Shipyard

I start by apologizing for not posting for a while. We arrived in the Gran Canaries Spain for our annual maintenance and repairs. The ship is a different place when we are in shipyard. First of all the crew is much smaller. We are around 225 people on board. Most evenings the place looks like a ghost town. Everyone is either in the cabins resting, worn out from busy days of work, or out exploring this beautiful island.
     Shipyard is an interesting place. So much happening all the time. Local workers coming and going, supplies being moved on and old parts being moved off. All of ones senses are involved. There is a constant hum of machines at work, grinders, welders, hammers and drills.  The clang of metal parts being hammered on ,the ding dong of the PA system announcing the days changes,  and the sound of the new prominent language on board, Spanish floating through most conversations.
     Then there are the smells. They change as you walk from one end of the ship to the other. All the way forward in the dinning room there are the pleasant smells of fresh brewed coffee, mixed with a variety of spices in the food being served that day or fresh baked cookies at times. As you walk out into reception the odors are swept away by a fresh ocean breeze that carries the faintest aroma of salt. It is coolest place on the ship as the breeze crosses through the two open hatches on either side of the ship. It invites you to linger and soak in the refreshment.
     As you descend through the ship the cool air fades away and replaced with the smell of fresh paint and engine oil. Warm air and the smell of hard work lingers in the passage ways. The air is warm because the air conditioning is off. We have been without air conditioning almost 3 weeks now. At times we have been without running water, toilets, showers and only a small amount of back up power. The refrigeration on board has been shut down for repairs and upgrades along with one of the walk in freezers. Each one of these situations creates a need for solutions and team work and patience.
Food has to be moved from its normal location to temporary locations, usually another container on another deck somewhere. This is where I come in. I am working in supply over the shipyard and so I get to be one of the people to help move hundreds of pounds of food from point A to point B. Then a few days or weeks later, back again. I have begun and impressive bruise collection on my body as I learn that frozen food pallets do not bend and give in the same manner as a pallet of say rolled gauze.
Through it all God is teaching me little lessons. In patience, kindness, tolerance and sometimes leadership. Repetitive lessons that my way is not always the right or only way.
     I have been  impressed by how well people work together here. In spite of all the challenges, and there are many, there is very little fighting or arguing seen. In spite of difficult living arrangements brought on by the challenges of shipyard I see very little angst between the crew. Even when there are times with no fresh water, or toilets that cant flush or Internet that is down. The people here are doing an amazing job of loving each other well.
     One of the best things about shipyard this year has been Carolyn. She has been my friend for 20 years. This year she volunteered with Mercy Ships and has been here serving for the last 6 weeks. It has been such fun having her here and getting to serve with her. We have had many adventures and been able to experience many things together. She was able to see a bit of Cameroon before we left, experience the wonder of the sail, the excitement of arriving in Senegal and docking in Spain. We have worked together, worshiped together and oh yes we have played too! It has been such a blessing to be able to share such a huge part of my life with someone I love from home. I pray I will have more opportunities to do so with others from my life back home. I pray Carolyn's time here has been as much of a blessing to here as it has been to me.

     Another great thing about shipyard is SPAIN!! We are in Spain and on our days off we are free to explore the island. It is a major tourist destination for Europe and so there are many things to discover. There is good food, great gelato and of course the beach. One day some of us were able to rent a car and drive around the whole island. It was lovely.  The island has areas that are very built up and full of European tourists. But is also has small sleepy Spanish towns full of warm, welcoming people. Tiny roads barely wide enough for two compact cars wind through beautiful hills dotted with amazing architecture. Ancient cathedrals are the center of most towns with  cozy cafes lying in their shadows. Picturesque fishing villages  dot the coast where the dry, desert hills meet the azure sea. It is such a gift to be able to spend time here. I am grateful. Oh how I wish I had taken Spanish in high school when I had the opportunity.
     In just a few days I will be leaving the ship for a bit. A few weeks in the States to catch up with family and friends. To get a years worth of hugs and conversations in the span of a few weeks. I am excited to share what I have experienced in the last year and yet know that my words will not be adequate. Then it will be onto Texas for more training before returning to the Ship. I look forward to seeing as many of you as time allows.

