Journey's End

This last blog post is written with surprise and sadness. I cannot believe my time has come to an end serving with Mercy Ships. There is so much to tell. I do apologize for not writing these things sooner. The last month on the ship went by so quickly and my time back home has been very busy. A lot of things happened and I will do my best at explaining most of them here.

The month of May brought with it a big season of general surgeries for A Ward. General surgeries include removal of goiters, lumps and bumps (formally known as lipomas and cysts), and repairs for hernias. The vast majority of the surgeries, however, were hernia repairs. Insert any kind of joke you would like. We looked after a lot of groins in the weeks leading up to the hospital’s closing. The rapid turnover of patients made for a busy season for all of us, but it was definitely welcomed. We were able to help so many people with these simple surgeries. General surgery patients were in and out of the hospital in forty-eight hours time. We barely had enough time to get to know them, but the impact we had on their lives in that time and for the future was satisfaction enough. I really enjoyed getting to know everyone. There were two shifts, in particular, that I remember vividly. 

The first was an evening shift where we spent the night educating all of the new admissions, caring for all of the immediate post-ops, and playing games with the few who had been there for longer than the two day average stay. There was a line of gentlemen all having hernia repairs. As I moved from one to the next starting IVs, I got to know them and hear a little about their stories. Some had a lot of children, one had many grandchildren, one was nearly blind, and another was a farmer from upcountry. They each were very appreciative to have surgery. I asked one what would be the first thing he would do when he left the ship. He said, “I will praise God for the work everyone has done for me.” The gentleman did not say go back to work or cease from holding his groin to reduce the pain induced by his infirmity. He said he was going to praise God. After having carried the weight of his illness for who knows how long and having to reduce the amount of work he was once capable of doing, he was going to give God the praise for his healing. This is a great testimony to his faith and our faithfulness to the commitment of healing these people.

My second story comes at the end of the general surgery season. It was the last day for surgery and the ward was barely half full. I was working with one other nurse who happened to also be the charge nurse. The evening was full of celebration from upstairs because it was the last day for most of our Day Crew. The Day Crew were Congolese natives who served along side us in the hospital as translators, as deck hands, engineers, cooks, and valets. We watched the event on the TVs down in the wards. After some time, I felt like we needed to have a fun night with it being the last day of surgeries. So, I decided we were going to ‘go to the movies.’ I grabbed one of my helpful translators and had him tell everyone that we were going to watch a movie, but everyone had to get dressed up before we ‘went out.’ I made the men cool, striped paper ties which I paper clipped to the front of their hospital gowns. Then, I made the women cute, polka dotted bows, fastened them to some gauze with paper clips, and wrapped around their heads. We were all dressed up and ready to go! I, then, had the translator tell them we were going to watch a movie about Moses. They cheered with excitement. We got everyone on one side of the ward, dimmed the lights with shades, and turned on The Prince of Egypt on the computer. The other nurse I was working with gathered some cookies and tea for us to snack on while we enjoyed the film. What a night that was. 

The following week the hospital closed and we started to pack everything up to prepare the ship for the sail. We cleared out each ward of all its contents and then scrubbed it clean. We did this with nearly every other room in the hospital. Some days were long and others were short. Two days I was in the laundry room doing laundry and then securing items in there for the sail. Everything worked out perfectly. We finished with the hospital on Tuesday, I spent all day Wednesday packing my things, and then I left the ship on Thursday. I was asked by a lot of people if I was ready to leave. I can confidently say that I was ready to go home. I had finished my work with the hospital and in the Congo. I had plenty of time to go through the proper grieving process which comes with leaving somewhere you have invested into so much. I was also in the transition mindset. My life would be transitioning from missionary work on a hospital ship in the Congo to small suburban life in the United States. When I left, I left with no regrets.

My travels took me from airport to airport, and from train station to train station. Eventually I found my way to Life Church in Bradford, UK. I arrived thoroughly exhausted, but ready to experience something new. There I met some remarkably amazing people who I would be seeing the next two days of my stay. They did an incredible job taking care of me when I walked in through the doors even though many people were tied up with the kid’s conference going on in the sanctuary. I was given a shower and then fed pizza from a popular local restaurant called Raja’s. The next day began bright and early. We walked to the church to meet a coach bus which took us to Leeds where the Cherish women’s conference was being held. Cherish was the conference Life Church was putting on that weekend. There were nearly five thousand women at this conference. I was put on the host team. My job was to hold a sign, stand outside, and greet all of the women who came in of the morning session. In between greeting the women before and after sessions, I ran around behind the scenes and inside the stadium doing host jobs for the conference. I got to meet some really cool people while working the event and I hope to meet up with them again in the future. We concluded the conference and worked extremely fast to tear down (‘set down’ as they say over there) the whole arena. The arena staff were very impressed with us, to say the least. We made a huge impact on them and they are excited to have Life Church back next year. Praise God. After setting down at the arena, we had to rush back to the church in Bradford and set down there. The kids’ conference was done, but we needed to set down that, sort all of the equipment, and set up the whole sanctuary back to its original condition. We finished around eleven at night. Sunday came and I spent the day at the church for both services and had a nice afternoon lunch and nap at a new friend’s house. 

I left late Sunday night and ended up in Manchester. It was raining and I needed to find my hotel. I flagged down a taxi and away we went. Long story short, it was one of the most miserable and humiliating rides of my life. I finally settled down in my room at two in the morning and had to be up a few hours later to catch an early flight home. Everything went well on my connecting flights and I arrived home a day earlier than I had expected. I surprised my parents and they surprised me in return with my sister and a friend who had tagged along to pick me up. My first meal was spent at the local Chicago style restaurant Portillo’s. I was so happy to be on American soil.

