Screening day

Screening for patients started Monday. HAPPY DAY, SO EXCITING!  Mercy Ships is doing screening a little different this year.  Instead of one massive screening day, they are seeing people every day for a month out in the community, and continually scheduling patients for the future surgeries we will do on the ship.

The hospital getting close to ready for patients!

Tuesday I got to participate on security team.  I had to put on my serious face at times and make sure people stayed in line or didn’t jump in and cut the 600 people that were already waiting.  I got to wear a neon orange vest and carry a radio and everything.

For preparation of screening day, I prayed through Romans 8, specifically the characteristics of the Holy Spirit and how how He empowers my life.  I prayed to desire the mind of the Spirit.  I am controlled by the Spirit because the Spirit lives in me.  The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in me, and that’s pretty amazing power.  The Spirit helps me in my weakness and intercedes for me directly to the Father in groans words can't express.

What I experienced on screening day tested my foundation.  Praise Jesus my foundation is set firm in the Rock, because there were struggles I had no idea I'd encounter.

The amount of babies with hydrocephaly was alarming.  My heart breaks and weeps for them because of how capable we are in America to fix this, but here they are doomed to the fluid that accumulates in their head and is unable to drain.  And how the Lord must see them; so cherished, still so loved, still with a purpose, still knit together with the same care and tenderness that was poured into my being when it was just God looking after me in the dark quiet.

God knows we are here to help.  He sent us here knowing that, but He sure keeps us humble by showing us the work still left to do.  If we ever could have been prideful about how great Mercy Ships is, all I have to do is remember that poor baby who’s head was too heavy for her to lift, and her eyes that were puffy from excess fluid and pressure, and her poor high pitched cry.  There is nothing we can do for them, except pray and entrust them to the Father's capable hands.

I did have a sweet encounter with a girl in line who was developmentally delayed and had some muscle tone issues.  I saw her nails were painted so I showed her mine and pretended to paint her other nails with a piece of grass from the ground.  She was so entertained, and so was I.  Only I was entertained with her smile, her face and her joy.  I could have painted her nails for the rest of the day if I was allowed.

My heart tore for the 3 year old girl who was raped by her father and now suffers from chronic leaking and infections.  All we could do was take her phone number and hope the surgeon can do surgery on someone so young.

The only way to cope with the hate one feels after one of those stories is to remember God is a God of justice.  He avenges, and I can take my restless, bitter heart to abide in and with Him.  That’s the only way not to feel completely crushed by the enormity of the need here.  I don't want to completely remove the brokenness and weight of the burden, but I need to be empowered so that I can work and move and pray in the Spirit. I am so tempted to believe lies like “I don’t make a difference” or “people can’t be revived from darkness like this.”  But the truth of the matter is “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Phil 4:13.” I have the Holy Spirit in me, who it was better for Jesus to leave so the Counselor and Helper could come reside in me.  Another truth: God redeems our lives from the pit and crowns us with love and compassion (Pslam 103).

Luckily the Malagasy people have the same access to the Father as I do.  Jesus is my peace, and He came so that those who were once far away, could be brought near.  He made the invitation open to everyone, not just the Jews.  These Malagasy people are just as capable of knowing the truth as I am.

I’m thankful I can pray big prayers to a big God.  His Spirit is in many of us on the ship and is powerful and mighty and capable of leaving people “gob-smacked” (thank you, Irishman, for teaching me that word).  I can pray for the Malagasy people to be citizens of God’s household; to be part of the building being erected to become a holy temple in the Lord, with Jesus as the foundation and built up with the apostles and disciples…and with confident hope- the Malagasy people as well.

We had a powerful time of reflection and prayer today before all the nurses started working.  One thing that lights up my heart here is how often we pray.  We pray before & after workout classes, we pray before meetings and nursing shifts, and for each other and we do prayer walks and prayer runs and read the Bible for hours and SO MUCH PRAYING! It's mind blowing.  The truth of the matter is this is really what life should look like.  In all honesty, I question how I could function at home without this much prayer.  I need prayer more and more everyday. It's such a blessing to have prayer sewn in to the culture of Mercy Ship.