Goin' Fishin !

My beautiful roommate Penny recently celebrated her 23rd birthday. In celebration of her special day a bunch of us girls piled into a landrover and spent the day at the bead factory where they demonstrate how they make the hand crafted glass beads, and Boti waterfall. It was a lovely 1.5hr dirve through the "mountains" (really quite small more like hills). Just getting away from the stench of the port is refreshing but the beauty of the Ghanian countryside is magnificent. We enjoyed a picnic at the waterfall and were sitting around chatting when my friend Ruth(in the red shirt with the fish in her hands) found a home rigged fishing pole tangled among the rocks.

Using some of leftover chicken from the picnic I baited the hook and tossed it into the water. My friends were quite skeptical in thinking that I would really catch anything on our pink stringed rudimentary fishing line. As you can see evidenced by these pictures I did catch a fine looking whiskered catfish about a foot in length...quite an exciting moment. Took us all by surprise ....I don't touch slimy, eel-looking fish so my friend Ruth Heroically removed the hook from its mouth and liberated the poor thing. I think the pictures adequately capture the excitement of the moment. The girl standing beside me with the blond hair is my wonderful roommate Caroline from TX, also serving with Mercyships for 2 years.

I am sitting in the Mediterranean lounge, better known as the "med lounge", it's one of the popular hang out spots on the ship. It's a great place to play games, and chat. On special occasions its the venue for concerts. It is one of the few places on the ship that has comfy couches, and it's the location of the "Sala Victoria", the crew cafe. One of these days I will take pictures of different places around the ship and post them so you can have a bit of a tour. It is also the only place we can get wireless on the ship, another reason it is a popular place to congregate in the evenings. It has been deserted for some time, the only other person sitting up here left an hour ago. It is now nearly 2 AM. I am listening to Selah's hymm CD--"Great is Thy Faithfulness", "Be Thou My Vision", "It is Well With my Soul"...these songs never cease to stir my heart.

I was sitting reflecting on my week. I know I have been in Africa a long time when certain things become normal to me. It doesn't startle me anymore to be standing at the railing on promenade deck enjoying the evening breeze and notice a man swimming beside the ship in the nude pushing a bag of rice which he has just stolen from a neighboring ship. Some of them are a little more discreet, and wear underwear but most of them strip down so they don't get their clothes wet as they swim across the harbour to collect rice that has leaked from sacks as it was being unloaded from a cargo ship. The harbour is supposedly secure...and I guess it is because the port officials know about the "swimmers" but choose not to do anything about them. Or I know I have been in Africa a long time when someone mentions needing to buy jeans and I direct them to a large tree on a street corner. This particular tree is covered with jeans, almost to the top (25ft up). It kinda looks like a decorated Christmas tree. Or I know I have been in Ghana a long time when:

• A Roasted Plantain off the street and a handful of peanuts (or groundnuts as they are called here) is what I consider fast food.
• I get excited about seeing a fire truck...the only other emergency vehicle I have seen was an ambulance that was being pushed down the middle of the road by four well- built Ghanian men.
• It doesn't phase me to see 6-7 year old kids with their 2 year old siblings strapped to their backs.
• I fantasize about cold skim milk. The milk we have on the ship was probably invented by NASA to endure twelve monthes in space without spoiling. It expires in Dec 2007, and sometimes resembles yogurt more than it does milk
• I get offered a live chicken as a Christmas gift
• Malaria medicine is taken with breakfast
• 30 people packed into a public bus the size of a church van looks normal
• I stick my hand out the window to signal changing lanes when driving

Have I mentioned that I love living in Africa ?? ...with all its quirks...

Beginning of Advent...

Hello friends! Happy 3rd day of Advent. We had out first advent service tonight. Christmas decorations are appearing on cabin doors and in the lounge areas around the ship. I am starting to get very excited about Christmas--such a special time to celebrate the incredible gift of grace. I was thinking today how beautiful it is that we can live in a constant state of anticipation. Anticipation of our heavenly home, anticipation of wholeness and anticpation of perfect fellowship with our Creator...

I have been spending a lot of time with Corrie Ten Boom lately. She was a dutch woman who lived during World War II. Her family hid Jews when the Germans invaded Holland. She is one of my heros, author of the book "Hiding Place" and many more. I feel like I know her even though she died in 1983 the year I was born. If there were 3 people I could meet who are already dead she would be one of them--the other two would probably be Mother Teresa and maybe Hudson Taylor (I just finished reading one of his books so his story is still fresh in mind). But back to Corrie...she said this while in coversation with a college student "It is only when we are crucified with Christ that we can enter into the joy of His resurrection...do awaken to the reality of this truth. Give up your life for Christ's sake, and you will save it. Sanctification is not a burden, but a blessed release." Those last few words struck me as I realized I have come to think of life as a struggle and this Christian life as a constant battle--against my flesh, against the world, and against the powers of darkness. And I have come to think of this process of sanctification as wearisome...but, is it in fact, a blessed release from the weakness of our human condition? Not a striving for righteousness but a resting in the only One who is righteous?? Praise God for His patience and Mercy towards us!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving day passed without much "to-do". It was a normal work day. My family may have suspected I was a little homesick after I spent 3 hours on the phone with them, talking to nearly every person who was there. Hearing the background noise of a full house made me feel a little closer to home. In the absence of a Thanksgiving meal. My next door neighbor (Emma) and I packed dinner and had a picnic by the ocean. We watched the sun setting over the Ghanian coastline and discussed some of the things we were thankful for. It was unlike any Thanksgiving I have ever had, but I realized Thanksgiving is so much more than a big meal, good smells, and a gathering with family--it is an attitude of the heart.

