Summer Adventures

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies announce what his hands have made. Day after day they tell the story; night after night they tell it again.” Psalm 19:1-2

This has been an epic summer of traveling for me and I have been reminded day after day of God’s glory on this earth. One of the many things I love about Mercy Ships is that I’ve met friends from all over the world on the ship. And in the last several months I’ve had the opportunity to visit some of those friends, see new sights and fill up my soul. It’s been an incredible adventure and I feel compelled to share.

I left the ship at the end of May once the hospital closed, with my friend Deb, and headed down to South Africa visiting Johannesburg, Cape Town and Victoria Bay on the Garden Route. We went on an overnight safari in a national park a few hours outside Johannesburg and on the ride out of the city our tour guide told us all about the city and it's surrounding areas. We saw independent settlements (the politically correct word for shanty towns or slums) crammed together, rust iron roofs held down with old tires, power lines strung like spider webs in between and no running water.  The distance between rich and poor was very plain to see there as well as in Cape Town. In West Africa, where I’ve spent most of the last 3 years, the majority of people are poor yet that somehow seems easier to witness than this. It made me wonder what West Africa will look like in 20 years as those countries continue to develop, how much change I’ll see in Africa over my life time and how I will be a part of it.

In Cape Town we stayed with a physical Therapist from the ship and her family.  We saw beautiful beaches, sea life, PENGUINS, and even did a little wine tasting.

In a small town near Victoria Bay we visited an Ostrich farm where we learned all about Ostriches then got to feed and RIDE them!

From South Africa we went up to Ireland. We flew from the bottom of the world to the top in virtually the same time zone. We spent a few days in Galway (West Ireland) before heading up to Northern Ireland. It’s hard to see in photos just how huge the cliffs of Moher are (700 feet high and stretch for 5 miles along the Atlantic coast). The cliffs consist of Namurian shale and sandstone and although I didn’t see them, there are 300 million year-old river channels cutting through the cliffs. Fun fact, the cliffs of Moher are the same as The Cliffs of Insanity in The Princess Bride.

The Cliffs of Moher

In Northern Ireland we stayed with the most amazing host, my friend Jane, and her 2 sisters.  And another friend flew over for a few days from England. We had an awesome time exploring together.

One day Jane took us to her family farm and we got to see places dear to her heart. It was beautiful to get a glimpse into her life.

I also didn’t realize what trouble still faces Belfast and the rest of Northern Ireland with the Protestant and Catholic divide. It was quite the education to learn about all that still goes on there, and heartbreaking to see.

The Peace Wall

One afternoon we went out to see where the Titanic was built. My interest in ships has grown tremendously since I began living on one, as you can imagine.

 We spent a few days in Dublin with our friend Mary before we had to say goodbye to Ireland and I enjoyed one of my favorite drinks, Baileys Cappuccino. What better place to have it than Ireland, creator of Baileys Irish Cream.

A hop across the ocean and we landed in London, where we put our walking shoes on and enjoyed the sights.  We stayed with another amazing host and got to catch up with lots of Mercy Shippers while we were there. I almost wore out the soles of my shoes walking so much:) 

We said goodbye to friends in London and headed off to Paris via the Eurostar and before the day was over we were up the Eiffel Tower watching the sunset and checking out spectacular views.

We spent a day at the Palace of Versailles, and my goodness there was so much to see. The gardens were beautiful and went on for miles. We were in Paris less than 48 hours, but fit A LOT into that time.

We decided to take an overnight train from Paris to Italy in an effort to save money on a hotel, and let me just tell you about that experience. I’ll start by saying I’ll never do it like that again! We slept in a 6 berth, which we thought would be fine considering we’ve slept in 6 berths on the ship for years. They were stacked 3 tall and the space was tiny, we were disturbed by sniffer dogs in the middle of the night, and woke several other times between 2 and 4 am, and I got maybe 2 hours of sleep. It was a unique experience though, and makes for a good story now.

