Lasts

These past few weeks have been full of lasts.  The last day of surgery. The last day of the hospital. The last day for day workers. The last day of school. Our last trip to the orphanage. The last bag of milk given to Alseny. We have only one week left here in Guinea.  It is a week full of pack up and securing, getting ready for our five day sail to Canary Islands.  Our work here in Conakry is essentially over.  It is time to move on.  In many ways we are so ready.  We are tired. We are ready to see family and friends.  We are ready for change.  But in other ways we are sad as we see our first field service with Mercy Ships ending.

As we said goodbye to our wonderful Day Workers last Friday I found myself much more emotional than I anticipated.  I asked a few of them what they were going to do now that they no longer had a job with us.  None of them knew.  They seemed a bit down and one of them started crying as she hugged me and thanked me for the opportunity to have this job (not that I personally had anything to do with it).  I felt saddened for them and helpless to do anything about their current unemployment.  I started to wonder if we’ve really made a difference here or if we just came in for a few months and did some surgeries and we are leaving without really making lasting change.

A few other things added to my discouragement.   I learned that some of our teaching of local doctors was not as advanced as we had hoped.  They needed much more basic and elementary training than the grand plans that we had.  They were in more need of teaching about basic operating room procedures than about training in specific surgeries or advanced anesthesia.  I heard from some that they didn’t think Guinea was in a better place than when we came.  There has been some violence in this city surrounding elections and this violence has become much more intense and much more of an ethnic issue since we got here.  Some see this increase in violence as a sign that Guinea is worse now than when we came.

As I was feeling sad and discouraged I felt like God shook me free and reminded me of who He is.  I felt like he was saying to me, “How can you love people, show them my son Jesus, provide jobs, make friends, heal bodies and NOT think that I have worked in amazing ways to show Myself to these people through you?”  I realized how prideful it was to think that WE haven’t done enough here.  Yes, the Lord USES us but ultimately it is HIM who is working in people’s hearts and making lasting changes.  We can come up with all the measures of success that we want but ultimately it is God’s job to show his power and to change lives.  Thousands of patients have been healed.  Those people would not argue that Mercy Ships has made a difference in their lives.  Patients and day workers have expressed that they have felt loved and accepted like never before.  God was working daily in this place.  Guineans from the clashing tribes were working alongside each other on this ship, something that never happened (according to some) in this way before we came. 

We can only see the tiny tip of the iceberg of change that the Lord has brought.  Day workers want to go back to their local hospitals and change the way things are done.  Teaching and capacity building is happening.  People have seen the love of Jesus.  Lives have been changed.  I no longer feel discouragement.  I feel so excited for all that the Lord has done and I am excited to watch as Guinea continues to grow and change.  This country isn’t perfect, nor will it ever be, but it is ignorant and blind to say that things are not different.  Our God is so much greater than ethnic differences.  He is greater than poverty.  He is greater than physical limitations or disabilities.  He does not call us to change countries.  He calls us to love people.  And I feel that we have done that.  I believe that we MUST trust that He is able to take all that we have done, all our tiny and great efforts of love, and turn them into miraculous displays of his glory.  We have to trust that or else we are just relying on our own limited human view of change.  I trust that he has done this.  Guinea is better off because of God’s work in this place.  My wise friend Dianna said, “We didn’t bring God here, nor are we taking him with us.  God has always been here in Guinea and he will continue to be here when we leave.”  Mercy Ships leaving this place is not the end of God’s work. Our time here was just a tiny surge of love in the midst of an eternity of His perfect work. 

I pray that the people of this country will turn their hearts to Jesus.  I pray that the violence in this country would stop.  I pray that this country, so full of potential and resources, would get out of their own way and become all that they can be.  God is working.  He loves these people and He will continue to love them for all time.  I am thankful for the opportunity to have been here and witnessed the work of Mercy Ships but I am even more grateful for an all-powerful God that is so much bigger than anything we could hope to do on our own.  In the midst of all these lasts I am blessed to serve a God who's love truly lasts.

Cora with Blessing on our last day at the Orphanage.

 

Some of the orphans singing a goodbye song to us at their church.

 

Adalynn's last day of her Sticker Ministry here in Guinea.

With Martha and Antoinette, two of my favorite day workers!

Our day worker party on their last day.

 

Enjoying Guinea

Friday was the last day of surgeries and the hospital is only open for one more week.  The reality that our time here in Guinea is nearly over is hitting all of us.  It is a bittersweet feeling as we have loved our time here but we are so excited for some down-time and a trip to visit family and friends in Colorado in just a few weeks!

Here are some really great ways we have kept ourselves busy enjoying Guinea and ship life in the last few weeks.


Homecoming

This was the first ever attempt at a homecoming type celebration for our 3 seniors in the Academy on board the ship.  We got to be a part of making this event really fun.  Since American Football is not really played here we had an ultimate Frisbee match between the Academy and the Crew. John and I both got to play for the crew team.

Adalynn helped cheer!

Everyone got really in to it, though most of the crowd was routing for the Academy

We played on a construction site.  (I have battle wounds to prove it)

We even put on a dance for them!

