The hospital opened this week and we are starting to see little boys and girls with casts on their legs as our amazing orthopedic surgeons work to straighten bent bones. It has seemed to restore a sense of balance to our community . . . nurses aren't used to working in the deck and engineering department, but there had to be work assignments while the organization worked feverishly to find a service location . . . seeing people wearing scrubs just brings a smile to my face, recognizing what it will mean to thousands of people here.
As most of you know, Denise and I will finish this time onboard the Africa Mercy on December 20. We will be flying back to the US on December 21, arriving in Chicago on the 22nd, and then driving to Minnesota either late on the 22nd or the 23rd. We are thrilled to be back with our families for the holidays but I'm also feeling strange leaving the ship and the people who have been our community for the past two years.
This morning I awoke at 4 am (again!) and was laying in bed thinking. I picked up my kindle and went to facebook. I saw a post from two of my friends, one Brit and one American who were together in the states. I sent a quick note to say hello and they were on line. We reminisced for a few minutes and I continued thinking about our time here . . . I realized I haven't settled into a routine here (and with only 5 weeks left may not!) . . . then I started thinking about what we have been a part of for the past 2 years. Literally thousands of lives have been changed through surgeries and education . . . governments and countries have been impacted to raise the level of healthcare . . . what will be lifelong friendships have been made . . .
As a small measure of what has happened directly for me during this time . . . I have slept off the ship more than 40 nights in 4 different countries . . . I have learned and spoken small portions of 4 different languages . . . I have met friends from literally all over the world . . . have flown on 13 different airlines (a couple VERY sketchy ones! . . . soon to be 15) . . . have spent money in 6 different currencies (yes, I can tell you the exchange rate for the dollar to the Guinea franc, the Central African Franc, the Ariary, the Rand . . . ) . . . I've dealt with important government officials to accomplish various missions (I spent this week in the Madagascar capitol working with 2 different government ministries so that the 280 passports I was carrying for the crew received long term visas) . . . all the while Denise remains the stability for us . . . she works on the ship teaching children from various parts of the world and being a friend and mentor to many young women on the ship.
When it's all said and done, what it truly comes down to serving the forgotten poor. It's easy to get wrapped up in the "important things" we do or the "important people" we meet but the reality of what we do is best shown through the smiles of the kids whose lives will never be the same!
These are some of the very first patients for Mercy Ships in Madagascar
This is our line on the first morning of surgical screening.
We've said this before, but whatever role you play in this mission, Thank You! Please don't ever forget that none of us did anything to deserve the place where we were born or the family with which we were blessed. Continue to support those less fortunate, whether that calls you to physically serve in your town, another city, county, state, country or continent, or if it calls you to serve through financial support of those serving elsewhere, or whether it takes the role of emotional and prayer support, each piece is necessary and valuable!
