Christmas is all in the heart

First of all, Merry Christmas!! We are so thankful you are in our lives! 

In a season full of great blessings, my heart has had some moments of extreme heaviness from what I see here in Madagascar. It is a land full of great beauty and amazing people but there are stories that I continue to hear that make me hurt for the poor. Not just those here in Madagascar but all over the world. I have had a lot of moments of questioning throughout the last few months. Trying to make sense of all the suffering and why I was so "lucky" to be born in America. To be born "with" when many here were born "without".

Recently I met a 9 year old boy with bowed legs from Rickets. He was not able to nurse and was fed mostly rice as an infant and small child an so his bones started to bow as soon as he started walking due to the lack of strength. He was a cheerful, happy boy and it was so great to be able to offer him hope of straight legs.  But up until now he has not been able to go to school.  The school he would attend is a 2 HOUR walk each way and he was not able to keep up and, therefore, did not go.  How is this possible? A condition and situation we would be completely immune to in the western world and yet it completely changed this boy's life.

Or a 17 year old girl I met who was here with a vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) from a prolonged labor 2 years ago.  At age 15 she went into labor and went immediately to the local hospital. In many parts of Madagascar you are assigned a nurse to care for your prenatal and delivery needs at the beginning of the pregnancy and they follow you all the way through. Unfortunately for this young girl, the nurse assigned to her was not working when she arrived in labor at the hospital and the others were tending to their own patients so she labored for 5 days without care and eventually when help came the baby had died and her body had suffered the effects of the prolonged labor leaving her with a constant leak of urine.

Or take the 15 year old girl with complete "lock jaw" for 10 years  likely from an infection as a small child. For 10 years she had fed herself through a tiny hole between 2 of her teeth. Her mother would blend all of her food for her and she would force it through this small hole about the size of a tic-tac. It is a miracle that she even survived.

Such sad stories. In the end, however, there was hope as we were able to help each of these patients get better and go on to live more normal lives and while doing so, show them the hope of Jesus. We praise God for the technology we have to help people here.

But what about those we cannot help? I have been out several times now with our palliative care team. It is a team of 2 nurses and a translator and they help by bringing comfort to those with terminal illnesses for which we cannot help. They are amazing women and I am so thankful for them and the work they do for so many in this community.

There is a 30 year old woman here with a large cancerous tumor on her face that we saw several weeks ago. The tumor is slowly suffocating her. There is nothing we can do to help besides prayer and comfort. She cries silent tears while we are there, already mourning leaving her daughters without a mother and yet the first thing she does when the team visits her is pray for them and praise God for his goodness. She has a faith that is rich and deep.

We also saw a 20 year old boy with an abdomen as large as a 9 month pregnant belly due to an extremely enlarged spleen for an unknown reason, likely a combination of chronic malaria and worm infections. He needs a splenectomy but it is way too risky for us to do and he would not have proper management afterwards. And yet he finds joy in his daily life and greets the team with a smile when they visit. The family is hopeful and trusts Jesus with his life.

A few days ago I went with the team to see a 32 year old man with a squamous cell cancer on his nose that has completely eaten through the skin leaving a gaping hole and sore where his upper lip and lower nose used to be. It will only get worse. We cannot provide the treatment he needs. We can only try to control his pain.

It was that day, as I sat with this man and his family at a loss for words, that I felt Jesus remind me that the small glimpses of hope we have in this life are only minuscule compared to the true HOPE we have in heaven.  This man with cancer believes this truth. We asked his wife and 2 year old boy if they were excited for Christmas. They said "we don't have money to buy anything or prepare a big meal, but Christmas is so special to us and we will celebrate in our hearts and with each other".  So. . . is this a family that has or has not? The more I thought about it the more I wondered if sometimes we see things completely backwards. We think we have it so much better in the "Western world", but do we truly understand what it means to celebrate Christmas in our hearts? Do we truly understand what it means to long for the hope of heaven? Can we truly grasp our dire need for a savior when we have so many comforts and conveniences to distract us? When I got home I read this verse:

 Luke 1:53-- "He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty."

I can't make sense of all the suffering. I don't know why there is a huge discrepancy in how different parts of the world live, but I do know that Jesus came for ALL OF US and to understand that at it's very core makes us richer than any material things.  Maybe, just maybe, all our riches are leaving us empty. Maybe if we put aside some of our riches we would see the hope of Jesus a little clearer. We will never understand the "whys" of suffering or illness. These people could potentially have their lives extended for 30, 40, or 50 more years with proper medical care, but 50 years in light of eternity is nothing.  Having a faith and hope in Jesus is everything. 

In addition to praying for the suffering to ease and Jesus to heal these people, my prayer is that these hungry people would be filled with good things in this Christmas season and that I would be filled with Jesus instead of riches. 

