Life Changes

We would like to share with you some upcoming changes in our lives. As most of you probably know, Stull Woodworks, Jordan’s family’s business, was destroyed by a fire on October 27. 

We’re very thankful that Jordan was able to go home the very next day for two weeks to help with the immediate aftermath and decisions that needed to be made. Jordan had a very good and meaningful time in Ohio and found it difficult to leave. Back on the ship he couldn’t shake the feeling that he needs to be at home and desires deeply to be part of the rebuild of Stull Woodworks. In the weeks following Jordan’s return to the ship, we began to feel that God was also saying that it was time to go home. After much thought, much prayer, and seeking the advice of our bosses, friends and family, we felt like God was indeed saying that the Mercy Ships season of our lives is coming to a close.

This means that we have decided to leave the Africa Mercy and move back to Ohio in February 2017, 7 months earlier than we were originally planning to move home. Ironically, we had published a blog post just a few hours before the fire happened about how excited we were about this year on the ship. We were looking forward to the Benin field service and having the next 9 months on this ship. It seems like God had other plans though. We feel tremendous peace about this decision and while it’s going to be very difficult to leave this incredible community and all of our friendships, we are also very excited for the next season that God is opening for us.

In conclusion, we want to as sincerely as we can express to you our gratitude for the last 3 years. Whether you've been on the ship with us or on land, thank you for caring about us, praying for us, supporting us, and being family to us! 

Serving together,

Jordan and Katie Stull

Just Your Basic I-Haven't-Written-Anything-In-Six-Months Update

Hey everyone! 

If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook (OK, let’s be honest … if you follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook) you probably noticed that we were on waaaaaaay too many airplanes over the summer.

[Side note: never did I ever think that my mind would immediately go to being politically correct when I mentioned the word “summer”. To all my southern hemisphere friends, please forgive me. I mean the months of June—September.] 

We had planned to be back in the States for Luke & Jessica’s wedding and it seemed that things just kept getting added on to our trip! It was a very busy couple of months but we felt so very filled to the brim in our spirits with it all. God answered some prayers that we had asked and a few that we hadn’t asked about as well! More on that later.

Jordan and I hadn’t been back to Guinea since 2013, when we were there for the Mano Conference that Vineyard Fellowship partnered with. I had tried to visit and Mom and Dad had tried to come to the ship but with the Ebola outbreak, our plans kept getting cancelled. So it was a real treat to be able to be there for three whole weeks at the start of our trip. And bonus! My brother was in-between moving countries and was there for most of the time that we were. We even got to take a week’s trip up to the Fouta, where I grew up. A lot of West Africa can look similar—jungles made up of mango and palm trees, red dirt roads, and crazy humidity—but each country is so different and beautiful in its own way. Every time I go back to Guinea, I am hit full force with the realization of how much I love that country. 

It was great to do life with Mom, Dad, and Hannah. The mission field changes all the time with people coming and going, and so even though I knew a few of the people that they work with, there were a lot of new people. It was great to say hi to old friends and be able to put some faces to some names. 

Those three weeks flew by way too fast, as time always does when you’re with people you love! BUT … we are so excited to say that we’ll be seeing them soon! They are going to the States for a short furlough in January and will be stopping by Cotonou to see us on the ship!! 

From Guinea we flew to Europe and made another few stops. Our good friends from the ship, Jan, Elisabeth and Bella Tuinier were in Holland for a few weeks before moving on to their next mission in the Dominican Republic. Jan was taking care of his friend’s cargo ship so it was quite fun to live on a ship for a few more days with them. [Except this ship had a few amenities that ours doesn’t, my favorite being a jacuzzi. We had a great time being tourists with them for a few days, after which we took a train to southern Germany to see my dear friend Sarah and her husband Erkai. She is working at Black Forest Academy and her husband is working for an engineering company. They are in a nice little corner of Germany that is about an hour from Switzerland and ten minutes from France. We took a day hike to the Alps—saw snow in June!—and they treated us to brats, sauerkraut, and fondue (at separate meals!). It was SO good to get a glimpse into their lives! 

