Never know what a day will hold. . .
Today in Liberia. . .
So you don't get too confused I'll have to back up a couple of days to Wednesday morning. While having morning devotions one of our assistants, Henry, asked us to pray for a man he saw while walking to work that morning. He said this man was very sick, shaking with fever, just laying close to the road across from the hospital in the market place. Long story short, Dr. Keith took the land rover and went with Henry and Edward (another assistant) to carry this man to the ER. He was extremely sick, the only personal information we were able to get about him was when he said his name, "Anthony." The hospital staff somehow figured out he had been treated before for Tuberculosis and HIV but had stopped taking treatment. Due to lack of information, they were unable to contact any family and so the dental clinic (who carried him to the hospital) became responsible for his bills and performing the tasks family members would 'normally' do. Sadly, Friday morning when we went to check on Anthony he was much worse and after a difficult afternoon, passed away. The ER staff said we would need to bury the body as soon as possible. So this is how today broke down . . .
7AM - I met Edward and Sonkally at the hospital to begin the process of burying Anthony. These two Liberians are my big brothers, incredible Godly men who work at the hospital (Edward is a dental assistant and Sonkally works in the Pharmacy dept) and hang out with us when we're not working. We spoke briefly with the hospital staff who said the police needed to be involved before burial could be done. Sonkally had football practice so Edward and I started walking to the Police station.
7:30-9:30 Waiting at the station to inform the police of the incident, document the whole thing and receive permission to take and bury the body. The officer was very gracious, didn't require any payment and didn't send us into town to headquarters, just had us fill out the report and granted us permission.
9:30-11:30 Before getting the body we needed to purchase a burial plot. So we spent the next 2hours walking from neighborhood to neighborhood asking who had available space. In one of the neighborhoods, 4 big guys start whistling and calling to me, i ignore them and keep walking but turn to Edward and say, "you can protect me, right?!?" Half joking, half serious. He nods quickly and we keep walking. Finally, one of the neighborhood's council agreed to let us have a plot of ground, no coffin and no marker. . . back to the hospital. . .
12-1 Back at the hospital, Dr. Keith meets us with the car, the end is in sight. We tell the hospital, "Okay we have permission to carry the body and we have a grave site." They say, "Alright, do you have something to wrap the body?" . . .uh no! So again, long story short, we take care of that step, bring the body to the grave site, bury the body, have a few words & prayer.
1:30 Keith drops me off at home. While I've been away Jackie, my housemate, has been cleaning the house to prepare for our new roomate who arrives tomorrow. And our guard has taken care of our rabid dog whose been dying for over a week. But because there are people here who eat dogs...we have to burn the corpse. Alright, what do we have that's flammable?!? After searching the house, WD40 is the closest we've got. Where is my boyscout brother when i need him! I run down to Keith's to see if they have lighter fluid. . .negative. So we head up to the nearby market. First shop. . ."no fire lighter, try across the road!" Try two places 'across the road'...nothing. Okay. . .gas station here we come. I tell the old man at the gas station I just need a bottle of gasoline...but i didn't bring my own container...so I run into the nearby shack and buy a 1.5liter bottle of water and Jackie and I start guzzling it, because there's no point in wasting perfectly good water just to have an empty container. The old guy sees us and has a kid run and get an empty water bottle...nice. We stop drinking and i help him use a funnel to pour the gasoline from a 10 gallon drum into the empty water bottle...messy, but we get the fuel and head back home.
2:30 We get back home, make the bonfire. Wash the garage out where the dog has been all week. Whew that's done. Now Sonkally has a church youth meeting he's asked us to speak at, so we shower and head to the church.
4-5:30 Youth Meeting, Sonkally challenged the group to experience their divine destiny and Jackie shared a couple personal stories and verses to encourage the youth to make the most of every opportunity and encourage each other. I haven't had time to prepare anything so I just said a few words from the story of Esther.
6 Back home, grab an egg sandwich, quick conversation with our newest stalker who came up to the house, telling him not to waste his time and leave us alone, add more coal and dry mango leaves to the bonfire..not quite done.
