Empowered for a Purpose

With about a month left here, I am torn between wanting to go home and being sad about leaving this awesome place. I feel as though I have finally settled into life on the ship. Things that I once found unnatural seem like the norm. I know it may be a little bit of a shock when I land back in the States and realize I can take a shower that's longer than two minutes, sleep in my own room, and not have 400 people around me at all times. I wish you could all experience life on the ship, if even for a short time. It's hard to put into words the life-changing experience I have had here. Over the past couple weeks I have been trying to really take in everything I am seeing here, enjoying the small moments, and finding time to reflect on the past two months. I want to start with two patient stories-two little nuggets that have really benefited from Mercy Ships, and all the "behind-the-scenes" work that takes place here. The first patient is this little baby boy. He came to...

I cannot believe that I am writing this blog-halfway done with my field service here. I'm sure you can tell by my lack of blog posts that life on the AFM (Africa Mercy) is busy. There is always something going on here, which makes time fly. I've been here for 45 days now, and in those 45 days my life has certainly changed from life on this ship. It hasn't always been easy. Living with 400 other people on a daily basis has its challenges. The silence I'm sure will be deafening when I return home. However, I have been challenged mentally as well as spiritually and feel as though I will leave here changed. Life on the ship has become normal to me now, and days like today are my favorite. I am working evening shift tonight, so I have the whole morning to read, write, drink my coffee and reflect on the past few days. I may even head up to our little pool on the top of the ship. There isn't a ton of down time, but maybe I feel that way because there are always people a...