We All Walk to the Same Place Called Home

From Marina Lynch of The Faith Alive Hospital Team in Jos:

It is so hard to believe that we are near the end of the most amazing spiritual journey. We have experienced so much that I am finding it difficult to express my thoughts into words. From the noises of children playing in the streets, to the sounds torrential down pours clanging on tin roofs - nothing could have prepared us for what we have found... and what we have found will impact our lives and the lives of those around us always.

Since we arrived at Faith Alive Hospital, our schedules were jam-packed. We spent most of our days working on projects that suited our talents. Dr. Gin Gin and her medical expertise pulled her in every direction imaginable, including health talks, surgeries, and a trip to Kafanchan to speak to local tribal leaders on the HIV and AIDS Epidemic.

Our rocket scientist Rob Douglas became the Faith Alive Technical Support Specialist, assisting with updating computer systems and giving talks about computer viruses at staff meetings. But don't let this computer geek fool you, Rob has led prayer meetings and has become the most fluent of our team in the tribal language of Hausa.

Our team leader, Ed has been our saving grace, making sure everyone was accounted for and has making sure that we spent our time here wisely. He has been our Nativity voice when speaking to officials at Faith Alive and even had the opportunity to sit down with Nigerian Catholic Relief Services representatives to discuss the roles between CRS and PEPFAR. I had the honor of being a part of that discussion myself which provided both Ed and I with a wealth of knowledge and insight into this partnership.

Teresa is our team's angel. She has used her time praying for patients, leading prayer meetings, counseling the sick, and offering encouragement to those around her. I have caught her several times journaling and I can not wait to see what she will contribute to this blog when we return. I have a feeling we are in for a treat.

Greg, our carpenter has been our "surprise story". Our first impression of this young man was one of a quiet and focused person. He has managed to surprise all of us and I think even himself. His love for life and his passion for Faith Alive have gotten him appointed here by locals as the "Mayor of Jos." His outgoing nature and his drive to make difference is seen by all. Keep an eye on this young man, he has much to tell you in the days and weeks to come.

As for me, I have spent most of my days doing what everyone else has done, leading prayer meetings and discipleship classes, and teaching new sewing skills to the women in social services. I even had the opportunity to help develop a new children's outreach program here at Faith Alive. The program is called "ANGELS" . This program is designed to educate and offer support to children who are infected or affected by HIV and AIDS. Being asked to help develop this program is truly an honor for me. I can not wait to see how God will move this program in this community.

As for our down time, well, there hasn't been much. After dinner, the team would gather around our make-shift coffee table reviewing the days accomplishments and planning for the next days events. We coined this our "debriefing time." These table discussions proved to be challenging at times....imagine a room full of extroverts and talkers planning out the next day's events. It was difficult at times to get anything done, but thanks to Ed, there was always a plan and we ended our talks by praying a decade of the Rosary.

This has been the most amazing journey. We have all been moved. We have all shed tears. We have all grown humble. And we have all gained a new and deeper level of faith. What I realized most of this journey is this: That we have one faith, one God, and one Salvation. There are many paths to this destination, but we all walk to the same place called home, to our creator who sees us all as beautiful and worthy of his grace.