The rest of my week was spent catching up with a few people and attending many wedding activities for one of my best friends. I was the best man in his wedding and I was honored to stand up there next to him on his big day. Everything went flawlessly. The following week brought more sleep and catching up with others. 

The big question I have been asked is what will I do next? Well, I will be taking the summer to travel and then I will be going back to the hospital I used to work at in October. I hope and pray the position I want is open when I start looking. 

The next big question I am asked is concerning my girlfriend. Yes, for those of you who did not hear, I now have a girlfriend. Her name is Moriah and I met her while serving with Mercy Ships. She makes me happy. I am really excited to go see her and her family this summer in California. I have never been there so it should be a great time. 

Would I ever go back to Mercy Ships? Yes. I enjoyed my time serving and would love to do it again a few years down the road. 

Well, I guess this is goodbye until my next big missions adventure. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all of your support and prayers. Each one was heard by God and used in my day to day life on the ship and during my travels home. I serve an amazing God and He has a way of blessing those who bless others. I hope He blesses you abundantly. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Numbering Our Days

                My time here on the Africa Mercy is drawing to a rapid close. I am almost one month away from leaving here and heading on to my next big, but unfortunately very short adventure in England. As these ideas begin to form into reality over time, my heart begins the transition period from missionary life to home life. So many thoughts and emotions flood my waking moments that I cannot pinpoint one specific feeling I have settled on. I am happy and sad, excited and nervous, certain and confused. Only God knows where I will end up.

                A few weeks ago the President of Mercy Ships was on board. Don Stephens is a great man. He is the founder of this compassionate organization and has been working nonstop to bring hope and healing to the poorest of the poor in Africa. On the ship, we have weekly community meetings every Thursday night. Don spoke that Thursday night and he had a lot of good things to say. In his message he talked about the time he met Mother Teresa. The experience was very impacting for him. I am sure it would be impacting for anyone to meet this godly woman in person and come out of it having said more than just “ummm.” She asked him three questions.

                1. Why were you born?

                2. What are the pains you have/ are experiencing in your life right now?

    3. What are you doing about them? Meaning, if you know why you were born, what are you doing about it? If you are experiencing pain, what are you doing about it?

                From his time with Mother Teresa, he learned a lot about himself and his life mission. From that he began to ask us these questions. As Don has gotten older, he has recognized the number of days he has left on this earth. He emphasized the importance of counting your days. Know how many days you have left because you will not get those back. Don told us that he does not have that many days left and that he wanted to make the most of all of them. What does this say about me and my attitude towards each day of my life? Do I take full advantage of every day or do I waste some because I have plenty to burn. One day, hopefully sooner rather than later, I will recognize the importance of each day and not waste it doing nothing. Our days are numbered. What are we doing with the ones we have been given? The bible says that life is like a vapor. It is here and gone. Let’s make the most of what we have been given.

                As I start to close this chapter in my life’s book, I hope I can make the most of the days I have left. I hope that I can give my all, experience everything I can, and live life with the friends I have left on the ship. I feel my richest days are those spent with friends because I cherish and value relationships over most everything else. 

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!

The Amazing Race

Disclaimer: Although I am currently serving with Mercy Ships, everything communicated here strictly reflects my personal opinions and is neither reviewed nor endorsed by Mercy Ships. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.

The Amazing Race

If you have ever heard of The Amazing Race, then you know what I mean when I say it is an adventure like no other. Contestants race around the world accomplishing tasks in dozens of countries all for a chance to win one million dollars. The race takes them through the biggest and smallest cities; through the richest and the poorest nations. Viewers tune in every week to see where the teams will go to next and the things they will have to do when they get there. 

Well, Mercy Ships saw this show and made up their own mini Amazing Race in Pointe Noire. This isn’t the first time they have done this and it definitely won’t be the last. Our adventure began at the train station at 8:30 in the morning. My team consisted of myself, Andrea, and Ibrahim. We called ourselves Steel Mercy because of the gray Mercy Ships t-shirts they wore which have an anchor and the word Mercy written across it. There were thirteen other teams there all competing to be the first to cross the finish line. We were given the rules, money, and essential pieces of paper we would need along the way. Once all the teams were set, we received our first clue and away we went. I am sure all of the locals standing at the train station and near the roundabout thought we were crazy. Forty some white people sprinting away from a building would make me start running too!

Our first clue took us two miles north of the train station to a street vendor. We arrived and there was already a team ahead of us. The competition was fierce. All jokes aside, we were having a blast so far. Back to the story. The first task. We were to make an omelette and sell it to someone on the street for 500 CFA (pronounced see-fa). Ibrahim took the lead on this one and Andrea talked to a few people around the stand until we found a nice lady who would buy it from us. Our first task was complete and we could receive our next clue. “Go the the Econo-Bank. There you will find your next task.” We started running further north.

