February 2020

So what happened to January? As I sit here and write this I cant believe that it is the 2nd day of February. Somewhere along the way I blinked and January has passed by. It was a busy month. I was reminded daily of how the crew needs someone here to care for them. It was a month full of sickness and injuries, and hearts that needed comfort. It has ranged from GI bugs to head lice, sinus infections to broken wrists, feet full of sea urchins and the beginning of flu season. Broken bodies and a few broken spirits. And for some reason the Lord has chosen me to be a part of it all. He has allowed me to be here to help figure out what ails the crew and the bring comfort and care to them. In doing so, I have been part of them returning the the jobs on the ship and continuing to do what God has called them to do. For some that means feeding the crew,  for some it means being back in the Operating room changing the lives of the patients, and for some being back in the engine room keeping the lights on. Everyone of the 400+ crew members has a role here. Each one is important and dependent on the others around them. It amazes me to watch how it all works, how it shouldn't work-with so many different languages, cultures and personal preferences here. And yet it does. It works and it works well. Hundreds of patients and caregivers pass through the doors, pass from brokenness into a state of healing. For some it is immediate, for others it a long slow process that takes months. However healing does take place. You see it in their eyes, and in their smiles. Mostly you see it in the tearing down of walls. Walls that have been built over years of suffering. One brick at a time, one insult at a time, one wound at time. They arrive not looking people in the eye, not smiling, a hardness about them. A hardness the world they live in has caused. But here, on this ship, through the body of Christ, change happens. The walls that divide come tumbling down. One smile at a time, one touch, one kind word. Each act of love removes a brick from the wall. Each person in their own way. Maybe it is handing someone a bowl of food, or perhaps mopping the floor around their bed, or carrying them up a flight of stairs, each act of love, allows a little more light into the darkness. Everyday the truth of the gospel lived out and revealed by those around me. And I pray in me.

I love being even a small piece of this puzzle. I love helping my fellow crew help others. Because of what I do, they can continue to do what they do. So I have decided to continue in this venture for a while longer. I have extended my commitment for another 2 years. I do so in faith trusting that God will take care of the details. I can not thank you all enough for journeying with me in this. It has been nothing short of amazing. I pray you will continue to walk along this road with me a little longer. That we can continue to sharpen one another. encourage one another and press on toward the goal. Please do let me know how I can be praying for you.

Deckies

Hello all,
It has been quite a while since I posted anything. It has been a busy time on ship. The holiday season was a blur. I will attempt to do some real writing soon. In the meantime here is a post from our Chief Officer on board. Shows a little more of what our fabulous deckies do for us. Thanks for your prayers. God is at work!

Miriam

Thank you for sweet little Miriam and many others with similar stories. Thank you for your encouragement, prayers and financial support. Without you, these stories would not be possible.

All photos and
video used with permission from Mercy Ships

A true Friend

Sai’douba and Alason have been through a lot together and as a result, have developed a very unique friendship. Alason was there the day that Sai’douba’s life changed drastically.
When he was 18 years old, Sai’douba was horribly burned in a gas explosion at the garage he worked at, leaving his legs frozen in a bent position. Since the accident, his injuries have made Sai’douba depend entirely on his friend.
“If I want to go to the bathroom Alason is the one that helps me go,” Sai’douba said. “If I want to eat, Alason is the one who comes to help me. Whatever I want to do, Alason is the one that helps me, because I can’t do anything by myself.”
For the past eight months, Alason has been Sai’douba’s support and legs, caring for his friend and carrying him wherever they went.
“When I carry him, he’s a little bit heavy, but no one will help him if I don’t help him,”Alason said. “Sometimes my muscles get sore, but I have to care for him. Whenever I look at what happened to him, I want to cry inside my heart. Sai’douba’s injuries kept him in pain, but his inability to work caused him a lot of frustration.
“Before this accident, I was working at the garage,” Sai’douba said. “I worked a lot and made a little money. I would take that money and bring it home for my mom to buy food. I know my parents don’t have enough money so I’m very scared about it.”
One day, Sai’douba heard about a hospital ship that was providing free surgeries to those in need and shared the news with his friend. Alason carried Sai’douba to the ship knowing that it was his one chance at possibly finding healing. In preparation for his rehab, they measure the severity of Sai’douba’s burn contractures.
When they arrived, Sai’douba met with the volunteer medical staff measured the severity of his burn contractures. The next day, much to Alason and Sai’douba’s joy, he was scheduled to receive surgery onboard the Africa Mercy. After a four hour surgery that helped straighten both of his legs and his arm, Sai’douba was on his way to recovery.
“When I saw him coming out of surgery, I could see his legs were straight,” Alason said. “I now have hope he can walk again. He’ll be able to do everything for himself.”
After a couple days of rest, Sai’Douba began his rehabilitation, focusing on one goal — to walk again. It took a lot of practice and determination, but soon Sai’Douba was back on his feet, walking on his own for the first time since the accident.
“I’m so happy, after such a long time I’m walking again! So many people are encouraging me,” Sai’douba said. “I feel confident now. After a few months, I’ll be able to do everything I used to do. I can work, earn money, and provide for my parents!”

