I've had a good week this week. There are still patients here recovering for surgery, but they did the last surgery on Friday, so now the patients will recover and go home. There is a prayer room set up in one of the empty wards thats not being used. Its going 24/7 and people have signed up to be there at all hours. We are praying that those patients who are having more extensive wounds would heal before we leave. As I have learned in America, even when you have unlimited resources, you need God to step in sometimes and do something supernaturally! Healthcare is not the answer. I want to praise God that those kids who came in for encephalocele repairs are doing pretty well. This is one of my favorites, he is also such a good and gentle boy and his father is staying with him here and they are both so lovely. Many times I've watched his father kneel over his bed praying to Jesus. He was pretty sick for a while and is improving. It looks like a doctor in Kenya will be following up with him. Praise God for that!

Saturday morning, I went to the Cheshire Home for Handicapped kids and adults. There are about 15 people that live there from approximately age 2-50. It was really so rewarding just to spend time with those kids. The conditions were pretty good for Liberia, but of course way different from home. They had plenty of wheelchairs, one fashioned out of a lawn chair. The kids just absolutely light up when you cuddle and play with them (Except the 2 year old -I think she was afraid of white people and she cried whenever she looked at me, haha).

Saturday night I dressed up like a smurf for the costume party onboard. (I'm not planning on posting a picture of that). I had so much fun playing Taboo with a group of people. And the sad part is that some more of my friends went home this weekend. :(

Today for church I went with my friend Dennis (I went to visit his house a month or so ago). It was really a blessing and I can't really verbalize it all. They just really encouraged us and prayed for us. It was so overwhelming to feel the love from these people we just met. They gave us each a card signed by people in the church, and a artificial flower that looked like it came off the centerpeice at the church pulpit. That little aritficial flower meant more than a big bouquet of live flowers. The pastor and his wife were really amazing and I think I have to say they had one of the best worship services I've been to here in Liberia. They are really holding onto Bible and stiving to live by it and to really know Jesus.

So many people have so many theories and opinions and teachings all over the world about different religions. Even in Christianity. But I know for sure the whole bible is true (I can't explain everything but I know its true) and when I meet people on the west coast of africa, and in Haiti, and in Dominican Republic all worshipping the God of the bible in different ways in different languages, but proclaiming the same truth of God's love for people, my faith grows. The words from a Liberian praise song we sang today come to mind. "Jehovah touched my life with his hand, my life changed."

I'm so glad its not about being good enough. Its about believing that Jesus Christ paid the debt that I owed to God for my sins. And I get the free grace of God. Just because I have been here in Africa for a few months doesn't give me any better standing with God. Its the same as when I first realized I needed God, and God made himself real in my life and accepted me. So he still accepts me now, by his Grace!

I will ask that when I come home, you give me a little time to adjust to not living on a ship with 400 people, to transition from 85+ degree weather to 0 degree wintery weather(you all know how much I love winter ;) ), from seeing poverty to seeing wealth. From being surrounded by christians all the time to the real world. From hearing engine noises and rumblings to quiet. I think I will need some time to adjust and may not want to talk about all my experiences right away. And I have no plan for the future at this time. But God does and for at least a few weeks, I'm not going to worry about it. So if you could give me some time before asking- that would be great, because I don't know. :) Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I'm looking forward to making christmas cookies when I get home to my grandparents house! :)

At a refuge home and one pic of the Jesus Film

Thinking about leaving...

So, I admit I've been slacking a bit on my blog. But here goes a little update. The ship is winding down a bit. 2 of the 4 hospital wards are now closed and we are in the process of cleaning, bleaching and packing everything for the ship to sail to Tenerif. There are still 2 wards filled with patients. One abdorable boy who is 6 yrs old who had a tumor in one of his eyes which turned out to be cancerous. So he will now be getting chemotherapy at a local hospital. He had malaria, but was still running around teasing all the nurses and cheering us up with his contageous giggle. He went home yesterday. He has a very good chance of survival with the chemotherapy. Some of the patients still need a lot of healing to go before the ship (and modern medical care) sails away. Please if you can, take a chance to ask God to really step in and heal their bodies.

