Ready for Right Now

Every day is an adventure, a gift from God, and we get to decide how we want to spend it. “Set my sights on tomorrow, when I’m tripping over today...starting right here, right now, with the very next words of love to be spoken, to the very next heart that’s shattered and broken, to the very next way you’re gonna use me, show me the next thing, I’ll do the next thing”. I just want to share some of the moments that God has led me through in the last two weeks.

Love: when a surgeon removes a 13kg tumour from a woman’s back, one that has been growing since birth, and now she has literally had a weight lifted off her shoulders and can lie on her back for the first time. 

On Christmas day lots of crew went to the
HOPE Center to help handout gifts to the
kids - and we also played some rugby!

Thoughtfulness: when you go to the HOPE Center to visit your friends who are working (and the kids), and your friend suggests bringing them pizza and it turns out to be the best idea because you get to show them how much you love them.

History: walking the 4km slave route to the Gate of No Return, having great conversations and discovering a delicious local restaurant along the way.

Tasting: having friends who make you try new things and some of them actually turn out to be pretty good! Pineapple gets a thumbs up, Falafel not so much. And the homemade guacamole that they made me try was definitely the best.

Servant Hearts: There are so many amazing servants here. Often we are short handed in certain departments and crew will come help out in other areas where they have expertise. Everyone pitches in. We have a mechanic fitter helping fix cars; an Internet Support Services Specialist helping out the Academy as an Art Teacher; a dining room team member helping in IS; a receptionist helping in rehab; chaplains helping in the engine room and reception and the academy; and the list goes on and on.

At the Ponseti dance party. Pure joy.

Celebration: having a dance party at the Ponseti clinic to celebrate new straight feet! Seeing the moms dance and sing so loud in worship and being so thankful to God for healing their babies.

Excellence: 6am fire drills that make people leave their cabins half asleep and push the fire teams to be ready at any time.

Boat Rides: I had an opportunity to go visit another stilt village, complete with a mosque, church, school, well, fishing industry, bars and restaurants and hotels, etc. Around 50,000 people live there. The kids start paddling their boats at around 4 years old and they have to travel by boat everywhere they go.

Story time: Getting to listen to Dr.Gary tell inspiring stories to my visitors. We had a situation a few months back where a patient had to go into emergency surgery and the emergency medical team did an amazing job of saving the patient’s life. Afterwards, Dr.Gary said many of the hospital leaders were meeting and going over everything that happened and discussing what they could do better next time, etc. and then he went into the wards and the patients were in there dancing and singing and celebrating and thanking God because the patient was alive! A good reminder to not get so caught up in the future that we forget the present, that we forget to thank God for all the good things He has done.

The Canadian Vision Team that I hosted.

Privileged: Hosting a group of lovely Canadian vision trip guests. So nice to have people who literally speak your language, have familiar accents and a similar worldview. I was reminded of why I love my job – I get to brag about Mercy Ships, and show off all the amazing work God is doing here.

Patriotism: having so many American friends has certainly changed my views on Americans (in a good way). They’ve also introduced me to a large amount of country music that I had never heard before (not that pop country stuff), and it is hilarious to listen to what they sing about. There’s definitely a lot of patriotism, trucks and beer. Oh, and girls.

Management Training: realizing that your boss has all the qualities that everyone just listed as being the qualities they look for in a boss. Because she’s amazing. In fact, she’s such a good leader that I don’t think I can give her up. But more on that another time. Also, realizing that you don't have all those qualities you look for in a leader which means you’ve got a lot of things to work on.

Local TV: Hosting the national TV station at the eye clinic and I can’t help but be touched when the patients they interview talk about how nice and lovely we were to them. Not just that they were healed or that it was free, but that we were kind and loving with them. That’s the heart of what we do and what we want to be remembered for – showing the love of Jesus, a love that doesn’t make sense!

I gave Sharon a hard time but I'm glad we got this picture!

Life Giving: getting to spend the weekend at the orphanage that we visit, Arbre de Vie (Tree of Life), which always lives up to its name. It’s such a life-giving time for all of us, every time we go. We cleaned out some empty store rooms, tore up the floors and laid out some new concrete. I’m always amazed by the strong women that I am surrounded by here. We played with the kids, ate delicious food, played games with the adults, spent quiet time with God, went to their local church, bought the kids lunch, and just hung out. It’s a much slower pace of life out there.

Road Trips: Hosting 3 Dutchies who are driving from the tip of Norway all the way to South Africa and visiting NGOs along the way. They only stayed for 5 hours and yet they told me they felt like family while they were with us. They were amazed by the level of organization and by the passion of the crew. I love it hearing those things!

Leveling up: French braiding my own hair for the first time, who knew I’d ever have enough hair to do that?

Sing Alongs: watching Tarzan with a whole group of friends and everyone belting along to every song. Oh and watching Tangled with a lot of the ship kids and your friends being surprised that you know all the words but really that movie is one of your absolute favourites and makes you cry every time because God is so good, And at last I see the light, And it’s like the fog has lifted, And at last I see the light, And it’s like the sky is new, And it’s warm and real and bright, And the world has somehow shifted, All at once everything looks different, Now that I see You.

I'm ready for the next moment. Not tomorrow, not this summer, not Cameroon. I'm ready for right now. God is at work and I can't wait to see what He will do.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ~ John 8:12