There are 2,600 hospitals in Asia, Africa and South America which could be classified as "Mission Hospitals" - far off the beaten path, providing basic medical service to the poorest people of the world. The Hospital at the End of the World tells the story of a nurse from the USA and his first experience as a teaching nurse in Nepal.

Joe Niemczura brings to life the day-to-day realities of life in a rural teaching hospital, literally at the "end of the road." The harsh realities of a lack of modern medical equipment when mixed with the humanness of endurances demonstrates that above all, it is the individual who matters; both patient and caregiver. All else pales in comparison. The strength of this story is in relationships with students, physicians, other nurses, patients, families and most importantly with Nepal itself. There is a sense of community connectedness which the author brings alive as the reader becomes one with the story. The heartbreak and grief of death to the celebrations of life will elicit those same emotions. The thread through it all is the author's own journey as he discovers himself and renews his spirituality. The reader is immediately pulled into the drama and nakedness, and the beauty and mystery of this incredible part of the world. Ellen L. Bridge, RN, BS, MTS
Public Health Nursing Consultant

Suspense at remote missionary hospital in Nepal, as the Civil War shreds the intertwined lives of an international team. Will they survive?

A TALE OF MISSIONARIES AND MORE

As a college student on a trek during summer break in 1996, Matt was wounded in the crossfire of a mountain ambush during the civil war in Nepal. Matt returns to Nepal ten years later to repay his debt to the surgeons who saved his life and to find Kali, the young Nepali woman who was the love of his life.

Nobody will tell him what happened to Kali during the battle that swept through the town, and Matt must unravel the mystery. He is now a missionary surgeon, working alongside the doctors that saved his life, earning their trust.

As Matt searches for Kali he is challenged to the utmost level of his skill and courage. Will the consequences of Matt and Kali's first meeting shatter the lives of everyone on the team?

The Sacrament of the Goddess paints a vivid picture of an exotic part of the world, with an authenticity that springs from deep experience.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joe Niemczura RN, MS teaches critical care nursing when he is in Nepal, and he is an expert on the care of fully-envenomated snakebite victims. He is a Registered Nurse in both USA and Nepal. He divides his time between Kathmandu, Charlottesville Virginia, and a small cabin on a pond in the mountains of Maine.

There are 2,600 hospitals in Asia, Africa and South America which could be classified as Mission Hospitals - far off the beaten path, providing basic medical service to the poorest people of the world. The Hospital at the End of the World tells the story of a nurse from the USA and his first experience as a teaching nurse in Nepal. Joe Niemczura brings to life the day-to-day realities of life in a rural teaching hospital, literally at the end of the road. The harsh realities of a lack of modern medical equipment when mixed with the humanness of endurances demonstrates that above all, it is the individual who matters; both patient and caregiver. All else pales in comparison. The strength of this story is in relationships with students, physicians, other nurses, patients, families and most importantly with Nepal itself. There is a sense of community connectedness which the author brings alive as the reader becomes one with the story. The heartbreak and grief of death to the celebrations of life will elicit those same emotions. The thread through it all is the author's own journey as he discovers himself and renews his spirituality. The reader is immediately pulled into the drama and nakedness, and the beauty and mystery of this incredible part of the world.