LOVE In ACTION!!

FIRST...........Praise GOD for answered prayers for Eric Hoffert!!......My best friends son was in a terrible car accident and sustained a head injury and multiple fractures in his face. He required neurosurgery.......He is now stable and making progress. PRAISE GOD for healing and the strength and courage for his family!!! Please continue to keep Eric and his family in your prayers :)

I thought I would post "ME" first.......just in case you all forgot my CUTE, SMILING FACE!!!!

Check out the painted nails.......compliments of the little girls in "A" Ward :)

Start of Shift Priorities.................We begin our shift with prayer and praise.......receive report from the previous shift....and then.......get our nails painted and hair done!!!

Imagine what the world would be like if we ALL started our day with the intent to LOVE Others......as Jesus Loved Others!!

The Mission here on Mercy Ships is “Incarnational Love”........which means 

LIVING OUT THE LOVE!!!........instead of just talking about it!

Smiles of LOVE
Before and After

 We had so much fun with these girls on "A" Ward
Note: Many children that require plastic surgery related to burns. Almost all cook over a fire. As with all children, they like to run around and play......and the danger is falling or tripping into the fire!!
I am amazed at the extent of their burns.......The pain they must have gone through and usually so little treatment at the time. 

My Co-Workers

There is always a card game going on!!

Every Night we got Julie...the bright smiling teenager on the right to start us off with playing the bongo and singing!! I am starting to get the rhythm!!

Babies I took care of this week

 Our Little Guy that came to us in Acute Respiratory Distress with a large tumor in his mouth..........Praise GOD!!!......Smiling once again !!!!!

One of the Secrets of Life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others!  (Lewis Carroll)

Random Thoughts to Living on the Ship (Community Living)

• Settling In.......new groups of people have come in, more people to meet :)
• Truly a “life learning” opportunity......meet so many people, form instant friendships......yet there is constant change going on!........I am starting to believe that this style of life fits very well for me..at least at this time in my life!........Perhaps this is a time of learning.....i’ve always struggled with long term work experiences......I tend to place expectations on work experiences and people and often find discouragement. In this environment, one really cannot have expecations....one must really learn to live one day at a time and make the most of each moment.....there is no need to get to wrapped up in the day to day frustrations recogizing this is just short term and each is just doing the best they can. It is when you feel trapped in a relationship or a work environement that one feels the need to change the situation so that you can survive for the long term!.......God shares with us “to not worry about tomorrow”.....”to live one day at a time”.........I’ve been trapped in jobs and relationships that I spent all my time frustrated and trying to change......now.......i can “float” from day to day and enjoy the moment!.......If it becomes to complicated, I can move on!!.....
• End of the 4th week....Exhaustion is the key word this week.......We all hit the ground running very fast....taking very little time for “down time”.....there is always something going on and we don’t want to miss it!.......Now, we are all tired. Imagine a busy “social” day......perhaps you meet your friend for breakfast, then maybe someone for lunch...by dinner you are exhausted and you lay around the rest of the night......Here, you sit with 5 - 10 people for breakfast......then another group for lunch.....then another group for dinner......and then you play cards with someone else......and then you start the whole process the next day.........Awe.....to learn how to pace “community living”......exercise, meetings, works, worship...fun.....meals.....
• Truly a time of learning.....some moments/hours I become so weak and vulnerable......and then, someone comes into my “space” and shares their similar experience......I find out that my feelings are “normal”......When someone else shares the same feelings/fears.....then it seems OK.....easier to overcome the fear
• Everytime I feel like backing out and going home......I recognized this is my time to learn and grow! If I back out now......I may miss out on some wisdom that I needed to take with me in life!!.........At this point.....I really miss the Metro Parks!!.....Fresh Air and Green Trees!! (Thanks Judy for teasing me with that picture of you and Scot)

Life /Spiritual Thoughts :)

 I love the people of the Congo!!!.......They have so much faith...........They LOVE to sing and worship God!!! 

This is a weekend retreat that was going on......They often pray and fast for hours.....praying for peace throughout the world!.....They have so little, yet GIVE so much!!

 Church in the middle of the Congo

I often struggle with life and people, with pointless living and feeling like I am going in circles, repeating the same drama over and over again. Now I come to realize this has occurred since the beginning of time - the stories in the Bible show/reveal that to us. They show us "Free Will" - they give us a path to travel - yet our free will gives us the option to choose.                 