6:30-9 Worship & prayer service at Keith's. Just what we needed to encourage and refocus our eyes on Jesus, the reason we're here. Have some great fellowship after the service and find out one of the guys who's here visiting from the states is preaching at a rural church tomorrow morning! We work out details and make plans to catch a ride in the morning, can't wait!!
9:30 Get home, eat a can of green beans, make tea and snack for the night guard, feed the dogs, check on the bonfire...just ashes, it's finished. Grab the computer whose internet has been working most frequently...internet is working so I start typing about my day and am now quite ready for bed. One of the songs we sang at the service this evening was the old hymn "I Need Thee Every Hour" as we sang it I ran over today in my head and just wholeheartedly agree. . .I need Him EVERY HOUR!!! Another day in Liberia.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Compliments to the Chef
"Home is where your story begins. . ."
Well, part of my story is about growing up in a home that included learning how to cook, clean and serve a large group of people...my family and our guests. Now living in Africa i find myself with the opportunity to once again serve a large group of people only this time they are Liberians! (And fellow Americans, etc ;) For example, today we had a goodbye lunch for an Australian dentist who has been helping at the clinic for the last 2months. It was a combined culinary effort but the big crock-pot of soup I made brought on these choice comments; "I beg you to marry my brother"
"this is beautiful"
"the soup is fine-oh!"
"the American soup makes my belly happy and full-oh!"
"I need to lie down, it's too much"
"I have to go home and tell my wife i can't eat her cooking anymore!"
"Melissa is a strong African woman, she makes a good wife"
"I pray to God that your husband finds you soon so he will be satisfied"
Eating the soup and humming 'Here Comes The Bride'
Haha in a culture that values marriage and food so much, let's just say the soup was a hit!
Well, part of my story is about growing up in a home that included learning how to cook, clean and serve a large group of people...my family and our guests. Now living in Africa i find myself with the opportunity to once again serve a large group of people only this time they are Liberians! (And fellow Americans, etc ;) For example, today we had a goodbye lunch for an Australian dentist who has been helping at the clinic for the last 2months. It was a combined culinary effort but the big crock-pot of soup I made brought on these choice comments; "I beg you to marry my brother"
"this is beautiful"
"the soup is fine-oh!"
"the American soup makes my belly happy and full-oh!"
"I need to lie down, it's too much"
"I have to go home and tell my wife i can't eat her cooking anymore!"
"Melissa is a strong African woman, she makes a good wife"
"I pray to God that your husband finds you soon so he will be satisfied"
Eating the soup and humming 'Here Comes The Bride'
Haha in a culture that values marriage and food so much, let's just say the soup was a hit!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A New Normal
Heyo!!
This update is long overdue, i apologize for my tardiness!! I left the ship end of July and moved to Monrovia, Liberia! I'm living on a missionary campus that is home to a community of several different NGO's and Liberians, conveniently located right on the beach! The campus started with a radio station, hospital, school, and church, that by God's grace survived the country's recent civil war. The dentist who introduced me to dentistry in Africa, Keith Chapman, lives here with his family and has built a clinic onto the existing hospital. I worked at this clinic briefly last year and learned more about Mercy Ships, as Keith served with them for several years. I'm so happy to be back working with this clinic, it's an incredible ministry and witness to the surrounding community and every patient who is treated.
So here i am with my incredible roomate, Jackie . . .living in a real house again with the ocean right outside my front door and a backyard jungle, complete with banana trees!! Before you get too jealous, this paradise comes with it's own negatives. For instance, the salty, moist air combined with the warm climate makes a coat of mold on everything...everything. So certain procautions have to be taken, basically keeping all food in the fridge, assuming the fridge works, of course ;) Keeping laptops and electronics covered, and making sure your damp clothing (no dryer) is ironed dry. Things rust and deteriorate very quickly, a reminder that the things around us are very temporary. Including these mortal bodies! It's almost a part time job trying to stay healthy! While I'm consistently amazed by this body He's created, I've realized many times recently how weak they are and how fragile life truly is. Learning to praise Him even in our weakness is not easy but praise God for never leaving us and sustaining us through hard times.