After crossing some thick morning traffic, we ran a little ways more to the bank. A bright multicolored umbrella was propped up next to the bank and two girls from the ship greeted us with our next task. We were to enter the Grande Marche (Grand Market) for our next task. They gave us a pack of cards with pictures on them. Each card had a picture of a building and a question on the back of it. We were to write a number, a name, or whatever the question asked for with each card. At certain locations in the market, we would complete a set of cards, hand them over to one of the Mercy Ships Volunteers, and they would give us another set. We had to complete three sets of cards and return to receive our next clue. We took off running through the market. This market covers literally ten square blocks of city, if not more. We had to find street names, telephone numbers, and restaurants. For one task, we were to find a building and buy matches. For 250 CFA, we bought our matches and ran to the next building. On the way we saw another team looking for buildings. This motivated us to keep moving. By this time we were all drenched in sweat and had depleted our water bottles by half. People in the market caught on that there was a race going on and they were pointing us in the directions we needed to go. We did get misdirected once and actually were given police escort to the building we were looking for. They police man knew the market very well and identified the ‘under-construction’ building we were looking for. Praise God for helpful policemen. We were exhausted, but we did it! After bringing back the last set of answers and cards, the girls gave us our next clue. “Go to the Team House near the Radio Station for your next task.” We hopped into a taxi and sped away.

The Team House was tucked away in another part of the city. Ibrahim knew where the house was because he had been part of the Advance Team. The Advance Team consists of a group of people who go into the next country Mercy Ship will serve and they will set up all of the necessary accommodations the ship will need to operate once it arrives. You would be surprised at all of the prep work that is involved before the ship actually arrives. Anyway, I digress. We arrived at a side street and the taxi drove forward. The street was a typical Congolese street after a storm: mud and puddles the size of ponds. We saw a team ahead of us and knew we needed to pick up the pace. The taxi dropped us off at the Team House and we realized the team ahead of us didn’t know where it was. We got ahead of them just in time. This was the same team we saw wandering around the Grande Marche while we were looking for our buildings. We snuck into the Team House before the other team and were greeted by the volunteers running this task. The girl read our task and I laughed. “Your team must catch two chickens in the garden and place them under the baskets.” Oh my goodness. I strapped on my yellow gloves, you know, to protect myself from their large talons, and away I went. The chickens were hiding in the bushes in the corner of the garden. I have never caught a chicken before. The closest I came was when I was 5 and I caught chicken pox. The chickens were crouched together and I snuck closer and closer. As I moved in, they stood up and began running away. The chase was on. All three of us were trying to round these chickens up. I cornered one and then panicked. How was I supposed to grab a chicken? By the legs? By the body? How does this work? I hoped for the best and closed my hands around the chicken. Surprisingly, I caught the chicken! Showing off my trophy, I strutted over to the baskets and placed it underneath one of them. Not too long after, Ibrahim brought the other one over. Task complete! What a rush! We grabbed our next clue and exited the compound.

Our clue told us to go to the Mazra Club for our next task (a picture was provided for us to use when we asked people). The first thing we did was find a local and ask where  it was. Andrea translated from a nice gentleman that it was down the road. I found myself in the back parts of Pointe Noire. Huts and grass surrounded us. We crossed a small creek, through muddy paths, and small bodies of water. With more directions from other locals, we walked onto the Mazra Club property. It was a boating facility on the beach. One of the day workers who worked on my ward greeted us. It was breath of fresh air! We paid 1000 CFA for our time on the property and were escorted to the beach for our next task. There were a lot of people there! Teams and volunteers greeted us with big smiles, pictures, and hellos.  I cannot say enough how much fun I was having and how happy everyone was throughout the whole race.

At this time we were given our next task. “Take the canoe on the beach out on the water and paddle around the boat docked 150 meters off shore.” We had twenty minutes to complete our task. Now this may sound simple when you think about canoes and paddling. But let me tell you it is nothing like you have ever imagined. The canoe was made from thick, heavy wood. The thing weighed nearly five hundred pounds. Then we had the paddles which were long, thick poles of wood with a square paddle shoved diagonally into one end. It was like we were paddling with a road sign, but the actual sign part was much smaller. Ok, we were paddling with shovels (oh those paddles). Getting the canoe out onto the water was a very difficult task because it was stuck on the sand and the tide was receding. We enlisted the help of a bunch of people, including some local fishermen who knew what they were doing. After about fifteen minutes of trying we finally got her out on the open ocean, or bay; whichever is your preference. There were about a dozen large ships carrying tons and tons of cargo sitting in the bay waiting their turn to unload their supply. We continued to paddle with much difficulty towards the boat. Our poor coordination with the strength of the current and the wind caused us to spin around quite a few times. We eventually made it to the boat. Slowly, we creeped around the stern of the fishing boat. With a few bumps, thumps, and whoops, we made it around the boat. The way back was easier, but we still spun around a few times. The next team was already poised and ready to paddle out. We helped them push the canoe out onto the water. Success! We did it! The volunteers congratulated us on our accomplishment and gave us our next task.

“Go down the beach and find your next task” Easy enough, right? The walk was a good time to dry off and take it all in. I was standing on one of the local fishing beaches. Dozens and dozens of mammoth fishing boats were parked on the beach. Boats of every color lay dry docked until the tide came in later that afternoon. Fishermen were everywhere. Bonjour! Bonjour! I found out from Andrea that this area was populated by refugees from Ghana. They had come a while back and settled in this part of the Congo. We walked and talked. We had to wade through a few small creeks (which actually turned into large rivers four feet deep we heard from other teams). Eventually we found our next station. The task was simple: “Buy two fish for 1,000 CFA”. No problem! We tried to bargain the price down, but it was no use. We had so much fun joking around with the two volunteers from the ship. At this point our group had attracted quite a few fishermen to congregate around us. One poor gentleman tried selling us fish from his bucket, but we said no. We were in a competition! I could not tell what he was yelling, but I think he was upset because we were only buying fish from our people. Anyways, I put my shoes back on, we grabbed our clue, and we meandered our way off the beach by using a small walkway through the tiny village. I was in another world yet again and I had not even left the city. Our next clue told us: “Go to the Hope Center for your next challenge”. We walked and walked until we found the highway and there we caught another taxi to get to our destination.

