April 2011 Update

Galat Ministry Video

A few months ago, we met a young man named Karl Feller (who is a gifted videographer) at a Medsend dinner in Phoenix. He works as a full-time chaplain at a local hospice, but, in his limited free time, uses his cinematographic talents to assist missionaries. He recently shot a short, 5-minute video of Heather and me highlighing the work we do at Tenwek. To view, click here.

Tickets are purchased!

We are very happy to report that we have a date set for our return to Kenya....August 15, 2011! Our original plan was to leave for Kenya in June, but we have some additional required training at WGM headquarters in July. We will begin Kiswahili language training by the end of August (after we settle into our “new” home at Tenwek). Please pray for our family as we plan and pack for this next two year stint in Kenya.

Arcadia Rabbits Beware

Jeremiah’s newest interest is bow hunting with his new compound bow. We currently live with Heather’s parents in a heavily populated, urban neighborhood (Arcadia), which also happens to be overrun with hares. So far Jeremiah has bagged four, the most recent one from 30 yards. I am anticipating that any day now, I will have a visit from the police with questions about a young adolescent male stalking the neighborhood with a compound bow. Jeremiah assures me that he is safe, and that he only kills animals for food (grandma does not like the fact that there are rabbits in her freezer).

Thailand Update

Examining a young boy with cerebral palsy for hip problems.



Jeremiah and Sutee, hanging out at the House of Love.

Jeremiah adeptly handles a "fish ball" with a pair of chop sticks.

Pickup truck ride to CDPD.

CDPD physiotherapy staff were well-trained.

Jeremiah and I returned Sunday night from our trip to Thailand and were so thankful for the opportunity to participate in the lives of children who would, according to Jesus, be rightly considered the “least of these.” During the week, Jeremiah and I did a study of the book of James, and we were struck especially by James 1:27: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” There is a tremendous amount of paradox in this because the world completely rejects these kids at the House of Love…orphans, many HIV+, ethnic minorities, disabled…and accepts those who are strong, capable, “loveable.” But God promises to be a Father to the fatherless, the defender of the defenseless…He loves the outcasts and rejected. This is what makes Hope for Hilltribes (and other ministries focused on “the least of these”) so unique and “blessed” by God.

We arrived in Chiang Mai on Monday afternoon and after checking into the “M.D. House” (which proudly advertised itself as the 3rd best hostel in Thailand?), headed to the House of Love via a sweet, three-wheeled “tuk-tuk.” There, we met the kids, including Sutee, a 10-year-old boy who came to the House of Love about 3 years ago…deaf, mute, HIV+ and an orphan with no family, considered the “village idiot” because of his inability to communicate (perhaps the result of having been affected by congenital syphilis which can cause deafness, and the characteristic flattened nose which Sutee demonstrated) and with multiple scars marking the resultant abuse he suffered. According to Kim, the missionary who started the House of Love, Sutee was completely detached emotionally when he first arrived. But now, he is one of the most animated kids I have ever seen, almost annoyingly so, communicating with a self-developed, and fairly sophisticated sign language which included a lot of touching (no concept of personal space with Sutee, but that was just fine). God continues to teach me to love the way He loves.

The following day, we took the kids swimming at a “resort” with a very fine, slightly murky green pool, where there was much frolicking, slashing and cannonballs, as demonstrated by the master, Jeremiah. On Wednesday, it starting raining, and the temperature dropped into the 50’s (according to Kim, the coldest she had seen in Thailand during her 26 year stint), just in time for our 5 hour road trip via pickup truck stuffed with 4 adults and 6 kids into the hills of the ‘golden triangle’ region of Thailand, to the small town of Mai Sariang, the location of the Christian Center for the Development of People with Disabilities (CDPD). Jeremiah and 3 others rode in the back of the pickup, covered by a make-shift cap, but unsealed from the elements. They persevered the cold rain for 5 hours, the trip unbroken except by a short lunch of trademark Thai soup with noodles and “fishballs”(foul-smelling, gelatinous morsels that even Jeremiah -the teenage version of Andrew Zimmern - could barely stomach) at a road-side café. At the CDPD, we met the incredible Thai staff dedicated to ministering to families with disabled children and we delivered the wheelchair Fred brought all the way from Columbus Ohio for a girl with cerebral palsy. We made the return trip to Chiang Mai the following day after staying a night at the “luxurious” Northwest Lodge, where I don’t think the sheets had been changed in at least a month, as evidenced by the strange scent and blood stains which prompted me to request they be changed.

On the return trip, Jeremiah developed a headache, fever and chills, no doubt the result of his cold ride up the mountain the previous day. He had no other symptoms however…no GI distress, no sore throat, no cough…just this recurring and high fever (mixed with a little delirium), held at bay by steady administration of ibuprofen. Finally after two days of worsening symptoms, I started him on antibiotics which I brought along “just in case” and the fever broke. Only afterwards, did he develop a sore throat with inflamed and purulent tonsils…likely strep throat. Thank God for antibiotics!

