Not so random encounter with David

Cecilia, Nate, David and Gina at their house in 2010

Last August, we were planning and trying to book flights for Ecuador in December.  There was a glitch in the online booking process which caused us to have an extra stop and a 6-hour layover in Atlanta.  We did not mind it too much as we at least saved some money that way, and we thought one of our friends in Atlanta might have time to come and see us at the airport.

The day before our flight, Cecilia posted a note to our friends who live in Atlanta to ask if they want to stop by the airport to visit.  We got no response, but when we got to Atlanta we figured we’d try to connect with them again. 

Since we hadn't been in the US for a while, we didn’t have a cell phone plan.  Our only hope was to contact them through the Internet.  Most airports do not have free Internet, and it usually costs an obscene amount of money to log in for just a half hour.  But when Cecilia opened her laptop, it quickly connected to the Internet, free of charge.  What a nice surprise!  Nate was carrying his laptop too and tried to do the same thing, however his computer wouldn't connect at all.

Cecilia made a call from her computer to the home of David and Gina Ashley, great friends living in the Atlanta area.  Gina answered and told us excitedly that David was actually IN the airport right then, waiting to catch a plane!

She gave us his cell phone number and she told us she'd try to call him too so we could meet up.  We were in concourse A of the busiest airport in the USA.  We called David’s cell phone, but with no answer.  We called Gina back, and she told us that David was ALSO in Concourse A, in the food court looking for us.  We happened to be sitting just 40 yards away.  We made our way there and sure enough, there he was!

We embraced and sat there just amazed that we made that unbelievably improbable connection.  It was even more amazing to hear that David was planning to take an earlier flight and shouldn’t have really been there.  Somehow, the furnace in his house broke and it was exceptionally cold that day.  He needed to change flights due to his heater malfunctioning. 

We got a chance to catch up and talk about some of the important things going on in our lives.  We walked with him to his gate and saw him off, the last one to get on the plane.  We only saw each other for a total of about 30 minutes.  After he caught his flight, we still had about 4 hours to kill.  We sat back down and Cecilia once again pulled out her laptop.  Nate remarked, “It would be pretty spooky if you couldn't connect to the Internet for free now.”  Cecilia opened her laptop, we waited for it to boot up, and opened an Internet browser.  To our great shock and amazement, the internet was not available.  It was and always had been a service that cost about $8 per hour of use.

It is kind of a long story, but we had to tell you the details in order to realize that this was not only a coincidence, it was “arranged.”  It is not the first time this kind of thing has happened to us.  Sometimes we feel all that we are doing is kind of crazy and we want to know that it is not just us doing whatever, but that God is truly with us.  So God shows us his love and care by arranging such unlikely meetings with dear friends and mentors that encourage us.  But the most encouraging thing is to feel God's love so tangibly. 

On that flight from Atlanta to Quito, we experienced the worst turbulence we’ve been through, then our plane couldn't land in Quito, so we were dropped off in Guayaquil, a coastal city in Ecuador.  That experience at the Atlanta airport was very helpful through the next things: to remain at peace knowing that our lives are in God’s hands.  So we were able to enjoy our day in Guayaquil, the hospitality and food of the Hilton hotel (courtesy of the airline), and wait again in Quito to receive Nate’s family coming delayed.  We spent two full days in airports and then we arrived home to spend a full wonderful week with two of our families together.  What a treat from God this life is!

Two families enjoying breakfast in Quito, Ecuador

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

Umoja: Ansanm nou kapab!

“It’s not like it used to be,” we hear our friend say, “my father tells me that 25 years ago people cared for each other in Port Au Prince.  There was a sense of community.  And now, everyone fends for himself.”  He tells us this with nostalgia and with a desire to recover that which was lost.  Our friend is the coordinator of the exciting work we are involved with: working with church leaders to come together and care for their community through a process called Umoja.

