I worked Mon, Tues, Wed night shift from 7pm-7am. They were good shifts. Things have been really good here and I am not happy about leaving here next Friday. I am trying not think about it. You can't stop time. I'm sure there is a reason why I am just here for the 2 months, but it just doesn't seem nearly enough time. There are so many things I want to learn about the other things going on with the ship such as well digging projects, agriculture, outpatient clinic, dental, opthamology, etc. Oh well, I'm not going to dwell on it. I am just going to enjoy the next week.
There are many amazing surgeries that are being done here and it is awesome to see the smiles of all the people we help. However, this week, I also saw a lot of sadness. We seem to get a lot of patients with old eye injuries that come in and have surgery on their eye, and sometimes have to have it removed. We had an 18 year old girl who had to have part of her left leg amputated. We have had to turn people away that show up at the gate for random things that we can do surgery on, but the surgery schedule is completely full and we can't help everyone. Mercy Ships refers these people to local hospitals, but you don't always know if they will actually get the help they need.
Last night at about 4:30 in the morning, one of the patients came to talk to me. He is French speaking so I had a hard time understanding his English. I will tell you what I got out of what he was saying to me. He must have heard me say I was leaving next week. He said "Don't forget about God when you go home". He said that now I am surrounded in a house of God, in a place that is surrounded by his presence. I believe he was referring to the environment on the ship. He said that when I go home and go back to a job that pays me, don't forget about what you saw here. Don't forget about Jesus, because he is coming again soon.
I am getting so much more out of this trip than I am giving. Doesn't that always seem to be the case with short term mission trips?
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2 comments:
Lynnel,
Wow! What an amazing testimony. You may feel that you are getting more than you are giving but remember that you are part of a community of givers, and that as you do your part they are better able to do their part, which means that you are all serving the people of Liberia.
Try to make the most of this next week but consider the fact that if it's in God's plan you may someday end up returning to Mercy Ship. It isn't going anywhere (except maybe to the next port of call).
Lots of love,
Becky
dear lynnel-life is ironic- i read your thursday testimony, and it sounds familiar- i just read a verse in Proverbs to the same effect, that "your OWN soul is nourished when you are kind"--it is so true in Christian service, that the one who renders the service receives a blessing at least as great as the recipient of the service!thanks for your messages and accounts of mercy ship life-dad
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