Oh the glory that the Lord has made

I wasn't going to blog again. I thought about it. I thought maybe I'd do a blog about what it's like to be home after so long. Maybe I still will. But what brought me back to the blog today was an event I read about on the blogs of my friends who are still on the ship.

She was a sweet baby. I met her my very first weekend in Africa. She was nine months old but looked like and weighed about as much as a newborn. Her big brown eyes took in everything and nothing as she allowed everyone to hold her. She had been in the feeding program for so long. Her cleft lip and cleft palate did not allow her to achieve the suction she needed to nurse. So her mother brought her from Togo to Benin, to the Africa Mercy, for help.

Everyone loved her. Every woman from the ship felt like she was theirs. We all held her, took pictures with her, rubbed her back, and dreamed of the day she would be strong enough for surgery.

Towards the end of the time of surgeries in Benin, she finally was strong enough. They fixed her cleft lip, and she was to return when the ship with in Togo so that they could repair her palate.

Her mother brought her back. And, three days ago or so, she died. The sweet little girl that stole all our hearts.

My heart broke as I read that. Not for the sweet baby Anicette. She is in Heaven now, smiling with perfect lips, and being cradled by her Father. But my heart broke for her mother. Her family. And for us.

And I thought about how there are people around the world who are mourning her passing, the passing of a little baby from a tiny village in Togo. And how significant her life was because of that.

Then I realized that I had it all backwards. Her life was significant apart from us. We did not make her significant by knowing her, by loving her. We were appreciating what was already there. Had she died much younger, unknown by people of the western world, she would have still been significant. She is a child of God.

We read statistics about how many child die each day, from hunger, war, disease, and it's so easy to forget that each one of them is made in God's image. Each one of them has a story all their own, with people who cared about them. Each one of them is valuable. Each one of them is significant. We let the big picture blind us to the individual parts of the story. The people. And they are who matter.

We're not done yet, not going quietly into the night. Not me and my friends

I've spent a lot of time since my return thinking about the friends I've left behind. What are they doing right now? What time is it on the ship? Do they miss me? It doesn't help that I'm in a transition period between Mercy Ships and graduate school (I got in! I don't know if I mentioned that.) so I have little to do at the moment. I'm trying to follow the wise advise of my friend Megan, who was the physical therapist on the ship, "Girl, I don't want to hear you complain about being bored. Soon enough you will be so busy that you will wish you were back here with nothing to do!"


So anyway, as I miss my friends, and to continue with the tradition of tributes that I've started, I thought I'd tribute my friends who I've left behind:


My 4418 girls:
bottom row: Marianne, me, Rachael, Annie Lou
top row: Lyndsay, Bethany, Caitlin, Amy, Emma, Joy



Oh my beloved roommates, I could take up pages and pages of space for each of you, telling how wonderful you are, how much fun, how God has used you in my life. I can't believe how blessed I was that God would give me such incredible roommates. I've loved our dance parties, piles of people on each other's bunks, countless crazy moments, and the fact that you've loved me in spite of my being a crotchety old lady who needs her rest. I miss you all, individually, but as a whole too. Don't forget me, my friends! I love you girls!


Kim Anna




I'm so glad you decided to talk to me as we set sail from Benin. I thought you were so cool because you had sailed so many times and things like that, and I still think you are so cool, but for so many more reasons! I'm really excited to see where God is going to bring you in the next few years of your life. You are great, and I'm so glad we are friends! Love you girl!


Kendall





Oh man, how do I tribute you? I can't imagine a better coworker. You were so nice to have around! You listened when I complained, you sang with me, you talked. Thank you for making work so nice. But more than that, thanks for being my friend! You have wisdom beyond your years, and I have truly valued and loved our time together. Most of my memories of the ship have you in them, and pretty much all of my favorite ones do! I love you, my friend!

Chelsea



My friend, I enjoyed so much of our time together. We had some deep discussions, some not so deep discussions, and some amazing times. I loved working with you! You have a great family, and you are great yourself. I miss you, my love! SIGN IT!


