So, a nurse's schedule is never "normal"...and I should probably just let go of the dream that there will at any point in the near future be any rhyme or reason to my daily life:) ha! It just always eludes me. I am pretty much used to never knowing what day of the week it is. So I have just come off of a stretch of 5 night shifts, and tomorrow go back to working day shift. This day is my one chance to make a successful turn-around of the schedule, so I am avoiding the NAP at all costs! Thanks to those of you who prayed, as the first four of the five nights were QUIET...praise God! So I even had a little time to read and relax a bit. The last night we went out with a bang....Our maxillo-facial doctors are back in gear again, which means we will be having some more interesting nursing ahead of us in the coming weeks....major facial reconstructions, etc. I will try to find another video clip to add to the blog so you can imagine some of these things. It is pretty amazing. I thank God for my experience back at home in the PICU, as some of the things that come out from the OR would, back at home, definitely be cared for in the ICU...new tracheostomies, mouths sutured shut, all the facial reconstruction would at least land people in intensive care for observation for a couple days. Well, welcome to Africa, where after going to the recovery room for a couple of hours, these patients are just brought out to the ward, and cared for in a six patient assignment. Dr. Gary came into the ward the other night to check in on his patient that he had spent 8-plus hours operating on earlier that day and said "A little different from Seattle, isn't it?!" And I could only laugh in response. Yep.
Speaking of video clips, I need to brag for a moment about my friend who had her hand in making these amazing pieces for Mercy Ships....I mentioned my friend Kelly in a previous blog. She and I did our discipleship training school together eight years ago on board the Anastasis, and now here we are, after all these years reunited on board the Africa Mercy. Kelly works in the communications department, and spends much of her time doing filming, editing, and putting together these beautiful portrayals of some of the stories within this ministry. I think she is a genius and think more people should see her work!! She so kindly helped me learn how to attach the video clips to my blog, so I will try to get more on here!! Thanks, Kelly!! Hope you all enjoy these as much as I have! I added one below to my previous blog on the fistula patients, so check it out if you get a chance! Hope you are all well and I look forward to getting caught up a bit with you all now that I am back to a daylight schedule:). Blessings~
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Everything Happens for a Reason....
No it doesn't. This phrase, 'everything happens for a reason,' is one that I cannot stand. I don't believe it to be true, and each time I hear someone say it, it grates me inside.
Last night, I sat in our ship lounge and watched the second video in a three part series they are doing on the civil war that occurred here in Liberia. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing as I watched atrocities that occurred on the very streets I have been walking on for the last couple of weeks. I wept seeing children injured and killed, placed in mass graves with dozens of others...all innocent victims of senseless acts of violence and war. The Liberian civil war was one fueled by greed and power, as corrupt leaders led their own people down a path that destroyed lives and the once-prosperous state of their country. I can't say this happened for a reason. I can't say that innocent people died for a reason. That children starved for a reason. That women and young girls were raped for a reason. That young boys were given guns and sent to kill their own people for a reason.
I can't stand this phrase, because there are some things that are NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. And saying that everything happens for a reason undermines that some things are evil, wrong, senseless, and devastating.
When Jesus talked to His disciples, He said to them, "In this world you will have trouble....". His next sentence was not: "But take heart! Everything happens for a reason." Rather, the next statement out of His mouth was: "...take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:32-33)
There are things that happen on this earth that occur for no other reason than the fact that we live in a fallen world, and we all sin and are capable of great evil.
While I cannot find solace in assuring myself that all that touches my life has touched it for a reason, I am not without hope. Though we live in a world plagued with sin, God has not simply abandoned us here to be victims of its consequences. His gifts to us are countless, but two come to mind at this moment. First, He offers us salvation. Not necessarily an immediate deliverance from the pain and suffering of this life, but rather the truth that He has won the ultimate victory over sin. I have hope knowing that because Jesus paid the price of his own life, we have access to an Eternity with Him...FREE from sin and suffering and death. It is a hope in something yet to come.
And second, He offers us His presence with us and this precious promise:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose....Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:28, 35-39
So as my heart aches for these people and the evil that they have lived through, my prayer for them is that they would find a place for hope: that they would know Jesus as the Savior that He is, and that they would know Him to be present even in the midst of all that has happened in this place. Please pray for them with me.
