rest

Baby Greg went to meet Jesus last night at 6:45pm. He has fought a long, hard battle here on the Africa Mercy. He had his surgery about 5 weeks ago and has had good days and bad days, but he kept trying. He had a very hard time breathing and he would kick and flail is noodle like limbs. But last night he had enough and without drama he left this world and went to be with Jesus, to rest.... finally.

Marion is Baby Greg's Mama. She used to live with her parents until her dad kicked her mom out of their house and married another woman. The new wife made Marion and her siblings move out of the house. Their community came to talk to the father and he agreed to let them move back in and he paid for them to go to school.

Marion got pregnant and her dad was furious. He said some very powerful words that are believed to be a curse. He told her that she will never hold her own children in her arms. She gave birth to twins but they both died. Marion got pregnant again and had beautiful Baby Greg, but he had a large mass on on his neck and now he rests in the arms of Jesus.

When I saw Marion she was obviously wrecked to the core of her being, All I could think of was You are not alone.

In John 14 in the Message Jesus says it so eloquently . "I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you. Peace. I don't leave you the way you're used to being left- felling abandoned, bereft. So don't be upset. Don't be distraught. " You are not alone.

You Are Not Alone

Sometimes you get so weary

You run to forget

Keep yourself so busy

Anything to cover up that

Sometimes life just don't make sense

And the reason for your running

Is a longing to be known

Someone who says your life is worth it

Someone captured by your heart

Someone you gave up on long ago

You are not alone

You are not alone

His love is all around

And He holds you even now

You are not alone

He will not leave you orphaned

That's a promise He has made

When others leave you empty

When the world has left you broken

Still He will not walk away

So come and lay down all your questions

Lay down your striving to be free

He has loved you since you've breathed

He will love you for forever

Really what more do you need

--Kate Hurley

Get your swirl on!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread, delicious with coffee...toasted and spread with real butter.

It takes a coating of cinnamon and sugar (I like 2/3 brown to 1/3 white sugar) to the flattened dough, a triple fold over on to itself...then smash it flat (I don't use the rolling pin, just my hands) and then another coating of the cinnamon & sugar, then just protocol the dough up like you were making cinnamon rolls.  And roll it as tight as you can get it before dropping it into the bread pan.

When folding and rolling use thin coats of cinnamon & sugar with no butter to get great looking (& tasting) results without your bread 'separating' while slicing after you are done cooling it from baking in the oven.

He is ABLE

Elizabeth is a 60 year old woman who is devoted to Jesus with her whole heart. She noticed a lump on the right side of her neck 4 years ago and it continued to grow and grow. Her family brought her to the ship on Thursday and was seen by our general surgeon Dr. Bruce. She was diagnosed with a large thyroid mass that would be risky to remove. The mass has invaded her neck and forced her trachea (wind pipe) to the side causing a problem when trying to secure an airway for surgery.

As Elizabeth walked down the hallway this mass is all you can see. It looks like she has tennis balls stuck underneath the skin of her neck. Her husband, son and daughter was with her and they are an obviously close family. When they talk they look the other in the eyes and smile.

Just looking at Elizabeth even an untrained eye could see that doing this surgery could be life threatening but life changing if she survived. Dr. Bruce had "The Talk" with Elizabeth and her family. He told them that she might die because of the surgery and would definitely die if she did not have the surgery. He told them that if the surgery was successful that it would not because of his best efforts but because of Dr. Jesus' healing power. Her husband responded to the grim news by saying " I want her to have the surgery. I believe HE IS ABLE and He alone can heal her. If she does not live then she will go home to Jesus." Dr. Bruce agreed to do the surgery.

Elizabeth went into surgery on Friday afternoon and there was a buzz around the ship. The nurses were all anxious to see how Elizabeth would come out. Dr. Bruce and Dr. Bob along with Dr. Nigel and anasthesia team performed a cut down to intubate her through her neck, they then debulked the tumor, tried furiously to stop the bleeding of this vascular (bloody) mass, then they placed a permanent tracheostomy so she can breathe on her own.  She received 4 units of blood from crew members (our blood bank) and was transferred to the ICU. Her blood pressure dropped and her hemaglobin (blood count) was 5 (her normal is 9-11) so she was given 3 more units and was on a ventalator to assist her in breathing.

I received report in the ICU on Saturday morning and was busy from the start. She began to bleed out of her surgical incision but was controlled quickly. At the begining of the shift she was drowsy but later she perked up and was breathing fine on her own. I took her off the ventilator and later she even had some ensure to drink.

Elizabeth is full of gratitude and love. She reaches up to give give me hugs and she holds my hand when I near.  My favorite moment was when i showed her a mirror for the first time. She smiled her one tooth grin and lifted her hands up to praise the Lord. The translator said she was saying "Thanks God".

Saturday afternoon her husband, son, and daughter came to visit. The looks their faces were priceless. Her husband was so ecxtatic that he turned around in circles and said "Thanks God". I gave him an update and he said " I knew that God was going to take way this problem. It has giving her a hard time, but I knew my God was able to take this away. He is able, He is able."

This morning I went down stairs to see Elizabeth and she was sitting up in a chair with her feet propped up like the queen of the ward. All I could think was, God you did it again, another miracle, another life saved, another family touched, You are able.

On Baking

Eddie, the baker, is on vacation for the next two weeks...and this being the volunteer organization it is, well, I guess I'll be covering that position the next two weeks as well as mine.

We are down a few people in the galley but a few more are coming in. Although you lose a lot in transition because of the experience that just left and the new training that needs to be done for new crew.

I fully expect to enjoy myself baking though...I'll be taking pictures and discussing technique when I get a chance.

It

Have you ever had a conversation and all of a sudden things clicked in you head? The kind when you say "I get it. I finally get it."

When I was 19 I felt the Lord call me to be a nurse with Mercy Ships in Africa. I had such clear direction from the Lord which helped me get through some large obstacles along the way. I felt like I had this carrot in front of my face the whole time urging me to continue on the journey to get to my destination.

When I arrived I went through the honeymoon phase then passed into the hostility phase that they warn you about. But the third phase, home, eluded me. I have been here 6  months and have been waiting to feel this amazing sense of home and it never came. I have been stuck in this rut wondering when the feeling of fulfillment or the sense of home was going to come flooding in.

I was talking to some friends on Monday and one of them asked if we had ever been called by God to a certain place to serve. They both had agreed that they had never felt or heard a calling to specific place. This caused a feeling of shame to rush over me. They are both content where they are and I who have felt very called to exactly where I am have been struggling fiercely. We continued to talk and Becky said "Have been looking for the feeling of this is it?". My answer was yes and at that moment it clicked. Being in Africa on Mercy Ships is not going to fulfill me. I know that sounds obvious but it took so long to get to that place. It took me going deeper in my relationship with the Lord and then being able to hear to the Lord's gentle voice saying "I AM IT."