We are His Workmanship

4:00am Monday 3rd September 2012. Mercy Ships Mass medical screening. People's Palace Conakry, Guinea. 3,500 screened.  300 crew members, 100 day workers involved. 9:00 p.m Monday 3rd September 2012: 852 patients issued with surgery cards or plans for follow-up treatment. Guinea: 1.3 health care workers for every 10,000 people. These are the facts.

This is my fourth blog post on Mercy Ship's mass medical screening days in West Africa. If you want to know all about the facts this is not the post to read. This is about the people. A few days before the screening the crew were challenged to look in the eyes of the people and see God's image in each and every one of them, whatever their affliction or circumstance. Standing there with sweat dripping down my face handing out sandwiches and heaving heavy bottles of water I forgot all about this simple message. Then without warning it came to me......"Jodie, look into their eyes". A still small voice. I saw pain, confusion, uncertainty, shame, humiliation, joy, humour, love, hope, desperation, frustration, anger, gratitude. Isn't it true that Jesus felt all these emotions whilst on earth?

"So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them."

Genesis 1:27 NIV

 

"i am a reflection
of the one who loves me most
created in His image, on purpose
i'm supposed to be me
and no one else could ever,
no one else could ever take my place
after all, i was made in the image of God
in the image of God."

"Image of God"
Crystal Lewis

Just because I know you would like a little look.....Check out this clever little movie of the screening day in two minutes! FYI-Andrew and Jessica enjoyed their first screening day. Andrew worked as driver commuting between the ship and the screening site and also lent a hand with logistics. Jessica accompanied the Academy Junior High and High School and rotated through the stations of patient escorting, children's ministry and food and water distribution with grace and dignity!