We had looked and looked and looked for tickets for this summer and were really happy with the ones that the travel agency Mercy Ships uses was able to get. One sweet selling point was that our itinerary had us arriving into Dayton (20 minutes from home) at 5:30 on Friday evening. Perfect, right?? Well, American Airlines had other plans. Our last flight (90 minutes to home!!) was delayed and that should have warned us but we still happily boarded with thoughts of Mom’s home-cooking dancing through our heads. We had already gotten the safety speech when the Captain came over the intercom: “Attention ladies and gentlemen … we can’t get one of our engines to start, so we’re going to have to ask you all to de-plane while we try to figure this out.” We all got off the plane and waited around for 20 minutes until they told us what we expected: our flight was cancelled and we would all have to re-book. Jordan and I fairly flew down to customer service, followed by at least 100 people. We managed to get to the frontish end of the line and were told that we could either wait on standby for another flight to Dayton in three hours or get tickets on a flight to Cincinnati—also in three hours. Since we’d just heard at least five other people take the standby option, we figured it would be best to just go to Cincinnati. Easy, right? 

Wrong. All ELEVEN of our flights were on one itinerary and since we had booked with SIX different airlines, that meant six different currencies that had to run through some computer program before we could get our two new tickets that would put us home at 2 am. We sat at the counter for no less than a half hour, taking up exactly 50% of the agents available, and avoiding looking behind us at our fellow victims, whose eyes slowly turned into machine guns while we waited. 

It was awkward.

But we got on the flight, managed to get some sleep (we were going on about 23 hours of wake time by this point) and landed in Cincinnati, where Jordan’s parents had graciously driven to pick us up. We got home at 2 am, slept until exactly 5:30 am, when jet lag kicked in. 

But I digress. 

Despite a bit of a rotten start, our time in the States was absolutely fabulous. We got to meet Jessica, our new sister and be a part of her and Luke's wedding. We traveled a lot, seeing family in the South and Indiana and traveling to Canada to see some friends from the ship. We hung out with friends at home, and it was wonderful to just be able to take an entire Sunday afternoon to do nothing but be with each other. One of the things we really miss when we're on the ship is hanging out in nature--so we took lots of walks at Brukner Nature Center and quite a few motorcycle rides! 

[Disclaimer: There are many photos that I already shared on Instagram, so rather than overwhelm this already long post, I'm leaving some out!] 

We were so blessed and our hearts were filled to the brim!

Last, but certainly not least, it was so good to catch up with many of YOU! Sometimes it’s difficult to know what to share on such a public forum. We really appreciated getting time to share in more detail and we loved catching up on life with all of you. 

[On that note, if me posting on here once a year is not as often as you’d like, feel free to follow us on Instagram (username: kadiatustull) or Facebook (Katie Stull or Jordan Stull). We tend to post more pictures of day-to-day life with some quick updates.]

When we went back to the States for Christmas two years ago, we were also deciding whether or not we should we extend our time with Mercy Ships. We were really back and forth on the whole thing and couldn’t find a peace either way. God took us on an a very personal journey when we got back to the ship and we decided to extend for another two years, bringing our commitment to November 2017. 

Now that a year has come and gone, we had been thinking and praying about what would be next. Over and over again while we were in the States this summer, we were shown that our next thing is to move back to Ohio and for Jordan to join Stull Woodworks again. We could not be more excited! It blows me away that God cares about the peace of our hearts and let us know undoubtedly that this is next. 

That just makes us even more excited to be on the Africa Mercy. We have decided that instead of leaving in November, we will actually leave in August of 2017. This is for a couple of purely logistic reasons: 1) Tickets are cheaper from where the ship will be in August compared to where where the ship will be in November; 2) It makes more sense for me to handover to the next Chief Steward before the field service starts as opposed to in the middle of it and 3) It works best for Stull Woodworks for Jordan to be back in this summer. 