Aimee




Best beloved, you are one of the most interesting people I've ever met. I've truely enjoyed your pancakes, your slightly manly innuedno voice, your reading times, your artwork, and YOU! Thanks for being my friend, and teaching me how to wear those smurf hats. I would have looked the fool otherwise! I love and miss you!


Everyone else

Danae and me on New Years


Friends on the Ghana trip: Ryan, Christina, Jamie, Kelly, Gry, and Becca



Six months is a long time, and I've made so many wonderful friends: Danae, Becca, Leah, Ernest, Gregory, Gray, many of the families, and more. Thanks for all having role in making this experience one of the best of my life. I'm so sorry if I've missed you, but that doesn't mean that I don't love you! God bless you all!

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep

My roommates plus Kim Anna and Kendall threw me a dance party in the crew galley. It became a little bit of a tradition for us in the month or so before my leaving. We blasted music, danced, sang, and my friends made me a cake. It was so much fun. People came into the crew galley and ended up joining the party. It was such a great way to spend my last night on the ship.

Kendall, me, and Emma

Dancing

:)

I spent my last day on the ship packing, taking pictures, and spending as much time as I could with my friends. As the hour of my departure drew near, my friends piled on my bed:

I was on there at one point too but I had to say bye to people who were coming bye. After we brought up stuff up to the lobby, Kendall and the girls presented me with a book. All my friends on the ship made me a page, then they laminated it. We all cried.

Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. These are some of the best friends I have ever had. I may never see some of them again.

My flights home went smoothly. I had a seven hour layover in London Heathrow. I have decided that this airport was designed by a sadist. I mean look at this hallway:

What point could such a hallway have?

Anyways, I read the book from my friends in the airport and fought back tears. I checked my email, I napped. It was a nice time.

On my flight over the Atlantic, I looked out the window and saw the ocean. It brought back all sorts of memories of sailing. Those were amazing times, and it was fun to think about them while I flew home.

I arrived in Denver to my parents and balloons.

Hello Seattle

Well, I am home safe and sound. But before I write about that, I wanted to write about my last week in Africa.

Work was fine. It was hard to tell my regulars that I was leaving. Everyone was shocked and saddened. I had been there longer than most of the short term people stay. It was hard to leave Kendall, my dear friend and co-worker. Although I would spend a lot of time with her, it is different to not work with someone.

The last Saturday on the ship Kendall and I decided to go to a very nice local hotel that gave Mercy Shippers a really great deal. We walked there in the typically extreme African heat, only to discover that that were full. Our dismay was lessened somewhat because we arrived around the time some other Mercy Shippers were being turned away, and they gave us a ride to the Seaman's Mission. The Seaman's Mission is a hotel/pool that is cheap and close to the port. Our friend Kim Anna and her family were there along with other families from the ship. We were invited to a Mercy Ministries event the next day, which we accepted. It turned out to be a very good day.

How we felt about the hotel turning us away:

How we felt at the Seaman's Mission, especially since Kim Anna was there:

Sunday we went to church and met a woman who Kendall sort of knows through people from her home church in St. Louis. Too complicated to explain. But church was nice and three hours long. We got to go in front and talk about what Mercy Ships was doing in Togo. We had a soda with the pastor, and barely made it home in time to change and head out.

The Mercy Ministry we were invited to was a kids day. It is an activity put on by Youth With a Mission. Basically there was a time of playing and then the kids listened (with impressive attention span) to a Bible story. At one point during the play time, Kendall and I had about 10 to 15 girls following us as we danced. It was really cute. Overall, it was a great day and a wonderful way to spend my last weekend in Africa.

Parachute time:

This kid was very affectionate:

Jumping rope:

Kendall, Lyndsay, me, and a cute little girl:

It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you!

I leave today at 19:45. I can't believe it. It has been the longest, fastest six months I've ever experienced. While I have some more to write about my last week here, I thought I'd write on my last day a couple of other things, and I will save the rest of it for when I get home.

First of all, in case any of you don't know yet, I got into graduate school. Therefore, should all things go according to plan, I will start at Colorado State University in late August with their occupational therapy grad program. I'm very happy and excited about this. It will be a lot of work, but I've felt like this is probably what I'm supposed to do for quite some time, and getting accepted into their program was so encouraging in that.

