RAFIKI YANGU

Rafiki Yangu – I’m taking Swahili lessons from Nicholas, one of my young crew members from Kenya. This means "My Friend". Did you ever wonder what Bwana means? It means Lord or Mr. or person of respect. I’m not the best student but there again Swahili is not the easiest language but fun.

Attached is a beautiful shot of my Crew Services department on the gangway of the M/V Anastasis ported in Tema Ghana. I am truly a blessed Department Head to have such a vivacious, committed, enthusiastic, excellent group of team players. Our department has gotten the reputation among the crew for being a department that knows how to pray and does plenty of it. Hallelujah and PTL. We meet at 8am for prayer and devotions but we also come together directly after lunch to see how everyone is doing, if they need help and then one of the crew members brings another devotional and we pray again. We all feel like it’s another refueling time we don’t want to do without. We, together not only make this ship shine and sparkle but meet the needs of the crew through providing an excellent library services with around 5,000 books VHS and DVDs. We also have a very talented hairstylist aboard who also will do manicures, pedicures to keep the whole crew beautiful. Our seamstress designs or repairs work clothes, draperies as well as organizes and runs our second-hand shop. My laundress does over 85 loads of laundry in a week with such an amazing attitude. Our Housekeeping department continues to get only high praise from leadership for their care of the ship. It makes me proud to walk the halls and see things cleaner than I ever have ever seen it in the past. But what excites me even more is the attitude in which it is being done. I am a very blessed woman to have such an awesome team of individuals. On top of all their duties and responsibilities my group pulls double duty in fundraising ideas to help support World Outreach Ministries (Pastor’s Training School) and the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital. They make cinnamon rolls for 100 people on Thursday nights, cookies for 100 people at Pantang, and hire out to clean carpets in people’s cabins. That’s all on top of their jobs! I told you they were awesome.

Visits to Pantang Psychiatric Hospital continue to amaze me. We have turned a corner spiritually there. When we first started it seemed so dark and barren. We met with a lot of spiritual resistance but we have noticed the last two weeks the whole spiritual atmosphere has changed and is much freer. People that were in such bondage when we started have changed in different ways, in some more calm, in some more lucid, in some smiling where we saw no smiles. They all look forward to our visits and now we have over 80 people there every time we come. Now the nursing staff is requesting us to come into their units which really say a lot because we certainly do interrupt the day when we are there. But the staff tells us over and over they have not seen them so happy. God is so faithful and His word will never return void. We just must learn to put ourselves in those situations where we are not comfortable knowing that God walks right beside us when we go and do what He has told us to do. There is no fear through Christ Jesus.

As customary here, we say goodbye to many friends and this week was no exception. One our gateway friends, Helen Erickson left us for home in Canada. The goodbyes are hard but it makes me glad that I’ve made another life-long friend which I know I’ll see again one day. We also are saying goodbye to two 10-year veterans of the Anastasis. Warrie and Brian Blackburn. Both of them have been my Managers in my time here and both have been Godly examples to thousands of people who have passed the way of the Anastasis. They go to the Mercy Ships headquarters to continue their service there. They will be missed.

I had another one of those African experiences last night. Traveling home last night with 6 other friends on a lonely stretch of highway the temperature gauge light came on, the car filled with smoke and the car started making some very not funny sounds. We pulled over and smoke rolled out from under the hood. We grabbed the fire extinguisher just in case because we couldn’t find the hood latch. All the men in the vehicle ran out (as all men do) to look under the hood - - even though there is not a mechanic amongst them. But thankfully, Gordon carries a flashlight with him and made sure we would not be rear-ended. The women all got out of the car just in case and walked ahead on the shoulder, in the pitch blackness about 200 feet to stay out of harms way when all of a sudden, out of NOWHERE came about 6 men. They actually come out of the bush along the highways. Then another man came and told us there had been some armed robberies along this road of broken down motorist just the night before and he knew where some police were. Then he disappeared and again out of NOWHERE 2 police men with rifles came. They were very kind and stood watch over us and our vehicle, making the men leave and staying with the car until we could get another land rover out there to pick up the women and then a return to tow the other car and the men home. A trip out to dinner here never seems to be without an added level of entertainment.
Next week I’ll get to write you about attending a Ghanaian wedding. Our friend Kingsley Eshun will be married Friday in a traditional African wedding and then 20 of us travel in a Troh Troh (mini bus that always has room for 1 more – even if it is over limit by 5) on Saturday for his church wedding. Any Troh Troh ride PROMISES to be an event. Even when you do all you can to prevent the events. Here you pay for the bus, for the Mate (assistant bus driver), the Smoother-Over (the person that is suppose to keep bad things from happening or fix things when they do) and the guys that motion you to park into a spot. You just always have to carry a couple extra million cedis. We are being told it is a 4 hour trip to Takaradi but I don’t believe it for a minute - - so you’ll get the actual report of this day next week.

PRAYER POINTS
Transition preparations Department Heads are being encouraged to start for when the Africa Mercy docks beside us next year.

For the crew of the Africa Mercy as they press on toward the goal of sailing

Our leaders as they formulate the future direction of our Programs

Robert’s health – currently inner ear imbalance has prevented him from working the last 3 weeks

BRINGING THE WORD OF GOD TO THE VILLAGE PEOPLE

Okay, I must admit that everytime someone on the ship prays for the "Village People" I have a real hard time not laughing. My mind just wonders to the song YMCA. I never cease marveling at where God has us. The date on the picture is wrong. This was this past week in a village called Keum about an hour and a half north of the ship. A friend of mine works there every day and I had the awesome priviledge of going there with her one day. We did a prayer walk around because she is very concerned about the spiritual life of this village. Her fear was confirmed that the local "Christian" church of this village has combined voodoo and animistic practicies, beliefs and ritiuals in with Christianity - - very typical in Africa. They cover all their bases. I was able to talk to the children while there about a jealous God who will have no other gods before him. I introduced Pam to the Bishop of the Pastor's Training School that my department is trying to raise money for. He is sending out one of his female pastors as a undercover scout to see exactly what is going on in this church. Then he expressed a desire to get the local pastors into his training to correct the incorrect theology he preaches. Pam has also hooked up two other local Ghanian men strong in the Lord to come and work inside the village. One teaching latrine and building construction and the other one working in a children's program. It is great to be able to start sustainable programs, get local churches and people involved to continue the work after we leave. Please pray for the spiritual eyes of this village and surrounding area to be open to the truth.

ROBERT'S PROMOTIONS

After only 3 short months Robert has been promoted up the fire team ladder from Asst. Hose & Gear to Head Hose & Gear to Standby Firefighter to full fledged firefighter. Also, this past week he got to be the Manager for the welding, machine and plumbing departments while the manager was away. He will take on the responsibility again in October for 6-8 weeks. It was quite funny after one day of "herding cats" in his department he said to ME -- "you just don't understand how much work it is being manager"!!!! WHAT? I got a real good laugh over that one. At the rate of promotion we figure it will only be another 6 months before he will be on the Board of Mercy Ships.

PRAYER POINTS

• Time to properly rest and be refreshed
• Management skills for Robert
• Ministry opportunities among the crew