We feel like this year is a year of completion—not necessarily for our time in missions, but for this season. We’re excited to get the most out of every thing we can. We are excited to pour into friendships here and make more memories with these incredible people. We’re excited to be back in West Africa—we love Benin already and can’t wait to explore the country some more! We’re excited to give our jobs the best that we have. In short, we’re excited to live these next few months to the fullest! 

Thanks for walking with us. 

Lighten Up

Hey everyone,

I need some encouragement for myself—encouragement to bridle my tongue. I am tired of my negative thoughts. I am tired of my demeaning words. I am tired of being somewhere where I feel that I am sliding down that slippery slope of slashing with my words and not having the guts to say enough. 

I was frustrated with a situation the other day. Really frustrated. It seemed to be the 1000th time it had come up and I didn’t take my thoughts captive and stop the downpour of aggravation. I thought of this community, where everyone is literally bumping up against each other. I thought of how we are all like little polka dots on a blank white sheet of paper. We think that our little dot isn’t going to affect anyone. But with each action or word, each of our polka dots gets a ring around it. And soon enough, all of those rings start bumping into each other. On that day, all of those rings felt like bumper cars knocking my neck out of joint. I can’t get away from [that person], it’s so easy to think. I know exactly how they will react. Nothing I say or do ever changes anything. We’re just going to keep bumping. And crashing. 

I even drew out a picture to help me flesh this out in my head (I process by working with my hands; crochet, color, play a mindless game, just something to keep my hands busy). And while I was drawing my picture, I used different colors for the polka dots (because I also like bright colors). And guess what? The final effect was actually quite pretty! It didn't look nearly as frustrating as my day felt. And then I thought—hey!

It’s OK to bump into each other. But let’s make each bump worthwhile and good. Let’s let each interaction be conducted with the goal of upholding the other person. Let's make that final picture bright and colorful, where the pleasant thing that happened to you lifts me up, even if doesn't affect me personally. Let's make a rainbow of colliding colors, not a hailstorm of dark and stormy clouds clashing. 

It all starts with not tearing each other down. This saying keeps getting thrown around in my head: “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.” Katie Stull, do not knock anyone down until you have tried being in their shoes. 

I LOVE quotes. My office wall is covered with some of my favorites. I love searching for quotes on Pinterest, especially themed quotes. So, in an effort to host my own pep-rally, I present to you a whole bunch of quotes. Some I could think about for hours, some are just cute, and some have shot me through the heart. There's a lot but I think it's OK because I need to make up some good words. If only it were that easy.

I'd like to lighten up. I can't imagine it will have a bad effect on me; I've yet to read a study that says being positive will give you cancer. Will you join me?

Weekly Scoop (14 March)

NEWS UPDATES

Easter Sunday--Messages of Hope

Andre hadn't been able to lift his right arm since he was six years old! After he was badly burned more than 30 years ago, Andre had almost given up hope of ever moving his arm and neck freely. Then a total stranger paid for Andre to travel to the Mercy Ship to be assessed for surgery. Andre's flickering hope was fulfilled, and his healing is wonderful to behold. With physiotherapist Tracey Merril (USA).

Each Easter Sunday dawns with the Africa Mercy crew members gathering, reflecting on the immeasurable hope given to us this day. We ponder the transforming power of Christ and thank God for his healing of our patients.

Nearly all of our goiter patients have returned home after being freed from the deforming growths from their necks. Among the 51 patients that received restorative surgery was Vaviroa, who could not wait to return home and show everyone that her burden had been lifted!

What's Jocelin thinking about? Maybe he's thinking about what adventures the big white ship has inside? Or perhaps Jocelin is excited for his admissions appointment and his surgery the next day and wonders what he'll look like without the massive cyst on his face and neck.

See the "Patients Update" section for more information on Jocelin and what he looks like today!

