The Hope Center

The Hope Center is a large building that is actually connected to the OBF clinic. Most of our patients travel hours and even days just to get to Mercy Ships. The Hope Center is a place for patients to stay as they wait for their screening appointment and surgery date. Many patients go back to the Hope Center after their surgery is complete and stay while they arrange transport back home and continue to recover.

This week we had our second dress ceremony with 17 ladies that participated! Once again it was an exciting and emotional day. Patients from the Hope Center often attend these dress ceremonies. This time I noticed many little kids with cleft palates and some adults with pretty large tumors at the ceremony. Maybe they were waiting for further screening or maybe they were anxiously awaiting their surgery date. All I know is they were sitting there listening to testimony after testimony of how these ladies have been healed physically, emotionally and spiritually. I can just imagine a spark of hope rising up within them. I can only wonder if they were praying Lord can you really do the same thing for me? Can I be made whole physically? Can you give me the same joy and peace even if my surgery doesn't work? Once again, these ladies have inspired, encouraged and spurred on hope in another group of people without even realizing it. I know hope is the buzz word around here and I have been talking about it a lot but seeds of hope are being planted everywhere in this place. Hope is constantly transferred from patient to patient, from nurse to patient, from patient to nurse and from crew member to crew member. Hope is rising in small ways, big ways and in every way possible because Christ is at the center of everything here. And peace that passes all understanding, joy unspeakable, love unfailing and hope in the most hopeless situations are forever only found in Him.


The dress ceremony was a great way to start off my birthday weekend! I spent some time at the beach and mostly hung around with friends. A very relaxing weekend. I have so much to be thankful for this year. I can look back on this year and see how God was molding me, shaping me and preparing me for this time of volunteering with Mercy Ships. His hand prints are all over this past year and I couldn't be more thankful. As I look forward to what this next year brings I am full of hope and excitement for what God has in store. I pray that whatever happens this year that I may be able to have the peace, joy, faith, and hope that these ladies have unknowingly taught me.





First dress ceremony of this field service took place on October 2nd!

                                                                      Each lady gives a short testimony. 









 Pure joy my friends!

Second dress ceremony was on October 16th

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Laughter is the best medicine!

              

Lots of singing after the ceremony!

"Therefore confess your sins to eachother and pray for eachother so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16