Tonight we had a special ship-wide Thanksgiving celebration complete with table clothes,centerpieces, dinner music and the works--cranberry sauce, mashed potoatoes, pumpkin pie and stuffing. We didn't actually have turkey because the turkeys that were shipped in from the States were being held held hostage by the port officials. Sometimes we are delayed in gettting our containers becuase we refuse to pay bribes to the immigration authorities. After a couple of weeks they realize we are not going to pay the bribes and usually give us our stuff. After the meal, we had a special Thanksgiving service, several people offered prayers of thanks and we sang all the traditional Thanksgiving hymns. Even though Thanksgiving is an American holiday the ship is going to begin recognizing the holiday.It's definitely a holiday that should be shared.

Rambling thoughts

It’s sometimes hard to find inspiration in the everyday. I am finding days pass before I even realize where the hours have gone and my weeks tend to run together in a blur of activity. Maybe most of you could say the same of your lives as well. I want to be a person of intention but often find myself tripping along from day to day much like walking through a dark room to find the light switch on the far wall…you think your making good progress until you trip over the pair of shoes that you forgot was in the middle of the floor that weren’t even supposed to be there because you were going to put them away in the closet but then got distracted and so they remained right where you took them off. My life sometimes feels like that…a series of half finished intentions. It gets to be frustrating when I feel like I never finish a single task.

The AIDS work continues to move forward but I am constantly questioning the effectiveness of our program. Are we covering the topics that are most important? Is what we are teaching relevant? Have we lost sight of our objectives or are we still on track? …What track were we on again? I have to confess I have been extremely discouraged after the last several teaching sessions. I don’t know if it’s spiritual warfare, stress…what it is but I have been overly emotional the last several days. I am sure the enemy would like nothing more than to convince me our work is in vain. I have to believe that it is not in vain though. That the information we are passing along to the local churches will take root, that the Lord is stirring their hearts, and that He will accomplish lasting change in Ghana long after the Anastasis pulls up anchor. Romans 5:5 says hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts, and that is the hope we must cling to. What other hope do we have?

I have been reading 1 Peter lately and I especially like chapter 1 verse 3 “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead. “ Amen

The lovely ladies of the ward!

On the ship there is an " adopt a patient" program that allows crew the chance to get to know the patients on the ward. To my left is my dear friend Rebecca Nartey, she calls me her sister-in-law because she is convinced that I am going to marry her younger brother who she tells me on a regular basis is "the most beautiful" of all her siblings. She was also quite impressed when she found out my mother bore 6 children because most women from the west only have a one or two and according to her African women can have up to 15...her exacts words were " Oh, your mother has done well!" She herself is not married, her fiance broke off the engagement when he realized her right arm was deformed following a severe infection. While on the ship she underwent surgury to release the contracture of the right wrist, at this point though I don't know if it will help her prospects of marriage. I don't know that there is a place in society for women who remain single, bearing children is everything in most African cultures. In fact, if a women is unable to conceive it can be grounds for her husband to divorce her. I took care of Rebbeca her very first day on the ward and we have developed a close friendship which we have maintained even though I am no longer working on the ward. She and the other girls have taught me several songs in the local dialect, Twi. This picture was taken the night before she was discharged.

The woman to my right is very special as well. Her name is Elizabeth and like Asare she has also come to know Jesus since coming to the ship. When she first arrived on the ward I remember she was in a bed in the corner and she wouldn't talk to anybody or even look at her neighbors around her. She had a huge tumor on her right leg, I think it was nearly 20LB...it was tremedous in size. It has been removed and is healing well. One night, I had plenty of extra time so I was giving hand massages to several of my patients. She wasn't my patient but I thought she might want one as well so I sat on her bed and gently started massaging lotion into her hand. She had wart-like growths on her hands and arms and it made me wonder when was the last time someone had touched her intentionally. Her leg wound was infected and smelled awful. She hardly looked at me, but as I continued to massage first her right hand and then her left I saw her start to relax. I believe that even the simplest human touch can start to bring about healing in a person's heart.

Driving in Ghana =)

Left: Picture of me carrying my purchases back from the market...I've gotten pretty tan since arriving to Ghana...


My driving in Ghana came about by way of necessity when my partner Deb got sick one fateful Monday and we were scheduled to go teach at a church across town. Driving in Ghana doesn’t require any special license, not even an international license. Mercy Ships, however, does require every ship driver to undergo a little driving test in order to ensure all drivers are comfortable with the vehicles and somewhat comfortable on the roads. So after a 20 minute driving test out of the port and around the block with the transport manager Andy, I was deemed qualified to drive in Ghana.