So this new normal includes :
Sleeping under mosquito nets. . .which is kinda cool, except in the middle of the night when you're racing to the bathroom :P
Trapping, chasing and squishing multiple mice, rats, cockroaches & other uninvited housemates.
No A/C...but there's a nice breeze off the ocean.
Cold Shower. . .just make sure you're hot before!
Security guards, one during the day and one at night...perfect conversation opportunity!
Three mangy african dogs...who bite the guards and each other more than someone who is an actual threat. At the moment, one of our dogs is dying. According to the night guard a stray rabid dog came and got into a fight with our dogs, biting one of them. Despite our best efforts to make a quick end of it, Liberty (the dog) is still alive. So sad to see our favorite dog so miserable, another reminder that life is fragile.
Fresh Papaya, Coconuts, & plenty of bananas!
Inconsistent internet - i'm blaming this for my delayed post :P
No TV...so we entertain! A lot! It's fantastic, at least twice a week we're serving dinner to random friends and coworkers or going out into the city to grab a bite. Through this we've been able to make incredible friends and have so many long, wonderful conversations learning about this country and it's children.
But most of the time we stay busy at the clinic, always expecting the unexpected. So like i said we're living in this new normal, but I only have one more month before i'm headed back to the USA! It's going to fly by and while I can't wait to see my family and friends again, once again i'm leaving a home i've come to love. Thanks to everyone for your love, prayers and support. Keep fighting the good fight of faith and serving Him wherever you are. Remember wherever your "normal" is, He's working, look for Him and see how He's equipped you to serve those around you, there's plenty of opportunities right where you're at!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
A*maZ*ed*
Lately I'm *Amazed* by:
~ this TEAM...how hard we work but also how we laugh & encourage each other.
~the WOMEN...some snap their fingers when they're in pain (it's like they're scolding us for hurting them) and make strange moaning sounds, but they are so strong, it's a "no tears" policy among these Togolese women.
~the CHILDREN. . .I hate it when their beautiful dark eyes tear up and we have to hold their hands to get their rotten baby (& sometimes permanent) teeth out. But the consolation with these chilren is what a dentist from the UK told me, "I'd rather have them cry 5minutes here than go back home and spend another night crying because of toothache." It's the children that don't cry and don't show emotion that break my heart, it makes me wonder what pain they experience outside the dental clinic that makes our work seem so easy.
~ the MEN...incredibly strong jaws, ripped muscles and appear to be such big tough guys, but put them in the dental chair and it's a different story. Don't get me wrong they aren't screaming, but it's hard work pulling these massive teeth, our dentists go home rubbing sore muscles (those of us who are holding the heads & helping wrestle the teeth out feel pretty powerful too :P) and the people these teeth are attached to are bound to grimace, tear up & make some noise. But as tough and hard as these guys are, I have to tell you a story that happened about a week ago. We had just finished a difficult surgical extraction & I grabbed the hand mirror on the table to make sure I wiped all the blood splatter off my face. As I turned to go back and begin working on the next patient, he smiled and said "I see you checking your face in the mirror and I want you to know, you are beautiful." I didn't even know he spoke english!! 99% of our patients can't even say "thank you" any communication without a translator is done by hand signals, so this unexpected compliment floored me, so precious.
~the FRIENDS...God has truly brought an amazing group of people together around me. Some of them remember your name after meeting you once, put encouraging verses & quotes all over you & your roommates cabin, and they pour themselves into wherever they are serving from hospital to galley. But most commonly, they have also left family & friends at home. Even though we're all from different backgrounds and countries, there's common ground just because of that. And it's not just because we're all on the same boat..(no pun intended :P) He's the One that brings us together. It's amazing how the friends you make here are so, for lack of a better word, instant! Even though you've just met, you're experiencing the same things, missing the same things and usually dealing with some of the same things...it brings an amazing unity that only He could create & sustain. So whether we're sweating in the back of a land rover, holding your hair while you puke, or laughing at some African oddity...we really are all in the same boat, serving the best we can by His strength and in that strength, we are united. The verse "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" has taken on a whole new meaning because of these friends & the strength we rely on.
