Absolutely unbelievable! Anticipating the holiday season is a lot like watching a large storm front move in. If you are prepared, you have nothing to worry about. However, as the clouds move faster and the sky darkens, there is not much time for decision making. In my 28 years, I have yet to learn and apply this principle to my Christmas time preparation. I prefer procrastination, and rely on the stale "I do better under pressure" theory. During these pre-Christmas months, the added pressure of locating and purchasing gifts usually leaves me feeling less than festive. I get caught in "the storm." Endless lines of cars in frigid weather filled with anxious consumers that are obsessed with finding "the perfect gift (at the lowest price)." Check out lines teeming with eager folks, plastic in hand, just waiting to spend that dollar. There I am. Waiting.



This year is different for me. There is no mall with food court here. There is no snow here. There are festive colored lizards, and jumbo-sized cockroaches here (they serve as great stocking stuffers!). There are endless lines of cars in Monrovia. Most of them are over-filled taxis because 85% of Liberians are unemployed, and can not afford a car. It is hot, dirty, and dark here (no electricity). Christmas lights must be powered by noisy generators that use costly petro-fuel to run. Not too many native pine, spruce, or fir trees around to decorate either. But Liberian Christians are not discouraged during this season. They understand that God's gift of life through His son Jesus Christ surpasses all worldly gifts. The birth of Christ is God's promise of HOPE to those at the end of their rope. Thank you Father-- for giving us your Son; a gift we can treasure, nurture, and cherish forever.


Things here on the Anastasis are interesting. A lot of changes are in the works for this old Italian luxury liner. This coming June, she will be taken out of service. Her maintenance outweighs her productivity. She has served tens of thousands of African people over the last 25 years, and leaves behind hundreds of broken-hearted crew in the wake of her retirement. I am deeply honored to be a part of God's last project for the Anastasis. In June, much of her equipment and supplies will be transferred to a newly renovated hospital ship called the Africa Mercy. After the Liberian outreach is completed, the Anastasis will sail one last time to Ghana, where the transition will take place. Please pray for the hearts of those who may be lost and hurt in this delicate time of change. Many have committed their lives to this ship, and not all have been accepted as crew of the African Mercy. Trusting the Lord with the uncertainty of their personal futures, these folks will be scattered throughout the world again.

Yesterday I was given the privilege of observing/helping in the OR. I was able to see a 63 year old Liberian man (Anthony) receive an operation to release burn contractures of his right elbow and axilla. The entire right side of Anthony's upper torso had been badly burned about 8 months ago. Without proper wound management, the body heals itself and replaces the burned flesh with thick fibrous scar tissue. Often, burns occur on or near important joints, and the fibrous tissue pulls the joint into a constant state of flexion and immobility. Anthony's right armpit was burned badly, and he could not raise his arm or hand above his hip. The thickened scar tissue is not elastic like our normal skin, and limits the range of motion needed for functional joints such as arms, legs, and elbows. The result is referred to as a "burn contracture." The plastic surgeon simply releases that contracture by severing the fibrous mass of scar tissue and extending the joint. This of course results in a large, open surgical wound that needs to be covered by something! The patient's own skin is then harvested (usually from their thigh) using special machines and techniques. The pieces of living tissue (skin grafts) are then carefully laid into the surgical incision made upon releasing the contracture (called the "bed"). God created the human body so that our skin can regenerate itself-- and that’s exactly what it does!-- only this time-- the healthy donor skin graft will allow for normal healing and the restoration of function to the joint. So I'm watching this surgeon do all of this (and he does it all in about 35 minutes!), and I'm talking to him-- asking about his kids and his family. God is so amazing!! Anthony will now have partial function of his right arm again-- which is vital to a man in this environment. God is using this surgeon for his purpose! Praise God for only He is worthy. Thank You all for your support and friendships!! God Bless

I'm drawing blood on this woman (Lord have mercy on her) @ JFK hospital in Monrovia. This was screening day-- you can read about it in a previous post.



