As we head ever closer to the end of outreach for the year the heat is only more intense. We are trying to fit in surgeries that have not yet been done and there is something in the air that feels like the whole of Liberia is aware of our nearing departure. We are having regular "swimmer watch" now as we have already experienced a security breach. It is sad to say that I feel the desperation of people increased at the thought of our now familiar prescence being gone.
The dayworkers here on the ship have been doing outreaches with us for more than 3 outreaches and when we leave they will be jobless in a sea of unemployment! This breaks my heart. These are Godly men and women with plenty of potential but no means to achieve their dreams. I feel like it is so unfair that I can "go here or there", "do this or that" and for them there is no choice. You don`t change jobs when you get sick of it. I have such a western mentality that I can`t bear the thought that some of my favourite translators from the ward will go back to selling water on the side of the road to earn enough to feed the family. I want to send them to school and see them become the women and men they have the potential and desire to be.
My friend and ex patient Chris Sayon went for her interview for a visitor visa to the US and was denied. She was so downhearted, it was heart wrenching. She is now going to go to Ghana in December to do a DTS (DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING SCHOOL) with YWAM (Youth With A Mission). She will be there about 6 months and then probably meet the ship in Benin to become a crew member. If you have read her story on my blog or were her nurse on the ship before and feel that you would like to help sponsor her to go to DTS please let me know as I am looking for people who want to see this young woman`s life go from strength to strength!.
I am ever so grateful for our amazing family and friends who are supporting us in so many ways. I am thankful for the opportunities that were not bestowed on us for who we were or what we did but purely out sacrifice by others in a love that is an earthly reflection of God`s love.
This weekend we went to a church we have been visiting and they had a special program to thank Mercy Ships for their work in Liberia. The thankyou is not why we do it and was quite embarrassing but I appreciate that they feel they have nothing more to give and that they see what we are doing could only possibly be done out of our love for God. This feeling of not being able to say more than thankyou is how we all feel with God for He did for us what we could not ever repay. He saved us by putting Jesus on the cross and gave us eternal life and I can never say thankyou enough so I want to live my life as a living sacrifice poured out for him that I may never think I deserved HIS GRACE! It would be easy to let such thankyou`s from man to be enough but if that is the sum of our reasoning for being here I would end up burned out and dried up with nothing to give such needy people, instead I want to pour out from the abundant blessings and love that I have in Christ.
This is not just something that we face here in Liberia it is something that we face everywhere in the world and if we wait for thankyou from those we serve in the workplace or anywhere else we will become very bitter people.
Lets fix our eyes on Jesus who
"made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, humbled himself and became obedient to the cross" Phillipians 2.
Jesus was looking for His father`s approval not man`s.
There is so much of my flesh that seeks approval by man even when I write these blogs I wonder who will read it and reply and give me the feedback I desire. I don`t want this to be why I write this so I pray the Lord would keep humbling me and reminding me that it wouldn`t matter if none of you read this because I am here for His eyes only.
Much love.xx.