If your life seems pointless or you feel you are on a treadmill, repeating the same drama's over and over again......Perhaps you missed the boat!........Perhaps you are traveling down the wrong path. ............The stories in the old testament are about God bringing the people out of the wilderness to the promised land. Perhaps those stories are for us to reflect on.....perhaps we are not supposed to be in the wilderness forever.....Perhaps "God brought us out of the wilderness to bring us into LIFE"!!....Perhaps that "restless energy" is God trying to pull you out of the wilderness and into LIFE!! Perhaps our lives are not to be self-centered, but people centered instead. Perhaps we are to bear "Fruit"....engage in life, leave a legacy for this world, help others, love others! Perhaps the drama, the treadmill would stop if we chose the path that God/universe laid out for us!!

For me.......I've jumped off the treadmill......Running, going quickly with energy to the "land of promise".......so that I can bear much fruit!! I choose to live my life focused on the path that God has laid out for us.....I choose to glorify God.....I choose to serve, I choose to engage...i choose to take care of God's flock!.........I've learned/or am learning to love God, love one another, provide connection, love and encouragement for myself and others...........When I find it difficult......then I do as Jesus showed us....i pray, I ask for help/guidance, Study Scripture and position myself around those that can guide and encourage me and not those that pull me back onto the treadmill!

Mother Tereasa / The Simple Life 

• Works of love are always works of peace
• Whenever you share love with others, you will notice the peace that comes to you and to them
• When there is peace, there is God - that is how God touches our lives and shows His love for us by pouring peace and joy into our hearts.

Lead me from Death to Life

From Falsehood to Truth

Lead me from Despair to Hope

From Fear to Trust

Lead me from Hate to Love

From War to Peace

Let Peace fill our Hearts

Our World, Our Universe

PEACE, PEACE, PEACE

AMEN!!!!!

Random Photos from this Week

Jelly Fish ............all around the ship

My new favorite clothing store!!!!!

The "always" smiling girl is my roommate Heather.....yes, we have two Heather's from Canada in our room

 Yummy!!!!..........French Pastries

Look at that AWESOME cast........I put that on Heather!!

There is even a Golf Course in the middle of the Congo!!

 Random boys that appeared from the village when we drove out to the gorge. ....Many have never seen a "white girl" :)

Welcome to the Congo!!!!

Please email me from time to time and fill me in on what you are doing :)

kwagz44@yahoo.com

Fun and Lots of Laughing in Week 3

There is so much to share, just from one week

Sundays Dinner!! :)

Patient Stories - I just love working in the wards!.....it is amazing how all the patients help each other out.......require such little medication for post-op pain......get up and moving so quickly after surgery......our hernia repair patients are going up 4 flights of stairs to go outside one day after surgery.

A typical shifts consists of passing meds, playing games and carrying babies on our backs!!.........Mom’s who are having surgery bring their babies in with them because they are breastfeeding.......so we get two to care for instead of one......Since I have no grand babies yet, I love grabbing up these precious little chocolate babies !!!

It took me a second to adjust to the fact that when Mom’s breastfeed they let their “Ta Ta’s” hang out in front of everyone.....including men that are sitting next to them in bed.I am told the breast of African women are not a “sexual” part of the body!

Funny.......Our poor day workers, these fellows are from the Congo and are hired to help us translate......mind you, they have no Healthcare background......I think we have exposed them to more then they ever wanted to see. We laugh, yet it is so embarrassing for them to ask patients if they have “Ka ka” (Pooped) or peeeed!

We did have a very sad story this week...a precious little 4 year old did pass away. She had a large tumor in her palate that was blocking her airway and it was cancerous. From my understanding she bypassed the screening process and was sent directly here from another hospital. Once here, they biopsied and found the tumor to be cancerous. Because there is not follow up care for cancer treatment, they chose not to operate because the tumor will come back. So, she was placed on palliative care. She was so smart and adorable, yet often struggled to breath. She began to bleed from her mouth...I held her and felt she was going to pass away then. She did hold on and passed the next morning. Ironically, she passed away while being papoosed on the back of one of the nurses. Very sad for all!!

This pictures are just a few of the people we have or will do surgery on while in the Congo!

Above -- Before Surgery
Below - After Surgery

He is Doing Awesome!!

My Roommate....Heather from Canada!

The Hospital Ward

Congo Life

This weekend was a great ending to the week. My roommate Heather befriended two of the Congolese Day Workers who offered to take us around the area. “Momma Kathy” wanted to see a village......so we headed to the village!....Both days we traveled to the village.....After bartering with the taxi driver we begun our journey flying through the streets, in and out of traffic and then off to the sand roads....I felt like I was in a dune buggy once we got out of the city!  

Crazy Driving through the sand!

