back to Sonja and jonathan about other
developments, as God provides.
Since we are scheduled to leave so soon, I wanted you to have some news
of this change for our friends and churches who have known us thru the years,

and some of which support us in all of our mission ministry.

We cannot

mention the area in south Sudan where this hospital is located (at least not in
print) but it is near the Uganda, Kenya border. It is a big project, and a needy
one, a great opportunity for us to serve in the area of soul winning and Bible

training.

1will need some small amount of support in the field, but VOM

provides travel and accommodations for me.

My address will be here for all correspondence and contact, through

Voice of The Martyrs P.O.Box 443 Bartlesville, Okla. 74005 Ph. 918-337-8015.
c/o Sudan project.

Reggie, this is something Iwanted you to share in an issue of Horizons,

basically the fact of my work with a team there, there will be 2doctors (an MD)
a hospital Admin, person and my self, these guys are all very well qualified
men, (all ex-service or ret. service men) with great faith in the Lord., their wives

and mine will remain back here, in support role, and we are committed to one

year (as the Lord leads ) with a break of 2 weeks every 3-4 months to return to
wife (fam. etc) then go back, as work allows etc. and as Lord provides (1 Cor.
16:7-9).

Please look at the material I am sending with this letter, and if you have

other questions call or contact Sonja (at the convention at our booth) or VOM.
IJust want our churches to know the following:

1. Funding for my recruitment services to PBT last year, were not available for

us to continue, so we were (my wife and I) open to new avenue, of service.

2. The VOM project directors for Sudan were assured that God's work in my

ministry qualified me for the need they had for a director of a Bible

Training school in their Sudan project.

3. Since VOM provides me and the other team members (2 Doctors, and a

pilot) with transportation exp. and room &Board in the field, Iwas able to
go Immediately to be a part of this ministry to persecuted Christians in
Sudan.

, ,

... .

4. Your prayers and that of the brethren we know around the country will be

appreciated.

More info can be had on VOM and this project, thru the

above address in Bartlesville, Ok.

Thanks, Reggie, sorry this is not more detail, but time does not allow me
to get with you, and be at the convention, Hope you will run some news as you
see fit so our friends and possibly support helpers will be informed...

Yours truly

Al HamiltorCL^mew address for my wife and I- 905 Mc Curry Ave. Bedford, TX

76022 Ph. 817-355-9598. Fax. 817-355-0272.

e-mail: Jonathan.Hamlton (\nn^tban Hamilton@msn.com).

A Sudanese Venture with God and Albert

by Michael Jacoby Smith, Ph.D.
906 Tennison Drive, Euless, TX 76039 <> home/office phone 817-354-1901
primary email: hesedhc@aoi.com <> secondary phone 817-690-8891
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Introduction

It was the hot Texas summer of two-thousand-one. By the end of July, seven months of waiting and wrangling
witli the National Center for Ethics. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) for a Healtii Scicntist/Bioethics

position or service contract came crashing to a halt. The flap over an asthma research studv involving the VHA
and Johns Hopkins L'nivcrsit\ s Ba\ view iVIcdical Center gave the VHA cold feet when evervthing went sour as a
medical laboratory technician, who was a non-asthmatic 24-year-old healthy female volunteer subject, suddenly
died ofresearch medication complications. Investigators from die National Institutes ofHealth (NIH). Bethesda,
MD, discovered man\ inappropriate protocols and safeguards in the study, and this influenced the VHA's decision
notto fill this position andto use NIH health scientists/bioethicists instead.

It was while in die quandaiy created by this vaporized work opportunity that Karen Haggard said. "Daddv. you
might want to consider Tlie Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) in Bartlesvillc. Oklahoma. They are looking for a
hospital administrator for Southern Sudan, which is the same place Bob [her husbandj visited two vears ago." It
was hard to tell whether she thought that this employanent opportunity and Iwould be agood fit or not. since Iwas
moping around like a wounded martyr, or ifshe was trying to inform me that life could be worse orat least more

difficult, which was a gende way of saying, "Daddy, at least look on the bright side oflife." Whatever Karen's
reasons, little did either one ofus realize that the Holy Spirit was using her to communicate God's divine desire for

the coming years in my life. Curiosity caused me to respond to VOM's internet ad that gave a brief paraaraph
about this non-salaried volunteer position [emphasis added]. Thanks a bunch, Karen, a position with no pay.
That s all I needed, or so I thought. My guess was that since the ad's first line mentioned that a medical doctor

with healthcare management experience was being sought, then obviously VOM wouldn't want a non-physician
healthcare manager whose clinical experience at the level ofaphysician's assistant (PA) is by now inactive for over
fifteen years. Little did I know!
August 2001. the First Month