“Umoja, which means ‘togetherness’ in the Swahili language of East Africa, is an exciting and transformational church and community initiative. It helps church leaders and their congregations work together with the local community to bring about positive change for the whole community.” Tearfund website

Recently, we had the privilege to be part of the first Umoja workshop in a community near Port Au Prince.  Going through the crowded streets of Carrefour, looking carefully to not miss the turn to Bertain, the dirt road became narrower, we crossed the river and went up and up on a bumpy road wide enough for only one lane.  At the end of this road is the church, where the workshop took place.  As we stood at the door we could see the hills full of houses and a ravine dividing the two hills and the turquoise blue sea in the distance.  We can close our eyes and feel like we are back at the door taking in the view and all the life of the place.

View from the church in Carrefour Bertain

Inside the building, any breeze that came through the open windows was a refreshing relief from the heat.  It was hot, not only from the weather, but also from the intense discussions that went on throughout the week.  Jokingly at first, the pastors came up with a slogan for the workshop.  One person would yell “Umoja!” and the others would follow “Ansanm nou kapab!” which in Creole means “together we can!”  By day four, it had deepened into the minds of the whole group that yes, together they can bring change little by little to their community.
We were not only observers, but were able to participate.  Nate prepared one of the sessions trying hard to use his limited knowledge of Creole and with the help of our fearless, multilingual leader.  We organized games and activities to energize the group.  It was great fun to see the church leaders get into a game of “dog, cat, rooster” (our full-body, Haitian-adapted version of “rock, paper, scissors”).  On the last day we finished strong with a celebration and were pleasantly surprised by their outpouring of gratefulness.  They had prepared a fruit basket, books, a framed plaque and even a hand-made Umoja flag!

Receiving a plaque and fruit basket from participants on the last day

It was so encouraging, not just because of their gratitude, but because it showed they can do great things together to care for one another.  This was a step towards the church awakening to its role as a catalyst for community change.  We pray God will give them strength to carry out the things they have purposed in their hearts: to pass the vision to their community and see it become an attractive place to live and raise a family.

Ayiti Cheri: Perceptions

Ayiti Cheri means “My Dear Haiti.” We’d like to share with you about some of the things we’ve experienced in this country that is becoming dear to us and tell you how we perceive these experiences: two foreigners in a beautiful land with beautiful people, but with many struggles as well. This is the first of a series of stories about our life in Haiti.

Questions of conscience

One thing is to talk about disparities between the rich and the poor, but another thing is to see them both living in such close proximity. Imagine eating at an expensive restaurant while you watch a video about starving children. Would you be able to enjoy your meal? What kind of things would come to your mind? Think about it.

One day we were celebrating a friend’s birthday at a nice restaurant in a wealthy neighborhood in Port Au Prince. We were very happy to share that special time with friends and we enjoyed ourselves. The menu has its prices in US Dollars and if you want to pay with the local currency, they’ll charge a higher exchange rate… How interesting, do they think we are rich?! Well, maybe we are rich here: we have access to private transportation, we eat more than one meal per day, we drink water that does not make us sick, and we are blan (white, foreigner), which puts us in that category by default anyways. But as we stepped out of the restaurant, right in front of us, there was a sight that brought uneasy feelings: the park was filled with tents and people living in them. Then the questions came:

“Is it right for us to spend money at a place like that when there are so many people living in such circumstances? But, we ourselves can’t take care of all who are in need. Maybe it is okay to enjoy ourselves like that sometimes. What kind of people are we that we feel okay spending in the same way, as long as there is no sight like that in front of us? How interesting is human nature, that we prefer to separate ourselves from that kind of sight, so we can feel okay about living our lives comfortably.” These were all thoughts that came to mind and things we had to “debrief” with each other. Questions of conscience. And they keep coming.

They keep coming as we finish having lunch during field trips and old ladies come begging for money touching their bellies and saying “I am hungry, give me some money,” as we drive through the busy streets of Pòtoprens and little kids offer to wipe the car if we give them some money, as we drive with teams of Americans and people yell in English “Give me one Dollah!” when they see us pass by. We struggle saying NO to people because it is easier to give them a coin and feel good about ourselves. But we say NO. We decided we won’t give money to people asking or begging for it because if we do, it’s almost like making a contract with them that says “I will give you money, if you get out of my way.” We feel we don’t treat people with dignity when we hand out money or things without knowing their names, their family or whether our “help” is really what they need to have a life with dignity: to come out of poverty, to take care of their families, to leave a legacy to their grandchildren, and to see others and themselves in a healthy way in order to interact with each other honorably and respectfully.

