The faces of lives changed..My Ebenezer stones

8 months on this ship has taught me more about the character of the Lord than I’ve ever known. I’ve learned of His relentless love for His people, as well as for myself. I’ve learned about the faithfulness of our Father on countless occasions as I’ve seen legs straightened, wounds healed, and hearts changed.

I was recently reminded of the term “Ebenezer Stones”. Samuel and the Israelites were being pursued by the Philistines and feared for their lives when they asked Samuel to pray for them. Samuel asked the Lord for protection for his people and soon after, the Israelites won the battle and the Philistines retreated. Once victorious, the Bible says, “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” Ebenezer stones have become figuratively known as a monument or memory that recognize a time when the Lord was faithful.

These faces, these stories, are my Ebenezer Stones..My reminders of the Lord’s ever present faithfulness…

---

MIOTY is a 5 year old whose was attacked by a rodent at 1 year of age. She got a new nose and a new life..

This girl has been my greatest joy for going to work every day. As I told her story in my last blog she has only continued to come out of her shell that was created after she lost her eye and her face became distorted. She has spent 13 weeks on the ward. Week 7 was her turning point..when she began to let us invade her heart. When she realized that we loved her regardless of anything she would do to make us not. I love how her life is such a beautiful analogy of how the Lord loves us. How we don’t understand what He has for us, and we fight and throw fits because we don’t want change, because we don’t want to endure the “molding” that has to be done in order to make us into something beautiful. Yet when we submit, when we put down our defenses and give the Lord our trust He proves faithful 100% of the time.

Since being on the ward, Mioty has learned how to spell her name and she knows all of the words to the song “10,000 Reasons”. I have never smiled more than when I listen to her sing, “Bless the Lord Oh My Soul, Oh-oh-oh My Soul!” at the top of her lungs.

FRANCINA had a bilateral cleft lip and palate..

After surgery, she is well on her way to gaining weight. And although she had the cutest cleft lip smile I’ve ever see, she’ll appreciate not having a cleft as she continues to grow into a beautiful woman who will never experience what life would have been like with such a deformity.

BANAY also had a bilateral cleft lip and palate..

She has lived the majority of her teen years avoiding people. Now with her new lip she says she finally feels beautiful enough to go out into the world. “I was ashamed,” she says. Her first plan now that she’s left the hospital is to take swimming lessons. She’s always been afraid of the water due to her deformity and now she plans to conquer that fear!

JOCELYN had a tumor near his eye that caused his eye to protrude from his face..

With the tumor removed, Jocelyn can now return to a normal life. And apparently he’s a Seahaws fan for all of you West Coasters! (GO SEAHAWKS!)

NATIFA had a bilateral Tessier cleft. The cleft in her lip and palate extended up into her eyes..

This little girl had my heart from day one as she was chunky and loved to cuddle. She is also blind due to her cleft, but had the sweetest way of using her hands to touch your face to “see” you. I could spend hours holding this precious girl. Her lip has been repaired and the holes that have extended into her eyes have been closed. She’ll return for the next field service for additional surgery.

SAMBANY  had a tumor growing on his face for 19 years. He is now a free man..

It took a 12 hour surgery to remove the 16.5lb tumor from his face. Sambany is one of the bravest men I know.. He heard about Mercy Ships and then walked for 2 days and traveled for a total of 4 with his grandson to get to the ship. His surgery was very risky and there was a point where the surgeons did not think that they could operate. They gave him the choice and Sambany chose to go through with the surgery saying, “I know without surgery I will die. I know I might die in surgery, but I already feel dead inside from the way I’m treated. I choose to have surgery.” This man, who endured years and years of reject headed home last week. Our media team is making the long journey home with him and we are all excited to see how his village will respond to Sambany’s changed life!

(Here’s a link to the video that tells Sambany’s story:  https://vimeo.com/123209406 )

SANTA tripped over a pot of boiling water which severely burned her neck..

Due to lack of money and access to healthcare, Santa’s burns weren’t properly treated leaving her neck immobilized due to skin contractures. The skin on her chin healed poorly, attaching to the burned parts on her neck. She wasn’t able to lift her head.. She can now extend her neck like she never could before and will continue to gain mobility as she heals.

ZAKAEL had a large cyst on his neck that everyone could see..

Now he can show his infectious smile off without worrying about curious looks from other people..

ROMINO had bowed legs..

After orthopedic surgery earlier this year his legs are now straight!

MINETTE had a 9 lb tumor hanging from her back..

She would do her best to hide her tumor by wearing oversized T-shirts.. Now she’s 9lbs lighter and has changed up her wardrobe!

FREIDA  is a 14 month old who had a left lip and a cleft palate..

Due to her malnutrition she was admitted into the Infant Feeding Program several weeks before her surgery in order to get her to a safe weight so that she could have surgery.

Getting Freida to eat was a challenge from day 1. A hole in the palate of her mouth made it difficult to eat and she learned to hate having any food in her mouth. When she finally gained enough weight, she had her first surgery to repair her lip and then her palate was repaired once her lip had healed. She has been a patient of ours since the beginning of the year whether on the ward after her surgeries, or at the HOPE center having frequent appointments with the dietician. She stayed much longer than the other kids do that have the same kind of repair due to her aversion to food. It took a lot of patience from the dietician and us nurses to re-teach Freida how to eat and to “like” to eat. She was discharged from the hospital last week and our prayer is that she will continue to gain weight and that her momma will be persistent in feeding her even when it’s difficult!

SALASTINE and ZAFILINE  wore scarves over their faces to hide their tumors…

Now you can see the hope they carry in their eyes of their beautiful faces.

MARIE was 2 years old when she fell into a pot of boiling water..

Since Maria’s parents didn’t have the money to seek medical treatment, her arm healed improperly and she was no longer able to raise it away from her side. Her parents said, “The problem was always the money. Always the money. It would have been impossible for us to find the money to do surgery.” The Lord proved faithful and Maria had free surgery and can now lift her arm like she used to when she was 2 years old.

VANYA had “windswept legs”..

Vanya would come home from school and tell her mom that her friends would make fun of her because she couldn’t run. She wouldn’t wear clothes that other girls her age would wear for fear of people seeing her crooked legs. Now, for the first time in 10 years, she can run with the other kids and show off her straight legs!

JEAN LUC had a tumor on his tongue that was slowly occluding his ability to breathe and eat..

This picture on the left was actually taken after Jean Luc’s surgery. His initial tumor of his tongue was so large that his tongue protruded from his mouth making it close to impossible for him to eat and he was unable to close his mouth. Now, after the surgery and the decrease in the swelling, Jean Luc is able to eat and can close his mouth for the first time in years.

This little boy holds a very special place in my heart because it was my blood that he was given for his first blood transfusion! He was admitted to the ship before his surgery date because his labs were unstable to proceed. I was honored to be able to give a part of myself to help change this little boy’s life. I prayed over him as I peaked into the ward and saw my blood flowing from this bag into his frail little body. That he would be strong enough for surgery and that he would grow to be a man who loves Jesus.

THESE FACES ARE MY EBENEZER STONES..

What are your yours?

I’ve been challenged to never forget the way that the Lord has provided, how He’s followed though, how He’s answered prayers. Remember those moments and be expectant for Him to give you more!

These faces will forever be imprinted in my mind and even more so in my heart. They will always remind me that I serve a living and faithful God.

Thank you, Father, for a beautiful reminder of the kind of God I serve.