tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66707485531631032122024-03-14T05:16:11.217-04:00GO TO TOGOUsing medical missions to reach the unreached and love the unloved in the name of Christ.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-16341447547123569152021-10-13T21:35:00.005-04:002021-10-13T21:37:18.129-04:00Ten <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EFRz39D74S4/YWeIkUjTIDI/AAAAAAAAC4I/lb9CXrTuu_oZXxKTAYn4TjFI6zr3ZmKGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/736C1C7C-7A4E-4B53-AB34-8CA1810AB3DD.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EFRz39D74S4/YWeIkUjTIDI/AAAAAAAAC4I/lb9CXrTuu_oZXxKTAYn4TjFI6zr3ZmKGwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/736C1C7C-7A4E-4B53-AB34-8CA1810AB3DD.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The day the Hospital of Hope opened: March 2015</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In early August I posted a Facebook teaser about a big life change coming. Little did I know how fortuitous that post would be. I was planning on announcing that after 10 years of living overseas, I would be moving home at the end of October—well, to my previous home at least, the US. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Three weeks after that post, I found myself taking a sensory walk in my sister’s neighborhood outside of Louisville, KY. I had received a phone call about a family emergency the week before, and was on a plane back from Togo to the US a few days later (So much for October!) A sensory walk is designed to focus on one of the 5 senses for a period of time before moving on to the next one. I had never done a sensory walk before, but thought it would be a helpful exercise in focusing on the Lord and the unexpected events that had taken place both acutely and in last 10 years of my journey. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I began with <i>listening</i>, and tried to close my eyes to help myself avoid the distractions of what I could see. My starting point happened to be at the top of the hill, and as I walked I could hear my soft footsteps and the birds, someone getting into their car, and the wind rustling the trees. But the terrain quickly changed to the steep uphill on the other side of the cement valley I had walked into. With each step, the sounds around me disappeared, drowned out by the noise of my own panting breath. As I neared the top of the hill I was deaf to everything around me except my own out of shape lungs! I assume the birds were still chirping and the wind blowing, but the beautiful soft sounds of nature were replaced with the sound of struggle. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I couldn’t help but think back over some days, weeks or even years of struggle in Togo. It was now so clear how those struggles often drowned out the beauty that was surely co-existing beside it. Presently, my sister and her immediate family were being dragged up hill and I knew their hearing would be soon overtaken by the sound of their own breath. I remembered the gifted people who had come alongside me during my time spent walking uphill. Some provided company for the journey, some provided encouragement despite the pain, and some even carried me for a time. I came home when my sister needed me because I knew I could now provide those things for her. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">After reaching the top of the hill it was time for <i>seeing</i>. The road flattened out for a time—a period of rest and recovery. After the uphill battle ends, one needs a time of steadiness and predictability. A time to recover from what has taken place but to also look ahead and what is coming and prepare. In my walk, I could see that more hills and valleys were ahead, but I valued the quarter-mile stretch of flatness to collect my breath and my thoughts. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“These are the stretches of life where decision making should happen”, I thought. Many times we tend to make life decisions in the free-fall of downhill, when all things seem easy and nothing could stop us. The other temptation is while we are struggling uphill and can’t imagine going any further. But both of these periods are motivated by emotion, and in many ways, made in blindness. We are swept away by “falling in love” with a person or idea and no one can stop our momentum, or we are worn down by the climb since the longer it goes, the more hope dwindles that it will ever end. I remember learning in driver’s Ed. that you can never pass on an up-hill because the closer you are to the peak, the less and less you can see what’s coming ahead. Both of these situations are tainted and can lead us astray when making decision about where the Lord is leading us. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Thankfully, I had a year of walking a relative flat road. It was a time to reflect and build-up and be poured into by friends, family, and counselors. It was a time to stop and pause to look back at things the Lord had done, with still having enough room to look and see what may lie ahead. And it was during this time I was given a settled peace about saying good-bye to the work here in Togo and moving towards what is next. Even on this sensory walk, surrounded by family emergencies and uncertainness, all I <i>felt</i> was peace. The last few months in Togo, I have had to sit with close Togolese friends and explain that I was leaving. In one conversation with a closest friend he said, “but as you are talking about leaving you seem so happy”. I explained that I my heart was heavy to go, but that there is a joy that comes with walking in the direction you know has come from the Lord. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So where am I going? What direction am I headed in? Graciously, two years ago the Lord put a vision on my heart and on the heart of a colleague and best friend. This vision has come to be known as Iron 2 Silver. In Isaiah 60:15- 17 the Lord is <span>declaring the renewal and redemption of His people, an exchange of the old for the new:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <b><span>“</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">…you shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of <i>iron I will bring silver</i>; instead of wood, bronze, instead of stones, iron.”<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A standard of care is needed in medical missions, we like to call the Silver Standard—a standard that can be attained, followed and modeled in the resource limited setting that changes survival rates, improves quality, and gives patients the dignity and love of our profession both as medical practitioners and followers of Christ. We have seen that excellent care can be delivered in low income settings here at the Hospital of Hope, and we are excited to help other mission hospitals attain what has been possible here at HOH, and more! So many people are serving and working in other hospitals that need a practical hand in improving care. The desire exists, but the time and resources don’t. We want to be the bridge to help them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We believe that medicine is not just a platform for ministry, but is also ministry in itself as we use our profession to bring quality care to those most in need. We give our best because we are all made in the Image of God and His love is demonstrated by bringing dignity and proclaiming truth while raising the standard of care whenever possible. <span>As we partner with faith-based clinics and hospitals around the world, we are committing to helping them find appropriate ways of honoring people through better, safer care, one step at a time. We want to partner with these ministries in areas they identify in training, resources, consultation and on-going monitoring and evaluation.</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To run this program effectively, Sarah and I will be stationed in the Louisville, KY (YAY!!!) and traveling to the mission hospitals as needed, but consider this our full-time jobs. As we make this transition, we are desiring to build a team that consists of multiple layers:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>1. <u>PRAYER SUPPORT</u>: We don’t want people to feel like joining us as prayer supporters is a second level of support—a way to support us if you can’t join us financially. We want <b><u>prayer WARRIORS!</u></b> The Lord moves in us and through us all using prayer. Prayer is how we bring the Kingdom of Heaven near to us! Let us know if you will be joining our prayer team and we will be creating a separate group via WhatsApp/Signal in order to communicate prayer requests and answered prayer. We hope this will become a family in which we will bring each other’s requests before the throne regularly. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">2. <u>RESOURCE SUPPORT:</u> The Lord has gifted you with knowledge and ties to resources that we don’t have! This could be an expertise in a particular area, access to supplies, or access to people/relationships that our partners could benefit from. We know that the body of Christ has been fully equipped as a whole, but that as individuals we cannot fulfil these needs on our own. Let us know how you are gifted and if you are willing to use these gifts to improve care in other parts of the world! Another resource you have is the social and professional circles you have! Do you know others who may be interested in partnering with us to bring excellence in health care regardless of where someone was born? We’d love to meet them! <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>3. <u>FINANCIAL SUPPORT:</u> Your first thought may be, “she is living in America, why does she need financial support??” Although I will both be re-entering the American medical system on a very part-time basis, I am hoping to be able to work on i2S programming full-time, whether overseas or here in the US, and will be a full-time medical missionary of the <b>Christian Health Service Corps</b>. If you are interested in joining as a financial partner, this can be done by joining the i2S team! CHSC is allowing us to raise funds for i2S all through the same i2S project fund. For any of you who would like to support our project financially, these funds go directly towards our support and all the i2S projects. Currently, the only way to give is through <b>Text to give by texting i2S to 41444 and follow the link! </b>You can also click here:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://igfn.us/f/1rsyme">http://igfn.us/f/1rsyme</a>.<span> If you need a way to mail in to CHSC, that is also possible. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Those of you who have already been giving financially over the years to my work at ABWE and would like to continue to support the work at ABWE, please let me know, as great work will continue at the Hospital of Hope. I will continue to work with HOH on the Surviving Takes Hope cancer program!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Although I was pulled back to the US prematurely, the Lord acted in miraculous ways during our family emergency and I was able to come back to Togo for 2 weeks so I could properly say good-bye to my friends and family. (I will save that story for another day). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The end of October marks 10 years since I first left for the mission field and it’s hard to capture all the thoughts and emotions involved in letting go. The work has always been the Lord’s and He will move it forward long after I go. I can already see a small glimpse of how He will use each valley, each mountain top I experienced here in Togo for future work—that nothing will be wasted. I read back over past blogs and reflect on the countless stories never written, but His story is never just about one place, one person, one dream. Our God is writing all of our stories and weaving them together for His pleasure, His perfect pleasure. My life and journey in Togo isn't the end of my story, but the turning of a page. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I will be back in Louisville on October 25<sup>th</sup> and would love to meet up with any of you to catch up and discuss life. Sarah and I have already begun working with ministries around the globe through Iron 2 Silver, and I look forward to sharing more soon. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">My gratefulness to you for your partnership in the Gospel over these many years could never be properly expressed. May His Grace and Peace cover you in the days ahead. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2QH5M1cJ7XU/YWeILRAh_xI/AAAAAAAAC4A/Z42vyOiJaaApT3HV-cI4_X5BC_J1H2XjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/I2S-Stacked-Full-color.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="251" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2QH5M1cJ7XU/YWeILRAh_xI/AAAAAAAAC4A/Z42vyOiJaaApT3HV-cI4_X5BC_J1H2XjgCLcBGAsYHQ/w251-h251/I2S-Stacked-Full-color.png" width="251" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-60141895025267846372021-03-05T07:17:00.003-05:002021-03-05T07:17:46.338-05:00Painfully beautiful<p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yX5_IFH6EwI/YEIglmDJhFI/AAAAAAAACv0/2t_0KkGwXI06eXHWrCQzJwnHLFRAtGPDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1728/February%2B25%252C%2B2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1728" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yX5_IFH6EwI/YEIglmDJhFI/AAAAAAAACv0/2t_0KkGwXI06eXHWrCQzJwnHLFRAtGPDwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/February%2B25%252C%2B2015.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">When grief is born it is no different than a newborn baby, screaming, demanding attention, and needing to be fed. It consumes our time and energy, refusing to be ignored. As it becomes a toddler, we think we have it under control until it suddenly surfaces, like a public tantrum when you least expect it. In the school-aged years it develops manners—as we feel we have a choice as to when we experience it, like during a relevant to a conversation, but can control the level of emotion based on convenience. As a young adult, its takes on a matter-of-fact attitude—always present but often ignored; a backpack whose weight is forgotten because it never comes off. As an adult, it is an old friend—someone who impacted your life at one time, but who you don’t see as often anymore. You meet up for coffee once a year, able to pick up where you left off, yet with a mature perspective that the years have granted you both. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RPm2ZOIv48U/YEIdktd6YgI/AAAAAAAACvQ/c8phkLT_6B0cB-DjyZvq5HOCTBB98uXtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s6000/NK1_6287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RPm2ZOIv48U/YEIdktd6YgI/AAAAAAAACvQ/c8phkLT_6B0cB-DjyZvq5HOCTBB98uXtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/NK1_6287.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As most of you know, February 26<sup>th</sup>, 2015 is the inaugural date of the opening of the Hospital of Hope. Six years ago, all the work and preparation was celebrated in a ceremony attended by thousands, including the President of Togo. One year later, to the day, our Director and friend Todd Dekryger lost his life to Lassa Fever. Another year later, to the day, Tama, a small boy with chronic illness who we took cared of for months, not only in the hospital, but in our home, also went to be with the Lord. It’s a heavy anniversary day for all of us, often filled with a mix of joy, sorrow, confusion, doubt, and hope. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of Todd’s relatives told me not long ago, “when I think of him, all I can do is smile.” It was an incredibly mature thing to say and something that I couldn’t say at the time, because it was so hard to move past the association of loss. I did wonder, what would it take to look at the pain in my life, both people and things taken away, and just be able to smile at the thought that we ever had them at all? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jgXLYF31W9g/YEIgl5E-j_I/AAAAAAAACv4/Jl8995vzDTE2k-THjaYE7XqxdF5sjAWsACLcBGAsYHQ/s720/IMG_0475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="540" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jgXLYF31W9g/YEIgl5E-j_I/AAAAAAAACv4/Jl8995vzDTE2k-THjaYE7XqxdF5sjAWsACLcBGAsYHQ/w150-h200/IMG_0475.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think it takes the constant reminders to ourselves about who God is. In this case, the fact that </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God is good....<i>all the time</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He knows how to gift good gifts.....<i>because he knows us perfectly<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He never leaves us or forsakes us....<i>ever<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He has overcome the world....<i>already<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He upholds us with His hands.....<i>daily<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">His power is perfect in weakness.....<i>my weakness<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He renews the strength for those that hope in Him.....<i>over and over again<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think this year was the first that I could experience February 26<sup>th</sup>with grief that was more like the old friend. Understanding it’s impact and grateful for even the painful years. I’m grateful I was able to be a part of the opening of this hospital, led by a visionary man whose primary gaze was upon the Lord Himself. I’m grateful for the laughter and passion he brought each time he entered the doors of the hospital. I’m grateful that I had a friend and colleague who could call me out when I wasn’t being the best version of myself. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m grateful that a little boy’s mother trusted me (and my roommates!) to care for her fragile son in our home. I’m grateful that we got to see a fragile boy grow into pudgy one. I’m grateful for being able to deeply grieve alongside despite the language differences. I’m grateful that the Lord moved in that family to follow Him, and that we all be reunited one day before the throne of grace. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have no doubt that there are so many things to come that, in my earthly view, will be taken away. Friends, jobs, positions, dreams, plans..... But I do believe that the Lord is constantly moving us towards the direction of growth, sanctification, maturity....... in the direction of beauty. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You might say this life is </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">painfully </i>beautiful, and I would definitely agree. But we serve a Lord who gives beauty for ashes, gladness for mourning, and praise for despair, and I know it’s true because I’ve seen it—not just in the world, but in me. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pl1jCjJI3Nc/YEIgkhmUFyI/AAAAAAAACvs/1fSO38aYdkoqyjZ-Rs4CJariHhPWal8ZACLcBGAsYHQ/s610/IMG_0476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="460" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pl1jCjJI3Nc/YEIgkhmUFyI/AAAAAAAACvs/1fSO38aYdkoqyjZ-Rs4CJariHhPWal8ZACLcBGAsYHQ/w301-h400/IMG_0476.JPG" width="301" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-45992841119998478242020-12-17T06:49:00.004-05:002020-12-17T06:49:37.341-05:00The False Cross<p> <br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">When you first visit Mango, Togo you can’t help but notice the sky. The flat landscape and noticeable lack of surrounding trees make the sky appear vast and ever-changing. Foreboding storms in June, the smoky, sand-filled skies of January, the crystal clear November night skies showing off stars that hint at galaxies far away—it’s hard to keep from looking up.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iw8zjSUKQ1Y/X9tFiLcJiRI/AAAAAAAACtA/2-986glPHfQKN_oEdjVQ67m7EkWQHLiFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s275/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iw8zjSUKQ1Y/X9tFiLcJiRI/AAAAAAAACtA/2-986glPHfQKN_oEdjVQ67m7EkWQHLiFwCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h213/images.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">I noticed the Southern Cross constellation for the first time in 2016. Since Togo sits near the equator, the well-known Southern hemisphere star formation sits low along the night horizon. I remember noticing it one evening as I walked along our dirt path, struggling with the events that had taken place over the previous few months.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Even though there was nothing extraordinary in the moment, a time-stamp was marked in my memory, an Ebenezer of sorts, and I often mark the passage of time from that night.