08-10-01Friday. The neighborhood was quiet at 0400 when I backed out ofthe driveway en route to Bartlesville,
Oklahoma, except for two cats three lawns down the hill that looked ready to pounce on each other. "Was this a
day for cat-pouncmg? I wondered, but these eats were not worth a second thought. Interstate 35W north out of
Fort Worth, Texas, was light in traffic at this time of the morning, and when the sun rose at 0620. Norman,
Oklahoma, was coming into view. It was good timing that made driving through Oklahoma City and out to the

northeast turnpike to Tulsa a breeze before rush-hour traffic and construetion crews clogged the freewavs. It was
also nice to learn that the Midway Cafe in Bartlesville, which I had eaten at in years past, still serves a healthv

breakfast at 0930. Then it was with a bit ofcurious reluctance that Ientered the red brick building on the northeast
comer ofFrank Phillips &Dewey at 1050. Ameeting scheduled for 1100 was already undcAvay on the 5th floor,
but thankililly Jim Dau kept a chair vacant at the table and near die door, which gave little comfort to mv buns or
disturbed spirit. Tlie meeting focused on Dr. Bert Oubrc's assessment report ofthe hospital in
Sudan,
which he had recently visited. It was challenging to sit there and listen in silence while the closeness of the open
door kept beckoning me to excuse myself politely, get up, leave and head back home. Was I reallv prepared for
what I was hearing and contemplating.^ What in the world has Karen and God gotten me into? Nevertheless,
natural curiosity caused my lingering longer, and die more that was heard ofDr. Bert's soliloquy and Tom White's
responses the more m\ mind circled around solutions to problems announced in his report. The formal meeting
ended and 1was escorted to the basement ofthe building by Nina and Corey. Had thev not been Christians. I would
have thought. Uli-oh! Now what are they going todo with me? Was this some sort ofshake down or clandestine
interrogation.' My two-hour parking limit was over outside on the street, but when I announced this fact to diis

dubious duo, Corey said to give him my keys and he would ask someone to move my van to another spot so that it
vvouldn t be ticketed, and like an entrapped child 1handed over my keys, which I never do even to the best of

friends. Again, my escape was foiled, but somehow Nina made me feel more at ease as she began showing photos
of the

Sudan, hospital complex and people. Corey was soon back in the basement office and we discussed

financial stuff for awhile, and then he took me back to the fifth floor for a meeting with Jim Dau. It was here that
Jim and I were able to weigh each other's intentions, like the two cats seen in the wee hours ofthe morning, but
without hunched backs and hair standing on end. Surprisingly, he readily accepted the Gideon-in-me as though it
was anticipated and natural. He once again suggested that a brief visit to the hospital site in a few weeks would be

worthwhile, that my final decision could come afier that visit. This is where we cut off our corporate decisionmaking, and he took me down to the main floor and purchased a few books on his own account at the VOM

bookstore and asked me to take them home, especially for the Haggard family. The drive home was accompanied
by several rain showers that seemed to clear my mind by moving itoff the day's challenges and dialogue, but the
rains seemed to sputter out along the Red River, which often happens during this time ofthe year, while I puttered
on home to Euless, Texas, arriving by 2100 (notice that all times in this journal are stated in universal mean or
military time).

