Northview Missionaries

Take time to pray for our missionaries and their kids.

The Whole Gospel for the Whole World by the Whole Church

Serving In

West Africa

Mission Organization

Mercy Ships
PO Box 2020 // Lindale, TX // 75771-2020 // USA

Contact Information

Finance Mercy Ships
M/V Africa Mercy
PO Box 2020
Lindale, TX   75771-2020,  USA
E: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Blog: http://www.carolsinafrica.blogspot.com

Children

Reggie

Mission Summary

Woezo-lo! (Hello in Ewe),

It’s been a while since I spoke about who Mercy Ships is and since I’m sure my church family is growing I am going to recap on who they and I are, and my ministry here: Mercy Ships, is a global charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978. We deliver free world-class health care and community development services to the world’s forgotten poor. Our outreach/field service this year is in Lome, Togo, West Africa; Togo ranks15 from the bottom of the human index scale. There is a life expectancy at birth of 57 years in Togo with an average earning wage of $2.13 per day (38.7% live on less than $1.25 per day). There is 1 dentist for every 333,333 people; 1 doctor for every 18,868 people and many, many Togolese, in fact, West Africans that don’t have proper, if any, access to ones basic fundamental needs: health care, education, water, electricity etc. Mercy Ships programs promote health and well-being by serving the urgent surgical needs of the poor and empowering developing communities. The M/V Africa Mercy crew follows the 2,000 year-old model of Jesus: the blind see, the lame walk, the mute speak, and the Good News (the nature and character of a loving God) is proclaimed and demonstrated among the poor. Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the forgotten poor by mobilizing people and resources worldwide, and serving all people without regard for race, gender, or religion. Ephesians’ reminds us that “we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” - For me that has been to pick up, pack up and leave my home to partner with you and be a part of a ministry reconciling, restoring, renewing and loving God’s forgotten poor; thereby, bringing God glory on earth by completing the work He gave me/us to do as He asks us to in John!

I’m not gonna lie to you…this year has been hard, very hard. It is my 3rd year with Mercy Ships; 4th if you count my training as well, and I have had some real challenges this year. My mom and brothers are all struggling with their health, I feel slightly estranged from my son, goddaughter, family, best friend & friends, and yes, my church! There has been more than a handful of milestones in my family that I’ve had no part in. My knee, back and shoulder are always competing for which part is going to get most of my attention; my weight from the type of foods available has gotten the better of me and my finances/support are not close to where I need them to be. Additionally, if there are technology problems one can experience, I’m sure I’ve met most of them (I have lost all my pictures, music and documents from my hard drives, face internet challenges regularly, have a computer that I haven’t bonded with at all (my old computer went kapoop when I was home in the summer.) And lastly, I started a new job on the ship a year ago that was amalgamated with another job in September 2011, and consequently, I have been faulty in keeping up with home by email or blogs as I have had absolutely no time - I am that busy, apart from the above computer issues (which truly is secondary to having no time) and thus feel like I am always guilty at not doing my due diligence…I am truly sorry if some of my negligence has fallen on you.
Now having said that, and although every bit is true; I am not unhappy or depressed…Lol I truly know I am where I am supposed to be and feel a peace that surpasses my understanding, as well as, feeling a deep sense of joy each night when I go to bed at being here making a difference and seeing lives changed everyday. Our Lord is doing some incredible work here and working onboard, in this ministry, is such a huge blessing to me - true that!

Prayer Requests

Would you please pray for me about a leave of absence (LOA) in 2013 (I believe it needs to be for 4 months). If my knee needs surgery that the Lord will make a way when I’m home for the LOA even though our medical system doesn’t quite move that fast. In addition, please pray for the above challenges that I might still be facing. And lastly, I don’t know if you remember the story of Tani? I spoke about her 2 years ago when we were in Togo last time and have reacquainted with her this time. (If you don’t remember her from my church visit, you can go to my past blogs and find her story there.) Well, it’s Tani I’m pictured with here and she is still such a beautiful child that my heart just leaps when I think of her; however, she is now 11 and I sense a change in her, a wallflower type of change…please pray for her spirit to stay innocent, confident, trusting and pure. We have done some more surgery on her, but can do no more until she is a few years older - I will blog about her - watch for that! Please pray for her to know God personally!!!

Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance!

My favourite prayer this year contributes to my life here and is my heartfelt prayer for you also: “By the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourselves more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.”
Romans 12:3-5

How To Support

For more information on how you can support Carol (project #2551), please call Toll-Free: 1-866-900-7447