Story and photos provided by MercyShips New Zealand

Osman Kamara - A story of Hope, Healing, Serving, Giving, A Major life change

Written by Jon Heinrich...One of our former crew members and shared with his permission.

Here is a wonderful story and the reason I took 2 more months in Africa after Ann left Mercy Ships to go home.
I came to be a friend and help Osman Kamara. You need to read his story because it is inspiring AND YOU can be part of it.

Osman comes from a family of 4. His father passed away but his mother, sisters, and brother are alive and live in Freetown, Sierra Leone. His background is Muslim and he was raised with the Islam teachings and still knows many of the prayers and chants.

When he was a child he was severely burned when a leak in the gas in the house caught on fire. He had a long and very painful recovery which left his arm and leg movements restricted because of the scarring. He told me his arms were locked at 90 degrees for full extension.

When he was a young teen he was having such serious issues with the wounds and inability to get around that he was taken to the hospital where they wanted to amputate his legs due to the healing issues and scarring.

Hope
He had a friend challenge him that if he believed in God, He would provide an answer rather than have his leg amputated. About that time it was announced that Mercy Ships was coming to Freetown. He went down for the screening but was not selected because the focus was on the repair of those who lost limbs in the civil war.

Healing
He was very discouraged by the initial answer, but he was encouraged to go back toward the end of the field service. He went back and an opening was available. Dr. Tertius Venter is a Plastic Surgeon on the ship today and served on it when Osman came for surgery.

He was able to free up the limbs and do skin grafts so that Osman could have free use of his arms and legs. Again a long and painful recovery. He went on to finish high school and worked for people earning money for his family after his father died.

Serving
He heard the Africa Mercy was once again coming to Sierra Leone 2011. He signed up and was selected as Day Crew working in the physically demanding Engineering department. I was told he did not let them know of his past, he just came to work.

It is there that he heard more about Christ and saw the Jesus movie a number of times to better understand who He is and why He came. He accepted Christ, which could have put him at odds with his family who would have normally disowned him. They love and support him even though they are still Muslim.

He went to Conakry the next year to see if he could get on as a Day Crew member and was accepted. There he trained and became an Able Seaman. He stayed on as regular crew and eventually through training and practical experience became the lead plumber on the ship. Again I am not aware that anyone knew his story or if they did it was not widely shared.

Giving
He wanted to give back for all that God had done for him so starting in Madagascar in 2013 he designed and fabricated wheelchairs for people who laid on the street and begged because they could not stand. He made 5 that year and quietly distributed them. He has done the same thing for the past 5 field services with Mercy Ships.

I met and got to know him a little because he is so outgoing, positive, and encouraging. After hearing about the wheelchair project from the Director of Finance, Kevin Cook, who was helping him. I asked Kevin how I could help. They were almost done with the fabrication and I didn't have the time to help with the painting. He said he was most concerned about funding for the project because it seemed to be so hit and miss.

About the same time, I talked with Osman at length when he came in to update his donor page and get some help improving it. It was there I heard about his amazing story and realized not many knew about his past as a patient and why he was so committed to bringing mobility those who lay on the street begging. I told him his story was a huge blessing to others on how God works and he needed to share it more, especially his heart for beggars with no ability to earn money. It needed to be shared because it is such a blessing on how God works.