And you know what? We wrote this yesterday, but today instead of saying NO, we said apre (later) to the kid outside the bakery. We brought a snack out in case he was still there, and he was. And as we were leaving we saw him share the little snack with a younger child. As you see, each day is a new day, and we can’t base our actions on strict dogma. We will keep asking God to guide our interactions to act wisely, and to help us wrestle with the big questions about life, development, poverty and true riches.

How we got to Haiti the long way around

“Where are you from?  Where did you use to live?  What drew you to Haiti?” are frequent questions we get, but we lack simple ‘conversation-friendly’ answers because we are a cross-cultural couple and lived out of suitcases for more than a year.  It seems the answers are getting more and more interesting the longer we are together.

Where are you from?

Nate: “Well, I am originally from Massachusetts”
Cecilia: “And I am from Ecuador, but we used to live in Ithaca, NY until about a year ago”
Nate: “Then we travelled to many places for a full year”
Cecilia: “We did not intend that, it just happened that way”

On a mountain with Port Au Prince in the background

Interesting… So how did you end up in Haiti?

Mural Painting

 While at Dulce Refugio, we worked with the kids and leaders to paint a mural on one of the walls of the new building.  It was a blast!

Ecuador update: Looking back, looking forward

This is a brief recount of where we’ve been and what we are doing now in Quito, Ecuador.

Nate, Cecilia, and some of our work-mates at the church, Dulce Refugio

Port Au Prince: SUPPLIES!

In October 2010, we went to Haiti with Mercy Ships as part of a short term medical team.  We went to work in a clinic that is part of a larger organization called Mission of Hope. Since the earthquake, this ministry has been instrumental in distribution of food and medical supplies, and in providing healthcare to the Haitian people around Port-Au-Prince.
On our 2 week trip we learned more than we could have imagined.  Please enjoy the following short account of just one aspect of the work we did there.

Sierra Leone: City of Rest

The Aberdeen West Africa Fistula Centre front door in Sierra Leone where we went to an international Christian fellowship.

We walked through a metal door in a high concrete wall with a sign on the side that says "Mercy Ships Sierra Leone: Aberdeen West Africa Fistula Centre".  Years ago, Mercy Ships helped to construct and staff a women's fistula clinic in this area of Freetown, Sierra Leone.  Slowly and carefully it is being turned over to the Freedom from Fistula Foundation. We went there and made a quite expected connection.

Sierra Leone - Land of Beauty

Our first impressions of Freetown as we went up to the team house on the hill that first day were of beauty and majesty. We will never forget it.

The Pocket Notebook

On our journey from Ithaca to Texas to Africa, we've collected a few things along the way.  However, none have been so helpful and used to such benefit than one spontaneous and seemingly insignificant gift from a friend in up-state New York.  It's a little nicely bound pocket notebook.

A couple pics from Benin

We just wanted to update you with a few pictures before we depart Abomey, Benin tomorrow.

This is Mama Arlette, the Children's home leader, where we worked with the kids and on some various building projects.  The kids are awesome.  She's reading out some letters the kids wrote to us on the last day.

This is Abbalo.  He's one of the orphans at the Children's home.  We got a chance to have a full-on water balloon fight in the courtyard.  Boys vs. Girls.  Abalo was the last man standing, so we eventually snuck up and doused him with water from the balloon bucket.  He was still smiling though.  

More updates to come.  We are on the eve of our departure to Togo.  Pray for safe travels!

Basic Safety Training: Fighting Fires

This week marks the last week of our training in East Texas.

It began with Fire Fighting practical training.  

In the hot sun, in a hotter shipping container, with full turn-out gear and SCBA(all the stuff we're wearing)

It was nice to get out of the heat after a couple hours in those suits. We salute the firefighters who risk their lives in such gear and conditions.  The work they do is unlike any other.

