Hope Center: JOY

Only six weeks left here for me. CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE IT?! I cannot. Hm. I think I’ll start with the struggles, so your reading ends with happiness. {so you’d better read the whole thing!} I admit that the week before last was pretty rough for me at work. It’s hard to talk about negative things on my blog cuz I am always aware that anyone can read it {including shipmates as well as their families}, and I really don’t want to put this place or anyone around me down. However I also do aim to be my usual honest self. Work was frustrating. I was trying to learn new things in new rooms with new doctors and new leaders in a new specialty. Though I was completely fine with being there to help and learn new things, I felt dumb, and useless, and sidelined. Some fabulous friends on the ship were very helpful with encouragement and hugs, and just listening. And Anita, a friend I made on the ship in Madagascar who is currently back in the USA, was super helpful with calming me down over Messenger, and asking mutual friends currently on the ship to give me hugs from her. It was really sweet, and helpful. Anne was even brave enough to give me one at breakfast {she’s the best, warning all new friends not to talk to me at breakfast. sadly for me but excitedly for her, she left the ship a week and a half ago to finish wedding preparations for next month!}, with “I have something for you, from Anita”. After getting a chance to have coffee with my supervisor last week, I’ve been feeling a ton better. Today a new surgeon is doing screening for general surgery {which I’m a little more familiar with from my time in Dauphin}, and I’m excited to be in that room for the next while.

Most people might think a random day off during the week is exciting. Though I actually know it is the truth, I have to convince myself that it’s not punishment for sucking at my job. But really, they just had extra nurses for that day’s surgeries and wanted to bless someone who is here longer with a day off to attend any Mercy Ministries opportunities. {The ship runs Mercy Ministries, where they do things like visit orphanages, schools for the deaf and blind, the HOPE Center, and I don’t know where else. They do singing, a Bible story, a craft, and just straight up give attention and love.} This was a Thursday and they were going to the HOPE Center in the afternoon, which meant a morning completely OFF!

{The HOPE Center is the Hospital Out-Patients Extension Center. It is a place where patients stay when they live far away and no longer need to be in our on-ship hospital, but do need to stay nearby for physio, dressings changes, blood tests, reassessment, etc.}

So I slept in, had a waffle with white sauce I’d saved in the fridge, and found a buddy to walk to the store with. We had a lovely relaxed perusal of the grocery store ‘Spar’ [the other times I’d been there it was more like “grab what you want and let’s go”, so I enjoyed just wasting time looking at what’s the same, what’s different, what prices are like, etc.] where my main objectives were obviously Coke Zero, coffee, and filters. Now, I have no real palate for coffee. I’ll drink anything. {last time I was here I mainly drank chai tea, so I figured since I don’t care the “bad coffee” everyone talks about would be fine for me.} But ship coffee is actually a rather impressive level of bad. Plus, our massive dining room machines were consistently breaking, as was the Starbucks latte machine. {the [free] dining room coffee isn’t even consistently the same type of bad. sometimes weak, sometimes strong, always gross. but it’s a massive perk [slow coffee, as Maarten calls it] that is not set up consistently by the same people…} Anyway, when my friend Kealy asked what she could mail me, I was desperate for better coffee but didn’t know what would be mailable. She had an amazing idea! I got a surprise in the mail a couple weeks later of a collapsible coffee dripper {think pour-over style} that I just needed coffee and filters for! My mommy also mailed me some McCafe grounds and regular filters with bag clips so I can do a teabag style coffee. After some experimenting, I’ve got much better coffee! I even added a little of the dining room coffee one day to top it off due to weakness, and it made the whole thing nasty. Good to know it is still not worth drinking, I guess… Thanks Mom and Kealy!!

The group who was going met after lunch and piled into ship Land Rovers. There were some lovely people I got to know a bit better while we drove there, and who I leaned on with my eyes closed for the end of the trip as I started getting nauseous [not sure why I thought sitting sideways at the back was the best idea for me, but I’m usually fine in the Land Rovers…].

