Raising a Bronze serpent in Mutanga

A health center and a serpent don’t seem to have much in common, but a few weeks ago, with a team from the Vanga hospital, we celebrated the opening of a health center, and “a bronze serpent” raised in the village of Mutanga.  We were visiting Vanga with “Grandpa” Fountain, Katherine’s father and retired IM missionary.  Since Dr. Fountain, directed the medical work at Vanga for 35 years, Dr. Lay, a former student and now the doctor in charge of the Vanga health zone, came by one Saturday night with a proposition.  Wouldn’t we participate in the inauguration of a new health center on Sunday morning?  We took up the offer!

Beginning early, we bounced 25 kms over sandy roads in an ancient (miraculously still working) hospital land cruiser.  Our delegation included Dr. Lay, his wife, and Pastor Kingolo, a highly effective mobilizer of community health activities.  Arriving in Mutanga, we found a jubilant crowd of children under a lush palm arbor, arranged with rickety wooden benches from the local school, enough to accommodate 200 comfortably, but over 400, if folks were determined.

Until then, sick people in Mutanga walked 7 kms, to the health center in Kimpungu.  That’s not a long distance in Congo, but the path crossed a narrow river infamous for flash floods in the rainy season.  This year alone, 4 people died in crossing that river.  For years the people of Mutanga pled with Dr. Lay to move the health center to their side of the river.  They argued that the population of Mutanga (3000) merited the health center closer to them.  However, the center in Kimpungu also served a large population on that side of the river, so Dr. Lay made a deal.  If the community of Mutanga would provide a building for a health center, and a house for a nurse, he would find a nurse to work there, and provide regular supervision, as he did for the other 50 centers in the Vanga health zone.

Several months later, the Mutanga chief presented himself in Dr. Lay’s office at Vanga.  His people had fulfilled their part of the deal: a thatch house for a health center, and another for their nurse.  It was Dr. Lay’s turn to make good on the deal.

Most of the nurses serving in local health centers trained at the Vanga hospital nursing school.  In a three year program, they learn to diagnose and treat common illnesses and how to promote healthy communities through community mobilization around clean water sources, pre-school clinics, vaccination programs, prenatal care, and good nutrition with locally available food sources.  With a class of new graduates not available until August, Dr. Lay contacted the leaders in a health center with two nurses and offered one of them the “head” nurse position at Mutanga, which she accepted.

The essentials in place, the chief chose a date for the inauguration of their health center.  Every one participated: parishioners from the catholic church, parishioners from the Baptist church, the chief of Mutanga and the chief of the group of villages which includes Mutanga, village leaders, the new nurse with her husband, nurses from Kimpungu, Dr. Lay’s delegation (including us) and children too numerous to count.  After lively hymns, and lengthy introductions, Pastor Kingolo spoke to the people about Moses, who, in obedience to God's command, raised a bronze serpent in the wilderness to save the children of Israel from snake bites.  This health center, like a bronze serpent, is provided by God, and would be used for healing, if the people would go to it when “bit” by the snakes of fever, diarrhea, cough, and other diseases the people named, because God would heal them through it.  Then Dr. Fountain, who opened the first health center in that area more than 45 years ago, spoke to the people and presented a simple kit to the new nurse, which would be her start-up supplies.  Dr. Lay invited Dr. Fountain to cut the “ribbon” (white cross rolled bandage) in front of the health center, and the leaders to enter to look around.

After a final prayer, the real party began!  Important guests (like us) enjoyed a meal of “fufu” (manioc dough) and fish, joyfully but sacrificially prepared by several women in the village, while a local band, using creative technology, set up to make music outside.  At the first beat, the children began dancing. By the time we exchanged proper congratulations, and got back in the land cruiser to leave, a dust cloud, raised by dancing feet, filled the air.  

More than 45 years after comprehensive health services began in Congo by pioneers like Dr. Fountain, through partnerships like that of International Ministries, “bronze serpent” health centers are still being raised.  As we serve in Congo, we are thankful for the partnership of International Ministries made possible by people like you.  The reality is, in this huge country, health care is most accessible in the places where followers of Jesus minister in word and deed to the people around them.  Millions in Congo still do not have basic health care.  Laborers are still needed, followers of Jesus, like Dr. Fountain, Dr. Lay, the nurse in Mutanga, you, and us.  Technically, there are probably many ways to “raise bronze serpents”, but our faithfulness and obedience to God’s call is required.