Traffic ebbed and flowed with where we were in the city and the time of day. It was nearing lunch time and people were out and about doing their normal weekend errands. Our taxi driver maneuvered us onto the compound we needed to be at. The Hope Center is a former polio hospital which was transformed into our outpatient housing facility and dental clinic. We neared the gates and the taxi driver dropped us off. Au revoir, Papa! We crept through the large iron gates to meet our next challenge. As I stepped into the courtyard, I heard my name and turned. It was one of my former patients! Bonjour! Then as I moved closer to the hospital and large group of people shouted my name and a herd of children rushed to greet me. I guess I was pretty popular with everyone. This brought so much joy to my heart and a big smile to my face. I picked up one of the kids and met the girl running this station. She gave us our task.

“You must find a bag of charcoal hidden somewhere on the compound. Then you must take the charcoal to one of the fire pits, start a fire using the matches you bought in the Grande Marche, and roast the fish you bought on the beach.” Everything was coming together. We turned around and found our bag of charcoal almost immediately. Then we ran to the side of the hospital where the fire pit was and began starting our fire. We tore the paper bag the charcoal was in and turned it into kindling. Then we went to work. It only took a few minutes for the fire to start even with the wind blowing all around us. As we were preparing to cook the fish, the children gathered around to watch and play. At one point I had a kid on my back and my front and another running around my legs. This was too much fun! Another team arrived and we needed to hurry. With some haste, we roughly scaled the fish, made a few cuts in the sides, sliced off the heads, and started roasting. They were done in no time! Now it was time to enjoy our completed task. The fish was absolutely delicious even though we used no seasoning and it was from the murky waters of the bay.

The nice girl handed us our next clue after we extinguished our flames and emptied our fire pit. Wanting to keep an edge of competition, we decided to open the clue as we were exiting the gates of the compound. “Go to the Airport for your next task.” Great! The airport! This should be exciting! Would we have to fly somewhere? That would be cool. We flagged down a taxi and headed towards the airport. We were making great time and we felt confident that we would finish the race in a decent position. Then mid afternoon traffic hit. Everyone who had a vehicle in Pointe Noire seemed to want to go to the same roundabout as us. At one point the police actually stopped the flow of traffic on one side to allow someone of importance a smooth drive through the streets. Only in Africa, I tell ya. Twenty minutes into the ride I was getting anxious to get out. Our driver took us down another rode in order to make it a quicker trip, but that soon backfired. Thirty minutes in he was getting very frustrated with us. I was starting to feel uncomfortable being in the car because he was so upset with us. The traffic was not our fault and he took a different way. By the end of the forty-five minute taxi ride we paid the man the agreed upon amount of money and got out of there. 

We had arrived! Planes flew overhead. Cars and taxis were everywhere. We looked around and thought “Where are we supposed to go?” Then we heard some loud cheers and saw a bunch of people under the billboards waving at us. There it is! We ran up and shook everyone’s hand who was there. I recognized another day crew who worked at this station. He smiled and laughed when he shook my hand. We found the two volunteers under umbrellas and they gave us our next challenge. “Your team must learn how to shine shoes and then shine two people’s shoes for 500 CFA each.” I got the quickest on-the-job training on how to shine shoes. A gentleman came up and we went to work. They showed me how to do it and then i mimicked it. It turns out that the owner of the sandals I was shining was named Benjamin. We had a lot of fun. After I finished shining Benjamin’s shoes, he paid me 500 CFA halfway there. As I paid my half, the other half came in from my other teammates. We had a quick photo with Benjamin and the others, grabbed our next clue, and away we went.

“Go to the beach behind the train station for your next task.” We negotiated with a taxi driver to take us to the beach and we were gone. The ride was a lot smoother than our last one. I was very pleased with it. We arrived at a part of the beach with tons and tons of umbrellas, tables, and chairs. Where was our next task and where were our people? We kept walking until we found some familiar faces near the edge of the umbrellas by the sea. There were too many teams there to compete so we had to sit and wait until we got our next task. A group shouted in relief and left in a rush. A girl walked over and read out loud “This is the brain game. You must use the codex to decipher letters and numbers from the answers to the questions below. Afterwards, you must find the corresponding cups with the answers to come up with a final answer.” It was all very confusing, but we eventually got into a rhythm. We answered, translated, and deciphered. Then we took our answers to the circle of paper cups in the sand to find the corresponding numbers. This was proving harder than we thought. We had to rework some of our answers and change the spelling on others. We were getting frustrated to say the least. Our time was running short and we did not have the right answer. The answer was supposed to be a bible verse but we had some of the numbers wrong! How frustrating. Tick tock ran the clock and we scrambled with words and numbers. Time’s up. What was our final answer? We were out of time and one answer wrong. We took the time to rework the word and found we calculated it wrong. That was frustrating. What’s done is done. We grabbed our next clue and walked away feeling defeated. The volunteers at the station told us half the groups got it and the other half did not. We felt a little better, but it still stung. 

