There and back again....a Ghanian tale

I know it's a poor cliche to start off with, but life's a journey, and this current stretch of my journey is getting better and better. I think back over the past 9 months in wonder, amusement and thankfulness. To a 9 month stint that has led me from the sunny climbs of Stoke, to Texas, to the Dominican Republic, Benin, Tenerife, Togo and Ghana. I've travelled countless thousands of miles, seen poverty, heartache, abandonment and joy. I've made friends, made memories and been blessed along every step.

But there is a common trend that runs through the heart of all of these things, well, to be more specific, a particular person who has taken each step of this journey with me - Sharon.

I met Sharon when I arrived at the International Operation Center in Texas back at the beginning of September 2009. We had 8 weeks of fun, laughter and general amusement putting out fires, flipping life rafts, watching U2 in concert and building a dining room at a small school in the D.R. to name but a few things!


At this point, I realise that I could go on for a very long time naming every specific fun memory that I have with Sharon, but the reality is, is that when you live in community with someone for 9 months and see them for more or less everyday of that.....there are a lot of memories....so.....I will save most of them for myself and jump along this little journey to the here and now; more specifically, the here and now of Friday 28th May.

Myself, Sharon and 4 close friends took off for the weekend and headed to Ghana for a short break, our destination, the largest water falls in west africa. Now, as anyone who has ever tried will know, any true african adventure is full of little things that are never expected and difficult to describe. Crossing the boarder after night fall, going through the red tape of passport control, dealing with the hoards of taxi and van drivers harassing and waving, trying to get your business - and the inevitable 15 minutes of heated bartering. After that episode, the simple matter of a 5 hour van drive north, along african roads, windows down, break neck speeds, pot holes, dust and check points - too numerous to count - we finally reach our destination, Wli Water Heights hotel. We arrive at 1 a.m., and promptly hit the beds hard.


Now, some context, this weekend was always planned as 2 things, one....a small break away from our little tin can that we call home, i.e. The Africa Mercy. And secondly, was going to be a time where I posed a particular question to Sharon....a rather life defining question at that! Now, the girls who were with us on the trip new about both segments of this plan - however, sharon did not. So, the lead up to the weekend was full of secrecy, late night meetings after sharon had gone to night shift and some international purchasing, communications and relevant shipping of a certain item that is central to the question that I was planning to pose to Miss. Ruggles.....



So, we wake up lazily on saturday morning....saturday the 29th May 2010, a day that will live long in the memory. Following a mish-mash brunch, we all headed out on a little walk to the base of the 800 meters water falls. The girls new the plan, I knew the plan....it was now just a simple case of putting plan into action now. We arrived at our destination, an amazing place, perfect. There were a few bunches of people there, so we all just sat down on a rock, and took in the views. After 10 minutes or so, I could see that most of these other groups were heading out, and I said to myself, 'well old boy....now or never.' I had already scoped out my spot, I gave my camera to Ginger, sneakily got the ring box out of the bag (with a little distraction from Becky) and asked sharon if she wanted to go for a little walk. Fortunately for me, Yes was a word that she was keen on this day, so we headed down to the base of the falls.




Now our insightful friends spotted this movement, and with many camera's in many hands, discreetly followed and took up paparrazzi positions - honourable mention of Alainie, who scaled the hill and hid in a bush!

We arrive at the base, my heart a thumping, I turn to sharon, hold both of her hands and begin. Now, it would be fair to say that over the past 24 years of my life, I have come to realise that I can be a bit of a rambler when it comes to talking (as many of you who have been following my blogs or who have known me for any period of time will know) and this was no exception. Im pretty sure I began with, "I love you" which surely cant be a bad place to start! I then went onto how "Sharon, you're my best friend" which again, I think is a good second. I then moved into talking about how the past 9 months have been the best of my life and that she was the central reason for that. I feel her hands squeeze a little tighter as she starts to realise where this is going. I'm thinking, 'well done Al, great place, great ring, she doesn't know, the girls are in place, first few lines are good.....this is going well.....'

It is at this point that I would like to say how i came out with a line that shook the very foundations of romance and gave Shakespeare and Lawrence something to mull over in their long sleep. I would like to say that.....however......