Routine

So often our lives become one of routine. Monday is this, Thursday is this etc. In this place, it is no different. Many of you know that some of our most special times here on the Africa Mercy have been when we take the kids down to the hospital after dinner and let them run amuck with the patients. We have formed special bonds with patients and especially love spending time with the VVF women who so  adore being around our little ones. For most of the time, it has been a nearly weekly routine for us as a family since we first arrived on the ship back in Guinea.

Early in this field service, we got out of that routine. There was a really nasty stomach bug that went around the ship at the beginning of the field service. We live in a petri dish here so things like colds and stomach bugs do spread pretty quickly. This one though was something else. At one point, it was reported that about 25% of our crew were down with this bug. It was bad enough that a decision was made to ask crew not to go the hospital unless they were working.

We were fortunate that none of our family came down with this bug. But for a couple weeks we also weren't able to go to the hospital. We filled that time with other things, including time on the dock with the girls learning to ride their bikes, hanging out with their friends or time playing on Deck 7 and 8. After the stomach bug ended, going to the hospital was not routine.

We went over a month without going before we realized that it had been a while since we had been down. So we went back down. The kids orthopedic surgeries were going on so there were lots of kids down on the ward happy to play with our kids. Jack has become quite comfortable down there giving out stickers. The girls play Jenga or color or just hand out their stickers. We have talked about it before, but it is a blast to watch our kids make connections with kids and adults alike despite the language barrier.

While watching our kids play down there, I came to a realization that I guess may have always been in the back of my head but I had never really fully grasped it. Previously, I saw these hospital visits as great experiences for my kids. I loved what they were being introduced to, people they were meeting and memories we would share with them some day. What I never fully grasped was the impact they were having all on their own.

I stood there and thought, this hospital needs my children. The patients are impacted by my children. This place needs my kids as much as it needs Tracey and me, maybe more. The other day, the kids were just playing tag in a room where some other crew members were playing some music. I overheard one of the music players, say "I just can't imagine this place without children."

Overhearing that just reinforced what has been on my brain since I watched my kids in the hospital the last few weeks. Our families have missed out on seeing our kids grow up to this point and that is quite a sacrifice for them. But this place, this ship, this community, this hospital are better off because Adalynn, Cora and Jack live here. The people they meet are better off for meeting them. The dining room would not be the same if Jack wasn’t passing out fist bumps as he walks through. We are thankful our families make this sacrifice, which makes the lives of our crew members, and most importantly our patients, so much better than before they met them. Painting nails, coloring with adult patients, inviting kids to play with them or something as simple as Jack passing out fist bumps as he walks around the ship. These things make this place what it is. Tracey and I just need to release them to be who they are and this place is better because of who they are.

This realization makes me a much prouder dad and one who is glad that we are back in the routine. 

Chopped

Living on a ship is a bit crazy.  We realize this. What we do is not normal and it can be quite hard at times,  but we are surrounded by an amazing community of people and sometimes we just step back and realize how cool this place is! 

When we were living in the States I had a (not so) secret obsession with the show Chopped. It's a show where 4 chefs are given a "mystery basket" of ingredients and the asked to make something fabulous in a ridiculous amount of time. Well, just like the ship ran our own "Amazing Race" event in April, we also just had our own Chopped competition last weekend. I participated last year but was (rightly so) eliminated in the first round. My friend Heather and I decided we needed redemption and entered again this year. Unlike the actual show, we cooked in teams and only made an entree and dessert. There were 5 teams in the entree round and then 2 were eliminated so 3 went on to dessert. 

The first round we were given a whole duck (eek), potato leaves and dried mushrooms. 

That's one of the judges watching us work. 

Heather graciously butchered the duck. We made flat bread topped with sautéed potato greens, balsamic mushrooms, pear and a balsamic reduction. Here it is:

It wasn't gluten free so I didn't try it all assembled but Heather liked it and I thought the gluten free parts tasted good on their own. 

We were very pleased to make it through to the dessert round! There we were given Jack fruit (a huge sticky and stinky fruit), Malagasy chocolate, and Bon Bon Anglais (a super sweet soda popular here). We planned on making French toast sticks with dipping sauces but by the time the jack fruit was cut we had very little time left so we made bananas with Jack fruit sautéed in Bon Bon Anglais and topped with strawberries and a chocolate sauce. 

I wish we would have had time to have actually tried it :)

Turns out these dishes were good enough for the WIN! Sweet redemption!

What a great community we have on this ship! Makes this crazy life we live a bit more exciting!

What do they do all day?

What do we do all day? We live on a hospital ship, so you know that surgeries happen, patients get healed and God shows up to change people's hearts and bodies! But we are not surgeons and we do not spend every day in the hospital.  What does a day look like for each of us this year? We wanted to give you a bit of a glimpse into a day from each of our perspectives.

