Prepare to Cast Away . . .

2013!

Bad pun, better pictures!

Enjoy!

Hee! Hee!

This must be the week for 

"pictures that bring a smile".

Check this out:

From Congo to you - 

a portable patient toilet on the dock!

Sorry!  It just made me laugh . . . 

Maybe the cold is affecting my brain.

OIA

. . . stands for "only in Africa"

and only in Africa (Liberia specifically) would you see this:

May it bring a smile to your face before we freeze tomorrow! 

A Twist on Christmas . . .

This morning as I was reading the Global Prayer Digest, I received a different twist on Christmas.  As Sam and I were talking about it, he reminded me of something one of our former pastors had said - that peace is addressing what is truly wrong so forgiveness and healing can happen.  May you have peace this Christmas.

Ahmadiyyas in the Middle East Dec 25, 2013 12:00 am Today's Devotional Revelation 12:4 "The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that he might devour it the moment it was born." The book of Revelation gives us a dramatic look at the Christmas story. Though we often think of the birth of Christ in peaceful, joyful terms, there is another side to the story. The birth of Christ was an invasion of earth by the kingdom of God. It was the inauguration of the last battle over the kingdom of darkness that eternal history will ever know. Clearly Satan understood that with the coming of Christ into this world, his days were numbered. For as the gospel of the Kingdom advances throughout the whole world, the closer the Day of Judgment approaches.

A-DOOR-A-BLE!

Check out some of the decorated doors on the good ship Mercy!

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . ."

Once upon a time (2009), we lived in this cabin!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A Sneak Peek . . .

This is a "photo" of the soon-to-be newest ship in the fleet of Mercy Ships:

 

Mercy Ships Christmas . . .

Enjoy these snaps from my friend on board the ship, nurse Deb Louden!

 

All I want for Christmas is . . .

A New Ship!
Mercy Ships has contracted to build the world’s largest civilian hospital ship! An agreement has been reached with Asian and European shipbuilding firms to purpose-build a new 36,600-GRT hospital ship. Contracts were signed between Mr. Dong Qiang, VP of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) and Donald K. Stephens, President/ Founder of Mercy Ships, together with Jim Paterson, Senior VP of Mercy Ships Marine Operations.

What I read is this ship is expected to be completed in 2017 - just three years from now!  What I wonder is - will this be like the Africa Mercy which was to be completed in 2004 and didn't arrive until 2005?

A Little Boy Named Lucrech

His physical problem was a seemingly uncrossable dividing line, separating him from other children.
You see, three years ago, while reaching for his brother’s toy, Lucrech tripped, plunging his arm into a pot of boiling beans over an open fire.

Without a skin graft to prevent the raw wound from forming inflexible scar tissue, the skin across Lucrech’s palm tightened until each finger was pulled into a permanently bent position. This is called a burn contracture.

 Mercy Ships volunteer surgeon, Dr. Tertius Venter, explains, “To treat an acute burn wound in the First World, we would quickly do a skin graft before a contracture forms. We’d treat it with physical therapy and occupational therapy, and then splint it. But, in many parts of Africa this is just not available. The only way that the body can heal itself and prevent infection is by pulling everything together to close the wound up.”

 

 It often takes more than surgery to heal a contracture. Physical therapy is a crucial part of the recovery. These daily exercises with Nick ensure the dexterity and function of Lucrech’s right hand once the bandages are removed.

 Let the games begin! Lucrech, for the first time, holds a ball with his right hand.

In a few months’ time, Lucrech is going to start school again. The first day can’t come quickly enough! He’s eager to play games with his schoolmates and to finally learn how to write!


(Edited) Story by Grace Antonini, staff writer.

Undercover Agents

Bless my Bible study

who under the guise of 

VOLUNTEER

are

filtering into my husband's classroom and 

PRAYING

for his students!

Who said you couldn't pray in public school?  

The Dental Clinic and HOPE Center

 

Many people in developing countries lack proper or even any dental care. Mercy Ship's dental clinic gives dental care and teaches oral hygiene to the patients. Over the course of the outreach the clinic will provide over 22,000 dental procedures and other medical services. The clinic is about a 20 minute drive from the ship.