I've been starting to think about leaving and going back home. Home is going to be my grandparents house, not my apartment, so it will be a little adjustment. Its hard for me to describe what its like here, its something you really have to experience for yourself.

I'm going to miss the laid back attitudes you have to adapt to while here. The culture is not focused around time. So for example, I had some friends come visit us here on the ship yesterday. They said they would meet us at 4pm. They came around 4:45. So we stood and talked and waited for them at the gate. Totally normal thing here. Not to mention the fact I don't have to leave for work until 1 minute before work because I only have to walk down the hall. It really does save time! :)

Today was my last trip to the market (at least I think so) and I was just taking in the environment around me and wondering what it will be like to go back to having so much and seeing so much wealth again. Many young men wanted to talk to me or "be my friend", children came and shook my hand. Large gross mud puddles, uncovered sewer holes in the middle of the sidewalks. Cracked concrete sidewalks (I mean really cracked, not bumpy) or plain dirt. An old man came up to me and told me he needed food, and couldn't work. He asked for tablets for his fever. Another one came and told me I looked like an angel from God who would help him buy 7 liters of gasoline. Taxi's packed with 8 or more people. The smell of garbage not properly disposed of/unavailable sewage management. Lime/Orange peels on the ground, coconut shells. Bring colored lapas(fabric). Women with incredible strength and grace carrying big containers on their head. Baby's sleeping comfortably swaddled to their mamma's back. Little kids selling random things. Water in little plastic bags. Taxi's falling apart, with signs on the bumper that says "God lifts me up". I really will miss it.

An adventure

Has it really been over a week since I wrote on my blog? Well, a brief overview... I went out with a pastor on Friday night to show the Jesus film to a group of people in a language commonly spoken here. We had about 250 people show up. We drove into a big soccer field of sand and set up a screen on the land rover, announced on a loudspeaker that we were having a movie about Jesus and everyone was invited, and they came. It was really cool. That would not happen in the U.S. A bunch of my roommates and other nurses came too, it was nice to talk to the kids after the movie and sing Carry my Load.

Then on Saturday, I was more adventurous than I think I've ever been. After some convincing from a friend, I signed up for the Hydroplant/Coffee Mountain Excursion. A day trip to an old hydroelectric plant by a river. We drove about 1 1/2 hours through mud that was 2 feet (or more) deep in some places. It was amazing, painful, and exhilarating. We got there, we hiked over some big rocks, following the guys with the machete's. There were some areas swarming with Fire ants that bite. So we had to run through those spots (except the rocky/steep places where we just got eaten). Then we jumped off a short rock into the river and swam across. Yes, with all my clothes on, carrying my water bottle, I swam, not walked across the river. The current was a bit strong in some places but I made it!! Then, after hiking more, we made it back to the cars, except on the wrong side of the river- so many people swam a longer distance across the river. I got a ride in a man's canoe! It was so cool!


During the nurses devotion time, where someone shares a thought from the bible, we took time out to think about the verse in James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows.

unfortunately, Pictures will have to wait, as after 1/2 hour and 1 chapter of my book, the pictures still will not upload... Sorry-O!

Weekend update...

I also want to post an update about this weekend. It was my birthday on Saturday, and I have to say that there is no other place I would have wanted to spend my 25th birthday besides this hospital ship. I went to an orphanage in the morning and cuddled some cute kids. In the afternoon I went shopping for lappas (yards of fabric) at the market, and went to the beach. Then we had a pajama party in the lounge on the ship and we played New Zealand/Australia Birthday party games and ate cookies and cake. It was soooooooooo much fun.

I felt soo overwhelmed by Gods goodness to me.

Thank you for the birthday wishes and prayers. I'm so grateful! :)

Night Shift

Today was one of those days I woke up and was not excited about going to work. Just feeling tired I guess and didn't want to work night shift. I wanted to sleep at night. I was hoping maybe they wouldn't need me, but they did. Now its after midnight, and I see why.