Last night, I sat in our ship lounge and watched the second video in a three part series they are doing on the civil war that occurred here in Liberia. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing as I watched atrocities that occurred on the very streets I have been walking on for the last couple of weeks. I wept seeing children injured and killed, placed in mass graves with dozens of others...all innocent victims of senseless acts of violence and war. The Liberian civil war was one fueled by greed and power, as corrupt leaders led their own people down a path that destroyed lives and the once-prosperous state of their country. I can't say this happened for a reason. I can't say that innocent people died for a reason. That children starved for a reason. That women and young girls were raped for a reason. That young boys were given guns and sent to kill their own people for a reason.
I can't stand this phrase, because there are some things that are NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. And saying that everything happens for a reason undermines that some things are evil, wrong, senseless, and devastating.
When Jesus talked to His disciples, He said to them, "In this world you will have trouble....". His next sentence was not: "But take heart! Everything happens for a reason." Rather, the next statement out of His mouth was: "...take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:32-33)
There are things that happen on this earth that occur for no other reason than the fact that we live in a fallen world, and we all sin and are capable of great evil.
While I cannot find solace in assuring myself that all that touches my life has touched it for a reason, I am not without hope. Though we live in a world plagued with sin, God has not simply abandoned us here to be victims of its consequences. His gifts to us are countless, but two come to mind at this moment. First, He offers us salvation. Not necessarily an immediate deliverance from the pain and suffering of this life, but rather the truth that He has won the ultimate victory over sin. I have hope knowing that because Jesus paid the price of his own life, we have access to an Eternity with Him...FREE from sin and suffering and death. It is a hope in something yet to come.
And second, He offers us His presence with us and this precious promise:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose....Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:28, 35-39
So as my heart aches for these people and the evil that they have lived through, my prayer for them is that they would find a place for hope: that they would know Jesus as the Savior that He is, and that they would know Him to be present even in the midst of all that has happened in this place. Please pray for them with me.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Mourning....
into DANCING! Literally:).
Last week, I was walking up the road from the port out to the gate to the main road and I recognized a short roundy Liberian woman. She was the mother of one of the adult patients that I had cared for in the ICU and so I called out to her. She turned around and a huge smile broke out on her face. I went to hug this woman, who is no more than around five feet tall, and when I did, she completely lifted me off the ground in a hug of joy! I couldn't help but laugh out loud! I hope she didn't hurt herself.
Apparently it is not too common for there to be patients in the Intensive Care Unit on board. So when we landed not one, but TWO patients in the ICU the week that I arrived, everyone was shocked. And even more strange was the fact that both were dental patients. They had been seen in clinic by the dental team, and were found to have terrible dental abscesses, to the extent that their airways were terribly compromised. Just days apart from each other, they were brought to the ICU and had breathing tubes placed in order to ensure they were able to adequately breathe. The first day I cared for Grace in the ICU, her mother came into see her. Upon her admission, Grace was desperately ill, fevers spiking up to 105 degrees, her blood pressure drooping. As her mother came in to see her, grief etched itself in the lines on her face, and she clutched at her chest as though someone had just stolen her very heart from her.
And then she did something so beautiful. She came and stood beside her daughter's bed, and lifted her arms up in a prayer. She cried out for God to hear her daughter. "Do this for me, O God! Do this for me!" Her plea and the cry from her heart moved me, and I too, prayed a silent prayer of mercy.
Grace's condition made a drastic turn, and while the doctors initially determined she ought to be a 'do not resuscitate' status, she was soon off pressors, and ready to have the breathing tube taken out. The most appropriate description of the situation could only be: miraculous. The next time Grace's mother came to the ship, she walked into the ICU to find her daughter sitting up in bed, awake, and doing her best to talk with a still very swollen jaw. From the woman who had been grief-stricken over her ill daughter, now came shouts of JOY and she literally started to dance around the room. She ran to me and hugged me, and shook her little backside, and then on to the next nurse...joy erupted from her and praise for God's healing flowed from her! She didn't stop, she just kept on dancing....right out the door of the ICU. The translator accompaning her was laughing, and then with a shrug of her shoulders, joined with her and danced out of the room after her!