At Sea

Not sure when I will have Internet to post this but figured I would get it down. We are once again at sea. I am in my happy place. It never ceases to amaze me how incredible it is to be at sea.
I am aware of so much around me. The gentle vibration of the deck beneath my feet as the engines hum along. How my cabin rolls from side to side with each swell of the sea that passes under the ship. That always amazes me. The power of the sea. You look our over the vast blue and watch as these small swells of only a few feet come ever so gently to the side of the ship and the pass beneath it. And yet those small swells move this enormous ship. It is constant and never stops and gently rocks you like a child in its mothers arms. I never tire of it.
     Out on the bow there is  the intense warmth of the equatorial sun shinning down on you from the bluest sky you have ever seen. And the nothing....miles and miles of nothing. No land, no traffic noise, no demands, no birds, just miles of nothing but sea and sky, the breeze in your face and peace in your heart.
On the stern in my hammock I gently swing from side to side. Behind the ship the propellers stir up a ribbon of white foam and turquoise blue. It stretches out behind of slowly dissolving into a smooth line of flat water marking where we have come from. A slight breeze, quiet conversations with friends, and a constant eye on the horizon watching for the spout from a whale or a dolphin jumping from the sea. I have not yet seen either on this trip but yesterday dolphins were seen so hope bubbles up in the heart and I wait.

My work days are filled with boxes and crates. I have moved over to general supply during the sail. So orders are made and me and my guys spend our mornings filling those orders. Supplies for the dining room, the galley and the ship shop mostly. Orders are usually similar but vary from day to day. Today there were crates of tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce and fruit. Rice and onions and cooking oil too. All of has been weighed and stored and tied down. So now it must be calculated how much is needed, untied, moved from deck 2 to deck 5 or deck 6 and then everything else retied so it will not fall over and make a mess as the ship moves.

My evenings are fun time during the sail. Some of the crew members have planned fun activities to keep us entertained so we do not get cabin fever. There has been spy vs spy, karaoke and a mocktail party with the captain. Tonight is movie night and there will be popcorn. The little things are fun and create time for the crew to bond with one another.

Soon these days will be over, but for now I will savor each one of them. They are gifts. Each one to be unwrapped and discover what it holds. Each one different than the one before. I love the gift of time, which seems to slow down here during the sail. Time to savor life. Time with friends, time for games, time to spend in the word and with the Lord. Time to listen. Time to be thankful.
And that is what I truly am. Thankful for all of it. Thankful to be here, thankful that He chose me.
My cup runneth over.

Salamatou And Mariama

Sisters Salamatou and Mariama relished the historic moment they were able to race around their village. Each has spent their lives watching others run and play as their windswept legs caused by malnutrition held them back. What could have been a lifetime on the sidelines is now the starting point for the rest of their lives. Ready, set, go! 










Pictures and text from Mercyships writers and photographers. 

Patience for a miracle

The following blog was written by my co-laborer Susy Horta. Some of you have been praying for these patients for a while now. Now you can put some faces with the stories.  Pictures by Mercy Ship photographers.

Patience for a miracle

During my time here, most of our maxillofacial patients come the day before of their surgery, go to surgery, and after a couple of days or maybe a week they are ready to go to the Hope Center and come to the ship for their follow-up appointments. A few of them may have complications after their surgery, maybe a wound that won't heal properly, maybe an infection, but thankfully those are a few exceptions to the majority.

These are the stories we like to witness and also the way we want things to happen in our own lives. We like things to happen as they "should", in the right time and in the right way.

I, personally, am not a patient person. As an ICU nurse I always want to find a way to solve problems, and keeping things under control, planned and successful is my way of thinking of a good day.

 But today I want to share about two families that have taught me what patience and endurance are. The moms share the same name, both are muslim, and speak the same native language. They both have beautiful baby girls and these babies have been our patients at the hospital and the Hope Center since before I came to Cameroon, that is, more than 5 months.

One of the babies, Mass-oudatou, has been in the infant feeding program since she

arrived to the ship, and her cleft lip was repaired after she had enough weight to go through surgery. But, she needed her cleft palate to be repaired too, but for that she had to be big enough, as it was a more risky surgery than the first one. During the months of feeding her to be ready, her suctioning ability decreased and that brought respiratory problems, so we ended up having to help her by feeding her through a nasogastric tube. 

She is funny and makes the weirdest and cutest faces all day long. Her surgery was finally done last friday; after months of waiting and struggling, she finally will breath, eat and talk normally.

The other baby is Mairamou. She is one of a kind. Sassy, smart, brave and with a mass on
her face that could not just be cut away. As tiny as she is, removing the mass would mean a huge blood loss, and her life. So she has been also through months of nutritional suplements to gain weight, medications and radio ablations to shrink the mass as much as possible. In the beginning of her treatment, the mass was so big that we also needed a tube to feed her. And finally, two weeks ago, she went to surgery (no pictures yet) and it went really well!!

As you can see, these are not fast and easy cases. These kids have won our hearts while they wait to finally go to surgery. And their moms have waited too.

