GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

This past week has proven to be a difficult time for the crew of the Anastasis. One of our crew, security force and friend died unexpectently in his sleep. Kee Thapa, a Gherka, (special forces trained security), acted as one of our security personnel for the past six months. He was from Nepal, survived by a wife and a 6 year old daughter. He was due to go home the day after his death. We were unable to contact his wife until the day of his homecoming which was a terrible blow to the family. Kee was just diagnosed with malaria that morning and given the appropriate medicines to combat this disease. When our nurse went to check on him around 4:30 that morning they believe he had already passed away but resuscitation efforts were given for 35 minutes before pronouncing him dead. He was a man that especially loved the children on board and endeared himself to most of them. Our children are suffering from this loss as well. Our Nepalese Gherkas are usually Hindu. I am happy to announce that Kee had been very interested in knowing our Jesus. He often listened just outside the security shack on the dock to the Jesus film as it is played for the patients coming aboard. He loved to listen to the testimonies of crew members to the patients and there were several crew members helping him understand the bible. In a last email from Kee to one of our crew he said that he now prays in the name of God and in the name of Jesus. That brought a lot of comfort to this crew. Sunday we will hold a memorial on board for Kee. It has been driven home for me this week that we do not mourn like others do because we have the hope of eternal life through Jesus because of the hopelessness I have seen on the face of his fellow Gherkas. Pray for them – that they too will come to know a loving Father.

Then on Friday early in the morning our third Engineer broke his thigh sending out the blood donation alert for 2 units of blood. Before most of us woke up he was already packed off to the military hospital for surgery (we don’t have an orthopedics doc on board right now) and then will be sent home immediately - - all without any of us getting to say our goodbyes.

Serving in Mercy Ships is a very complex experience. I might sound like an Army poster, but “It’s more than a job”. Here it is everything rolled up into one. Your friends, your home, your work, your worship, your school, where you eat, where you rejoice and where you share 365 other people’s sadness.

We have had much joy in the last few weeks also. Such as yesterday after a 6 hour dusty, hot trip into Accra I was able to purchase not only the 100 bibles for Pantang Psychiatric hospital I wanted but had enough left over because of a nice discount they gave me to purchase 10 Youth Bibles, 10 Bible story books, 60 easy reader bible story books and large colorful individual story books on different important people of the bible. All of these will be taken into Liberia to be shared and then given to the orphans at the orphanage we connected with on the first trip into Liberia.

How about a week off from work over Christmas - - that was a real joy. We spent 3 nights in a local hotel, sitting by the pool, eating Chinese food for lunch and dinner EVERYDAY and spending time just to listen to what God wants from us for this next year. That may not sound like much but when you are packed into a sardine can with 363 other people, believe me that IS heaven. And God blessed us even more. Usually the pool at this hotel is packed. But for 2 of the 3 days there was NOBODY at the pool except Robert and me. We thought maybe the world had been raptured and we were the only ones left. It was a frightening thought.

Outside of not being with you and our family, not having snow, not hearing my choir sing, not having Christmas service in our church, not getting to cook that famous Christmas dinner that I love to do, not having our house decorated and a tree surrounded by tons and tons of presents – I actually love Christmas on this ship. I think back at the self-imposed stress I inflicted on myself and others (Robert) at Christmas trying to do so much, buy too much, wrap too much, on and on and how tired I was by the time Christmas arrived. I have to say my Christmas on board is pretty stress-free. We buy trinkets only for our nearest friends, have get-togethers and thoroughly enjoy each other instead of the gifts. At night on Christmas eve everyone on the ship waits till after 10pm and then we all are stalking around the hallways leaving suckers, kisses, bookmarks, candy canes in others shoes that have been left outside the doors. It is really a beautiful thing, especially when people that have not been here long are blessed with presents from strangers. We also have an angel tree where we are able to pull angels from the tree, purchase small gifts for the patients on the ward and then give them a Christmas party. I much prefer the way we spend our Christmas here, remembering more the reason for this special day, the true gift that is ours.

May 2007 be full of love, laughter, hope, caring and sharing as you show others the true character of our King Jesus (or as they say it in Africa) Pappa God.

For pictures: http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=92780&cdate=20070113

Robert & Susan Blanchard
West Africa – Ghana
Mercy Ships