Susan O'Donnell
Ministries
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Honduras Journal

August 3, 2001:  DAY FIVE

What a day we have had here on the Mercy Ship! The day began with a special visit from the First Lady of Honduras and ended in a wonderful worship service with all of the teams from the Mercy Ships here.

Early this morning we greeted the First Lady of Honduras, Mary Flores. You would have loved her! She's a beautiful, graceful woman who has a real heart for the people of Honduras, especially the poor people who truly need the ministry of Mercy Ships.

As you can see, she arrives with a full entourage and got the top of the line tour of the ship with Houston's own Captain Jon doing the honors. I got to go along to see the optical clinic and the dockside unit where people are literally given back their sight, and where they receive a new Bible in their own language. It was a special treat to see it all through the eyes of the First Lady. She was obviously touched by the compassion of the doctors and nurses caring for the patients there. She said Mercy Ships performs miracles every day they are in port here in Puerto Cortes.

She loves the children, and when she saw little Oslin as he was getting his glasses, she was immediately drawn to him. He is a smart little guy who will be able to study science (his favorite subject) a lot easier now with his new glasses thanks to Mercy Ships. Plus, he'll be able to tell all of his friends that the First Lady helped him pick out just the right pair! It may seem like a little thing to us because we can just pick up a pair of glasses from the Vision Source at the mall. But not for people like Oslin's family. They can't afford them. On Mercy Ships they're free!

I have just returned from a community worship service here on board the ship. The staff and crew get together every Thursday night for this special time of singing and catching up on what's been going on in the different departments. This crew is amazing! Everyone is a volunteer, and long-term crew have to raise their own support and literally pay to be able to live on the ship and do this hard work! They actually pay for the privilege to work on the Mercy Ships and I know from talking to them, any one of them would tell you it's worth every penny. At the worship service tonight I had the chance to share the work that you are doing there in Houston in supporting the future of Mercy Ships. They were so grateful for the help they have already received from y'all in Texas. They sent you a "hello" and a special "thank you".

I am sitting here in the Administration Office Cabin as the rain gently falls on this big beautiful ship. I can feel the peace and calm of the swaying of the ship rocking in the waters off the port. I see the lights reflecting off it's white hull and I think of how much it glows almost as though it is a light itself. I know that it isn't, but as I think about it, it is a light, isn't it?! The work of this ship and of the crew that sail it is like a light in the darkness. Jesus said "I am the light of the world". When this ship comes into the harbor, it is the light of Jesus in a dark place.

I am amazed that it was only a week ago that I came on board the Caribbean Mercy Ship. I knew little of what they do and less about the people of Mercy Ships. I am so grateful for the time I have spent here. I will be sad to leave the ship in a couple of days, but I am grateful for the donations of so many of you. The work will continue and more and more people will be able to say they know "Dios escucha" - God listens!

By the way, it's my turn to "avast ye matie!" and as soon as I figure out what it is, I'm gonna do it! Until then....cuidate!

Remember you are loved!
Susan O'Donnell
KSBJ-Honduras

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