Greetings!

I've been in Guinea now for two months, amazing how the time flies by.  It has been so good to be back on the ship and connect with old friends as well as making new friends from all over the world. Together we strive to provide hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor by living the core values of Mercy Ships: Love God, love and serve others, be people of integrity and be people of excellence.

What's Happening

Here is a patient story of Fanta.

Almost here!

Life has a way of coming full circle.  I am returning to the ship in just a few weeks to spend nearly 5 months doing what I love--sharing love and compassion with those less fortunate. Getting ready to leave home this time has been challenging as I prepare to sell my home of 14 years and get it ready to list with a realtor.  I've managed to rid myself of many unnecessary things and I am faced with moving the last of my belongings to my new place, a combination garage/ efficiency apartment that is still under construction. So, what do I really need?  What will give me joy? How much stuff will I have room for in my new, smaller space?  (Thank you, Africa Mercy, for preparing  me to live in small quarters!) I am pleased to learn how to become a minimalist, and I think that I am a work in progress. I am looking forward to being on the ship once again, my second home. The time to leave is almost here!

What really matters?

After a bit of a delay, the ship arrived in Madagascar and we are once again safely moored at our usual dockside space.  Surgeries began 2 weeks ago and the hospital deck is filled with the sounds of voices of patients, caregivers and staff.  Admissions has been a busy place. The three admission nurses are from all across the world; Cameroon, Holland, and the United States and for each of them it is their first time here.  Most have never before seen the kinds of maladies that are common here.  It is a constant reminder of just how blessed we are.  There is a spirit of hope in our admissions process as we see the process of transformation begin.  It's not just about the healing of the body.  It's about the relationships that develop as love is poured out unconditionally for no matter how disfigured a body can be, there is still a person inside that craves being valued and loved.  In the end, what really matters is the quality and care with which we have loved others.  It is a privilege to begin that transformation in admissions.  Bring them on!  We have love to give!

Enough

  I apologize to those of you who check my blog on a regular basis for updates. It has been a very long time since I wrote anything new!
  I have been contemplating what is "enough" since reading the book with that title, written by Will Davis, Jr.  Webster defines enough as having sufficient amounts, or as much or as many as required. Two cups of coffee is enough to begin my day. Sometimes my living space does not seem like enough to hold all the belongings I have accumulated in the 5 months on board the ship  and as I think about coming home in 10 weeks I realize some things are going to have to go.  Will  8 weeks be enough time to be home before I return to the ship the end of July?  I certainly hope so!
  And what does enough mean in my daily work in Admissions?  Are there enough healthy patients to fill the OR slots for the next day? Did we butter enough bread to feed every patient lunch? Is there enough time to draw all the labs and get the results before it is time to take the patients up the gangway and down to the hospital ward?  Have we spent enough time talking to the patients so that they are no longer fearful of going on the ship?  I look at each patient who comes through our door and see that some do not have shoes on their feet. Enough as a sufficient amount takes on whole new meaning when I think of the shoes in my closet at home that I have not worn in 6 months and I see bare feet that have walked up to 3 days to get to a means of transportation to come to the port city of Tomatave in the hope of gaining free surgery for whatever their problem is. Each of us has to define what is enough in our lives to sustain us.And the bigger issue is what we choose to do with our more than enough, to share it with those who have less than enough. One word that has changed my life forever.  Have I loved enough to make a difference?

Courage

During the Advent season this year on board the ship we have been learning about courage.  Courage is defined as the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, or pain without fear.  We learned of the courage of the shepherds and that getting through the night not only takes wisdom but the right spirit.  We learned of the courage of Mary and Joseph and how they listened to the voice of an angel and heard God's directions through a dream and obediently and courageously followed the will of God. I am learning to be courageous, too, as I strive to follow God's plan for my life.  I certainly have been to the far reaches of the earth as I left the comfort of my home to live on a ship that has taken me to the coast of West Africa, to the Canary Islands, and now to Madagascar. It has taken courage to wait and see where the ship would go next as Ebola continues to spread and claim lives in the very place I  visited in the past year and then spread to neighboring countries. No one can predict how long the Ebola crisis will last, but the ship will stay away from west Africa for however long it takes to be a safe place once again to provide the services we offer. It has taken more courage than I thought possible to be away from my family and friends this year at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It takes courage for every patient to come to the ship and walk up the gangway and enter the hospital ward to be cared for by strangers.  The ship is a place of hope and healing for many, but not for all.  And those who can't be helped have the most courage of all as they return to their life that has not been transformed.  And then what we can still do is show compassion and love, for love never fails even in the face of discouragement.  May you be blessed in the year to come and may you find courage to follow your dream and be filled with love and hope!

