Being An Example - thoughts from Tracy Swope

The following is a "Leadership POV" (Point of View) that was posted on Navigator (Mercy Ships' internal website/communications tool).  It was written by Tracy Swope who is currently in Congo and is the Advance Team Leader. Her thoughts & insights are well said, beautifully challenging, and thought provoking. Thought you might enjoy reading this... "By Being an Example" Incredible, a year has past and I am in another country, following God through the steps of a waltz set to hip-hop music.  Once again, I find myself standing on my father’s toes and relying on God to know the steps. After “advancing” five countries (and might I say my last), I respect how each African country is different: culture, language, religion, music, kindness to strangers, and efficiency.  Each  nation is unique based on the above matters and it's history.  I often wonder, why does mankind have so many different ways, styles, languages, tribes, and nations.  Would it not have been easier for God to have limited our DNA and made us more alike? I am God’s creation and therefore I assume God knew what he was doing when he made each  human with over 100 trillion cells and created so many options for the human body and personality.  After all “from one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth . . . God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him.”  (Act 17:26 NIV).  Rev 7:9 states  “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language standing before the throne”.  Wow, God meant for us to be different but to have one goal…to seek God.  God desires different cultures, languages, styles of worship, styles of prayer, and all the different combinations of 100 trillion cells to unite into one goal: To know God. I have a task for you.  I know, I know, I am not keen on interactive articles myself, but take a minute, yes, right now, and reflect on the number of tribes, languages, and nations in the world.    - - -   What a staggering, awe-inspiring number!  What an impressive reflection of God’s creative ability. So how can Mercy Ships, which consists of over 36 nationalities, impact the Republic of Congo?  The Republic of Congo itself is a reflection of European culture in the cities, former USSR influence in the Government, West African in the grand Marches and the different ethnic cultures in the rest of the country.  In theory the population is 85% Christian and the church is just as diverse as the culture.  So I ask again, how can Mercy Ships with it’s diverse AFM crew and national offices impact the Republic of Congo with it’s diversity? Possible answer:  Be an example. The Republic of Congo Liaison visited the Africa Mercy in Guinea.  After a few days of watching surgery, making rounds in the ward with the doctors and nurses, touring the engine room, spending time talking to the crew the liaison came to me and said: The Republic of Congo needs Mercy Ships.  The Republic of Congo has the money for equipment and salaries, but we need Mercy Ships to model how to provide good health care [he was addressing the technical side of health care delivery] but we can also learn from how you model compassion. [Unknowing, he was talking out our united goal to show God’s love to our fellow human beings] Some crew will wonder why we are in the Republic of Congo.  I did at first.  But this is an opportunity to model, to be an example. This year, Mercy Ships is providing the largest Health Care Education package ever offered by Mercy Ships.  What an opportunity!  While we deliver the surgical services and educate the medical community,  we can model to the nurses and doctors and yes, even the government that health care is more then a science but it includes respecting the person, building relationships, and showing compassion. We are not here to change their culture, their language, form of Government, or style of worship.  How can we, when we reflect over 35 nations and even more cultures and languages.  We are called to be examples of God’s love to individuals who will then impact their own nations, governments, and cultures.   Hope you enjoyed reading these thoughts.  Thank you for continuing to share this journey with us.  Please pray for us as we get ready to arrive in Congo.  May we be the example that God has called us to be.  May we love well in Congo.   Surely there will be more to come.