I am sure that during these long months the moms have had hard days, but every time I see them, either in the hospital or at the Hope Center, they smile. They have been learning french and english at the same time. They help other mothers and patients to adjust while they stay with us. They call me "momma Susy" and "Tauntine Susy" (auntie Susy). They get tired, it is hard to stay in a hospital for weeks and weeks, but they don't complain. They let us see when they are sad, they let us comfort them and they let us help them. 

They are smarter than me, more patient, braver, they learn, they wait, they laugh, they endure. They love me. They make me laugh. These are not weak and sad souls, these are people with less opportunities than us. And that is why I’m here. To bring hope and healing through health care, but also with friendship and the gospel. I can’t feel sorry for them, they won’t let me. I admire them and want to help in any way I can to bring them closer to Jesus and the life He wants for them.

But God has used their lives to challenge me to be braver and to exercise my patience. I have been praying for months for the funds to continue serving with Mercy Ships until June/2019, and He has been taking His time to answer. I have had very hard days praying and not seeing any answers. God has been challenging my faith. How do you have faith and joy when there is a possibility of losing your dream job/ministry? 

Well, these moms have taught me to enjoy the waiting and also to believe in the one that promised me "plans for a hope and a future". These moms trust us, they trust the surgeons, they trust the dietitians, they trust our local translators. They have seen how much we care for them and their babies, so they trust that we will keep doing our best to help them. 

How much do I trust God? The one that gave His only Son to save my life? The one that has provided for my parents for more than 30 years? The one that brought me here and has sustained me for five months? The one that says "I will never fail you nor abandon you"?

Donations have started coming, quietly and full of love. And with each one of them, I cry with joy and gratefulness, and I pray harder. I pray harder to see the whole miracle happen. 

What are you waiting and praying for? Are you tired and about to give up? Don't do it, your dreams are worth the wait, God is worth the wait.

Also, what miracle are you helping to come to life? I have been part of these babies' miracles and it has been an enormous honor, that is why I chose to serve longer with Mercy Ships, to be an active witness of the miracles God wants to bring to West Africa. Would you be part of these miracles with me?

"You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you; 

I answered out of the thundercloud and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah." Psalm 81:7 NLT

March

So Here is a little update for you.
March looks a little different in Cameroon than in Virginia. There the snow is flying and folks are praying for spring and warm weather. Here the short rainy season has begun. Most days we get some amount of measurable rain. I am usually unaware as both my living quarters and working quarters are without windows. That is the price you pay to live at or below the water line. Haha. Usually when I go upstairs for meals I peek out the windows and get an idea of what the day is like. One of the nice things about rain is it washes most of the dust and pollution from the air.  So this week the air quality has been good and Mt Cameroon has been visible for the first time in a few months.  So I was sure to get some time outdoors to enjoy being able to see our volcano and enjoy the warm weather.

Other things that are happening....Surgeries continue to roll on. Some major facial surgeries occurred this week and patients are healing. As I went from ward to ward with supplies this week I watched different ones exploring their new faces in the mirrors they are given. You can see the disbelief on their faces as they try to comprehend how different they now look. It is a joy to be able to witness such moments. Another man this week was able to open his mouth for the first time in 19 years. The moment was recorded on video. I hope to be able to share it some time in the future. The first thing he did was shout for joy and raise his hands to the heavens. I cried my eyes out as I watched it unfold. May God get the glory for his transformation.
Many of you are asking about my plans to come home. I still can not answer those questions fully but hope to be able to in a week or so. It is looking very likely that I will come home for a short time and then return for another 2 years. I am very exciting about the possibility of this but it is ultimately up to God. I would love to return and continue to be a part of the amazing work that is happening here. It is so fulfilling to be even a small part of changing peoples lives. Being a tiny part of the miracles occurring in the hearts and bodies. Many ask why not do it at home? The simplistic answer is it is just different here. My hands are not tied. I am not only allowed to share my faith with my patients, co-workers and friends, I am encouraged to do so. There is nothing that can really describe the moments when you see a spark ignite in the heart of someone. When the understand that they are truly loved. That there is something more. That life and eternity can be different. That they are not excluded for being different.

There is also the joy of what God is doing in my heart and spirit. As he shows me areas in  my own life that need changing, refining and growth. New friendships  and new experiences. Learning to live with less and focus on things eternal rather than things of the world that so easily entice me. It is a daily journey and somehow seems easier for me to see or understand here. And here I am often better able to see how my gifts and talents can add to the equation. Don't get me wrong. I KNOW that all of these things are possible at home, and there are needs there too. But somehow there is a peace and a belonging that a feel here that make me know that I am where I should be for as long as God chooses me to be here.