~the PRESENCE...one of the worship songs we sing during morning devotions is, "Power in the Air" we kind of joke about it but the truth is, He is with us. I can feel Him lift us up when we're dragging and speak peace in the middle of the chaos & pain. His name is Emmanuel, God with us. No matter where or what our emotion, always with us...and that amazes me.
~the TIME...I can't believe it's already been 2 months since I left home. God showed me this verse soon after arriving in Africa, "Let me show you where I live among my people. My name is 'God-with-you' I will wipe away all the tears from your eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past is gone." I feel like I read it with new eyes and since then He's done just that, showed me Himself among His people. I'm still oh soo amazed & blessed to be here!!!
WE ARE AMAZED by Ginger Millermon
Lord we are amazed at the splendor of your ways, nothing can compare to your glory.
Lord we lift our hearts and with our voices raised, we sing a song of praise to you.
We are amazed. We love you Jesus. We are amazed.
Lord we are amazed at the beauty of your grace, and nothing can compare to your mercy.
Lord we stand in awe at the wonder of it all, we sing a song of praise to you.
We are amazed, we love you Jesus. We are amazed.
You are awesome, You are wonderful, You are everything that is beautiful, nothing can compare...nothing can compare to You. We are Amazed.
~ this TEAM...how hard we work but also how we laugh & encourage each other.
~the WOMEN...some snap their fingers when they're in pain (it's like they're scolding us for hurting them) and make strange moaning sounds, but they are so strong, it's a "no tears" policy among these Togolese women.
~the CHILDREN. . .I hate it when their beautiful dark eyes tear up and we have to hold their hands to get their rotten baby (& sometimes permanent) teeth out. But the consolation with these chilren is what a dentist from the UK told me, "I'd rather have them cry 5minutes here than go back home and spend another night crying because of toothache." It's the children that don't cry and don't show emotion that break my heart, it makes me wonder what pain they experience outside the dental clinic that makes our work seem so easy.
~ the MEN...incredibly strong jaws, ripped muscles and appear to be such big tough guys, but put them in the dental chair and it's a different story. Don't get me wrong they aren't screaming, but it's hard work pulling these massive teeth, our dentists go home rubbing sore muscles (those of us who are holding the heads & helping wrestle the teeth out feel pretty powerful too :P) and the people these teeth are attached to are bound to grimace, tear up & make some noise. But as tough and hard as these guys are, I have to tell you a story that happened about a week ago. We had just finished a difficult surgical extraction & I grabbed the hand mirror on the table to make sure I wiped all the blood splatter off my face. As I turned to go back and begin working on the next patient, he smiled and said "I see you checking your face in the mirror and I want you to know, you are beautiful." I didn't even know he spoke english!! 99% of our patients can't even say "thank you" any communication without a translator is done by hand signals, so this unexpected compliment floored me, so precious.
~the FRIENDS...God has truly brought an amazing group of people together around me. Some of them remember your name after meeting you once, put encouraging verses & quotes all over you & your roommates cabin, and they pour themselves into wherever they are serving from hospital to galley. But most commonly, they have also left family & friends at home. Even though we're all from different backgrounds and countries, there's common ground just because of that. And it's not just because we're all on the same boat..(no pun intended :P) He's the One that brings us together. It's amazing how the friends you make here are so, for lack of a better word, instant! Even though you've just met, you're experiencing the same things, missing the same things and usually dealing with some of the same things...it brings an amazing unity that only He could create & sustain. So whether we're sweating in the back of a land rover, holding your hair while you puke, or laughing at some African oddity...we really are all in the same boat, serving the best we can by His strength and in that strength, we are united. The verse "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" has taken on a whole new meaning because of these friends & the strength we rely on.
~the PRESENCE...one of the worship songs we sing during morning devotions is, "Power in the Air" we kind of joke about it but the truth is, He is with us. I can feel Him lift us up when we're dragging and speak peace in the middle of the chaos & pain. His name is Emmanuel, God with us. No matter where or what our emotion, always with us...and that amazes me.
~the TIME...I can't believe it's already been 2 months since I left home. God showed me this verse soon after arriving in Africa, "Let me show you where I live among my people. My name is 'God-with-you' I will wipe away all the tears from your eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past is gone." I feel like I read it with new eyes and since then He's done just that, showed me Himself among His people. I'm still oh soo amazed & blessed to be here!!!
