As a new year begins for all of us, I want to share with you what your support for MEMO accomplished in the last year and what your continued support can accomplish in this new year.

MEMO tries to keep focused on our purpose to bring God Glory by obeying Jesus’ command to heal the sick, feed the hungry and clothe the naked.

We want to reassure you that your support of MEMO is efficient and effective because we have no paid employees and everything is accomplished by volunteers dedicated to our purpose.

Our sponsoring organization the Evangelical Free Church of Canada demands that every 6 months we formally report what we have done in the last 6 months and what we hope to do in the next 6 months.

I think as you read these reports you will be very satisfied with what the Lord has been able to accomplish in relieving suffering with MEMO’s initiative and your support.

Looking Back on Activities: July to December 2019

MEMO shipped 2 40′ Ocean containers to the Zimbabwe Gecko Society during the last 6 months. These contained: school furniture, hospital beds, wheelchairs, gardening and carpentry tools, school books, computers, cooking and eating utensils, sewing machines and materials. Also medical supplies for the 6 rural health clinics and the 4 hospitals we support through the ZGS.

MEMO will send 2000 lbs of medical supplies to the Children’s Hospital in Matanzas Cuba in tourists’ suitcases traveling to Varedaro for the holidays. Hundreds of eyeglasses are collected and shipped to Cuba by tourists. MEMO has supplied over 1000 cardiac catheters in the last 6 months carried by tourists. These are new, unopened recently expired catheters perfectly safe to use, costing $400 each to the Thunder Bay Health Sciences Centre which donates them to MEMO. Hundreds of patients with coronary artery disease in Cuba are having their lives extended because of this project.

November 30th MEMO shipped container #87 to Matanzas with supplies for the Children’s hospital and decrepit old folks home.

Many miracles of supply meeting demand have occurred. For example, When a MEMO team visited the Matanzas Old Folks Home in Cuba, they learned that the hospital had had no hot water for 2 years. They requested a commercial size propane water heater to meet residents’ minimal need for hot water. Upon return to Thunder Bay, MEMO was offered a brand new 80-gallon commercial propane fired hot water heater. This heater had been ordered for a disabled person’s summer camp but was not installed as they decided an electric tank would be more convenient.

We praise God for His roundabout way of providing care in the name of Christ for these precious seniors.

Looking Forward to MEMO Activities January-June 2020

In the next six months MEMO plans to send 2 40′ ocean containers to the EFCCM Zimbabwe Gecko Society that daily supports 3000 mostly AID orphans. Zimbabwe has 1.4 million orphans and no government orphanages. When the orphan girls reach adulthood they generally have no way to support themselves except for prostitution.

ZGS run by Christian Zimbabwean nationals and supplied partially by MEMO provides basic education and for the girls training them in a sewing school to be seamstresses. MEMO continues to provide sewing machines and sewing materials for this program.

Beginning in 2020 MEMO has developed at the request of the ZGS an industrial sewing machine refurbishing facility (600 sq feet, heated) in which up to 34 old industrial sewing machines will be refurbished for use in Zimbabwe. The sewing machines had been collecting over the years in a shed behind a tent and awning shop in Thunder Bay! This will give the sewing school graduates the capability of doing commercial sewing jobs.

As well, hundreds of hand and electric tools are being shipped to provide training for the boys in construction and furniture making. These teenage boys otherwise often only have a criminal life to support themselves with.

CUBA

A container in the Fall of 2020 is planned for the Children’s Hospital and Old Folks Home in Matanzas Cuba. The work there is overseen by Christian Paediatric surgeons Abel and Marisel Santana.

MEMO has recently developed a cooperation with Friends of Ostomates Worldwide Canada. They will collect supplies from across Canada (including manufacturers) and Ship them to MEMO in Thunder Bay.

MEMO will then supply Cuba and Zimbabwe with these bags giving back a life to housebound victims unable to socialize because of odour. The first shipment of 100 banker boxes of ostomy supplies has been received.

MEMO continues to loan mobility devices to local needy people (mostly indigenous) who have fallen through the cracks in the health care system. This is supervised by local occupational therapists.

Over the next 6 months, we anticipate the involvement of 10 regular 2 mornings a week volunteers and another 15 occasional volunteers.

A succession plan for Jerome Harvey has been developed and will be slowly developed during his absences for medical and family reasons.

We hope you will continue to support MEMO in the coming year with your prayers, financial support, and hands-on volunteering.

May God Bless You,

Jerome Harvey