Because I Can't Say It Better

Sometime, someone else says exactly what you feel.  Sometimes, they put it in a song.  At this time in the Guinea field service Matt Redman's song "Never Once" puts all of my feeling into words.

All dressed up for Easter Service on the Ship.
We are so thankful to live in a community of believers that
worships together.  I (Gretchen) was able to worship
the Risen Lord with dance...and the brunch after
was amazing!

Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You are with us.

At Lazare's Orphanage, Ansumane uses the 'Simply the Story'
Bible teaching method with the children every week.
It is such a blessing to worship with these
lovely children and watch as they absorb scripture.  

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

We will not forget and never miss
ACID BUGS!

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

I will miss all of the sweet kids at Lazare's Orphanage

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Dental outreach in Conakry Prison.  God is everywhere.

Kneeling on this battle ground

Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Mark and I earned our 1st DNF (did  not finish) in a 1/2 marathon. 
Guinea 1/ Bullock's 0

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Pascale, Henri, & Mark saying goodbye.
Ten months working together.  

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Saying goodbye is never easy.

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone














Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

My (Gretchen's) highlight of the field service.
Watching Dorcas play soccer with her walker.
10 months ago this sweet little girl couldn't even sit up.

Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Upcountry Mission: Faces of Kissinae:

First, I would like to apologize for how slowly these posts are coming.  With our internet connection on the ship it can take up to an hour to upload one picture and then sometimes something goes wrong and the upload fails, generally at the end of the hour. 

In this post I was would like to show some of the people we encountered.

Some Kissinae village kids

We always had a crowd hanging around camp.  They were nice enough to pose for a photo with us.

Jon Erickson, a local missionary from Ziricoya, Guinea.  Jon set up everything for this mission.

The Cluckie's run a guesthouse we stopped at outside Faranah.

Theirno's Transformation

This is a follow up from a previous post called "The Pain of Change" from Friday, September 14, 2012

I know this may not look, at first glance, like a major transformation, but this is Thierno.  Thierno can now breath and speak, which are things that he was incapable of when I first saw him at screening back in September.  Even more than that is the transformation I see in his eyes.  If you go back to my original post you will see a man without hope but here is see a man who can now bring hope to others.  Being new to Mercy Ships, I didn't even realize what was possible. 

Thierno recently came to our community meeting to thank the crew for his surgery.  A nurse introduced him by saying that "transformed people transform nations."  I have come to believe that this is the Gospel.  Jesus came to transform people to transform the nations.  What is now possible for this man when just a few months ago survival seemed impossible.

Impossible Prayers

A few weeks ago, we read the story of the feeding of the 5,000 in The Jesus Storybook Bible.  There were several parts that resonated with me and this one part in particular brought me to tears. 

"Well, Jesus did many miracles like this.  Things people thought couldn't happen, that weren't natural.  But it was the most natural thing in all the world.  It was what God had been doing from the beginning, of course.  Taking nothing and making it everything.  Taking emptiness and filling it up. Taking the darkness and making it light."

This weekend I got the opportunity to take all the boys to the orphanage while Mark was preparing for the interior screening/dental mission.  When  I told them that they would be going with me there was a bit of whining, but then Jacob said the most awesome thing.  "Mommy, wouldn't it be great if when we got there they told us that all of the children had found mommies and daddies?"  I responded, "that would be a miracle!"  Jacob replied, "That is what I am going to ask God to do."  It didn't happen, but instead of being disappointed Jacob said, "Maybe next week!"

  Impossible prayers frighten me.  Honestly, I very seldom pray them.  I am so acutely aware that that sometimes God's answer is "NO".  I don't like to hear "NO" because I know what "NO" feels like.  It feels like my still beating heart is being ripped out of my chest.   It feels like I am plummeting into a never ending pit.  I struggle to remember that the whole time I am being held by a loving Saviour.  I want to pray for the impossible.  I want to ask God to heal all the sick, give homes to all the orphans, to feed all the hungry...the list goes on and on.  I believe in a God who can do all these things, but I also know that we live in a fallen world and until Jesus Christ returns these prayers will not be answered "YES" for everyone.  This breaks my heart.  So for now I will continue to pray that God's will to be done, that people will respond to His call, and I hold fast to the knowledge that He knows what is in my heart.