29 April 2009
ripples in the pond
a few nights ago at community meeting, someone spoke about how we are changing the life of a patient thru their surgery. but it is so much more. a child with a cleft lip or palate is repaired which allows them to gain nutrition and to look "normal" so they no longer feel the ostracism of being different. but their family also has a stigma removed. and if spirits were involved then satan loses ground! but where did the original ripple start...obviously with the loving heart of the Father as He tossed a boulder in the water. was the first ripple the person who cared for the patient (doctors, nurses, anesthetists)? or perhaps the people at home who support those caring for the patient by prayer and finances? or maybe the heart of a child in a vacation Bible school somewhere who heard about the people needing help and prayed that God will send someone to help? all these ripples leading to changed lives which also continue to ripple out into forever.
27 April 2009
there is power!
would you be free from your burden of sin? there's power in the blood, power in the blood!
the best part of working evening shift is impromptu worship sessions and the prayer time done by the ward counselors. tonight the counselors came in singing "there's power in the blood" in fon (a local dialect) and i sang along in english and a fellow nurse noomi sang along in swedish. how awesome is it that #1, i can worship at work? and #2 it is a taste of what heaven may be like...all tribes and tongues and nations bowing at His feet in worship singing holy, holy, holy!
the best part of working evening shift is impromptu worship sessions and the prayer time done by the ward counselors. tonight the counselors came in singing "there's power in the blood" in fon (a local dialect) and i sang along in english and a fellow nurse noomi sang along in swedish. how awesome is it that #1, i can worship at work? and #2 it is a taste of what heaven may be like...all tribes and tongues and nations bowing at His feet in worship singing holy, holy, holy!
24 April 2009
a confession
i pretty much will read anything. i like classic novels, espionage thrillers, fantasy and the occasional sci-fi, murder mysteries, poetry, children's books like nancy drew and the boxcar kid series, teaching books by authors like cs lewis and andrew murray, the rare biography. but, i have a confession to make...a deep dark secret...i also like to read chick lite (romance fluff)! gasp! i don't think they are at all realistic. but they don't take any thought to read and sometime i just want to imagine a happily ever after.
so, why am i talking about this? well, because every so often the authors of Christian chick lite will put in a nugget of truth that is something i've never thought before or a new way to think about something.
from a book "Besides, I have to admit, you make a man wonder--will he be enough for you if you're not enough for yourself?"
this was one of those nuggets that i set the book aside and let my mind wander with. it seems ok, but a bit off. i would rather it say "if God is not enough for me, will a man be? can my family be? can my friends be? can my job be (this one i don't struggle with! grin) can how i spend my time be?" if I don't allow God to fill me and consume me then all these other things that cannot or should not will be given the chance to fill and consume me. and that burden applied to people will destroy the relationship. it is too much a burder for a person to try to fill God's place in a heart. and that burden given over to things will pervert that also--workaholic, addictive behaviors, or frantically trying to fill our time with deeds--it is not something that things can do, it is God's place.
so, why am i talking about this? well, because every so often the authors of Christian chick lite will put in a nugget of truth that is something i've never thought before or a new way to think about something.
from a book "Besides, I have to admit, you make a man wonder--will he be enough for you if you're not enough for yourself?"
this was one of those nuggets that i set the book aside and let my mind wander with. it seems ok, but a bit off. i would rather it say "if God is not enough for me, will a man be? can my family be? can my friends be? can my job be (this one i don't struggle with! grin) can how i spend my time be?" if I don't allow God to fill me and consume me then all these other things that cannot or should not will be given the chance to fill and consume me. and that burden applied to people will destroy the relationship. it is too much a burder for a person to try to fill God's place in a heart. and that burden given over to things will pervert that also--workaholic, addictive behaviors, or frantically trying to fill our time with deeds--it is not something that things can do, it is God's place.
21 April 2009
april newsletter
April 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
Well, we arrived safely to Benin in February just a day behind schedule and then the insanity began. It must have seemed insanity from the outside looking in (and well, from the inside looking out at times too!). First, we had to set up the hospital area. This sounds easy enough but it started with some serious cleaning--scrubbing the walls and down on hands and knees to scrub the floors. After the cleaning came unpacking and setting up the wards. We were still desperately working on set-up when our first tour of the hospital by the Benin Minister of Health occurred. Several tours and days later and it was on to the second phase of getting the hospital going--finding patients!
