Appointment Reminder: August 28th.
This is the gate. Ici c’est la porte principale.
On Wednesday, several thousand people will be waiting for this gate to open. They will be watching from this exact vantage point. They will have been waiting for hours; some will have arrived the night before. For many, Mercy Ships Screening Day will be the first time they’ve ever seen a doctor.
It is such a contrast from the kind of waiting I know.
My waiting starts with a clipboard and a ballpoint pen. An armed chair, maybe a fish tank. The View is on mute. I forgot my insurance card. Quick phone call. Scribble numbers. Apologize. Return paperwork. Flip throughTime. Study finds correlation between global warming and ADHD. Good grief. A door opens. Someone calls my name. Nice to see you again.
Again, she says.
Because I get to go to the doctor every year.
We will see several thousand people Wednesday. Their waiting started years ago.
Screening Day can be overwhelming. No matter how many times I see it, the magnitude of need will always be incomprehensible. When 350+ of us arrive on site before sunrise, we’ll already be outnumbered by those standing in line.
So to level the head count, I signed you up to come help us. Yes, you have an appointment on August 28th to meet me at the gate.
Here’s how to get there:
Pray. For those of us here, and our patients. For our doctors and nurses, they will spend the day making heavy decisions. For our translators, who will be delivering news that’s not always easy. For the people Mercy Ships cannot help & for all of those we will.
Prayer is how we take care of each other when we are far apart. So thank you for continuing to take such good care of us over here.
We can feel it, I promise.
(photos from screening in Guinea)
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Thanks to Catherine for letting us share her incredible thoughts, insight, words & love.
Surely there will be more to come.
Wow. Powerful! I am praying.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that I took the time to read this. I am greatly impacted by Africa Mercy. God Bless y'all.
ReplyDeleteAH - tried to comment but I don't think it went through - if it did and this does, well, i hope that you're doubly blessed!!
ReplyDeleteWas saying that I heard on Fox News on Fri that Dana Perino? (anchor of The Five) and her husband will be on board this week. I'm loving hearing so much about Mercy Ship esp while my friends are there serving!!
And about Wed: I'm praying now, but mostly w thanksgiving that the Mercy Ship is there and does what it does. And that there will be so much hope and desperation in the "waiting" that God, of course, will be very present to meet the seemingly overwhelming need. Love yall!