{the sneak-in, coming to hang out with Gertrude aka Lynda [Canadian!] and I}

{we were all under a tent for some shade, with a little bit of a breeze. notice the funky hair at bottom left?! I’ve seen quite a few colorful extensions worked into hair here.}

As soon as we arrived, there were kids everywhere excited to see us. They generally went to the ward nurses that they knew first, but were not shy in the slightest to just grab one of us and make friends. We sat down under the tent for the “program”. Like you read before, we did some singing where obviously there were actions involved, and you were told [read: mocked] if you weren’t doing them enthusiastically enough [aka most of us white people weren’t wiggling our butts adequately…]. I did not always know what we were singing, but some songs were in English and if not I just made noise along with the song.

{dancing, and lots of giggling. I didn’t purposely wear pink to be easily found in photos, but it was effective!}

Our story [complete with volunteer HOPE Center actors and translation from French to English] was about the rich man and the tax collector praying with very different attitudes before God, and which one pleased Him. One little girl climbed into my lap pretty quickly into the story, after sitting between Gertrude and I and then on her lap, looking for attention. Then there was a craft that included coloring and glue, for which we handed out supplies and helped [mostly just admired their work, as the kids and adults alike were very happy to show off what they’d done]. My favorite thing was the lack of shyness, and all the snuggles and affection you could ask for. Just so much joy in the air.

{Gertrude makes me laugh. I like her.}

I don’t know what else to say about it exactly. It was hot and sweaty, only sometimes in English, and an incredible experience. Pure JOY. Just excellent for my soul. I’m excited to get back there for a Sunday morning church service. Hopefully you can get a better idea of it from the photos that our Mercy Ministries staff took than from my rambly wordsing.

{after the craft, this one turned around to me standing behind her on the bench and raised her arms. I thought she just wanted me to lift her over the bench, but she climbed into my arms and stayed there until we left, through the final action songs. ❤ LOVED. IT.}

Shockingly, I’ve just hardly gone through my first chapstick. But don’t worry, I have at least four more. Though at least another two are also “on the go”, which is likely why it has taken almost ten weeks to finish one off. In case you didn’t know, I had backup Carmex emergently mailed to me in Madagascar [again, thanks Kealy!] cuz I’d used it up so quickly and didn’t like any of my available options very much. Between the ship’s polar air conditioning and the harsh sunlight, I needed to use it super frequently to keep my lips unchapped. So this time I brought at least two pots of Carmex and my favorite triple-pack of Blistex Fruit Smoothies sticks. [so no one needs to mail any!]

As always, thank-you. Thank-you for your prayers [my back has been giving me a little less grief lately overall, yay!!!], your encouragement, the amazing letters [that’s you, Kirstie {THREE impressively ugly cards from her!} and Tiger! <3] and gifts [Mom and Kealy] that I get, texts and messages [Anita talking me down from a bad week] and all the love. I appreciate it so much. It’s amazing knowing I have so many fantastic people backing me up. Have a fantabulous week!

“Although I am currently serving with Mercy Ships, everything communicated here strictly reflects my personal opinions and is neither reviewed nor endorsed by Mercy Ships. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.”

a cheater blog {cataracts}

Wow, it’s been ages since I posted anything. In case that’s annoying/disappointing, sorry. {or as I’m mocked for pronouncing it as a Canadian, Sooorrry.} I’ve been working on some, but then there are people playing games. And late-night Jets playoff games. And naps. And an unread Dekker book in my hammock in the sunshine… So since my new SBFC {Ship Best Friend in Cameroon} Queen of Reception {aka Nicole [she’s the boss there]} introduced me to “cheater blogs” last night, I am giving one to you! These stories were done by our communications department, not me. While I did not meet these particular patients {I think. It’s actually quite possible that I was in the Operating Room with them.}, I spent many days in the cataract operating rooms, both scrubbing and circulating for these relatively quick yet so life-changing surgeries. I learned a lot, got to know some fantastic people, practiced my French on patients and with day crew, and was privileged to be used by God as part of this team improving lives through eyesight. It’s mind-blowing that twenty minutes of surgery {approximate actual operating time; literally 8-12 minutes for Dr. Glenn} so entirely changes lives.