In this life defining moment, a once in a life time opportunity, I may have dropped the immortal line of..."you're a nurse....you understand about heart rates....." to which sharon replied...."I guess yours is pretty high..??" Well....never mind.....we quickly moved past that bombshell, I reached into my pocket, grabbed the box, went down on one knee and said the much better line of, "Sharon, will you marry me?"

Well....I'll let the pictures say the rest. I'm a blessed man, a blessed man indeed. I am part of something that is life changing, I have amazing friends and family, I have some incredible people sponsoring and supporting me, and now, I have the most beautiful Fiance I could have dreamed of. Thank you seems so weak when I try to express what I feel right now, because what I feel goes so far beyond that. But nevertheless, thank you all.

New Life

His gentle eyes betrayed his desperate hope. " I came here so I could get help ," said Lawson, struggling to speak clearly. A large growth stretched his mouth and cheeks horribly, causing his teeth to stick out in all directions. It had been growing for four years, inhibiting his breathing, eating, and speech and, eventually, his ability to work.

The tumor destroyed his life, separating him from everyone and everything he loved. The people in his village would not sell him food because they said he was a devil. His wife left him, leaving behind their three children. Without work or food, he could not provide for his family.

So, Lawson, once one of Ghana's most prominent football (soccer) players, now hid inside his house.

Then, a radio announcement said that a hospital ship, the Africa Mercy , would soon be coming to Togo, offering surgeries free of charge. Daring to hope, Lawson left his children in his mother's care and went to the patient screening.

Lawson was literally at the brink of death as the tumor slowly suffocated him. He was immediately admitted to the hospital ship, with surgery the next day. It took three doctors eight hours to remove the benign growth and repair his nose, upper lip, and cheek. The large amount of blood required during surgery was donated by crew members.

Lawson was overjoyed when he touched the bandages on his cheek ? the tumor was gone! There will be more surgeries within the next year to complete the reconstruction of his face, but the immediate result saved and restored his life.

Unable to hold back tears of joy, a delighted Lawson exclaimed, "I can't believe what has happened to me. It is a miracle! My way was crooked, but nowmy way is straight. Now, I am a man!"

Lawson can hardly wait to surprise his family with his transformation. He is anxious to eat real food again ? especially his mother's ademe, a stew made with legumes, fish and red oil. Then he will think about starting his new life.

He has photos of what he looked like before surgery and after. "I want to show pictures to everybody, so people can see what Mercy Ships did for me. Everybody who sees me, they will be surprised," he grinned. "I survived! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Amen!"

Written by Elaine B. Winn
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by: Debra Bell

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A joyful Lawson waves goodbye after successful surgery.

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Lawson goes knuckle to knuckle with Nurse Richard,
( whom he adopted as his father.)

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Lawson points to heaven, thanking God for his second "salvation" as he says good bye.

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With a joyful smile, Lawson gives a ?thumbs up' as he
leaves the Africa Mercy for home.

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Lawson praises God with a joyful heart for the surgery aboard
the Africa Mercy that saved his life.
 
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Lawson before surgery Lawson a few days after surgery.
A big smile on his face

 
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Lawson before surgery Lawson after surgery

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Lawson says he will show everyone the photos of what he looked
like before he came to Mercy Ships.

Crazy golf?

This may be the most bizarre experience that I have ever written about, but one that I cannot wait to share.

The other Friday night, one of the guys found me late on and asked what I was up to that weekend. I didn’t have anything major planned and asked why? He said that there was some golf thing going on and there was a spare place, was I interested? Well….I wasn’t too sure, but said yes, without any real conviction. Oh my…how much would I have regretting saying no!

I wake up early the next morning and with 11 others from the ship, drive to the north of Lome, to the one golf course in the country. It didn’t take long to see that this ‘invitational’ that we had been invited to was very much an exclusive thing, saved for the haves and haves more of Togo. In short, one of the hotels was opening up a small pitch and putt and so was hosting a 2 day tournament to raise the profile…a bit of a P.R stunt.

So here I am, waiting to play this 9 hole course, in the baking heat, in the knowledge that I’ve not hit a golf ball in a number of years, and even then, when I did hit them, it never went as I expected…..it would be fair to say that the butterflies were a roaming in the tummy!

