Grace

We are entering into our third full work week! I will post some pictures of what our days look like as well as give you some more information, but today I wanted to shift the focus to the real reason that this big blue and white ship sails around West Africa. 

Even though neither of us have much contact with patients on a day-to-day basis, we do see them around. It makes my heart smile to think that after all we've heard about these patients--the pictures seen, videos watched, and stories read--these people that I see with my own eyes are having their lives drastically changed. 

We are both signing up for "Befriend a Patient"--you give the hospital your information and preference (if any) and then you can go visit your specific patient in the evenings or as schedule allows. I'm really looking forward to that! However, due to the privacy policy, we are not allowed to take pictures of patients or with patients--it just has too much potential for privacy to be violated. 

BUT, the Africa Mercy has a fantastic communications department that puts together pictures and stories and then makes those resources available to us to use in blogs and newsletters! It's silly that we should only ever write about our life on the ship since the bottom line is that we're here for the Congolese! So every week or two I'd like to post a story that the communications team has put together. 

With that said, meet Grace.

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You may remember Grace, but you probably won’t recognize her.

Grace was one of our first patients up the gangway in Congo. On September 10th, Mercy Ships surgeons removed the massive tumor from her face. It’s been six weeks since her surgery, but 17-year-old Grace is as sassy as ever -- and she’s looking like a whole new young woman. 

“God is good because He did a big thing for me. I did not believe that I could be saved, but God has had grace. Mercy Ships arrived in Pointe Noire, they treated me, and I am better today,” Grace says.

Grace’s journey to the Africa Mercy began with an email. A hospital chaplain from neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo met Grace at a hospital there. The chaplain, Pastor Gregoire, was shocked by Grace’s facial tumor, which weighed 4.9 pounds (2.2 kilos.) Pastor Gregoire came alongside Grace, counseling and praying with her. He says she was often so distraught that she cried all night. Sometimes she refused to eat or drink. “Indeed, she suffered,” he says simply.

Pastor Gregoire took a photo of Grace and published it on his blog. A reader responded to his post, recommending that he visit mercyships.org, an organization that might be able to help. From there, Pastor Gregoire contacted the Mercy Ships Swiss office and exchanged emails with Christophe Baer. Through Christophe, Pastor Gregoire sent Grace’s medical records and reports to the Africa Mercy. The response was positive. Grace and Pastor Gregoire were asked to arrive in Pointe Noire, in the Republic of Congo, on September 2nd. 

Grace’s story is a chain of mercy forged by compassionate hearts, and their efforts were rewarded. Grace will have a second surgery on December 17th. Until then, she is recovering in the Mercy Ships Hospital Out Patient Extension Center (HOPE Center), where she has become the champion UNO player. As Mercy Ships nurses will tell you, Grace dominated every hand -- and don’t even think about challenging her to Jenga! 

In a few months, Grace will return home and being school. She hopes to study medicine one day, she says. Grace wants to be a nurse.

Please stay tuned, and keep those prayers coming for Grace’s next surgery.