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">I remember thinking that the Lord who placed the stars in the sky could certainly see me on this dirt path and knows all that has taken place.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">As time passed, I would point out the constellation to visitors (since their North American homes couldn’t offer the view) and look for it each night as I strolled back and forth to the hospital. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Yesterday evening, a visiting nurse and I pulled chairs out into our guesthouse parking lot at 2am to watch the Gemanie meteor shower. I was already awake for a night-shift, and Josie set her alarm for the event. Missed sleep was no match for shooting-stars and a bowl of popcorn enjoyed in the chilly night air. I decided to download a star-gazing app on my phone to find new constellations and congratulate myself on ones I already knew: Orion, Cassiopeia, Ursa Major.... I confidently held up my phone to the Southern Cross and no little lines connected the 4 stars. I thought it strange, but moved on to others: Leo, Virgo, Pegasus.... I went back to the Southern Cross, assured now that the app was working correctly, and still...nothing. The app allows you to click on individual stars, which I did: “Epsilon Carinae” I read, “also known as Avior”. As I began to read aloud, “one of four starts that makes up the Asterism known as the False Cross. This is often mistaken for the Southern Cross causing errors in astronavigation.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I’m sorry.....what?!?!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I realize it sounds ridiculous, but I was floored. Disappointed. Embarrassed. I had not only spent 4 years believing that was the Southern Cross, but also spent four years telling other people it was the Southern Cross! (my apologies if you are one of those people). I had spent the last four years, time stamping an event, a moment, that was based in something false. (those who know the enneagram, I’m a 5w6 so you can imagine my horror <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>) I hadn’t truly spent the time to ever find out if what I saw was interpreted correctly. I had no reason to believe it wasn’t the Southern Cross since I didn’t even know about the False Cross. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">In medicine we say that the most dangerous providers are those who don’t know what they don’t know. People who aren’t even aware of the knowledge they are missing. It’s one thing to know you have deficiencies, so you can go find answers when you don’t have them, or surround yourself with people who have different expertise than you. That’s called wisdom. When we can’t even imagine there is information we are missing, and assume we are already adequately informed, it borders on foolishness. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">2020 has left its toll on us all, but in many ways we are very shielded here in Togo, and most of my angst or frustration comes from reading the news or Twitter feeds. I have friends and family across the spectrum of political standings and COVID opinions. My own sending church is probably just as blue as it is red. One of the most concerning aspects of watching things play out from three-thousand miles away, I’ve realized, is the rhetoric coming from fellow beleivers:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">“Real Christians vote for ______”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">“You can’t be a Christian and support ________”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">“Loving Jesus means wearing _________”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">“If Jesus were here he would _________”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I’ve read countless articles written by theologians with as much training in Biblical interpretation as I have in medical training. I want to acknowledge and give respect to them and their education. At the same time, Christ has given all believers the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit meant to reveal His Word to us for every good work. While there are clear biblical teachings about how every Christ follower should act, the “do’s” and “don’ts” of the Bible are to be a reflection (good or bad) of our understand of Christ and who He is. But I think anyone who has been a believer for any length of time is able to look back and say, “wow! I’m so glad I have grown in my understanding of ________”, or “I’m so thankful that the Lord has moved in my heart so that I no longer desire _________.” But it would be a shame for any of us to look back on our walk and think “I probably wasn’t even a Christian before I was as spiritually mature as I am now.” We are hopefully moving closer to Christ with each season that passes as He walks us through the valleys and mountain tops of life. We are becoming no Church at all if we look at others on the road behind us and think “they probably don’t follow Jesus at all.” Or rather, if we look at those ahead of us and think, “maybe I am not a follower of Jesus since I don’t seem to be as far along as him/her.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">A mature believer could probably look back and label things they believe about God now, that they didn’t know before. They didn’t necessarily seek out the knowledge, because they didn’t know it was even missing! But the Lord brought them through a situation that made it abundantly clear that they lacked the knowledge or wisdom to respond well. Maybe the Lord brought someone alongside to teach them. Maybe life itself was crushing and they began to understand the Lord’s deliverance in a whole new way. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I am frightened as I watch the Church mark out who is or isn’t part of the Church using open-hand issues that have to do with (possibly) being early in a spiritual walk, a preference, or an issue that the Bible does not speak to directly. I would love to challenge everyone to reflect on whether we are fixing our eyes on a False Cross. Is there something that seems righteous, or un-righteous, to you that you have held up as a marker of, not only your faith in Christ, but as a marker for someone else? Is it a political party, a policy, an organization? Are we holding up False Crosses that are deciding our fate, or rather, holding our identity as children loved by the Almighty God? Can you only follow the command “love your neighbor as yourself” if she socially distances inside and out? Could you wear a mask in order to spend time with a friend who is fearful? Can lockdowns both save the life of an elderly woman, and be the direct cause of a child starving on the other side of the world? Can we be thankful a child thrives in online learning with a family blessed with enough income to weather the storm, while grieving another who commits suicide from isolation? What if the Lord appointed both Trump and Biden in their respective times to bring about His plan for our country, whatever that may be? <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Are we willing to evaluate if the Lord is using the year 2020 to reveal to us the False Crosses in our lives? These are things that seem honorable and true, but in fact, are imitations of a Gospel Truth that centers on Christ crucified and resurrected. Remember: Christ’s perfect life for your sinful heart. Christ sanctifying your over time until His return. Christ + nothing = Salvation because salvation is determined by His work, not mine. His grace. His love. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I learned that Cassiopeia and the Southern Cross can’t ever be seen in the night sky together. If I had known this, I would’ve known that I was seeing a False Cross all these years. What is something being held up in your sky that is keeping Jesus from sharing the same space in your life? Something may seem worthy and true, but is actually a shadow of truth instead, and keeping Jesus from being the center. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">CS Lewis said, “The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self—all your wishes and precautions—to Christ.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">And while that quote is true, that handing over your whole self is almost impossible—it is worth it. In the end, there is only one true Cross, and as Christ reminds us, “It is finished”. We don’t need to add to the message of the cross or speak for Christ where he has not spoken. As we move towards the celebration of Christ being sent to us on this Earth, let the only message we have as Christians be: You can’t be a Christian if you don’t know Christ, so let me introduce Him to you.......<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-26508410866621876322020-04-04T07:29:00.001-04:002020-04-04T07:29:19.221-04:00And so it begins..<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
When you talk to my dad about 9/11, he has a hard time relating to the raw emotion that most of us experienced on that day. That’s because when you ask him, “where were you when you heard about the attack on the twin towers?”, he says, “Haiti.” In fact, he was in a remote area of Haiti and was told by a Haitian national that “your country was attacked today.” But there was no television, no watching people fall out of buildings from the 40<sup>th</sup>floor, no live plane crashes. So, while he is able to relate to the sorrow the day brought, it’s not really the same. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Many of us Africa missionaries, I think, have felt this way about Coronavirus. No matter how many news updates I read or numbers I see ticking across the screen, we have been, up to this point, quite removed from the impact of it all. Africa, until very recently, had been quite spared from the pandemic and we’ve been feeling as though Mango, Togo was the safest place in the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our hospital is no stranger to epidemics and the fear they cause. As the site of Togo’s first ever Viral Hemorrhagic Fever outbreak, we have spent many hours in PPE with hands cracking from chlorine. So, it’s been quite surreal for the last 2 months or so, as we’ve watched Americans experience things that, in many ways, are norms for us here: a lack of finding food items, lack of personnel and equipment, distance from friends and relatives, and even medical workers doing jobs they weren’t trained for. In no way did this bring any feelings of “it’s about time!” or “what’s the big deal?!” In many ways, it made it easy to empathize with all the emotions that our friends and families were and are going through. But it was also all through a looking-glass, as we were still unaffected by the chaos going around the world. In fact, if internet hadn’t improved so much in the last few years, we would likely still be largely unaware of the COVID pandemic ravaging the world. (I still have Togolese friends here that don’t know that World War II happened or that any wars are taking place right now!) <o:p></o:p></div>
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Form March 7<sup>th</sup>— March 18, Togo only had 1 imported case of COVID—a Togolese national returning from Belgium and France. We held our breath to see if she had been isolated quickly enough. Slowing more cases came, imported cases mostly from travelers returning to Togo from abroad. More than half our medical team had plans and tickets to go to a medical conference in Greece that circles around every 2 years. It was a much-anticipated time where we would get both training, reunion time with friends serving around the world, and much needed vacation time as well. But as the virus continued to spread around the world, our hopes of travel faded away. Even after the conference was cancelled, I adjusted my ticket to fly direct from Togo to the U.S for a 3-month furlough that had been planned prior to COVID. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But finally, on March 28<sup>th</sup>there was case in Togo that couldn’t be traced back to a known contact with the disease. In the world of epidemiology, this is the sign of an outbreak that is now un-controlled. Not only was this new case a marker of things to come, the case was a woman that was from right here in Mango. Suddenly, our corner of the world wasn’t so immune anymore. As we are someone used to epidemics here, I still thought I wouldn’t be affected the way I had seen on news and social media. I would watch the U.S make more and more restrictions to keep the virus from spreading and try and encourage stateside friends that the quarantines were truly necessary. I made the hard decision to postpone by furlough time for a month since Togo had stopped all incoming flights which meant no volunteers could come to cover my absence. Meanwhile, I still felt immune to the stress and fear of it all. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the week before our case in Mango, though, my great-aunt passed away. A few days after, my grandmother passed away. She was my last living grandparent and there was no sweeter soul on this earth. I had spent time with her on my last furlough and asked her to stay alive for 2 more years so I could see her again. She thought about it for a second and said, “2 years?! Maybe you can just write me a letter.” Both woman dearly loved the Lord and were ready to see Him face to face. I couldn’t admire either woman more. I knew I would likely not see my grandmother again, but suddenly she was gone and my solace was that I would be home in time to at least be at the funeral. Postponing my furlough time was necessary for many reasons, but as the days went on, I now could feel the stress and frustration this virus was causing in my own heart: <o:p></o:p></div>
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missed vacation, <o:p></o:p></div>
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missed family during a time of need, <o:p></o:p></div>
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when will I finally be able to leave Togo? <o:p></o:p></div>
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what will cases do in Togo?<o:p></o:p></div>
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where will our supplies come from?<o:p></o:p></div>
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how will our cancer kids get to the hospital with border and road closures?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I finally wrote an e-mail to my roommate here. Why couldn’t we just talk? It was almost as if saying things out loud would both make them real and unleash a never-ending list of complaints! I couldn’t really put a word to what I was feeling—anger? Frustration? Fear?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Disappointment. I was feeling disappointment and grief. There are two types of grief at play. One is over things you had but are now gone, like the loss of loved ones. This is probably the most standard/familiar form of grief. It feels as though something has been taken, or stolen, from us. The loss is an experience we had that we can’t have anymore, and we miss it. The other type of grief is the loss of things that will never be, a hope deferred. You can’t miss the experience but you never had it. Instead, you’ve missed out on the experience. There are no memories to rest on or be grateful for time you had, because it never happened. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick”, which is what I think many of us are feeling. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There is a beautiful article that came out in TIME this last week. <a href="https://time.com/5808495/coronavirus-christianity/" style="color: #954f72;">“Christianity offers no answers about the Coronavirus. It’s not Supposed to.”</a> It’s a beautifully written article about lament and the season we are in as Christ-followers. It explains, better than I could, how the Bible rarely gives an answer to “why” for our suffering, but instead offers the “how”. Our answers are not in how to distract ourselves by finding new series on Netflix or looking for the end of the internet. Instead we are meant to stare straight into the eyes of lost-expectations and disappointments and lament before a Savior who both directed and demonstrated the practice in his own time here on Earth. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I am clearly not in control. I don’t know when I will get to go home. If I’m able to fly out of Togo, it is also risking not being able to return to Togo for an unforeseeable time given travel bans. I know I will never see my grandma again on this Earth, but I know we will be together again before the Lord one day. I don’t know when this outbreak will end, but I know in Togo, it is only just beginning. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So, redeem the time, with what time there is. Redeem it for lamenting or redeem it for joy, redeem it for reconciliation or redeem it for solitude. Redeem it for spreading the gospel or redeem it for learning the gospel. The Lord will redeem this Earth one day and all the illness in it, of that I am sure.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the meantime, please go wash your hands, and stop touching your face. :-)</div>
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<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7XDGEuZ1eC0/XohtPWevPSI/AAAAAAAACko/fd4wlYpCPj8DRn6WQt6jgklwKojuj5jEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_E2314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1437" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7XDGEuZ1eC0/XohtPWevPSI/AAAAAAAACko/fd4wlYpCPj8DRn6WQt6jgklwKojuj5jEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_E2314.JPG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See you at the feet of Jesus sweet lady˜</td></tr>