There is a kind of laughter that I have experienced here that I wish I could capture with words. It is of a different quality and essence. It is a laughter of deep joy, and surprise, and appreciation....a laughter that in some way is a recognition that God has gone out of His way to do something wonderful. This mother laughed and danced...because God had done something wonderful for her. And she was filled with joy.
Last week, I was walking up the road from the port out to the gate to the main road and I recognized a short roundy Liberian woman. She was the mother of one of the adult patients that I had cared for in the ICU and so I called out to her. She turned around and a huge smile broke out on her face. I went to hug this woman, who is no more than around five feet tall, and when I did, she completely lifted me off the ground in a hug of joy! I couldn't help but laugh out loud! I hope she didn't hurt herself.
Apparently it is not too common for there to be patients in the Intensive Care Unit on board. So when we landed not one, but TWO patients in the ICU the week that I arrived, everyone was shocked. And even more strange was the fact that both were dental patients. They had been seen in clinic by the dental team, and were found to have terrible dental abscesses, to the extent that their airways were terribly compromised. Just days apart from each other, they were brought to the ICU and had breathing tubes placed in order to ensure they were able to adequately breathe. The first day I cared for Grace in the ICU, her mother came into see her. Upon her admission, Grace was desperately ill, fevers spiking up to 105 degrees, her blood pressure drooping. As her mother came in to see her, grief etched itself in the lines on her face, and she clutched at her chest as though someone had just stolen her very heart from her.
And then she did something so beautiful. She came and stood beside her daughter's bed, and lifted her arms up in a prayer. She cried out for God to hear her daughter. "Do this for me, O God! Do this for me!" Her plea and the cry from her heart moved me, and I too, prayed a silent prayer of mercy.
Grace's condition made a drastic turn, and while the doctors initially determined she ought to be a 'do not resuscitate' status, she was soon off pressors, and ready to have the breathing tube taken out. The most appropriate description of the situation could only be: miraculous. The next time Grace's mother came to the ship, she walked into the ICU to find her daughter sitting up in bed, awake, and doing her best to talk with a still very swollen jaw. From the woman who had been grief-stricken over her ill daughter, now came shouts of JOY and she literally started to dance around the room. She ran to me and hugged me, and shook her little backside, and then on to the next nurse...joy erupted from her and praise for God's healing flowed from her! She didn't stop, she just kept on dancing....right out the door of the ICU. The translator accompaning her was laughing, and then with a shrug of her shoulders, joined with her and danced out of the room after her!
There is a kind of laughter that I have experienced here that I wish I could capture with words. It is of a different quality and essence. It is a laughter of deep joy, and surprise, and appreciation....a laughter that in some way is a recognition that God has gone out of His way to do something wonderful. This mother laughed and danced...because God had done something wonderful for her. And she was filled with joy.
"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them.'
The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with Joy...
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.
He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him."
Psalm 126
It's a lot of rain.
The title to this blog is a line from one of the African songs that we sing along with our patients on the ward. And it is a fitting title for this day, as I can look out the window and watch the water streaming down the windows and shooting out of the gutters of the ship! It is pouring!! My plans for the afternoon have been washed out--literally--and so I am taking that as my cue that this may be the day to stay inside and appreciate the chance to once again touch base and catch up with my thoughts and with all of you that I love so much:).
This last week has held more adventures, as I continue to get familiar with caring for patients on this floating hospital, as I continue to figure out my way around the ship, and have had the chance to venture out to explore a little more of this country that we are here to serve and learn from. When I first arrived to the ship, I heard someone joke that they spend their weekends in Africa! I now know what they were talking about, as we, living on the mercy ship, ported in Monrovia seem to be a little world unto ourselves at times. The reality that those of us on the ship are currently living in better conditions than anyone in this war-ravaged country is a sobering one. It certainly raises more questions than it does answers, and quiets me when I find myself frustrated or feeling cramped by the closeness of community in this place.
