"Grow in the soil of hope. Step out bravely and beautifully, growth occurs in the mystery of God's timing" Trigg Johnson
Its almost time to go... I can't believe its finally here; waited and worked many years towards this dream. There is this jOy that wells up inside of me everytime I've thought about joining Mercy Ships over the years, indescribable... Its kinda like the feeling one gets when diving into a crisp lake, seeing the first snowflakes of the new season silently coming down, or holding a baby... but x 100 :) Its peaceful, refreshing, hopeful. I'm excited to put this passion into practical action; to get my hands dirty, to hear stories, to be part of another's physical, emotional, spiritual healing process.
I'm excited about it b/c it feels like I get to live IN my favorite word...HOPE! Webster describes it as "to desire something with expectation of obtainment."
*Vaclav Havel ~ "hope is a way of life, an orientation of the heart"
*South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said that people of faith are "prisoners of hope"... To me, this dream of joining the organization's mission and vision, has literally felt like its "captured" my desire, held me firmly, and there is an overall secureness that God has blessed this "dream" and allowed it to come to life, to obtainment!
In Gustavo Gutierrez's book "The Power of the Poor in History" he very bluntly says "but the poor person does not exist as an inescapable fact of destiny. His or her excellence is not politically neutral, and it is not ethically innocent. The poor are a by product of the system in which we live and for which we are responsible. They are marginallized by our social and cultural world, despoiled of their humanity. Hence the poverty of the poor is not a call to generous relief action, but a demand that we go and build a different social order."
Howard Zinn writes, "To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishy romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of the world in a different direction. The future is an infinite succession of presents."
I share all these insights to explain the deep extent of this conviction on my life. It is a powerful conviction I'm glad is present and continues to push me to new ground. Despair paralyzes, Hope gives life. As a fairly new nurse and young woman I have much to learn about the how the world works and why; but what I do know is that if I have the power and resources to make it better, more beautiful, the way God intended, then there is deep joy in that. That is what I want my life to be about.
I look forward to, with anticipation, other hopes to come to life through this journey as well. I don't know exactly what i'm walking into, or what I will find, but I'm confident that this is right for me in this season of my life. I hope you will come along with me to :) I look forward to sharing this adventure and my patient's stories with you through this blog! I have exactly the amount I need to go, team effort* every single one of you was needed!!! :) I love you guys and thanks again for all your support in getting me here. Stay in touch~ please :)
My mailing address with be:
Mercy ShipsM/V Anastasis/Medical Dept.
P O Box 2020
Garden Valley, TX 75771-2020USA
P.S. If you look to the left you will see a link for more Africa Pictures...will be updating periodically, so feel free to check out future slideshows