I helped write a brochure for him so the ministry could be publicized and to raise funds. We also updated his donor page to better reflect how God worked in his life. God blessed the work he was doing in a number of ways. I told Ann about him and she did an interview at one of the Community nights about his story and the wheelchair ministry. We put the flyer in the activity book so everyone could learn about what he felt God had him do in each country. As a result, almost overnight his donations from crew members went for a few hundred dollars to over a thousand.

Osman and I became good friends through this process and he needed a new person to help him since Kevin Cook was leaving. I joined Osman and another crew member to start building chairs in Guinea this past year. We worked many Saturdays and I continued to publicize what he was doing to get more crew members involved and help with the work

 We fabricated 5 wheelchairs from the designs in his head and the designs in the mind of Kevin Abrahams, the ship Machinist from South Africa.
Wheelchair Team Guinea 2018-19

With the help of10 crew members team, all 5 wheelchairs were done and given to the people Osman had screened.

We were blessed to have this occur while the Mercy Ships International Board was onboard for their meeting. They had the opportunity to share in the experience created through Osman’s vision.

A Major Life Change
In the spring of that year, Osman complained of leg pains and about the time we were ready to paint the chairs so he went to the Crew Physician about his leg. It was determined that he needed to get expert help and was sent to Cape Town, where Dr. Tertius lives, and where the Mercy Ships South Africa National Director, Brenda van Straten, could sponsor him for a medical visa.

He saw a specialist in Cape Town. His tumors were removed and they grew back, almost over-night. The cancer is very aggressive.

Finally, he had to make the hard decision to have the leg amputated above the knee to prevent grown glands and spreading.

Brenda has been his sponsor, advocate, and champion to the insurance company, the country of South Africa, and to many of us who have helped pitch in. She and several others here in Cape Town such as Trudi Venter and members of both of their churches have been faithful prayer warriors on his behalf.

 God has been so good through this whole thing, especially with helping Osman deal with the loss of his leg.

He also learned that his future with Mercy Ships is not possible (due to Malta maritime regulations) and as a result, he cannot send money home to help his mom and family because of not working on the ship.

He also has the loss of future income earning in Sierra Leone because his leg prevents him from doing plumbing and HVAC work.

That is a lot for one person to go through in 3 short months. 

 God has provided his insurance for the procedures. Mercy Ships has agreed to help him get to a point where he can return home. God provided a prosthetic company that went out of their way to contact the prosthetic provider in Freetown to understand their capabilities to support a variety of legs. This way they could help identify a leg that Osman would use to actively work and it could be serviced there if needed.

God has provided many people in his life that want to help him in some way. God worked in a mighty way with South African Immigration who normally send a person home after they have been stabilized and can travel. He heard that his visa has been approved through Feb 2020, this is almost UNHEARD OF. They also opened the door if he needed more time for treatment and recovery.

He also heard from Brenda that through the efforts of many, the insurance broker TTc has graciously agreed to fully fund a prosthetic leg that will allow him to walk and work in jobs that don’t require ladders or where balance is critical. It is a fully functional leg, nothing fancy, but more than would be available to him through Sierra Leone or basic insurance funding.

 New Beginning-With Your Help
First, he has an immediate need for support to pay for the extra parts and maintenance required on his new leg. The prosthetic team here contacted the organization in Sierra Leone to establish what they know and can do.

The group here will train Osman on preventative maintenance, replacement of common pieces that break over time, such as a suction ball. Additional parts are also listed that he will need to take to Sierra Leone to prolong the life of his new leg. The total costs of these components are $8,000.

Osman is full of hope and has a strong desire to continue to serve God, be responsible as an in-come earner, desires to help his family, especially his elderly mother and youngest sister. In order to do that he has identified several career options available to a person who is extremely mechanically inclined, has very good math skills, and wants a career that provides stable income in Sierra Leone or that is in demand in another country.

He has identified two career areas that meet the requirements for growth potential and employability in multiple countries and Sierra Leone. They are with the estimated costs of tuition and living expenses:

• Biomedical Technician-an excellent program that Mercy Ships sends the crew to is available in Dallas Texas. Cost with housing $40,000.

• Prosthetic Technician-an excellent program, with the most widely recognized certification, is in Oklahoma. Cost with housing $20,000.

Finally, Osman wants to seek God’s direction on how to keep the Wheelchair for Africa program going. It could be in conjunction with Mercy Ships or as a separate ministry.