 

 

It is in the same compound as the HOPE center, where patients can stay while recovering from surgeries and for the night before their surgery if they are from out of town.

 

 

The HOPE center uses both floors for the patients and their caregivers.

 

 

The patient rooms with mosquito nets over each bed.

For Steve and Jolene . . .

Check out what was served for Thanksgiving dinner in Addis Abbi, Ethiopia 

to our good friends the Farrells!

The Secret Santa Secret . . .

Shhh . . . promise not to tell?  Okay, read on!  

Last year while I was recuperating from my ankle surgery, I convinced Sam I needed something fun to do and he needed to sign up for Secret Santa in his building.  For the first time ever in all the years he's taught there, he did it!  And with the luck of the draw, he got CAROL!  Could you possible draw a better name at Christmas?  We loved Carol, we knew her well, Sam had had her son Matt in his class and we had a blast!

Fast forward to this year and we decided to do Secret Santa again.  After all, last year was SO MUCH FUN!  When Sam came home with his name this year, though, he was not excited.  He said, "There is one teacher in this building I really don't care for - and I got her!  My class doesn't even like her!"  I told him no problem - I didn't know her, I would take care of it.

So Secret Santa started on Wednesday and he put a poster and a gift that went with the poster in her room.  And he put a gift that went with the poster in her room on Thursday.  And when he went to put a gift that went with the poster in her room on Friday - he found out that the poster was now across the hall in a different room!  His Secret Santa was NOT who he thought she was - he had the WRONG teacher!

Don't you just love it?  And he does like his "new" Secret Santa very well!  Hee!  Hee!

900th Mile!

I swam my 900th mile at the Y this morning!  It took a little over five years with some time off for Benin, Sierra Leone and Togo, not to mention ankle surgery and all I can say is . . . celebrate with me - send chocolate! (:

Tomorrow Night Down Under

Tomorrow night those lucky Australians will have the opportunity to watch "THE SURGERY SHIP", a documentary starring a lot of our Australian friends!  While I doubt we'll be able to watch it here, if you cut and paste this address - you CAN catch the trailer!  Enjoy it - I did!

http://mediastockade.com/#projects-0

Today's Truth . . .

Yesterday I posted a blog entitled "The Truth!?!" sharing the difference between a friend's e-mail and the StarTribune.  In today's paper, the nation+world headlines read, "They're slaughtering us like chickens" and the sub-heading said, "Mostly Muslim fighters were going door to door in the Central African Republic.  The death toll increased to 280."  Wasn't that the truth I posted yesterday?  Please continue to pray for the believers in the Central African Republic.

Some Ship Love . . .

THE TRUTH?!?

While reading the StarTribune this evening, I came across the headlines, "Clashes sweep Central Africa Republic" with the subheading "Dozens killed after Christian fighters attacked capital."  And I said to Sam, "No, that's not right!  That is so not right!"   We had received an e-mail just this morning from our friend of almost thirty years sharing an e-mail from a friend we have known now for almost a year who is currently IN the Central Africa Republic and everything that e-mail said is absolutely OPPOSITE of what the paper said.  It is the Muslims who are killing the Christians.  It is the Christians who are going in to hiding.  It is the Christian's homes and churches that are being pillaged and destroyed.  It is the Christians who are missing, who fear for their lives.  Feel free to stop right now and pray for the believers in Central Africa Republic - that our Mighty God would be their protection and that the truth would be known!    

LOVE IS . . .

This is the latest from the Mercy Ships Communications Team - enjoy!

Two worlds . . .