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-84611475473157071712020-02-25T21:56:00.003-05:002020-02-25T22:09:45.556-05:00On that very Day<text class="_3ziulaHePS" data-test="textbox" direction="ltr" height="12.4992065429688" lengthadjust="spacingAndGlyphs" style="caret-color: rgb(61, 70, 77); color: #3d464d; font-family: Gotham-Light, serif;" textlength="337.120750427246" x="72.4435195922852" y="-486.220825195312"><br /></text>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">"The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, <b>on that very day,</b>all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt." Exodus 12:40-41.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--uKFc2NinL0/XlXc97tQZjI/AAAAAAAACjs/T9lpudGKLQ0qscIfJoRCmX6ut6rWmU3ZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/NK1_6287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--uKFc2NinL0/XlXc97tQZjI/AAAAAAAACjs/T9lpudGKLQ0qscIfJoRCmX6ut6rWmU3ZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/NK1_6287.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">February 26th is, and always will be, an extremely important day with mixed emotions that range from celebration to somber, from praise to lament, from joy to pain. Of course, February 26th was the first day of the opening of the Hospital of Hope. Thousands of people in attendance including the president of Togo himself. Excitement filled the air as well as the bizarre playing of the song Hotel California on repeat the morning of the ceremony by the local station running our sound. (luckily no one understood the English lyrics!) The preparations had been years in the making and we will only see in heaven how everyone's stories wove together to bring us all together on that opening day. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Fast-forward one year later to February 26, 2016. The call came that Todd Dekryger, our beloved friend, hospital surgeon and Medical Director had passed away shortly after arriving in Germany via his evacuated flight from Togo. We had literally crossed over small mountains being pulled by a semi-tuck with a canvas rope to get him on that flight. It's easy to think, "of course he'll be healed in Germany. We are under-resourced here, but they can do everything there." It wasn't to be and the rest of the story played out in months of managing Togo's first ever Lassa fever outbreak, the horrible disease we later found, was responsible for taking our friend's life. There were no 1-year anniversary celebrations taking place, as the day was instead marked with mourning and shock. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN4_UqNE1BQ/XlXhDCGRMoI/AAAAAAAACj8/yf-k1KnTaoEua1cGiVO9wmChv6H9ivoCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="460" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN4_UqNE1BQ/XlXhDCGRMoI/AAAAAAAACj8/yf-k1KnTaoEua1cGiVO9wmChv6H9ivoCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0476.JPG" width="241" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">February 26, 2017 was now the first anniversary of the loss of Todd while spending time celebrating who he was and how the Lord has sustained us during that year. Even though Lassa fever had reared its ugly head once again by this date, we tried not to let us affect the joy of remembering our friend and all He had done to make this hospital a reality for the people of Mango in the name of Christ. By that evening though, my roommate and I received news that a child we cared for over the last 10 months, Tama, often caring for him overnight in our home, had suddenly become ill and quickly passed away. It seemed impossible that the Lord could allow this to take place at all, let alone on this date. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Over the past 3 years so much more has taken place. Some is recorded in this blog and so much more could never be. And as I think on the verse in Exodus 12, I am reminded that the Lord wastes no detail in His kingdom, especially when it comes to timing. Do you suppose that the Isrealites themselves knew that they and their ancestors had been in captivity 430 years <i><u>to the day</u></i>?? Why 430 years? Why not 429 or 477 or 2? the Bible points out with the small praise "to the day", and it seems like only we as the readers get to revel at this supernatural insight into the Lord's plans. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">This year, February 26, 2020 falls on Ash Wednesday. And while not all Christian denominations spend time recognizing this day in the same way, my sending church has always make this day and the period of lent, a part of our yearly rhythm. This year they sent out an explanation of Ash Wednesday as we believe it applies to us as evangelical believers: </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">"Ash Wednesday is an ancient practice that opens the season of Lent—a season of reflection, fasting, prayer, and lament—that incites us to remember and confront the reality of our mortal existence. The act of drawing a cross with ashes signifies that we are from dust, and to dust we will return. (Genesis3:19). The world around us moves at a rapid pace and seems to forget that it is not eternal. So, we commemorate this event publicly, and as a community, to remember our frailty. The ashes used to make the sign of the cross are not a sacrament nor a moral duty. The ashes are not magic. This is simply a visual activity that reminds us of the sad truth of our mortality and points us forward to the hope we should cling to in Jesus’s rising from the dead—his victory over sin, death, and the devil." </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ECvdkuLfmw4/XlXhFTg-2AI/AAAAAAAACkA/ypw_kOiQPSMOZ50Bxq6OUXr4lejmP_3ugCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/for%2Bdr%2Bkelly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ECvdkuLfmw4/XlXhFTg-2AI/AAAAAAAACkA/ypw_kOiQPSMOZ50Bxq6OUXr4lejmP_3ugCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/for%2Bdr%2Bkelly.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I can think of no better way to celebrate the 5-year anniversary of HOH and the anniversaries of loved ones that have gone before us, but to take time to humbly recognize my own weaknesses and frailty while clinging to the awesomeness of truth demonstrated by Christ's victory over death, sin, and the devil Himself. My sadness is almost turned to laughter when I imagine how Satan thought these things would devastate us to the point of despair and the loss of Hope. While I can mark several days when I thought this may be true, that I couldn't carry on any longer, the victory is the Lord's and it has already been accomplished and will continue to be accomplished until <b>the very day</b>He decides to take us Home. It will not be a day too soon nor a day behind the appointed time....and maybe it will even be on a February 26th....... wouldn't that be wonderful......</span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">See you soon friend.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-29998538120607472922019-12-25T22:51:00.002-05:002019-12-25T22:51:26.572-05:00Where's the Snow?!<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Confession: I don't really look forward to Christmas in Togo. The problem is, I grew up in Chicago and Christmas = cold, snow, and lighting a candle as you sing silent night at a midnight service at church. So far (despite my high hopes and many prayers) snow has yet to fall here in Mango and the high temp was 98 degrees with cool low of 68. Being away from home on holidays makes your realize how much of the emotion of the holiday is steeped in family and cultural tradition, over what we are actually celebrating-- God incarnate, given to us, the lasting gift of grace and promise of glory. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The promise of glory can seem very far away at times. Such of mix of highs and lows, day to day it becomes easy to feel as though not much has happened at all. Like anything in life, the mundane can set in and it becomes hard to look back and see any progress. But as I look back at my last post, I am encouraged to realize that both Neimatou and Denise have completed their chemo treatments, and Fatimata and Djamilajoin continue faithfully in theirs. We also have had 2 other children that have since started cancer treatment programs. We sadly lost Mounirou and Abraham, which were very hard losses. Both families expressed gratitude for the efforts and time we spent trying to bring healing to their children, but the loss was heavy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here in Togo, heaviness is never far from joy, though, and we are very close to discharging home Baby S who was born weighting <b>770 grams</b> (1 pound, 11 ounces) at 28 weeks. She is now over 35 weeks (gestational age) and mom is eager to bring her home. Although Baby S is only now 2 lb. 14oz, mom spends her days trying to convince us that everyone in her family is small, so we should keep this in mind and let her go now. (I'm trying to imagine what a Neonatologist would say in the US to a mom that tried to use that argument! LOL!) We having yet bought into that argument but look forward to the approaching day when she will head to home for the first time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are also weeks aways from sending a sweet boy to the United States for heart surgery. He came to us early 2019 and despite living in Burkina Faso, the family has gone through a lot to keep his appointments and get him where he is today. Through the generosity of Healing the Children and Norton Children's Hospital in Louisville, KY, our little friend will have his heart repaired in mid-January. Please pray for the final paperwork and other logistics to be completed quickly and for his complete healing. Pray that we may find some Mossi (Moh-see) or "More-ay" speakers in Louisville to help his transition as a parents will not be accompanying him to the states. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I cannot begin to express my gratitude for those of you who have recently given to the HOH Peds Cancer Fund--both outright and trough the t-shirt campaign. The t-shirt campaign was automatically re-launched when more people decided to buy shirts, so if you missed it, please know that there's still an opportunity to get yours: <a href="https://www.bonfire.com/hospital-of-hope-1/">https://www.bonfire.com/hospital-of-hope-1/</a>. You can also give a tax-deductible donation directly to the account at <span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.abwe.org/work/projects/hoh-togo-pediatric-care">https://www.abwe.org/work/projects/hoh-togo-pediatric-care</a></span><span style="color: #954f72;"> </span>and mention </span>Peds Cancer in the comments boxy when giving. (We will SOON have our own page for giving..stay tuned). We have also started a new Facebook page called Surviving Takes Hope, so please find us and follow us so you can stay up to date on what is happening with our chemo kids here in Togo!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do hope that you are having a beautiful Christmas season and that we are all able to take time and reflect on the beautiful way the Savior of the world humbled Himself for us, and we can look forward to the day when we see Him face to face. </span><br />
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-25635821597377330792019-09-25T00:08:00.001-04:002019-09-25T00:17:44.081-04:00From Death to Life<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">The story of Lazarus is familiar to many, even if biblical literacy is not your trade. Lazarus was a close friend to Jesus and brother to Mary and Martha. Jesus was told that he was sick and to come quickly but he purposefully waited and said, "it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it." By the time Jesus did arrive, Lazarus had been dead four days. Everyone was in mourning and Jesus, seeing this, "was deeply moved in spirit and troubled."</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Jesus then proceeded to call Lazarus forth and all watched in amazement as Lazarus rose from the dead. </span></div>
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The last blog post mentioned the loss of a couple of our children in our chemo program. Often, we only know a child had died because they stop showing up. Phone calls are attempted but often reach non-charged telephones or are somehow the phone number of someone in a nearby village who doesn't know the family well. This was the case for Jonathan. Jonathan had come to us extremely malnourished--the kind of malnourished you see on TV. He was hospitalized for over a month and didn't smile once. He had completed 4 rounds of chemo and his family was very faithful to keep appointments, until one day....he stopped coming. We called and called. Finally, we reached someone in the village who said, "oh yes, I know that family and their son died over the weekend." The news was a troubling blow. Although he had a complicated beginning, his cancer had responded well to treatment and is a cancer that comes with an 85% survival rate (even in the developing world!). As my previous post mentioned, he was among the cases that made me think twice of even continuing cancer care here in Togo. </span></div>
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The day after I posted the last blog, Jonathan and his parents walked into the clinic. There is no way I can describe the emotions I felt other than comparing it to those outside of Lazarus' tomb that day! </span></div>
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You. Were. Dead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And now you're alive. </span></div>
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I realize that some of you are thinking, "but he was never dead, clearly". Clearly this is true. The political climate on the Ghana border were the family lived had become very tenuous which prevented them from crossing the border in Togo to get to our hospital. But from our perspective (and from the perspective of those mourning Lazarus), the outcome was already final, and only Jesus knew otherwise. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When we told his parents that we thought he was dead, and that someone in his village confirmed this, they threw their hands up and laughed and said, "well of course he's not dead, he helps me work in the fields!!" All we could do is laugh in joy alongside of them and praise our Lord that this was the case. Because just as in the plan of Lazarus, these things take place so that God's Son may be glorified through it. I likely would not have considered praising Jesus for Jonathan showing up at his routine visit for cycle 5 of chemo. But you better be sure I was praising Him now!! </span></div>
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Who can know the mind of the Lord? I may never understand the full extent of why Jonathan's story took the turn it did. Johnathan did finish chemo and is doing well. He has even smiled for us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Another patient, a 21 year-old student named Lamboni has also completed his chemotherapy for a rhabdomyosarcoma. We celebrate deeply with these patients as they become like family to us during their long chemo courses. Even as I type, we have 2 new 21-year old students diagnosed with osteosarcomas (malignant cancer of the bone). Pray for them and their families as we provide them with their only opportunity for treatment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Pray also for our other kiddos as they continue ongoing cancer treatment here at HOH:</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6670748553163103212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6670748553163103212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6670748553163103212" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-kerning: none;">Denise- 2 years old with a Wilms Tumor</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Mounirou- 3 year old boy with a Wilms Tumor</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Neimatou- 16 year old girl with osteosarcoma</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Fatimata- 12 year old girl with leukemia</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Djamilatou- 12 year old girl with liposarcoma</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 16px;">Want to know how to financially help these children with cancer? Go to www.abwe.org/give and Use Account number 0763831-002. This account goes directly towards paying for the care of each individual patient receiving pediatric cancer care at HOH. </span><br />
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-10037390660926357222019-06-08T19:08:00.000-04:002019-06-08T19:19:55.193-04:00Onward<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Today I saw Martin who came into the hospital as an outpatient for a cough. Martin was our first child to ever be cured from Leukemia here. It was surreal to see him today as I just received news from a village that another one of our cancer kids passed away at home. We’ve lost 4 of 5 cancer kids over the last month which makes you wonder if the oncology program is something to continue. Who can’t help but think that? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amadou came to us because another hospital refused to treat him.<br />
He was best known for giving fist bumps to all the nurses.<br />
We lost him at the end of week 4 of ALL treatment. <br />
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But right on cue, 6-year-old Martin walks in looking as normal as any other 6 year old boy—trying to pretend not to smile; too cool for his team of Pediatricians and nurses. He’s a big brother now, which is something much more wonderful to focus on then his monthly chemotherapy visits from a time passed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have no doubt that Satan himself spends time bringing up defeats in our minds and making them seem so much bigger than the triumphs that run parallel to them. Discouragement is not just a difficult emotion but instead a powerful weapon aimed at handicapping our hopes and crippling our callings. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As Solomon says in Ecclesiastes, “there is nothing new under the sun” and Satan’s method of discouragement is no exception. Thankfully, the Lord established a counter-measure for us, thousands of years ago, often referred to as alters, or stones of remembrance. In Genesis 28, Jacob took a stone to sleep on at which time the Lord gave him a vision and promise to give Him the land and bless the families of the Earth through his offspring. Jacob then took that stone and set it up as a pillar, marking the place of promise. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We also see this happen when Joshua leads the Israelites into the promise-land after the Lord parted the Jordan river for the 12 tribes to walk across safely. Each tribe took a stone out of the river and were instructed to put them together as a marker of remembrance “so that the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Something we (I) often don’t do well at the hospital is marking the successes, the healings, the discharges home. A story was told to me today of someone’s guard who was thanking us as a team for the presence of the hospital here and all it has done for the town. My friend responded with “actually, we are grateful to God for allowing us to be here and become a part of your community.” He responded, “yes, yes. Of course, we are thankful to God, but we must thank YOU as well. Often people don’t have money to pay ahead of treatment, which is how all other hospitals function. My son had a cough last year but we had no money since it was planting season. My mother-in-law told me to go to the Hospital of Hope because they will treat your son right away and allow you time to go find money. We went, and it turns out he has asthma. He got better, and now when he coughs he has a medicine and gets better. What would we have done if you weren’t there?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have no doubt that when that child came to the hospital, it was a “bread-and-butter” asthma episode that we didn’t take too much notice to—albuterol, steroids, maybe some oxygen and home! Nothing glamourous and nothing to post pictures of to show the miracles happening here….<o:p></o:p></div>
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….or is it? Is it part of the miracle happening here? <o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the other great lies of Satan is the idea of the ‘mundane’. One definition of mundane is “lacking interest or excitement” and the other is “of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one”. Is there any other greater lie that the people, the work, the lives around us (including our own) are of this earthly world rather than a heavenly one?! The Lord’s hand is at work in constant motion all around us—from the warm wind, to the muddy terrain, from the 80-year old patient to the premature infant, it is all a wonder of excitement and awe. We will only fully understand the depth of it all when we are face to face with our Creator one day. It is each of our callings, not to be doing medicine in Africa, but to see things as Christ sees them; to open our eyes and see the story unfolding before us day by day; to hear the stories of how the Lord is working and using others to bring healing to hurting people. Our calling is to be a part of it, to enter in, and refuse to believe there is anything mundane about it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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While walking around our hospital compound a few months ago with a friend, I stopped suddenly as I saw this bare bush on one of our corners and was way more excited than my bystander friend. “Look at those fractals!” I exclaimed, showing my true math-nerd heart. As to avoid sounding too nerdy, a fractal at its simplest is something in which each smaller part has the same characteristic as the larger whole in increasing detail. The bush I was staring at had branches and twigs and even thorns all branching out at perfect 30-degree angles. Each one perfectly separated and changing directions at the exact moment and the exact angle it was designed to be at. Fractals are found throughout nature (snowflakes, galaxy formation, pulmonary vessels and even some varieties of broccoli!). The question for each person is, <i>is my life is reflecting one part of what whole?</i>I often look at trees that have grown tall but done so despite years of wind and rain trying to blow them over. You can see the exact moments where they were designed to grow in one direction but had to turn and twist in order to fight against the elements, in order to stay where they were meant to be. The result isn’t a perfect fractal, but instead another work of art and beauty all-together. All of our lives are reflecting a part of a whole for the time we are given. None of our lives will look like perfect fractals either, but instead, as we fight the notions of discouragement and the mundane, we fight to stay in the fight, to stay a part of the whole, HIS whole, until we are made perfectly whole for all of eternity. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Two days after Martin left, I received a call from the clinic. “Kelly, I have a young girl in my room that has an abdominal mass. Another hospital thinks it’s a Wilms Tumor and sent them to Lomé. They won’t go to Lomé because it’s too far. Can we treat her here?” <o:p></o:p></div>
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And so, the program pushes onward. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Denise is our newest addition to the HOH Heme-Onc program. She is being treated here for an abdominal Tumor. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">If you would like to Donate to the Pediatric Oncology Fund that allows these families and children to receive care here </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">at the Hospital of Hope- please go to www.abwe.org/give and use the account number 0763831-002. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Thank you in advance.</span><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: small;">(Picture used with permission)</span></div>