My two roommates.......Betsy from LA and Heather from Canada
We found this beautiful beach that went for miles!
There are some cottages along the way that are owned by "white people".....our hope is to rent one for the weekend.......We just need to find out who these "white people" are!  :)

They offered to let "Momma Kathy" Drive

This picture is  out of order.......It is smoked fish that we got at the restaurant

Flowers in the Taxi

Friends..........Casey from Texas......Fred from Everywhere......Me and Aimee.......He is one of the Day Workers who took us around on Saturday

Me and Philrese!.........Taken at the Gorge
Philrese took us to his families home.......His mother cooked us an Awesome Meal

Pig Roast............They have a Pig Farm......That cute little pig at the beginning of my Blog will be dinner next week!!

Yummy Pig!!!

On our way to look at the fish pond

Dinner is being served!!

Philrese and his Family

Saturday......... true Congolese restaurant.......Very interesting!........This was a “hole in the wall” place down an alley......the food was awesome!.......So, we learned that you barter for the price of the food.....the fish, chicken are on the grill and then there were pans of foods that you peeked under and told them what you wanted.....It took us about 20 minutes to negotiate the food and price that we wanted!........i had my first Cassava....It is a major staple in Africa......(Of course I like it because it is a Carb!!) Our patients get it everyday. I comes wrapped in a big leaf.

Chicken on the Grill

Pans of Fish...Legumes.......Cassava.......You picked what your wanted

Dinner is served!!

Fred and Casey dancing after dinner!

Spiritual

• I am amazed at how spiritual all the young Congo people are......God is truly the center of their lives!
• Many have told me how brave and courageous I am for going on this trip. I did not think of it that way........It was my way of running close to the embrace of God!!..............A safe Haven!!
• It is funny......many have said and I now understand why.......They went to serve and now are being served”!.......The patients are so thankful, loving and fun......The crew members are awesome and loving. I am surrounded by people journeying through life that choose to use scripture to guide them and have lots of fun at the same time!!
• I admit, I am shedding some tears.....they come without warning......I realize these tears come NOT from a need to be consoled....but from the recognition of the reality that I am “unfolding”.....The truth in me is being revealed....It is ALL good.......yet the love I feel is overwhleming .......thus the tears are flowing from underlying JOY!
• I can now be myself and center myself around those who choose to sow the fruits of the spirit......patience, kindness, love, joy, temperance, and self-control......and those who choose to encourage one another!!.

Community Living

• Blessed to have 6 in my room that all get along and have fun together
• always someone to eat with
• You are never alone......yet, I have found places to go to be alone.....the pool at night, the library, even my room sometimes
• Roll out of bed, turn my  little light on and put my makeup on while I wait for my turn in the bathroom
• I washed two loads of clothes while I worked the other night
• Can get all my errands done in less than 10 minutes...go to bank, stop at store, go to Starbucks, drop off book at library......
• Whatever you want to do you can do......chill out, read, play on computer, chat, play games, have dutch blitz tournaments, go shopping, go out to eat, sit at pool, lay out at beach, exercise.....we even have pilates on the Deck overlooking the port and city, Bible Studies, practice French.....even a Free Rosetta Stone series to learn French!

Good Books  

I laugh because I said I was not going to read anything “deep” on the ship.....well, that did not last for long...we have an awesome library of “BOOKS”......AWE!!!.....I can sit with a cup of coffee, lounge on the couch and read....Life is Good!!

• Gray Matter - Dr David Levy...A neurosurgeon that is on the ship wrote this book....he shares a great story of initial rebellion toward faith in life and then over the years how he was transformed. He did a couple of inspirational talks while on the ship!!  
• Mother Teresa - A Simple Path
• Faith is Not a Feeling - Ney Bailey

Wisdom........for those of you who miss having a glass of wine with me and discussing life!!!

• 75% of life is made up of struggles, concerns, frustrations and trials. That 75% will always be with us. LET your life be characaterized by the 75%, not with unbelief, but with faith, by believing God and hoping in him. 
• In the other 25%, trust the LORD and go out and have a good time!!

Jesus said.......”In the world, we will have troubles”

Negative circumstances and people do not put negative reactions in our hearts...they merely reveal what is already there.........God’s word is not meant to be a threat but a PROMISE of all that He wants to do in my life by His spirit. 

So.......take personal responsiblity for our own behavior and finding a passage of scripute that will minister to that need.

Suggestion from book:.......For that particular situation, reflect on the following:

1. Things I like about the situation
2. Things I don’t like about the situation
3. My reactions or responses to the situation
4. What God might want to teach me or specific scripture to discusses it

You may find that person or circumstance that initlly seemed to be a noose around your neck becomes a blessing God has given to teach you more about his character and help to chisel away some of your own flaws!

God is the only “constant” in life and everything else is a variable. If we put our hopes in variables, we will invariably be disappointed!

If we place our hopes in another persons performance or even our own , our lives will become a roller coaster ride, simply becuase performances go up and down!