"When the world says give up, Hope whispers ... try it one more time." -Anonymous

As we celebrate Easter, we remember the hope offered by a Mercy Ship beginning a new field service as thousands flock to receive much needed medical evaluation and possible specialized surgeries. We look forward to our next field service in Benin beginning August 2016 and the hope and healing that the Africa Mercy will bring to many people there!

PATIENT UPDATES

Albertine's Finish

Albertine's journey with Mercy Ships began over 14 months ago when she attended a screening in Mahajanga in January 2015. Carrying the burden and pain of a tumor that grew from her jaw, Albertine had desperately searched for a solution that would remove her tumor and allow her to continue supporting and raising her children.

After successfully removing her tumor last field service, Albertine returned this field service to have a new jaw fashioned for her. We have grown to love her smile and wonderful spirit. Although it is tough to say goodbye to her, we are excited to return her to her husband and two children physically restored and eager to embrace the future.

Thank you very much to Mercy Ships for the help they are doing in Madagascar by giving free surgeries to people! -Albertine

Jocelin's Joyful Journey

Over the last 18 months Jocelin's father, Jean Paul, struggled to understand the growth emerging from his son's face and neck. It first showed itself as something small just before Jocelin's 11th birthday, but within a few months it was so large that Jocelin began hiding it with a scarf, embarrassed by the deformity. When Jean Paul heard about Mercy Ships he knew it was his only hope for his son.

In the last week, Jean Paul's hope became reality as volunteer surgeons aboard the Africa Mercy removed the cyst filled with nearly one liter of fluid. No longer will Jocelin be embarrassed by his cyst and hide behind a scarf!

PRAYER REQUESTS

Unsung Heroes

Near the Africa Mercy chain locker, on one of the lower decks near the bow of the ship, an amazing group of people work strategically to support the Mercy Ships hospital from behind the scenes. Please join us in prayer for their vital detailed work, and pray for others to be inspired into action through information and the data they gather.

Some manage the logistics behind our patients' experiences, others oversee numerous details to assist local health care training, while others track statistics and reporting during each field service. Together they provide information and planning that allows our healthcare and mentoring work to be targeted, accountable, and measurable.

A New Hope

A new group of OBF patients arrived on the Africa Mercy this past week. Our OBF ward is full of ladies who have recently had their fistulas closed. Soon these ladies will move off site to our OBF clinic to continue their healing. Will you pray with us that these ladies will experience full restorative healing over the coming weeks? 

CREW BIO: Dr. Sherif Emil (USA/Canada)

For most people the path to study medicine would not include a trip through engineering school but that's exactly where Dr. Sherif Emil began his career.

After growing up in a family of doctors, Sherif thought he would like to try something different and carve his own path. He completed an undergraduate engineering degree before coming to the realization that he really did want to pursue medicine.

"I like the personal aspect [of medicine], I like the interaction and I like the human aspect of it." 

That change in career path would lead him to specializing in pediatric surgical medicine in the United States and Canada and eventually would bring him to Mercy Ships. After accepting a position on the Canadian Mercy Ships board in September 2014, Dr. Sherif began preparations to visit the ship as a volunteer surgeon. Recently those plans came to fruition and he was able to experience the joy of serving in the operating theatre aboard the Africa Mercy. 

He shares: "There is such a great sense of fellowship in the OR here. Where I work [in Canada] there is no room for error, which is great, but there is also a very narrow margin for tolerance and I didn't feel that here. We're not here alone, God's here working with us and you fill it in the most profound ways. I've operated in many places in Africa, including university hospitals and the resources there are nowhere near what this ship has to offer in terms of medical care." 

Dr. Sherif was most impacted by a case involving a five month old baby, named Paulinah, who had the largest teratoma he had ever seen growing from her buttocks. Despite the number of obstacles htat stood in the way of the baby's survival, Dr. Sherif was impressed how Paulinah had chosen to live. In addition, Dr. Sherif was amazed by the care she received. 