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-28991122900463400302019-01-19T19:35:00.000-05:002019-01-19T19:35:35.644-05:00Stay<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<br /><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I received news a few weeks back of a baptism that took place in a village I know well. A witch-doctor father of a child I knew and loved who often refused to even come to our hospital, is now a baptized follower of Christ. As I sit far away from Togo here in DRC, I am reminded of how our call is to be obedient, then get out of the way. There is no one that changes hearts and minds other than Christ himself; no one other that turns water to wine, ashes to beauty, or witchdoctors to believers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Coming over to DRC to help with the Ebola response so soon after returning to Togo was not a decision taken lightly. But it many ways, it was a culmination of many experiences, desires and skill sets both planned and unplanned. Much of my time has actually been spent in government and NGO partner meetings. Any frustrations I have had in Togo with government dealings now seem dwarfed in comparison. But even in these, I’ve had sweet moments of seeing how the Lord always gives someone nearby, often from unlikely sources, an ally— Someone who has protected me in a situation, offered encouragement where it wasn’t expected, or a helping hand without being asked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I do not think this outbreak shows any signs of slowing and it is painful to imagine what this region may have in store for the months to come. We now have an open Ebola Treatment Center in the community, but suspicion is rampant as is widespread denial that Ebola exists at all. But the sweet moments continue as a patient says to us “You all have treated me so well here, I wonder if I can work here for you after I get discharged?” After asking him what he wanted to do for work, he said, “maybe I can be one of the men that makes sure people are washing their hands.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">While many in the community are resisting transfer to isolation units and hiding illness in communities, our patient is trying to find out a way to stay among us, and it’s nothing but a beautiful picture—not of us—but of the invitation that the love of Christ is to those who experience it. Don’t we all long to stay in those moments of life where we feel surrounded by the grace and love of the body of Christ? These glimpses of heaven, when we experience Christ among us, are what allow us to continue in a work that is often juxtaposed by trauma and devastation. And the irony is that even during those devastating times, Christ has not parted, but remains in the midst of us, reminding us of that day of victory that will come, a day we long for more and more with each passing hour. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I will soon be leaving DRC and heading back to Togo. In many ways, my three months here has felt more like nine. In many other ways, I feel like we just started. Please continue to pray for the team that remains and for this land to heal both physically and spiritually. Pray that we all may continue to walk in a way worthy to the calling of Christ as he serves his people through us. </span></div>
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-82276856561607284192018-09-27T22:04:00.000-04:002018-09-27T22:04:17.343-04:00 Furlough and Beyond....<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Furlough time is when a missionary leaves their home of service and spends time back in their home from which they have been sent. I arrived back in the US in November 2017 to spend this time recovering, working, visiting and recruiting. No matter how many months this furlough time is, it somehow passes quickly with things, sadly, still left undone and people left unseen. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking in Banff, Canada</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun on Lake Michigan with mom and dad!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disney with my sister Jessica and family</td></tr>
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I started my time at home with my parents in Kenosha, WI. Six weeks later I a major surgery (donated a kidney to a friend) and spent the next six weeks recovering. (It turns out that when the surgeon tells you it will take 6 weeks to recover, that number isn’t just for people over 60, but does, in fact, apply to you personally!!) In mid-January I moved back to Louisville and began working at the hospital where I did my Pediatrics training. Thankfully, the hospital has always been kind enough to let me slip back into the department and fill-in gaps in various places including the Emergency Department, the hospitalist service and Heme/Onc. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The set-up for a presentation a Valley <br />Baptist Church's missions week in CT</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more friends in Banff</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">birthday fun!</td></tr>
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I did a fair bit of traveling during my time at home as well. I was able to visit Canada for the first time (I know, I know…..how did it take me this long to go to Canada?!) and visiting Banff national park while meeting up with friends and supporters (who are also friends!). I was able to take a trip to see one of my aunts and her family as well as my grandmother. It was a bitter-sweet reunion as I realize that I may not see her again this side of heaven. I told her to wait for me to come back again from Africa in 2-3 years. Her response: “Maybe you can just write me a letter.” She longs to see the Lord and her husband of 50 years. Who can argue with that?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Time at home was also made particularly sweet by being at my church home. Despite several trials our church body has gone through recently, there is a comfort of being present during that suffering, opposed to just hearing about it from afar. We are also blessed to have a growing missions department with a supportive staff including missionary counselors and prayer staff. Our first ever missions retreat took place in mid-October where all of Sojourns missionaries gathered together at a “central world location” for a time of teaching, prayer, debriefing and fellowship. It was an incredible time to get to fellowship with missionaries all over the world, all serving as members of one church body. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As my time on furlough was coming to an end, I was asked by Samaritan’s Purse to fill in for a month as a staff doctor at the Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh where they had set up a cholera center. I started my time in Togo working for SP and had been following the situation with the Rohingyan refugees very closely, since their displacement from Burma back in August 2017. This refugee camp has been the largest in the world as it overflows with 1.2 million people. I wish I could better describe what is it to look out and see that many people living in temporary bamboo, tarp and tin dwellings in a square mileage not meant for this purpose. There is a heaviness to it all as a solution to all the needs seems impossible and never-ending. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">clinic staff and friends from Bangladesh</td></tr>
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During my time at the clinic, we ironically did not have many patients. It was a good problem to have as groups had gone through the camp several times to do cholera vaccine campaigns. The blessing is that it worked! The hard part was that we were a cholera center! <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>The clinic has since transitioned to urgent care, but during my time there, we took advantage of the low census by building into the nurses, WASH staff and translators we employed at the clinic. I spent a lot of time teaching and a lot of time simply hearing peoples’ stories. One of the translators who is also one of the Rohingyan refugees started playing a song on his phone one day. I recognized the song immediately and was taken off-guard that he had it on his phone—complete with youtube video displaying all the words. Kari Jobe’s “I am not alone”, was playing loudly and confidently from the phone of this Muslim, Rohingyan man’s phone! You can imagine my surprise. I asked him, “Where did you get this song?” He said, “it is my song.” I replied, “ yes, but who gave it to you?” He said again, “It is <i>my</i>song. It is for me.” I realized that the English barrier was not going to be overcome, and he began to sing and show me the familiar lyrics: <o:p></o:p></div>
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When I walk through deep waters<o:p></o:p></div>
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I know that you will be with me<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I’m standing in the fire<o:p></o:p></div>
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I will not be overcome<o:p></o:p></div>
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Through the valley of the shadow<o:p></o:p></div>
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I will not fear <o:p></o:p></div>
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I am not alone<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am not alone<o:p></o:p></div>
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You will go before me<o:p></o:p></div>
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You will never leave me<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am not alone<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am not alone<o:p></o:p></div>
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You will go before me<o:p></o:p></div>
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You will never leave me<o:p></o:p></div>
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He said, “we are so afraid. This song is for me.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have no doubt that however he got that song on his phone, it was a gift from the Lord. Later in the month I was invited to have a meal in his home. Another person and I ate together with our friend from the clinic as his wife, mother and children looked on. (this is customary. Even in Togo, the wife and family will not eat with the guest, but wait until they have finished and eat after they leave). It was a humbling experience. He read my face and told me, “do not worry that we are refugees.” The honor of hospitality in many countries is far beyond that of our own country, and it’s a hard pill to swallow. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We later had the privilege of watching him read Luke in his own language for the first time ever. Pray for him and his people, that during this difficult time, the Lord would draw them to Himself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun new friends form around the world <br />all working at the SP Rohingya clinic</td></tr>
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Lastly….. I am back in Togo! I arrived on September 4<sup>th</sup>and have already been back to work for the last couple weeks. More on that later though. I want to thank all of you for praying for my time at home--including time for emotional, physical and spiritual recovery. I also want to say that there are many of you I was unable to see and visit with during my time, and for that I am very sorry. You will surely be among the first I see on the next time back in the US! Please continue to pray for the Hospital of Hope and all of our national and ex-pat staff serving here. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Stay tuned….<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">saying good-bye at the airport with <br />Emma, Luke and Mary</td></tr>
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-69231389502598674322018-07-25T14:54:00.002-04:002018-07-25T14:55:09.374-04:00Shadows and Light<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
“Dear God, I cannot love Thee the way I want to. You are the slim crescent of a moon that I see and my self is the earth’s shadow that keeps me from seeing all the moon…what I am afraid of, dear God, is that my self shadow will grow so large that it blocks the whole moon, and that I will judge myself by the shadow that is nothing. I do not know You God because I am in the Way.”-<o:p></o:p></div>
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Flannery O’Connor<o:p></o:p></div>
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I came across this quote recently while reading <i>Prayer</i>by Timothy Keller. It made me think of small children clamoring to see a show-a-tell, all the while blocking each other’s view in an attempt to get the best view. Eventually, all the children climb on top on one another, closer and closer to that which they want to see, but all the while, blocking their view further and further until the object is covered from view by small, sticky hands and even larger heads on small bodies. How often, in our attempts to get closer to the Lord, do ours faults and the faults of those around us get bigger and bigger and our focus is lost. We can only see the shadow. Worse yet, we block the view for those around us, and all they are left to see are our unattractive derrières! <o:p></o:p></div>
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While my time at home was filled with family, friends, travel, work and rest, it has been a time of stepping back from the shadow of myself in order to better see the light of Christ as He works, not only around the world, but in me. As missionaries, we always want to make sure we are focused on those around us. Missions isn’t about what I can get out of it, or how I can look good, or maximizing my own experience. We try to emphasize this with short-termers as well as ourselves as we all can fall prey to the wrong things when we come to a place to serve. <o:p></o:p></div>
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While these things are true, they only paint a partial picture. Missionaries do not come to the filed sanctified! (shocking, I know!) If we believe that the Lord’s focus is merely the people groups around us, and somehow not equally on ourselves, we miss the beauty of who Christ is and who we are as His children. If we believe that Christ died so that we can be partially sanctified, or be made “good enough” for missionary service then left alone, we don’t understand his Love for us or His holiness. “It’s not about me” is a correct view of our missions work because “it’s all about Him”. It’s about His redemptive relationship with His church, which is us. But this isn’t some distant “church” idea, where we can only be thought of as a whole. The Lord’s power and wisdom is able to sanctify His church as a whole, while working in each of us as individuals. If we believe that He loves us, it can only be this way. We cannot wish for a calm life or one without suffering or pain or conflict, for “His power is made perfect in our weakness” and “after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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No one on our team would have sought out the experiences we had as a team or as individuals during these first few years on the field. But I have no doubt that the Lord has done a sanctifying work in each of us and will continue to do so, while continuing to establish and expand His church throughout our community.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Being far from Togo has allowed me to watch what the Lord does <i><u>without me</u>! </i>These things are constant reminders that all things depend on Him alone!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zSa7o9jKHXg/W1jFXdiMpMI/AAAAAAAACVM/HQnodAnIUdoatq_YkTrxr15v4jxU-4CVwCLcBGAs/s1600/34174161_10103074778077276_8681355101199138816_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zSa7o9jKHXg/W1jFXdiMpMI/AAAAAAAACVM/HQnodAnIUdoatq_YkTrxr15v4jxU-4CVwCLcBGAs/s320/34174161_10103074778077276_8681355101199138816_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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-42 people were baptized from our Faré village group and several others from our house groups scattered around Mango</div>
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-A new full-time doctor and family have moved to the field (Dr. Steve and Lisa Wreeseman)<o:p></o:p></div>
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-A new full-time MK teacher, Megan McKenzie, has arrived on the field</div>
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-Our Post-Resident, Christine Bies, faithfully completed her 2 years of work and ministry through Samaritans Purse. Pray for her as she re-enters US life and seeks out what they Lord may have for her in the future. Pray that the ministry she had here continues through the Holy-Spirit continuing to water the seeds she planted here. </div>
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-A new Med/Peds Post-Resident, Ben Randel, arrived on the field to begin 2 years with us<o:p></o:p></div>
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-HOPE RADIO has finished construction on the station and started broadcasting<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HV38fJnQOBI/W1jFWxmOQwI/AAAAAAAACVE/VfY-TwaRw6oUwYt8nsspC5vo3B4GEUGxQCLcBGAs/s1600/28828518_2006282439381749_5642970216886117952_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HV38fJnQOBI/W1jFWxmOQwI/AAAAAAAACVE/VfY-TwaRw6oUwYt8nsspC5vo3B4GEUGxQCLcBGAs/s400/28828518_2006282439381749_5642970216886117952_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I want to highlight another project that began while I was still in Togo and has continued to grow and still needs YOUR help! Our hospital has the privilege of having a Fulani couple who serve as chaplains at HOH. This faithful couple had a ministry in Burkina Faso and were sent as missionaries to us, in order to reach their fellow Fulani people here in Togo. We have partnered with FULNET (Fulani Ministries in Burkina) to launch a Fulani Center in Mango that may serve the many nomadic Fulani who come <a href="https://myaccount.abwe.org/p-2788-fulani-center.aspx" style="color: #954f72;">https://myaccount.abwe.org/p-2788-fulani-center.aspx</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NBkuZaxqKlo/W1jFyBi3uCI/AAAAAAAACVc/m8NWea73RBYK2fCoavBKEIOc7ONxXUWhgCLcBGAs/s1600/PLEDGE_0763881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="656" height="265" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NBkuZaxqKlo/W1jFyBi3uCI/AAAAAAAACVc/m8NWea73RBYK2fCoavBKEIOc7ONxXUWhgCLcBGAs/s320/PLEDGE_0763881.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lastly, I am on my way to Bangladesh to serve with Samartans Purse at their clinic in the Rohingya refugee camp. Please “google” <i>Rohingya news” </i>and learn more about what is happening and how you can pray. I will be there until August 23<sup>rd</sup>before I come home and spend a couple weeks with family before returning to Togo around September 2<sup>nd</sup>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Thank you for your continued prayers, even during long months of blog silence. I appreciate that I was able to see many of you during my time at home and hope I can see a few more of you before I head back to Togo. I pray often for the day we can spend eternity together before the throne. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-30957965853329407332018-02-22T15:50:00.002-05:002018-02-22T15:50:17.911-05:00fear<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1srs1YoTVzs">song</a> on the radio that
sings:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Fear, he
is a liar<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He will
take breath<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Stop you in
your steps<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Fear, he is
a liar<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He will
your rest<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Steal your
happiness<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Cast your
fear in the fire<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Cause fear,
he is a liar”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think about what it is that I fear. I agree that fear is a
liar and deep fear likely motivates me more that I realize. So, what is it that
I fear? It is not an easy question to ask myself. My first reaction is answer, “nothing”.