Second of all, I hate goodbyes. Through all the stress of packing and preparing to go, the thing I feel most anxious about is saying goodbye to people who I love so much who have become so close to me. We joke sometimes that a month in Mercy Ship time is about a year in real world time, so I've known some of these people for 6 years! When I left, I said goodbye to friends and family for a short amount of time. I may not see some of the people I've met here again until Heaven. That is hard. I know once the goodbyes are done, I will be able to focus on traveling and what I need to do to get home, but it's for sure the worst part about leaving.

The last thing for now is that I really have been noticing God's provision. I always wanted to travel. I always wanted to do grad school for something. But if either of these things had happened any time before now, I would not have been ready. God wrote my story so that I'd learn what I needed to and grow where I needed to. Any different timing and nothing would have working out the way it did. One of my favorite literary quotes is from the book Peace Like a River: "Is it hubris to believe that we all live epics?" I don't think it is. I have seen that there is an Author of my story who knows so much more than I do what needs to happen and where I need to go and what I need to do. And I am so grateful.

Well, I will post more once I get home, but this is my last blog in Africa. I've had so much fun, learned so much, made incredible friends, and basically had the time of my life. I will miss it, but I am starting to look forward to what is next.

Au revoir!

. . . I saw the figure of Jesus, standing barefoot on broken glass . . .

Today I got the opportunity to help with screening. The typical process when the Africa Mercy arrives in a country is to have a mass screening. Due to the elections that are coming up, Mercy Ships decided to change their screening process to avoid too large crowds for everyone's safety. Because of this change, I didn't think I would have the opportunity to take part in any sort of screening activities. However, I lucked out. I got to go help escort patients.

Our day started out at 6:30, when we left the ship for the handball stadium. We arrived to a long, orderly line of people. I helped to put out caution tape to direct people where they needed to go, and then it stared to rain. Fortunately it was a quick storm, and we got underway with barely a hitch.

My job was to guard the gate and escort patients to the area where they would be assessed by the medical professionals to see if they were eligible for surgery. I used my limited French to see how people were doing and interact with the children who were there. The day was a mixture of heartbreak and joy. One nurse told me they should write a book on how to tell someone their tumor isn't big enough for surgery. I got to watch her do just that a moment later. A man with a small tumor on his jaw came up. His face fell as she said it wasn't big enough for surgery. His friend scoffed but she explained that due to the limited time and resources of the ships, we had to prioritize the tumors that were life-threatening. The men walked away, and we all felt sad.

But there was hope! I escorted a man with a giant facial tumor to the screening area. I clumsily asked him how he was in French. "I speak English." was his response, in a clear, strong voice. I was taken aback, but in a pleasantly surprised way. He was scheduled for surgery, which was so encouraging.

As I looked over the line of people, I thought about how each and every one of them is made in the image of God. How Jesus died for each and every person there. Mercy Ships tries to have prayer teams available for the people who are turned away from surgery. I like that, because it shows that even if we can't help them physically, we still have hope in the great Physician. Only He can provide the hope and healing we all yearn for.

I was not able to take my camera to the screenings, so besides the picture of me in scrubs, the other photos were taken by Mercy Ships photographers on a different screening day.

I have decided I have to have a job that enables me to wear scrubs!


Professionally taken Mercy Ships photos:

L is for the way you look at me . . .

As I have mentioned, I live in the 1o berth cabin. This means that I have nine friends whenever I need them. They are amazing women, and I have been blessed to live with them. On Valentine's Day, we had a roommate dinner. We all made snacks of some variety, some of us dressed up, and we drew names and wrote a poem for whichever roommate we picked. We danced, sang, ate WAY too much sugar, and just had a wonderful time. Thanks, ladies, for making this year the best Valentine's ever!

Annie Lou, Caitlin, Bethany


Lyndsay and me


Emma, Amy, and Joy


The 4418 girls: Top row: Lyndsay, Bethany, Caitlin, Amy, Emma, Joy
Bottom row: Marianne, me, Rachael, Annie Lou