Prayers for Safe Travel

My Mom left Idaho Monday and should be arriving on the ship in a few hours. Pray for her continued safety as she is traveling here. Thanks!

16- Years Old & Pregnant

Kay was 16 years old and pregnant. It was late at night and she had just drifted off to sleep. Silence had settled over her little village in rural Liberia. Suddenly, the sound of gunfire and screaming erupted, breaking the silence. Kay awoke, startled by the commotion outside her hut. She looked around to see her family members running in all directions. At once, she knew the rebels had chosen this night to attack her village. Kay had no choice, but to run, or become another victim of the rebels. Outside her hut, she found a friend. The two of them, hand-in-hand, ran as fast as they could away from the rebels. The trouble is, Kay's labor process started and she was becoming fatigued quickly. Each time Kay and her friend slowed to a stop and slipped into the shadow of darkness, they could hear their pursuer. They kept running, but continued to be followed. The labor pains were increasing and the baby started to crown. If the two stopped running, all three of them would be killed. But, the expecting mama could not run any longer. Finally, out of pure desperation, the friend grabbed the baby's head, which was now partially out, and pulled with all her strength. Piercing pain circulated throughout Kay's womb. Kay fought back the urge to scream and wail. Kay and her friend briefly looked at the new baby. The baby was dead, its neck had been broken while being pulled from Kay's womb. With heavy hearts, the two left the baby under a tree and kept running. At some point the two found a wheelbarrow and a very weak Kay, with incredible tissue damage to her womb, was pushed in a wheelbarrow to Ghana. Kay's traumatic labor process left her with a hole between her vaginal area and bladder. This hole caused her to constantly drip urine. Kay was ridiculed, told she smelled like "dead fish," and her life became very lonely and hopeless. Kay ended up in a refugee camp. Although life to this point had be traumatic for Kay, God had his hand upon her. Kay knew this and kept praying God would help her. She was selected for surgery on board the Mercy Ship a few years ago in Ghana. The surgery was helpful, but not as successful as hoped for. The damage to Kay's womb and bladder were extensive. Kay needed more surgical intervention, but the Mercy Ship had sailed on from Ghana. While Kay was on the ship in Ghana, a crew member named Shay participated in the "adopt-a-patient" program and befriended her. Shay would visit Kay on the ward, encouraging her, praying with her, listening to her, and loving her. When Kay was discharged from the ship, Shay continued to visit her in the refugee camp. Their friendship has continued throughout the years and the two have become " adopted mom and daughter." It is because of this relationship that Kay was able to come to the Mercy Ship again. Shay, Kay's adopted mama provided the funds for her to travel here. Kay reached Monrovia a few days before her scheduled operation and she was reunited with Shay. One day while Kay was out in town, she was confronted by a man that insisted he knew her. Kay told the man that was not possible, she had been gone from Liberia for seven years. The man persisted and said he knew her family. Kay could not believe that such a concept would be true because she thought all her family died in the war. But, a glimmer of hope sparked in Kay's heart and she followed the man to see if his claim was true. Indeed, it was! Kay was reunited with some of her brothers just a few weeks ago. She had thought they were all dead! She is being healed in more ways than she ever dreamed of. Kay just underwent another surgery on board the Mercy Ship. I had the honor of watching her surgery. Things are going well, no leaking urine. Kay is still on bed rest because of the extensive amount of work that was performed on her, but she never complains. In fact, any time I turn around in the ward, all I see is her sparkling eyes and glimmering smile. She bears the mark of one that has truly found hope and healing.

