The Blind Receive Sight, The Lame Walk...

One of the unique opportunities that one has serving with Mercy Ships is to be able to sign up and observe a surgery. This is a great privilege in that one is able to be in the Operating Theatre with the surgeon, and to be able to see exactly what happens. However, this is not for the faint-hearted.

And so I went and observed a surgery yesterday. Before entering the Operating Rooms, I had to don scrubs, as well as a head covering and plastic shoe coverings. I'm sure they have a proper name, but I'm too ignorant to know it. I was also told that if at any point during the surgery I begin to feel rather hot, then I must immediately step outside. This is the first sign of fainting. Step 1: Step outside. Step 2: Take off the mask. Step 3: Get fresh air. Thankfully I didn't need to leave the room, other than to get some water.

The procedure I observed was in the Orthopaedic Operating Room, and thus I had to wear a face mask and, of course, not touch anything that had been sterilised. I'm not familiar with the proper terminology, but the surgery I watched involved repairing the right humerus, the bone that runs from the shoulder down to the elbow. In this case, the man had been shot several years ago, and so his humerus was broken in two, making his arm useless. So what the surgeons did was they went and cut open his arm and then inserted a metal plate which was screwed in, to hold the broken bone together. They also took some bone from his hip and put this between the two broken pieces, so that in time they'll fuse together.

This surgery took around three hours, but what amazed me was how calm, skilled and dedicated these doctors are. There were two surgeons performing the actual surgery, and they were assisted by an OR Nurse and an anaethetist, as well as a few other nurses. We are certainly blessed by our skilled health care workers here on the Mercy Ship. They certainly bring plenty of hope and healing to Liberia's people. I am reminded of Matthew 11: 5 and I end this entry by quoting from Jesus in the NIV version:

The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

So Long, Farewell...

This past weekend saw a number of my close friends leave the Mercy Ship. Peter Fullerton, of Scotland, and Jay Brundage, of New York, both departed on Friday. They were both "Deckies" and had served admirably throughout this whole outreach. Jay joined the ship in Monrovia last October, and Peter joined in Tenerife in January. A while back I wrote a short article on Peter, and I feel that it is somewhat fitting to reproduce it here:

"Whilst keeping a grasp of one's heritage is important serving on the Mercy Ship, there are more important things for volunteer Peter Fullerton. Peter, 25, is from Kintore, Scotland and volunteers as a Deck Hand on the M/V Africa Mercy. He joined the ship in Tenerife and, as he has a background in Civil and Structural Engineering, initially wanted to serve in CDS. However, he was placed in Deck Department and has thoroughly loved the experience. As Peter says, “I'm really chuffed that it worked out the way it did”.

But it is not just in Deck Department that Peter serves the ship (and the Lord). He is involved in showing the Jesus Film on certain Wednesdays and helps with the construction of an orphanage on his weekends. Peter has also been a real blessing to the crew. Being a native of Scotland, he is familiar with the bagpipes, and is a talented musician with this instrument in hand. He learnt the bagpipes at a young age, as his father is a piper. Peter has also organised Ceilidhs out on the dock, and these have brought much entertainment to the crew. Ceilidhs are traditional Scottish dances that are held at most important events, such as weddings, birthdays, New Year's eve, Christmas, and are thus integral in Scottish culture.

Peter has been sharing his trade with the children in the Academy. As he says, “That was a highlight for me [...] it was great to show them an instrument they'd never seen”. After letting the children play his pipes, they had an impromptu band practice up on Deck 7, with marching, drums and cymbals. And as Peter realises, he is also using his talents to glorify God. Living in a Christian community is, in Peter's words, “quite a beautiful thing. And any talents or gifts that you have if you share with others in fellowship, I think, you worship God.”

When asked where he gets his most fulfillment from, serving here in Liberia, Peter is quick to point out that it is seen in the interaction between other people. And this is especially due to the “love and compassion that you can just witness, especially when you walk through the hospital on Deck 3. It's quite amazing.” Asked to sum up his Mercy Ships experience, Peter says that it's all about love or beauty. And this can be clearly seen in his involvement here on the Mercy Ship."

