Mercy Ships featured on 60 Minutes

60 Minutes featured Mercy Ships on February 17, 2013.  Here is a link to view it if you didn't get a chance to watch it. This will help you understand why I am called to serve here.

Africa Mercy: Hospital of hope

www.cbsnews.com

The world's largest civilian hospital ship travels the west African coast, restoring sight to thousands and bringing smiles to faces once disfigured by tumors. Scot Pelley reports.

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Today's Silent retreat, my walk through the woods

 I started today's silent retreat with a walk through the woods along the Whispering Pines trail.  The first path I took just ended so I backtracked to try a different path. The second path took me nowhere. The third path was the right one.

                                                 I noticed this growth on the side of a tree.

                                             A marker to reassure  me I am on the right path.

                                                      The beauty of nature.

                                                        A different fungus.

                                                               The path is blocked

                                                                     Sweetgum leaf

                                                         Finally I made it to the lake!

                                                        Be still and know that I am God

My Story

Many of you have asked why I am doing this, why I am paying to serve.  Many years ago my husband Dick and I talked of volunteering on the "big hospital ship". But then he was diagnosed with cancer and that dream didn't happen. Since Dick's death in 2010  I have prayed about God's plan for my life and once again, Mercy Ships came to mind.  I took a leap of faith to retire from my job and applied to serve.  The Africa Mercy is the largest non government floating hospital ship in the world. Every person on board from the Captain to the surgeons, nurses to cooks, housekeepers to deck hands all pay to serve so that surgical services can be provided for free to the poorest of the poor in Africa. I will volunteer for a year beginning March 22, 2013.  I will be one of the admissions nurses and will assist the ward physician complete a thorough health history and physical assessment, give pre and post operative teaching and orient the patient and their family member to the ward environment. If crew were paid, fewer people could be helped. There are about 400 crew members on board from over 35 countries. We all serve so that we can be the hands, heart and voice of Jesus. I can't wait  to get there!

Tyler, Texas

The first week of training is nearing an end.  We have learned each other's names and have laughed and cried together as we share our stories of how God has brought us to this place. We are from Canada, Slovakia via Spain, England, and many states of the USA from Washington, Idaho, Colorado, South Carolina, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Ohio. Tonight we will learn about our field service project, the task we will complete when we spend 2+1/2 weeks in Conakry, Guinea (on land) before we board ship. Life is oh so good!