Life & Death

Death has been on my mind this past week. It is something I would never want to write about, but being on my heart as well- I need too. I hate to sound morbid, but death is a part of life. Living and working on a hospital ship, death is among us. Our patients would not be here unless it was in their near future. Isn't death everyone's future? Our patients have tumors that are so large, that one more inch of growth would slowly suffocate them. On Thursday, we removed a tumor (size of nerf football) taking over Ama's face. Her life was given back to her because of surgery. There was a patient on the ward, Vincent and he came to us last year in Benin. Doctors first thought it was an infection in his hand. I remember praying with Vincent on the pre-op bench for God to rid the infection in his hand, but also praising God for being the ultimate healer in Vincent's life. Vincent's hands were resting on his lap, open, and palm up- ready to receive the answer from God. Now we know it was cancer slowly taking over his body. Vincent breathed his last breath this morning and is now healed in a heavenly way. There are babies that have cleft lips and palates that would starve to death, but thankfully their mamas care enough to come for help. However, this past week, Ani was so sick she lost her battle and now is in the arms of Jesus.

Over the weekend, the crew celebrated Easter and honored another death. The death of Jesus on the cross for us. We focused on his sacrificial death, but also his victory over death. He loved us so much he died on the cross for our mistakes, so we may live and love others the same. This is why I am here. I understand that I will face death, however it is what we do with life that counts. I pray we give a new life to those here with not only physical healing, but spiritually healing that comes from Christ alone.

2 Corinthians 2:14-15

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.