Thanks for reading, thanks for praying. Last week was a huge struggle for me, but I’m super grateful for amazing friends God has put in my life near and far, and for their prayers, encouragement, and hugs {Anita, a ship friend who is currently in the States, sent me three wonderful hugs through other friends who are here on the ship}. This week is definitely on the upswing.

[if you enjoy these and want to see more cheater blogs, please let me know. you can also see lots of updates by following Mercy Ships and/or Mercy Ships Canada on facebook, twitter, etc. if you don’t like my cheater blogs, um, don’t read them.]

The Courage Within: Monique’s Story

Sitting in a makeshift classroom in the back of her house, nine-year-old Monique waited in darkness, listening intently to the sound of her grandmother’s voice going over the day’s lesson. She was homeschooled for the past three years due to severe cataracts, and had to withdraw from school because of her blindness.

Monique enjoyed attending school with her friends before she started struggling to read and write. Her grandmother, Melone, believed she was misbehaving and not paying attention in class. “I would look at her school book and it was all just scribbles!” said Melone. “I thought she was pretending. I would tell her off and she would be in trouble.”

The shy little girl she never once disclosed that the world around her was fading, leaving her teachers and family to believe she simply wasn’t trying. After a while, Melone felt there was more behind her granddaughter’s behavior. One day, she dropped her keys on the floor and asked Monique to pick them up. As she fumbled around, feeling her way across the floor, Melone realized Monique’s sight was not all it seemed.

Despite looking forward to her retirement after more than 40 years of teaching, Melone homeschooled Monique to ensure she didn’t fall too far behind. “I would not accept that my own granddaughter would not have an education — her best chance at a future.”

Any money Melone managed to save was put aside for the chance to give her young granddaughter surgery. “I promised myself that no matter what it took, I would get enough money together because I wanted so badly for her to have a future,” Melone said.

After three and a half years of saving, Melone managed to save up enough for a deposit for a surgery that would leave her in severe debt. But, before she had a chance to arrange the procedure, Mercy Ships sailed into Cameroon, and hope filled her heart.

After a visit to the screening site, Monique was accepted for surgery and made her way to the Africa Mercy for a 20-minute operation that changed her life. The morning after her surgery, her eye patches were slowly lifted as the room held its breath in anticipation. Suddenly, life filled her eyes as she scoured the room looking at all the things she’d missed over the past three years, including her beloved grandmother.

“I see everything!” Monique cried, “I see it all!” Her bright-eyed gaze quickly darted in every direction as if she couldn’t take it all in fast enough, pointing at everything. Melone looked on with a smile, tears filling her own eyes.

A little over two weeks later, Monique packed her backpack and proudly donned her uniform ready for her first day back at school. Eagerly waiting to be escorted, she ushered her grandmother out of the door. “If she was any more excited, she’d lift up and start flying,” laughed Melone.

As they approached the classroom, they were greeted by the same teacher who recalled three years earlier when Monique was asked to leave school. “I remember when she left — it was a sad day. I am so pleased to see her back, because it is my wish as a teacher to see her get a good education.”

The gift of sight restored Monique’s brave personality, and thanks to her grandmother’s homeschooling, she boldly approached the front of the class to read and write in front of her peers. She had not given up the fight.

“Some people say with sympathy, ‘Look at those poor blind people’,” said volunteer Ophthalmic Surgeon Dr. Glenn Strauss. “But, I’ve never met people as courageous as those who are blind. Like Monique, they make their way up our gangway with the hope of being healed.”

Some may have seen Monique as a victim — a little girl who had lost her sight and almost her education. But Mercy Ships saw the fearless little girl inside her, and gave her a chance to see and be seen.

“Every time I thought about Monique’s blindness it saddened me, because I love her so dearly,” said Melone. “Since she has had the surgery, everything is possible. She has been given the gift of hope, which is a huge blessing to our lives.”

Written by: Georgia Ainsworth
Photos by: Shawn Thompson and Saul Loubassa Bighonda
Edited by: Karis Johnson

Monique’s cataracts began forming when she was around three years old, causing the world around her to slowly start fading into nothing.

Now 10 years old, Monique’s clouded vision caused her to become shy and timid, spending her days homeschooling with her grandmother.

