The Man Behind the Tumor

Can you see the man behind the tumor? A man who knows pain, who knows persecution...together we can give him hope. In everything there is hope!

Do you know what hope looks like? Take a look at this woman's face as she is told those sweet life changing words, "Yes, we can help you!" It is as though you can see the relief roll off of her shoulders as hope invades her every sense.

The screening day was a success! Many were scheduled for their free surgery. Many heard those sweet words giving them hope! Let's pray for those who were given this amazing news but also lets pray for those who were not as lucky. It is heart wrenching when not everyone can be helped, it is an unfortunate reality to this situation. God sees them and knows their pain, I pray they find comfort in God's amazing grace, all sufficient love and acceptance.

Desperation

Do any of us truly understand the feeling of desperation? Living a life with absolutely no hope, no future…no life… You see, we have this wonderful promise from our Heavenly Father, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. As a Christian, no matter how hard life gets we still have this promise to cling to. In W. Africa, they don’t know about this promise. For the people Mercy Ships seek to help, not only do they have no hope but they are possibly days or weeks away from death. This is a desperation that I cannot grasp. When Mercy Ships pulls into port a new hope comes into town – a last hope. When you mix this kind of desperation together with one last chance for life…no one can tell what will happen. 

My last post was a plea for prayer in regards to the medical screening in Freetown, Sierra Leone on March 7 and 8. Many people came from all over the country seeking one last hope that someone can help them. Usually a couple thousand people show up…this year 15,000 desperate souls came to be screened. No one could have imagined the events that would happen; this has never happened in the history of Mercy Ships. As I am still in Michigan I only know what other have said about the events. 

Basically the desperate crowd ended up storming the gate that regulated flow of people. In the event the crowd broke the metal gate in a last effort to get help. Sadly a man was killed and 13 people were injured as the crowds trampled the innocent sick waiting in line. No Mercy Ships people were hurt but they did have to cancel all screening for the time being. 

Please pray for the crew that witnessed this new level of desperation and crowds being trampled by the mob. These images will never leave them and some of the crew included the high school kids there to help

.

Please pray for the people of Sierra Leone as the need is obviously greater than Mercy Ships has ever seen.

Please pray for the management as they are trying to figure out how to proceed without any more problems.

 

Also – Mercy Ships will be holding a new screening this Saturday, March 26, 2011 at a more secure location. 

PLEASE PRAY for everyone’s safety!

PLEASE PRAY that everyone will be surrounded by the angels concerning them and create an atmosphere of calm and peace.

PLEASE PRAY for the Sierra Leonians as they are in such desperate need of help.

Logistical Thoughts of a Miracle

A few weeks ago a bible study I am apart of was discussing a miracle Jesus performed in John: the feeding of 5,000. We were talking about how crazy of a crowd this would have been and wondered how in the world did they have the food passed around to everyone. Two things came from this conversation: 1. Woman tend to think in logistics of a plan and 2. Jesus can handle it all. If you think of crowd control, passing out food, child care, a place for everyone to sit, etc. I imagine the disciplines were quite overcome with the task before them.

The reason this miracle came to mind is because in a situation where the “workers” can be overwhelmed with all of the tasks at hand; in the end the miracle was performed. We can get so focused with everything that needs to be done. We want it all to be perfect and run smoothly. I imagine things could have really been stressful in Jesus’ day when crowds that large gathered. The logistics of planning an event can over take our lives and easily keep our minds off of the bigger picture. But in the end – the miracle is still performed! We need to remember that despite ourselves and despite our hectic plans – God can still perform miracles all around us. We are not the reason, but He is!

Monday and Tuesday Mercy Ships is having screening days in Sierra Leone. The logistics of this event are easy to overwhelm! The crew will be filling a stadium with thousands of people. Not just people, but people who are hurting, and sick, and dying. They all are hoping to get help, desperate for healing, and this might be their last chance. Every single person is desperate for a miracle; it is as though you can hear their souls cry out for help. Thousands of people will be seeking help and at the end of the day not everyone can be helped. The crew must make their way through the lines and make life changing decisions. The reality of not being able to help everyone is grim, especially when you are face to face with those who are seeking life. The logistics may overcome, but God can still perform miracles. Pray for the crew of the Africa Mercy as they are faced with a tough and crushing week. Pray for those who are planning this event that they have wisdom and strength to get through the screenings. Pray for the crowds, that they would feel the awe-inspiring peace of God and be filled with His Holy Spirit as they wait to be seen. Pray for those who are turned away, that they know that there is still hope and that hope is in a living God. Our prayers here in the states can have an effect in Africa. Through God, our prayers can shake this little nation! No mountain is too high and no valley is too low – so pray with me for Sierra Leone and for Mercy Ships Screening Days this week.