This post is taken from a letter our friend Curt Rhodes sent to us.  It's not from Africa, nor about Africa - but it sure could have been.  He is working with Questscope in Jordan and as always, his insight is amazing.     Two worlds. A line forms outside of a Big Box Store early on Thanksgiving morning. Doors open. People rush in, capturing good deals and pushing their way through crowds to grab boxes of stuff. Low prices entice. In the sharp early morning chill, why line up so early? “You have to be first,” says a smiling customer. “If you’re not first, you’re last.” I saw this on TV. People gather inside the biggest refugee camp in Jordan a day before the Thursday that is Thanksgiving in the US. There’s an early morning chill, but no rushing around. No boxes of stuff to grab here. In place of good deals, there are good conversations. “We are here to put the last, first,” says a smiling Syrian mentor – a professional engineer in that other life that no longer exists. “That means we put ourselves last.” I saw this in the faces of my friends. Two worlds. I know which one I would choose. What if I were a “last?” What if my child, or my grandchild, were a “last?” A no-brainer: I would want to live in a world that goes against the flow – goes against the idea that being first makes others last: somehow okay in that world.  The refugee world is terrible. But they are not. The refugee world is hopeless. But they are not. We figure out with them how to live when they have none of the stuff to live with. And often – too often – without some of those they love the most. That is the most terrible part of all. Things will get worse over the next weeks. Winter winds and rain will come. Death and devastation in the civil war in Syria will rage on. Needs will pile up. But as these things get worse over the next weeks, some things will get better. Capacity will grow as we put the last, first.  We have an additional 400 youth to mentor in that biggest refugee camp, Zaatari, starting in December – growing real strength out of apparent weakness. Two worlds. Which one would you choose? A first world, or the other world where the last can be first? I think the only one with potential for people to thrive is the second one. I think you do too. That’s why we are in this together. Curt

It just so happens . . .

That every day I teach at the Y, I have a set of twins - all girls - and one of those twins is either named Kaylee or Keighlee.  My Friday set is the most absolutely identical (until they get in the water!) so Mom keeps a barrette in Kaylee's hair so I'll know which one she is.  This past Friday, my co-worker Tiffany and I started to laugh.  What would happen if we moved the barrette to Kaylee's twin?  Would Mom know?  

Correct answer:  Yes! 

From the mouth of Matt . . .

All his life I've been telling my beautiful baby boy that when he turns sixteen or he gets his license - whichever comes last! - he can start to date.  So the other night at supper, after passing his driving test, he said, "I guess I better go get a girlfriend!" 

Then he said, "NOT!" 

Ravette

Re-blogged from Catherine Murphy . . .

“We came to Africa for the work, we stayed for the people.”

 
Ravette is a 9-year-old orthopedics patient who always has a smile on her face. Always.

When Ravette was little she suffered from a leg deformity caused by quinine, a drug used to treat malaria. When the medicine was mistakenly injected into her nerve instead of the muscle, it caused her knees to grow in the wrong direction. Ravette is still in casts, but she’s learning to walk again.

This morning Ravette hobbled to my office. To get here from the hospital, you have to walk through a common area we call the café. It’s unusual to have patients walk through this part of the ship, so she quickly snagged everyone’s attention. That’s when the clapping started. Each table she walked past gave a little cheer. I’ve never seen a child with a smile as big as hers was today.

If she had been at our table tonight, Ravette would have said she was thankful to walk again. Then she would have giggled as she listened to 16 people go around and say what they were thankful for.

Because they were all thankful for Ravette.

FAMILY!

In this time of Thanksgiving, 

we are thankful for family -

and we have more family than most!

This would be Matt and his three sisters!

We spent last Sunday at their birth mom's house.

We got to see Allison, her two daughters, her dad and his wife.

It was good.

This past Sunday,

Sam's cousin and his wife and their son were over.

It was such a good time and so much fun -

and the Vikings didn't even lose!

This coming Thursday

(the official Thanksgiving Day)

we'll be in Iowa at my Dad's.

He'll be 82 on his next birthday -

and he's cooking dinner!

Finished Products . . .

Here's a photo of the fired ceramics from Micah's 14th birthday party:

Mine is the snowflake plate!

The Vernel Effect

By Catherine Murphy

Vernel is too cute to be angry with and now he knows it.

Vernel is a wily 6-year-old patient who is probably up to something that he’ll get away with. Why will he get away with it? Because it’s too hard to stay mad at him. When he looks up at you, with his lovable, mischievous, grin, he mesmerizes you with his sweetness and your only conscious thought is about how darling he is. Were you about to reprimand him? You can’t remember.

