Power of Prayer

On Thursday morning we hear an announcement overhead, "Medical Response Team to the promenade deck ASAP". That never sounds good and the mood of the crew was very somber during breakfast time. Five minutes later, our executive director of Mercy Ships made the announcement that the persons'condition was very serious and urgent prayer is needed. The entire ship stopped what they were doing and prayed either alone or with a group of people. Later, we found out what really happened. Ruth, who works in the finance department had collapsed on the promenade deck while reading her devotions. A crew member noticed that she wasn't breathing and had no pulse, CPR was then started. Immediately the medical response team arrived and CPR was continued for 15 minutes. Cardiac drugs were also given during this time. The heart had to be shocked 5 times before a pulse could be felt. Ruth was then transferred to the Operating Room where she could be put on a breathing machine. Prayer continued. By the afternoon, Ruth was taken off of the breathing machine and all cardiac drugs. She was awake and talking. She doesn't remember anything that had happened and was feeling fine. Later that afternoon, Ruth was transferred to a University hospital in the Capitol city Accra to be monitored in the Intensive Care Unit. She will be flying home to California in a few days when she is more stable. If this incident had happened while Ruth was off the ship, she would have died. We thank God for the power of prayer and His ability to perform miracles.