This last week was much lighter on the working end of things than my first week here was. I had last Tuesday and Wednesday off, and took advantage to go to the market and explore a bit. People are friendly and welcoming, yet I still find going out to be quite the exhausting experience and adventure! So, I have found small doses to be best:). The markets are crowded and busy, the streets and drivers crazy, and the smells....well....abundant!:) I made a purchase of some purple material and took it to a tailor just across the street from the port. Soon I will have my first Liberian dress! I am very excited. People here wear all kinds of different things...from more traditionally African looking dresses (like the pictures from the dress ceremony) to very western looking clothing. There are many different tribes of people in Liberia, and I have not been able to figure out if a certain style or look is more common of a certain people group, or if it is simply more a matter of preference and social status. I'll have to get back to you on that one.
Thursday and Friday I was back to work again, and had the joy of seeing both the ICU patients that I had cared for upon my arrival, make the transition from the ICU to the ward! Praise God for their healing. I am still learning and seeing new things each time I work, but all in all the actual nursing care is much more basic than anything I am accustomed to back at home, leaving more time to interact with and get to know the patients some. Of course some days can be crazy, but isn't that just the way it goes??
Saturday, I got to tag along with the eye team as they went to a clinic opening in a town nearby. It was the completion of a project that had been underway prior to the ship coming to Monrovia. Mercy Ships simply came alongside this community in their efforts to make a vision they had a reality, and saturday the doors to this dreamed of clinic opened! It will be staffed and run by the Liberians; we were simply there for the opening, introducing the community to this new resource and providing a health fair of sorts. It was exciting to see some of the work occurring off the ship that will be an ongoing sustainable resource to people in the future.
Sunday I had the privilege of going to my first church service since I arrived! I will be working every other weekend, but I look forward to being able to attend church on my weekends off. It far exceeded all my expectations....I went to an amazingly worshipful joyfilled church, held just a few miles from where we are ported, in a thatched roof building with a cement floor. Their singing just about lifted the roof off that little room a couple of times, and you couldn't help but dance right along with the people as they sang and worshipped God. It was a privilege to worship with them, and I caught myself tearing up just with gratefulness to God for letting me be here. It is amazing when we finally let the Lord lead us....He takes us places we never knew we wanted to go, and upon arriving there, we can't think of anywhere else in the world we would rather be. Praying today that you are finding yourselves in such a place.
Much love to all of you!
This last week has held more adventures, as I continue to get familiar with caring for patients on this floating hospital, as I continue to figure out my way around the ship, and have had the chance to venture out to explore a little more of this country that we are here to serve and learn from. When I first arrived to the ship, I heard someone joke that they spend their weekends in Africa! I now know what they were talking about, as we, living on the mercy ship, ported in Monrovia seem to be a little world unto ourselves at times. The reality that those of us on the ship are currently living in better conditions than anyone in this war-ravaged country is a sobering one. It certainly raises more questions than it does answers, and quiets me when I find myself frustrated or feeling cramped by the closeness of community in this place.
This last week was much lighter on the working end of things than my first week here was. I had last Tuesday and Wednesday off, and took advantage to go to the market and explore a bit. People are friendly and welcoming, yet I still find going out to be quite the exhausting experience and adventure! So, I have found small doses to be best:). The markets are crowded and busy, the streets and drivers crazy, and the smells....well....abundant!:) I made a purchase of some purple material and took it to a tailor just across the street from the port. Soon I will have my first Liberian dress! I am very excited. People here wear all kinds of different things...from more traditionally African looking dresses (like the pictures from the dress ceremony) to very western looking clothing. There are many different tribes of people in Liberia, and I have not been able to figure out if a certain style or look is more common of a certain people group, or if it is simply more a matter of preference and social status. I'll have to get back to you on that one.
Thursday and Friday I was back to work again, and had the joy of seeing both the ICU patients that I had cared for upon my arrival, make the transition from the ICU to the ward! Praise God for their healing. I am still learning and seeing new things each time I work, but all in all the actual nursing care is much more basic than anything I am accustomed to back at home, leaving more time to interact with and get to know the patients some. Of course some days can be crazy, but isn't that just the way it goes??