Worship. What does it mean to you? Is it singing familiar melodies with arms raised next to other believers we know and trust? Is it praying aloud, offering God the most eloquent phrases of our vocabulary? In my faith experience, worship has most certainly been music oriented intertwined with prayer. "Emotional" worship times are so highly valued and sought after that sometimes I forget why I'm worshiping. The thing is, I'm worshiping God. I'm making an honest attempt to bring an offering of praise to the Almighty-- so that HE is pleased-- NOT me. It really doesn't matter how "I feel" or "what I got out of worship today." It brings me back to the extremely foreign notion that "it's not about me." Getting over myself is my biggest problem, and if you have figured out a 12 step program to a selfless life--- I'm first in line. I realize that being transformed by Christ is a life process with peaks and valleys-- but praise God for his unending GRACE!

So why am I writing about this? God has been teaching me about different forms of worship. I'm trying to understand that worship is a life choice and not an event. Offering God the best version of yourself (the version that he intended you to be when he created you) is a huge part of worship. This involves the utilization of all the giftings and talents God has blessed you with. Thus, worship could mean one of 300 different things, depending on the individual. God is so wonderfully in control!

I've observed much in the short time I have been here in Liberia. There are many Christians here, and West African Christians worship loudly! But why do these Christians shout with joy and offer praises the way I've heard? Their earthly hopes and dreams have been destroyed. Their families have been ripped apart by the war. Their bodies have been mangled and misused. These people have no electricity and no sewer (and it is really hot here!). Their cities are in ruins, filth, and disgrace. Young men wander the street all day long with no job, vision, or future. Young women offer themselves to anyone who can pay. Fifteen years of war has destroyed Liberia. They have nothing, yet their hearts are full. I'm understanding that hope in the Living God can be a source of life and light to those in need.


Thank you all for your continued prayer and comments on the Blog site. Big thanks to you guys from St Clare's!! You are all awesome and I look forward to coming home and working with a quality team. God Bless and stay tuned......

Greetings from the Anastasis, and praise God for his goodness. First things first; A thousand apologies, but I still can't post pictures on this site or hotmail. Know that I am taking plenty of photos, and I will gladly share them upon my return. Things are well here, and I am very busy aboard the ship. Tonight I will work my first night shift. We currently have between 20-30 patients at various stages of recovery. The OR schedule remains full each weekday. Our 2 maxillo-facial surgeons schedule 3-5 cases a day. The plastic surgeon usually operates on at least 3 patients a day, and our eye surgeon may help up to 10 people each day! On the ward, we work a 40 hr work week. I have had a fair amount of time off, and enjoyed my first West African beach this weekend. It was a beautiful beach with soft sand and warm water. Swimming in the Atlantic brought back memories of Florida and the family. Riding to and from the beach was yet another wonderful experience. The sights, sounds, and smells of an African marketplace leave little to the imagination. I also had the pleasure of worshiping at Monrovia Christian Fellowship Church on Sunday. It was an awesome time of worship and learning for me. There were about 200 Liberians praising the Living God in this American planted church. I was overwhelmed with joy as I saw how these folks burst forth in jubilation almost continuously! A young Liberian pastor of about 35 preached a solid and dynamic sermon on Neamiah. Words cannot express how impressed I was with this man. I then had the pleasure of eating lunch with the missionary couple who planted the church. They're story was simply amazing. God is @ work here. Next on my list will be to visit an authentic African Church that has had little Western influence---I'll bring my water bottle.

Last week our captain cancelled shore-leave as political tension surfaced between the 2 major parties in Liberia. Presidential candidates from the CDC (congress for democratic change) and the UP (unity party) had a run off on Tuesday, November 8th. As it became clear that the UP was going to win, supporters of the CDC began to march in protest. Unfortunately, some of the protesters began throwing rocks and were quickly introduced to an irritating chemical commonly known as "tear gas." Things have settled down this week, although I heard the CDC was marching on the US embassy today (keep your eyes open, maybe Liberia will make CNN).