The process of finding patients actually started several months before we left Liberia. A team of four came as advance to Benin to begin the paperwork and work with the local media and churches to prepare for the arrival of the Africa Mercy. One of the preparations that the Advance Team did was to have the media and churches announce the screening days the ship would be holding in mid-February to find patients. Screening day...thousands of people lined up beginning the day before hoping to be seen by the crew of the Africa Mercy. They waited in the hot sun and through the muggy night and again in the hot sun on the day of screening. There was a pre-screen area outside the auditorium where patients with eye problems were pulled out for a separate screening and where others were turned away with problems that were not surgical or not any of the surgical specialties on board. After the pre-screening, the hopeful patients moved into the auditorium and waited more as they were seen by general crew obtaining logistical information (name, tribe, language, age, etc) and then on to one of the many nurses who obtained a health history and vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure). After this, they waited to see the surgeons and anesthetists. At this point, again, some were sent away as there was nothing we could do. Other crew members prayed with them and counseled them. But, if the surgeon assessed them and agreed they were a candidate for surgery, then they were sent to be worked into the ten month surgery schedule. After this, they waited to have lab work done or be scheduled to have x-rays done and received vitamins and iron tablets. Some of them went home to wait months until they will return for their procedure. Some have already been to the ship, had their surgeries and returned home.
Screening days were fun and tiring and heartbreaking. Most of the crew was involved, even those who are not in the medical field. They served as security or handing out water and bread or playing with the children. The day started at 3am for some and ended at 10pm for others. But everyone was working together and serving as our Father has called us to. There were times it was heartbreaking as some could not be helped and were turned away. But this, too, is in the hands of God, so no despair.
Now we are almost two full months into the surgery outreach. The touch of insanity remained even at the start of surgeries as people settled back into familiar roles or new crew learned the ropes. We started with all six operating rooms open this year so we "hit the ground running!" But things have settled a bit and now we are more in just a day to day routine. It has been good even with the craziness to start. I have been primarily working with the children so far and had the cutest little guy the other day. He had just woken up from having a cleft lip repaired. He made the most adorable faces as he tried to see what it was that felt so different and when he couldn't, settled for running his tongue over and over the new full lip.
Benin seems quite different than Liberia. The streets don't have yawning potholes waiting to swallow cars whole. The buildings are not shells or riddled with bullets. There doesn't seem to be the same level of despair or unease when walking on the streets. Even the dock is different in that it is much busier. (The port we are in is one of the busiest in West Africa!) The language is different--French based and of course the local dialects. It makes for some interesting "discussions" with the people...my very small French and lots of pantomime! We are called yovos by the people of Benin and it is not uncommon to be walking down the street and hearing the children call out "yovo, yovo."
This work is just as much yours as it is mine and it is all for His glory. I could not be here serving if it weren't for my gracious financial and prayer supporters. For that I thank you. And I pray that this work will bless you as well. I know I say this in each of my letters but it is true. Each of the people pictured above and the many who aren't pictured are people who your support has helped to change their lives. I am only the hands. Thank you, for myself and those who cannot say thank you.
Dear Family and Friends,
Well, we arrived safely to Benin in February just a day behind schedule and then the insanity began. It must have seemed insanity from the outside looking in (and well, from the inside looking out at times too!). First, we had to set up the hospital area. This sounds easy enough but it started with some serious cleaning--scrubbing the walls and down on hands and knees to scrub the floors. After the cleaning came unpacking and setting up the wards. We were still desperately working on set-up when our first tour of the hospital by the Benin Minister of Health occurred. Several tours and days later and it was on to the second phase of getting the hospital going--finding patients!
The process of finding patients actually started several months before we left Liberia. A team of four came as advance to Benin to begin the paperwork and work with the local media and churches to prepare for the arrival of the Africa Mercy. One of the preparations that the Advance Team did was to have the media and churches announce the screening days the ship would be holding in mid-February to find patients. Screening day...thousands of people lined up beginning the day before hoping to be seen by the crew of the Africa Mercy. They waited in the hot sun and through the muggy night and again in the hot sun on the day of screening. There was a pre-screen area outside the auditorium where patients with eye problems were pulled out for a separate screening and where others were turned away with problems that were not surgical or not any of the surgical specialties on board. After the pre-screening, the hopeful patients moved into the auditorium and waited more as they were seen by general crew obtaining logistical information (name, tribe, language, age, etc) and then on to one of the many nurses who obtained a health history and vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure). After this, they waited to see the surgeons and anesthetists. At this point, again, some were sent away as there was nothing we could do. Other crew members prayed with them and counseled them. But, if the surgeon assessed them and agreed they were a candidate for surgery, then they were sent to be worked into the ten month surgery schedule. After this, they waited to have lab work done or be scheduled to have x-rays done and received vitamins and iron tablets. Some of them went home to wait months until they will return for their procedure. Some have already been to the ship, had their surgeries and returned home.
Screening days were fun and tiring and heartbreaking. Most of the crew was involved, even those who are not in the medical field. They served as security or handing out water and bread or playing with the children. The day started at 3am for some and ended at 10pm for others. But everyone was working together and serving as our Father has called us to. There were times it was heartbreaking as some could not be helped and were turned away. But this, too, is in the hands of God, so no despair.
