I am so much less

View of our ship from a ferry on our way to Goree Island.

Boy did I miss this place! Settling back into life on the ship and trying to just jump back into the  swing of things has been a whirlwind, but it feels like home. They do say your second time back to the ship is hard-because the ship itself and the nursing is pretty much the same but everyone around me is different. Navigating ship life again with a whole new set of faces has been a blessing though-meeting a whole new set of friends and people from around the world is exciting. I cannot say these two weeks have been easy by any means, but God is growing me and working on me throughout this process and I know I will come home changed just a little more-and trusting God will show me the direction he wants my life to go. If there is one thing I've been reminding myself it's that God is good and he wants the absolute best for us. He is using me right where I am meant to be at this time, and that is very reassuring.

Senegal is a little different than Cameroon. The city itself is richer than anywhere I had been in Cameroon, but the countryside is very poor. It seems a bit safer here, not as unsettled as Cameroon was. The big difference is that it is largely a Muslim country-so I've been learning a lot about their religion. They also speak Woloff as their main language instead of French-so learning some standard phrases has been quite interesting. I have been pretty busy working-with only really one weekend off while I'm here, but have gotten to explore a few places. My favorite was Goree island. It was instrumental in slave trade for about 300 years. It's the furthest west you can be in Africa-therefore it had easy access to the Americas. I saw slave houses and learned about the "door of no return". The door that led to the dock where Africans were loaded onto ships-never to return home. Very humbling and I feel honored to have walked where these beautiful souls once walked.

Soccer field on Goree Island

Looking over the Atlantic Ocean (Goree)

Slave House (Goree)

 I have been falling in love with the patients that I take care of on "D" Ward. The same ward I was a part of the last time I was here. They are all "Max-Fax" patients-which means that surgeries take place somewhere either on their mouth, face, or neck. I love these patients because they come in so rejected and cast out from their communities. Their problem is very surface level-a face is the first thing you see when you meet somebody. They live their whole lives ashamed of what they look like. Then Mercy Ships gets to stand in the gap and literally give them a brand new life. The best moments are when patients look in a mirror for the first time. Often times there isn't a dry eye in the room because of their reactions. We also have some babies on our unit who have cleft lips and palates. After fixing these by a very routine surgery-they can eat properly, gain weight, and grow strong and healthy.

All the little lip babies! (Cameroon)

I've had a few patients stand out to me. They are all children. There are 3 of them on our unit right now. The one girl (she's 12) had a palate reconstruction surgery. About two days post-op I noticed her crying, so I grabbed the interpreter and had him ask her what was wrong. I thought she may have been in pain. No- I was mistaken. She was crying because she was missing school. She just wanted to get back into the classroom, and continue her education. What an amazing thing to witness. When I was 12 years old, any days off school I was jumping for joy. This patient wants to do banking and international business when she is older. It really made me stop and just realize how much more grateful this little girl was for the education she is provided than I ever was. It also made me realize that these are people that can actually go on and change the world. How empowering? Such a small reminder of everything I take for granted back home. She is a beautiful soul and I am humbled to have met her.

Another little kiddo (10 year old boy) had a pretty extensive surgery. They fixed his cleft lip and palate then fashioned him a new nose (his was essentially split in half because of the complete cleft). I got him immediately post-op and he had a very rough night. He was throwing up a lot of blood-so much so that we paged the surgeons just to make sure there wasn't something else going on. I think on my shift alone he threw up 6 times. He was so good though. He never complained once. I've had him a few times since, and I said my main goal was to get him to smile before he leaves the ward. Today I finally got my wish, and he perked up. He was talking and playing and having a good time. He told his mom that I was very special to him. That's the best "thank you" I could ever ask for. I told him I would remember him whenever I looked at the picture he drew me. I just think there is something so special about him and his mom-the bond they share and the love the mom has for him-beautiful.

One of the first patients on the ship this field service.

These patients will forever be imprinted on my heart. I am so much less than them. Less brave, less strong, less grateful, less trusting, less loving, and less empowering. I am so humbled by them. The struggles they have overcome and the joy they find to keep moving forward. There are amazing things happening here and I am so blessed to be a part of it all. Keep praying and thinking about us here!