Recently, our crew, long and short term, had a conversation on the question of ‘What does a Community of Faith look like in a practical sense on a Mercy Ship?’  We started from the top with understanding first and foremost that there is a strong vision from our senior leadership of what this larger Community of Faith looks like – our Core Values – Love God, Love and Serve Others, People of Integrity and Excellence.  Then we practically filled in the details of how we can/do make that happen on a day-to-day basis here on the Africa Mercy.  The Community of Faith Looks Like…

• Showing God’s love and grace
• Accepting that everyone has value in the community
• Accepting that everyone in the community hassomething to give
• Coming home; creating home
• Supporting one another
• Humbly serving in positions that may be less than what an individual’s training suggests (laundry/ housekeeping)
• Providing acceptance and compassion
• Forgiving others (particularly in the laundry room)
• Achieving acommon goal
• Greeting each other (not passing without speaking)
• Recognizing that all layers of the community are equal
• Living with andlearning cultures
• Showing vulnerability
• Living like siblings (the good and the bad, loving and forgiving)
• Looking past one another’s differences
• Glorifying God
• Focusing on our passions
• Sharing the bad days
• Loving the eclectic
• Using skills to help others/the organization
• Worshiping with our hands
• Dancing to the beat of the same drum
• Using common languageincluding random phrases from places we’ve been like “Azafady” (which means excuse me or sorry in Malagasy for those who don’t know)
• Sharing the load
• Operating like an African village where everyone contributes

“If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.  Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others. Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus . . .”  Philippians 2:1-5

Prayer Requests:  * Axel (in the photo above) has another surgical treatment tomorrow, please pray for the healing to come
* For more women who are suffering with obstetric fistula as we have surgical slots available for them  * For more adults and children who are blind or severe loss of sight – surgery is available – the blind can see.