My Crew Bio

  Nicole Pribbernow

   Writer

  Africa Mercy

 

There is a small little town less than a mile off the Lake Michigan shores called Whitehall, Michigan. I can safely say that I’ve lived most of my life in this beach resort town, so the thought of living on a ship seems pretty natural to me. While I have lived here for most of my life I have to admit I am afflicted with what my family calls “gypsy feet.” This simply means I love to travel and experience new places. I’ve had the privilege of living in Michigan, Maryland, Washington, and Nebraska in the United States and I even lived in Alberta Canada for a short jaunt. Ever since I was a young girl my heart always ached for missions. As I became a young adult though, finding a way proved to not be as easy as I once imagined. I’ve worked in a variety of settings from a Horse Stallion farm to an adhesive factory. I always excelled but was never satisfied. This is because I was not pursing the life God had planned for me. I attended college in Canada (Covenant Bible College) and am now attending an online university to follow my dream of being a writer. There does not seem to be a day in the past two years where I have not spent time writing. It has truly become a passion of mine and I pray that I can use this gift to further the kingdom of God.

For a year prior to applying to work with Mercy Ships I was living solely on faith that God would provide. This year He proved His undying love for me and His ability to provide all of my needs. During this time, He continually pulled on my heart strings, guiding me into the direction He had planned for me. The day I stumbled upon Mercy Ships no words can describe the immense pull on my heart that I felt. The more I looked into this organization I felt as though God created Mercy Ships with me in mind; almost as though He handcrafted this opportunity knowing all of my deep passions and desires. Since that moment, I have not been able to keep Mercy Ships from my mind. He has made an awesome pathway for me; a pathway no one can deny was forged by Him. After praying about this opportunity and very clear answers from God, I applied Christmas of 2010 for the position as writer. I will be joining the Africa Mercy fall of 2011 in a long term capacity.  

It is amazing to look back on life and see how God has molded me and shaped me. Every event has funneled into this moment: the moment of being able to have reckless abandonment and give it all up to serve Him. We are not all meant to be sent into the mission field and I am blessed to be called into this direction. I see God moving – I feel Him moving with Mercy Ships. As for me, I want to be where it is that God is moving and I am excited to be a part of something as powerful as Mercy Ships.

Me: nicole.pribbernow@mercyships.org

My Blog: http://mightykaleo.blogspot.com

Africa

Africa. The word brings a lot of things to mind for the common people of America. None of the thoughts are probably very good. We all know the continent is war torn, that people are starving, have AIDS, and that it is the home of Genocide. But this side of Africa is not the reason I talk to you today, because we all know how dark of place Africa is. I am here to tell you of hope. To tell you of exciting events filled with miracles, joy, and hope. I am talking to you to tell you of the amazing works God is doing in Africa. We must remember that no continent is too big for our God. He loves those in Africa just as much as He loves you or I. God proves His love all the time, are we listening? Are we watching?

Specifically, I am talking about the Africa Mercy. A medical ship owned by the Christian organization, Mercy Ships. The Africa Mercy travels to a different country every 10-11 months. While in port, the ship conducts thousands of surgeries: for free. Not only does the ship provide surgeries but the crew helps train local medical professionals and helps build new medical facilities. The goal is always to leave a country in a better state than when the ship arrived. They teach locals about basic first aid and how to take better care of themselves. Most importantly each patients and person met by a crew member witness’ God’s love in action.

