Transformation

Hey all! Week 11 is underway. It about time that I share some patient transformation stories! The overarching purpose of Mercy Ships is to bring hope and healing to the forgotten poor. The onboard hospital is only a small portion of the ship delivering hope and healing, but let me introduce you to some of the people whose lives are forever changed.

(Disclosure - the patients (or their caregivers) have given consent for their pictures to be taken and shared.)

Meet Aminata:

I first met her when she was admitted to the ward the night before surgery. She was the life of the party. She danced and sung, muttering words that were hard to understand through her cleft lip and palate. We danced with her and laughed until we cried. In the morning, she went to surgery for her cleft lip and palate repair. Upon returning from surgery, this little one had tubes in both of her nostrils, her mouth was incredibly painful, and she was scared. 

We worked day and night to get her back to her pre-surgery self. Her road to recovery was long and littered with challenges, but it gave us more time to show both Aminata and her mom how much we loved and cared from them. Aminata has since been discharged from the care of Mercy Ships. She is back in her village and looking forward to a bright future. Her mother thanked us over and over, telling us that she was praying God would bless us abundantly for helping Aminata.

Meet Hamadou:

This sweet boy was promised surgery the last time that the Africa Mercy was in Senegal in 2020. Unfortunately, the pandemic meant that the ship had to leave the country before it was able to fulfill all of the promises it had made to patients. He was one of the first patients that we welcomed onto D ward, the maxillofacial ward onboard. His surgery was quickly completed and the promise fulfilled.

With his lip fixed and his societal taboo lifted, his mother is hopeful that he will be able to attend school. Again, his shame was lifted and he is walking into a future full of hope. 

These are just two of the hundreds of people receiving life changing surgery while the ship is docked in Dakar. While I may not be able to meet each patient, I know that each will be loved well onboard. Each will leave the ship knowing the face of love, whether their surgeries are successful or not. Each has been prayed for and prayed over. 

Perhaps you find yourself in a similar place to these patients. Maybe you feel rejected by society and like there is no hope for healing or restoration. Do you feel tossed aside as if you hold no value? The big, white ship I work on has come to be known as a symbol of hope for the people of West Africa. I'd like to offer hope to you that far exceeds what a hospital ship can bring...the hope that is found in Jesus. He views each of us as his treasured children. He looks at us with a love that can never be surpassed by anything is this world. In Him, you will never again be rejected or cast aside. But that requires some action on your part. Will you choose to live a life with the greatest hope? It's simple. Romans 10:9-10 tells us the steps.

Romans 10:9-10 ...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

That's it. It's that simple. I urge you to choose the greatest hope. Allow the Lord to begin a transformation in your life. Just like the people cared for on the Africa Mercy, your life will be forever altered and a new future written. I pray that you choose hope. Love you all!

Prayer Requests:

• We're starting new surgical specialties on the ship - plastics (burn contracture releases). Prayers for the surgeons hands and quick physical healing for patients.
• Health for the crew.
• For the love of Christ to be shared and transform lives.