The overnight train took us to Venice where we ditched our warm cloths for short sleeves and flip flops. I loved the slower pace of Venice, with no traffic except the boats on the canals. We met up with more friends from the ship and wandered the streets looking at Murano glass, drinking coffee, eating pizza and soaking up the sights until we were so turned around we couldn’t find our way back home. They say you should get lost at least once in Venice. We managed to do it multiple times in our 2 days there. Venice was one of my favorite places of the entire trip! It was everything I had imagined it to be and more.

We stayed at a beautiful mountainside hotel in Cinque Terre where we had the most breathtaking view of the ocean and two small villages below us. Manarola on one side and Corniglia on the other.  For 4 days we explored 5 little coastal villages with more Mercy Ships friends and hiked the mountainsides in between. It was always a surprise what we’d find around each corner in this peaceful little part of Italy.

The view from our hotel

Manarola

I found myself savoring little glimpses of God's goodness and His majesty everywhere I went in Italy, so thankful for the gift of beauty and nature! 

The last shuttle picked up in Manarola every night at 7:40 and went to the top of the mountain where our hotel sat and it was our goal to be on that shuttle every night. One day, however, we had so much fun hiking with our friends we lost track of time and got back just a few minutes too late. We had to climb 1,095 stairs and walk a few streets to the top. We got there out of breath and exhausted, but were greeted at the hotel with the tastiest cup of hot chocolate and a magnificent sunset.  

The stairs

Next stop, Florence. The Cathedral Duomo was HUGE and couldn’t even fit into one frame.  We even found a bridge that had shops built into it’s sides, which was once common.

The Ponte Veccio bridge

From Florence we headed through Tuscany to San Gimignano, a small, walled, medieval village on top of a hill, known as the Town of Fine Towers. San Gimignano is famous for its medieval architecture and uniquely preserved tower houses.  It was so nice being in the country for a few days. Rolling hills and vineyards for as far as the eye could see, a 360 degree view of natural beauty.

From San Gimignano we traveled to Rome for a 24 hour (SHORT) visit. I took a tour of the Colosseum which has always been on my bucket list, then did a hop on hop off bus tour of the city. 

Then it was off to Santorini, Greece where we were picked up from the airport by the most hospitable hotel owner I think I’ve ever met and taken to our hotel for the next 5 nights. They took great care of us and went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed and had a great stay. It was a small, family owned hotel and it was so fun to watch the entire family work together taking care of their guests. We stayed in Fira town which had the most stunning views! The greek styled architecture was so unique and picturesque.

I rode a donkey!

Last port of call was Athens, where we surprised two of our friends who were flying over to start their summer vacation with a mutual friend of ours. This has been the year for surprises for me and it’s been so fun. I loved getting to catch up with these girls and discover Athens together.

Temple of Zeus

The first modern day olympic stadium 

The Parthenon at the Acropolis

One of my daily Greek Salads

And then it was time to go home to America. I’ve been in Texas for 3 weeks now and my time at home has been almost as much of an adventure as my travels around Europe. I floated the river with my family and some great friends, babysat 3 of my favorite kiddos for a day, visited a few first world hospitals (not as a patient), and had many great conversations, catching up on the last several years with old friends.  

My high school reunion was this summer

floating the river

It's been an incredible summer and I've been reminded over and over how rich my life really is. My heart is overflowing as I look back on the last several months. But it's time to say goodbye again, and head back to my ship home in West Africa. Please join me in praying for those countries affected by the Ebola virus and pray for protection over the ship as we sail into Benin in a few weeks and set up for our next field service. 

