Why we do what we do

This is the blog that I have been waiting to write for a long time, ever since I knew I was coming to west africa with Mercy ships. But now it's here....I realise just how difficult it's going to be to explain how amazing, moving, unbelievable, awesome and...well....you get the idea!

Last week, the hospital began to run its screening days at a number of different sites across Lome, to sift through the huge numbers of people in order to pin point those who the surgeons can work on. The first 7 days, which included the dental and eye clinics, saw well over 4000 people turn up - all of whom had need of medical care. We will be running these screenings for another 10 weeks.

How can I begin to explain the atmosphere at these places. The sense of excitement, the nervous rush of adrenaline, the huge crowds moving and swaying as one as they bunch together, all desperate to get into the lines to be seen by one of the nurses. The heat, the smell, the dust, the noise - the colour! I have had the privilege to go and help at 4 of the screening days so far, and I will never forget them. Waking up at 4 or 5 a.m, clambering into one of the land rovers and making our way down the pot holed roads. Getting ever closer to the sites and seeing the numbers of people increasing constantly. Pulling round that last corner and seeing a line of people stretching as far down the road as you can see. Pulling into the compounds and being in complete amazement at the hundreds of people who are already standing waiting.

These are the moments that I will never forget. These are the moments that help to put things into perspective. These are the moments that motivate and challenge.

In these moments of need and desperation, in the face of such despair and hopelessness, life becomes much more simple.

How good we look in what we wear all of a sudden does not matter. How important what other people think of us fades into insignificance. Those small irritants get forgotten and we become acutely aware of how blessed and fortunate we really are. In these moments, the words of Jesus become alive as I run them through my mind;

"I have come that you may have life to the full", "Whatever you do for the least of these you do for me", "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought."

These are a tiny tiny tiny number of people who's lives will be changed for ever. These are the people for whom we are here. These are the forgotten poor.

Thank you thank you thank you for your support. I am blessed and privileged to be here.

Togo

As we slowly moved our way into the dock, the sounds of the drums, trumpets, horns and voices became more and more apparent. The colours of the clothes, the frantic movements of the dancers and the gleaming white smiles spoke of more than just the joy and happiness of the arrival of friends - it spoke of hope - hope for the lives that will be changed for ever.

As I stood there, gazing in wonder at the reaction of the crowd that was greeting us, I became completely overwhelmed. Overwhelmed at their joy and appreciation, but more than anything, overwhelmed by the reality that I have the opportunity to be involved in something truly significant and life changing - both for the Togolease people and for myself.

And Jesus said, "You know that the rulers of this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be slave to everyone else. For even the Son of man came not to be served but to serve others" (Mark 10:41)

Helps to keep one's pride in check, eh?

I find it hard at times to convey the right emotions and sentiments when I blog or make facebook updates, I know that I have an amazing opportunity to be hear and that this is a very unique place to be. But i'm also continually challenged by the words and actions of Jesus and how I see them take shape the more and more I open myself to his truth. And it fascinates me, what would our friendships, streets, work places - dare I say it, churches - look like if we took Him seriously? If we left 'self' at the door and began to learn that through serving those around us, we gain more than we ever could by consuming. I am still learning this, I hope and pray that you can join me in this journey.

Tenerife to Togo

As I write this post, we are currently somewhere off the coast of Senegal, heading down to Togo to begin our next field service in Lome. It's going to be quite a culture shock once again after spending 6 very relaxed, stress free and fun weeks in Tenerife.

The ship was docked in Santa Cruz for some routine maintenance work and safety checks, which meant that the deck crew and engineers had a very busy time, but for most of us - it was a time where we had just a little bit more free time than normal.

But along with that, it was once again a time of great transition on the ship. Within the first 3 days of being on the Island, around 120 people left the ship - which left it very quiet indeed. From that day, we have slowly but surely been getting more and more crew joining, which has been great - but in an unusual way, kinda makes me feel like i've been here much longer than 2 1/2 months.

Within all of these new arrivals, the rest of our Gateway friends turned up, which has been great. It's so nice to have our little family back together again, share memories and make new ones along the way.

So all in all, Tenerife was a very peaceful time. I had opportunity to do some fun things, like doing a 4 day scuba diving course, going to a symphony at the Opera and times exploring the Island with friends and family - my mum was also able to come out for 10 days to visit!

But those 6 weeks are up and we are all very much looking forward to getting back to Africa and getting into what we all came here to do. It's going to be hot, dusty and sweaty - but it's going to be worth it. This ship is in the business of changing lives, bringing hope to people who have been forgotten and healing to those who have been rejected.

Let's be the change we want to see in the world!