You have to try to imagine driving in a third world country…the traffic pattern is chaos, the road signs seem to be merely suggestions, and the traffic laws unclear. There are some traffic lights; they work most of the time except when the electricity is out…which is often. Mostly there are traffic circles which I hear exist in parts of the US but if any existed in good old South Cackalaki people would probably get confused and think they were racing NASCAR at Darlington…all those cars going around in a circle like that. If you’ve never had the pleasure of driving around a traffic circle or “roundabout” as they are properly called in Ghana it’s where traffic from 4 different directions converges into a single circle and all the cars continue to drive in a circle until they figure out which direction they want to exit the circle. There are no lines on the roads and I still haven’t figured out if there are supposed to be two lanes of traffic or three. It really depends on the day, when it is raining people go kinda crazy and somehow 2 lanes of traffic can turn into six.

And if figuring out the traffic pattern isn’t challenge enough the person driving also has to dodge goats, chickens, children, vendors wandering among the traffic, mopeds weaving between the cars, aggressive taxi drivers, bicycles, carts, and the worst of the potholes (…it’s impossible to dodge them all). But…on a positive note at least they drive on the right side of the road…

New Town...

The more I encounter the people of Ghana the more I want to experience. Last night my partner Deb and I were out in a particular area of town called Tema-New Town, not much more than a slum fishing village. The streets are always teeming with people, goats, and these cumbersome carts with car tires that are usually loaded with fish. The smell of sewage mixed with not-so-fresh seafood is staggering as we weave our way down the paved 2 lane road between vendors and taxis. When we arrived at the church there were no lights, the dam that supplies the hydroelectric power to the city is low on water at the moment so electricity is being conserved. It's the beginning of dry season which makes me wonder what the further implications of low rainfall will be for the city and region. Already the people are without power for 12 hours out of every48 hours.

We usually bring our stuff into the church and then in keeping with the African way of doing things...we wait (for the people to come, for the power to be turned on, for a breeze to cool the stagnate night air, etc.). A lot of life is waiting I guess...it makes me think of the Dr. Suess book Oh the Places You Go " ...everybody is just waiting, waiting for a pot to boil, waiting for a fish to catch, for a second chance, for a better break, waiting for their uncle Jake, everybody is just waiting".

So I am sitting out on the dark steps of the church...waiting...and 5 little girls wander over. I start conversation with them "How old are you? How many years do you have? Do you go to school here?" The usual questions I ask kids (which are probably very boring adult question in their way of thinking...I really ought to think of some better questions). The 5 children soon turned into 7, which turned into 10, a few more children joined the group, and a few more and a few more and before I knew it I was surrounded by about 20 little dark faces all peering at me with curiosity...and so I stared back at them. I can never figure out how they know that there is a visitor in the area, they just appear out of nowhere, it's amazing to me. I stopped asking their names when I realized I am never going to remember all 20 of them, besides when I return to the church next week they will all be wearing different clothes and I really won't be able to remember who's who. I usually try to color code them...Sandra's in the red top, David's in the yellow, Patricia in the flowered dress, little Naomi the brown dress 2 sizes too big...but that system only works as long as they wear the same clothes everyday. Not knowing how to continue conversation I started to sing a song in Twi, one of the local dialects, and they all joined in. So there I was sitting on the uneven stone steps of a wooden clapboard church in the dark with 20 precious little children singing a praise song to the Lord in a language I am only vaguely familiar with...and I thought '”life is beautiful". We invited the children inside and continued to sing with them, Kennedy our translator had the children recite Bible verses they knew by heart. We prayed for the children and sang one more song as we waited for one of the women to return with the candy Kennedy had sent her to buy for the kids. It didn't matter that we were late in starting; nothing really seemed to matter at that moment except those children. It's a beautiful thing when the truth of God's word is quoted from the mouth of a young child. Jesus made time for the little children and I think he must rejoice when he sees us delighting in these little one...they are so precious.

More pictures of Ada...

Here are a few more pictures of Ada:
the girls I traveled with, we spanned 4 continents between the 7 of us--S. Korea, Switerland, UK and US
Sunset on the boat ride back up the river...
Can you tell I have a fascination with boats? Any boats...sailboats...big ships...handhewn fishing boats...canoes...pretty much anything that floats. To me boats represent adventure...I heard a good boat quote this past Spring "you'll never see new shores if you don't ever leave the safety of the harbor". Don't remember who said it but I like it. Kinda of ironic I'm on a ship that won't pull anchor until Febuary.

AIDS education

This was taken at one of the local churches. If you notice the white woman on the right that is Inez Hart.














Debbie, sitting next to me in the blue dress, is my partner in the HIV/AIDS education work. We work well together, we constantly keep each other laughing. She's quick to apprectiate the humor of a situation and has a huge heart.














Kennedy is our translator and a very important part of the team. I am thankful to be working with both of them. The HIV team includes 3 people--myself, Debbie and Kennedy

As I mentioned in my previous entry, I am now working as part of the community HIV/AIDS education team. This is a temporary change until January when the lady I am replacing returns from her holiday in S. Korea. So what does this new job entail? It means I am off the ship several nights during the week teaching about HIV/AIDS in the community. We are partnering with local churches and teaching on the issue of AIDS in 3 specific areas—education (awareness/prevention), caring and counseling; the goal is to train people within the local churches to be able to teach on the subject of AIDS in their community.