Thank you all for your continued prayer and comments.

Greetings to all from the Anastasis. Praise God for His goodness and faithful promise fulfillment! Let me first apologize for my lack of pictures on the blog. I may email selected photos using Microsoft outlook for lack of a better option. Let me also apologize for any medical jargon that slips through in my writing. See a nurse or doctor if you do not understand. Thanks to those who are reading, commenting, and praying.
yesterday we took our entire medical staff and many volunteers to JFK hospital in Monrovia to conduct a final screening for our surgical patients. Over 500 Africans had appointment cards from a previous Mercyships screening, and were given a final answer as to whether they would receive an operation or not. Surgical candidates were guided by volunteer transporters through a confusing maze of screening stations set up throughout the hospital. People were screened and then prepped (simple H&P and labs) for eye surgery (cataract removal), plastic surgery (skin grafting, benign tumor removal, and other procedures), and maxillofacial surgery (goiters, large facial tumors, cleft palates, cleft lips, facial noma, and many things I've never seen and don't know how to describe). Musicians played African worship music as many people waited in a large entrance area. Liberian interpreters were assigned to each station to facilitate effective communication. Amidst the stagnant heat, foul smell, and dirty floors, children were given balloon animals, coloring books, and stickers to pass the time. I was simply amazed at the amount of children we saw! I was assigned to the lab station, and performed more pediatric blood draws than I ever imagined (or wanted). For those who were not selected for surgery, a prayer tent was set up and staffed by Mercyships disciplers, chaplains, and volunteers. For many sick Liberians, receiving 1 cold cup of water, or feeling the touch of a hand was more than they had been given in years. These people have been hurting for a long time.
I was also amazed at the teamwork I observed within the crew. The teams involved included the medical team, security (very important!), the galley, general crew volunteers, drivers, and interpreters. A nurse practicioner from the States and anesthesiologist from the UK did about 180 H&P's in 12 hours-- that's amazing! As nurses we took vitals, recorded histories, handed out pre-op meds, drew blood, and made appointments. It was hot, smelly, dirty, boring, and exhausting. Thanks to our galley, we had fantastic food and cold water all day! I drew blood on the last patient @ 7 pm, and we packed up the rovers to head back to the dock (about 25 minutes through downtown Monrovia). Monrovia on a Saturday night in the back of a Land Rover the day of a political ralley-- now that's an experience I'll have to share with you in person! Praise be to the Almighty God for the rest he has given me-- I'll be ready for my 1st shift on the ward tomorrow.

We're getting the ward ready!! There is a 40 bed ward (and 2 ICU beds) on the ship that we use to help recover our Liberian patients after they have had their surgery. It measures about 1000 square feet from end- to- end, and I assure you there is NO wasted space! We also have 4 operating theaters (rooms), an ancient CT scanner (takes 45 minutes to scan a head) and x-ray machine, a 1 room lab, and a small pharmacy. We are in port now, but when the ship is sailing, the ward is all packed up (including the beds) in hold#2 (a giant warehouse type place in the bowels of this massive ship!). The past few days have been spent setting up the ward and preparing for our patients. This saturday, we will conduct a final screening to determine all of our surgical candidates. We will be out in Monrovia at the John F. Kennedy hospital. I'm scheduled to be in the lab station performing my favorite task of phlebotomy---just like the old plasma center I'm sure!
We're also getting more medical staff today. I believe 10-15 doctors and nurses are flying in tonight to swell the crew. What will happen when all of our African patients/families arrive?? This experience is certainly altering my perception of "personal space." Although ship life is such a blessing. The people-- they're amazing. A multicultural crew from more than 30 different nations (good thing English fluency is mandatory onboard...or is it?) , these people know God. They love God. They worship God on a boat in Liberia. They work endlessly and joyfully to show others this. I'm excited!!