What's Next

That’s a common question asked on the ship I call home. There are so many people coming and going all the time, it’s a good question to ask, but often people don’t have time to settle in before someone is asking them where to next. In fact, just the other day I overheard a conversation that started with “Hi. What’s your name? Where are you from? How long are you here? And what are your plans after this?” Really?!? It sounded crazy when I heard it but let’s be honest, we ask ourselves (and God) the same questions, right? God, where do you want me to go? What do you want me to do? Ok great, now that I’m here, where do you want me to go next? Do we even allow Him time to move in one place before we’re looking ahead to the next? I love the quote that says “It’s not the destination, but the journey.” How easy it is to forget that at times.

The last 2 ½ years in Africa I’ve been able to enjoy the journey. At the end of each outreach it’s been easy to commit to ‘one more’. And I’ve been blown away by God’s provision, the people I’ve met, the lessons I’ve learned and the lives that have been changed! But this year the decision was harder. As I tried to decide if I was going to commit for another year or go home I found myself torn. My heart is here in Africa, but it’s also at home in Texas, and I can’t be on two sides of the ocean at once. If you asked me last summer what my plans were I probably told you I’d be moving back to Texas this summer. If you asked me the same question over Christmas I likely told you I’d be in Africa at least another year... or more.  Well, I decided to split the difference and leave in October, a few months into our next outreach. Most days I find my spirit settled and at peace with that decision, and so excited about the year to come.  But if I’m honest with myself, I still have days of doubt and fear. What if that’s the wrong decision? What if I’m suppose to stay longer? I desperately want to be at the center of God’s will, and I want to follow Him wherever He leads. I feel confident it’s time to go home and start a new season of life back in Texas, but an audible voice of confirmation would sure be nice.

Anyway, here’s a bit about my plans after this outreach and why I’ve decided to stay until October:

I’ll be sailing to Guinea with the ship in August to help set up the hospital for the next outreach.  I’ll help with the main screening day and then instead of serving as the Plastics Team Leader I’ll join the wound care team and do the dressing changes for the 1^st round of plastics which will go through October.  I’ll also have an opportunity to see all the plastics patients we saw in Guinea last year, which I’m really excited about. We had our first ever plastics evaluation day this January, 2014, where we invited the patients that had surgery in Sept/Oct to come back to the ship so we could evaluate how they were doing 3-4 months postop and it was such a success that Mercy Ships has said we can do the same thing when we go back to Guinea. This is a unique opportunity because most NGOs rarely get to see their patients postop and to be able to follow up a year later is almost impossible. I’m so excited to see my patients from last year and to be part of such an amazing day. We’re hoping to do an evaluation day with each of the specialties (Maxfac, ortho, plastics…) in September.  Those are the main reasons I’m staying until October, plus I’m just not ready to leave yet, and this outreach is quickly coming to an end.

And then, of course, there’s what I’m looking forward to in Texas:

From what I’ve seen on Facebook this week, Bluebonnets and Azaleas are at the top of my list. But above those are friends and family! I’m so looking forward to being close to my family again.  I can’t wait to go on morning runs with Scott (a week at Christmas just wasn’t long enough to get my tail in shape), spend holidays at my parents’ house, enjoy family reunions…. And friends, where do I even start? So many of my friends have got married in the last 3 years, had kids, life changing events in their lives and I’m excited to finally get to celebrate with all of you, watch your children grow up, be part of your everyday lives again.  I haven’t figured out my exact plans yet, but my thought at the moment is to live in Tyler for a few months when I get back, settle in, catch up,  and then move back to Arlington/Ft Worth in January. I’ve got some time to sort all that out though. I’ve absolutely loved my time in Africa  (and I still have 6 months!), but I’m looking forward to the next chapter as well.

Weekend Adventures and Agriculture

Last weekend I went with a few friends to Dolisie, a small town about 4 hours north of Pointe Noire. We took a local bus and the drive was absolutely beautiful. We drove through the rainforest up into the mountains where Dolisie is located. Funny thing, the bus cost $10, included a free drink AND it had air conditioning...for the first 30 minutes of the drive at least;) After that our driver turned off the air and said we couldn't use it if we wanted to have enough gas to get all the way to our destination. Of course!