At just six years old, her sight deteriorated. But because she never disclosed that she couldn’t see, her teachers just thought she wasn’t paying attention in class.

When her family realized the extent of her blindness, they withdrew her from school and her grandmother, Melone, continued to homeschool her with the hope of one day saving enough money for surgery.

Following surgery, the first signs of a smile crept across Monique’s face as she listened to the anticipation of those waiting to remove her patches.

Her gaze quickly darted in every direction as if she couldn’t take it all in fast enough, scouring the room for all the things she’d missed.

Monique and her grandmother left the ship with smiles and the promise that she would begin school as soon as possible!

Less than two weeks later, Monique excitedly packed her bag and donned her uniform, ready for her first day back at school!

She eagerly ushered her grandmother out of the door to get to school as soon as possible. “If she was any more excited, she’d lift up and start flying!”

After missing out for so long, many of us would be afraid to re-enter a world we left behind. But the gift of sight restored Monique’s brave personality. She had not given up the fight.

Thanks to her grandmother’s homeschooling, Monique boldly approached the front of the class to proudly read and write in front of her peers.

Monique stood proudly with her fellow classmates, whom she was happy to be back with after three years of missing out on school with friends.

Thanks to surgery, Monique now has the chance to see and be seen as she embraces her courage and her drive to succeed.

“Since she has had the surgery, everything is possible,” said Monique’s grandmother. “She has been given the gift of hope, which is a huge blessing to our lives.”

 

A Decade of Darkness: Lydienne’s story

For 10 years, Lydienne’s world grew darker … and darker …

Slowly losing her eyesight from cataracts felt like a lifelong prison sentence for the 65-year-old seamstress. The blindness stole her independence because she was forced to rely on family members to be her eyes. Even simple walks to the market, down streets she’d known her entire life, became almost impossible to navigate on her own. All she could see were clouded shadows and pinpricks of light.

The blindness also stole her livelihood and her life’s calling. She could no longer work as a seamstress and had to depend on her younger sister for help. But the worst part was losing her ability to travel around Cameroon and evangelize, which she’d always felt called to do.

Without money to pay for cataract surgery, Lydienne almost gave up hope. But one day, her pastor told her, “The ship is coming. You will have your sight restored.” And immediately Lydienne believed with all her heart that the hospital ship would change her life.

She arrived at the Mercy Ships eye screenings, nervous and full of hope. On the scheduled day for her long-desired cataract surgery, she arrived at the ship bright and early in the morning. “God has His eye on me,” she said confidently before being led up the gangway.

Removing her cataracts was a quick surgical procedure. The very next day, Lydienne’s eye patch was removed. It was the moment of truth – had the surgery been successful?  And the answer was YES!  After a decade of darkness, she could see again!

“I went home shouting in excitement. I could see everything! Even seeing buildings again makes me so happy,” she said.

At first, her relatives couldn’t believe it, and they jokingly tested her to make sure she really could see. “They’ll ask me what they’re holding or ask me to read things to them. When I do, they all applaud. I don’t mind being treated like a child in this way – I can see it’s all in joy,” smiled Lydienne.

Now, with her eyesight and independence restored, Lydienne can resume her work as a seamstress. And she’s even more excited about being able to once again travel around the city, speaking with people about God’s love and sharing her own story with them.

“I believe my sight has been anointed. Even if my clothes are fading and getting old, I see them in the brightest colors now!”

Written by Rose Talbot
Photography by Saul Loubassa Bighonda
Edited by Karis Johnson and Nancy Predaina

Sixty-five-year-old Lydienne came to Mercy Ships for surgery to remove the cataracts that had clouded her vision for over 10 years.

Without money to pay for cataract surgery, Lydienne almost gave up hope. But when she arrived the Mercy Ships eye screenings, she was nervous and full of hope.  “God has His eye on me,” she said confidently.

Lydienne awaits her turn to go into the operating room. The cataract surgery took less than a half an hour, but it changed Lydienne’s life.

The day after surgery, Lydienne’s eye patch was removed. It was the moment of truth – had the surgery been successful? And the answer was YES! After a decade of darkness, she could see again! “Even seeing buildings again makes me so happy,” she said.