Overall, the trip was humbling, yet, simply, a lot of fun. Thanks for praying for Jeremiah and I and for praying for these kids. If you are interested in learning more about Hope for Hilltribes, I encourage you to visit Freddy’s website. Let us encourage one another to be involved with “religion that is pure and faultless”…and receive the incredible joy and satisfaction that accompanies it, all made possible by the Cross of Christ.

Mission Trip to Thailand

I recently received a phone call from one of my best friends in high school inviting me to travel with him to Thailand for a short, one week mission trip. At first, I thought we was joking (as Fred is so gifted), and I quickly dismissed the idea, thinking there was no way with our busy furlough schedule of traveling and work. As a background, a few years ago, God led Fred Haring to start a non-profit organization called Hope for Hilltribes with the purpose of raising awareness and funds for a home in Thailand for women and children affected by HIV/AIDs called the “House of Love.” (Click here for short video highlighting the problem). Following is an excerpt from his website:

The House of Love is a home for women and children affected by HIV/AIDS. This includes women who had been sold into prostitution, AIDS orphans, and children taken out of their homes by the Social Welfare Department because of abuse. Many of the residents do not have Thai citizenship and have few rights in Thailand. Now in its 16th year, the House of Love has been a refuge to approximately one hundred displaced women and children, most of whom have been affected by HIV/AIDS—and many of whom had been trafficked to brothels. While most children have been affected by AIDS, many children deal with the emotional scars from events surrounding their life at home or on the streets or feeling unloved because their family can’t care for them. It’s not just physical and medical needs that the ministry serves, the House Of Love staff also works to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of each child. The House of Love is a home—and, more importantly, it is a family.

After a few day of prayer and processing (and after realizing Fred was serious), I really sensed God urging me to go…and to bring my oldest son Jeremiah along. So, long story short, on March 12th, Jeremiah and I are headed to Thailand for a father-and-son short term missions trip! Our goal is to work primarily with the young boys who live in this home, many of whom do not have a father-figure, showing them the love of Christ. We will also be spending a few days on the border of Myanmar at the Christian Center for the Development of People with Disabilities (CDPD), working with disabled kids and doing some primary care medical work (I need to find my stethoscope – a tool not carried by an orthopod!).

Following is a brief outline of our rigorous schedule:

March 12-14 – Travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand (via LAX, Tokyo, and Bangkok).
March 14-15 – At the “House of Love” working primarily with the boys at this orphanage, hanging out, camping, swimming, connecting.
March 16 – Travel 4 hours by truck to Mae Hong Song Province on the boarder of Myanmar.
March 16-18 – At the Christian Center for People with Disabilities (CDPD), working with disabled kids and holding basic medical clinics.
March 18 – Travel back to Chiang Mai to the House of Love for one more day.
March 19-20 – Back to the U.S.

God is teaching me that prayer is the essence of our walk with Christ (as John Piper says, “feasting at His table of GRACE”). That is the only way we can survive as we press on to serve Christ, and finish this race well. So, here are a few prayer requests for this trip, and if you could join us in this, we are partners together in this work:

(1) That Jeremiah and I would be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can truly show Christ’s love to the kids at both the House of Love and CDPD.
(2) That we are really able to connect emotionally and spiritually with the kids and staff at both places.
(3) For protection from attacks from the enemy who does not want these kids to find freedom and healing in Christ.
(4) For safely while we travel to remote areas in Thailand.
(5) For connection for Jeremiah and I, as we serve together as father and son.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our family as we are headed back to Kenya this June!

Keeping the Right Perspective

I recently received this email from a patient at Tenwek:

“Hallo Doctor Galat – It’s Caroline from Kisii (the patient on whom you did bonegrafting at Tenwek Hospital of the right leg). I just wanted to inform you that I was able to heal completely. I can now walk freely without pain. Thanks a lot and may God bless you.”

Caroline first came to Tenwek in 2009 with severe pain, and unable to walk on her right leg. Several months prior, she had fractured her tibia, and a Kenyan surgeon at another hospital fixed the broken bone with surgery – using plates and screws – a practice that is not currently the preferred treatment for this type of injury. Now, her x-rays showed the plate had bent, the screws were backing out, and the bone around the fracture had a hazy look, evidence pointing to the high probability that she had a non-union of her tibia (i.e. the fracture was failing to heal). Worse, having surgery in an (often) unsanitary hospital meant the non-union was also probably infected. As I explained to Caroline the difficulty in treating this problem, requiring multiple staged surgeries, first to remove the plate and screws, debride the infected bone, and place an antibiotic cement spacer in the void, a month or more of antibiotics, followed by more surgery to remove the spacer and place bone graft from her pelvis in the void, I had my doubts that it would ever heal. “God is able to heal me,” said Caroline, causing me to realize that my perspective was somewhat tainted by my training. “True,” I responded back, “but even after all this time and effort, you may still need an amputation.” Together we decided to proceed and prayed multiple times that God would do what seemed impossible. Caroline had a total of three surgeries at Tenwek over a period of about one year, and spent many days in the hospital.