So, the general overview is that we played in pairs, you both hit, and whoever hit the best shot, you play from there. So, I was very happy to find out that I was playing with a chap called Pierre who it would be fair to say was a rather decent little golfer…so, pressure was off. We then find out that the two guys we are playing with both work for the E.U. in Lome, were part of the election process and had together helped to arrange for $150m worth of aid to the country. So, you’re average Saturday morning….

We play the first hole, Pierre does the business and I’m quite happy. That happiness turns to disbelief though, as we realize that between each hole there is a refreshments stand dedicated to a different country, which is free and open to us all. So, throughout the mornings play, we moved from France to Spain, on to Russia, the USA, Greece, Germany, Turkey and Italy – each with food, wine, beer and other things that you would expect to find in each country. I thought to myself, this is working out very nicely indeed. Pierre plays the big shots, I get to swing without pressure and then have some regular light refreshments to ease me around. And so the morning continued much like that. I am proud to say that I threw 3 shots in that were good enough for Pierre to decide that we should play mine instead of his….but all in all….he carried the team!

The next day, we turn up to play the 5 hole pitch and putt that the hosting hotel has opened, and quickly work our way through those holes, no problem. We then get side swiped again with the lavishness of the occasion as this top notch buffet lunch in the gardens is hosted for us all to enjoy and dine at – again with great food, BBQ, open bar and all the works. A truly ridiculous 2 days, and did I mention the prise…around £8. I’ll say again….Ridiculous!

We then go from that high, to 3 day later, having the President of Togo come and visit the ship, tour around the Hospital and then share a short message with us all, explaining his thankfulness to us all for coming to His country and being willing to help. A very poignant moment was when he said,

“It is in moments like this, when we see what you do, that we come to realize the limits of politics.”

As weeks go, I dare say I have had few that come close to matching one like this. Surreal, simply surreal.

Jungle Journeys

Dear all,

Just a quick apology for the length of time that it has taken to get around to writing this blog – the past month or so has been a little crazy, but amazing in the same breath.

So….where to start where to start where to start…….?

How about at the beginning, I usually find that’s a useful place!

Well, about a month ago, a small bunch of us headed north to a place called Kpalme, which was a good few hours north of Lome. It was so nice to get out of the city and into the countryside, driving through small villages, seeing the scenery grow greener and greener and the landscape far more textured than it is in and around lome.

We stayed in this rather pleasant small guest house and tried to make the most of the short weekend that we had there. So we headed straight out for our hike up the mountain! Although it wasn’t the biggest mountain I’ve ever seen before, with the heat and humidity, it certainly felt like a trek! We were continually put to shame though, as we would huff and puff our way up, dripping with sweat, some small children wearing rag-tag flip flops would dart on past us…..a number of times! We thought this was bad enough, that was until we came up behind a lady carrying not only her child on her back, but a large bucket full of water on her head, filled to the rim, not spilling a drop, as she smoothly managed the rough terrain underfoot to reach her village that was towards the top of the mountain.

I wonder….when was the last time we turned our tap on to get a drink and said thank you Lord….I imagine that this lady would do so with joy in her heart every single time, if only she were to have the chance!

As we reached the top of the mountain, relief from the heat finally came, in the shape of a tropical rain storm. The temperature cooled, the breeze picked up, and the rain drops the size of ping pong balls fell….all the way to the bottom of the mountain. What an experience….to be in a rain forest….and to have it rain! The sound of the water slapping against the huge banana leaves, the slight wind through the canopy, and the huge cracks of thunder that sounded like someone was felling a huge tree right above us. Such fun, such a blessing!

The next day was much the same, as we headed back into the forest, this time in search of a waterfall. Our guide was great, guiding us through the thicket and along paths that would have been easily missed by each of us. We knew however that we were getting close, as the rumble of water over rocks grew louder and that distinctive crashing sound of water falling from a distance could be heard by us all. The track finally began to open up for us and we soon came across our much-awaited destination.  I think the pictures say enough!

On the drive home, I was struck by how quickly the last few years of my life seem to have gone by. I felt as though, when sitting cramped in our rough and ready van, that I was back at school, thinking about what I wanted to do when I left and having no idea….

And then I look at my situation and smile. I love that I am here in Africa. I love that I am part of something that is bigger than me. Something that is making an impact in the lives of those who fly under the radar of the worlds News channels. I love the adventure, the challenges, the ups and downs. I love that I can share this experience with close friends. I love the opportunity and I love you all for supporting me in and through it all.

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!