Now for some more on what we know of Africa. The locals say “TIA” as an excuse for anything bad that happens: it means This Is Africa. There are several different types of operations Africa Mercy conducts. One of those is surgery on Cleft Palates. These children have all forces working against them. They can barely take enough nourishment to survive. They have to fight off infections, diseases, and many more problems that incurred because of this deformity they are born with. Clubbed feet are another common problem that the Africa Mercy can fix. Children and young adults who can barely walk, in excruciating pain walk up to a week just to get to the ship. Women with VVF suffer loss of their community and family; they have to deal with the daily affects and problems of their injuries from prolonged childbirth. Patients are seen with extremely large tumors on their face and necks. These tumors can cut off the patients’ airway or start to grow out of the patients’ mouth making it almost impossible to eat. Several patients have cataracts. Blindness in America is pretty hard; blindness in Africa can kill you. If this were not enough to surely see their demise, they then have to deal with daily persecution.   In Africa, people with visible deformities or health problems are seen as cursed people. They are believed to be possessed by demons. So they are persecuted every day: burning leaves thrown on them or nails put in their deformed mouths. Every force imaginable seems to be working against them. 

Although this is what the world may see, this is not what I see – at least not anymore. When God moves, He moves. Nothing can hold Him back. What I see is children being able to eat again, those with tumors able to take a breath of air without pain, women with VVF are freed both physically and spiritually. What I see is that the lame now walk; and the blind now see. What I see is God moving in Africa and He is moving in a big way.  

Matthew 25: 42 - 45

42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45 "He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

We are called to help the forgotten and poor and that is exactly what is happening in West Africa on the Africa Mercy. Where the world sees no hope for these forgotten children of God the Africa Mercy is bringing God’s love into action. There is hope for Africa. God is moving. The question remains: are we willing to move with God?

Writer

Many have asked me, with some confusion, “So you are a missionary and a writer?” The answer is yes and this can still leave people confused. So I thought I would write a little more about what my job entails. To start, I feel I must explain Mercy Ships in a little more detail. The ship Africa Mercy is a medical ship. There is a hospital ward and 6 surgery rooms, a lab, x-ray and CAT scan equipment all on one floor of the ship. Where the ships “main function” is the medical portion of this mission, the crew is only 1/3 medical staff, the rest is support staff. Like a small village the roles to make such a mission function vary from engineer, to “deckie”, to cooks, to the PR staff. We all have our roles to play to make this a well-oiled machine.

The Public Relations department gathers information about what is going on in the current port country. Through video, photography and writing they let the world know how God is moving, the needs of the people, and how others can help. I am quite lucky in the job that I have gotten. Many of the support crew do not have a lot of access to patients and programs because their 45 hour a week “job” has them working in other areas of the ship. I have the privilege of being in the heart of where the action is. I am one of the key networking folks. This means, I’m one of the first facing the people of Africa sees and I am the face that they will continually see. I become their friend: someone to listen to them and their story, to minister to them, to love them, to follow their journey with Mercy Ships. I will be their advocate, their voice – telling the world of their past struggle and future hope. What a blessing this will be to me! 

I will have opportunities to work both on the ship and off, getting to know thoroughly all of the programs Mercy Ships offers the people of West Africa. Our crew will have the opportunity to take some patients to their home village when they are healed from surgery. Again, this will be such a blessing to me! I will be able to see the reaction of the village to this “miraculous” healing!

Outside of this I will also have opportunities to work in the local orphanages and medical facilities. We are encouraged to attend a local church and be there as a support to them.  My heart is already racing a mile a minute with excitement. I know this journey will be hard but more rewarding the words could ever explain. I hope you will come along side me as I take this journey – the signs and miracles you will hear about will truly be amazing!

Acceptance

Missions is what my heart yearns for. I long to go and be the hands and feet of Jesus. Ever since I can remember - this has been my dream. I never had a romanticized ideal of mission work and for that I am truly grateful. I knew of the blood, sweat, and tears that would come with the sacrifice of not living a normal American life. In fact, my heavenly Father has turned my heart away from what we Americans deam normal. I will never be satisfied with the typical life for that is not what my Father created me for. How blessed am I to know my purpose in life!!?

I leave for Africa in 7 months. Working with Mercy Ships in West Africa as a missionary and a writer - it is all such a blessing. I had no idea that all those years of writing stories would turn into something as fantastic as this. I had no idea that last year when God amped up my passion for writing that He would bring me to be able to use it on the mission field. It goes to show that God knows us better than we do, and that His plans for us are far better than our own.

I'm now starting the journey by raising funds to go and do His good works. I am amazed at the peace God has given me in regards to finances. He is the great Provider and will supply all of my needs.

He is doing such an awe inspiring work in me. Jumping for joy is not enough - shouting on the roof top to tell the world is not enough - to truly show how amazed I am at what the Father has done for me.