08-11-01 Saturday. Sleep came and disappeared throughout the night due to VOM's message and burden ofthe
persecuted church in Southern Sudan, and to the long previous day on the road, and I was up again at 0400.
Immediate family members were confi'onted with the weight ofmy decision-to-be-made; God at 0600, mv wife by
0800, my Dad in Carlsbad, New Mexico, by 0930, and my mamed daughters by 1100. Help was needed to bear

this burden; but nobody balked, and evcrxone agreed on the following ^vo points: (I) God will provide a"sign" of
his desire for my participation, and (2) afinal decision should probably be postponed until after a"short trip" to see
the hospital and area ofSouthern Sudan for myself. Acall was also placed to Dr. Bert Oubrc, who was back home

in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, so that more could be learned of the "infectious disease" challenges faced in the heart of
Africa. Bert shared with me that he had been asked to serve as Medical Director for VOM's interests in serving the
healthcare needs ofthe persecuted church. He also wanted to know if Iwas going to take the hospital administrator
position, which ought to be called something else since the title "Hospital Administrator" is assigned to an
incumbent Sudanese man already at the

, hospital. I told Bert that we (me and mv familv) were in a wait-

and-see-and-prayer mode.

08-12-01Sunday. Attempts to clear my mind ofthis burden failed all morning, even through church scr\ices. Our
preacher s sermon was taken from Luke 7:^6-50, and when he said, "We dare not look Jesus in the face until we

have served at his feet, my mind went immediately to the dusty feet of persecuted and wounded Christians in
Southern Sudan. Whatever else he said, 1missed, because my mind was elsewhere.

08-1j-01Monday. Arrangements were made for fast-track passport processing and overseas immunizations.
HMCM Douglas Wright, USN (SW), the master chief corpsman of the Naval Clinic at Carswcll. Joint Reserve

Base, in Fort Worth, Te.\as. was able to make immediate arrangements for my immunizations to begin the next dav
at 0900. Acall was also made to Albert W. Hamilton, a seasoned missionary who served nine years in South
Afhca (1960-1969) and in Uganda during the decade of the 1980s. Iasked A1 ifI could stop bv his house around
noontime on the next day to discuss his experiences and ask for his insights, and I told him the reason whv I wanted

to do this. He said. Yes. absolutely, please come over.' I ve learned to trust and respect A1 and Annette
Hamilton s views and spiritual maturity. I love them and they are not hesitant in returning their love. AJ*s
infectious optimism and Spirit-filled humor is something that aperson like me needs in asteadv stream, because my
personality tends to take myselfand others too seriously in ways that are weighted in fiivor oftask-accomplishment
rather toward people-orientation. It s not that I run over people, because I don't, but the results ofa lifetime in the

healthcare industry generate approaches to work where "people in need ofrelief from pain and suffering" becomes
the tasks needing to be accomplished with lasting solutions ofthe highest Quality ofhealthcare possible with
existing resources by the endof eachday.

08-14-01Tuesday. The first round of overseas immuiuzations were: yellow fever, meningococcal, hepatitis
serogroup A (#1 given, #2 is needed in six months), hepatitis serogroup B (#1 given, #2 is needed around

September 14th, #3 is needed five months after #2), and a PPD tuberculosis skin test. Next Tuesday, the 21st, the
following immunizations will be taken: typhoid, Td (tetanus-diphtheria), cholera, and plague. All ofthese I have
had in years past but their efficacy is probably no longer floating around in my body. HM2 Barry Swafford, USN,
who runs the unmunization clinic, received great pleasure in making an old hospital corpsman's arms into pin

cushions. Malaria prophylaxis will begin closer to the time of departure for Africa. Then the fiflccn-mile drive

from the military base over to the Hamilton's allowed a mental review ofthe questions that I needed to ask Al. I
did not want to take up too much of his time, but he is the only one [ know in this area of Texas who has African

missionary experience and who can offer lovingly blunt straight answers to difficult questions. He also has the
capacity to clear my mind through dialogue and prayer. Here is what happened:
AI Hamilton met me at the front door. Annette was offdoing errands. After pouring a Dr. Pepper for me. he
said. Okay, Mike, what do you want to know?" His question opened the gates for my questions, views, and
emotions regarding this challenge in
, Sudan. I admitted that I was looking for excuses not to go. but I
was determined that the Lord s will be done" and for the Holy Spirit to make mv will melt into God's will.

Then Al said. Slow down a minute, Mike. Since you called, Annette and I have been praying for vour
decision and in the process we realized that you cannot go alone. Ifyou and VOM will have me~I will go with
you. and the Lord will lead in whatever I can do to serve the hospital, the staff, the patients, the- chaplains
and ministers in the area. It just .'teems clear to us that God wants me with you [emphasis added]. .Annette,
like Susan, will remain here in North Texas in a support role for this important work."

