911

HE LOOKS MORE LIKE BLUTO THAN POPEYE!

How do you start your heart at 5pm in the afternoon after a hard day at work? I do not know about you, but here on the ship it starts with a scream from Robert to get my attention. Luckily my office is near the Engine Room and I knew he was in trouble. Robert had worked 8 hours in the Engine Room which stays about 150 degrees (or at least it feels that way). That day the whole ship was without air conditioning so there was not even fresh air going into that space. He made it to the top of the stairs and basically collapsed. When I arrived he would not say anything except “I am really really sick” over and over. I helped him get his boiler suit off and started to run for help then realized the doctor was not in his office so just picked up a phone and dialed 911. The great thing about living on this ship is that a 20 member Emergency Team can get to anyone anywhere within 2 minutes fully loaded with cardiac equipment, backboards and a full Paramedic kit. It was reassuring to see so many qualified people working on him. To consolidate a 2 hour ordeal that night. He had heatstroke. They took him into the only space that had air conditioning – the Surgical Suite and ran 2 EKGs to make sure his heart was not involved. They worked to lower his body temperature. And then he walked home feeling really tired and a bad headache. He stayed home the next day but was right back at it the following day. Here is a picture of Robert on a typical day of grinding, welding and poo tank diving…..are you glad you do not do his laundry? ME TOO!

Last Saturday I had a marvelous last visit with the patients of Pantang Psychiatric. It was so marvelous because I met a woman that the nursing staff said not to bother with and don’t give a bible to because she could not speak or read and no one had been able to communicate with her. I do not know exactly what other medical problems she has, but both hands were drawn, she drooled uncontrollably and she just stared into space. I got her to dance with me and got a smile. As I sat and visited with her the Lord said to use sign language. I started to argue with Him because I could not remember any of it. I just started asking the Lord to bring it back to mind. I signed “What is your name” and she let out a squeal, jumped and her eyes brightened up and she looked at me for the first time. SHE COULD SIGN! I started spelling “CAT” and then started meowing and then I either spelled DOG or DOQ, I am not quite sure but started barking just the same. She was giggling, the nurses were amazed and hadn’t a clue what was going on. The hospital did not even know her name. The only other thing I knew to do was to sing “Jesus Loves Me” using sign language. Guess what? She started signing “YES”! She knew it! It was a moment of pure joy for me and a friend of mine caught it on camera. This will be one of the highlights of my life. I gave her a name and showed her how to sign “EVE”. I taught another patient there to talk small small (African for little) in sign language to her and asked her to read her the bible. As we left I heard Eve squealing so I looked back only to see her signing her name to another patient…..She had a name and she knew Jesus Loves Her!

A very generous donor made $10,000 available to the crew that will be entering Liberia this coming week for a retreat about 2.5 hours from here near the Togo border up in the mountains. The most appreciated part of the break was something so simple you will laugh. Everyone had a shower that was as big as some of our entire cabins. Nicholas, my Floor Care Specialist, came to me saying that he could fit his bed and closet in the shower and then have a privacy curtain to boot which he does not have now. Robert and I visited a Kente Cloth Business. Really it is an open sided thatched roof shed where approximately 10 different weavers rent space by the day. They make a very traditional strip of cloth called Kente. It is made by weaving cotton thread or silk on a 3 inch loom. If you want to make clothes out of it you sew all the strips together. If you do not then you hang it around your neck and is usually presented on special occasions. Children as young as 6 or 7 start learning this art. We met Felix there who was 10 and already weaving 10 hours aday making very intrigue patterns. Isaac asked me if I wanted to sit at his loom and work on a piece. That was a great honor for me and I was petrified of messing up his work but he stood right there. You use both feet in the process with ropes stuck in your big toe. I got another big kick out of being in a culture where fat is celebrated. With absolute respect he told me if he knew I was coming he would have had a bigger loom for me to use (you have to crawl into these looms and mine was a snug fit). It reminded me of the salesman on the street following me yelling “I have BIG pants”! I dare say I will never get these compliments when we return home.

Last night the Minister of Health for Ghana invited the ENTIRE CREW to a party in our honor downtown. We all got dressed up and in typical African style the busses were 1.5 hours late - - no problem mommy! Four huge private buses rolled up outside the ship with 2 motorcycle escort policemen. The Ghanaians take very seriously a police escort and I watched as cars were nearly killing themselves to get out of the way and on the rare occasion someone couldn’t figure it out in time - - other people started pointing it out or beating on their car. They threw a wonderful party, complete with food, a wonderful band made up entirely of police officers in uniform, gifts of T-shirts, ball caps and plantain chips for everyone on the ship. The Minister called up the Management Team and Department Heads for special gifts and very kind words. Then they cleared the floor and turned the whole place into one giant dance floor! And can Mercy Shippers boogey the night away. I was honored when the Minister and I danced the “High Life”, a traditional dance. He asked where I learned to dance like that - - I told him “It’s in my blood”. He laughed - - my sisters will know what I mean.