I am not a fearful person, and I think most would agree that, from the outside,
I don’t seem to be. But as I contemplated the idea more deeply and
introspectively, it didn’t take long to find the answer. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Uselessness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This life is fleeting and short—but a vapor. I cannot hold
back tears when I consider my arrival at the feet of Jesus and the possibility of
being shown how I could’ve been used for the Kingdom but wasn’t; how I could
have been daring for the Lord and didn’t; how I could have given more to the
mission but wouldn’t. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Christ poured himself out for us so that fellowship with Him
may be possible. The idea of pouring ourselves out as a living sacrifice is a
necessary one, and more importantly, a biblical one. Setting aside convenience,
comfort, and balance for the sake of sacrifice, service and sharing of God’s
word is not a life wasted.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So where does the lie come in?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A drive against uselessness equals a motivation towards
usefulness. On the surface, this sounds only good. But as Satan has done from
the beginning with Eve, he takes good truth from the Lord and twists it just
enough to make it both believable and debilitating. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“If you
want to be useful, do more”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There it is. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>DO. MORE.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
which means<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>YOU’RE NOT DOING ENOUGH</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inception</i>,
people can go into each other’s dreams, even without them being aware. The goal
is to plant an idea deep inside their subconscious so they not only believe the
idea, but also believe the idea come from within themselves. The idea ‘You’re
not doing enough’ continues to takes hold, no matter how much more you do. Eventually,
you’re beyond exhausted and spiritual depleted. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we, as believers, are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> constantly checking our thoughts and “taking them captive”,
weighing them against what God actually says to us, we accept the twisted
version of the truth from The Liar, and simple ideas can drive us—drive us way
from Christ’s intentions for our lives, from our relationship with Him, and
frankly, drive us mad. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, what is the truth?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Lord does not call us to be useless for the Kingdom. But
the Lord is not saying, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do more for me</i>”,
He is saying, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Be more with me</i>”.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Doing more for the Lord without regard for instruction and guidance
from the Lord becomes a “chasing after the wind”—even when those things are inherently
good things. You can become the one wandering sheep finding your own green
pastures, but what good is that if the Shepherd isn’t there with you?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the end, we all have to look at what we are doing for the
Kingdom and examine our own hearts of motivation. The Word says that “obedience
Is better than sacrifice”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we
empowered by He who has already done the work for us? Or are we listening to
the Lie that says the good we do will never be enough? And it won’t be. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What we do can never be enough which is why Jesus became the
ultimate sacrifice for us. We must lay down the lie that says “Do more” and
pick up His yoke, the light yoke, that says “Be more”. For why do long to be
and do what we were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">created</i> to be,
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">created</i> to do—yet we try and do
it without the one who <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">created </i>us,
The Creator. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During my furlough season here in the United States, I am
learning how to lay down “Do” and pick up “Be”. There are lyrics to another
song that have been so great for me lately. It’s called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c747i2H-UDI&list=RDc747i2H-UDI">The
More I Seek You</a>:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The more I
seek you <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
the more I find you<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The more I
find you, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
the more I love you<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I want to
sit at your feet<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Drink from
the cup in your hand<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lay back
against your and breathe, feel your heart beat<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
This love is so deep, its more than
I can stand<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I melt in your peace, it’s
overwhelming<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I pray that we can all learn how to live in this sweet
moments of being with the Lord, laying our head against him, breathing and
feeling his heart beat. Only this will allow our hear to beat with His and go
forth in His power, with His flock to do His work. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-28768712063574195112017-06-06T14:56:00.001-04:002017-06-08T21:10:20.852-04:00Facebook Missions<div style="border-bottom: solid #FF7A00 6.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent1; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 22.0pt 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I suppose there has been somewhat of a blog silence in
recent months. It’s never intentional when huge gaps of time go missing in
writing and updating, and there’s an owed apology to those of you who
faithfully read and pray for me and the work in Togo.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The problem is—what do you write when there aren’t “stories”
to write about? Don’t get me wrong, the stories themselves are there, they
exist of course, but are they “shareable”? Since January we have once again had
a Lassa fever outbreak, a dear child that I loved and cared for died the
weekend of anniversary of Todd’s death, and I’ve come back to the US to take a
2-month break. The majority of blogs, from medical missionaries especially, can
write themselves. Lives saved, lives lost with blood, sweat and tears marking
the trail. Who wouldn’t buy that book?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But Some stories can never to be shared because any attempt
to write about them immediately cheapens them. All of the details can never be
described in a 300-word blog entry and maybe it’s a violation of trust to take
the darkest (or brightest) moments of someone else’s life and share it for the
world to see for people to click “like”. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Other stories can’t be shared because no one posts “I had
the worst fight ever with my husband last night and my heart is too
self-focused to forgive him yet” or “spanked my child harder than I should have
today” or “I’m jealous of my friend to the point of coveting her life”. And we
would all probably agree that these shouldn’t be posted to the Facebook forums
of the world.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">More and more I see some Facebook “confession” posts trying
to battle the tendency to only post the most perfect parts and pictures of our
lives: loads of laundry undone, dirty dishes in the sink, child
tantrums—attempts to be transparent that our lives don’t actually have Facebook
perfection. I’m not sure that it’s accomplishing its intention, but even so,
it’s a start. But is the missions world ready for this? Are churches ready? And
Supporters? What about the missionaries themselves?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Some may be thinking, “but Kelly, you write about hard
moments and sad stories all of time. Your blog isn’t overflowing with the roses
and sunshine of missions life,” and that would be true. But there is a
pressure, even with those things, to wrap it all up with a big bow labeled, “it
is well with my soul.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What would happen if missionaries started sharing the things
that aren’t “well with our souls”, or should I say “aren’t YET well with our
souls”? </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Maybe we don’t even admit these things to ourselves.
Whispering thoughts of, “how can I be a missionary and think that? Would my
church, my sending organization pull me off the field? Would my supporters
doubt their investment?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There’s a secret in missions that many won’t tell you—an
unwritten truth that you often choose to ignore if your trip is only 1-month
long or even 1-year long, but impossible to ignore once you live somewhere:
Missions is messy and so are missionaries.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Each of us comes with preconceived notions and expectations of
ourselves, those around us, the culture we are coming into. We also come
unsanctified; we are in-process for sure, but far from the finish! We enter the
journey with different training, different styles of work, different coping
skills and personalities, and most of all different struggles with sin.
Missionaries aren’t those that overcame all of the sin in their lives and moved
overseas after achieving perfection! And for some strange reason that I have no
yet figured out, the Lord decided to put large groups of us together and say
“GO! Make disciples...together!”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">WHAT?!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What happens when compassion looks different to me than it
does to you? What happens when I’m still grieving over the loss of a patient
when another one dies? What happens when I’m pushing the plow forward but the
mud is up to my neck? What happens if there are people who think your work is
not even ministry?</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What happens when a
short-term helper comes to lend a hand, but then spends time judging you and
why you seem so “burned out”? What happens when the culture you came to serve
is getting on your very last nerve? What happens when you feel disappointed not only in others, but in God?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I’m as guilty as anyone. I want myself and my co-workers to
be super-human. I want us to Jesus Himself: perfectly compassionate, loving,
merciful, righteously just and forgiving all at the same time. And when I’m
not, or they aren’t, I judge them, and they judge me. We likely, and simultaneously,
judge ourselves. Can I risk even to say that we can get stuck judging God Himself. How could HE write the story this way?!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And while we know the end of the story-restoration, joy, and healing--there is an in-between. The moments, the weeks, the years that come between the doubt and the joy. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Are we ready to meet one-another in the in-between?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There is someone who isnot judging us though—The Judge Himself.
“Come to me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest.” </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">While we are busy trying “fix” everyone around
us and people are busy trying to “fix” us, Jesus offers us rest. Rest from the
messiness. Rest from the expectations. Rest from bearing the load that was
never ours to carry, because He carries us through the in-between.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And From rest comes freedom.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">True freedom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Freedom to post “it is not well with my soul”…..for now.</span></div>
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Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
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</w:sdt><!--EndFragment--></span>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-52510066911077705102017-01-20T06:28:00.001-05:002017-01-20T06:28:15.230-05:00Snow<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I was reading a book
my Amy Carmichael this week called “Gold by Moonlight”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amy was a missionary to India in the
1800’s and gave her life to rescuing woman from temple slavery. She’s written
more books than I could read as well as having penned hundreds of songs. Chapter
4 of the above is titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Snow. </i>I am a
Chicago girl first and foremost—December=Christmas=Snow. As you can imagine,
there’s no dreaming of a White Christmas when you’re waking up in West Africa. Bing
Crosby on the iPod has to suffice for this year. I will admit to looking up at
the sky and asking God for one tiny unique snowflake to come down from the
sandy sky and land on my tongue. Each time I promise to keep it our little
secret, but it hasn’t happened yet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in this Chapter, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Snow,
</i>Amy writes:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And then suddenly—snow. And all our pleasant things are laid waste, or
so indeed it seems, for we cannot see them anywhere, and all our newborn hopes
are deep under the snow. For hopes had begun to be: a hope of healing, perhaps,
if the trial be of the flesh; of a reversal of decision if it be something that
lies in the power of another; or some touch on the wheel that turns our earthy
affairs, if it concerns circumstances; of some break somewhere, some natural
human joy, some relief, some comfort in the aching sense of loss—and now the
snow has fallen and covered everything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I read that excerpt
right before New Years day and realized that nothing had more perfectly
articulated what the emotional sum of the last twelve months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Everything covered in
snow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">But time continues and
eventually the snow melts and gives rise to spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somehow we are given permission, either from ourselves, or
others, to once again remember that which was sewn many months ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is nothing about 2016 that we
need to forget, of course. There is merely a time to move forward in a healthy
way, looking towards the joy of a new morning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">As I think ahead, I
can only look back to the ways the Lord was already so faithful to me and to
this community during the past year. Despite our great loss, the surgical
service here never went without a surgeon. We took care of 46 new premature
infants, all with Birth Weights less than 2 kg, with a survival rate of 89%!
Our two boys, Martin and Jonathan, who are undergoing treatment for leukemia
have successfully reached the 1-year mark—half way done! Our first ever HOH
nursing class which began in May has retrained all of its students up to this
point—a huge testament to our nursing school staff and their hours of work and dedication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The list could always go on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QdLeXTI2FtU/WIH0CmfRWmI/AAAAAAAACM0/XZvfDrdpPkAIij5sDmiKnqzZdZso9Q_OgCLcB/s1600/IMG_2712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QdLeXTI2FtU/WIH0CmfRWmI/AAAAAAAACM0/XZvfDrdpPkAIij5sDmiKnqzZdZso9Q_OgCLcB/s320/IMG_2712.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our sweet premies all grown up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I have learned over
the last year that our “successes” and “losses” cannot be numbered on a tally board.
