Clement Johnson’s Day of Fulfillment
Grace, a slender young woman with a kind smile, had been praying continuously for a miracle. Her son Clement had been born with a disfiguring cleft lip and an eye malformation.
Grace was grateful that Clement had adapted so well to his eye condition and that he was not experiencing any discomfort. But when it came to Clement’s cleft lip, Grace was gravely concerned. Clement’s misshaped mouth made it difficult for him to eat. She was well aware that the social impact would make the situation even worse. As Clement grew older, he would be the target of many taunts and ridicule. Grace felt a mother’s pain as she visualized her son’s future. She fully realized how much he needed help.
Then, according to Grace, “a miracle happened.” At a patient screening day, Mercy Ships doctors examined Clement. Within days the baby boy received a free surgery to repair his cleft lip. In fact, he was one of the very first hospital patients during this field service in Togo. “My prayers were answered in the Africa Mercy hospital ship_,_” his mother said with quiet joy.
Now, as Clement slumbered peacefully in his mother’s arms, his breathing was clear and strong. Grace felt so blessed, and her heart almost burst with joy. She exclaimed, “Today is a day of fulfillment for my son!”
Another special part of this story lies in how Grace heard that the big white hospital ship was coming to Togo. It all started when Grace took Clement to the Bè-Anfamé Maternal Health Clinic for his routine weigh-in. Mercy Ships played a big role in the clinic’s existence. Two years before, Mercy Ships had restored and renovated the building to serve as a short-term home for pre-operative and post-operative patients. It was called the HOPE (Hospital Out-Patient Extension) Center. This freed up precious hospital bed space onboard the Africa Mercy, allowing more surgeries to be completed.
Then, when Mercy Ships completed its stay in Togo, the HOPE center space was turned back to the Togolese Ministry of Health. The now fully functional and modernized space became the home of the Bè-Anfamé Maternal Health Clinic. New mothers from the entire district can now access vital assessments, vaccinations and health counseling for their newborns.
The posters about the upcoming Mercy Ships screening had just been posted the very morning that Grace and Clement came to the clinic. And now, just a few short weeks later, Clement had been healed!
Grace was already thinking ahead to the jubilant return home. “Francisca, my precious five-year-old daughter, is at home with my sister Afi. I am so eager to see them both and let them see how Clement is made better by Mercy Ships. Francisca loves her little brother so much and will be dancing to see him healed,” she happily predicted.
As if on cue, Clement roused from his sleep. The baby immediately reached for his mother, letting out a chortle at the new ease of taking nourishment.
I am starting a brand new season of my life and I want to share it with you.......
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012



THIS HAS BEEN AN EXCITING FIELD SERVICE SO FAR!!!! LOTS OF FOOD, FUN AND FRIENDS!!! MY HEART IS ALSO SAD THIS MONTH BECAUSE IT MARKED THE LEAVING OF THREE OF MY CLOSEST MERCY SHIP BUDDIES; BECCA, EMMA, AND JOSH!! THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE AS MERCY SHIPS CREW MEMBERS HAVE TO LEARN TO DEAL WITH. BECAUSE WE ARE A VOLUNTEER MINISTRY WE HAVE A HIGH TURNOVER RATE ON SHIP. GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE AND GETTING CLOSE TO THEM IS HARD. SOME PEOPLE COME FOR TWO WEEKS, SOME SIX MONTHS AND OTHERS(LIKE ME) ARE HERE FOR THE LONG TERM OF TWO YEARS PLUS!!! THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ME KNOW THAT I NORMALLY DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM MAKING FRIENDS BUT I DO HAVE A PROBLEM LETTING PEOPLE GET REALLY CLOSE(WORKING ON THAT). NOW THAT I HAVE REALLY DEDICATED MYSELF TO SERVING THE LORD I HAVE BEGUN TO LET PEOPLE IN AND WITH THAT COMES THE HARD PART OF LETTING PEOPLE GO. THE LORD IS REALLY WORKING ON ME IN ALL AREAS OF MY LIFE AND THIS ONE IS HARD. SO THIS MONTH I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ALL OF YOU TO KEEP ME IN YOUR PRAYERS IN ASKING THE LORD TO HELP ME TO OPEN UP MORE BUT TO ALSO LEARN TO LET GO. THANK YOU TO ALL MY SUPPORTERS AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU!!!
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