Screening part 2 John's turn....

So my turn on our first few experiences in Guinea. Just thought I would add my voice to Tracey’s great writing. (As as side note I am now reading the Shack too). These weeks since we got here have been all kinds of crazy with lots of ups and downs. Before we got here, the things I will talk about here Tracey and I talked about a lot and were talked to about them as well. But no matter how you much you talk about them or hear about them or even watch a video about them, we weren’t prepared for them.

I want to talk about the screening first. I was able to go the night before and help set up and even then started to wonder with a little trepidation about what the day was going to be. We ate breakfast at 5:30 got there about 6 in the morning and I was overwhelmed by 7:30 after I saw some of the first patients come through my station. Those videos just don’t do justice for what I saw and touched and smelled. I was so broken for people with such need and lack of resources.  

At some point soon after, I knew that God had provided me some extra strength and I was able to do what I was asked to do.  I, along with many many others, worked through the day and evening and got back to the ship at about 9:15 pm. I was on my feet most of the day and walked many stairs helping many of these same patients get from one place to the next. I pretty much ate quick snacks to keep going with no real lunch or dinner. One of the mangers on the ship I worked with at the screening was in charge of the scale and stood by the scale recording weights  for 4 or 5 hours straight without any break that I saw and not one complaint during or after. Our galley crew still had hot food ready for us when we got back so late after starting the cooking for breakfast before 5. That is just a couple examples. I was so encouraged to watch so many people work such long hours and I never heard one cross word all day. The teamwork and focus on purpose was something that truly touched me and encouraged me throughout the day. No departments or titles or agendas or such things. (It was actually really nice to not be finance director for a day) It really was all about the people we could help. I couldn’t imagine not finishing the day with everyone else after watching that.

I don’t say these things to say look at me because I have no idea how I was able to do that. The only explanation was that dose of strength to make it through. (It was kind of like runners high but way beyond, if that makes any sense.) I really believe God wanted me to see that and experience those things first and then gave me the strength to make it through. That strength wasn’t coming until I had shown up first and experienced it. That seemed to be the experience for others I spoke with afterwards. No way could we, on our own, use the couple hundred people we had there and screen over 3,000 people in one day without incident in a country where medical type events have been over run in the past. God was so evident and thus we were able to work hard and work together to see really cool things done. I was so elated after that day, especially to see how so many people from so many different departments on the ship came together to serve the people of Guinea with such a singular focus.  

This brings me to talk about life in general on the Africa Mercy. This place is filled with flawed people (in the words of Paul, I being chief among them) who do their best to live and work together to further God’s kingdom. The work we do here is hard and there are lots of moving parts and departments, all of which are needed in order to run a first world hospital on a floating box in a developing nation. Despite knowing that I am highly flawed, I have this expectation that everyone here will see the world as I do and get along perfectly without issues because we “follow the model of Jesus to bring hope and healing”. Amazingly enough, my priorities and idea of service don’t always match up with the other 399 or so other people here. (Of course, my ideas are the best ideas). This happens with lots of us on the ship and we get frustrated with each other and start to question each other’s faith or commitment or whatever. When I step back and think about it; that is completely crazy, but it certainly isn’t the first time in my life I have done that. That’s why the screening day was so amazing for me to watch and hold to and point to after living here for a while, both for myself and the people here I live and work with. Screening day was such an amazing picture of how the kingdom of God can work if we put ourselves aside, believe the best in others and really just focus on God and what He is doing and come along for the ride by his side. Stop focusing on ourselves, our priorities, our specific roles, our agendas, etc and just work hard doing what God has asked us do to advance his kingdom.

As I step back and look over my life in reflection of this, I can see so often how I have been defeated with similar thoughts whether it be with coworkers, ministry leaders, other church members and already some in the short time Trace and I have been here.  Because what I wanted done isn’t being done or isn’t being done how I want it done. Because of that I start to think that others just don’t get what following Jesus means as if I have the market cornered on that. (And thus the conflict starts between us.) And doing all of this without turning to God and asking what I can do to further the kingdom and do it with the others he has placed in my life. We were meant to do this together abiding in Christ for our strength with all of our gifts and flaws. It was a great lesson for me and one I hope that I don’t forget any time soon, but….

The funny thing was I started to do and feel these not so good things about people here so quickly after the screening. A week hadn't even gone by. Really John Really? How quickly we move on with our life and forget the wonderful things God taught us and thus the valleys that follow the highs of a day like screening. Thankfully there are people here including Trace that helped bring me back to the truths I learned. Writing this helped too and hopefully will help others know God can use us to do really cool things and give us strength beyond the norm when we are willing to work together and believe the best in each other.

Now I get to post a cute picture too. Didn't want everyone to think I am all work an no play.