The issue of AIDS is so complex, and the economic and social implications of this devastating disease are overwhelming. In many African countries AIDS has affected the working population the most—the young people, the middle age adults. As a result, millions of children have been orphaned, elderly grandparents who have no income are struggling to care for their grandchildren, older children are assuming the role of a surrogate parent to their younger siblings, extended families who struggle to feed their own families trying to feed orphaned nieces and nephews, widowed women are forced to sell their bodies to provide food for their children. Governments are grappling with the challenge of how to begin to respond to such enormous social issues.

There is widespread public awareness of AIDS here in Ghana but there is much fear, stigma, and discrimination towards those infected with the virus. The prevalence of AIDS will continue to increase in the face of such silence and denial; and people will continue to die alone and isolated from society. I guess the mindset towards the issue of AIDS here in Ghana (within the church) is similar to what it is at home in the US—if people are infected with AIDS it is God’s judgment on them for the sexual sins they have committed. Oh my friends, we can’t just say this and walk away from the issue as if we aren’t called to love our neighbors. Our desire as the AIDS education team is to inspire the local churches, to encourage them with the message of hope: “you can make a radical difference in your community in the battle against AIDS through the power of Jesus Christ which dwells in you. And Christ is able to bring about change in peoples’ hearts!” The way in which a person has contracted the disease should be irrelevant to our response once they are infected. In my mind I try to make myself feel better about the high prevalence of AIDS in Africa by reasoning that so many people contract the virus because they are a victim of other peoples actions (rape, unfaithful spouse, etc), but that only reflects a pharisaical attitude in my own heart that demands a certain moral standard be met before I respond with compassion and love.

The last several weeks I have struggled with the Lord about the issue of AIDS. My heart cries out “Lord if you are completely sovereign why don’t you fix the brokenness of this world? It isn’t fair that children are growing up without their parents, that women who have been faithful to their husbands are being infected by the promiscuous behavior of their spouse! Lord this issue is too overwhelming, there is too much hurt. Lord what do you think about this? What is your heart on the issue of AIDS? What would you have us do that would make a lasting impact?” Again and Again I am being confronted with my own smallness and my inability to bring about change in anyone’s heart…BUT GOD…He can and will accomplish His purposes. I lack experience in the area of AIDS and I definitely feel inadequate to the task but I finally told the Lord the other day, “If you will supply the grace and the strength, I will move forward in what you have called me to do”. I go back to the fact that we live in a fallen, broken world and that the Lord has done something—he sent His son Jesus to reconcile this lost and hurting world. At times, I struggle with seeing the reality of grace amidst the pain of this world…

Pray
That the Lord would raise up leaders among the churches we are working with, people of vision.
That the Lord would stir hearts where the issue of HIV/AIDS is concerned.
That He would open hearts and minds to understand the information we are teaching
That Ghana would set an example for all of Africa in its response to AIDS
That the Lord would give us inspiration as we teach in the communities
That the spirit of fear and denial surrounding the issue of AIDS would be replaced by a spirit of boldness and love.

First night under a mosquito net

Marantha Estuary Beach camp. We were staying at the place where the Volta River empties into the ocean.





The sun was setting as we were leaving...breathtaking!
Bottoom picture: Tiolet anybody? The latrines were...well a bit rustic... I won't go into detail.


I had quite the adventure this weekend. I Went to an area called Ada with a bunch of girls and stayed in thatch roof huts on the beach. We took public transport an hour and half to the sleepy little town of Ada, we left in the evening so by the time we arrived it was pitch black. A couple of local guys who owned the place we were staying were waiting to meet us. We unfolded from the Trotro (local taxi vans) and followed these guys for about 10 minutes through dusty, windy streets down to the river’s edge where they loaded us up in a boat and motored us downriver about 15 minutes to the huts that were to be our accommodation for the night. It was so beautiful!! I felt like it was something out of a movie. The sky was clear with just a few silhouetted billowy clouds against the dark blue of the night sky, it was more stars than I have seen my entire time in Ghana. The port area is so polluted that I can usually only see about 5 stars most nights. The moon was reflecting off the water and the only sound interrupting the stillness of the night was the one motor propelling the boat down river. When we arrived to the shore where the huts were, everything was dark, the local guys brought us lanterns and showed us to our huts. The ocean was just out of view from where we were staying but we could hear the continual roar of the ocean as the waves crashed against the shore. There were 7 of us that went and it was 2 to a hut so one person had to sleep by themselves. I volunteered to have a hut to myself because I was looking forward to a long nights sleep. My only companion was an orange googly-eyed crab that I spotted climbing up the inside wall of the hut just I as I was getting ready to hang my mosquito net. I was going to leave him be until I noticed he was making very good progress up the wall and I didn't want him discover a way to launch himself across the narrow gap between my bed and the wall. I don't know if crabs can really launch themselves but if anything can I am sure a hardy African crab could manage. I wasn’t keen on the idea of waking up to find him scuttling across my face in the middle of the night so out he went. I prefer the company of a crab to the company of a rat any day though. Unfortunately, hut number 5, where some of our girls were staying, was inhabited by a friendly little rat. Needless to say the sight of it running circles around the top ledge of the hut kept the girls from a restful nights sleep.

