Andrew R Rogers

Well, yesterday was hard.  We had our interview and were basically told that there is no family housing available for us aboard the Africa Mercy.  You see, family housing is provided specifically for certain positions.  And neither the A/V Tech position nor the Ward Nurse position would qualify us for these limited family units.

Hard. To. Take.

But it’s ok.  Becuase God has other things in mind.

Mieke and I have gotten to know a very interesting couple over the last few days.  He is a surgeon and she is a wonderful lady who has grabbed Jace from us many times and entertained him in the back of the classroom.  They are considering joining Mercy Ships.  They are being heavily recruited by Mercy Ships.  You see, there has been a recent event on board the ship that has left the ship without a head surgeon.  And when there is no head surgeon, the production line of life changing surgeries comes to a halt.

The couple is not sure that they will be able to cover their expenses while on board the ship.  They are highly paid professionals here at home, but once on board they will have no capacity to make money to support themselves.  And the social circles they are involved with may not be able to understand how a highly paid surgeon is now asking THEM for money.

That’s where you and us come in.  Mieke and I would like to challenge any of you who have said you will support us to consider supporting this couple instead.  I know it’s quite a mind – bending leap of faith.

Look at it this way – any money you send will DIRECTLY impact the life of hundreds or even thousands of Africans as the surgeon’s skilled hands literally become the hands of Jesus.  I hate to say it, but your dollars will have much more IMPACT if you choose to support this couple than if you were supporting Mieke and I.

Hard.  Yes, I know, hard for us and hard for you.  But I truly believe that the Lord would be pleased with this sacrifice.

Please send an email to andrew@findyourfans.com if you would like to be a part of getting the Mercy Ships production line running again.  Please also include an estimate of how much you would like to commit (either monthly or a one – time – gift) so that we can give this number to the couple and to Mercy Ships administrators here.

Shortly there will be a web page  setup that will allow you to give directly to this couple via Credit Card, Check, or over the phone.   We will send this information out to all who have responded.

Thanks for your prayers.  It’s exciting to think that one day we may be able to join Mercy Ships.  But it’s even more exciting to see God working right in front of us, in a way that we and YOU can be involved NOW!!

Once again, please send your email with your estimated gifts (either monthly or one – time gifts) to andrew@findyourfans.com as soon as possible.  The week is coming to a close and we want to be able to clear the way for this couple to go as soon as possible.

As I type this, we are traveling along at 70 mph in a cool cocoon of comfort.  Every luxury is at our fingertips; music, movies, high speed internet, GPS, books on CD and even old fashioned paper books.  Coke, coffee, snacks, fruit, everything we need for our voyage across America.  We have denied ourselves nothing.  The Honda Accord purrs along mile after mile, nary a hiccup and going strong at 170,000 miles, clearly the pinnacle of perfection in engineering.

Which is what makes this trip so ironic.  We are going to visit the headquarters of Mercy Ships, located near Lindale Texas.  They operate a massive hospital ship that provides free medical care to the world’s forgotten poor in West Africa.  A place where you’re lucky to find clean drinking water.

Don’t get me wrong, I love all of our gadgets and wealth.  And I don’t think there is anything wrong with them.  But the contrast between my life (as a lower middle class American) and the life of the average West African is……..staggering.  Or ridiculous. Or unfathomable.

So we’re here in Texas to figure out if (A) we are a good fit for Mercy Ships, and (B) what to do if once we figure out (A).

We’ll be learning all about this Mercy Ships operation, doing some interviews with human resources, then attending a seminar on fundraising.  It’ll be an interesting week, to say the least.

We really appreciate your prayers as we try to discern the Lord’s will for us in this endeavor!

UPDATE!!! We have arrived here at the Mercy ships headquarters and have already had a few classes.  We’ve met two Germans, an Australian, a New Yorker,  and a bunch of other interesting people.

It is hard to describe how things are going at the moment.  I am in awe of this organization and what they do every day. Up to this point we’ve had a very small view of what goes on here and the scope of their operation.  Regardless of what happens with Mieke and I, we are sure of one thing – the Lord is working here in powerful ways.  The blind see, the lame walk, the mute speak, leprosy is cured, and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor.  Literally, every day in Africa.

I’m really liking Rich Dad Poor Dad.  Good freaking financial advice you won’t hear anywhere else.

I’m really excited about 2009.  Especially for a young band named Sitka. Their time is coming.

is back from the Post Office.  Took the bike.  ‘Twas cold.  And the drivers of the huge SUV’s don’t seem extremely considerate at the moment.