I had a really great talk with a patient tonight. I only have 5 patients tonight. Only one had surgery tonight, so its been rather uneventful so far. I spoke with a patient who's been here maybe a month and a half and has had really extensive surgery. He is still getting regular dressing changes and has been back to the OR a few times. He is a young adult. Tonight he started telling me about his experiences during the war in Liberia. He saw his father killed by the rebels when he was 9 years old, and then his mother hid him and his sister in the bush, where they grew some rice. The rebels burned their pineapple farm, and they had to replant after the war. This patient cannot read or write, because of his physical deformity, he could not attend school. Now he has hopes that he can attend a driving school to learn to drive a truck so he can find a steady job. Please pray that his wound will heal well, as its complicated, and God really needs to intervene and help the healing process along, since the ship will be leaving in 3 weeks. We had the opportunity to talk a little about forgiveness, and God's love because last night we had a man on the ship who shared the testimony about how he used to be a rebel (bad guy) in the war and how he had done terrible things. But during the worst of it, God spoke to him in a vision and he turned around and began to serve God and left his old ways behind. The patients all heard his testimony. So that brought up some good conversation. How can a man with human blood on his hands, who committed hateful acts go to heaven? But according to the bible, the word of God, it says the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was enough to wash away the sins of all who believe in Him. "If you confess your sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
Its hard sometimes, because we question God's judgements. We wonder why God would have compassion on murders. But if we are honest and look at our own lives, we are not perfect and we have sin in us, too. By God's standards, "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus" Romans 6:23. Not just other peoples sins, but my own sins, too, deserve death. The reason I am justified before God is that Jesus took the punishment for my sins on Himself. He took that Rebel's sin on himself. It is enough to make any sinner clean. Even a high preist of a tribe in Africa who leads child soldiers into battle, and who makes human sacrifices to the spirits. I wonder if anyone will read this blog who has something in their own life they wonder if God could really forgive? He will.

I would not have chosen a night of sleep over that converstion. :)

Upside down

Two months have passed since I have been here on Mercy Ships. I've seen a lot of people in Liberia living with limited resources and being so thankful. So I wasn't about to complain about my lumpy mattress, after all at least I have a mattress. Sure, I could feel the springs and woke up stiff quite a bit. So I say all this because this week, when a few of the nurses came over to my bunk to watch a movie, they said my bed was really hard! What?! I figured they were all like that. Then Wendy informed me that my mattress was probably upside down, that there was only one padded side. What?! Yes, so I flipped my mattress yesterday morning. Indeed it was 10X softer with the padded side up... too bad it took 2 months to figure it out, but I am thankful for my soft bed, which I can now sleep in for the last month :)

Today is Thanksgiving in Liberia, its a national holiday. We had a big meal tonight, not the traditional, but it was very good. I am reminded how blessed I really am, THANK YOU God!! You give me soooo much. I'm so grateful for the letters I recieved and the birthday package from my parents and for emails and encouragement. I'm thankful for starbucks!! I'm thankful for the warm weather and sunshine. I'm thankful for the internet and phone that we have here. Blessed to have an education, to be able to read and write. And sooo thankful for the great opportunity I have to be here on the ship and for God's keeping power!

A good read!

Yesterday afternoon I was off from work. So I went to the library and got a book out. I got "Hinds Feet on High Places" by Hannah Hurnard. WOW- What a great book! I curled up in the midships area on a comfortable chair and read the whole book.

I would recommend it to christians out there who struggle with anything, but especially fear. As the main characters name is Much-Afraid. The Shepherd leads her away from the Valley and up to the high places. It really gives good insight on how God views us, even when we are struggling. God really encouraged me with this book, He really loves people so much and wants the best for us.

A long update

I am excited that the pictures on my blog are working again! :) I don't know where to start with an update. I'm so blessed to be here. When I look around and see Liberia and a hospital ship, and the tropical fish jumping out of the ocean, and I think- wow, I'm really on Mercy Ships. God is so faithful to bring me here. "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His son, Jesus Christ our Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:9 Ah- fellowship with Jesus! For those who are not in that place yet, you are missing the most beautiful thing available to man.