Deaths vs Survival, Volunteers vs. None, Joy vs Fatigue—they are all an
intricate plan that the Lord uses to refine us, grow us, and to show us and
others who He is. There is no battle going forward where Satan is winning and
the Lord is losing. Jesus has already vanquished sin and is the victor. Pray
that we can begin to live and work in light of this beautiful picture of
victory that is ever before us, the strokes of paint already laid on canvas. It
is only with the choosing of the light colors alongside the dark, that makes
all things visible. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">As always, thank you
for journeying with me. Thank you for your patience and your prayers. Please
lift us up and we go into a season of both joyful and difficult anniversaries.
You’re partnership in ministry here is never forgotten.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-3154474454698082912016-09-26T15:25:00.002-04:002016-09-26T15:25:39.177-04:00At last....I realize that I haven't posted in 6 months and I apologize for that. Many of you faithfully pray for me and for the ministry here and read these posts as a way to stay connected. I think there was quite a transition time for me from all that took place and trying to create a new normal. My church asked me to write a piece for their website this month, so please follow the link below to read more. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Your prayers and love from afar are coveted and appreciated. </div>
<div>
Grace and Peace</div>
<div>
Kelly</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://international.sojournchurch.com/hope-in-the-midst-of-suffering/">http://international.sojournchurch.com/hope-in-the-midst-of-suffering/</a></div>
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-44503447682081038232016-03-29T17:30:00.000-04:002016-03-29T17:30:22.410-04:00Press On<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
This Easter proved to be a somber yet beautiful reminder of the Lord’s ultimate hope and plan that He has put in motion long before our arrival here in Mango. We began with a sunrise service underneath a tree that could only be found in a Robert Frost poem, with branches stretching out exponentially to accommodate any size crowd and yet able to be conquered by any age child as they choose their preferred climbing height. It was the same tree under which we had Todd’s memorial service here. Our community house prayer/bible study groups were able to join together for a service and potluck in the afternoon—a two-hour plan that quickly stretched into four—typical for any gathering planned in most African cultures. In the evening, we gathered once again and were able to worship together, led by a guitar and violin that beautifully led use into communion. It was bitter-sweet to sing about the promise of the resurrection that went before us through Jesus Christ, and the promises that await those who place their trust in the Lord. A powerful promise to sing confidently, while pausing in disbelief that one of our own is experiencing this very promise this Easter, face to face with the the resurrected Christ. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
So thankful that our friend didn’t have to wait one more Easter to have the promise fulfilled in his own walk with Jesus; So much wishing that our friend was here with us. </div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
I walked outside behind our guest house after the service ended. I still find it difficult to socialize in groups. I stood with the chatter behind me, while gazing at the stars that are so very familiar to me in the Mango night sky. I looked up—not it awe, but in lament, feeling the loss as if it happened yesterday. I noticed the big dipper hanging low over the hospital, placed in the sky as if the contents were being completely emptied out over us. I thought, “it seems like a cup of suffering has been poured out on us in its entirety. What else could be in that cup pouring out over us?” I turned 180 degrees to avoid the sorrowful site. High in the night sky, situated directly over the town was the Southern Cross. It was if the Lord said, “I am bringing this people to myself. What if I can only do that through the cup of suffering that sits over the hospital?” </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
My immediate answer was, “No! We are supposed to have the cross over us while the suffering is in the town. That way, we can be a refuge! People come to us to find hope and the message of Christ! Suffering over there, hope and grace over here!”</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
But in His kindness, I felt the Lord saying to me, “I thought you were called to Christ-like? Didn’t I suffer so that you could come to know me? Didn’t I accept the plan of suffering through the cross in order that you could know me and be known by me? I’m over Mango <i>and</i> the hospital. Are you willing to continue to suffer so that <i>I</i> can do the work in Mango. I AM THE REFUGE, not the hospital.” </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
I stood facing that old, inviting tree. Before the hospital was built, on the rare occasions that I could come and visit Mango from the south, we would see a few patients on a bench underneath that tree. I wept for the plans I had envisioned for this place—not because they weren’t noble and hope-filled, but because there are parts of me who still want <i>my</i> plan over <i>His. </i>And I’m left with a question that still needs answering—do I mean it when I say “let they kingdom come, <span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;">let Thy will be done</span>…” ? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
If any of you have ever read “The Problem of Pain” by C.S. Lewis followed by his later work “A Grief Observed” may understand the difference between theological knowledge and theological experience. It’s easy to write a blog about truth, it’s harder to walk into work each day accepting the situations before you as a perfect work of God’s unwavering plan of Hope. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
But lovingly, God’s Word speaks to all things: </div>
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<i>“For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. </i><span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><i>But one things I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.</i></span><i>” Philippians 3:8-16 </i></div>
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<i></i><br /></div>
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I cannot thank each of you enough for lifting this team up in your prayers, for lifting me up. I will be getting some time away to rest, reflect, pray and be ministered to starting this Friday. Please continue to pray as we “strain forward to what lies ahead” as a team and as a hospital family. The Lord’s hand of grace and mercy is still very much at work here and the enemy will not sit idly by. Please battle with us in prayer daily knowing that the battle is actually already won. </div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
You are loved. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-58805689519890250542016-03-14T14:20:00.000-04:002016-03-15T04:43:42.906-04:00Something More<div class="" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UsqnVZDBIIU/Vuc-QBOCxSI/AAAAAAAACIg/-HwdlD6WxUoYOT-92XBNrG4yEQFq17hkw/s1600/IMG_2040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UsqnVZDBIIU/Vuc-QBOCxSI/AAAAAAAACIg/-HwdlD6WxUoYOT-92XBNrG4yEQFq17hkw/s640/IMG_2040.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b class=""><i class=""><br /></i></b></span>
<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b class=""><i class="">This God--his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.-- Psalm 18:30</i></b></span></div>
<div class="" style="font-size: 12px;">
<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br class="" /></span><span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Merely ten days ago I wrote a blog about the grieving of a friend where I said, "the Lord had other plans." Little did I understand the extent of that statement and that we were actually in the middle, and not the end, of a story that continues to unfold today. </span></div>
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<div class="" style="font-size: 12px;">
<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As many of you know already, Todd Dekryger was the Medical Director for this hospital as well as a talented surgical physican assistant who ran our surgery department here at the Hospital of Hope. He was the visionary, the motivator, and main recruitor for the team. But in the middle of Febuary, he became ill with symptoms consistent with malaria and rested at home over several days. He continued to struggle despite the treatment and was admitted to the hospital 1 week after he became ill. His testing for malaria was still significantly positive which spoke to us about the severity of the illness. His labs were also suspicious for Typhoid fever, which we began to treat as well. As many know the story, Todd continued to worsen and the decision was made to try and medivac him out-of-country to seek further supportive care and recovery. And although Todd was extremely ill when he boarded that small plane headed for Germany, I had no doubt in my mind that I would see him soon on Togo soil.</span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But this was not to be. Less than 24 hours after landing in Germany, Todd went to be with the Lord. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The story was over. Complications from severe malaria would not be overcome, but none of us were doubting that the Lord would somehow use Todd's death to still bring a message of Hope to the Togolese people--the message of how Christ had overcome death to save the world, to save the Togolese people. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br class="" /></span></div>
<div class="" style="font-size: 12px;">
<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But one week after boarding Todd onto that plane, Andrés, a volunteer nurse with Samaritan's Purse who had cared for Todd, developed a fever. As common diseases are common, Andrés treated his illness with malaria medications and tried to rest. Three days later, he came into the clinic because his fever never went away. By God's miraculous plan, Andres came into the hospital to get some IV fluids. The doctor who had cared for Todd happened to be passing off patient care to another doctor for the day, but happened to look up at the computer screen and saw Andres' lab results. Nothing short of dread came over her as the lab results that stared back at her were mirror images as those Todd had presented with. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What if Todd had something more?</span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That something more came to be diagnosed as Lassa fever--a viral hemorrhagic fever normally not found in Togo but instead endemic to Sierra Leone and Nigeria--countries that don't even touch Togo! By this time the suspicsion for Lassa fever was confirmed, Andres had already been isolated and infection prevention measures were taken. Samaritan's Purse was able to evacuate Andres to the United States where he remains hospitalized in order to recover.</span><span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> As it turns out, Nigeria was and is experiencing a large outbreak of Lassa fever that was able to reach our town, likely through a patient who wanted to seek care at the Hospital of Hope.</span><span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Many of you may be thinking, "This is still a horrible, tragic story." And in many ways it is. No one can deny the pain and void we feel every day because Todd is not here with us, leading the charge towards compassionate healthcare in the name of Christ.</span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But there may be something more. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If the inital patient, of whom we'll never be able to identify, had come into Togo and even our Hospital, and died here, we would've never known his true diagnosis. As sophisticated testing, such as Lassa testing, doesn't exisit here, the death would have tried to be assumed as liver failure, yellow fever, or just a severe bacterial infection. We would have continued to see patients and never associated that death with any other illness that may have developed in our healthcare workers here, or the community. Because we try to do as few labs as possible here, in order to keep things affordable for the Togolese, we wouldn't have seen daily labs each morning as we could with Todd. We would have never linked any labs results with each other. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What if the doctor that took care of Todd wasn't seated at that computer at that moment to see Andres' test results? Andres may have continued to get sicker and not had enough time to start treatment or get evacuated to the US. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Todd's illness and subsequent death made it possible for us, for Togo and for the world to be notified of a potential outbreak of a viral hemorrhagic fever in a country that was not felt to be at risk. Although many of us are on surveillance and verifying that we are not at risk, the story as it is unfolding, saved lives....many lives. Lives that this hospital was built to reach with the message of Christ. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The story seems like it should end there. But 3 days after Andrés left for the United States, and when we had already put an alert system in place due to the diganosis of Todd, a woman showed up to the hospital with a fever. Because she told us that she had come from Nigeria 3 days before, we put her in isolation immediately under surveillance for Lassa fever. Two days later, 2 of her children ,who we had been following daily, became symptomatic with fevers and were placed in isolation. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As I stood in that mother's room trying to explain to her the significance of Lassa fever and the tears were silently falling from here face, I said to her, "Did you know that the fact that you are here at he Hospital of Hope in Mango is a miracle?! I am so happy you are here with us." </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I explained to her that it was only God's hand of mercy that after Todd's illness and death, Andrés visits to clinic and evacuation, along with her travel from Nigeria to our small town of Mango, we were able to identify her as a likely case of Lassa. If we never tested Todd's blood in Germany, if Andrés had not gotten ill, we would've never known or investigated further. Had this woman gone to any other clinc or hospital in Togo, they would have never placed her in isolation and she could have continued to spread the virus, unknowingly, to others. Because of each step, in God's perfect timing, this woman and her two children are at the only hospital in Togo that currently has the potential life saving medicine to work against Lassa fever. What are the chances that this family left Nigeria to come to Togo and ended up <i class="">here</i>...at <i class="">this time</i>. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Zero. That is, zero without a God whose hand of mercy stretches to the skies! I am confident that no other death could have sparked the response and timeline of discovering that Lassa fever was here in Togo. I am confident, that in no uncertain terms, Todd's death did make it possible for many others to keep theirs; others who have not yet heard the message of the Gospel; others who were either prevented from getting Lassa because of measures taken, or others who will now get a chance to be identified, cared for and treated. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">No one who knew Todd has any doubt that he is face to face with The Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of Man who <i class="">"<b class="">did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" Matthew 20:28</b> </i></span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And what further testimony can one give to show the love of Christ? "<i class=""><b class="">By this we may know that we are in him; whoever says he abides in Him must walk in the same way in which he walked." 1 John 2:5-6</b></i></span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But the final word cannot be about Todd or Andres. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Nor can it be about Togo or the Hospital of Hope. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b class="">"For by <u class="">grace</u> you have been saved, through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the <u class="">gift of God</u>, not a result of works so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9</b></span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The story is the Story of Hope. And it continues on. It is the reason we are all here and we can't wait to see how Christ will use our weak, broken, mourning selves to carry on His message of joy, strength, and peace as we press forward. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Please continue to pray for Togo and that Lassa fever will not spread any further. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Please continue to pray for hope and healing our HOH team and the Dekryger family. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Please pray for the Morales family as they continue their journey of healing in the US. </span></div>
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-44002957754215306432016-03-03T11:04:00.000-05:002016-03-03T12:33:45.692-05:00see you soon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The battle we face here in Togo is often one of finding the peace and solitude among the peaks and valleys of the sovereignty of God--reconciling the unwavering truth of the The Gospel with the emotional waves one’s heart can ride upon during the storms.<br />
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<i>I cry aloud to God, </i></div>
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<i>aloud to God, and he will hear me.</i></div>
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<i>In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;</i></div>
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<i>in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying</i></div>
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<i>my soul refuses to be comforted.</i></div>
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<i>When I remember God, I moan;</i></div>
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<i>when I meditate, my spirit faints.</i></div>
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Our leader, our visionary, our friend Todd Dekryger lost his life to severe malaria and its complications on February 26 after arriving in Germany via an air medical evacuation. His amazing wife was by his side and wrote <a href="http://www.abwe.org/news/togo-missionary-todd-dekryger-with-the-lord#.VtXdSTYIfVp" target="_blank">this amazing letter</a> to us all in the short time that followed. There have been countless blog entries and articles honoring his life and death during the last week. Even as I type, I’m not exactly sure what is appropriate to share--what is there left to say…..<br />
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<i>You hold my eyelids open;</i></div>
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<i>I am so troubled that I cannot speak.</i></div>
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<i>I consider the days of old, the years long ago.</i></div>
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<i>I said, “Let me remember my song in the night;</i></div>
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<i>let me meditate in my heart.”</i></div>
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<i>Then my spirit made a diligent search;</i></div>
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<i>“Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?</i></div>
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<i>Has his steadfast love forever ceased?</i></div>
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<i>Are his promises at and end for all time?</i></div>
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<i>Has God forgotten to be gracious?</i></div>
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<i>Has he in anger shut up his compassion</i>?”</div>