We hailed a nearby taxi and opened our clue: “Go to the soccer fields for your next task.” I knew exactly where we were going and what we were going to do. We sped away and I was feeling very fatigued at this point. Exhaustion became heavier than my backpack and I had to lug both around with me. Late afternoon traffic was thin and we arrived with little difficulty. The field is surrounded by a giant cement wall with a large iron gate and side door. This is the field we play ultimate frisbee in every Friday. I pushed through the door and we saw people playing soccer in the distance. I knew what our challenge was and I did not want to do it. The team who we were ahead of ran past us and said it was a tough one. We were exhausted and trailing in the team positions. Two girls with bright umbrellas greeted us with smiles and read us our next task: “You must play a game of soccer with some local children. In order to win the game, you must score three goals.” They told us that the score could be ten to three with us losing by points, but we would still win because we made three goals. Two teams were ahead of us and they cycled in and out. I noticed that another day worker from my ward was there and he was shouting at the kids. I knew what he was saying without needing a translation. He was telling them to pull back and go easy at certain points in the game so we could score. If he did not do this, we would have been there the whole day. We were up and we needed to play and win. I was hot and exhausted, but I still gave it my all. I think they scored three times as many points as we did, but we finished. I was so glad to be done. We received our clue and opened it immediately.

“Go to the craft market for your final task.” We were almost done! Just one more task and we would be done. I was so excited. The craft market is conveniently located next to the soccer field so we only needed to take a brisk walk around the corner and we had arrived. I took the lead and began looking for our spot. Craft stall after craft stall, I walked by. The vendors kept pointing us in the direction we needed to go. I finally found it! We walked in on another team just finishing. After they filed out from the back of the craft stall, we filed in to meet our last task head on. The girls gave us our task: “You must learn how to make a craft. The shop owner will teach you how to chisel a line around the circle piece of wood.” This task was the easiest by far. He showed us and we each took our turn chiseling. The owner was impressed with my speed and accuracy. Ibrahim finished us off and we were done. They told us there were no more clues so we were to race back to the ship to cross the finish line! A taxi took us as close to the port gate as he could go and we walked the rest of the way.

Ibrahim and I wanted to run it. The distance was only one kilometer, but we needed to finish as a team so we went at Andrea’s pace. We jogged and walked the whole way. We finally could see the ship. The finish line was so close! We could see the gate! Now we took one last walk and jogged in the rest of the way. People greeted us with cheers! We ran to the finish line and stood on the mat as a team. They congratulated us on finishing the Amazing Race in Congo! We found out that we were twelve of fourteen. At that point we just celebrated the fact that we were not last. What an amazing time we had and I would not trade it for anything else. I hope you were able to experience a little bit of what I went through while racing in the most amazing race in the world.

The Ward

Disclaimer: Although I am currently serving with Mercy Ships, everything communicated here strictly reflects my personal opinions and is neither reviewed nor endorsed by Mercy Ships. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.

I feel like I have not posted to my blog in a long time. In reality this is true. One of the reasons for this is I have finally fallen into a routine here on the ship. There are the days I work, followed by my days off, and finishing with all of the activities I like doing on and off the ship. A common question I was asked here on the ship, up until my month anniversary, was how was I settling in to ship life and Mercy Ships? The answer has always been good! I feel like I have found my niche relatively easily and I have made quite a few new friends. Ship life is funny because there truly is nothing quite like it. There are people from thirty five nations living on a single ship in the Congo. Everyday dozens and dozens of local workers walk up the gangway to work with the international crew in every area of the ship. I am amazed at how well everything works and the level of excellence each department takes in performing their duties.

You may be asking what a typical work day looks like for me aboard the ship. Well, you are in luck! I have it all right here for you. The nursing department in the hospital works in eight hour shifts: Day (7am-3:30pm), Evening (2pm-10:30pm), and Night (10:00pm-7:30am). Each shift has its pros and cons, but I actually like working all three shifts here. There are some which I prefer, but none which I dread. 

Before we start a shift we always open with prayer. It’s very comforting and encouraging. We then do report, or handover as it is called here. This is just a time to tell the oncoming nurses about the patients they will be receiving. Then the race begins. We find all of the charts and begin to right down meds each patient will receive. Most patients receive the same medications: vitamins and nutritional supplements. We have a lot of plastic surgery patients so they need to stay hydrated and receive boosts of nutrients so their grafts will heal in the most optimal way. After this we wake the patients and start doing vitals. The patients are all relatively healthy except for what they came in for. We had patients who were in and out the ward in three to four days when we had the thyroid doctor come in to do a lot of goiter removals. We fill our time by playing games and making crafts. Nurses have to be creative to fill the time because there are lots of little children to entertain. We will typically see our patients who are going to the operating room first. The patients are eating breakfast by now and we are getting settled into a rhythm. Around ten o’clock or so the chaplaincy department comes in with the large bongo drums and they play worship songs in French and Lingala. We have a lot of fun clapping, dancing, and singing. They end with prayer for all of the patients. Lunch time rolls around and we are rotating out nurses for breaks. We come back to finish our charting and then it is two o’clock which means the next shift is coming on. Report is given and something very unique happens. From 2:30 to 3:30 all the patients who are able to go up to Deck 7, which is an open area on the ship where patients can get out and breathe some fresh air. The day nurses take all of the patients up there while the evening shift nurses stay back to get their paper work in order. I enjoy going up to Deck 7. We have fun. The kids love rolling around in the wagons or riding the big wheels. One day we had a giant dance party.