Rumors

A few weeks ago a local newspaper released an article making extreme and ridiculously false accusations directed toward Mercy Ships. The security situation around Monrovia is better than it has been in years, but nonetheless a baseline level of crime exists. There have been a number of tragic murders lately. All the victims have been found with their kidneys missing. The article that was released reported," that a faith-based, charity, hospital ship, docked in Liberia, was responsible for these murders and organ thefts" (an obvious reference to Mercy Ships). Furthermore, we have been accused of plotting and training others to kill people and steal the kidneys that we "then sell in America for $600,000". Of course these rumors are false and we hoped with time the rumor would die; it has not. Therefore, this past week the captain of the ship has put us on a heightened state of security. Threats have been made toward some of our crew when out in town and a local man approached a member of our eye field team asking "how much money he could get for the kidneys belonging to his mentally challenged nephew". This man was arrested. The captain and security team on the ship have been working closely with the governmental authorities regarding this tense situation. The government has been helpful and totally supportive of Mercy Ships. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has apologized profusely for the situation and she communicates with our safety officers on a regular basis. On Saturday, the Interim CEO/Acting Managing Director of Mercy Ships held a press conference at the governmental buildings in Monrovia making a public statement addressing the false rumors. My concern and prayer requests are not for my safety (yes, it is important, but I feel totally safe in the palm of God's hand), but for the people of Liberia. Pray for those spreading the rumors. Those trying to steal the joy, hope, and healing we offer in Jesus' name. Many of our patients face immense challenges to get to the ship. They do not need anything more standing in the path of God's gift for them: Eternal life, grace, forgiveness, and physical restoration through life changing surgeries on the Mercy Ship. Pray for the spiritual battle happening here. Pray that the road to grace and healing for our patients would be smooth. On the ship we "know the truth and that it will set us free (John 8:32)" Pray that Liberia will see and find this truth.

My Medical Review

I have been here for 4 months already! I cannot believe how fast time goes! Many of you know I had a number of health challenges last year. Because of these health concerns, Mercy Ships is requiring that I have a mandatory medical review at my 4 month point of service. I told them I was totally fine, but having "brain surgery" on your medical record, does not reassure many people. The medical review will advise them if I am healthy enough to stay until November. I am pleased to tell you... I am not coming home yet! I had my medical review on Wednesday and the doctor says I am doing fine! Praise God; the white girl will have more African Adventures! Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!

Return to Tenegar

Early this morning, I hopped into a Mercy Ship land rover and made my way to the Medical Clinic Construction site in Tenegar. I jumped out of the land rover ready to work and get dirty! I was greeted by a pile of fire ants and began to dance trying to get the ants out of my pants! Holy cow, those little ants move fast and their bites sting. After I recovered from my ant dance we had group prayer committing the day to God. I was assigned the job of white washing the clinic walls. After about five attempts at making the white wash the correct consistency, I was ready to paint! I painted all day long. The African men and local villagers kept coming up to me saying, "thank you, thank you!" It was really funny when one of the men said, "I didn't think you could work." Oh, he should have seen me back in the days of "A to Z Lawn Service!" After hours of painting, I was putting out a proper sweat wondering if these men ever break for lunch. Just at that moment, a beautiful African lady came into the clinic carrying a huge container of food on her head. I was really craving my peanut butter sandwich, but chose to embrace the eating experience and try some proper African cusine. I grabbed my bowl of rice and joined the other men in a circle on the clinic floor. Then I stared at my bowl of rice and saw a fish staring back at me! Yikes! I was thinking, "Lord, help me eat this so I don't offend these people." I spooned pieces of rice out around the fish and slowly chewed. I was relieved to hear one of the men say, "if you don't want all of it, I will eat it!" Oh, man I was so thankful for that answer to prayer. I ate a little more rice and handed over my bowl and fishy friend to a thankful, hungry, African man! After we were done eating we spent a small time singing and having devotional time with the construction workers. The majority of the men that work on site are Muslims, but God is using the Mercy Ship team to reach them, even in their remote village, through a daily task such as construction work. Throughout the day, I met a few more of God's creatures. A milliapeed freaked me out, some huge black bugs walked past me, and a toad jumped and scared me to death! One of the coolest things I came across was something the locals called "shy grass" or "sleeping grass." It is so neat. It is a type of plant, ground cover, or grass that looks lush and green until you touch it. When you touch it, it immediatly becomes shrivveled and dead looking. It is crazy! I ran around the clinic, kicking and touching the grass to see it shrivle and then "come back to life". God's creations are amazing. It was a great day and now I am ready to hit the hay!

Listen to a Small Part of My World

Dear Friends and Family, I have done my best to try and update you on all that happening here in Africa and I am still working on finding the words to describe some of my most recent adventures. It is so hard to put into words all that I am experiencing, learning, and feeling. But, praise God, a unique opportunity is available for you to hear some of my thoughts and my voice out loud, online! The interviews that I was a part of in May have been edited and broadcast by Moody Radio. Simply, click on the link included here and listen to a small part of my world. Be blessed! Go to www.primetimeamerica.org, click on "Past Programs" beneath Greg Wheatley's photo, scroll to July 24, and click on "Listen."