Up-Country Adventures in Togo: Healing in the North

I love this report.  It shows both the difficulties of practicing medicine in the poorest places of the world, but also the transformation it can bring to people's lives.  It's only 11 days till we get on the plane to Africa, and we are more than excited.  We hope you enjoy this story, written and photographed by Mercy Ships staff:


Dr. Tony Giles, maxillofacial surgeon, and his wife Ann, an OR nurse, have worked with Mercy Ships in many capacities over the past fourteen years. Recently, they conducted a 28-day screening tour in the northern areas of Togo, from Dapaong to Kpalime. It turned out to be quite an adventure!


Travelling more than 2000km through plateau, jungle, mountain pass and desert scrub, they encountered high winds, downpours, sudden electrical storms and power outages. They worked twelve-hour days – screening and performing surgeries with sub-standard equipment and local anesthetics. A power outage occurred during one surgery, but the flickering light of Dr. Tony's mobile phone allowed him to complete the procedure. And in Dapaong, Dr. Tony removed a pear-shaped growth from the forehead of a 99-year-old man under local anesthetic.




Tony and Ann were greatly encouraged by their Togolese team members. The two observers from the Minister of Health, realizing what was being done for their citizens, took an active and very helpful part in the screenings. The five volunteer translators, two of whom were drivers, helped to transport patients to and from the ship, the Hospitality Center, and testing facilities. They also organized minibus taxis to take patients home and to bring new patients to the screenings. Since they were so closely involved with the screening process, Dr. Tony trained them in pre-screening. As a result, they were able to continue the process with 95% accuracy during the week that the Tony and Ann returned to the ship to cover for Dr. Gary Parker.


Madame Adjeh Assoupi, from the Office of the Minister of Health, joined the team at Atakpame. She was instrumental in solving many of the problems encountered on the tour. Because the surrounding area consisted primarily of farming communities, there were many hernia problems – more than could be handled on the ship. Many of these people could be treated locally, but couldn't afford surgery. So, Madame Adjeh arranged for government funding for them to have hernia surgery at the hospital for a very small charge.


Shortly before leaving Atakpame, a 60-year-old man named Koffi arrived with a limpoma, a large growth on his back attached to his neck. Surgery had been completed for the day, and the team was about to move on to Kpalime. Madame Adjeh suggested transporting Koffi to Kpalime, where Dr. Tony could perform the surgery. She also made sure a diatherm ( to prevent bleeding) would be available for the surgery. She then made overnight arrangements at the local hospital for Koffi, and he went to Kpalime with the government film crew the next day. Using the hospital's instruments, Dr. Tony removed the 12-pound growth, the largest ever to be removed under local anesthetic. The entire procedure was captured by the government film crew. Madame Adjeh and the Assistant Director of the hospital even secured some badly needed clothes for the man and arranged for him to be returned to his village the next day.



Koffi Before






Koffi After


Dr. Tony and Ann told the people, through the interpreters, that goitres are caused by poor diet and a lack of iodine. The film crew interviewed them and also got the local dietician to talk about it on camera. Then the crew went to the local market and filmed the foods, like fish and shrimp, that would help with these problems. This type of adult education can go a long way toward eliminating these problems.


The screenings were advertised through churches and on government radio. The President's TV crew joined the screening team in Kara to film the proceedings, which were broadcast daily in ten-minute segments. The word definitely penetrated the area, but no one realized that such publicity might cause a security problem. By the time the team reached Kpalime, there were so many people surrounding the screening site, an open circular shelter in the ground, the team couldn't get in. The Prefect of Atakpame tried, unsuccessfully, to control the crowd. Finally, the army was called in to restore order. Dr. Tony described the incredible scene: “People just invaded. We were surrounded. We were stuck. We couldn't move. We got a megaphone, but people still didn't want to get out. They didn't want to lose their chance of seeing us. But we couldn't see anybody because we couldn't move. They swarmed everywhere – around us, behind us, in front of us… cramming in. I thought they'd crush us.”



Crowds pressing in at an up-country screening in Togo


They saw many facial tumors, cleft lips and cleft palates, VVF women, burns, hernias, and orthopedic problems – in all, over 3,000 people during the tour. They performed 31 surgeries with local anesthetic and selected 200 patients for possible surgeries. However, Dr. Tony is quick to acknowledge that their primary interest is in the individuals, rather than the numbers.




Due to the strong relationships forged during the screenings and everyone's willingness to help, the partnership between the government and Mercy Ships was played out once again with a remarkably successful result.