WE ARE AMAZED by Ginger Millermon
Lord we are amazed at the splendor of your ways, nothing can compare to your glory.
Lord we lift our hearts and with our voices raised, we sing a song of praise to you.
We are amazed. We love you Jesus. We are amazed.
Lord we are amazed at the beauty of your grace, and nothing can compare to your mercy.
Lord we stand in awe at the wonder of it all, we sing a song of praise to you.
We are amazed, we love you Jesus. We are amazed.
You are awesome, You are wonderful, You are everything that is beautiful, nothing can compare...nothing can compare to You. We are Amazed.
Monday, June 28, 2010
View from my window...
Just a few pictures of stuff we see everyday :) Enjoy!Mawuli, one of our translaters/assistants, and a very brave 5yr old patient - just like you, Michael & Meghan ;)
Other side of the street...shacks and shops on one side, beach and boats on the other
The port roundabout...obviously a popular hangout :P
T
urning off the beach road...Our fantastic dental clinic!!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Dentists & Daddys
Whew! Finally sitting down to write a proper email. My brother-in-law, Vincent, gave me a journal for Christmas, & this is no ordinary journal..no, it's pages are already scribbled on in fact. On each page he put a word and picture & I'm supposed to write down my first thoughts and feelings about each subject. The first assignment was to tell myself about my first day...so having done that, i'll share it with you :)
Woke up early, grabbed breakfast in the community cafeteria, met the dental team in the reception area. This amazing team includes the 'chief' dentist, who is a Norwegian, a couple from the UK who are both dentists, several crew from different countries in Africa who help coordinate patients and welcome them into the clinic, an assistant from Germany, one from Holland, a gal from Florida who works in sterilization and our team coordinator from Canada/Virginia.
We all loaded up the supplies and food we'd need for the day and filled up 2 land rovers. Drove along the "beach road" for about 15 minutes through traffic that's harassed by construction, took a right hand turn onto a street that led to the clinic a couple blocks further down. It a beautiful new 3 story building that more than meets our needs. The ground floor acts as reception and waiting room where fellow Africans welcome and share Jesus with patients. Then the 2nd floor has a huge enclosed room surrounded by a covered porch. The room serves as our working space where there are 8 dental chairs, and one hygiene chair. Our hygienist is an elderly woman from Florida, we call her Mama Donna as "Grandma" in African = "Mama". We all got to the clinic and met our "day volunteers" who translate for the dentist and assist as needed. They are all from West Africa and speak at least 3 languages, French (the official language of Togo) usually 2 local dialects and English. All 6 of these guys are in their mid-twenties and hilarious, everybody jokes and teases. After brief introductions, one of the African crew members, Comfort, who welcomes the patients, led us in a song and then announced "God is good!" and we responded "all the time!" and she said "And all the time?" we answered "God is good!" She finished with, "Indeed there is NOT a time that God is not good." We repeat this ritual every day, i love it. Mariane, the assistant from Holland, prayed briefly and we all marched downstairs to get busy.
One of our first patients was a little girl, 13yrs old, who the team has been treating since February when she came to the hospital because her jaw was fractured when her father threw a rock at her. Because of this injury she had to have surgery to have 2 metal plates screwed into her jaw to hold the bones in place. After that surgery the area became infected and an additional surgery was done to clean the area. Then her teeth had to be wired shut in an effort to keep everything in place and she was forced to a completely liquid diet. This was done on April 9th...we saw her again on May 30th, about 6wks. Today we removed the wires and she was able to gently open her mouth, the area above & around where the plates were placed looked great! no infection and healing really well! Yet the teeth on that part of the jaw were still slightly mobile...reason for concern that the jaw is still not fully healed. Dr. said we could leave her mouth open but she must keep eating only very very soft foods and come back for another evaluation. While it was fantastic to see such great progress, it broke my heart, so many thoughts came flooding in as the realization of everything this little girl had gone thru rushed into my head..."What if Mercy Ships hadnt been here?!? If the bones hadnt been reset and surgery performed, the infection could have killed her! How could she go back to a father who had done that to her? How could a little girl process & deal with all that emotion and pain, not only from the injury and subsequent pain but also relationally with her family?!?" and I thought about my own father and have never been more grateful or humbled as i realized the contrast between this little girls father and mine. The contrast is night and day. I am so blessed and priviledged to be my father's daughter and my heavenly Father's daughter, I don't deserve either of their love or protection but I know I have both and I love them all the more because of this experience and realization.