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Todd loved Peter, the disciple of Christ. Peter always said the wrong thing at the wrong time, yet he seemed to be the disciple that yearned to be closest to Christ despite his shortcomings. I believe that Todd was encouraged by that daily. The truth is that Todd wasn’t a superhero, as none of us are. Missionaries are often elevated up in Christian circles as being “larger than life” or spiritually superior. Todd would laugh out loud at that notion if he were still here. Todd was obedient to the Lord’s leading in coming to Togo, recruiting a massive team to help start a new hospital in the middle of a region lost without Christ. His invitations to join the Togo team were irresistible, as I experienced. After hearing Todd talk about Mango and the Hospital of Hope, you knew that the Lord was going to do great things whether or not you came...but you walked away not wanting to miss out on being a part of it.<br />
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There are too many things I could say about the week leading up to Todd’s death. The true miracles of how God made it possible to get Todd on the airplane to Germany. From the small rope attached to a semi-truck that had to pull our military ambulance 2 hours to reach the airplane after we had broken down on the side of the rode; the nurse that called a friend in Kara to meet us on the tarmac with 2 blood donation bags so that he could get transfused on the way to Germany, the fact that 2 of us bringing Todd to the airplane happened to have matching blood types…..<br />
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When the call came in the middle of the night that someone was coming to pick me up at a friend’s house and bring me to the hospital compound, I knew. But we rode in silence until we arrived at the Dekryger house. That dear missionary friend just turned around and embraced me. No words were necessary.<br />
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<i>Then I said, “I will appeal to this,</i></div>
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<i>to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”</i></div>
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The truth is that each day gets better. The truth is that each day is hard. Todd and I used to always laugh say, “If you die, I’ll kill you.” It was our way of letting each other know that we were in this for the long-haul. No matter who came and went, we were going to make sure that this hospital kept going. ISIS, Ebola, whatever. We were staying.<br />
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But the Lord had other plans. The Lord has other plans.<br />
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The nurse on the medevac plane was named Melanie, the name of Jennifer’s (Todd’s wife) mom. I thought it was such a sweet detail that the Lord orchestrated so that Jennifer could not feel so alone on that airplane ride. As we were loading Todd into the plane, I turned and noticed her eyes filled with tears. I knew she was overwhelmed by how sick Todd was. I knew she was overwhelmed by the thoughts that all of our hope was placed on her skills for the voyage to come. I took her by the shoulders and through my own tears said, “Thank you so very much. We can’t thank you enough. I know you are overwhelmed but it’s okay to feel weak. Christ’s strength is made perfect in our weaknesses. Our hope is in Him, not in you. It will be okay.”<br />
She embraced me as if we were long-time friends unaware if we would see eachother again.<br />
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<i>I will remember the deeds of the Lord;</i></div>
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<i>yes, I will remember your wonders of old.</i></div>
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<i>I will ponder all your work,</i></div>
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<i>and meditate on your mighty deeds. </i></div>
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<i>Your way, O God, is holy.</i></div>
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<i>What god is great like our God?</i></div>
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<i>You are the God who works wonders;</i></div>
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<i>you have made known your might among th</i>e <i>peoples</i>.</div>
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There are reasons why, as doctors and nurses, we are not supposed to care for people that we know. But on the mission field, there is little choice. Many of us took care of Todd during his illness which we needed, in order that we were making objective decisions and not emotional ones. Despite Todd’s death I don’t look back and second guess his treatment here or the timing of our decision to send him to Germany. This isn’t our pride in thinking what good doctors we are, but instead due to the hundreds of folks praying for us every day--praying that the lies of the enemy do not discourage and incapacitate us. The Hospital of Hope will continue on because this work was the Lord’s from the beginning. Todd was faithful to the work, but more importantly he knew that the Lord used imperfect people to proclaim the perfect and complete work of the Cross. He knew that compassionate medical care and healing was only half of the story. He knew how to love people, how to forgive and how to be forgiven. He knew that he would see Jesus face to face, and his work would be done.<br />
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We miss you friend, but the work here is not done. The Lord is still calling his lost sheep here in Mango and beyond. By God’s grace, we continue what you helped start. By God’s grace, we will see you soon.<br />
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<i>Psalm 77</i></div>
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-68244280717410942132015-12-30T18:36:00.003-05:002015-12-30T18:36:54.432-05:00A Chance<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u_p-BiJps3o/VoRpZA9dVxI/AAAAAAAACH0/AX438E8Kwt8/s1600/IMG_2567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u_p-BiJps3o/VoRpZA9dVxI/AAAAAAAACH0/AX438E8Kwt8/s320/IMG_2567.jpg" width="320" /></a>As far as I know, Pediatric Leukemia has never been treated in Togo. During my first two years in Togo, we did not venture into the possibility of treating this illness. The cost, the duration, the availability of medications--it all seemed impossible. In the year 2014, a Pediatric Oncology group from the University of Louisville heard about Togo and how children diagnosed with leukemia are sent home without the hope of treatment. Directly after my presentation, the Chief of the Heme/Onc department approached me to say, "This is unacceptable. What do we need to do?". After some headaches in finding the necessary medications and the long wait in finding a patient (many children with Leukemia are never appropriately diagnosed, or diagnosed and sent home, never making their way to us), a young 6 year old girl from our local town came into the hospital. She was diagnosed with High Risk ALL leukemia. Although our new protocol was in place, it wasn't what she needed for her advanced stages. Some adjustments were made to the protocol in order to try and give her a change at survival and treatment started. The entire hospital was learning together: New medications, safety protocols, Central Line education. The entire missionary team got involved with providing movies to watch, making her cards, bringing toys and games, learning to color. For about 5 weeks she was stuck in her room as she became the first child to be treated for leukemia in Togo. Meanwhile, our staff and chaplains tried to encourage her family through the hope of the Gospel.<br />
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Yesterday, we re-checked her Bone Marrow to determine if her first phase of chemotherapy was effective; it would determine whether she could go on with treatment or continue on with comfort measures only. We prayed and prayed that the bone marrow results would be clear, so that there would be no doubt as to which road to take. Under 5% meant that she could go on, the chemo worked. Over 20% meant that her response wasn't enough and giving more chemo wouldn't help her. The gray zone was what we prayed to avoid as it would be a battle of the unknown-- continue on with treatment knowing that our little resources might be used up without improving her survival, or stopping treatment when more could help. "Please Lord, be clear". <br />
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After a long wait, her bone marrow was complete: 26%. Our hearts were broken. Very broken. We had done more than we could and were sure that the Lord would "reward" us with our efforts and prayer for this sweet girl. We spoke with her parents and explained the results. We prayed with them and assured them that we would continue care for her so that she could have comfortable weeks at home, enjoying her brothers and sisters. We would see her each week and decide if she needs re-admittance to the hospital when the end comes.<br />
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You may be thinking, "that's why leukemia isn't treated in Togo."<br />
I would say, "this is exactly why leukemia needs to be treated in Togo."<br />
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Every child deserves a chance of survival. In the cases where survival isn't possible, they deserve dignity in death and a hope that this world is not our home. Their families deserve to know what sickness has taken their child, and to make decisions as to how they are cared for until the Lord takes their child home. Nangeta will likely not make it to see spring, humanly speaking. But her and her family have now heard about the hope of Christ and that is never a waste.<br />
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One week before our results came in for Nangeta, a little 4 year-old boy, Martin, came to us with complaints consistent with a cancer diagnosis. After a few days it was evident that he, too, has leukemia. This time, a low risk ALL diagnosis--a very good survival rate. In some ways it seems to be the Lord's confirmation that we need to continue on with our efforts in making sure these children are given a chance at life. In some ways, it's daunting to start down this road so soon after the crushing blow.<br />
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Please pray for Nangeta and her family and we continue to minister to them during a difficult time.<br />
Pray for Martin and his family and he begins a difficult journey towards hopeful healing. Pray for continued partnerships that make treatments like this possible for the children of Togo, and thank you to everyone who has already given of their time, prayer and finances to lift us up.<br />
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"For as the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9<br />
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To give directly towards helping children with cancer at the Hospital of Hope, go to <a href="http://www.abwe.org/give">www.abwe.org/give</a> and use the account number 0763833-002.<br />
<br />Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-82626155730226318152015-12-03T08:21:00.003-05:002015-12-03T08:27:43.257-05:00grateful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I' m currently typing this post on an iPad mini during a very long wait in the Hong Kong airport. No one who knows me should be surprised that I showed up at noon after a calm but sad morning of good-byes only to find out that my actual flight had left 10 hours before. Always look closely at those pesky little <i>am/pm</i> letters after the time. :-) My unexpected, extra 14 hours in the airport actually has provided some great "in-between worlds" reflection time as I leave one of the busiest, most populated cities on the earth to head back to the small under-developed world of Mango. I was here in Hong Kong to visit one of my dearest friends, Melanie. Her family moved to HK 8 years ago with the goal of planting churches while being a part of local community and life-- no mission boards, no supporters, just holding down jobs and family life (they have 5 children!!) while serving a city and culture that needs Jesus.<br />
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There's not a lot of insight I could give about HK culture and life that my 3 week visit could qualify me to say. There is a fascinating juxtaposition of tradition and cutting edge, conformatism and wide individualistic expression, British and Chinese influences- just a lot to soak in. I was able to attend a local church plant and see the amazing things happening. Although the purpose of my visit was purely to spend time catching up with an old friend, it was such an encouragement to see how others are loving the nations in the name of Christ. I think the beauty (and difficulty) of travel is that it's so easy to want to live and serve everywhere!<br />
I love Togo and have no current plans of leaving of course! But it doesn't take long to realize that the call of Christ is not to cities or farms, Africa or Asia, medical missions or sports ministry, but to everywhere. I feel at home in Togo because it's easy to feel at home when you're working side by side with people who want to serve Christ. I think it's possible to feel like that anywhere. You just have to choose a place- even if it's your home town.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a-CL6rGpKM0/VmBA0vWCjiI/AAAAAAAACHA/_qdr8G8EtCE/s1600/IMG_2512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a-CL6rGpKM0/VmBA0vWCjiI/AAAAAAAACHA/_qdr8G8EtCE/s320/IMG_2512.JPG" width="320" /></a>I'm overwhelmed with gratitude that I was able to spend these last 3 weeks, including Thanksgiving, with the Case family. The laughter and smiles alone could fill a lifetime. I'll look back on this time as evidence that the Lord is truly kind to have allowed it.<br />
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As I travel back to Togo, I'll be returning to some unrest in our town that we had hoped would've subsided by now. For many reasons I cannot go into too many details using this forum, but if you google anything about Mango, Togo you are sure to find a BBC or Reuters article about it. Our team, is safe but please pray for Mango as our town has a long, complicated history. Pray for peace along with complete healing of physical and emotional wounds that run deep.<br />
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Thank you to everyone who prays for our ministry and for me personally. I can't wait until we are together with the Savior for eternity~</div>
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-1735117173197370722015-10-15T20:08:00.000-04:002015-10-15T20:08:02.317-04:00RELIEF<br />
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I'm not sure what can bring more universal comfort to people besides RELIEF. It's defined as the alleviation of pain, anxiety or distress. Another definition said that it's a temporary break in a generally tense situation. For those of you who visit the blog regularly, I never want to give the impression that we are suffering 24/7, or that our days are always filled with sorrow. One missionary said today, "it's just that the peaks are so high, and the valleys so low." I'm not sure there is a better picture of life out here. Sometimes we are like the grass seeds underneath the desert sand, waiting for a drop of water so we can spring to life. And after the first rain of the season, you wake up to a field of green!<br />
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That's what the last few weeks have been like for our team, it seems. We had the amazing gift of a team from Springcreek Church (based in Wisconsin) come out for a visit. Among them were a pastor, a worship leader, Physical Therapist, 2 nurses, a doctor and a radiology technician. Somehow the Lord gifted them all with the ability to step into a place most of them had never been, and give rain! From the teaching to worship nights, to watching how 15 minutes with a Physical Therapist could change a Togolese woman's life--it was life giving.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PNghxVph524/ViAykbCXaNI/AAAAAAAACFU/8BX_XdcXW_4/s1600/IMG_2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PNghxVph524/ViAykbCXaNI/AAAAAAAACFU/8BX_XdcXW_4/s400/IMG_2012.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left lung filled with 3400 mL of blood (right). Xray after taking it all out! (left)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We've had some great cases of being able to provide relief for our patients as well. A young 20 year old Fulani man came in having been bit by a viper 2 weeks prior. He had sought treatment near his home but it wasn't quite enough and he progressively had trouble breathing. We obtained the Xray on the far right and found 3400mL of blood trapped between his lung and chest well (called a hemothorax)--that's as much as 14 cans of Coke....pressing in on his lung!! Needless to say, he was breathing much better afterwards and made a full recovery.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-El2h7O10Ioc/ViAy67v4QmI/AAAAAAAACFc/QPMjO2tqjTY/s1600/IMG_2007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-El2h7O10Ioc/ViAy67v4QmI/AAAAAAAACFc/QPMjO2tqjTY/s400/IMG_2007.jpg" width="282" /></a>We are also full swing into rainy season, which unfortunately, is also malaria season. Sub-saharan Africa is home to 89% of all malaria cases and accounts for 91% of all malaria deaths. In the last year alone, the WHO estimates that there were <b>214</b> <b>million</b> cases of malaria with <b>438,000 deaths </b>worldwide. Deaths from malaria here at HOH happen on a weekly, and sometimes daily basis and can bring a lot of discouragement. Most of these deaths are due to cerebral malaria--when the parasites enter the brain and cause seizures and swelling. The seizures can be very difficult to control and eventually the brain has enough. Children that do survive often suffer from some level of cerebral palsy afterwards. But sometimes we get to see kids in follow-up that recover with no long-term effects, like this cutie pie who was hospitalized for several days with cerebral malaria. Please continue to pray for many other children who are hospitalized at this very moment, fighting against this terrible illness. (our current number of in-patient children with severe malaria is 12!)<br />
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Coming in November I will also be getting some relief when I head out to Hong Kong on November 9-29th to visit a dear friend and her family! I have waited many years to go visit her in HK and I'm giddy with the idea that I'll be seeing her soon! Please pray for my travel and for the hospital staff who will have to fill in extra in my absence. Praise God for a Family doctor who will be coming to help during my 3 weeks away! Pray that she will not be overwhelmed and that the Lord would bless her and her family richly during their time here. </div>
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Please pray that we can continue to provide relief here at the Hospital of Hope--physical, spiritual and emotional relief in times of suffering and great need.</div>
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<br />Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-38327316370011886642015-08-07T20:02:00.000-04:002015-08-07T21:25:55.324-04:0036 hoursAs you may know already, this past Tuesday evening brought us quite a surprise when a nurse came running to me to let me know that a woman had precipitously delivered a premature infant in the ward, and it was under her bed! I ran over to find an amniotic sac complete with the placenta exactly where she said. My immediate thought was "This baby is too premature, and dead." As I grabbed the still intact sac, the tiny life wiggled inside, to my shock and awe. I tore open the sac, (quite difficultly actually) and luckily a quick thinking nurse's aid had already tossed a clean blanket on the floor. A gasp for air and tiny cry that could only be heard within an 18 inch distance--this little girl was alive! Some appropriate panic followed, but soon enough our new little miracle was in an incubator and breathing on her own with the help of some oxygen.<br />
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Facebook posts went up about the crazy event and some of you may only be reading this blog now because of a "shared post". Many of you probably thought, "So how do you not know that someone is pregnant?!" To take you back to the beginning, this woman came in emergently around 5pm to our surgical clinic with a trapped umbilical hernia. Despite her reported 4 month pregnancy, and exam findings consistent with her report, she needed an operation now. The option was to pray that the stress of the operation didn't put her into labor. Durung the hours that followed, she complained of abdominal pain that was consistent with post-operative discomfort. Due to the timing of her surgery and shift changes, the nursing team was not yet aware of her pregnancy status. So, when she asked a nurses aid to help her off her bed in order to use the bedside commode, no one could anticipate what was coming next. I don't even think the mom herself knew what had happened since when I came running in to her, she was lying in her bed calmly, believing that "something had come out" from her surgery.<br />
