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West has a vision for the world
The Evangeline Booth Hospital in Ahmednagar, India recently received a much-needed new generator, thanks to the Rotary Foundation and the efforts of Lt. Colonel Mervyn Morelock, western territorial prayer coordinator.
Western officer Major Rosalyn Mahr serves as administrator at the hospital and her husband, Major Theodore Mahr, is executive secretary of India’s Salvation Army Health and Social Services Advisory Council.
Morelock recalled when he first became aware of the hospital’s need: “When our Mission Service Team went to India in 1996 we noticed the terrible shape of the hospital generator, which the hospital uses when the local power goes out. The local power is very erratic and when it goes out during a surgery the situation can be critical.”
Upon inquiry, Morelock discovered that the old generator was over 25 years old and could no longer be repaired.
“That was seven years ago,” says Morelock; “somehow they’ve kept it going with continual patches, repairs and prayers.”
After retirement, Morelock joined the North Phoenix Rotary Club and was appointed to the Rotary Foundation Committee. When the committee considered matching fund projects, Morelock immediately remembered the old generator in India. The North Phoenix Rotary Club contacted the Mahrs and the Rotary Club in Ahmednagar and developed a matching grant request to present to the Rotary Foundation.
Today, a year and a half later, the project has been completed.
“The members of our team will be pleased to see the new generator,” says Morelock, “since we all remember the old one which was not working during much of the time we were there because of missing parts. Some of our team tried to do some patch work on it, but it was so old that we knew it would have to be replaced.”
Thanks to God and the efforts of all involved, many lives may potentially be saved thanks to the installation of the new generator.