Back on the wards, evening shift has begun. While Deck 7 patients are away, the new admissions come onto the ship and down into the wards. When a specialty doctor is onboard, we will have a lot of the same types of patients come in. It’s amazing to see all of the different forms a single disease will take. We settle the new arrivals into their beds and start with introductions. Bonjour Mama/Papa! It works wonders. We follow a similar suit as with day shift. Pass any medications out, do vital signs, and do our assessments. Sometimes all of your patients are up to Deck 7 so there really is not much to do until they come back. There is a short window of time to get some stuff done once they come back before dinner arrives. Then the nurses rotate out for dinner. Evenings are very relaxed and filled with whatever games or crafts we do with the patients. We share a lot of laughs even though we do not speak the same language as they do. The language barrier has not really affected me. I can call one of the day crew over to help me translate what I need translated. Most other times I use hand motions to get across what I am trying to say. Charades is an ongoing game we play and we have a lot fun with it. The new arrivals are educated on the ward about what to do, how to use a bathroom, where to wash their hands, and the type of surgery they will be having the next day. Then sometime in the evening, the doctors will round on all of the patients. I find this very impressive. The doctor, surgeon, and the anesthesiologist round on the patients they will be seeing in the morning to discuss what surgery will be done and how it will happen. Phenomenal! Now it is time for bed. Sometimes at bedtime the day crew workers will lead the patients in some songs of worship. The next shift is about to arrive and we need to make our final touches on patients, medications, vitals, charting, and preparing the ward for bed. Preparing the ward for bed usually means turning out the main lights and hanging curtains to block any light coming from the nurses’ station. 

Night shift workers are typically fewer than the other two shifts. We do our routine of prayer and handover. Most of the time all of the patients sleep through the whole night which is good for their health and healing

. Once everyone is asleep, chart checks and narcotics checks are performed. If a patient wakes in the middle of the night in pain, then medications can be given. Nights are normally pretty quiet. Morning comes and it’s time to prepare the new patients who are going to surgery. This usually means a shower and one last drink of water. We then pass any six o’clock medications and then wait for the day shift to arrive.

Life on the wards has its challenges, but it also has plenty of rewards too. I always love seeing patients progress in their recovery and eventually move on to the Hope Center or home. Nursing is completely different here than back in the states. I actually enjoy going to work. I enjoy visiting former patients living at the Hope Center. I love playing with kids. Things back home get lost in the business of work and the never-ending call light race. Expectations are set very high and the reward of a job well done is short lived. I would say that 80% of the time I would never want to visit my patients outside of work and never at their homes or where they were transferred to. Life is different back home. Is it a good different or a bad different? I don’t know. This discussion of weighing the good versus the bad can go on all day. I guess I will end with this: I like what I do at home and I love what I do here. This adventure has been a nice vacation from the life and work I left behind. I am glad I am here and I will be happy to go home when the time comes. God has given me direction and I am excited to see where it will take me. My journey is not over yet and I have a long ways to go. Continue to pray for myself and the crew. We need it everyday. 

Church

Disclaimer: Although I am currently serving with Mercy Ships, everything communicated here strictly reflects my personal opinions and is neither reviewed nor endorsed by Mercy Ships. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.

Life in Africa has been quite the adventure so far. I have been in busy markets bustling with hundreds if not thousands of shoppers and vendors, played soccer with orphaned boys, assisted nearly-blind-from-cataracts patients stand in line for a vision screening in a prenatal clinic, visited former patients staying at a converted polio hospital awaiting follow up appointments on the dock next to the ship, and cared for many patients who have suffered from disabling accidents or born with crippling malformations of their hands or feet. You gain a completely new understanding and appreciation for life when you see how others have lived. I have learned a lot about life here in the Congo. More on that later, but I wanted to focus on church for the time being.

It was my first Sunday on the ship and I wanted to go to church. Ever since I got off of working nights and every other weekend, I have found new life and energy by going to church every Sunday. Church is where I get spiritually filled, encouraged, and have my faith challenged in a good way. My home for quite a few years now has been at Rockford First. I remember going away to college and having to start all over with finding a new church after I had already invested so much into this church. It took me a while to find the right place. Once I did, I was really excited to go every Sunday. Now that I am in Africa, I knew that I was going to have an exceptional challenge on my hands in finding a church home. 

Like I was saying, it was my first Sunday on the ship and I wanted to go to church. There is an activity desk in the cafe which contains seven or eight binders with various activities going on throughout the week such as bible studies, outreaches, volunteer opportunities, and crew activities. I pulled out one of the binders and found that there was a section dedicated to churches in the community. As I flipped through, I found a church just for me. There was an Assemblies of God church in town and they provided a translator for the service if there were English speakers in the crowd. So I signed up. 

Sunday morning I entered the cafe and gathered with the other church goers. We packed ourselves into the land rovers and drove out to the church. The ride, as all rides in land rovers, was as smooth as gravel. I was rocked and thrown in the back seat. You really get to know someone when you are packed tightly in the back of a land rover. We plowed through puddles the size of my living room on more than one occasion. Wet season was here and it was not planning on leaving any time soon. We turned corners, cruised through roundabouts, and jumped curbs. Eventually, we turned a corner onto a crater filled alleyway and proceeded forward. A few hundred meters more and we had arrived at the church.

I was so excited to go to church. I was even more excited to go to church in Africa. We exited the landie near another puddle in the street. I barely noticed it because my attention was drawn to the music pouring out from the building. It was nothing like I had ever heard before, but it somehow made me feel invited. We walked in through the main entrance and were greeted with hand shakes and smiles. Then someone escorted us to our seats. I felt like I was at home. Even though I was thousands of miles away from my home in the states, I was at home. 

