Lighthouse of Mercy

Which would you choose?

2006-06-15T16:36:00.000Z

I've tried to see some of Ghana in the two short weeks I've been here. We took a riverboat cruise to Dodi Island on Lake Volta. It was beautiful and relaxing. We had farewell dinners at two local restaraunts. I wanted to visit the canopy walk in the rainforest, but there wasn't time. Mostly I've been packing and finishing loose ends as I pass responsibilities on.
One unique "attraction" I found was the coffins. We drive past stores that have unusual coffins on the upper floor to view. People here like to be buried in coffins that express them, what they do for a living, or what they like. A pastor might be buried in a Bible; a carpenter was buried in a hammer; a snail for the snail seller; a gynecologist was buried in a giant uterus. Many mothers want the mother hen and chicks coffin. Some people like Coke bottles, planes, cellphones, fancy cars "for that final trip". Angels are popular. My friend Vangie, who loves shoes, says "If I die in Ghana, bury me in a shoe."
I find it all rather tacky, but kinda fun to think what each of us might choose. I prefer a simple box. But if I had to choose, it would be the sailboat with "Last Sail" printed on the mast.
I'm feeling very sentimental today as I walk around the Anastasis for the last time. I cried in the ward, so not sure what I'll do when I say goodbye to the people onboard. I feel grief at losing something very special. I know God has good things ahead, but this part of my life is over, at least on the Anastasis.
I'd love some comments. Which coffin would you choose to express yourself?

The Promised Land

2006-06-04T13:07:00.000Z

We had a nice, smooth sail for four days. This was the last official sail of the Anastasis so we all received a ballcap saying Anastasis Last Sail as a memento. On Friday evening, we reached The Promised Land. Anyone from Ghana and many other West Africans refer to Ghana as The Promised Land. Compared to other West African countries, it is. While still poor compared to western standards, Ghana lives in peace and has electricity, phones, sanitation, clean water, medical care, education, good roads and reliable transportation for most of its citizens. There are nice places to relax for those who can afford it. It is an example of what other countries could do with good government. And Ghana is mostly a Christian country. All of that makes it hard to be here after leaving Liberia with such monumental needs. The contrast between the two countries is immediately apparent.
Of course there are still needs here, both physically and spiritually. This will be a good place for the Africa Mercy to start. They can "work out the bugs" of the new ship and its systems in a country that at least has infrastructure intact.
This is also a good "in-between" stop for us. The counter-culture shock won't be as great leaving Ghana for the western world. Of course, compared to Ghana the US is definitely The Promised Land. US wealth is so evident almost everywhere. This "in-between stop" has given me time to remember that there are needs wherever we go. Even in America there is poverty, hopelessness, loneliness, bondage, and evil. Some people don't even realize their own need. They think they "have it all" because they have material wealth. Lord, help me remember to be available when you bring those in need to my attention. I still want to be your hands and feet to minister to people in America, since that is where you call me to be for now. Help others to see Jesus reflected in me.

Goodbyes

2006-05-27T20:35:00.000Z

We've said goodbye to many friends in Liberia the last few days. Many crew are also leaving, so we've said goodbye to them. Saying goodbye is always hard, I think the hardest part of being a missionary. We say goodbye to family back home, then have to say goodbye to friends we make as we return home. Leaving would be easier if I hadn't built these relationships, but our time here would not have been so fulfilling.
It was hard to say goodbye to hospice patients knowing they won't live for me to see them again here on earth. It was also hard to say goodbye to the elderly people living under the house. We dedicated their new home today (see pictures on our website), but it won't be completed enough for them to move into for a few more weeks. I'll have a hard time until I know they are safely out of that damp crawlspace. That is when I must remind myself that God loves them much more than I do, and they are in His care.
The only thing that makes it easier to leave is that we hope to return in a year or two to visit. The other thing that makes it easier is knowing we'll be together again in heaven someday.
And as for my crewmates, we always seem to meet again somewhere. It really is a small world!
Rather than just "goodbye", I say, "Until me meet again."