Photo: Paulinah [Read Dr. Sherif's article on the surgery here.] 

Paulinah's case was the highlight of Dr. Sherif's visit but he was also touched by the care he saw after the baby's surgery. 

"This is a difficult patient to take care of (because) you have huge incisions that need to heal. (You have to) keep the area clean and to keep the wound from getting infected takes a lot of work. This baby recovered without the infection. It was a testament to the incredible amount of care and compassion the nurses showed this patient and every patient." 

Dr. Sherif was impressed by the unique nature of a hospital ship providing the best specialized surgical care possible in the developing countries in Africa.

"The Africa Mercy is unique," he says. "There is no other way of providing surgery globally that comes close to what this ship does because of the way it organizes itself, integrates itself and the way it leaves something behind when it's gone."

"The ship is making a difference in the lives of families and communities. We had a saying when you save a child, you're not just saving a life, you're saving a lifetime and there a lot of children that receive that treatment on the ship."

Weekly Scoop (7 March)

NEWS UPDATES

OBF Update

We're passed the halfway mark in our OBF program and nearly 200 women have received free surgeries aboard the Africa Mercy. Many have returned home completely restored while others continue to pursue full physical healing. No matter their final result, these women have experienced the power of community and unconditional love at Mercy Ships land-based OBF Clinic. With 10 weeks to go in our surgery schedule, we look forward to many more women receiving their healing!

PATIENT UPDATES

Lalao's Grateful Heart

Losing her job because of her appearance was devastating for Lalao. The goiter made her neck very thick and she wore a scarf to cover the lump at the base. Lalao's hope was fulfilled when she was offered free surgery on the Mercy Ship, but her condition required frequent pre-operative checks and blood tests. This meant travelling for nine hours each way, each time, each month. Without a steady job it was difficult to find transport money and sometimes she had to borrow. When she received news that she was ready for surgery Lalao sold the last of the family chickens to buy a bus ticket to the coast.

Lalao's beaming grin reflects her grateful heart. "The most important thing is that the goiter is gone and I'm healthy! I look in the mirror and I'm amazed each time! I'll be able to go back to work and pay back what I owe." 

Serafine

Like so many of our patients, arriving to the Mercy Ship was a whole world of new experiences for Serafine. The 54 year-old farmer's wife had been told by her children about the free goiter surgeries being offered after they saw a local Madagascar news programme about the ship's work. 

"I had no money for surgery. I'm really, really happy and thank God for sending Mercy Ships with the free surgery," she says. "I had never heard of a hospital on a ship before. I was not afraid. God gave me this solution. Thank you for coming to Madagascar and taking care of us."

PRAYER REQUESTS

Healing for Plastics Patients

It began with a surgery to release a contracture but two months later some of our plastics patients are still in the middle of their healing. They've endured countless bandage changes, hours of physical therapy and overcome infections. Will you join us in praying for their final steps of their journey towards healing?

OBF Surgeries Resume

After a brief pause in between surgeons, OBF surgeries resumed this week as we welcomed a new group of ladies for evaluation. This past Tuesday was International Women's Day and as the ladies were seen by the surgeon, they also had the job of a surprise luncheon celebration. We lift these ladies up in prayer as we watch them take their first steps in their journey towards hope and restoration.

CREW BIO: Elizabeth Harter (USA)

Nurse Elizabeth Harter describes being deeply touched mid-shift in the Africa Mercy B Ward. She noticed the room full of patients got up and gathered around a child's bed. She heard one of the patients ask Grandma, the patient's caregiver, if they could pray for the child who had developed medical complications. The group of all ages, sporting a whole range of bandages themselves, joined hands and prayed for the child's recovery.

"In that moment you know you haven't just helped them physically, you have made an impact spiritually too," reflects Elizabeth.

