April Update

Hello Family and Friends!

I hope Spring is warming everyone up! April is in full swing here on the ship. There is a lot going on and a lot which has happened last month. In March, we hosted the President of the Congo. The president and founder of Mercy Ships flew in to greet the president. It was a very transformational week because the port was cleaned up and painted, containers were moved to make way for the crowds, previous patients were brought back to meet the president in the hospital, and the whole ship was cleaned and “tuned up” with new lights. We all dressed up to greet him. While he was onboard, he listened to a few presentations regarding Mercy Ships’ impact on the country as well as the number of people reached. He then gave a brief speech, toured the hospital, and left. 

I had the opportunity to do a few cool things over the weekends. The first adventurous thing I did was go camping out on the beach in the middle of nowhere. It was nice because there wasn’t anyone around to bug us or steal our things. We had a very good group go with us. Overall, we managed to make our tropical camping spot a home. The night sky was beautiful. I wished we could have stayed longer, but we needed to be back in the port early before the president arrived. I cannot wait to go camping again because it is definitely an enjoyable experience.

My next adventure took me one hundred twenty kilometers inland to a small town called Dolisie. This place is a beautiful place to visit for the weekend. Our taxi ride up was a little problematic. Nothing short of your typical African taxi ride. The taxi car overheated three times and we had to stop at various locations to find water and cool the engine down. Once we arrived at our hotel, we were happy. From where we stayed, we could see the whole town because we were on top of one of the hills which surround this serene area. There were lush trees growing everywhere. If I didn’t know any better, I would have guessed I was back home. The night sky was phenominal. We could see millions of stars and the Milky Way as it stretched across the sky. Our adventure took us to a small village a half hour outside the city where we could go see a waterfall. After some quick negotiations with the president of the village, we followed two guides through thick African grass into the wild. The rolling foothills surrounded us. They went on for miles and miles. The shear beauty of this place cannot be put into words. We wound our way along the path, through tall grass and thick jungle. Finding the waterfall was welcoming because of the long, hot hike. When we arrived back in the village, the president befriended us through a series of events. As we waited for our taxis to return, he bought us all drinks and apologized for charging us money to go through the village. He even became a quick admirer of one of the guys in our group; naming him our chief. The following day we drove out to the Mercy Ships agricultural site to see all of the produce growing there. It really was incredible to see how much influence Mercy Ships has in one country. I got to hold a bunny from their little bunny farm. We drove back to Pointe Noire via two taxis and completed yet another wonderfully successful weekend. 

My work in the wards has been very good as well. I have been working a lot with the last few plastic surgery patients we have and then the large number of general surgery patients. I am doing a lot of exercises with the plastics patients to strengthen their muscles and get them back to as normal movement as possible. For all of our general surgery patients, I am doing a lot of general education on the ward about what to expect for the surgery, future life changes because of their surgery, and a lot of starting IVs. My skills have been well utilized in the wards. I actually was able to teach an inservice for the nurses on the heart. I really enjoyed that. This past weekend I floated to the maxillo-facial surgery/ pediatric ward. It was a nice change in pace and nursing skills. I enjoyed my time there.

One thing I am most thankful for on the ship is all of the friends I have made. They are my own support network and have been some of the greatest people around. Don’t get me wrong, the ship is filled with hundreds of amazing people. I am just saying the friendships I have made are golden. One thing I have grown accustomed to and am fearful of is departure day. This bitter pill is the day when close friends say goodbye and head home because their time on the ship has come to a close. It never gets easy. In fact, over the last couple of weeks, it has been very difficult especially with my most recent losses. I always knew how much they meant to me and I hope that was received well by them. When people leave, I ask myself one thing, “Do I have any regrets over their departure?” Meaning, did I do everything, say everything, and give everything I could have. This time around the answer is yes. I have no regrets whatsoever. Friends’ departures are not the end but a great new beginning to life off the ship and future travel adventures all over the world. Who knows where they will take me, but I cannot wait to have fun! With departures, come new arrivals. I am excited for new friends and these last few weeks on the ship. 

Continue to pray for myself and my fellow crew members as we push through these last weeks. We will be tying up a lot of loose ends, completing our final surgeries, and finishing rehab appointments. Please also pray for direction in my life. I have been thinking a lot about what I will be doing next in life. There are enough options to choose from. However, which is the right option or right options. God knows and will show me in the right time. Thank you for all of your support and encouragement. I appreciate each and every one of you!