We spent the next day relaxing in hammocks under the palm trees, enjoying the breeze off the ocean. It kinda looked like the location for one of those survival reality TV shows, I had to ask myself is this really my life? What 23 year old gets to live on a ship off the coast of Ghana, experience driving in a third world country (that’s a story for another time), be directly involved in the AIDS crisis of Africa and enjoy a relaxing night stay in a thatch roof hut? … It was a wonderfully restful weekend. The beauty of nature always refreshes my soul…

Sex workers...

Every once and a while we meet a person who is beyond description...Inez Hart is one of those people. She's the the kind of peson who's personality fills up the room as soon as she enters.Her very presence commands respect. She carries herself like an African with great dignity, she dresses like an African in brightly patterned dresses complete with a head scarf, she even talks like an African but she is a white woman who grew up in Wisconsin. The Lord has called her to work among prostitues and has given her a vision to establish halfway houses for these ladies can be discipled and learn some type of skill. She has traveled the world for the last 30 years establishing these houses in countless countires around the world--Canada, the US, the Carribean, parts of Africa. In addition to a huge heart the Lord has given her the gift of evangelism; she's one of those people who can start presenting the gospel withing 2 minutes of initiating a conversation. It's amazing...

So how do I know this woman? We've recently crossed paths since I joined the HIV/AIDS education team a few weeks ago. This past Friday several of us girls from the ship linked up with Inez and one of the local ladies Ethel with the intention of hanging out with some of these ladies who work as prostitutes (or sex workers as they are called in Ghana). We arrived just as it was getting dark to a particular area of town where there are several clubs and that is known to be frequented by sailors who come ashore for beer and cheap pleasures. It was still a bit early so we walked the block checking out the area. The idea was to show up in the area where these ladies work and share the love of Jesus with them through sitting and talking with them, encouraging and affirming them as people created in the image of God, sharing the gospel with them and praying for them. Inez said these ladies want desperatly to be loved and most of them are on the street because they have no other way to earn a living. So Ethel and Inez, who have already started building relationships with many of the ladies, started calling them over to where we were sitting in one of the allies. The first girl I talked to was just a few years older than myself and from Liberia, her name is Princess. Trying to draw her into conversation was harder than pulling teeth. I was grasping for any way to connect with her but felt like I was failing miserably. After about 5 minutes of sparse conversation I asked her if I could pray with her...

By the time we left 2 hours later I was frustrated, angry and felt dead on the inside. Frustrated at the crowd of 20 or so men who had gathered around us making it impossible to talk to any more of the ladies after my brief conversation with Princess. I was Angry at the men who came to use these women as objects. Angry at God who sees these women's anguish and seemingly does nothing. Angry at the injustices in this world. Saddened by its brokeness. Angry at myself for being incapable for extending grace to the men who so quickly gathered around us. In my mind I was protesting, "Lord I didn't come to share the gospel with these men, I came to talk with these women who need to know that You love them. God these men aren't really interested in hearing the gospel they just want to talk to a bunch of young white women.I came for the woman Lord!" I guess what my heart was really saying was, "Lord these men don't deserve your grace!" I have been sitting in front of this computer screen for over an hour trying to find the words to articulate my thoughts. I am ashamed of the hardness of my own heart. Ashamed of my reaction to these men because it reflects a deeply rooted attitude of my heart that needs desperately to be redeemed. Somewhere in my heart I fool myself into believing that my own good behavior has earned God's favor and grace. Do I really understand so little about grace?? The night wasn't what I hoped it would be... I wish I could write a glowing story of how I gave hope to a lady battered by the sin of this world but instead I feel only a deep sadness at the destructive way sin has so successfully destroyed relationships (our right relationship with God, and right relationships with each other).

Sailboats!

About once a week I walk the 40 min or so it takes to reach the lighthouse near the port. I am fasicnated by the local fishermen who head out to sea in the afternoon in their sailboats with their homemade plastic or canvas sails. I really want to ride in one but I haven't made friends with any of the fishermen yet =). They stand in their fishing boats and sing before they head out to sea, it's really cool.




Here's a pic of me and my roomies, we recently had our fourth roommate join us. Penny and Anique (from left to right) are both from South Africa and Caroline to my right is from TX just outside of Dallas. They are really fun girls, we all work in different areas on the ship which usually allows each of us to have at least a little bit of alone time in the cabin.

You are special!!

