Forte Forte!!

Wow! Conakry is just what I pictured, but more. Yes it looks like what you see in the movies, but on my trip from the airport to the Mercy Ship, I saw much more!

• I saw a man peeing on the street
• I saw a drug deal
• I saw women and men carrying 120 pound loads of micellaneous items on their heads
• I saw naked babies taking baths in buckets
• I saw probably about 227 people almost get hit by cars every five seconds
• I saw people with no legs and people who look like they are on the Olympic Track team.
• I saw little boys playing soccer in barefeet with a half deflated ball
• I saw lots of American flag bumper stickers (heck yeah! Murica)

I tried to smile at every person I made eye contact with during our two hour journey from the airport to the ship. Some smiled the biggest, whitest smiles back I've ever seen! Some stared at me with a blank look and some yelled Forte Forte at me then proceeded to make silly faces at me (forte means white person). Piles of trash are burning everywhere, people are trying to sell you things left and right (even water in plastic baggies), fish, goats, and chicken are sold raw with flies all over them, the list goes on. My first thought was "Wow this place is so impoverished, I feel so badly for these people" but although these people are not rich monetarily, are they poor? Is this place broken? Are they miserable?

We are all broken, we are all poor in some way, but you know what? There's good news! Literally GOOD NEWS and its called the Gospel! God put on flesh and saved us all! He is a healer, a savior, and a relentless lover. He takes our brokeness and makes it beautiful . On the outside this place may look broken, but there is much more to be seen below the surface! I cannot wait to share the GOOD NEWS with these beautiful people.

This ship is breath taking. It's bigger and fancier than I thought! Everyone is so nice and welcoming here. There are people form 40 different nations on board! Our head cook is from the south (North Carolina, WOOHOO!) and makes the best food! He even said he makes his own sweet tea here and will share some with me (SCORE!). I live with 9 other girls! One from mexico, 2 from the US of A (Amurica), one from the Netherlands, one from Germany, and I haven't met the other few yet! Our cabin is huge and messy, but what can you expect from girls? I think I over packed (classic) but hopefully I can get another shelf or something! I get a tour of the ship tomorrow and begin work on Monday.

This place is so full of Jesus! Everyone is so nice, they all have the same mission. There is a small bible study going on right below where I am, the man behind me is listening to Christian music and worshiping The Lord, and there is encouarging scripture written down everywhere I look! I am so blessed to be here and I can't wait to die a little more each day so that The Lord my Savior Jesus Christ will consume me as I become less and He becomes greater!

"Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of The Lord" 1 Cor. 15:58