He still has a very strong place in his heart for those who cannot earn a living or live life with the same degree of freedom that others have, especially in the poor countries of West Africa. He will be praying about:
• Clear direction
• Help from a team to form a non-profit
• Direction on when/where in the world this might be
• Funding to reproduce the ministry in countries and have them become self-supported as they provide wheelchairs for those in the most need.

 

How can you help?
1. Pray for Osman as he continues the painful process of preparing to receive and use his new leg.

2. Pray for God’s direction on careers and other alternatives. His foremost desire is to be obedient.

3. Pray about funding and God’s provision.

4. Give what you feel led to provide. This is best done through the Mercy Ship Crew funding site. The address for his donor page is:
https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=mercyshipsus&id=313&cfifid=514

5. Post this on your Facebook page and/or LinkedIn pages.

6. Give praise for all that God has done and provided.

This whole thing continues to be “a God thing”, a demonstration of His gracious and caring support of His children.

Thank you for reading through this and for any help you can provide.

If you have questions or have ideas please contact me. My personal email is jon.heinrich3103@gmail.com

 

Surgery week one Dakar

Greetings from deck 6.
I am currently sitting on deck six reflecting on my week. The sun is shinning through the window next to me, looking out over the dock. Currently the view is of empty tents and an empty dock. Earlier this week the tents were full of our first surgical patients. Mothers and Fathers, daughters and sons, sisters and brothers, all patiently waiting in the heat of Dakar. Waiting with the one thing we desire to bring to all. Waiting with hope. Each one waiting for their turn with the doctors and nurses to find out if they get the final approval for their surgery. Hope fills the air, and we pray it fills their hearts as well. Slowly, throughout the week, one by one the approvals come, filling the surgery schedule one case at a time. And then, their incredibly brave adventure continues.

Each person is brought up the gangway to world they have never known, filled with people they have never met, with the hope that just maybe it really will be true. Maybe, just maybe they really will get FREE surgery and finally be free from that thing that has plagued them. That thing that has made them feel different, rejected, less than, or an outsider even among those who know and love them.

Each person is brought on board, navigating a maze of hallways and stairways and finally admitted to the hospital. Down, down they go into the belly of the ship, to the hospital deck. A new world. So brave. So many people, machines, tests, and doctors. They are met with open arms, smiles, a reassuring touch and kindness. For some it is a first. To not be stared at , but to see others like themselves. New friends made while waiting together in the tent, or on the bus. They are settled in a bed, given good food to eat and told to wait a little more. But then it happens.  Their turn comes.....

They are led, or if they are too small, they are carried down the long passageways to the O.R. door. It must be such a scary moment. It must take such courage and strength to pass through that door. Some do it boldly with a smile on their face, others timidly with a tear on their cheek. With each step, more hope. Could this really be it.

The room is like nothing many have seen before. The large overhead lights, the draped tables, people in gowns and masks. The interpreter in the room becomes their life line.Often the one person in the room who speaks their language. They are laid on a table and reminded what will happen, and then the mask comes down and sleep overtakes them.

When they awake....it is a new world. Sometimes a new battle. A battle of recovery, battles with pain, and battles of disbelief. For hope has paid off. The surgery really did happen. Smiles emerge. burdens are lifted. Hope of a different future rises in their hearts, and in the hearts of those who love them.

This is what it is all about. This makes it all worth it. The hard parts.

Being far from home when hard times come. Being here when you wish you could be there for your friends back home. When friends face loneliness, hurricanes, and even death. It is in those painful moments that I must cling to hope of my own. The hope that it will all be worth it. That lives are changing. That seeds are planted. That God will have his way. That is where I place my hope. In God. In God I will trust.

I will trust him for the patients that have come, and for the many that have not yet arrived. I will trust him for their souls. I will trust that he can use the smallest things. A kind word, a look, a smile or a hug. I will trust that he can help me through the hard days with my own patients. Through the fevers, the vomiting and the stitches. I will trust that when I feel like I am at the end of myself and I don't know if I can take another step, HE will hold onto me. HE has a plan for it all. He loves them all more that I do. He is the author of Hope. And HE alone will finish it all.To Him alone be the glory.

Two homes

Greetings from Las Palmas Gran Canaria.

