6 weeks

In just about six weeks, I will be aboard the Africa Mercy in Lomé, Togo Africa. I have received endless emails from people who previously served on the ship, from people that are currently on break in Tenerife, and from a few that are newbie’s like me. All of them are providing such great tid-bits of information. One person suggested that I bring magnet hooks. Apparently the cabins are magnet able, and we can hang things from the walls with them. Another person told me to bring “dressy” clothes because people from the west part of Africa like to dress up for events. I remember this being the case in Nigeria.

I would have flip-flops on while the local women were wearing high heels and silk skirts with gorgeous well-starched white blouses. Nigerian woman are very fashionable, always, even to just wash clothes or gather the daily water. Another person informed me that there is indeed a Starbucks on the ship, so I should bring a large mug with me. And there is a satellite phone system on the ship so I will not have difficultly calling home (and there is always skype).

Also, thank you friends, for all of the wonderful notes, visits, and phone calls I have received from everyone. I am abundantly blessed by you. The holidays soon draw to a close, as does the first decade of this millennium. Have ten years just gone by? I was in Nigeria just over 10 years ago. My first trip to Africa. I got off of the plane in Lagos. My group had managed to find themselves at the front of the queue and I found myself stuck between two large men, who were blaring at the top of their lungs at one another, only to find that they were good friends and were having a discussion about the latest futbol match. I thought to myself “my mother is right, what am I doing in Africa?” That was the last scary moment I ever had there.

Every other part of the journey to Nigeria was sensational. I am sure that not everyone on the trip would have agreed with me, but I LOVED IT! And I am so really looking forward to going back to this part of the world again. Nights in this area are incredible, and I still dream of the large tree outside of my dorm window that would sway back and forth all night long creating a rhythmic hum of a lullaby that would rock the seminary to sleep.

I often think of the comforting full moon the first night of our arrival. That shined on us the entire 8 hour bus ride from Lagos to Owerri. It was the largest full moon I had and probably will ever see. My hand couldn’t cover it up! I learned a lesson that night, to not pack all of my cameras in one bag (that was situated on the bottom of the greyhound like bus), but to keep one in my satchel too.

Now, I am preparing for my journey 2010. If you have worked with me, you know that I have a love to post-its. God created them even though He doesn’t need them, but new all Admins over the world would! My home office is covered in them, and there are notes for notes! I just have 6 weeks to get it ALL done. Meds, camera check, get taxes done, etc!

And in the midst of all the hustle and bustle I get stories like this one… permission to share with you?

…“When the tumor first appeared, my husband and I took Alba to the hospital, but we didn’t have money to pay for it, so they wouldn’t treat her. We had to use traditional medicine,” said Ankosua. Alba was taken out of school so her mother could give her the traditional medicine daily.

When asked how the community treated Alba, Ankosua stared at the floor and remained silent. After a 10-second pause, she looked up, her eyes filled with tears, and she painfully replied, “Some people received Alba with good hands. They prayed for her and encouraged me. But others shunned her. They said, ‘Go away, we don’t want to see you.’”

Whenever it was time to eat or drink, Alba hid herself from other people. If she went out in public, she kept the tumor covered with a rag. It served as a disguise and caught the foul-smelling and constant drainage. …surgery on Mercy Ships… Still attached to noisy monitors and IV fluids, Alba had been dozing in and out of sleep since returning to the Africa Mercy ward. Finally, a few hours after surgery, she opened her eyes and sat up. Seeing she was awake, Becca, her nurse, came to Alba’s bedside and handed her a small mirror.

Alba looked down, paused in a state of bewilderment, and began touching the empty space on her mouth. The tumor was gone. After 20 seconds of staring, a single tear rolled down her cheek. With great determination, she tried not to cry. But another and then another tear soon followed. Finally, she gave up trying to hold them back and cried freely. Alba’s tears were earned through years of heartache and rejection. They were mature and raw – heavy tears for an eight-year-old to cry.

Ankosua stood next to her bed the entire time, carefully observing her daughter. When Alba began crying, she turned away. Ankosua couldn’t bear looking into her tear-stained eyes. After two hopeless years of discouragement and depression, healing had finally come. The mixture of joy and pain in that moment expressed itself in tears.

When Alba regained her composure, Ankosua returned to the bedside. Carefully, she wrapped her arm around Alba, who then buried her head on Ankosua’s chest. As Alba’s tears collected on her shirt, Ankosua did her best to be strong. But her heart was too overwhelmed with joy. Tears of relief and joy flooded her eyes as well.

They sat and cried together, each tear serving as a testimony to the transforming power of God’s mercy. …

Would you like to see the photos?

The before and after?

Before:

Ready…for the after?

And it all just fades away. There isn’t any gift wrapped under the tree that could give a gift like this. There isn’t anything at Neiman-Marcus or at Bloomies that could make my soul this warm in winter. I don’t care about the mug for Starbucks or what is happening with our local sports team. All of those are cool, great, whatever! I think of this story and the countless others on Mercy Ships, and my cup is full! FULL!

So very FULL!

Psalm 24 v.1&2

1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it;

2 for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.