where did January go?

I'm not sure where January went? :)

I was home for a total of one and a half weeks in the entire month. The rest of the month I spent upcountry participating in five different screenings. Tim's plate has been full managing the team's growing finances, dealing with changes in the port, coordinating immigration and passports, and much more. We have had over 12 people come and join the team in just the last couple weeks. Our first Mercy Team is here. Our HR team is very busy with the pre-hiring of day volunteers and a team is hard at work renovating the facility that will become the Hospitality Center. On top of all that, we just MOVED houses this weekend :-) But, we are still here. Just a little behind on blogging. :-) Oh, and did I mention that the ship comes in just THREE weeks?!!! This means its crunch time around here, folks :-)

For those of you who are new to the blog, Mercy Ships holds a mass screening shortly after they arrive into a new country to select patients for our surgeries over the entire ten months. This year, for the first time, we held five screenings upcountry before the ship arrives to reach far and wide; to reach those who don't have the means to travel to the big city. Hundreds of people come with great hope that they will be selected.

Between all the five sites combined, we saw over 7,000 people. We would show up at the hospital between 8 and 9 am and leave between 6 and 7 pm. We stayed at each site two to three days. If there was time on the last day, our doctor would do some minor operations where he removed small facial cysts or tumors. I got to be second assistant where I helped set up the tray with the supplies and be available where needed. I enjoyed it, but it reminded me why I didn't like my OR rotation in school: the long hours on my feet and the heat under the mask. :-)

Being a part of the upcountry screening was incredible in every way, but also one of the hardest things I've ever done. It wasn't easy pre-screening. I hated the words This is not something Mercy Ships can do, I'm sorry. And I said it OVER and OVER again. Yet, I was amazed at how easily most of them took the news. They accepted it and left. Almost too easily. Like they are a people who accept the fact that there is no medical and surgical services. Its for the rich. They are used to not being able to have it because they can't pay for it. They've lived with their condition for years, so what's a few more, right? Oh, but so very, very WRONG! I have seen some things I will probably never forget. I am amazed at what these people have lived with.

Seeing the crowd, the large numbers, it was easy to think that we wouldn't even put a dent into it; the need is SO great. The DESPERATION so real. Yet, we are going to help 350 people. That is why we are here. And that is the number I must focus on. And there are SO many, many, many more on a waiting list. Such hope. Many traveled days to come, just to hear I'm sorry. Yet I hope, desperately hope, they saw the love in each of our eyes and heard the compassion in our voices.

I don't remember a time when I have LONGED more for the Lord's coming than during these screenings. Because when He comes, there will be no hurt, no pain, no injustice, no need. Men will be whole and stomachs will be full.

May you, with me, rest in the truth that the Father is the Great Healer. And NOTHING is too great or too small for Him.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come.