Saturday, I got to tag along with the eye team as they went to a clinic opening in a town nearby. It was the completion of a project that had been underway prior to the ship coming to Monrovia. Mercy Ships simply came alongside this community in their efforts to make a vision they had a reality, and saturday the doors to this dreamed of clinic opened! It will be staffed and run by the Liberians; we were simply there for the opening, introducing the community to this new resource and providing a health fair of sorts. It was exciting to see some of the work occurring off the ship that will be an ongoing sustainable resource to people in the future.
Sunday I had the privilege of going to my first church service since I arrived! I will be working every other weekend, but I look forward to being able to attend church on my weekends off. It far exceeded all my expectations....I went to an amazingly worshipful joyfilled church, held just a few miles from where we are ported, in a thatched roof building with a cement floor. Their singing just about lifted the roof off that little room a couple of times, and you couldn't help but dance right along with the people as they sang and worshipped God. It was a privilege to worship with them, and I caught myself tearing up just with gratefulness to God for letting me be here. It is amazing when we finally let the Lord lead us....He takes us places we never knew we wanted to go, and upon arriving there, we can't think of anywhere else in the world we would rather be. Praying today that you are finding yourselves in such a place.
Much love to all of you!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
A Garment of PRAISE!
I have yet to bear a child, but my assessment of the birthing process can be summed up with one word: PAINFUL!
Yet for all the pain of childbirth, it is the joy that follows that eases a mother's physical discomfort, and sustains her through her healing process that follows. Yet, here in Liberia, as in many places in the world that lack available medical care, there is not joy that follows a woman's labor. All too often women endure the agony of prolonged labor during childbirth, and with it, the damaging effects of sustained pressure on their birth canal. If they themselves survive, it is not to enter into the joy of a new life, but to bear the pain of life lost. The child inside them is gone, and their torn bodies now serve as a constant reminder of a hope and a life they almost had. Instead of joy they now live with shame, as these injuries sustained now cause them to constantly leak urine. All too often they are rejected by their husbands and their communities.
Perhaps this is what grabs at my heart and makes me ache for these dear women: what was meant to be a labor resulting in joy, becomes a labor resulting in shame. What could be more painful?
Of the various surgeries and ailments that I have seen in just my short amount of time here, this is one population of patients in particular that touches a place deep in my heart. In the last several years, surgeons on board the ship have begun treating women who have sustained injuries during childbirth that now cause them to constantly leak urine or feces. They have sustained pressure sores inside their bodies, causing a breakdown between the birth canal and their urethra, and sometimes to their rectum. The surgeons on board the ship seek to close up these areas inside the women and stop this constant leaking....sometimes it is successful. Sadly, sometimes it is not.
My second day on the ship, I had the privilege of attending a 'dress ceremony'. Before these women are discharged from the hospital to go back home, they have a celebration. Each woman is given a new dress and some jewelry. They have their makeup done for them. While all the patients that are able gather together in one of the wards, the women come down the hall singing, and join with the others rejoicing and praising God for what He has done for them. Each woman is given a chance to share, to thank God, to express her heart. Through these surgeries, God has brought to many women healing and restoration....not just of their physical bodies, but of their hearts as well.
A dear friend reminded me once that God often uses the physical to explain the spiritual. This is one such case where the picture is worth a thousand words. Just as these women have experienced the binding up of their wounds, we have a God who promises to bind up ours. Just as they have been given new clothes, our God promises a new covering over us as well. It is my hope and prayer that as these women rejoice in the healing they have received, that they would be rejoicing in the One who Heals them. The words of Isaiah regarding the Lord come quickly to mind:
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedome for the captives...to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair....Instead of thier shame my people will receive a DOUBLE PORTION in their land, and EVERLASTING JOY will be theirs...."
Isaiah 61:1-3,7
Yet for all the pain of childbirth, it is the joy that follows that eases a mother's physical discomfort, and sustains her through her healing process that follows. Yet, here in Liberia, as in many places in the world that lack available medical care, there is not joy that follows a woman's labor. All too often women endure the agony of prolonged labor during childbirth, and with it, the damaging effects of sustained pressure on their birth canal. If they themselves survive, it is not to enter into the joy of a new life, but to bear the pain of life lost. The child inside them is gone, and their torn bodies now serve as a constant reminder of a hope and a life they almost had. Instead of joy they now live with shame, as these injuries sustained now cause them to constantly leak urine. All too often they are rejected by their husbands and their communities.
