Why am I going?

Wow, what a question!

 There are so many reasons and so many different influences on my decision to spend time with the mercy ships that it’s difficult to isolate a single primary thought.

If you want the one line summary scroll down, it’s on the bottom. If you want a more in depth discussion read on...

Motivation

As many of you will know the key motivator and primary goal in my life has been, and always has been, to serve my unswerving and unerring master – Jesus. Many of you who are reading this will already share that same goal and happily call yourselves Christians; many of you who know me though work, or scouts & guides, or elsewhere, will not. I could go into why I think Jesus is great, what he has done for me, and how you might share in that experience but now is not the time. If you are interested in that email me & I’ll tell you, but for now, let’s take it as read that the aim of this trip IS to please Jesus, be that sensible or not.

There is a record of a conversation Jesus held in the Bible (Matthew 25v31-46). He is talking to the people of the time and accuses them of religious hypocrisy. Of saying one thing, and doing another; of saying they care about Him, but not being prepared to get their hands dirty to help the people around them.  I cannot claim on the one hand to be a follower of Jesus, and with the other fail to help to poor, lonely or disadvantaged.

Do I try to do this at home in the UK? Yes.

Do I succeed? Sometimes, maybe, a bit!

 Maybe you feel that I should have helped you more or shown more grace towards your circumstance – I probably should, but just because I may have failed before doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try now too.

Opportunity

I happen, by luck, or God’s design, depending on your point of view, to have been born to a loving and stable family in a peaceful, wealthy country. I was given great schooling where I made the right sort of friends and met and eventually married exactly the right woman – Teresa. I have been given opportunity upon opportunity in my work life to do a job that I love. Those of you who have met me at work will know how excited I get about molar root canals!

In my family and church life I revel in the unflinching support of two great daughters and a bunch of great friends. I cannot express though words the gratitude I feel towards the many people, and ultimately God, who have enabled me to do what I do. None of this do I deserve. It fell in my lap. It was freely given. It is grace.

Why Mercy Ships?

There is a long and established line of medical mission in Jesus’ name from the early days of Dr Livingstone, though the famous like Mother Teresa to Jackie Pullinger, all the way to those you will not know like Bob & Grace Finnigan. Many great men & women have gone to seemingly overwhelming circumstances to do what they can for God and people. The Mercy Ships organisation gives me the opportunity to follow in their footsteps.

 In an age where we know  almost as much about the lives of other people in far off parts of the world as our own city I cannot escape the fact that I have a duty of care to the people of Africa as well as those close to me at home in the UK. Going to Liberia seems a way to share some of the good things God has given me with those who are in need.

Mercy Ships are both a Christian and a medical organisation. Other wonderful groups like Dentaid, Medecins Sans Frontiers can use my dental skills but not my spiritual ones. Groups like Oasis may be able to use my spiritual experience but not my dental know how. Mercy Ships can use both in tandem.

I guess I just hope to be used and make a positive long lasting difference to people’s lives be that dental, emotional, financial or spiritual.

OK, so I promised you a one line summary down here so, here it is...

I’m just trying to do my bit for people who Jesus loves.

Oh and it looks like it’ll be fun too!

Ali