A Day of Celebrities

2006-05-23T15:55:00.000Z

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Dewey Selmon, Kellen Sampson, Tommie Harris
Since highschool, Chuck has been a big fan of the three Selmon brothers who all played at OU. Imagine his surprise earlier this year when he met Dewey Selmon's daughter working for another ministry in Ganta, Liberia. The entire Selmon family has a heart for the poor and needy. They have recently started their own ministry called Shine Foundation
Yesterday, we met Dewey and his three other grown children.The family is now adopting their second Liberian child since their other children are grown. The Selmons also brought a mission team with them, mostly past or present OU players. The team will be in Liberia for two weeks building a school at an orphanage, giving dental care, and holding sports/Bible camps.
The Dodgens and other Okies onboard enjoyed giving the group a tour of the Anastasis. Ryan was fascinated watching Kellen Sampson dunk basket after basket on aft deck. He thought it was great that these great athletes talked about God and took time to help in Liberia. He met Tommie Harris, now of the Chicago Bears and on one of his video games. He said, "He has fame and money, but said this trip was more important". These are the kind of role models we want for Ryan.
In the evening, the ship was visited by Her Excellency Madame Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia. She came to thank us for our service to her country and for our service to God. I really admire and respect this lady for trying to help her country. She has inherited a mess, but is working hard. In spite of her busy schedule, she took time to visit us twice during our time here. After her speech, the Liberian government hosted a nice buffet for us.
You might wonder which of the two visits were most memorable for us. Both were appreciated and will be remembered. Of course to us OKies....BOOMER SOONERS!!!

ALPHA - a new beginning

2006-05-16T11:13:00.000Z

I spent all day Saturday helping at a training course for Alpha leaders. In case you haven't heard of it, the Alpha course is a non-threatening venue to learn more about basics of Christian faith. Rather than preaching in a church, it is usually an informal setting in someone's home to discuss whether Christianity really is relevant to us today. I know several people who became Christians in an Alpha course. It is also great for new Christians or old Christians that just need a review.
Last year, we introduced Alpha to the church leaders in Liberia. This year these leaders are leading their own courses so Mercy Ships has expanded the Alpha course to the prisons and UN peacekeepers.
There are 15,000 UN troops here from all over the world. Being lonely, bored, and seeing such misery, I think, makes them more contemplative and open to"something more in life". Many soldiers have asked us for prayer and for Bibles, which Chuck has helped pass out several times. Mercy Ships crew have spoken at several church services for these soldiers.
The army chaplains I spoke to from the Philipines, Ghana, and Nigeria are very excited to have the Alpha course. We also met Christians from Sri Lanka and Bangledesh who are the only Christians here from their country and are happy to have an easy way to share with their countrymen.
The prison ministry has been phenomenal this outreach with many becoming Christians then miraculously being released after being held without trial for many months. Some of those new Christians have come back to prison, not as inmates, but to teach adult literacy and help in Bible studies. Even some of those still in prison say "I've never felt so free".
I do believe God is the answer to the problems of this world. His truths are still relevant today. If my friend had cancer and I knew a doctor that could cure him, of course I'd let him know. Why are we too embarrassed to say "I've been through what you're going through and God really helped me."? I don't mean we should judge or be preachy, just be available and not ashamed of what we have. Better yet, let our lives be an example of Jesus so that people ask "What is different about you?"

Already missing Africa

2006-05-09T21:45:00.000Z

Very soon it will be time to leave Africa for awhile. I'm excited to reconnect with family and friends, eat Sonic burgers, and drink real milk. There are things I won't miss--the smell of sewage, bumpy roads, crowds of people all wanting my help. There are many more things that I will miss.
I love the culture, the people, just the cute way they say things. I love the bright colors they wear that I could never look good in. I love the way groups of children run after our Land Rover yelling "white people, white people!". There are many special people I love and will continue to pray for.
Every day when I go into town, I see something that makes me laugh and say "You wouldn't see that in America." I'm always amazed at the things people carry on their heads. I'm amazed at the condition of many of the vehicles on the road and the fact they still (sort of) run. I'm amazed at the amount of people and cargo that can be piled into and on top of a taxi or truck. I'm amazed at some of the inventive ways they make do with what is available.
There are also lessons learned here that I'm afraid I'll forget. That relationships are more important than things. That taking time is just as important as being on time. That it is a wonderful gift to be satisfied with "enough" instead of always wanting "more". That I shouldn't be so overwhelmed by what I can't do that I don't do what I can do.
Hopefully, I can look at pictures and journals to help me remember until I return someday.

