May 2014
Finishing Strong
At the time of my last newsletter we were about 2 months into our field service in Republic of Congo. Now we are just a couple of weeks away from finishing our time here.
Our time in Congo has been a pioneering effort, and as such has had it’s challenges. This is the first time Mercy Ships has served in this region of Africa and therefore we weren’t yet known to the people here. It can be quite daunting to people who have a great unmet need for medical services to step out into the unknown and trust us to really offer the help they need without charge. Consequently at times filling all the available surgical slots has been difficult. But as the word and the evidence of successful treatments spread, more were willing to come forward. We can expect that when we return to this region our reputation will go before us.
Another area of pioneering effort has been a bigger push to reach some of the most needy in the interior portions of the country. With cooperation and support from both the Congo government and FELBO (Fondation Edith Lucie Bong Ondimba), a non-profit organization, multiple screenings were conducted in the interior of the country. This is the biggest effort ever to reach out beyond the port city, and what we’ve learned here will be applied in future field services.
Yet another area of pioneering effort here has been the increased emphasis on mentoring and training of the local medical professionals. This has been a part of our service in the past, but has been stepped up during this time in Congo. The surgeries we perform leave a lasting impact on the patient, his family, and his community. But training others leaves an even more lasting impact on the communities they serve.
A Weight Off His Shoulders
Jean Bosco is a farmer. Just north of Congo’s capital city of Brazzaville, fields bear the mark of his honest labor – hectares of cassava, gardens of blooming eggplant and tomato, and lime and mango trees providing welcoming shade from the African sun.
Jean and his wife, Carine, worked hard to enjoy life with their six children. They enjoyed simple prosperity and stability . . . until a mysterious growth appeared on Jean’s back in 2003. What Jean calls his maladie was, in fact, a lipoma – a benign, soft-tissue tumor composed of body fat. Left untreated, a lipoma can reach giant proportions.
Jean explains: “When my malady started, it was barely noticeable. But after three years, it began to rise from my shoulders. I became afraid; if I were to die, my family would suffer greatly,” Jean said.
Driven by concern for the well-being of his wife and children, Jean saved enough money for a hospital visit in 2009. But the appointments, blood work, and medicine quickly emptied his pockets, and he had to return home without surgery.
Nevertheless, Jean refused to give up. Day after day, he worked to save more money, desperately hoping for healing. Exhausted by the shifting, heavy growth, his work suffered and his fields’ productivity decreased. His family now found itself in dire straits. “At that time,” Jean says, “I abandoned myself to prayer that God would help me.”
Help arrived in God’s creative, unusual way. In 2013, Jean’s lipoma ruptured and began to bleed. He had no choice but to seek emergency medical care in Brazzaville. He found himself once again on the doorstep of surgery but without the means to pay for it. While in the city, he learned of a hospital ship docked in the Congo. “Go to Mercy Ships,” a friend told him. “The surgeons will help you for free.” Jean was amazed, and he wasted no time in traveling to the coastal city of Pointe Noire.
By the time Jean boarded the Africa Mercy, the watermelon-shaped lipoma protruding from his back weighed 20pounds! Even in extreme cases, a lipoma usually reaches only 8 to 11 pounds. Under the expert hands of South African volunteer Dr. Tertius Venter, the massive lipoma was removed in a two-hour surgery.
A few days later, resting comfortably on his back in his hospital bed, Jean grinned and said, “My doctor thinks I’m a machine! I am too happy to feel pain. It has been ten years since I could rest on my back.”
Jean is overjoyed with the gift of health he has received from Mercy Ships. “What could I give Mercy Ships in return?” he asks. “What am I to say to God for what He has done for me? This ship goes beyond. This ship is in God’s truth. All I can give is ‘thank you.’”
Now, Jean Bosco – a farmer, a father, and a husband – can return to his family . . . without his terrible burden. His easy smile lights up as he envisions his homecoming. “Imagine your favorite fútbol team has just won the World Cup,” he says, “…that is exactly how my family is celebrating as we speak. There is a very perfect joy that is waiting for me and mine when I get home.”
Summer Plans
The conclusion of this field service in Congo in just a few weeks will mean packing up and once again securing the ship for sailing across the sea. We will be headed to Gran Canaria, one of the islands of the (Spanish) Canary Islands — an almost two week voyage.
Shortly after our arrival in Gran Canaria, I plan to be flying to the USA for a few weeks of relaxation and visiting family and friends. So, I hope to be seeing many of you!
If anyone in the Atlanta area has a vehicle (preferably a small car) that I might be able to use for all or part of my stay (16Jun – 26Jul), please let me know. 🙂
In route back to the ship, I am hoping to spend a week with long-time friends Sam & Pattie Allgood on the beautiful island of Ireland!
… and beyond
We will be in the Canary Islands until mid-August in order for the ship to receive its regular maintenance work as well as some special projects. Then it’s off again! This time to the country of Benin.
In late November I plan to be concluding my service with Mercy Ships (for now!). My replacement has been recruited and I will be assisting her in the transition into the role of Sr. Medical Laboratory Technologist between August and my departure. I’m confident she’ll do a great job!
Blessings!
| Claudia |
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ClaudiArabia2004@yahoo.com
or
Claudia.Juarez@mercyships.org
Mailing address:
Claudia Juarez, HCS
Mercy Ships-AFM-Crew Mail
PO Box 2020
Lindale, TX 75771
NOTE: If you are considering sending a package my way, please contact me first for the correct delivery address. |
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Financial Support
I serve as a volunteer and am reliant on the support of others for all of my expenses.
If you are led to share in my ministry financially, please make checks payable to Mercy Ships and send to:
Mercy Ships, Donor Services
P.O. Box 2020
Lindale, TX 75771
with a note designating for the support of missionary Claudia Juarez (#2793).
Or, you can make a contribution online at:
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