There were many more patients that day...the team saw over 60. When the last patient was led out, mouth full of gauze, head nodding in a motion of thanks to all of us..we loaded up again and headed back to the ship. Again the contrast hit me as I looked on the other side of the road as we drove back. On one side is a beautiful beach, there were palm trees, people sleeping in the sand, some vendors selling various small items and taxis...but on the other...broken, dirty buildings, stuffed with people, shacks with metal roofs and piles of trash and rubble. Poverty. I sighed as i looked at all the people living, working and dying in this little strip of poverty i was driving by and knew there was a whole city behind it...a whole country and I felt very small. I think that's when God reminded me of where i was...yes this was all around me..but i was here! i could and WAS doing something about it..it wasn't pictures and memories anymore..i finally had the dirty scrubs on..the dirt on my crocs and the sweat..well all over! haha. He told me it was ok, that even though everything wasn't fixed, He had overcome the world and had brought me here to do what I could. He was pleased I had done what He asked me to do..come. Then today I ran across this verse,
"Let me show you where I live among my people. My name is God-with-you. I will wipe away all tears from your eyes, there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past is gone." It spoke to my heart exactly where it's at, reminded me that God is showing me soo many new things, but He's right here with me. That He has overcome the world, and that all these temporary things will be restored in the new world He will bring. And that joy replaced the sadness and motivated me to do what I can, now that I'm here...with God.
So that's what i wanted to share with you, there's many more stories from this week I'll jot down as I remember but this was the big "Lesson of the week" I didnt have much time to write, the internet here is sketchy so please forgive my scattered thoughts and imperfect grammar and punctuation! :)
take care and know God is with each of us even though we're thousands of miles apart.
lots of love from 'Toogie' in Togo
Woke up early, grabbed breakfast in the community cafeteria, met the dental team in the reception area. This amazing team includes the 'chief' dentist, who is a Norwegian, a couple from the UK who are both dentists, several crew from different countries in Africa who help coordinate patients and welcome them into the clinic, an assistant from Germany, one from Holland, a gal from Florida who works in sterilization and our team coordinator from Canada/Virginia.
We all loaded up the supplies and food we'd need for the day and filled up 2 land rovers. Drove along the "beach road" for about 15 minutes through traffic that's harassed by construction, took a right hand turn onto a street that led to the clinic a couple blocks further down. It a beautiful new 3 story building that more than meets our needs. The ground floor acts as reception and waiting room where fellow Africans welcome and share Jesus with patients. Then the 2nd floor has a huge enclosed room surrounded by a covered porch. The room serves as our working space where there are 8 dental chairs, and one hygiene chair. Our hygienist is an elderly woman from Florida, we call her Mama Donna as "Grandma" in African = "Mama". We all got to the clinic and met our "day volunteers" who translate for the dentist and assist as needed. They are all from West Africa and speak at least 3 languages, French (the official language of Togo) usually 2 local dialects and English. All 6 of these guys are in their mid-twenties and hilarious, everybody jokes and teases. After brief introductions, one of the African crew members, Comfort, who welcomes the patients, led us in a song and then announced "God is good!" and we responded "all the time!" and she said "And all the time?" we answered "God is good!" She finished with, "Indeed there is NOT a time that God is not good." We repeat this ritual every day, i love it. Mariane, the assistant from Holland, prayed briefly and we all marched downstairs to get busy.