We are so grateful for those of you who have followed us through yet another outreach, this time in Ghana. We can’t believe we’ve been here now 10 months and with Mercy Ships almost 3 years. We head off tomorrow to Liberia. Tomorrow will be a busy day full of battening down the hatches, tightening portholes, roping down movable objects, stowaway searches, fire and abandon ship drills and just general excitement of setting sail. This is truly the “Almost Final Sail” of the M/V Anastasis. She is a beautiful and graceful old lady which has found a special place in the hearts of all who have sailed on her. But we are mindful to remember she is the tool to be respected, not the object of worship. God alone deserves our praise and worship. We know that God can use anything to accomplish His purposes. We are grateful he has chosen Robert, Susan and the Anastasis to accomplish a few things for this season of service. We are greatly humbled by the impact that our crew has made in the nation of Ghana.

PRAYER POINTS

- For those people we leave behind in Ghana and for the relationships that was forged.
- Protection for Robert as he does his job in the most difficult of places on the ship.
- For the Liberian people as a whole, for their nation, their new President, for restoration of water and electricity to all people, against disease and violence
- There has been a whole generation that has known nothing but violence - - that God will show himself faithful and merciful as they exchange weapons for plowshares.
- For direction for us for this year which promises to be one of major change.

FOR MORE PICTURES PLEASE CLICK:
http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=92780&cdate=20070221

AND

http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=92780&cdate=20070224

We love and miss you and want to hear from you when you have the time. There is nothing like an email from home to raise our spirits, encourage us and make us smile.

Blessings,
Robert & Susan
Missionaries to West Africa
Mercy Ships

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

I am so sorry you have not heard from us in awhile - - for about a week and a half we felt more like real missionaries of old. No internet, no phones, no IM - - eegads, what is the world coming to? So below is actually the message I wrote to send to you guys over a week ago.

The Anastasis is preparing to leave Ghana on Feb 25, next port of call is Monrovia Liberia.

Pulling up stakes in a country after 10 months is hard to do since most of us have made some very dear connections with local pastors, churches, ministries and even shop keepers. This means a lot of goodbyes and thank yous’, hugs and tears.

We hosted an onboard thank you to the community - - mostly pastors and political figures for the tremendous amount of support they have shown to us during our stay. That means waxing floors, spit shining the chrome, polishing the brass - - that’s where my team comes in. The floor and stairway is so shiny it caught me off guard when I started up the stairs and I thought the floor was wet. I actually had to touch it to know that my Nicholas had been up all night re-waxing the reception area. During the reception our Guest of Honor, Minister of Health was left speechless after viewing the long list of programs and surgeries we had performed for the country of Ghana. The room would gasp when seeing the before and after pictures of some of the facial deformities. BUT – the very first thing he said when he started his speech made me as proud as a peacock. He said, and I quote, “If Ghana could keep our country as clean as this ship is kept clean we could eliminate a lot of diseases”! The more I thought about what he said I began to understand how a department (housekeeping), often seen with such insignificance could really change a nation! If the Minister of Health instituted cleanliness standards in the hospitals, clinics and other public areas, it could change the face of health for this nation.

We are still in the midst of debriefing the crew from this outreach. A time they can verbally and as a department try to bring closure to one ministry before opening up and getting involved in the next. It is a tougher process for some departments than others. I was privileged to be the leader of a very difficult debriefing because the emotions were running very high - - lot of passion in their experience. Passion is what brings most of us out of our comfort zone and lands us in Africa in the first place. I have one more debriefing to do for someone else’s department and then it’s my turn to be debriefed as a Department Head and then as a Debriefer.

We are in the mode of gearing back up for the delivery of the Africa Mercy. Don Stephens, Founder and Cal Huge, CEO are making a visit to our ship in the next few days and hopefully we’ll have more insight into the transfer process and timing. Although we left Midland with thoughts of us going directly to the Africa Mercy and her being our first and only assignment, I can see God’s hand in how it has all played out. There has been a tremendous learning opportunity here. A time to knit our teams together to act as a team in time for the transfer when all these skills will be so vital. I am made aware almost daily that God is in this because this job is bigger than I am and yet it all gets done and it all gets done with excellence. Some days I wake up almost in a panic over what we are facing - - the transfer of all assets and people from one ship to another. Then I realize those near panic attacks are just reminders to thank God for walking through that day with me - - this is all Him and nothing about me, my talents or skills. I dare say no one in the world has had this exact job and so we are breaking new ground the closer we get to the transfer. I look forward to the challenge ONLY because I know my God is doing it and not me.

We went on a last visit to the “Save Them Young” orphanage. Musical chairs, story telling with a Godly message about caterpillars and transforming ourselves, singing, coloring, gluing, basketball, soccer and face painting. I guess you can tell by the pictures which one I opted to do.

Thank you for your time to read about our lives in the mission field. Now ask yourself where your mission field is - - we all have one you know! As we share our experiences through these semi-weekly updates, we’d love to hear from you too. Some say they don’t write because we must be too busy to read and answer every single one. I say - - humbug! I can’t get enough of friends and family emails – it tells me something is thinking of me and praying for us. I thank God for every one of you as you walk through this with us.

PRAYER POINTS

1. Continued recovery from back pain for Susan
2. Continued health for Robert
3. World Outreach Ministry as they continue to train pastors in West Africa and also continue to bring salvation messages into Pantang Psychiatric Hospital
4. Mercy Ships as we forge new frontiers with the delivery of the Africa Mercy
5. Godly, qualified people to volunteer into this ministry
6. Keeping our focus as a ministry on God and what He wants from us - NO MORE NO LESS

Blessings Always,
Robert & Susan Blanchard
Missionaries in Ghana