There are hard parts to being here. Times of loneliness. Missing those I love more than I can convey. It can be challenging to witness the level of suffering we see on a daily basis. There are many we help, but so many more that we can not. Pray for them, and pray for me as it is hard to bear. There are times when I miss the freedom to jump in my car and go where ever I want. It is not easy to do that here. There are police check points, bad roads and corruption that make those things difficult. But then there is the beauty of Africa, people who are kind and generous despite having little. People who have much to share in the hearts and minds and spirits, and we are joined together by a common goal.

It is also hard to be away as I read updates from home that are hard. Things I wish I could be a part of. Things I wish I could fix. Situations that only God can take care of. Unmet needs, wandering family members and the loss of loved ones. How I wish I could be there to walk through those moments with you. To pray with you, to give generously. For now, I can only do it from here. But know that I do. I go before the throne of God, and by His spirit I pray and intercede for you. I pray that each of your needs is met. That your pain and loss is comforted. That the Fathers love for you is never doubted.

For King and kingdom,
Jennifer

Ulrich's Joy

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” someone asked 12-year-old Ulrich.
“I want to be tall like my friends,” he answered with a smile.
Even experienced nurses onboard the Africa Mercy had never seen a case quite like Ulrich’s.  He was born with dislocated knees and a condition known as Quadriceps Contracture—a condition in which the leg muscles don’t develop at the same rate as the bones, causing the legs to bend drastically backward.
His mother, Georgette, tried desperately to find Ulrich the surgery he needed. But the cost of surgery and the severity of his condition defeated her hopes. “Surgeons wouldn’t touch him,” Georgette recalls. “It was hard to see him hurting. When he hurts, I hurt.”
Despite constant stares and ridicule, Ulrich adapted to his condition. He learned to walk with sticks made from sturdy branches. He even learned to climb trees higher than any other boy in his village! “When they couldn’t reach the tallest papaya, they’d call me! I’d be able to get it,” said Ulrich.
But his determination to be like other boys took its toll. He developed pain in his hands and joints from supporting his body weight and from walking long distances. “I was worried that if I was feeling such pain now, it was only going to get worse as I got older,” he said.
It broke his heart that it was increasingly difficult for him to help his mother by helping out around the house, collecting firewood, and fetching water. “I was scared to grow up like that. I didn’t want this to be all my life was ever going to be.”
The day Ulrich arrived on the Africa Mercy for his free surgery, volunteer surgeon Dr. Frank Haydon (USA), who has volunteered with Mercy Ships for eight years, was shocked. “He moved like an insect … like a cricket. I’d never seen anything quite like it. Just when I think I’ve seen the worst case in my career, I meet the next Ulrich, and it keeps me going.”
After several complex surgeries, Ulrich woke up with two straight legs in casts. He had a hard time believing they were actually his legs. The first time he stood up, he reached up to see if he could touch the ceiling. “The first time he walked, he went straight into his mother’s embrace. It was the first time he had been able to hug her since standing tall,” said volunteer nurse Kirsten Murphy (USA).
And now, Ulrich is walking straight and tall into acceptance and into his dream of an education.
"Before, when I would walk in the street, people would stare at me. They thought I was just a handicapped person, and they treated me differently. Now, they will look again,” smiled Ulrich.
Before Ulrich left the Africa Mercy, he slowly walked up to Dr. Haydon and handed him a very special gift … his old walking sticks. He won’t need them anymore, thanks to mercy.
Written by Georgia Ainsworth
Edited by Karis Johnson and Nancy Predaina
Photographs by Saul Loubassa Bighonda, Shawn Thompson and Marina Schmid

Adama

We as a ship spent the last few days in a prayer campaign for this young women.I would ask that you help those prayers continue on into the days ahead. Her name is Adama. She had a cleft that extended from her face into her skull and brain, giving the appearance that her face was divided in two. She has already had multiple surgeries on her brain, skull and facial soft tissues and she's been an inpatient for more than 90 days due to difficult healing - longer than any other patient by far this year. She just had her 6th surgery. She has been through much to say the least. Would you please pray for her. Pray for healing. Pray for strength, endurance and courage. Pray for encouragement. Pray that the light of Christ would be seen in everyone she encounters. Pray that this 6th surgery she just endured would be successful and her healing would be complete. Pray specifically against infection or complications. Most of all pray as the Lord leads. Thank you for taking the time to go to the throne for this woman. May His name be glorified.

(A portion of this writing was taken from other writers post. authors unknown and Photo by Mercy ship photographers)