One of our first patients was a little girl, 13yrs old, who the team has been treating since February when she came to the hospital because her jaw was fractured when her father threw a rock at her. Because of this injury she had to have surgery to have 2 metal plates screwed into her jaw to hold the bones in place. After that surgery the area became infected and an additional surgery was done to clean the area. Then her teeth had to be wired shut in an effort to keep everything in place and she was forced to a completely liquid diet. This was done on April 9th...we saw her again on May 30th, about 6wks. Today we removed the wires and she was able to gently open her mouth, the area above & around where the plates were placed looked great! no infection and healing really well! Yet the teeth on that part of the jaw were still slightly mobile...reason for concern that the jaw is still not fully healed. Dr. said we could leave her mouth open but she must keep eating only very very soft foods and come back for another evaluation. While it was fantastic to see such great progress, it broke my heart, so many thoughts came flooding in as the realization of everything this little girl had gone thru rushed into my head..."What if Mercy Ships hadnt been here?!? If the bones hadnt been reset and surgery performed, the infection could have killed her! How could she go back to a father who had done that to her? How could a little girl process & deal with all that emotion and pain, not only from the injury and subsequent pain but also relationally with her family?!?" and I thought about my own father and have never been more grateful or humbled as i realized the contrast between this little girls father and mine. The contrast is night and day. I am so blessed and priviledged to be my father's daughter and my heavenly Father's daughter, I don't deserve either of their love or protection but I know I have both and I love them all the more because of this experience and realization.
There were many more patients that day...the team saw over 60. When the last patient was led out, mouth full of gauze, head nodding in a motion of thanks to all of us..we loaded up again and headed back to the ship. Again the contrast hit me as I looked on the other side of the road as we drove back. On one side is a beautiful beach, there were palm trees, people sleeping in the sand, some vendors selling various small items and taxis...but on the other...broken, dirty buildings, stuffed with people, shacks with metal roofs and piles of trash and rubble. Poverty. I sighed as i looked at all the people living, working and dying in this little strip of poverty i was driving by and knew there was a whole city behind it...a whole country and I felt very small. I think that's when God reminded me of where i was...yes this was all around me..but i was here! i could and WAS doing something about it..it wasn't pictures and memories anymore..i finally had the dirty scrubs on..the dirt on my crocs and the sweat..well all over! haha. He told me it was ok, that even though everything wasn't fixed, He had overcome the world and had brought me here to do what I could. He was pleased I had done what He asked me to do..come. Then today I ran across this verse,
"Let me show you where I live among my people. My name is God-with-you. I will wipe away all tears from your eyes, there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past is gone." It spoke to my heart exactly where it's at, reminded me that God is showing me soo many new things, but He's right here with me. That He has overcome the world, and that all these temporary things will be restored in the new world He will bring. And that joy replaced the sadness and motivated me to do what I can, now that I'm here...with God.
So that's what i wanted to share with you, there's many more stories from this week I'll jot down as I remember but this was the big "Lesson of the week" I didnt have much time to write, the internet here is sketchy so please forgive my scattered thoughts and imperfect grammar and punctuation! :)
take care and know God is with each of us even though we're thousands of miles apart.
lots of love from 'Toogie' in Togo
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Toogie in Togo
Hey everyone,
Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I'm aboard the Africa Mercy now in Lome Togo! I arrived Saturday and have spent the last 2 days working with their wonderful dental team!!! I promise to tell y'all about these wonderful people and new place i'm living but the last 5 days getting here, unpacked & oriented, plus work...have been exausting, so for now, thank you soo much for all your support, keep us in your prayers. I think of all of you so often, i couldn't be here or doing this without you!!
Much Love from Togo
Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I'm aboard the Africa Mercy now in Lome Togo! I arrived Saturday and have spent the last 2 days working with their wonderful dental team!!! I promise to tell y'all about these wonderful people and new place i'm living but the last 5 days getting here, unpacked & oriented, plus work...have been exausting, so for now, thank you soo much for all your support, keep us in your prayers. I think of all of you so often, i couldn't be here or doing this without you!!
Much Love from Togo
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Numbers . . .
There's a scene in one of my favorite movies...goes something like this...
a hot shot asks Julia Robert's character for her number...exasperated with the guy, she whips around and says, "You want my number? How 'bout this for a number? 10 - that's how many months old my baby girl is. 6 - that's how old my other daughter is. 8 is the age of my son; 2 is how many times I've been married - and divorced. 16 is the number of dollars I have in my bank account. 850-3943. That's my phone number and with all the numbers I gave you, I'm guessing zero is the number of times you're gonna call it."
