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 We began their missionary career in 1974 at Egbe Hospital, Nigeria, after Louis had completed his general surgery residency in Dallas. Actually, we went on a five month short term mission trip in 1965, immediately after Louis graduated from University of Tennessee College of Medicine. We spent seven years at Egbe and then three more years at Evangel Hospital in northern Nigeria in the mid-eighties following a plastic surgery residency. Both of these were SIM hospitals and now they have been turned over to ECWA--Evangelical Churches of West Africa.
During our last three years at Evangel Hospital in Jos, Nigeria, we had several visiting specialists come and teach Louis new techniques. After Dr. Ron Yamamoto came and taught Louis basic knee arthroscopy and surgery, Louis realized that a specialist could transfer basic information and skills in a few weeks to an interested missionary physician.
Just before Louis left private hand and plastic surgery ( burn and micro surgery) in 1995, God seemed to lead us into an itinerant ministry of teaching basic plastic and hand surgery to missionary and national physicisns at mission hospitals worldwide. There is only one other missionary hand surgeon and possibly one other missionary plastic surgeon. Thus there seemed to be a need to go and teach basic principles of plastic and hand surgery to the doctors at mission hospitals and nearby teaching hospitals.
At that time patients with significant plastic or hand surgery problems were sent away from mission hospitals without treatment and oftern without hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Each year since 1995, we make four to five trips each year for 4-12 weeks in length. We also carry basic supplies and equipment for performing routine plastic and hand surgery. This equipment is left at the hospital after we leave. By the end of 2008, we have made 65 trips and visited about 25 hospitals in 20 countries on 5 continents.
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