To be honest, I often have difficulty keeping the right perspective, especially being on furlough, away from the meaning and purpose I derive from serving as an orthopedic surgeon at Tenwek. Moreover, our culture has a distinct way of reminding me of what we could potentially have daily. But then, at just the right time, I receive an email such as this from Caroline. I am reminded of a simple, yet powerful promise from Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” This requires us all to have a perspective that is not based upon daily circumstances, but one that is rooted in God’s word, one that is eternal. Paul seemed to understand this better than anyone. In 2 Corinthians chapter 4, Paul, after explaining that he carries around in his body the death of Jesus (i.e. he suffers for the sake of the gospel), later says, "even so we do not lose heart…though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." Let us encourage one another to keep this eternal perspective as we fight to persevere in God’s calling for our lives.

Thank you for your partnership with us at Tenwek hospital for the gospel of Christ. One way to join our team is to support our family financially. If you are interested in serving in this way, please visit www.wgm.org/galat. Thanks, and God bless you this Christmas season.

P.S. Jeremiah’s surgery was denied initially by our insurance company, but is now approved for this coming Friday. Please keep him in prayer!

Knock-Knees and the Navicular Bone

C-ARM to Arrive in Kenya October 27th!

Thanks to your overwhelming response and generosity last summer when our precious C-ARM at Tenwek went down, we were able to raise the funds to purchase a second, refurbished C-ARM for the hospital. After many logistical delays (as you can imagine with air-freighting a 1700lb piece of equipment to Africa) the C-ARM is scheduled to arrive via KLM on Wednesday, October 27th. Having two C-ARMs at Tenwek will be a huge benefit with the large number of orthopedic cases and with other services increasingly using intraoperative fluoroscopy (such as ERCPs for gastroenterology). Thank you for this partnership!

Packed and crated C-ARM ready for delivery: total weight about 1700 lbs!


Intern Housing Project Building #1 Complete

In addition to the C-ARM project, again, thanks to your generosity, we were able to raise an additional $25,000 towards the intern housing project, two buildings designed to meet the increasing need for housing for the 16 Kenyan interns trained yearly at Tenwek, in addition to multiple residents from many specialties, including orthopedic surgery. The first building is complete, dedicated and occupied! God willing, the construction of the second building will begin shortly. Again, thank you.

Intern Housing Building #1 complete and occupied.

Dedication of building with Rev. Kilel.

Knock-knees and the Navicular Bone

Jeremiah, our oldest, is scheduled for orthopedic surgery next Wednesday, October 27th to help correct malalignment of his legs. Unfortunately, the “knock-knee” gene runs strongly in Heather’s side of the family, and Jeremiah was the lucky recipient. He has recently been complaining of pain in his ankles, and with his growth plates still open, the timing is optimal to stop the growth on the sides that are growing more quickly (which causes the malalignment). The hope is that, with his natural remaining growth, his legs will straighten over time.

Jeremiah's long-leg standing x-rays. Note the inwardly curved knees and ankles.

Adding to the intrigue, Emma rolled her ankle in gym class yesterday and hurt her foot. Unfortunately, I am in Minnesota for a two-week locum tenens job and was not able to examine her. Today, she had x-rays and by her report (I spoke with her on the phone after her appointment), she broke a bone in her foot, "a hard word to say,” she said, "that starts with the letter 'N' and has the letter 'k' in it." So, without seeing her x-rays, I am surmising it is the Navicular, an uncommonly fractured bone that sometimes requires surgery. Please pray for Jeremiah and Emma...and Heather, who will have two kids on crutches next week!


Support Update

We are well on our way to our monthly support goals (about 60%) and thanking God for his provision for our soon return to Kenya. We are still looking for monthly supporters to partner with us in this work at Tenwek in Kenya, so if you feel led to give in this way, please let us know, or visit http://www.wgm.org/galat. Thank you all for your ongoing love, prayers and support of our family!

“We’re Supposed to be Strong”

Camelback Mountain viewed from the north

(Sorry told with permission from the kids!)