The Dark Continent

2006-05-08T11:03:00.000Z

Chuck found this great picture of the earth at night as seen from space. For the most part, the lights show where the most affluent people live. The dark areas are where many of the world's poorest live. Of course geographical barriers and low population explain why part of the world has no electricity. And there are very poor people in areas that do have electricity. I just never realized until I came to Africa how much we take electricity for granted.
My first taste of counter-culture shock came when I stepped off the plane in America to all the light! Lighted streets and parking lots, neon lights advertising at every store and restaurant. All the latest technology, run by electricity. We do have electricity on the ship, but Liberia's only electricity is by expensive gasoline generators. Most Liberians do without it. No streetlights or neon signs here, just candles.
I always loved camping. As a girl, I dreamed of being a pioneer. I always wanted to live in a log cabin and live off the land. The truth is that electricity makes our life much easier. Liberians spend so much more time working because they have no modern conveniences like washing machines or microwave ovens. They also spend more time socializing because there is no tv or video game to distract them.
Just cooking a meal is a major task. First they must find wood for a fire. Because everyone uses wood, it is hard to find and may take several hours just to find enough. Many have to buy wood or charcoal. Most Liberians eat only once a day, partly because there's not enough food and partly because it takes too much wood for a meal more often. The beautiful rain forests are being destroyed because people must have wood to cook. We also see many burn victims from cooking fires.
If a country doesn't have electricity, they probably don't have other infrastructure like running water, sewers, garbage pickup, decent roads, medical care, or welfare assistance. Life in Africa is like living your entire life in "Survivor". Don't forget to throw in a few health problems like malaria and parasites. And armed soldiers that have the power to do anything they want to you, including take your life.
OK, I didn't mean to depress everyone. Just want you to appreciate what you have in life, to help you understand a little why we feel such need to help "small-small" where we can, and so you'll understand the dazed look on our faces when we step off that plane on June 16.

Update on retirement home

2006-04-30T18:32:00.000Z

This post is to update you on the elderly people living in the crawlspace under a house. We are building a home for them.
Two of our elderly people passed away in the past month. Saah was bedfast and almost blind. He was from upcountry and even the Liberians around the home didn't speak his dialect. He seemed suspicious of us at first, but became very friendly and began talking to us alot even though we didn't know what he was saying. Jallah was a very thin man suffering from TB. He was very quiet, but appreciative of our help. We have really become attached to these people so were sad to hear of their deaths.
Now for better news. Three of these elderly received surgery for cataracts this week. This is especially wonderful for "Mama Carr". Her husband, Joe, is totally blind and we can do nothing for him. Mama has only one eye and was almost blind in it, yet she must also be her husband's sight. She can now see much better, which is evident by how much more confident she is walking because she can see where she is going.
Eddie suffered another stroke after we met him. He was bedfast before, but was totally weak after his last stroke. He kept falling off his bed (a wooden pallet) so was just lying on the damp floor. We bought a mattress for him. Jana, a physical therapist, brought a wheelchair for him and he went outside for the first time in months. She also started exercises with him. Within two weeks we saw a remarkable difference in him, not just in his strength but in his demeanor.
It has begun raining almost daily, but not the constant heavy rain. Liberia gets 200 inches of rain in the rainy season! Construction of the home has begun. We expect it to be at least "dried in" by the time we leave in 4 weeks, before the river begins flooding.
God's timing is so perfect! The owner of the house hasn't been in Liberia for years. Just last week we learned that he is returning to reclaim his house and make it livable again in May. If God hadn't brought someone to help them, the elderly would have been thrown out with nowhere to go. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!

One Body in Christ

2006-04-23T21:37:00.000Z

Chuck spent this week in Gbarnga helping with another church leader's conference hosted by Mercy Ships. He had a stomach bug, was extremely hot at night, and says he's definitely tired of rice. But he had a wonderful time. Over 600 church leaders from many denominations came to learn how to work together in unity to facilitate healing and rebuilding of war-torn Liberia.
I've studied alot about church history this year. It is shameful how "Christians" have behaved towards others and even among themselves. It is time we put aside our differences and concentrate on what we have in common, salvation through Jesus Christ. We agree on the most basic tenents of faith and agree to "agreeably disagree" on some issues but not let it tear us apart. The Bible says "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."(Eph4:3)..."for we are all members of one body." (Eph 4:25) "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." (1 John 4:12)
While Chuck was in his large meeting, I was in a meeting trying to achieve unity with just a few people from two denominations. Because of pride and denominational prejudices, one group would rather struggle by ineffectively than accept help from the other church that wanted to help them. This project was to help another group of very needy people who could care less where the help comes from. In the end, we were able to unite them for a worthy cause and come away saying "It is all for the glory of God." And hopefully those needy people can say, "We know they are Christians by their love for one another and for us."