Madagascar!

 If you haven’t heard yet, the Africa Mercy is headed toward Madagascar for its next field service!

Originally, we had hoped to serve the nation of Guinea during this field service, but due to the Ebola outbreak, our field service location was changed to Benin.  Amidst growing concerns about the spread of the disease in Western Africa, Mercy Ships accepted the invitation from the President of the Republic of Madagascar to bring the Africa Mercy to Madagascar for its next field service until the middle of 2015.

Madagascar is located off the south-eastern coast of Africa. More than 43% of its more than 22 million inhabitants are under the age of 20, and the nation is positioned 151 out of 187 nations in the UN Human Development Index151 out of 187 countries in the U.N. Human Development Index. The Mercy Ship is expected to sail with a stopover in Cape Town, South Africa, at the end of the month for refueling and crewing. Anticipated arrival into Tamatave, Madagascar, is by the end of October. 1 out of 187 countries in the U.N. Human Development Index. The Mercy Ship is expected to sail with a stopover in Cape Town, South Africa, at the end of the month for refueling and crewing. Anticipated arrival into Tamatave, Madagascar, is by the end of October 151 out of 187 countries in the U.N. Human Development Index. The Mercy Ship is expected to sail with a stopover in Cape Town, South Africa, at the end of the month for refueling and crewing. Anticipated arrival into Tamatave, Madagascar, is by the end of October..  Ninety percent of the population lives on less than two dollars per day, and official reports indicate that Madagascar has about  16 doctors for every 100,000 citizens. 

A protracted political crisis in recent years has endangered the nation’s ability to meet a number of millennium development goals and has taken a heavy toll on Madagascar’s economy and people, especially the most vulnerable.

Madagascar lies in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa opposite Mozambique. The world's fourth-largest island, it is twice the size of Arizona. The country's low-lying coastal area gives way to a central plateau. The once densely wooded interior has largely been cut down.

Malagasy and French are both official languages of the state. The majority of the population adheres to traditional beliefs, Christianity, or an amalgamation of both. Ecotourism and agriculture, paired with greater investments in education, health and private enterprise, are key elements of Madagascar's development strategy. 

I am glad to be back on the ship.   Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support while I am away from my family and friends  back home.  I couldn't do this without you!

                                 After we left Cape Town we sailed past the Cape of Good Hope

                                                                                     Night Watch

Plans change

   We live our lives on a schedule for the most part, marking a calendar with important meetings, Doctor appointments, and a variety of other things that will remind us of times we need to be somewhere.  I thought I was going to be home (in Ohio) until after the first of the year when I had planned to return to the Africa Mercy.  But plans change.  The ship (my home away from home) has been docked in the Canary Islands since early June as first the intended field service to Guinea was changed to Benin due to the Ebola outbreak ravaging that country and then it became apparent that Benin was out of the question as well since the Ebola outbreak has now spread to countries that border Benin.  The ship is like a magnet that draws hurting and disfigured people for hundreds of miles to see if the "big white hospital ship" can help them.   There really is no safe place in western Africa for the ship to go. The Africa Mercy is not equipped to handle outbreaks of any kind of infectious disease and the safety and security of the crew are always a priority so that the services that CAN be provided (life changing surgeries) will continue.  Plans change. It has now been announced MADAGASCAR is the next field service location, and I will be returning to the ship the first of November.  Pray for the ship, for safe travels and smooth seas. Capetown is the first destination. Several crew will board there then another two week sail to Madagascar. The advance team is already in Madagascar preparing for the ship to arrive.  What usually takes many months is being done in several weeks. God is in control!
  Oh my goodness, so many things to get done in the next 6 weeks. I am headed to Redbird Mission (Beverly, KY) on a one week mission outreach next week and then I will try to catch up with family and friends not yet seen since I've been home. To my friends and family on the ship--see you in November!!