“You are special, do you know that Jay?” He wouldn’t look me in the eye as I sat next to him in the grass. In reply he ducked his head and stared at his lap. I wasn’t sure he had heard me until the corner of his mouth turned up slightly and he mumbled, “why am I special?”.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t understand you, what did you say Jay?”
“Why am I special?” ,he repeated, a little louder looking up to meet my gaze.
What to say Lord??? How can I possibly convince him in one conversation that he is infinitely precious to you?? Help Lord!!
“Well…” I stalled a moment as I tried to think of a concrete answer, “Because God created you special and unique, there is no one else in the whole entire world just like you, no one who thinks the same way you do, no one who feels the same way you do…” My words sounded lame even to my own ears. I knew what I was saying was true but it sounded generic. I glanced at his face to gauge his reaction, his expression was open, he looked as if he desperately wanted to believe the words I was saying but he didn’t seem convinced. Silence fell between us. I studied my hands in my lap, as I grasped for the right words, absently noticing the dirt smudged across my fingertips. That’s it!
I grabbed Jay’s hand and turned it so his palm was facing up, “You see the pattern on the very tips of your fingers, no one else in the whole of Africa, in the whole wide world has the exact same pattern on their fingertips. Do you know why people sometimes put their thumbprint on important legal papers?
“…Because they can’t write their names?” he replied, while he studied the tips of his fingers with interest.
“Well, yes”, I answered, “but also because each person’s fingerprint is unique and it can be used to identify who they are. God made you with very specific details”
A small glimmer of understanding seemed to light his eyes as he continued to study his fingers intently.
“And you know what Jay?”
“What? he replied, glancing up once again
“God loves you and he knows you by name.”

Jay was orphaned at age 3. The people who killed his parents during the war are now on the hunt to find him so they can kill him also. He remembers hiding in a bush and hearing the men who killed his parents searching for him. He was found by his uncle and was immediately taken to the UK for safety. He was safe for more than nine years…until 3 months ago when his parents’ enemies discovered his location in the UK. He has now been brought to Ghana, to the sisters of Charity orphanage in hopes that he will be safe. What must it be like to be only 13 years old and know that there are people in the world who want you dead? And who are so intent on that purpose that they are willing to travel to another continent to accomplish it? Does he live in constant fear? Does he remember what it feels like to be safe? I only see little Jay every 2 weeks or so but I pray for him often. Please pray that the Lord would continue to protect him, and that the Lord would reveal Himself to Jay in a very real way. He is a smart kid, there is an intensity about him that draws me to him. I am thankful the Lord gave me a simple way to illustrate His tender care and design of us. Pray that the Lord would whisper to Jay’s heart that he is infinitely precious to the God of the universe…and that when he looks at his hands it would remind Him of God’s special design and plan for His life.

Beautiful Rosina!!

This is my friend Rosina. She has a beautifully resilliant spirit and a determined faith. I cared for Rosina the very first day she was admitted to the ward and in the days following her surgury. Initially she was very reserved, but I watched the way she observed everything going on in the ward and occasionally I would look her direction and catch a shy smile. Something about her quiet manner drew me to her. I so wanted to know what she was thinking behind those deep brown eyes. Sometimes her face reflected sadness, sometimes pain-, sometimes amusement-the left side of her face remained swollen for at least a week and a half following the removel of her nueofibroma, making it difficult to see her eyes. She seemed to me a person of deep sadness but I could not determine the source of her sorrow. Somehow with each smile directed towards her, each time someone sat and held her hand, each time someone took the time to talk with her somehow through the little attentions she received the Lord began to heal her heart. Rosina is illiterate so sometimes when work was slow me or one of the other nurses would sit by her bed and read scripture to her outloud. Her stay on the ship didn't cure her of her sadness and it didn't cure her completely of her physical deformity but...the process of healing has begun physically,spiritually and emotionally. God is able...He will continue the work He has begun.

My favorite Rosina memory are the times she would teach me phrases in Twi, one of the local languages. She would say a word and I would try to repeat it after her. She would corrrect my horrid pronounciation and I would try again. I don't think I make a very good pupil but by the time she had finished teaching me a few phrases we were both laughing. It provided entertainment not only for her but every patient within hearing range. I didn't mind being the source of amusement, it was worth seeing her smile. The picture at the top was taken on screening day, the day she was scheduled for surgury. The picture with the two of us was taken on the ward the day she was discharged. The thing she is wearing on her head is a pressure garment in order to keep large scars from growing. She will continue to wear it for an additonal 3 months.

Basic Safety Training

These pictures are from my Basic Safety training course out in Texas in preparation for coming to the ship (April, 2006). That's right I can fight a fire, flip a life raft, and... well there is not much you can do once you get into those bright red gumby suits. I don't know if I would really want to be rescued looking like that...

There were two parts to the course: Fire fighting and water survival. Many people in the group are now my fellow crew member or will be soon. I thought these pictures would be good for a chuckle. I was pretty excited about gearing up like a real firefighter...

Cape Coast Excursion

These pictures are from my Cape Coast adventure last weekend. Left is a photo of the Elmino castle we visited, formerly used to house slaves. It's the oldest castle in Sub-Sahara Africa. All sort of unimaginable atrocities occured within it's four walls. It was built by the Portuguese, was conquered by the Dutch, eventually came under the control of the Bristish, and is now maintained by the Ghanian government.

We stayed in a lovely little hotel right on the river overlooking the busyness and bustling of the port area. It fascinating to watch the fisherman repair their nets and the women bartering over the price of fresh fish. I stood at the window of my hotel for nearly an hour watching the bustle of daily activity, feeling like I was peering into a different world. A world I know nothing about, it almost felt as if I was stepping back into time, kind of sureal. For the first time I felt like I was really in Africa-- a small herd of goats ran down the middle of the main road completely unattended, children shouting to one another from across the streets, older men greeting one another with great dignity, women stopping to chat and share the latest tidbit of news before moving down the street with their youngest child tied securely to their backs and their most recently aquired purchase balancing on their heads. It was all so interesting!!