Jack:

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings Jack gets to hang out with an amazing woman, Miss Elizabeth, in the nursery class. Elizabeth is from the Dominican Republic and is here serving with her husband (our Captain) and her daughter. She is a gift to this ship and especially to Jack.  He is currently the only student in his class (hopefully 2 more will join in a couple months).  He loves to play with blocks and magnets and anything that looks like or functions as a key. He can't wait to get his backpack on and head to school!  On Tuesday and Thursday mornings he gets to hang out with mommy.  On Tuesday mornings we either go for an adventure in town with his friend Elle (a 7 month old baby) or we hang out in the café and have snacks.  On Thursdays he gets to crash the mom's bible study.  Afternoons are filled with naps and playtime outside or in the cabin.  He is the most popular crew member and is loved by everyone. He might be the person on the ship whose name is known by the most people.  He loves to give "knucks" to everyone he sees.  He seems to really love life on the ship (though I realize he doesn't know anything else).

Jack with Mrs. Elizabeth

Cora:

Cora is in preschool with 3 other children: Olivia, Hannah and Lucas. Their class will add 2 more children (from Congo) in December. She goes to school every morning with her teacher, Miss Jenelle.  She really loves learning and playing. She is learning to identify and  write her letters. She is the youngest girl in her class but works hard to keep up with the older ones. Her favorite days are when she gets to be the "special helper" and lead the" days of the week "and the "months of the year" songs with her classmates. In the afternoon she is home with mommy and likes to take a nap and then play outside or in the cabin.  She also loves the chance to hang out with some of her friends on the ship in the afternoons.  She is reserved until she gets to know you and then she is spunky and hilarious.  She has been titled "cutest kid on the ship" by several different people, mostly due to her adorable 3 year old voice and overly expressive nature. She is thriving here and loves her ship!

Cora with Lucas, Olivia, Hannah and Miss Jenelle

Adalynn:

Adalynn is in Kindergarten with her best friend Emma.   Adalynn has had nothing but positive things to say about Kindergarten and Miss Katie since the first day! She goes to school all day every day except Wednesday when she has a half day. We are constantly amazed at all she is learning. She is reading easy books and loving learning about the world around her. She gets to join us in the cabin for lunch, which makes the full days bearable. She is for sure the most outgoing member of our family and has never met a stranger. She is constantly going up to people she's never met and telling them about her day or showing them her new dress. She is extremely self-confident and even though she is the youngest member of the Elementary we are constantly being told that she speaks up in front of everyone and walks in like she owns the place.  It is fun to see her personality continue to blossom here.  When she's not in school she likes to be at the ship pool ( a large shipping container) or swinging on the swings outside.

Adalynn with Emma and Miss Katie

Tracey:

In the morning Tracey tries to get up before the kiddos for a little exercise time with her friend and fellow mom, Tammy.  It is necessary in order to face the crazy day ahead J She is very happy to have a consistent role this year outside the role of motherhood. Three mornings a week she works in the Admissions tent (on the dock) seeing patients and determining if they are well before they are admitted to the ship for surgery.  She gets to work with several of the local Malagasy day crew and has really enjoyed getting to know them! She gets to see patients before they ever get onto the ship and before they know what transformation feels like.  It is an amazing opportunity to be one of the first faces of Mercy Ships.  Her favorite part is getting to pray with the patients. Healing of bodies changes lives for a short while but healing of souls is eternal! While some of the stories and ailments can be heartbreaking, mostly it is exciting as the patients anticipate a life after healing. Tuesday and Thursday mornings are filled with outings and bible study with Jack in tow.  She gets to spend good time with other moms, building relationships and both giving and receiving encouragement.  In the afternoons she is able to have some down time (most days) while Jack and Cora rest. It is in these short periods where she is able to catch up on emails and blogs (though this doesn't seem to happen as much or as well as she'd like).

Tracey with the admissions team

John:

John walks down the hall about 30 steps to his office each day after helping out to get the kids ready and eating breakfast with the family each morning.  His job on the ship covers many facets. He makes sure we have money to pay for the things that need to be bought, he makes sure our day crew get the money they've earned, he helps people understand their own personal finances, he oversees the ship shop and café, he oversees the giving-out of money to the crew and he helps the different departments create budgets for the year.  It is a busy job but after 3 years he feels like he finally knows how to operate things well.  He is on the Senior management staff of the ship so he is a part of critical meetings regarding the big decisions on the ship and the long term planning. He oversees a staff of 5-8 people (depending on how well staffed they are). He frequently makes trips in town to the local bank and has built good relationships with the people there.  One of the most favorite parts of his week is on Friday nights when he joins a group of people from the ship to play ultimate Frisbee at a local soccer field. He also plays goalie on the ship soccer ("football") team. We are so blessed that he is able to spend so much time with us as a family in spite of his busy job. 