I arrived safely back on ship nearly a week ago now. It has been a busy week of unpacking, getting brought up to speed on the health of the crew, seeing a bit of what the island has to offer, and catching up with friends.

I arrived Saturday after nearly 2 days of travel. After little to no sleep on the planes I was quite ready to sleep. However, since I arrived at 2 in the afternoon, I forced myself to stay awake and went to bed at a normal bedtime for this time zone. I was able to sleep straight through the night and has experienced very little jet lag as a result. One very nice surprise for me was a bunk change. Sadly one of my cabin mates will be leaving in a few weeks, so she decided to switch bunks with me knowing I wanted the back space of the cabin. So when I arrived she had already moved and it was empty and ready for me to move in. What does that mean for me....it means a little more space, a little more privacy, and best of all......a window! I am so excited. I finally have a space with a window. It lets in so much natural light and is just wonderful. I may even have to get a plant.

I also arrived to 2 boxes of Christmas presents that my sister sent in January that had finally made there way to the ship. The arrived in April after I left and have been waiting for me. What fun. Christmas in July!!

This week I spent time with the outgoing nurse Jacqui, who has been caring for the crew during the last sail and shipyard. She brought me up to speed on all I needed to know. The bumps and bruises that have occurred and what might be ahead. She has done a great job caring for the crew. I am so thankful she was here so I could go to the states and take care of things.

Some of my week was spent seeing a bit of Las Palmas. The waterfront here is really lovely and has a long boardwalk that is several miles long. Full of shops, restaurants and people of all walks of life. It is a great place to sit and enjoy the breeze coming in off the ocean, people watch, or savor the incredible flavors of gelato as you stroll down the brick lined promenade.The other night I stood and watched as a man used a rope to make hundreds of soap bubbles that blew across the boardwalk in the cool evening breeze. It was a show stopper as children of all ages stopped and watched in delight as the bubbles drifted down the boardwalk. It didn't matter the age, size, race or religion, as many stopped with the same smile of delight, and often ran to catch the bubbles. I was unable to catch the smiles but a friend managed to catch the beauty of the bubbles along the building as seen below. It has defiantly made the off hours enjoyable.

The boardwalk in Las Palmas covered in bubbles

Finally this week has been about catching up with friends I have not seen for months. Sharing coffees, meals, and walks near the ocean. Talking about the good things and the hard things of life. What did you do this summer has been a frequent conversation, followed often by the real, so how are you doing? How are things with you and the Lord. It has felt like coming home.Yesterday the families came home. Now that the ship is in the water, the kids are allowed back on board and so yesterday was home coming. Once again you hear the sound of children, laughing, crying, playing. Some of them happy to see you and some of them shyly hiding behind moms legs. All of them making it feel more like home.

Coffee on the boardwalk with Jen

 It never ceases to amaze me how two places on opposite sides of the world, with completely different cultures ,and completely different people can both feel like home. Leaving Virginia was hard. It felt like leaving home. Leaving what is familiar and comfortable and easy. The people I love.People who spent all Spring and most of the summer pouring their love and kindness out on me.

Milkshakes with Mom at the Pink Cadillac

Sandstone falls with my sister Christy

Mt Airy with my good friend Patty

Summer Camp with the gang

 And yet stepping on the ship immediately feels like coming home. It feels right, familiar, and everywhere I turn is someone I love doing something I admire, for no other reason than their love of the Lord. Oh how I love this place. The first week has been filled with watching friends work hard,  in the heat, with no air conditioning, walking up 72 steps on scaffolding to enter a hot ship and give their all. Three lovely kind men met me at the bottom the day I arrived and carried my three 50 pound bags (23kg) all the way to top for me.

The tower of terror...72 steps up the scaffolding to enter the ship in dry dock.

These volunteers in shipyard are in class all their own. Many will never see Africa, will never see the patients they are working so hard to prepare for. Yet they work with a drive and a passion that is so admirable. Some skip meals, others skip fun trips to town, others work late into the night, so one more thing can be finished, one more goal accomplished, or so the next thing can be started, all with the patients in mind.  This ship, this organization, this pack of people that God has called together from around the world is just amazing. I still have to pinch myself that I get to be a part of it. Thank you all for helping me do that!  In the end I can truly say....there really is no place like home.