The Gift of Touch

2006-04-17T22:00:00.000Z

How amazing it is that our Creator gave us our senses to experience our surroundings! Life is so much more exciting because we can see the beauty of a sunset, smell the fragrance of a rose, hear birds singing, taste a delicious meal, and feel the cool sand beneath our feet. Those senses are not only for our pleasure, but also for our protection. It helps us survive to be able to see where we are going, smell smoke, hear when a car approaches, taste when food has gone bad, and feel pain when we are injured.
Last week we spent three days at the Leprosy/TB Colony in Ganta. I observed how leprosy has robbed these precious people of the sense of touch in two ways.
First, the disease attacks their nerves to leave numbness. Not only does it rob them of the pleasures of touch, but also the protective feeling of pain. Because they don't feel pain, an injury is unnoticed and can result in infection and loss of limb.
The second loss of touch is more terrible than the first. Because of the stigma of leprosy, these people are deemed "untouchable".
Even after medicines make them noncontagious, they are banished from their villages. Fourteen year old Junior doesn't even remember the family that abandoned him when he contracted leprosy as a tiny child. The nuns and other patients there have raised him.
I am very much a "touchy-feely" person. Sometimes just a nice, long hug can calm and relax me like nothing else. I remember the pain I felt when my children no longer wanted to cuddle. I can only imagine what it would be like to not be touched at all for years, and to know people are repulsed and afraid of my disfigurement.
After spending time just touching and visiting with these wonderful people, I came away with a gratefulness to God that I have the sense of touch and of being touched by those who love me.

So much to do, so little time

2006-04-01T11:39:00.000Z

We can now say "We leave Liberia next month". We don't actually leave until May 30 so it's almost two months away, but time is flying by quickly. We are getting excited about going home, seeing family, eating Sonic hamburgers, and drinking real milk. At the same time, we will really miss Africa, the experiences we have had here, and the friends we've made.
The latest news is that the Anastasis will work in Ghana from June until the Africa Mercy arrives (possibly October?). We were to sail to Ghana, unload supplies from the Anastasis, then retire her as the Africa Mercy begins work in Africa. However, the Africa Mercy still isn't ready to sail yet.
Ryan and I still plan to fly home June 15 so we can settle in before he starts school in August. Chuck will stay onboard until...we're not sure. I hope not too long. I've gotten almost comfortable living day-to-day, not worrying about what the next day will hold. Life with Mercy Ships has taught me not to plan too far ahead, because plans constantly change. Most of all, I've learned that God is faithful to meet our needs in an ever-changing world.

Honor your father and mother...

2006-03-26T12:29:00.000Z

We visited "Faith Old Folks Home" again yesterday, which always saddens me. These ten elderly people live in the crawlspace under a house. (See pictures on our website www.lighthouseofmercy.com.) During the dry season, it wouldn't be too bad for a healthy, young person. But sleeping on wooden pallets or the floor in this damp space worsens the achy joints of these aged, thin people. Several are blind, two are bedfast. They beg at the roadside for money. During the rainy season, the crawlspace floods up to chest-high. Several died last year from pneumonia.
Occasional food donations come from our friend, Sister Laurita, and another charity. Neighbors, Julia and her husband, help bathe the bedfast men and make sure they get their one meal a day. Otherwise, they are on their own. Liberia has no social security, no welfare, no pensions, and almost no nursing homes. The average life-span in Liberia is only 48, so it is quite an accomplishment that these people have lived this long. Most were either separated from their family during the war or have no family that survived. Some are abandoned by their families. They are a considered a burden.
They are all alert with active minds, even Eddie who has dificulty speaking since his strokes. I could sit all day and listen to their stories! Johnson says he is 90 years old, yet he is the most fit of them all. They love it when we visit, because we treat them with respect and are truly interested in their lives. We took a wheelchair for Eddie and he went outside for the first time in a long time. We also took a special walker for Saah. He can walk a little with it then sit in the seat to rest.
We went to look at the land down the road where we hope to build a new place for them to live, hopefully before the rainy season and before we leave. The name will change to All Saints Old Folks Home, after All Saints Catholic Church, the local church that will take the home on as a project to support when we leave. We want these people to end their days with dignity, knowing they are cared for not only by us but by a loving God.
All of this has made me think of how much I love my parents and Chuck's mom, Bobbye. They are still in good health, and I don't think of them as old. But I can't ever imagine feeling they are a burden. Who knows, if social security does go broke before we retire, Chuck & I may have to come back to Africa to All Saints Old Folks Home to live...guess we better make it nice.

Entering the age of modern technology

2006-03-20T22:41:00.000Z

I'm trying this new technology called blogging. I'm not sure yet what it's all about. My daughter will be proud of me....I've learned alot since she left home and I've been forced to stand on my own. Yes, I know she's supposed to be the one learning to make it on her own. She has always helped me with things like computers, remembering where I parked, and tried to dress me "cool" instead of "missionary". I miss her alot, but I know we both need to learn new things.
Luckily, I still have Ryan & Chuck to help me remember things. However, I don't think they will have much luck as "fashion police".