John and his finance department (not including ship shop) from last year

As a family:

As a family we are so thankful that we get to spend most meals together. We usually eat breakfast and lunch in our cabin and then we eat dinner in the dining room with other crew.  At night we like to go on the dock and ride bikes or go down to the hospital to visit patients.  On the weekends we like to swim in the ship pool or sometimes visit a local pool.  We feel like the ship has really allowed us to have good quality time with our family even when work is busy.  We are thankful to have this opportunity to truly serve as a family.

Pangalanes Canal Trip

We had the amazing opportunity to join 3 other families and 2 couples on a 3 day weekend away to a beach resort on a huge lake. We had to take a 3 hour boat ride to get there, but it was well worth it!! We saw tons of Lemurs and the kids had the time of their lives! We are so thankful for fun friends and the amazing opportunities to travel in this country. We plan on going back sometime soon!!

The boat ride! 22 people plus 2 drivers. We were thankful for the side panels as it rained most of the way.  The kids got soaked playing in the water but loved it!

A little paradise.

Our bunglow.

Adalynn sand surfing.

The girls and their buddies.

Girls walking on the dock.

"Look, Mom. . .a turtle!"

A lemur and her baby.

These lemurs are wild but obviously used to people.

Daddy taking the kids on a walk down the beach.

A hike through the rain forest.

And then through the river (the water is red due to the decomposition of a dark brown leaf)

What a fun hike in the river!

The ride back. Slow through all the plants.

And a gorgeous sunset to end the trip!

School, Safaris, Sailing, Surgeries and Settling

So much has happened in the last several  weeks that I haven't had a moment to post about it all. Finally, life feels like it is settling back into a bit of normalcy and we can move forward with all God has in store for us this year in Madagascar!

Here's a bit of a picture timeline of the last couple months:

After returning  to Durban, South Africa on August 1 (following an amazing 5 weeks State-side visit), we found ourselves  moving back into a guest house. . .instead of the ship (like we thought), as the ship was still getting repairs done and the environment was unsafe for the kids. It wasn't what we expected but I wouldn't say we were "roughing it" too much as our accommodations were really beautiful. (see pics here) During this time Adalynn started Kindergarten. Her classes were held in one of the bedrooms of the guest house. She is really loving her class and learning so much!

She skinned her nose playing the day before. . .it's not chocolate :)

The last weekend before we moved back onto the ship our family was able to take a weekend getaway to a small safari park/reptile zoo just 30 minutes from Durban. It was a lovely weekend away and it was amazing to get to see some great wildlife! The kids loved it!

Amazing views!

Our little chalet!

The girls LOVED the park.

Ready for our safari.

Zebras!

Giraffes too!

They were so close!

Looking at the crocodiles at the reptile zoo.

The girls were so brave to hold a snake.

Adalynn also held the tarantula. . .eek!

Chillin by the pool.

Crocodile for lunch to finish off a great weekend!

On August 17 we moved back onto the ship!! Hurray! But then John had to fly off to the States for 3 weeks for his brother Tim's wedding. He also was able to spend some time visiting some good friends and the International Operations Center for Mercy Ships in Texas. 

On August 20 we set sail (without John) for Madagascar!!

Sailing away from Durban.

Unfortunately we had a few situations that slowed our progress so what was meant to be a 5 day sail turned into 10 days at sea. . .but we made the most of the time and got to see a lot of whales! 

Photo by our friend Patricia!

Cora officially started Preschool on the sail and has really been loving the time with her teacher and classmates.

This is her new friend Hannah! She also has another girl, Olivia, and a boy, Lucas, in her class.

We arrived in Madagascar on August 30.

Pulling into the dock with our matching Madagascar Tshirts!

Ever since we arrived, everyone on the ship has been working very hard to get this place up and running.  Jack also got to start his nursery program when we arrived. He is currently the only student but hopefully 2 other boys will be joining shortly.

His teacher, Mrs. Elizabeth is amazing!! She is from the Dominican Republic but has lived with her family on the ship for many years. She has my full permission to speak to Jack in Spanish only so he can maybe learn a bit! :)

The hospital was opened in record time and surgeries began on the ship on September 8th, the day that John got back home! 

Our airport reunion!

We are so happy to be a family of 5 again living in our home! John came back to a very busy office and has been working hard since his return. I have begun work in the Admissions tent and am looking forward to my time with patients. We are so glad to be a part of all that is going on and we are so excited about this year and all that we will have the privilege to see and experience.  Thank you for continuing to walk this journey with us!