After touring the Elmino Castle we drove out of town to the second castle, the Cape Coast castle. We decided not to go in but opted instead to wander on the beach for a bit. We encountered these three young girls along with a handful of other young children. I tried to join in their hand clapping game but was only somewhat succesful. They were patient teachers but finally I resigned myself to observing. This picture of the girls on the beach captured the second game they began to play. As far as I could figure, it looked to be similar "paper, rock, scissors" (except it's played with their feet and is very fast. I didn't even attempt to learn this one. I did get to teach them one dance, the chicken dance. Heck yes, that's right I taught the chicken dance to three young African girls on the beach in Ghana. They were pretty fast learners. It made me realize there really isn't much to the chicken dance...

The third picture is most of the girls I went with it was a fun group...

ORPHANAGE VISIT

I went to the orphanage for the first time last week. There is opportunity throughout the week on days off and on weekends to visit; it’s only about 15 minutes by taxi. It is run by the sisters of charity, one of the orphanages established in honor of Mother Theresa, run by the Catholic Church. It was very clean and seemed to be well run. It was an oasis of beauty in the middle of the chaotic, grungy looking port city of Tema. You walk through the front gate and are immediately met with the sight of beautiful flowers, bright flowering bushes, green grass, trees offering shade to little alcoves designed to provide a place of solitude and reflection. It was really incredible. The eagerness of these children to be held and the way their countenances’ lit up when we walked into the courtyard was a beautiful reminder of how eagerly we should desire the presence of our heavenly father. One of the little toddlers, Gabriel, ran at Caroline (my roommate) full speed, arms open, huge smile on his face racing to be held. There was such abandonment and such trust in his reckless assault. Do I run to the Lord with such abandonment and trust? It was also a reminder of the preciousness of the promise that we have been adopted as sons and daughters of God. Wow! "What love the father has lavished upon us that we might be called the sons and daughters of God" But who will love these children? Who will protect them? Who will tell them they are special and that God has a plan for their lives? I know the Lord sees and knows and loves them more than I could ever imagine loving them. The knowledge that many of them no longer have parents to nurture them and love them makes me want to hold each one of them...the visit confirmed in my heart my desire to adopt some day...I am unable to include a photo with this entry because we are not allowed to take pictures with the kids at the orphanage

The Joy of our Salvation

“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God…” 1 John 3:1a

Last night I worked night shift and had the joy and privilege of leading someone to the Lord! It’s amazing how the Lord uses us when we least expect it, it’s so humbling! Earlier that evening I told Awari I would come back to talk with him, when I sat down on his bed he wanted me to read the Lord’s Prayer from Matt chapter 6. After I finished reading through verse 13 he said, “Preach to me, I want you to explain what this means.” Wow! I was so surprised at first I didn’t know quite how to respond. How often does an opportunity like this come along? So I started to explain the Lord’s Prayer, the entire time I was praying furiously that the Lord would give me wisdom to know what to say. For the next 45 minutes we sat and discussed scripture. I read to him portions of Genesis and Romans. He had such excellent and insightful questions. “Does God continue to forgive us if we continue to sin? How do I pray, do I pray to God or Jesus? Why didn’t God crush the serpent in the Garden of Eden? What would things be like if Adam and Eve had never sinned? How does a person know when Jesus has come into their heart?” It was evident that his heart was tender towards the truths of the Word and that the Lord has been knocking on his heart. A friend had given him a Bible about a month and goes and since arriving to the ship he has been reading it. Towards the end of the conversation I asked Awari if he wanted to ask Jesus in his heart and he said yes. So there in the quiet of the night, with all the lights on the ward turned off, I knelt beside his bed and he knelt on top of his mattress and he repeated a prayer after me asking Jesus to be Lord of his life and confessing his need for forgiveness. When we said “amen”, he said, “I am a new creation.” Praise God!! This is something to celebrate!! One of the nurses on day shift gave him an illustrated children’s Bible to read and he read the entire Old Testament out loud to his neighbors this afternoon. Occasionally he would stop and they would discuss what they had read. How beautiful is that?? …And how sweet that God can use the very youngest of believers to proclaim His word. God is so amazing!

“To God be the glory great things he has done.”

Faces of Africa

Every tribe, every nation!!

Arrival to the ship...I arrived late at night,the Anastasis looked beautiful illuminated in the port...

Living with a Longing

(Here's a picture of beautiful Selena!!)













It's hard to express in words the past two weeks--overwelming, lonely, wonderful, exciting, rich...unforgetable. More and more I am realizing what a privilage it is to be here, what a privilage it is to serve those who have become invisible in society. One of the translators on the ward made an interesting comment he said, "I saw the pictures of the type of surguries that Mercy Ships does and I thought 'we don't have anybody with conditions like that, Mercy Ships won't be able to do those surguries here in Ghana'. " He said, "I never realized people here in Ghana had such deformities." Yes, the conditions that come through our doors are appalling--large facial tumors, severe cleft lips/palates, debilitating burns and contractures. Many of the patients we see have spent years isolated from society because of their physical conditions. I can't help but think that these physical deformities are a reflection of the human soul. So much of humanity is crippled emotionally and spiritually by the effects of sin,we live with heartache, disappointment, hopelessness,lonliness ...we are a broken people. While I cannot fully understand the stigma and social alienation many of my patients have experienced; I do feel I can relate to the poverty of their spiritual condition. I too struggle...to maintain hope, to trust, to walk away from temptation,to make sense of life's disappointments.