The building was very nice inside. I was impressed to say the least. There were the essentials to any big church here at this one: lots of seating, a balcony, a big stage, a worship band with new instruments, a sound board complete with techs to run it, a projector, a video camera, and plenty of fans to move the air which can become stagnate if left to sit for any extended amount of time. We clapped our hands and sang along. When I say ‘sang along,’ what I mean is I made sounds which sounded like the words they were saying. The songs were in French for most of the time. I believe there was one in Lingala; or was it Kituba? At this point, I had no idea. All I knew was that I felt welcomed at a church I was brand new to. I like that about my church back home, Rockford First. Even though it may seem like a big place, it is one of the most inviting places you will go to in the area. 

The way the service was laid out was different from the way it is back home. First we had a lot of praise and worship songs. Some I had recognized and was able to sing along with them in English. Then we sat down and someone went up to present something. It was all in French. What I pulled from it was that this was a time of prayer for the church. They asked everyone to agree in prayer throughout the week at specific times for certain needs such as family and the church. Painted on the wall in the church is 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.” Some versions say “pray continually.” A list of needs and requests were put up on the screen. So we started praying. We prayed for every need that was put up on the screen. This was such a powerful moment. We as the Church were praying for not only the church we were a part of, but for missionaries and churches all over the world. We came together as one unified body, from so many different backgrounds, and prayed to God. I was overwhelmed by the whole thing.

After prayer the translator joined the group on stage and began to interpret what was being said into English. They then had anyone who celebrated a birthday or anniversary to stand up so people could congratulate them. Then they had all of the first time visitors stand up. My whole row stood up and we were greeted by dozens of church members of all ages. I thought that was the coolest thing. We were made to feel very welcome.

Announcements wrapped up the first part of the service and the speaker introduced the pastor who would be speaking today. A tall slender gentleman took the stage. He was dressed in a suit coat and trendy rectangular glasses. From here, the message began. The pastor spoke on three enemies of faith. He camped on one specific enemy: Time. It was a very powerful message about the power of time and its potential to rob us of our faith. The pastor finished with an altar call for anyone who feels as though they were waiting for God to move in their life. I loved the whole thing. It was a great message with an important takeaway on faith and God’s timing. 

Service ended and they asked that all of the first time visitors stay after for a few minutes. The English speaking visitors went to a building next door where we were served a healthy dose of Fanta and Coke. The translator from the service came in followed by one of the pastors from the church. He thanked us for coming and we were more than happy to return the gratitude. We had a short question and answer time and then left in our land rovers to head home.

Church is not something that happens in one city to one community. Christ made it so that the Church, with a capital C, would be functioning in every community all over the world. By having me visit another church in another country, Christ was teaching me a lesson in unity. I did not expect to feel so at home in such a distant country. We were all believers from all parts of the world worshiping under one roof to one God. My spirit was so happy to be there in that moment. I thank God for this opportunity and for every future opportunity I have at returning to this church. No matter how far away you are from home, God will always make a way, provide for you, and meet you where you are at. You can never run away from God. In this instance I was running with God on this adventure and He provided something I needed dearly: a church I could call home while I am here in the Congo.

Nuts and Bolts

Disclaimer: Although I am currently serving with Mercy Ships, everything communicated here strictly reflects my personal opinions and is neither reviewed nor endorsed by Mercy Ships. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.

It has been over one week since I arrived on the ship. I cannot believe it’s been over one week since I boarded the Africa Mercy. So much has happened in such a short amount of time. I figured I should explain different parts of my experience by categories because I am sure everyone is curious to know about everything. 

The Ship

     The ship is an eight deck hospital. The actual hospital is on one of the lower decks while everything else meant to run the ship takes over the rest. There are cabins throughout the whole ship. There is a dinning area (galley), a Starbucks cafe (The head of the Starbucks corporation sits on the board of Mercy Ships. With that being said, we have nonstop Starbucks whenever we want. Granted, we do need to pay a small price for specialty drinks), the Ship Shop for all of our shopping needs (within reason), a hair salon, a swimming pool, a workout room, an internet lounge, an entire K-12 academy, a laundry room, a crew kitchen, and lots of other little meeting rooms and open deck spots. Yes, the ship does rock from time to time and I can feel it from time to time. Most of the time I forget we are on a ship. The quarters and hallways are cramped for my tall self. I have met another gentleman who is four inches taller than me. Luckily he is working off site so he does not have to walk about his entire stay with his head cocked to the side. 

     The ship was originally a train ferry in Denmark. Her name was the Dronning Ingrid. Remnants of her are all over the ship. Her name can be seen on the front of the bridge, pieces of old railroad tracks are still present in the engine room, and much of the interior design of the ship has been maintained. There were originally six decks to the ship. The second deck was large enough to hold the trains. After Mercy Ships obtained her, the second deck was turned into two decks. There is also a room on one of the upper decks called the Queen’s lounge. This room was made specifically for the queen when she traveled on the ship. 

     If you go up to the top deck and take another set of stairs, you can find our small, but quaint swimming pool. Another upper deck contains areas for the patients to get out and breathe some fresh air. Things become very stuffy when the patients are stuck in wards all day. Every day in the afternoon, all of the patients who are able to go up there for some much needed outside time. 