On Monday one of my closest friends departed. Lisa Welker had served as an OR Nurse for three months, and had been a blessing to all whom she had met. We'd spent many hours out on the dock walking, chatting, laughing and praying together. She taught me a lot about myself, and instilled in me a self-confidence that I have often struggled to find. As is my custom with close friends leaving, I drove her to the airport. But I must say it was a very sad farewell.

All three of these crew members have a special place in my heart and will be sorely missed.

A Heart For Africa...

Today has been an amazing day. But before I get into it let me give you the history behind the story. The other day my good nurse friend Jenn Carrol and I were chatting out on the dock and she asked me whether I would consider getting involved with a Bible Study out at an orphanage in New Matadi, an area of Monrovia. A group of girls along with Jenn already ran one with the girls there. But now there was a need for some male leaders to start up a Bible Study for the boys. And there was also the reason that none of the girls are Ship Drivers and thus had to catch unreliable public transport. Being a rather apprehensive type, I um-ed and ah-ed for a while, prayed about it, and then decided "well, this would be a great way to get involved with the local community". I'm not working shift work for much longer, and so this will be a great opportunity. And so I told Jenn my answer.

Last Wednesday was my first outing to New Matadi. Josh Becker, one of our "Deckies", and I led the guy's group. Imagine the setting. We sit inside a rural church building, with crude walls built of mud and stone. There is a corrugated iron roof, fastened on roughly cut beams. We are seated in a circle in old wooden school desks. Outside are the screams of delight of young children, enthralled in a game of miniature soccer on the dusty ground. And in this atmosphere we study God's Word. And I am amazed. These young men, aged between 16 and 20, are so eager to hear about God. They wanted to learn especially about the passion of Jesus, and the calling of Jesus's disciples. So we started reading through the Gospel of Matthew.

Today we read Matthew 2, a chapter that follows the Magi as they travel to visit the baby Jesus, as well as Herod's reaction to the birth of the Messiah. I have so much to learn from these young men. Their knowledge of the Old Testament (we were looking back at the prophecies - the one in Jeremiah of Rachel weeping for her children) far surpasses mine. Our Bible Study ended up discussing the morals and culture of Israel at the time, as well as looking back to Solomon and his 700 wives and 300 concubines. They discovered that, although this was a cultural practice, it was displeasing to God. As it was these wives who turned Solomon away and blinded him to the One True God. So we had some pretty meaningful discussion.

One of these young men also asked whether we could memorise a verse each week. And so we are starting to memorise Scripture as of today. I have often wanted to memorise Scripture, but have often lacked the motivation and discipline. I believe God has led me to this group for a reason. And He is already teaching me so much. Maybe He wants me to learn more about Himself. To get back to Scripture. Either way it will certainly be good. Josh and I are also going to try and get out at least once a month on a Saturday to play soccer with these guys. Speaking of soccer, I am equally impressed by their knowledge of South African soccer. They know about Bafana Bafana, the name of the South African national soccer team, and ask many questions about my home nation. One of the guys is also a fan of Lucky Dube, a popular South African reggae artist.

The above photos are of the children at God's Children's Home, another orphanage with which Mercy Ships is involved. Just look at the joy in the faces of these children. So much joy in so much poverty. A real challenge for us in our comfortable Western society. So today has been a wonderful day. I feel that this is where God really wants me to be. To be a friend to the friendless, to bring love to the unloved, and to be a light shining in the darkness. Hope and healing. That's what it's all about. God bless.

Where Has My Motivation Gone?

Yes, I know this is a random title to head this long overdue post, but over the past few weeks I've really lost my motivation to keep this blog updated (bad Murray!). But hopefully today will mark a change as I write this entry. So what has kept me from writing? Why have I been neglecting this website?