Mosque Tour

John and I had the amazing opportunity to get to tour the grand Mosque here in Conakry.  It is the 4th largest Mosque in Africa!  It was donated by the Saudi Arabian government in 1984 after some Guinean's helped plant trees for shade in Saudi.  Our staff development manager formed a relationship with some men at the mosque and was able to organize these tours as a way for us to gain a broader understanding of the Muslim faith.  It is not a normal practice to get such an intimate look into their worship.  We were also allowed to take pictures, something that is rarely permitted.

Women were required to have their heads covered as soon as we entered the gates.

Outside the mosque there is a memorial to great heroes in Guinea's history.  This tomb has a corrected deceased date as the original was written incorrectly. . .oops.

A bag of water left for the spirits of the dead.

Inside the beautiful Mosque. The red carpets are the prayer rugs. The brown boxes are to hold shoes.

The details were extremely beautiful.

The place is filled during the call to prayer 5 times a day.  We asked them if God ever spoke back to them during these prayer times and they were surprised by the question.  It is all very much a reverence to Allah and not a reciprocal time of prayer.  Steve, our staff development manager, had an amazing opportunity to build relationships with many of the men at the mosque through these tours and was able to also share with them what it means to follow Jesus.  The grand Imam and the man who led our tour were also able to tour our ship and learn a little about what we do and believe. Steve was also able to pray with and for these men on several occasions and the men at the mosque prayed for Mercy Ships as part of their daily prayer.  We can never know where exactly their hearts are towards the God we know and serve but overall it was a beautiful picture of  sharing Jesus' love through relationship.

Batik Making Factory

I got to take a tour of a Batik (fabric) making factory and make my own dyed cloth.  It was really amazing to see the entire process.

First we chose from hundreds of stamps.

Then we stamped hot wax onto our fabric.

 

 

Here's my white fabric with wax stamps.

This wonderful lady picked off all the dripped wax bits.

We then chose a color and dyed the fabric.

 

 

 

 

 

The waxed parts stay white!  (mine is the brown one)

 We are thankful that we can be a part of such wonderful experiences!  Only 2 weeks left in Guinea before we set sail for the Canary Islands. . .and then to Colorado to see many of you very soon. :)

Take 5

Every week someone from Mercy Ships writes a short column for our internal website. Last week it was John's turn. I believe what he wrote is a great reminder and challenge for all of us!

This week's Leadership POV (Point of View) is written by John Wall, the Finance Director on the Africa Mercy. John, Tracey and their family joined Mercy Ships in 2012.

Lord What Do You Want Me to Do?

Since our arrival here on the Africa Mercy, we have seen and experienced so much. We jumped right in and things were difficult at the outset. Especially early on, I felt in over my head and had no idea how to approach the various situations I encountered. This was the case both in my work duties in finance and situations with my family. Even when I thought I knew what I was supposed to do, it didn't always work out so well.

Somewhere in this time frame, we heard a word from Donovan encouraging us in every situation to take a few seconds and just ask, “God what would you have me do?” As I heard this message, my mind went to my last job before joining Mercy Ships. I worked at a mine in my last job and we would “Take 5” before doing any task, whether it was something dangerous like raising an engine with a crane or simple like moving a desk. We wanted to pause and think about the situation and any dangers that might come through doing that task. We asked specific questions about what could happen and what the consequences could be. The goal was to do everything safely. “Take 5” was a part of our culture, it was part of who we were. It helped us win many safety awards in the industry and most of all helped us at one point go over a year without a single injury to any of the 250 employees we had (not a common occurrence in the mining world). It even affected the way I was at home as I would “Take 5” before doing things like shoveling snow off a roof, fixing the car, or even mowing the lawn.

I have tried to now take this and apply this safety motto to my life here on the ship and my interactions with God. I want to “Take 5” and ask “God, what would you have me do here” when facing a situation, whether easy or hard. Honestly, I have not done well. First of all, I still struggle with asking God in the first place and just pushing on ahead using my knowledge and experience. If I do pause, I struggle hearing God and knowing what He would like me to do in that situation.

In the last couple weeks, I learned what it is like when you do it the right way. I learned it from my wife, Tracey (where else would I learn a great life lesson?). Recently, God put it on her heart to wean our baby girl. “But why God, it makes no sense.” She is in the medical field with a mother who is an expert in all things related to the feeding of babies. She asked me to pray about it too. I did but I didn't really try to listen. I just assumed I knew the right answer (based on what I learned from Tracey and her mom no less). Tracey continued seeking God and asking Him what she should do. Finally, we talked about it and we decided to start weaning because Tracey felt like God was telling her to. It’s a long and beautiful story (see last 2 posts), but by listening to God, another baby here in Guinea who lost his mom at about the same time is able to live by drinking Tracey’s milk. Tracey asked and listened when it didn't make sense and God showed her why after she decided to obey. I didn't “Take 5” going into this like I should have as another life hung in the balance. What a joy we have had getting to know this little boy the last few weeks and what blessings we would have missed out on if we had just done what we thought we were supposed to do without Tracey asking “God what would you have me do?”

I am a proud husband and I have learned a great lesson. God should be a part of every situation I confront. My knowledge, experience and whatever else I can muster isn't enough. I also learned that God will give us direction if we are willing to listen. He doesn't always give us an answer as to why but he does want to have a say in what we are doing. As I was able to be a part of this and learn, I am so much more inclined now in every situation to “Take 5” and ask “God what would you have me do?” I hope it becomes a part of who I am and what I do.



John Wall
Finance Director
Africa Mercy