We checked into a hotel and walked to the local market on Saturday. It was so nice to be out of the big city and in nature for a few days. The people were very friendly and excited to meet us. They weren't pushy, they didn't have an agenda, they were just happy to talk to us and share stories. It was so refreshing for a change. Life is pretty chaotic where I spend most of my days, so a change of scenery was appreciated. I found some cute shoes in the market and made a few new friends as well.

New friends in the market

On Sunday we went to the Mercy Ships Agriculture site. Each time Mercy Ships arrives in a new country the food for life program sets up an Agriculture site to help families and communities learn practical food production skills which directly reduces malnutrition. They select a group of trainees and work with them for most of the outreach teaching them how to improve crop growth and income which bring better health to the farmer, his family and the community. It's sort of like school where topics such as crop and garden planning, seed sowing and saving, natural diseases, pest control and water conservation and irrigation practices are taught. Using local resources, participants learn to make homemade fertilizers such as compost, they prepare the lands, plant seeds, and harvest when it's time. At the end of the class the trainees "graduate" and are expected to go and share all of the information they've learned with their villages...and the agriculture site is handed over to the local community to continue production after the ship sails away. It was so cool to see all the hard work that's gone into the ag site this year. They've been growing lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, carrots, eggplant, and many other veggies. They also have rabbits there! Because rabbits reproduce so quickly, it's a good animal to breed and sell for meat. Kinda sad to think about around Easter and bunnies and new life...but it's a great source of income in a country where survival can be difficult.

All around a great weekend! It was refreshing to get away from the city for a few days and spend some time in nature and it also gave me time to reflect on the last several months of the outreach, how plastics went and start thinking about where I want to go from here. More on that coming soon :)

Agriculture site

Day off

Darel before surgery

I had the day off yesterday and took the opportunity to visit one of my patients. His name is Darel and he's a 15 year old street kid. When he was 8 years old he fell out of a tree and broke his arm. It later became infected and although his mom took him to the hospital for treatment, they weren't able to fix it. He had 2 surgeries over the next 2 years, but both ended in terrible contractures. Some time after that he left home to live on the streets and take care of himself. I don't know much more about his past because it's still difficult for him to talk about, but I've heard similar stories in the past. When a person has a deformity like Darel's it can be difficult not only for them but for their family and friends as well. Often they are put out of their homes and abandoned. I don't know if that's what happened to Darel, but it wouldn't surprise me. Anyway, a local NGO that helps get children off the street found him this last year and brought him to our main screening in September and kept him at their center until it was time for his surgery in January.

during a dressing change onboard

Darel's surgery onboard wasn't an easy one and had to be done in two steps. Step one, the surgeon did a groin flap where he took a flap of skin and muscle from the groin area and attached it to the wrist/hand after releasing the contracture. It takes several weeks for a flap to get a good blood flow in the new area so it stays attached to both the old and the new site for 3 weeks. What I'm trying to say is that this boy's wrist was attached to his groin for 3 weeks. I've seen many facial flaps since I've  been here, mostly scalp flaps to the nose, but this was the first groin flap I've seen, and yes, it's as uncomfortable as it sounds.  Darel handled it like a champ though, and never complained. Three weeks later the surgeon released the flap and we began daily wound care on him. He had a few set backs along the way but last week we celebrated with him as he left the ship that he called home for 2 months and went back to the NGO center.

So yesterday I got to visit the center and check up on Darel. He's doing so well and was excited to show off his home and the people that take care of him. We took him to the local barber for a haircut, got sodas in the market and spent the afternoon visiting. It struck me as we sat there how much more like a boy he looks now. Darel has had a hard life, but instead of the hospital aging him even more, it seems to have given him back a bit of his youth. He wants to have a girlfriend, play football (soccer), go to school...and I believe he'll have all of those things and more one day. And what a blessing it's been to take part in his healing!

 

before

after