I've been thinking a lot about the future, what does God have in store? This has been my vision for a long time, and now, here I am, God has brought me here and I love it. But where will he take me next?

I was able to attend an assembly of God church here in Liberia yesterday, called Zion Assembly of God. For those of you who don't know, my home church is an assembly of God church. It was soo great! I really loved being there, singing songs with them, taking communion with them. They are working on building a church building. But for now, we sat in school chairs (you know the wooden chairs with a little desk attached to one side), and the floor was sand. But they did have a keyboard, drums, and microphones so they are doing well. Anyways, the sermon was given by one of the guys here on mercy ships and it was about having Faith. And believing God, letting him lead us through our lives and trusting he will do it, and allowing the challenges and disappointments we face to bring us closer to God. We will always have the choice of allowing our challenges and trials bring us lower or they can bring us closer to God if we just draw closer to him, and the promises in the bible. It was neat to hear the testimonies of healing and prayer that were given. The people here have a great opportunity to prove God because their trials can be so great. Like for example, the speaker said when he was younger he needed to have surgery on something in the next 2 weeks or the doctor said he would die. He needed 150$ US dollars for the surgery and he didn't have the money. His pain kept getting worse and worse. And one day he remembered that his pastor had told him, "If you pray believing God will heal you, you will be healed", because of the cross and the right relationship we have with God. So he laid his hand on his stomach and started praying really hard and believing God to heal him. He prayed for 30 minutes, he prayed hard and was sweating and then he felt he should go and get some water and since he drank the water his sickness was gone, and he could eat again and his pain left him. He said how this trial had proved God to him and built up his faith. This is one of the people who now works with Mercy Ships. God still heals people today!

On Saturday, I went to the Bong Mines. Its an old iron factory in Bong County which is about halfway into Liberia, about 2-3hours by train. So we all piled into the Mercy Ships land rover and drove onto the train and parked the vehicle. The the train drives for 2-3 hours and we can climb on top of the land rover and take pictures and it was amazing!! To see the country side of Liberia- its beautiful! And just see how people are living. By the time I got back, I was covered in black soot from head to toe. And I had to throw away my clothes because they were also covered in soot. There were no bathroom facilities other than the tall grass. :)

The driver of our vehicle who works with mercy ships worked at the iron factory for 15 years. He was there when the rebels came during the war and started killing people who were from certain tribes. Wow! He showed us where he was and where the project still sits from the day they stopped during the war. He was describing a lot of the trials of the liberian people, even up until now, when most people cannot find work.

I also had some political discussions with the driver. First of all, I'm going to start saying I am from North America, not the US, because the politics of the US are so controversial! My gift is not to debate politics. Also- the United States did not intervene in Liberias war at all until the end when Liberia was pretty much already distroyed. So some liberians have some animosity toward America because of that. I don't understand it all, wars and suffering, and thankfully God has not asked me to solve the worlds problems. And he has given me grace to realize that instead of really getting sad.

I was reminded of the story of the good samaritan, in Luke 10:26-37. It talks about a Jew who was robbed and beaten and left for dead. A priest passed by and didn't help. The a levite (another Jewish person) also passed by on the other side of the road. But then a samaritan passed by. Ususally jews and samaritans don't associate with one another. And I don't understand all the reasons politically, why they didn't. But the samaritan helped the man- he bandaged his wounds, and put him on his own horse, took him to a hotel and paid for his stay in a hotel. What a great way to help us understand about breaking down cultural barriers and loving people.

So back to the bong mines, It was great, and I'm going to try and upload some pictures of Liberia. Please continue to pray for the sick kids on the ward. That we would be able to just love them and help them. This kids that have the esphogeal problems from swallowing caustic substances... they just break my heart! They are so skinny and can't swallow and have terrible coughs and feeding tubes. They need the love of God in their lives. And the poor mothers! Its hard for them to see their kids sick. Can you imagine having a colostomy in a third world country!? There are no bags to attach, you just tape some gauze the site and go on with your day!

Pray for America and the elections- a lot of the world is praying for the election in the United States!