Dr. Tony and Ann have seen many miracles over the years, and this screening journey has added to their list. “You see all sorts of things happen. You begin to get confidence,” he explained. “It works … God does it. And these people's lives are changed!”


Story by Elaine Winn
Edited by Nancy Predaina

A Visit With Edoh

We have shared Edoh's story with some of you before.  Recently, a team went to Edoh's village and made a report.  That report is printed here.  If you haven't heard Edoh's story read on.

A sweet, gentle young woman walked forward, holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Thirty joyful family members joined her in welcoming the visitors from the Mercy Ship. This was Edoh - a life restored by mercy.

Edoh is the youngest of six children. When she was about four years old, her eye became very red and began to swell. Her mother, Afua, desperately tried to find help, going from hospital to hospital in Togo and Ghana. But no one could help her little girl.

By the time Edoh was nine, a massive facial tumor had displaced her left eye, distorted her cheek and mouth, and left her teeth protruding at odd angles from the edges of the mass. She struggled to eat and breathe. The tumor was literally stealing the breath of life from her - she was slowly suffocating.

Then Afua heard about a hospital ship, a Mercy Ship, that had arrived in her country to offer free medical care. So, she took Edoh to the screening.

A huge crowd of six thousand crushed into the stadium in Togo, almost tearing off the gate. These desperate people were living lives of misery and rejection because of their abnormalities - viewed as a curse in their culture. Unable to work, or even live in society, they saw Mercy Ships as their only chance to have a normal life. They wanted a chance for a free surgery, the chance for a miracle.

But in the midst of all that suffering and desperate longing, mercy raised its head. A little girl's gasping struggle to breathe captured the attention of the crowd. Arms of compassion - some weak and some strong - lifted Edoh and passed her to the front of the long line.

Edoh remembers that moment - the moment that changed her life forever. She recalls, "I remember being lifted over the heads of the crowd and being passed along to the gate. A nurse saw me and said, 'This is the type of surgery we need to do.'"

And that day Edoh received an appointment card for surgery ... an appointment to receive life instead of death.

The doctors warned Afua that this was a difficult, risky case. But she wisely replied, "God gives children; God can take away. We will give it all to God and go ahead with the surgery."

And her faith was rewarded. Edoh returned home to a very surprised community. "It's a miracle!" they exclaimed. And they held a big party to celebrate.

A year later, Dr. Luer Koeper, a maxillofacial surgeon, who had helped to remove the tumor, took Edoh to Germany for a second surgery on her lip. Then in 2003, she had another surgery on her lower eyelid.

And now, 15 years after her first surgery, this "walking miracle" was welcoming Mercy Ships volunteers to her village.

Edoh happily described the transformation in her life. She recalled how she used to stay away from people. She couldn't go to school. She became very shy, hiding in her home. But now she can go everywhere - including school.

In fact, Edoh is a good student. After she completes her secondary education, she wants to become a nurse to help others - just like the dedicated Mercy Ships volunteers helped her.

The celebration arranged by the family continued at the "cascade," a beautiful waterfall that roars down the mountain behind Edoh's home. There, her brothers played their native drums, and everyone sang praises to God for His mercy toward Edoh.

A smiling Edoh added, " If it wasn't for the Mercy Ship, maybe I would be dead. Mercy Ships changed that. I used to look in the mirror and feel pity for myself. But now I think about what happened to me, and it's all about God. I put everything in God's hands."

Written by Elaine B. Winn
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by Debra Bell

GATEWAY Training

Our itinerary for the next month is to learn.  We are in some intense training to prepare us for life in Africa and in community.  Mercy Ships in Africa works and operates as a community unit.  We see at the Operations Center here in Texas that there is very little waste, everyone here has a crucial purpose, and everyone works very hard and passionately at the job they do.

Thanks to all who have supported us and are continuing to support us in this work through finances and prayer.  We have secured about 85% of our funding for the 2 years of service.  If you would like to contribute so that we are 100% funded, we would be grateful.  You can just click the "Donate Online" button.

We will continue the next few weeks with stories about what Mercy Ships is doing, and what we will be involved with when we get there in just 4 weeks!

Stay tuned..

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