I Left Part of My Heart in Africa!

OK, that's not really part of my heart. It's a parotid gland tumor, but it got your attention, didn't it? As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was hoping to get down to the Operating Rooms on the Africa Mercy, and as you can see, I did. I am so glad that I did. Not only were the surgeries I observed interesting, but I am continuously amazed at how God can bring people together from so many different backgrounds to form a "team". In the above picture, there is a surgeon from England (who is Korean I think?) a nurse anesthetist from Germany, an OR asst. from Canada, a scrub nurse from America, etc...This "team" worked so well together, and it truly was a pleasure to be with them for an afternoon.


This dear lady's tumor is benign, but left untreated, it would have eventually killed her. As the tumor grew, it took up more of the space for her airway, and would eventually have suffocated her. This tumor started as a little lump on her parotid gland, and had been growing for 7 years. In Western countries, as soon as we notice a lump, we usually make an appointment to see a doctor. But in developing nations, such as Liberia,where they have little or no access to health care (and even if they do, they usually cannot afford it) they just have to watch it grow. Thankfully, the Lord sent a Mercy Ship to Monrovia, Liberia to save her life. It's every person's individual story that makes the ministry of Mercy Ships still so amazing to me after 20 years!!