Mercy Ministries visits various local orphanages and schools while they are in Cameroon. One of the orphanages, called New Destiny, is run by Mama Solange, a woman with a big beautiful smile and an even more beautiful heart. She herself was orphaned as a child, so she was moved to open an orphanage and is now Mama to 48 children.
Mama Solange and Samson
She says that Jesus is the children's Father and she is the Mother. Sometimes she doesn't know where the next meal is coming from, but she trusts that God will provide. Mercy Ships has been able to be an answer to some of her prayers. The crew has been able to raise money for rent, food, clothes, and building updates and even assist with trying to help find a new home for her and her children.
Serving breakfast - bread and milk
Feeding baby Maria
Singing about Jesus
Dance Party
Baby Isaac falling asleep
Crafting
Bathing baby Julia
Christmas Gifts
Acting out the Christmas Story
New Destiny Orphanage
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Matthew 12:41-44
Fear not little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
Luke 12:32
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...
When I first learned I would be part of Ward A and learned about obstetric fistulas, the team leaders shared that women's health was often very emotionally hard and offered their support if it became overwhelming. Mama Anna (photo credit: Lucy Hedges) Leaking urine for 30 years. Husbands abandoning wives and children being taken away from their mothers. Giving birth at 11 years old. Being traded to a man 40 years your senior for a bunch of cows. Having 11 babies die. And it is overwhelming and so much suffering is difficult to grasp. The ladies often times knit gifts for each other, other ward patients, and crew (photo credit: Lucy Hedges) But then we are supposed to be able to offer hope and healing. The ladies come to Mercy Ships and we offer them free surgery, so at least one part of their story can be set right. However, only 85% of the surgeries are successful, and while that sounds like a fairly good statistic, it does not feel like it when you are look...
I thought it might be nice to share some non-medical facts and happenings from my time here in Cameroon. Cameroon itself is called "Africa in Miniature" because it contains all the major climates seen in Africa. Douala, the city that the Africa Mercy is docked in, is in the Monsoon climate region. Supposedly the dry season is coming, but we have yet to see it! Lots of rain and thunder and lightning. The countryside is lush and green, with multiple plantations growing bananas, plantains, coffee, latex, palm nuts, and flowers. Plantains Palm Nuts harvested by a small farm Flower Plantation I've gotten to see two large waterfalls: Chutes d'Ekom, which was featured in a Tarzan film, and Chutes de la Lobe, which is an unusual water fall as it spills directly into the ocean. Chutes d'Ekom Chutes de la Lobe The port we are docked in is on the Wouri River. So far, I've seen ships pass by from Panama, Singapore, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Mal...
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