Elizabeth heard about Mercy Ships when she was in high school, but she never considered volunteering until her graduation from nursing school. She was looking for mission opportunities that would include a chance to build relationships over a period of time with the people she was serving. When she came across Mercy Ships she thought, "This is it! This is what I wanted!" The more she learned, the more excited she got. 

"It's so evident that God is working through this. I wanted to be a part of it!"

So the orthopaedic trauma nurse from Nashville, TN signed up to serve with the Africa Mercy for the complete ten-month Madagascar II field service. The mission has impacted her so much that she is seriously considering extending her voluntary work for the next field service beginning in August in Benin. 

"I'm an extrovert! I love the constant hum of people and the community," she says. "I love being surrounded by everybody. Being here with the same mind and purpose bonds us in a special way."

One of the big surprises for Elizabeth was the depth of involvement Mercy Ships has with the host nation. She was aware of the surgical work, the dental and healthcare services that are provided, but the scope of Medical Capacity Building was a new concept. She has grown to appreciate the lasting impact of supporting growth in the healthcare system.

"It allows the work of Mercy Ships to continue helping people long after the ship has gone," she observes. "What is most impressive to me is that Mercy Ships cares not just about their impact but about the people and the country too." 

As hard as Elizabeth will find it to say goodbye to Madagascar and so many friends at the end of her 10 months serving its people, she is also really excited about heading back to West Africa. "It seems like a different kind of heartbeat." 

Weekly Scoop [29 February]

NEWS UPDATES

Goiter Program

Goiter operations are an annual feature on the ship's surgical calendar. Already 41 patients have received thyroid treatment and goiter surgery during this field service, with another 10 people scheduled before general surgeries are completed. 

Commonly goiters are prevented by an additive to salt. Processed salt has an important added ingredient--iodine--which our thyroid glands need to function normally. However most Malagasy use a locally sourced salt; they don't buy it processed from a supermarket. Madagascar is historically iodine deficient, and some regions produce an unusually high number of goiter cases. This is guessed to be a combination of environmental and genetic causes.

Hopital Be Renovations

"Paul Farmer is quoted as saying: 'Surgery is the forgotten stepchild of sustainable development in the developing world.' Mercy Ships provides training on purpose, we call it capacity building. The goal is to increase the level of healthcare delivery in the country so it is far stronger after we leave." 

-Don Stephens, Founder of Mercy Ships

Hospital Chaplains Encourage Patients

Music speaks what cannot be expressed

Soothes the mind and gives it a rest

Heals the heart and makes it whole

Flows from heaven to the soul

-Author Unknown

We are so thankful for our hospital chaplaincy team that come and bring our patients hope every morning through songs and words of encouragement!

Thank You!

Thank you to our donors for your support in bringing hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor!

PATIENT UPDATES

Lalao's New Look

Lalao lived for 13 years with a goiter--a developing growth in her thyroid. Eventually she could no longer turn her head or breathe easily lying on her back. But the biggest impact was the loss of her desperately needed job simply because of her appearance. The relatively simple, free, goiter operations she received on the Mercy Ship brought immediate change for Lalao. She can't wait to show her family--and get back to work!

Serafine's Chance

What began as a small lump in Serafine's neck grew over 34 years until she looked like she had swallowed an orange. People would laugh at her deformity, so she wore a scarf around her neck in public, despite the intense Malagasy heat. Five years ago, the goiter finally prevented Serafine from bending to work in the family's rice fields. Consulting a doctor was too expensive, so she visited a traditional healer. He charged a lot of money for bogus treatments and then left her in the same condition. She was out of options until she heard about Mercy Ships.

Free from her burden at last, Serafine says, "I had no money for surgery. Thank you for coming to Madagascar to take care of us. I am really, really happy and thank God for sending Mercy Ships."

PRAYER REQUESTS

With just a few months to go there is still quite a bit of healing happening aboard the Africa Mercy. Will you join us in praying for our patients as they reach the final steps of their journey? Also please continue to keep our crew in your prayers that they can continue to stay healthy to finish strong the mission in Madagascar.