Kathy's Mercy Ship Adventures: Taste and See that the Lord is Good!

"Taste and See that the Lord is good: blessed is the man who takes refuge in him"

Psalm 34:8

Praise God for all the Transformation that is Going on with the Patients, Families and Crew!

Praise God for Healing!

Praise God for the wonderful sense of community amongst everyone on the ship!

Praise God for Giving the Surgeons the skills to perform very difficult surgeries!
Praise God for decreasing the barriers and opening the way for our patients to arrive on the ship!!
Praise God for the beautiful singing and worship that goes on every evening with the patients!!
Praise God for all of our leaders on the ship! They are amazing!!
Praise God for the wisdom and faith that our Congolese patients share with us!!

Please pray for all those effected by the Ebola Virus that has spread to the people of Guinea.
Please pray that the virus is quickly eradicated and no further deaths occur.

I am AMAZED with all the wisdom God has revealed to me while living in the Congo on Mercy Ships!!

As many have said........”I came to serve, yet was served”

Sadly, the time of this wonderful adventure is drawing to an end in 8 weeks. I look back and reflect on the mixed bag of emotions I have endured since last February. I went from overwhelming pain, sadness, grief, let down, frustration, and anxiety to peace, joy and forgiveness. I sought to see, learn and grow while I was here. I came to God with an open heart and mind and prayed that I would be shown my own faults and ways that kept me from loving and receiving love. I dove into reading scripture and journaling on a daily basis. The stories, characters and wisdom of the Bible came alive! I allowed God to transform my thoughts into His. Needless to say, it has been a very emotional period in my life, yet I come to this time with so much peace, forgiveness, mercy and understanding.

I find myself at this crossroad in life now. All doors are open, yet unsure of what the future will bring. What I know for sure is that I will always walk with God as I find grace, mercy, comfort, connection, wisdom, forgiveness and understanding. These are all characteristics that I expected from all those around me. I learned that none of us are perfect, we all desire these, yet all are at different places in life to give or receive them.

"Stand at the crossroads and look, ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls"

Jeremiah 6:16

Now, being “Filled with the Spirit of God” I can now just love and enjoy those around me.
Thank You Lord!

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style”

― Maya Angelou

As always........just some random pictures from the last few weeks :)

My Roomates!

Maren - Germany Solveig - Norway

Hannah - U.S Sharon - U.K. Becky- Canada

The President of the Republic Congo Visited Mercy Ships!!

Very Amazing. He was escorted by 300+ people

Another Fun Day with the Seniors!

I met this Beautiful Lady, Anne Marie, during the first few weeks of serving. I was just friendly to her and she promised to make me a dress. She came back in February to have her goiter removed and I was at home. She says she thought we would not see her again. Well, we did!!! She came in for an outpatient follow up visit and the hugs were awesome!!

She invited us to her home and gave me this beautiful dress that she had made for me!!

More HUGS!!

Great Day with Anne Marie...Lunch at a local Congolese Restaurant and then off to the beach for Worhsip!! Awe....Life is Good!!

I already has this dress being made at the tailor when Anne Marie gave me the one she had made for me. The African Materials are so Beautiful!!!

We are able to invite patients and their families to tour the rest of the ship. This is lovely Danielle who had a orthopedic surgery and spent months in the hospital and at the Hope Center. She now is free of casts, crutches and can walk and run up and down steps. Praise God!!!

Danielle's Mother......Mama Olga!

A couple Rounds of Skippo!!!

Just like at home!

Our Oldest and Youngest Patient's admitted for Goiter Removal!

Fun at the Boy's Orphanage

Another wonderful Story of Transformation!!
PRAISE GOD!!

You may remember Grace, but you probably won’t recognize her.

Grace was one of our first patients up the gangway in Congo. On September 10^th, Mercy Ships surgeons removed the massive tumor from her face. It’s been six weeks since her surgery, but 17-year-old Grace is as sassy as ever – and she’s looking like a whole new young woman.

“God is good because He did a big thing for me. I did not believe that I could be saved, but God has had grace. Mercy Ships arrived in Pointe Noire, they treated me, and I am better today,” Grace says.

Grace’s journey to the Africa Mercy began with an email. A hospital chaplain from neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo met Grace at a hospital there. The chaplain, Pastor Gregoire, was shocked by Grace’s facial tumor, which weighed 4.9 pounds (2.2 kilos.) Pastor Gregoire came alongside Grace, counseling and praying with her. He says she was often so distraught that she cried all night. Sometimes she refused to eat or drink. “Indeed, she suffered,” he says simply.

Pastor Gregoire took a photo of Grace and published it on his blog. A reader responded to his post, recommending that he visit mercyships.org, an organization that might be able to help. From there, Pastor Gregoire contacted the Mercy Ships Swiss office and exchanged emails with Christophe Baer. Through Christophe, Pastor Gregoire sent Grace’s medical records and reports to the Africa Mercy. The response was positive. Grace and Pastor Gregoire were asked to arrive in Pointe Noire, in the Republic of Congo, on September 2^nd.

Grace’s story is a chain of mercy forged by compassionate hearts, and their efforts were rewarded. Grace will have a second surgery on December 17^th. Until then, she is recovering in the Mercy Ships Hospital Out Patient Extension Center (HOPE Center), where she has become the champion UNO player. As Mercy Ships nurses will tell you, Grace dominates every hand – and don’t even think about challenging her to Jenga!

In a few months, Grace will return home and begin school. She hopes to study medicine one day, she says. Grace wants to be a nurse.

Please stay tuned, and keep those prayers coming for Grace’s next surgery.