I call this The Vernel Effect.

Vernel’s story began in a fishing village eight hours from Congo’s port city of Pointe Noire. The cleft on the right side of his upper lip revealed his pink gums and front teeth as it stretched up to his nose. Vernel has been bullied for looking different, his dad says. The other children in their village teased him to the point he would come home crying. This baffles me…who could possibly have the heart to make Vernel cry?

I met Vernel when his father brought him to the Africa Mercy for surgery. In an environment where cleft lips are embraced, I watched Vernel quickly come into his own. He never had to worry about being teased here; the staff doted on Vernel from the moment he stepped into the Admissions Tent. We made him balloons, we let him play with the Djembe drums, and we discovered that he is a total clown in front of the camera. On this ship in Africa, Vernel finally found his audience: 350 people who see beyond his deformity. By the time surgeons repaired Vernel’s cleft lip, he’d forgotten he had it.



But there is one thing you can’t let yourself forget about Vernel: he is a ninja when it comes to tickling.

That mischievous smile on Vernel’s face is there for a reason. First, he will curl up in your arms or give you a hug or a drooly kiss. Then, in accordance with The Vernel Effect, you will let your guard down. And that’s when he’ll strike. Think you’re not ticklish? Think again. Vernel has no mercy – especially if you have recently tickled him. This is a 6-year-old with an appetite for vengeance.

This is my friend Hope. She didn’t stand a chance.

Sadly, Vernel couldn’t stay here forever. I was part of a team that drove him home. Today, Vernel is doing great and, might I add, looking quite handsome. 

When it was time for Vernel to be discharged, he called his grandmother to tell her he was coming home. “I’m a handsome boy now,” he said. 

  
I loved watching this little boy realize his charm. I know Vernel won’t be the last patient to undergo a transformation here.

Don’t fall for it.

The End.

Giggles and Whispers

Yesterday while I was teaching swimming at the Y, my sweet little three- and four- year-old Pikes (it was an all girl class) were giggling and whispering to one another - and then they started pointing.  There was a man at the other end of the pool and he was (giggle! giggle! whisper! whisper!) wearing EAR MUFFS!  In the pool!  (giggle! giggle! whisper! whisper!)  I think I about broke their little hearts when I told them, those weren't ear muffs.  He had on a head set.

Test Day!

Today was test day - the day we've been waiting almost three long months for - or at least, Matt has!  This was the day he was to re-take his driving test in order to get his permanent driver's license.  And wouldn't you know . . . 

As he was brushing his teeth before school this morning, his top retainer wire popped off.  I called the ortho office and yes, they could get him in at 12:30 - would that work?  The original plan was for me to pick him up at school at 12:10, for us to go out for lunch and then for us to be at the driver's examination station in time his driving test at 1:40.  So if we skipped lunch, we could go to the ortho . . .

Cathy was quick, she got Matt in and out in twenty minutes, he got a bowl of chili from Culver's and we were off to Eagan.  We got there plenty early, waited for the three cars in front of us and then it was Matt's turn.

I had barely sat down in the waiting room when Matt came in.  It turns out that the insurance card in the car we had borrowed from a friend had expired and Matt was not allowed to take the test without proof of current insurance.  If we could fix that in two hours, we could still take the test today.

Since we had two whole hours and I have a cold which has left me voiceless, we decided to drive over to our friend's place of work.  She was so excited when we got there - "Did he pass?"  Well, not exactly.  We went back to her office, she pulled out two other proof of insurance cards and they were expired, too.  She called her insurance office and they faxed over her proof of insurance to the examination station.  In fact . . .

Her proof of insurance had gotten there before we did!  Unfortunately, it was now after 3:00 and the lines were long, extremely long!  Fortunately, one of the staff started at the back of the line, making sure everyone was in the right line.  Fortunately, we were next to the end of the line and when we said had had proof of insurance faxed over, he found it and moved us up to the front of the line.