The Hospital and Congo Culture

     The hospital is broken up into wards. Each ward is dedicated to a specific type of patient/surgery, but there are always changes and overflow from other wards. I work on A Ward which is general surgeries. We have been receiving a lot of plastic surgery and maxillo-facial (head and neck) patients. The wards are set up like what you would see in movies from the 50’s. There are a lot of beds in one room with a center dividing wall separating the beds; half on one side and half on the other. The interesting thing about the culture we are reaching is that the majority of patients come with a caregiver. The caregiver is by the bedside or congregates with other caregivers in the center of the room. At night, the caregivers sleep on a mattress directly under the patient.

     Before each shift and at the end of a shift, we have a time of prayer. I then will work eight hour shifts most of the week. There are a lot of things we need to get accomplished in that time. Patients are constantly going to and coming from surgery. We are also responsible for transcribing all orders, specifically medications, onto the medications list. The physicians and surgeons are topnotch. They make their rounds the evening before and they explain everything they will be doing for the patient. Then they discuss things with the nurses. I like the nurse/physician communication set up here.

     The majority of patients receive some kind of supplemental nutrition with their diet. These vital nutrients aid with tissue growth and healing. It may not taste good, but it is definitely a vital part of the care we give the patients. At meal times the patients and caregivers receive traditional African meals. Sometimes I wish I could try a bit. The way life works here in the Congo, and most of the African continent for that matter, is that people do life in a community setting. Everyone wants to stick together. I do not think anyone would choose a private room over the wards if they had the option. The caregivers and the patients take care of each other from an emotional and social perspective as much as the doctors, nurses, and day crew take care of the patients and caregivers on a physical and spiritual perspective. It is amazing to see each one helping another out, getting the attention of the nurse on another’s behalf, and creating new friendships, especially amongst the children. We have Day, Evening, and Night crew who are local Congolese people who speak the languages of the people. The main languages spoken here are French, Lingala, and Kituba. They are able to translate everything we say. I am continually impressed with their translation skills as well as the amount of energy they bring to the wards. One night, an evening worker led a very passionate group prayer for all of the patients, those getting ready for surgery and those recovering. I was moved by his compassion and love for these people. His people. We also have a great chaplaincy group which comes through the wards and sings praise and worship songs. We clap along with them. I love it.

The Food

     I would have to say that we are very spoiled when it comes to food. There are two food lines set up buffet style in the galley. You can eat whatever you want and how much you want. We cannot get food outside of the dining room times unless we purchase something from the Ship Shop or sneak it out of the dining hall and into the crew kitchen or our bunks. Meals consist of a wide variety of choices each week. We have African Tuesday where we have a traditional African dish for dinner. Lunch times are basically leftovers from the night before. If you missed dinner, don’t worry because you’ll have it tomorrow for lunch. The cooks get really creative with their leftovers. We have had numerous main courses be turned into lunch salads later that week. I would say the ship goes through one hundred loaves of bread a week. Everybody eats bread. There are gallons of juice, coffee, and tea (sometimes 1% milk as well) all day long. I think I may have put on a pound or two. My favorite thing to eat are “toasties,” as my British counter-parts call them. It’s a grilled cheese. Bread and cheese are available for every meal and I think I have at least one to two toasties a day. The produce we receive is freshly grown from a carefully selected vendor in country. We have lettuce, cucumber, tomato, apples, oranges, mango, and grapefruit to feed two ships’ worth! I love it! Once we make it through the line, there is a special area where you can put whatever kind of topping you want on your food. There are dressings, spices, nuts, olives, jalapeños, spreads, peanut butter, Nutella, and plenty of other tasty options. Needless to say, I am well fed here. Then on Thursdays after one of our community meetings, we have ice cream. Yum!

Coffee and Tea

     Drinks are of the utmost importance here on the ship. The two main drinks of choice are coffee and tea. As you would guess, there is a typical division between who drinks coffee and who drinks tea. I was recently educated on how to appropriately make a cup of tea (because there is a wrong way). I learned the difference between regular tea and builder’s tea. Coffee, on the other hand, I understand. The coffee in the galley is fresh brewed Starbucks, which is a small luxury I appreciate. Then there is the cafe which makes plenty of lattes, frapaccinos, and expressos. There is something very unique about this Starbucks Cafe. The symbol on the sign is not the traditional two tailed mermaid we are accustom to seeing in the states. The symbol is fashioned into a star-like ship on the ocean. The reason for this is that the symbol of the mermaid is seen as taboo; a bad symbol. So obviously we cannot have a mermaid symbol on board when we have many local people working on the ship.

Ship Life

     Ship life has been interesting. I really like living in this kind of community. There are constantly people everywhere. This can play to my advantage as well as to my disadvantage. I enjoy sitting down with all of my new friends from around the world and joke about whatever we are talking about. The majority of everyone knows everyone. We have dozens if not nearly one hundred day crew workers from the country working on the ship alongside us. We are teaching them just as much as they are teaching us. I really appreciate every single translator I have in my ward. They are fluent in three to four languages. I am fluent in one and a half. They make reaching the people easier. 

     It amazes me that there are so many people from all over the world working together for one common cause. Each member of the ship plays a vital and necessary role. There is not one person that does not fit into a special spot here because we all play our part. You would be surprised with the wide range of jobs available on the ship. There are doctors, surgeons, nurses, pharmacy techs, radiology techs, house keeping, cooks, shop workers, secretaries, communications, human resources, the Ship Shop, the Starbucks Cafe, engineers, chaplains, a hair dresser, teachers, physical and occupational therapists, dental hygienists, eye care technicians, and so on. I had no idea there were so many jobs on this ship, but there is a wide variety of needs here.