Six weeks after surgery, Lydienne was all smiles at her Celebration of Sight. She sang and danced with unrestrained energy as she celebrated her renewed vision alongside eye team staff and other cataract patients.

“I believe my sight has been anointed. Even if my clothes are fading and getting old, I see them in the brightest colors now.”

 

Aser Roger’s Second Chance

Turn right two times, pull yourself over the stone stairwell … avoid children and stray dogs under your feet. Feel along the cement walls until your fingers touch the frayed rope railing. Follow it to the end of the path, turn left. Finally … home.

Fifty-nine-year-old Aser Roger was born in this house. But, since losing his eyesight, the familiar route home was just a memory. He relied solely on his senses to bring him through the maze that he once knew as his neighborhood.

Blindness meant more than just giving up the independence to walk and enjoy once-cherished sights. For Aser Roger, it meant being unable to care for his loved ones.

This proud father of three daughters was once the primary provider for his family. One day he bent down to pick some crops, and a branch scratched the cornea of his left eye. He lost the vision in that eye, but continued farming for several more years until a cataract clouded the vision in his right eye. After that, he could no longer farm.

Aser Roger lived in a world of shadows and hopelessness for a year and a half. “Every morning when I wake up I pray to God to help me find a way out of this situation,” he said.

Days once spent working to put food on his family’s table were now spent drinking palm wine with friends and whiling away his hours. His younger sister and brother became his eyes, carefully guiding him where he needed to go.

After hearing about the Mercy Ships eye program, his brother brought him to the Africa Mercy for surgery, hopeful that the 20-minute operation was the promise of a new start in Aser’s life.

The procedure was quick. The next day was the moment of truth—his eye patch was removed, and he was able to see for the first time in over a year! The change was immediate and remarkable. Just a day before, he had only been able to see hazy light and darkness, but now his eyesight was an incredible 20/80—light years ahead of where he had been just 48 hours previously.

He couldn’t get home soon enough. “Once we arrived, my brother left me and said, ‘You can cross the road by yourself!’” said Aser Roger. His family shed tears of joy as they watched him walk independently across the busy street.

“You’re back to life! I thought you were lost, but my big brother is finally home!” his younger sister said, weeping with joy.

But the climactic moment Aser Roger had been waiting for finally came when he saw the loving face of his youngest daughter. He had not seen his seven-year-old little girl for over a year.

After several weeks of rest and healing, Mercy Ships doctors gave Aser Roger more good news—he could return to farming. Providing for his family was the second chance he’d prayed for.

“I was so happy that if I had wings, I feel like I would have just flown to the sky,” he rejoiced.

Written by Rose Talbot
Photography by Saul Loubassa-Bighonda
Edited by Karis Johnson and Nancy Predaina

Aser Roger lost vision in his left eye when a branch scratched his cornea while he was farming. Over the last year, a cataract in his right eye cost him his remaining vision, leaving his world dark and hopeless.

Aser Roger has lived in this house his entire life. After losing his eyesight, he had to trust his other senses to guide him through the familiar route home.

Blindness means more than just giving up the independence to walk freely. For Aser Roger, it meant being unable to care for his loved ones.

“Every morning when I wake up, I pray to God to help me find a way out of this situation,” said Aser Roger before his operation.

After hearing about the eye program, Aser Roger’s brother brought him to the Africa Mercy for surgery, hopeful that the 20-minute operation might change Aser Roger’s life.

For Aser Roger, cataract surgery with Mercy Ships was the promise of a new start.

The procedure was quick, and the next day was the moment of truth – his eye patch was removed, and he was able to see for the first time in over a year! The change was immediate and remarkable.

Just a day before, Aser Roger had only been able to see hazy light and darkness, but now his eyesight was an incredible 20/80 – light years ahead of where he was just 48 hours before. What an incredible difference just a quick 20-minute surgery can make!

After several weeks of rest and healing, Mercy Ships doctors told Aser Roger he could return to work. The ability to farm and provide for his family again was the second chance he never thought he’d receive.

“I was so happy that if I had wings, I feel like I would have just flown to the sky,” Aser Roger said after returning to his family with his vision restored.