Haha! No, I'm not a single mother of 3 but I can relate to how Julia added up her current situation into just a few numbers.
Here's a few of the numbers running through my head:
6 million children dying every year. 80% of those deaths are from completely preventable sicknesses.
1 million people per dentist in Liberia.
21,000 dental procedures performed during the 9+ months they were in Benin.
10,000 patients treated by Mercy Ships dental team last year in Benin.
$1,400 per month for support to go serve with Mercy Ships dental team.
$3,500 to purchase a plane ticket.
69 days until I'm onboard the Africa Mercy.
33 days to be 75% funded.
54 days until my 20th birthday.
53 days and I board a plane, leaving Kansas for 7 months.
1 God. Most importantly, there's 1 God who is completely aware of every single one of those numbers. No number is too great for Him, nothin is impossible for God. He is completely capable of meeting every need.
So...whatever numbers you're facing...whatever trouble is adding up in your life, trying to overcome you, Psalm 139 is for us today:
"Psalm 139
O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
You hem me in — behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."
a hot shot asks Julia Robert's character for her number...exasperated with the guy, she whips around and says, "You want my number? How 'bout this for a number? 10 - that's how many months old my baby girl is. 6 - that's how old my other daughter is. 8 is the age of my son; 2 is how many times I've been married - and divorced. 16 is the number of dollars I have in my bank account. 850-3943. That's my phone number and with all the numbers I gave you, I'm guessing zero is the number of times you're gonna call it."
Haha! No, I'm not a single mother of 3 but I can relate to how Julia added up her current situation into just a few numbers.
Here's a few of the numbers running through my head:
6 million children dying every year. 80% of those deaths are from completely preventable sicknesses.
1 million people per dentist in Liberia.
21,000 dental procedures performed during the 9+ months they were in Benin.
10,000 patients treated by Mercy Ships dental team last year in Benin.
$1,400 per month for support to go serve with Mercy Ships dental team.
$3,500 to purchase a plane ticket.
69 days until I'm onboard the Africa Mercy.
33 days to be 75% funded.
54 days until my 20th birthday.
53 days and I board a plane, leaving Kansas for 7 months.
1 God. Most importantly, there's 1 God who is completely aware of every single one of those numbers. No number is too great for Him, nothin is impossible for God. He is completely capable of meeting every need.
So...whatever numbers you're facing...whatever trouble is adding up in your life, trying to overcome you, Psalm 139 is for us today:
"Psalm 139
O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
You hem me in — behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."
Sunday, March 14, 2010
"All you need is faith, trust and a little bit of pixie dust!"
This is what Peter Pan told Wendy, John and Michael right before their first solo flights around the nursery. Just those three little ingredients provided freedom from gravity. I was thinking about this today, as I go and speak to groups, email and call prospective sponsors, trying to gather financial and prayer support for my trip. I thought, "wouldn't it be great to just sprinkle some pixie dust and be able to get on that flight to Africa?"
Well, if we're going by Peter Pan, I'd still have to have faith and trust! Hmm...that's what got me back to the Bible, Jesus told his disciples, "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20
Jesus doesn't need pixie dust! With Jesus, all we need to do is have a little faith and trust!
He has promised, "If we ask anything according to God's will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request which we have asked from him." 1 John 5:14-15
Sooo. . .somehow in the next 60 days, I am trusting Jesus to make my flight possible! minus the pixie dust and pirates once I get there ;)
Well, if we're going by Peter Pan, I'd still have to have faith and trust! Hmm...that's what got me back to the Bible, Jesus told his disciples, "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20
Jesus doesn't need pixie dust! With Jesus, all we need to do is have a little faith and trust!
He has promised, "If we ask anything according to God's will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request which we have asked from him." 1 John 5:14-15
Sooo. . .somehow in the next 60 days, I am trusting Jesus to make my flight possible! minus the pixie dust and pirates once I get there ;)
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