Congratulations you have been accepted to serve onboard the
m/v Africa Mercy!
These much-awaited words finally arrived. Joe and I have been praying, planning,
and hoping for two years. No, even
longer than that.
When we married in 2005, we knew we wanted to serve God
overseas. We were not sure when or
where, but the desire was deeply rooted in our hearts from the beginning of our
relationship. It took years for me
to finish school and then get the necessary experience in order to use my
knowledge and skills abroad.
Two years ago, we sat down and researched dozens of mission
organizations, looking for the right one; the “right one” being the one where
God could use us both. God has
placed Africa in my heart, and I have held it there since I was a child. Africa. Yet, we looked worldwide, not wanting to miss a chance for
God to lead us. Yet upon reading
the description of Mercy Ships, Joe was certain this was where God wanted
us. I hesitated only because I
wanted this so much that I was not sure if I was hearing God’s voice or my
own.
But God has blessed us with true friends, faithful to pray
for us during this process. Even
when it seemed God had closed the door to Mercy Ships, we prayed, we
hoped. And, now, God has flung the
door wide open. Truly, prayers
have been answered this week.
We begin training in Texas on June 7. We have five weeks of classroom,
followed by a two-week field practicum in Haiti. Only after this do we join the ship, Africa Mercy, in the Canary Islands on August 2. From there, we sail to Benin. This is a small country in western
Africa, between Nigeria and Togo.
We will use the sailing time to familiarize ourselves with the ship and
its personnel.
I want to thank all our family and friends who have
supported us over the years. Thank
you for praying with us. Thank you
for encouraging us when we were discouraged. Thank you for sharing our joy.