I could say "work" but that would be a lie. I could say my friends take up my time. But that would also be a lie, as there aren't that many left at the moment. I think it is just general apathy. And the fact that I'm feeling rather tired. Tired because I feel that it is time for a change. I'm tired of my job in Reception. I enjoy it, yes, and I try and do a good job, but I want to move into the field that has had my attention for a while now - Communications. And this change will be happening shortly. The long-awaited transfer of Murray Crawford from Reception to Communications. My boss, the Purser, called me into his office last week. The short of the matter is that I will be moving out of Reception on June 23rd at the earliest and June 30th at the latest. This works well as these were my initial dates of departure from the M/V Africa Mercy. Which means that I will be fulfilling my original commitment to Reception and then able to serve the remainder of the year with Communications. This is very exciting for me.

But it is also a time for reflection. What have I learnt during my time in Reception? And the answer to this is a lot. Not only the technical aspects of the job (which are really interesting - such as the Fire Panel and ship's emergency systems), but I have learnt so much about myself. Before I came I was shy and didn't know how I would handle the pressure of being upfront all the time. But God has been so faithful. He has given me so much confidence - confidence that I never really knew I had until I came here. God has stretched me and has forced me to come out of my shell in ways that I would never have seen myself doing a year ago. I am awed by His faithfulness to me - even when I'm unfaithful. He continues to give me opportunities to be who He created me to be - and this also excites me. Especially as I now have this opportunity in Communications - an industry I could see myself moving into in the future. So I am so very thankful. All glory to God.

What else can I talk about? Well, there is one thing. Last night (Sunday night) I watched a documentary on Liberia's civil war: Liberia: An Uncivil War. It was an eye-opener - make no mistake. Just five years ago a heavy battle was fought right outside the Freeport of Monrovia for control of the city. It was fought just three kilometres away at the bridge that connects Bushrod Island (where the Freeport is located) and the main city of Monrovia. Government troops under Charles Taylor fought against the LURD (Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy) rebels, who had over 70% of the country in their hands. And whenever there is war the civilian population suffers. The LURD had control of Monrovia's major supply route, the Freeport, which meant that Monrovia was essentially under siege. Thousands of refugees sought safety at camps set up on land near the US Embassy, thinking they would be safe under the eyes of the Americans. A mortar shell proved them wrong. The battle for the bridge continued for many days in late July 2003, with neither side gaining a clear advantage. The Americans were heavily criticised for their lack of action - they were seen as having abandoned their closest African ally. Eventually the outside world intervened and 700 Nigerian peacekeeping troops, from ECOMIL, the military force of ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) were deployed. And with that the war was over. The presence of these peacekeepers brought an end to the fighting. Not a single shot was fired after they arrived in the country. Charles Taylor stepped down and sought asylum in Nigeria. The UN arrived in numbers over the next few months and with over 15,000 UNMIL (United Nations Mission In Liberia) soldiers deployed, Liberia was the UN's largest peacekeeping operation in modern times.

Wow, I went into some detail there! But then again I do love my history. This documentary not only highlighted the cruelty and brutality of war, but it also brought home the fact that Liberia has, as the UN says, "a calm but fragile peace". At least there is peace. Something which is desperately needed in this turbulent world. And this peace is largely thanks to the UN peacekeepers deployed in this country. The above photo is of one of these Nigerian "Blue Helmets", who guards our gate. As Jesus himself says in Matthew 5: 9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God." God bless.

A Greater Perspective...

I know it's been over two weeks since I last posted, but to be honest I am struggling with subject matter at the moment. And it seems the subject matter I would deal with, such as friends leaving, is just getting too depressing. So I would just like to share a verse that I read the other day... Just because it really shows me where my focus should be.

So a few days ago I was reading over some letters from home. Letters that friends and family had given me when I left back in November. Letters to comfort me. And letters to encourage me. I've been feeling a bit depressed and lonely here on the Mercy Ship, and so the purpose of this was to try and refocus and get reinspired for why I am here. And so I was reading through these letters and I was struck down when I read this one verse. It is Job 1: 21, and I quote from the NIV version:

Naked I came from my mother's womb,

and naked I shall depart.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;

may the name of the Lord be praised.