So now we went back outside, back to the exam registration booth and got back in line.  We were next!  The gentleman (Mr. Bill!) who came to give Matt his test said to me, "Sir, you can go wait in waiting room now."  And I couldn't stop myself - "I'm a ma'am!"  After an apology - my hair was longer than his! - they were off!  And just a few minutes later . . .

Matt was back to get his license photo taken!  To God be the glory!

Grace - A Transformation in Progres

You may remember Grace, but you probably won’t recognize her.

Grace was one of our first patients up the gangway in Congo. On September 10th, Mercy Ships surgeons removed the massive tumor from her face. It’s been six weeks since her surgery, but 17-year-old Grace is as sassy as ever – and she’s looking like a whole new young woman.

“God is good because He did a big thing for me. I did not believe that I could be saved, but God has had grace. Mercy Ships arrived in Pointe Noire, they treated me, and I am better today,” Grace says.  

Grace’s journey to the Africa Mercy began with an email. A hospital chaplain from neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo met Grace at a hospital there. The chaplain, Pastor Gregoire, was shocked by Grace’s facial tumor, which weighed 4.9 pounds (2.2 kilos.) Pastor Gregoire came alongside Grace, counseling and praying with her. He says she was often so distraught that she cried all night. Sometimes she refused to eat or drink. “Indeed, she suffered,” he says simply.

Pastor Gregoire took a photo of Grace and published it on his blog. A reader responded to his post, recommending that he visit mercyships.org, an organization that might be able to help. From there, Pastor Gregoire contacted the Mercy Ships Swiss office and exchanged emails with Christophe Baer. Through Christophe, Pastor Gregoire sent Grace’s medical records and reports to the Africa Mercy. The response was positive. Grace and Pastor Gregoire were asked to arrive in Pointe Noire, in the Republic of Congo, on September 2nd.

Grace’s story is a chain of mercy forged by compassionate hearts, and their efforts were rewarded. Grace will have a second surgery on December 17th. Until then, she is recovering in the Mercy Ships Hospital Out Patient Extension Center (HOPE Center), where she has become the champion UNO player. As Mercy Ships nurses will tell you, Grace dominates every hand – and don’t even think about challenging her to Jenga!

In a few months, Grace will return home and begin school. She hopes to study medicine one day, she says. Grace wants to be a nurse.

Written by – David Petersen

Woo Hoo!

It was a year ago today that I had my ankle surgery

and I am happy to say

"I am doing well!"

I am running and leaping and praising the Lord -

even with a cold!

Gurhkas

Today's people group in the Global Prayer Digest were the Gurung people.  
I found it most interesting because if you read to the bottom line,
the soldiers of today's Gurung people are called Gurkhas.
It is the same Gurkhas who protect the ship and have given us tasty Nepalese meals.
And now I wonder - do they know Jesus?
Will they bring Jesus back to Nepal because of their time on the ship?

Today's People Group

Young men and young women entered the spacious room and discretely eyed each other. They came here from different villages in Nepal. Some of them had musical instruments. Soon the room was abuzz with conversation, all in the Gurung language. “Let’s have some music. Let’s dance,” said a young man. A teenage boy began playing a stringed instrument, and the dance floor was soon full. So began a typical evening at a rohdi, a place where Gurung teenagers gather to socialize.

There is much confusion about the early history of the Gurung people. Their language didn’t have a written script when they migrated to the mountains of Nepal centuries ago. We know that the Gurung ruled a kingdom in Nepal until Khasa armies conquered them during the 16th century. The Gurung learned how to fight during the long period of captivity that followed. Some Gurung men became skilled fighters and hired out as mercenaries with foreign armies. 

Today these soldiers are called the Gurkhas. Almost all of the Gurung are Hindus, but there is also a large Buddhist minority within this people group.

Pray that a mission agency will chose the Gurung for outreach and send Holy Spirit-directed workers to them. Ask God to break the hold that Hinduism and Buddhism have on this people group. Pray for spiritual growth for the 23 known followers of Christ among the Gurung so they can be used by Him to extend His Kingdom.

Learn more at Joshua Project.

Snaps from Suzanne - Part II

Opps!  Forgot to finish this post after we returned home yesterday - enjoy these shots of the orthopaedic patients!