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The little girl turned out to be about 27.5 weeks, just over the viable limit for us here. Her risk factors were many, but she looked strong and was obviously a fighter. We also had half the Facebook world praying by that time as the short story of her arrival travelled fast. How could she not do well? Surely the Lord was going to use this little one to show how strong and mighty He is! Surely even people thousands of miles away will be moved to see how amazing God is because this little miracle survived for years to come despite the odds!<br />
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About 36 hours later I got a call at home that our little girl suddenly wasn't breathing well, despite already being placed on CPAP-- the most airway support we can give here. I biked over to the hospital thinking that it might be a long day of creative airway support for her, but if we could make it over the next 24 hours, she would recover. She was awake and fiesty when I arrived, but her oxygen levels were low despite the nurses already doing everything right for her. The other pediatrician came and we looked at her brain with an ultrasound probe--left sided bleed--all too common in premies here and in the US. She would still grab my hand and open her eyes, but her struggle to breathe was evident. While another doctor spoke with the family, we made a last ditch effort to intubate her. Although we don't have ventilators I was hoping that a secure airway would help her and we could take turns bagging her for the da and evening to come.<br />
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But that was not to be.<br />
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The family took the news outwardly well which wasn't suprising. Families here often won't hold or name a child until they know he or she will survive. A long-standing cultural defense mechanism against the loss of too many babies for these women. I am still struggling with the loss and sorting through which are the effects of anger, embarrassment, humility, sorrow, and frustration.<br />
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Maybe I just wish she had a name.<br />
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In my selfishness of grief I think: what was 36 hours for? There will be no photo album filled with every passing hour of her short life, celebrated for years to come. No birthday remembrance every year on August 5th. Wouldn't it have been easier if that tiny, unbroken sac never jumped with signs of life? How did that glorify God?<br />
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I have never seen one of my Facebook posts get shared so many times as the other day. Some comments were promising to pray for her, some just marveling at the miracle if tiny life, and some giving me credit where none was due. But maybe some of you, for the first time, were considering the value of every life and acknowledging the power and wonder of God. If that in the case, was her 36 hours of life worth it?<br />
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Was it worth it for God to allow that little life to touch you for 36 hours from 3000 miles away so that you might take a moment to recognize his power and might, his grace and kindness, his mercy and truth?<br />
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Out little girl does have a name, because God Himself knit her together in her mothers womb and numbered her days from the beginning of time. Maybe she will introduce herself to me when my life too comes to pass and the Lord takes me home. What a joyous day that will be.<br />
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<br />Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-69092185351691333742015-07-27T21:31:00.002-04:002015-07-28T11:38:43.675-04:00Breathe<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will admit that sitting down to update anyone who reads
this is often difficult. My mind
races through all the events over the past month and the days often slip
through my memories like sifted sand. The only thoughts left are the rocks that
were too big to make it through the tiny holes. Unfortunately those rocks are often heavy losses and weighty
decisions with poor outcomes—</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dad of the triplets arriving
early in the morning to tell us that Baby B had a sudden seizure at home and died.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
seemingly normal delivery that ended with parents going home childless.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
toddler arriving urgently, still warm, but with no heart beat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life here takes an emotional toll and it often requires a
conscious effort to push off the bottom of the pool and come up for air. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few days ago I took a long, deep breath when I left the
hospital work behind me to join three of our chaplains on a short trek to a
rural village. For the first time
in the history of our ministry, we were getting the chance to show the Jesus
film in the village of a particular tribe I hold close to my heart. It seemed very surreal as our Land Rover
bumped awkwardly over last years planting fields. The sunset view was speckled
with lonely huts that seemed to only keep company for scattered cows and goats
longing to find their shepherds. After
arriving, I couldn’t imagine that we would get a crowd for the showing of the
movie since, besides the 3 adults and 4 children already present, there wasn’t
another soul in sight and no hope as to where they might come from. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But after sundown, little by little more men, women and
children arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started
praying early that the generator would last long enough to finish the movie and
not just leave Jesus dead on the cross! We prayed for calm winds (as our movie
screen was not so sturdy and had to be tied to a tree with rope!), no rain, and
open hearts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some of the
people there, it wasn’t the first time to see the story. We had arrived at this
moment because a man in the village had watched the film while being treated at
our hospital and wanted us to show it to the rest of his village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t imagine what it was like to
watch the book of Luke being played out for the first time ever; not knowing
what was going to come next. How long I have taken the knowledge of the Bible
for granted. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This people group is not one to react quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are deep thinkers, internal
processors, and slow to show emotion. It may be months to years before we know
if there was an impact to our evening in the village, but that is not for us to
decide. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We drove away in the dark in awe of the sovereignty of
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did not go looking for
this village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Even if we had
tried, we could not have succeeded). Six months ago we didn’t even know this
family existed. But the Lord orchestrated a man to be sick, seek care at our
hospital, and so the story unfolds……</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I return to the hospital but go to hide for a few moments.
Time to sit alone and rest. Cry. Reflect. Breathe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A recurring theme and reminder for me this month is that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">God sees us. </i>He knows each and every
village, every person, every language.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>God
is not aloof or far from us. There is no game of hide and seek—he is always
able to be found and we can never hide from Him or His love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He hears us when we praise Him, and He bears
our burdens when we don’t see His plan. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I
believe, help my unbelief. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A sudden wave of relief and peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A faint smile and a weight lifted.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not here to save the world, Jesus already did. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-68631305294183712312015-06-28T19:03:00.003-04:002015-06-28T19:03:46.129-04:00Through the Cultural Looking Glass<div class="MsoNormal">
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It is often strange living far away from American culture
and life because you soon realize that your daily interests soon become that of
the country you are currently living <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in, </i>not
the country you came <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">from. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But since I grew up with the ideal that
you could never go to bed without having watched the news (certainly ingrained
in me since my grandfather was the editor of NBC news Chicago), I still
struggle through the slow internet connection and impatiently wait as the
headlines and photos download on my computer each evening. </div>
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What has become more and more evident is how each culture
defines freedom, rights, hatred, laws, social norms, and sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the many weeks that racial
motivated tensions were (and still are) mounting across the US, two tribes here
in Mango began fighting, which resulted in many displaced families and
destroyed property and livelihoods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While all is calm at present, it seems that these two tribes have a
long-standing mistrust of one-another and the embers are always ready to burn
for anyone stoking the fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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When the Togolese hear about the fighting going on in the US
centered around racial tension, they are often confused and find it ridiculous
that black and whites would be fighting for no other base reason than
color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when I compared our
countries difficulties with the tribal warfare taking place, they would just
smile half-way and say, “oh, that’s just the way it’s always been.”</div>
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Meanwhile, we’ve recently been having very difficult
discussions about what to do when married girls between the ages of 12-16 come
into the hospital for pre-natal care and obstetric care. They are often brought
in by an uncle or a female relative. More often than not, they are the 2<sup>nd</sup>,
3<sup>rd</sup>, or 4<sup>th</sup> wife of a man that is 20-30 years her
senior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These types of marriages
are technically illegal, but culturally they happen every day and it’s the norm
to complain, yet turn a blind eye as the “transaction” has already been
completed and there’s nothing to be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Polygamy and child brides are the norm here, and regardless of approval,
it is accepted by all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
American minds are immediate to call this rape, molestation, slavery, or just
illegal at best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the husband
did not steal the girl from a playground—her parents consented, a ceremony took
place and they are living out in the open for all to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These aren’t dark alleys or private
internet chat rooms. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we, of
course, do not agree with the practice, our first concern is figuring out how
to make sure a 12 year old can deliver safely. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the Togolese heard about the ruling of the Supreme
Court yesterday, they were outraged. I didn’t make a comment either way, I just
confirmed that it was, in fact, true. They were shocked and sad for us as
Americans and for the world in general. We all just went about our day after the
short blurb on American news realizing that our focus needed to be on the sick
in front of us—a boy of 13 who came in as a near drowning after trying to save
his brother (age 11) who had slipped while crossing the river. They were
returning from a day of working in the fields. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was secretly hoping that his comatose state could last as
long as possible since the nightmare of finding out his brother was already
dead and buried had not yet been realized. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I later saw an American colleague we chatting briefly
how cultural viewpoint changes everything. Togolese outrage on same-sex
marriage while 12-year brides as 3<sup>rd</sup> wives having babies, although is looked down upon, is accepted as a cultural norm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are
thankful for the Word of God that speaks to all cultures at all points in time.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I rarely, if ever, discuss political agendas and Supreme
Court decisions because I’m not in that culture currently, and I don’t find
that it’s fruitful conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Roman Empire was steeped in deep sin and idolatry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of Jesus disciples were waiting for
him to make a political stance and bring in a moral-political reign over the
nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His lack of doing this did
not mean that he agreed with what was going on, but instead, that he knew that
men’s hearts cannot be changed by laws or by force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The larger issue isn’t lawful rights or an outdated
flag—although the issues themselves are valid discussions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My job here in Togo is to help show that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">true
happiness is found when we completely find our joy in the Glory of God. </i></b>Issues
of tribalism, child labor, and child brides are all worthy, and necessary, causes
to fight against in the political arena, but no law can change men’s hearts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John Piper said, “sin is the suicidal
exchange of the glory of God for the broken cisterns of created things.” Even
the 10 commandments were not made because the Lord expected us to be able to
keep them all. They were given to us as a mirror, that we might see how far we
had fallen from the holiness of God, and repent; That we may all continue to
turn to God to find our completeness; that we may all seek God’s glory and not
cisterns of broken creation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have very dear friends I love here in Togo that were child
brides, that participate in child labor practices, that have multiple wives,
that have undergone female circumcision and would do the same to their
daughters, and the list goes on. We openly talk about these issues and how, I
believe, God speaks to those issues. They know what I believe in and love me as
well. There is no hate crime going on here. We talk about our ways of life, in
love, and hide nothing in regards to who or how we worship. It’s not my job to
even change someone’s heart—only the Holy Spirit of God will choose to do
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Please pray for Togo as we here pray for the United
States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pray that both nations
could be known as Nations that seek the Glory of the Lord. </div>
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670748553163103212.post-7212767393540477252015-06-07T14:03:00.000-04:002015-06-07T14:03:07.929-04:00From Death to Life<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ICT9gOIjqCI/VXSHARO-xDI/AAAAAAAACCo/6iihrDTFPHo/s1600/IMG_1709_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ICT9gOIjqCI/VXSHARO-xDI/AAAAAAAACCo/6iihrDTFPHo/s640/IMG_1709_2.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ephesians 2:4-5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But God, being rich in
mercy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">because of the
great love with which he loved us, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">even when we
were dead in our trespasses, <u>made us alive</u></span></b><u><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></u><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">together with Christ—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by grace you have been saved</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Practicing pediatrics in the US one can feel like we win all
the time. Relatively few children die in the US and it’s a rarity and tragedy to
find a mother who’s had to bury a child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In Togo, it’s hard to find a mother who hasn’t buried a child, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">at least</i> one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, many groups don’t give a name to their infants
until the 8<sup>th</sup> day, or sometimes until the first month, to avoid
giving a name to a child that won’t survive. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not sure how many of you have seen a dead person in real
life. Not at a funeral when the dead are made to look alive somehow, but
someone in the rawness of death. When it takes place in a hospital, it is often
not beautiful nor peaceful. There is an ugliness to death that makes the
witnesses feel violated and stolen from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After a short time, it is also obvious. There is no confusion whether a
person is dead or not. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For there is nothing
in common between the dead and living. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Word of God often describes us as dead. I think it’s a
misunderstanding of this death that leads us to believe that we are better than
we are, or that Christ’s love and sacrifice for us is somehow not as awesome as
it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We believe that this death
He speaks of is actually more like a peaceful, sleeping child whose mother
comes in at night to tuck her child’s swooping curls behind her ear, afraid to
wake her. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This leads us to think,
“of course God has great love towards us, who wouldn’t want to swoop up a
sleeping child in their arms—especially God!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the death that God speaks of is nothing like this. The
actual idea is that of being pulled up out of a grave, a grave that we’ve been
in for our entire lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
the comparison made when Christ looks upon us, loves us anyway, and delivers
us—</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
a rotting, cold, lifeless corpse. And what corpse could
bring itself back to life? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my jobs here in Togo is to fight against physical
death. It’s a losing battle. Even if I win today, I will always lose in the
end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one has <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">eve</i>r defeated death—except one. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Christ <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">makes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">us</i> alive</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To fight for physical life without
fighting for spiritual life is like pulling a corpse out of the grave and
placing him in a tomb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why
we’re here—to share a love that brings people from death to life. Not to force
or manipulate, but to wait for God to move, for the Lord to pull people out of
the grave and praise Him for it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Isaiah 25:8 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He will swallow up death
forever;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-K</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
PS: I appreciate everyone’s prayers for string of
unfortunate events (broken computer, then phone, then computer, then internet,
then a bout of malaria). If the Lord is trying to teach me something, I’m
trying to listen. And if Satan is trying to discourage me, I’m not, which I’m
sure is thanks to all of your prayers. This ministry could not continue without
the sustaining prayers of all of you. I’m deeply grateful for all of you. </div>
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118198899682057595noreply@blogger.com1