Today I had the joy of sitting and reading aloud to one of the beautiful ladies on our ward, Selena. She suffered from an accident in which she was hit by a car while walking on the side of the road, both legs were broken. She spent 2.5 years living at the public hospital during which time she underwent several operations in an attempt to save her legs. Finally, the medical professionals told her her legs were "spoiled" and that they would have to amputate. She refused the aputation believing God would heal her. She ended up at Mercy Ships where we did have to amputate her left leg. She has not seen her children for years because she has been unable to care for them. We sat reading a book by Loren Cunningham about surrendering to God. Every so often she would stop me and we would discuss what we had just read.
"What does he mean when he says 'lay down our rights'?" she would softly interupt. And we would talk about what it means to give up our family up to God, our wills, our hearts, our hurts. "What does it mean put on the alter?", she asked.
"The Things we give up to God as a sacrifice, an expression of our love", I replied.
"Oh an offering", she said, the light of understanding evident in her eyes.
"Yeah an offering." I said
It was precious. I sat on the narrow iron bed next to her own and we shared our thoughts and experiences as sisters. She is a beautiful sister in Christ and I am inspired by her longing to know God more.

Pictures from London!

Left: Westminster Abbbey from the front
...pretty impressive. Above: The infamous Buckingham Palace (looks like something you'd see in Washington D.C. I think). Can I just say the Buckingham guards have the most boring ever!! They have to stand at complete attention for hours...not moving a muscle. What do they have an itch?



Picture of Big Ben in the early morning hours as London was starting to wake up. This was taken within walking distance of the Thames River.

Ghana at last!!! (July 29, 2006)

…50 hours since I left home on Thursday and I can really believe now that we actually will arrive in Ghana. There is just over an hour and a half remaining on our flight. There was a problem with my ticket when I went to check in for my flight and, a British Airway representative tried to tell me that the gate was going to close in 2 minutes and I was not going to make it on that fight because I didn’t have a ticket. My first thought, ”Oh no she didn’t!!”. I have spent the last 48 hours in airports, my original itinerary was changed, I have the spent the last two nights sleeping on the floor in two different airports, and I am tried to attend to all my hygiene needs in airport bathrooms with their stupid sensor faucets that cut off if your hands aren’t positioned the right way in front of the sensor. Thankfully I thought all this and did not verbalize my torrent of frustrated thoughts. As calmly as I could I retold her my story in detail starting with my canceled flight to Chicago and then told her if I wasn’t going to make it on that plane today either British Airways or American Airlines was going to put me in a hotel room for the night because it sounds like they’d had a communication problem. I was told I had a confirmed seat on this flight and she was saying I didn’t have a ticket. By the grace of God, and a few gracious people who let me cut ahead of them going through security I think I made it to the gate 5 minutes before it closed. Thank you Jesus!

All this to say the extra time I spent in London was enjoyable, I did have a few hours to see the city. I saw the Thames River, the London eye, Big Ben, the Parliament building, Westminster Abby, Buckingham palace and Hyde Park. It was still pretty early when I surfaced from the subway so the streets were quiet and the morning beautifully sunny with a slight breeze. It was refreshing to see something other than the inside of an airport. Hopefully getting through customs will be uneventful.

Flexibility 101: Hometown Adventure (July 27, 2006)

Leaving Charlotte Airport














It’s amazing that I have been flying internationally for 5 years and never been stranded in an airport…until last night. Exasperating situations when approached as adventures are a little more bearable. After sitting in the plane on the runway for FOUR hours, American Airline finally canceled our flight rescheduling it for the next morning at 6AM. I’ll tell you though sitting on the runway in that cramped cabin renewed my good faith in the average American. People were patient beyond belief and the steward was excellent—very professional. They unloaded us, re-booked us and disgruntled but no worse for the wear each passenger wandered away from the terminal to get some sleep. I was thankful to be able reclaim all my luggage. Finding a nice quite spot against the wall of the baggage claim area I settled in for the night with my sleeping bag, pillow and ,oh yes, my sleep mask. I met some interesting folks over the past how ever many hours it’s been I’ve lost count. I met a long lost cousin tenth removed from Scotland. I was telling her that my family came from Scotland a long time back and it just so happens that her maiden name is Austin. She is in the process of studying her family history so she gave me her e-mail address and would like to get some information about our family. Maybe she’ll trace back how we are linked. Although a bit travel weary she and her husband were a cheery couple. There is camaraderie that is shared among waylaid travelers that is kind of fun. The kindness of strangers can be such an encouragement. The picture included in this entry was taken at the Charlotte airport.

Bound for Africa

As many of you know I am about to start work with a mission organization called Mercy Ships. It's a little intimidating to me to share my personal thoughts on a webpage but I do want to share my experiences. Thank you for your love and support. I think this web page will be the most efficient way to keep you informed.