Before he finished speakingand I mcertain that my expressions paled in great surprise and unbeliefI was cry ing.
It was not the sobbing ofachild nor the hysteria ofa frightened woman, but the soft gentle crv ofsurprise ofhaving
a heavy burden suddenly made lighter by the Lord and '"feeling"' the presence of Christ then and there. All of a

sudden I realized what was happening. God was using Al Hamilton to give the Gideon-in-me the sign ofhis divine
desires. Isaid. Al, you and God are in cahoots together on this thing, and you are both determined that 1should go
and do this work. Are you going to be my Silas like the apostle Paul had his Silas? This is the last thing Iexpected
when walking up to your front door just awhile ago.' Al said "yes" that this is the right thing to do, and we praved
together as Albert W. Hamilton spoke to God ofthe challenge that the Father was setting before us.
Al Hamilton has his own financial support network. He knows the Uganda area quite well and has manv
ftiends there who were led to the Lord through his work during the decade of the 1980s. He is leaving it up to me
for the best way to present him to decision-makers at VOM. Tlierefore, I've decided to send information provided
to me by Al, information all about Albert Watson Hamilton for VOM's consideration. I hope that VOM will
approve his going, after a fiice-to-face interview ofcourse, and that VOM would provide the same transportation,
room, and board that will be provided to me. God will use Al in many ways in this work; besides, I need him with
me. He is God s answer to this Gideon s prayers...an answer beyond all expectations. [Note: These words were
placed in a letter to Jim Dau, ChiefOperating Office, VOM, on August 15th].

After leaving the Hamilton s house, I headed over to the Haggard home in Keller. Bob, Karen, Jake, and

Garret were the first ones to hear the good news ofAl Hamilton's desire to accompany me in this work. They, too,
were surprised. We talked and cried and discussed many things together, including the expected arrival in the
Dallas-Fort Worth area ofSudanese national, Samuel Juma, within a few days. Samuel is in the United States
going through college near Washington, D.C., and he travels on behalf ofhis countrymen in pers^uted areas. We

detennined that a meeting with Samuel was in order sometime during his stav in our area. Bob said that he would
make the arrangements.

08-16-01Thursday. Acall was placed to my physician, Elmer Smith, M.D., for an annual physical exam on
August 29th at 1045. Around 1100, a phone call was placed to Jim Dau. He informed me that my email
describing Albert W. Hamilton s credentials made him a good candidate to establish a Bible school near the
hospital compound in
Sudan, which is one ofVOM's goals. Yes! The leaders at VOM want AI Hamilton
to go as my Silas and desire to meet him, Annette Hamilton, and Susan (my wife) sometime within the next two
weeks. Jim informed me that Dr. Bert Oubre accepted the position as Medical Director, and had alreadv arrived

earlier this week in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to find a home and to enroll his daughters in school. Dr. Oubre has
thirteen-years experience building and developing a Christian mission hospital in the African countrv ofCameroon,
not for VOM, but for another organization.

Sudan, hospital is VOM's first venture in this healthcare

delivery field. He also informed me that the first "short trip" could not take place until 24 October 2001, due to the
feet that one ofVOM s Board ofDirectors wants to go along with those making the trip. Acall was placed to Al
Hamilton with this news, andhe was pleased andelated.
Summgp/

Note: This is not the end ofthis true story, but only the beginning. This is to be my continuing journal ofthis
venture with God and Albert so that others may read it and give glory to God. Everyone, in mv estimation, needs
frequent renewal through God s covenant-relationship with his people, especially with those who suffer because of
their feith. The core beginning ofany covenant-relationship is God's compassion, grace, and faithfulness, just as
he describes himself in the following ways: "I AM the Lord (Exodus 6:2), the compassionate and gracious God.
slow to anger, abounding in love and feithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness,
rebellion, and sin (Exodus 34:6-7). And when Jesus Christ claimed that his Father gave him glor\" and the
Pharisees challenged his statement, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was bom, I AM" (John 8:58),
and he later confessed that "I AM the way and the truth and the life; nobody comes to the Father except through
me" (John 14:6). We trust that the I AM ofGod is with us in this venture.