One of the many benefits of living in Phoenix for this year of furlough is climbing the mountains which arise from "the Valley of the Sun." Squaw Peak is a favorite, especially since I proposed to Heather at the pinnacle (way back in 1994). A few weeks ago, our entire family attempted to climb another favorite, Camelback Mountain, not a smart idea in the Phoenix summer heat (which, I can tell you, is not always dry), especially on that particular day, because by 8am, when we started, the temps were already a balmy 100 degrees.

Literally about 50 yards into the hike, not unexpectedly, our youngest son Levi asked me to carry him (yes, he is six, but still a good size to handle). Thinking that he could use the help, and that I would have a better workout, I quickly obliged and swung him on my back, much to his delight. Jeremiah and Emma, being the sweet older siblings that they are, immediately protested, recalling an earlier 7 mile hike we had done in the Smokey Mountains about 3 years ago in which I carried Levi the entire way while he was sleeping soundly in my arms. “He’s big enough to walk!” they said. Levi didn’t care about their taunts…he just gave them a big, satisfied smile which irritated them further, leading to additional stinging comments. Curious, I asked, “Why does it bother you that I am carrying Levi?” Jeremiah thought for a second, and said passionately “Because our family is supposed to be strong!”

As we continued up the mountain, I was struck with the multivariate and deep content of this statement. I thought to myself, “Are we teaching our kids that it is important for our family to appear strong to others looking in, or that they cannot display weakness?” Likely not directly (I hope), but we are raising our children in a world that shuns weakness, and esteems the strong, the rich, the successful, the popular, the privileged, and the independent, and this has consciously or subconsciously had an impact on ALL our worldviews. Consider Paul’s incredible, culture-counterintuitive comments in 2 Corinthians: “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” Why would anyone boast in his or her weaknesses? Statements such as these just do not make sense in our cultural paradigm. But he gives the reason in the next chapter. After pleading with Christ to remove some unknown, yet tormenting “thorn in his flesh” (some have speculated he had a physical ailment, but perhaps it was something more common to us all…emotional distress, haunting thoughts, fierce temptations, false accusations, etc.), Jesus answered him by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul accepts His answer and wraps it up by saying, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

A good friend, Fred Haring, recently wrote, “Have you ever felt that God was calling you to do something that you're too weak for? Have you ever felt inadequate to represent a perfect God? The good news is that you don't have to pretend--you are inadequate.” The concept is simple, yet paradoxical, and may require a paradigm shift in our thinking: In a world that values strength, it is our very weakness that brings glory to God by the display of His strength. So yes, our family IS supposed to be strong…not in and of ourselves, so that we get any glory. But God’s strength displayed in our weakness.

The Obscure Missionaries of Tenwek

Solomon placing a cast on a young boy during a busy clinic day.

When I arrived in Kenya in November 2008, I was introduced to a Kenyan man named Solomon Rop, the head physiotherapist of the orthopedic department at Tenwek hospital. I quickly came to understand that he was much more than a physiotherapist, according to my western definition. In America, physical therapists help people recover from various musculoskeletal injuries through exercise, gait training and other modalities. But in Kenya, a physical therapist is more like a non-operative orthopedic surgeon, doing everything from conventional physical therapy, to correcting club feet, reducing and casting closed fractures, fitting prosthesis for patients with leg amputations, and even placing traction pins and halos (i.e. barbaric orthopedic devices).

The first day I spent in clinic, I pulled Solomon close to my side, and said “you ain’t going nowhere!” I needed him to help me navigate the myriad of patients with conditions that I had never seen before in my training. In one room was an 8 year old boy with pus draining from several sinuses in his leg from a chronic bone infection. Trying to be cool, I leaned toward Solomon, and said quietly, “What do I do with this one?” In another room was a 50 year old man with a femur fracture that was 5 inches short, and 8 months old. “How about this guy?” I said, losing more pride and confidence with every new patient seen. Very patiently, and never condescendingly, he would guide me through decision making processes that were completely foreign to me. Soon Solomon became more than a colleague, but a partner and close friend.

But beyond Solomon’s orthopedic knowledge and skills, and what became blaringly evident, was his commitment to tell patients about Christ (not just Solomon, but Meshack, Daniel, Joel, David, Vincent, Malel, Mailu and many others). In this way, we became true partners and brothers, missionaries working together to not only raise the standard of orthopedic care in this small part of the world, but to tell people of the only Hope that is true Hope. Underscoring this concept is the fact that all the Kenyan men and women who work at Tenwek (over 500) could be making two, sometimes three times what they earn at our small mission hospital, by working at one of the big government hospitals, while working less hours. And some are leaving for higher paying jobs. But for those who remain, when questioned about this, the common answer is, “God called me here, and this is where I belong.” Their example humbles and challenges me.

The work at Tenwek can only be done via partnership…all of us working together to bring glory to God. Where has God called you? Please keep these Kenyan missionaries in your prayers as you think of them. And as always, thank you for your prayers and support for our family!