Things have been difficult with so many close friends leaving, but for me this verse just offered so much hope. God gave me these friendships and he has taken them away. Some of the friends I make here I may never see again. But the emphasis should not be on the friends that I've lost - as I've made it over the past few weeks - but rather on the blessings that God has given me. If I focus on these lost friendships, I will just feel depressed and hurt. But if I focus on God and on his many blessings in my life, and if I praise him no matter what, then my soul will never be thirsty again. God bless.

The Jesus Film...

So the other day I had the opportunity of joining some Mercy Shippers in going and showing the Jesus Film to a community out at New Georgia, about a ten-kilometre drive from the ship. We took two Land Rovers and went out in convoy - Lars, the Security Officer, drove the one with all the equipment, and I drove the other with most of the Mercy Shippers. The Jesus Film is the story of Jesus according to the Gospel of Luke. It was amazing to watch out in an open-air setting, with the film being projected from inside the Land Rover onto a large screen. The screen itself was attached to the Land Rover.

Before we even left the ship we had a prayer session asking God to work in people's lives. And boy, did He work! Before the film, the Pastor who organises the films (which are shown on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings - in different locations every week) in conjunction with Mercy Ships, spoke on the loud speaker and invited people to come and watch the story of Jesus. And the people came. When we started the film, there were perhaps 50 people sitting, watching the film. But when we finished this number had risen to around 500! And what was even more special was that, during the movie, when we invited people up front to accept Christ, over 150 came forward! It was so awesome to see God working in such a tangible, real way!

It was also great in that every miracle Jesus did, in the movie, was met by loud applause and cheering. And when Christ was crucified, people cried and screamed, only to rejoice again when Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples. It just brought things into sharp focus. We are here to make a difference. It's all about winning people for the Kingdom. That's all it should ever be about.

While I'm typing here I feel I should give you an update on my little adopt-a-patient (remember Matthew?). He was discharged a couple of weeks ago and returns about twice a week for a dressing change and some occupational therapy to his hand. I try and make it down to see him when he comes to the ward for his check-ups. He is recovering well from the surgery which separated his third and pinkie finger on his left hand. They had been fused together by boiling oil back in 2005. He is a very brave boy. And seeing first-hand what our nurses and medical staff go through again underlines to me the wonderful health care staff we have here. We truly are blessed. However, at the moment we are facing quite a drastic shortage of nurses, so please pray that God would send more nurses to us. And if you are a nurse - or know of any nurses - please consider sacrificing a month or two of your time to help the people of Liberia. It will be an experience that you will never forget! God bless.

More Goodbyes...

Since I last posted - which was a little over a week ago - it has been a season of much change here on the Mercy Ship. My closest friend left on Sunday. Marius Moe. He had been the M/V Africa Mercy's Deck Cadet for eight months. I remember the first time we really had a deep conversation was when we had just docked in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. I was being my usual judgmental, critical self, and was talking about the image of Mercy Ships and how important it is to uphold it. I was concerned with how some crew members (in my eyes) were portraying it. And whilst I was being critical, Marius said, "Why don't we pray for them?" Marius is indeed an amazing man of God, who constantly challenged and encouraged me to focus on what's really important in life. And he will be missed. He certainly made an impact in my life, and there is a gap now.

And, unfortunately, Marius's departure is not the only one to take place over the next few weeks. This coming Sunday sees another good friend, Chad Meyers, along with one of the really quality ward nurses, Lisa Sullins, head back home. Chad is a Canadian who has been here since October. He initially served as a Housekeeper before moving into the Communications office. The reason for this change may not have been the best circumstances imaginable (a broken leg brought about by pulling off a Matrix move off the wall, whilst dodging bullets in Spain - no, not really, it was a skateboarding accident), but it was certainly a move orchestrated by God. The Communications department has been really blessed by his presence there. And we will miss him.

But that is life on the Mercy Ship. A constant stream of arrivals and departures. But what is exciting is that there are so many more new arrivals coming whom I haven't even met. And who will have the potential to be wonderful friends. I'm on the ship for another seven and a half months! Plenty plenty time to meet new people! So not all is so sad and depressing. That's all for now. God bless.