Now we are almost two full months into the surgery outreach. The touch of insanity remained even at the start of surgeries as people settled back into familiar roles or new crew learned the ropes. We started with all six operating rooms open this year so we "hit the ground running!" But things have settled a bit and now we are more in just a day to day routine. It has been good even with the craziness to start. I have been primarily working with the children so far and had the cutest little guy the other day. He had just woken up from having a cleft lip repaired. He made the most adorable faces as he tried to see what it was that felt so different and when he couldn't, settled for running his tongue over and over the new full lip.
Benin seems quite different than Liberia. The streets don't have yawning potholes waiting to swallow cars whole. The buildings are not shells or riddled with bullets. There doesn't seem to be the same level of despair or unease when walking on the streets. Even the dock is different in that it is much busier. (The port we are in is one of the busiest in West Africa!) The language is different--French based and of course the local dialects. It makes for some interesting "discussions" with the people...my very small French and lots of pantomime! We are called yovos by the people of Benin and it is not uncommon to be walking down the street and hearing the children call out "yovo, yovo."
This work is just as much yours as it is mine and it is all for His glory. I could not be here serving if it weren't for my gracious financial and prayer supporters. For that I thank you. And I pray that this work will bless you as well. I know I say this in each of my letters but it is true. Each of the people pictured above and the many who aren't pictured are people who your support has helped to change their lives. I am only the hands. Thank you, for myself and those who cannot say thank you.
18 April 2009
fruit
i have been quite at a loss lately on what i wanted to read/study in the Word in my own quiet times. i tend to read through the Bible by groupings of verses or do a word study (like earlier when i did a study on the hands of God). but lately, no leading really, just kinda wherever i happen to open up. but the Psalms have been speaking to me every time one is mentioned so i thought i would do a study on the Psalms next...40ish days in the Psalms (one in the morning, one in the evening plus a little leeway with 119!)
the first day...Psalm 1 was quite freeing. i am currently memorizing John 15. ("I am the Vine, you are the branches...") and there is much in this passage about bearing fruit and there are times i just don't feel fruitful. well, most of the time, i have a hard time seeing fruit in my own life...maybe b/c i am too involved in my own life??? or sometimes b/c i listen to satan's lies? anyways, i do worry a bit when i feel i am being unfruitful so Psalm 1 was quite freeing when i read "and yields its fruit in season". even though this is also one of my memory verses (well passages) it just never struck me before that there are seasons in fruitfulness. it was as if a weight had been lifted. not that i shouldn't strive to be fruitful but that sometimes there are going to be times when i won't be and perhaps it is just winter and not necessarily sinfulness keeping me from bearing fruit.
this may seem elementary to whoever reads this and if so, i hope it is just a good reminder. if not, then i hope it encourages you as it did me.
the first day...Psalm 1 was quite freeing. i am currently memorizing John 15. ("I am the Vine, you are the branches...") and there is much in this passage about bearing fruit and there are times i just don't feel fruitful. well, most of the time, i have a hard time seeing fruit in my own life...maybe b/c i am too involved in my own life??? or sometimes b/c i listen to satan's lies? anyways, i do worry a bit when i feel i am being unfruitful so Psalm 1 was quite freeing when i read "and yields its fruit in season". even though this is also one of my memory verses (well passages) it just never struck me before that there are seasons in fruitfulness. it was as if a weight had been lifted. not that i shouldn't strive to be fruitful but that sometimes there are going to be times when i won't be and perhaps it is just winter and not necessarily sinfulness keeping me from bearing fruit.
this may seem elementary to whoever reads this and if so, i hope it is just a good reminder. if not, then i hope it encourages you as it did me.
02 April 2009
bewitched
a few weeks ago we had a patient die after a very rough post-operative period. by the end, her death was a release, a blessing to be away from the body now out of her control. one of our translators said her family was saying she was bewitched. my western mind (in both medical and spiritual thought) dismissed this thought. but a few days later in one of my quiet times, it came back to me. and as i thought about it and listened to the Holy Spirit's leading, i had to accept that it is possible she was "bewitched". when we were headed to benin, we were talking about the things to expect in the country including its religious ideology and it was easy to think of all the spiritual warfare we would face. but then, we got here, and it was life as usual then the thoughts of spiritual warfare went by the wayside. and we go on with our day to day and just outside the ship is the voodoo capital of the world, a large body of muslim believers and a cult religion or two. could it be demonic forces? absolutely. is that scary? yes! but is God still Sovereign? yes, praise the Lord, hallelujah, amen!
so, please pray for us as we do come up against forces opposed to the work of Christ. and it is easy to forget. and i will pray for you as well.
so, please pray for us as we do come up against forces opposed to the work of Christ. and it is easy to forget. and i will pray for you as well.
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