Perhaps this is what grabs at my heart and makes me ache for these dear women: what was meant to be a labor resulting in joy, becomes a labor resulting in shame. What could be more painful?
Of the various surgeries and ailments that I have seen in just my short amount of time here, this is one population of patients in particular that touches a place deep in my heart. In the last several years, surgeons on board the ship have begun treating women who have sustained injuries during childbirth that now cause them to constantly leak urine or feces. They have sustained pressure sores inside their bodies, causing a breakdown between the birth canal and their urethra, and sometimes to their rectum. The surgeons on board the ship seek to close up these areas inside the women and stop this constant leaking....sometimes it is successful. Sadly, sometimes it is not.
My second day on the ship, I had the privilege of attending a 'dress ceremony'. Before these women are discharged from the hospital to go back home, they have a celebration. Each woman is given a new dress and some jewelry. They have their makeup done for them. While all the patients that are able gather together in one of the wards, the women come down the hall singing, and join with the others rejoicing and praising God for what He has done for them. Each woman is given a chance to share, to thank God, to express her heart. Through these surgeries, God has brought to many women healing and restoration....not just of their physical bodies, but of their hearts as well.
A dear friend reminded me once that God often uses the physical to explain the spiritual. This is one such case where the picture is worth a thousand words. Just as these women have experienced the binding up of their wounds, we have a God who promises to bind up ours. Just as they have been given new clothes, our God promises a new covering over us as well. It is my hope and prayer that as these women rejoice in the healing they have received, that they would be rejoicing in the One who Heals them. The words of Isaiah regarding the Lord come quickly to mind:
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedome for the captives...to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair....Instead of thier shame my people will receive a DOUBLE PORTION in their land, and EVERLASTING JOY will be theirs...."
Isaiah 61:1-3,7
Rockin' on....
As I sit here in the internet cafe on board the ship, I am more aware of the constant movement of my new home for the next three months!:) Back and forth, back and forth. I have had 'sea legs' from a day out on my family's boat before, but this experience of living on a ship will give the term new meaning!
Whew! It is hard to believe a whole week has gone by already, and with it the passage of many emotions inside of me as I adjust to this place...from initial jet-lag...to feeling extrememly overwhelmed, lonely and admittedly fearful...to the other end of the spectrum...of feeling a depth of joy and peace and comfort from my God and from Him giving me eyes to see Him here and a glimpse of what these next months are sure to hold. So as I sit here now, and reflect on this past week, I am thankful and amazed at how much God has done in just the span of several days.
So I will sum up briefly the past week, and then will try to follow with a couple of stories to give you a glimpse of what this last week has been like! We started out right away on monday with much general ship orientation and much time was spent with our nurse manager as she gave us new comers the low-down on our new jobs that we would be starting. Tuesday I was able to catch up on a little of the jet lag in the morning (zzzzzz.....), and then actually set foot on Liberian ground later that afternoon as I headed into town with my friend Kelly, who I know from eight years ago when we did our Discipleship training school together on board the Anastasis, the retired mercy ship. Wednesday was my first day of work......and that has been the story ever since:). Those who know me well know that six days of work in a row for this nurse is unheard of!!:) But as I have said to some friends, I believe this was all God's good grace to throw me in there and help me to get acquainted quickly!! There is still MUCH to learn, but putting in a big week to kick things off proved to help me a LOT, and far from my initial fear and hesitation, I now feel anticipation, excitement, and thankfulness for the work God has brought me to do here. After two days of orientation on the wards, I was meant to be working on my own last friday, when I arrived to find my assignment for the day to be in the ICU, for which I had not been oriented at all!! To my great relief, the ICU manager did not intend to leave me alone in an unfamiliar unit, and graciously stayed my entire shift with me, helping to get me oriented to different machines, equipment, medicines, and charting....After a couple of days on the ward, I strangely found myself to be more comfortable and at 'home' feeling in the ship's small Intensive Care Unit:) I laughed at God's sense of humor, as I am not sure I ever could have said the ICU at home has ever given me a sense of comfort:) haha! But I found it to be a piece of familiarity and was surprised in a good way to see how the Lord has prepared me in the last five years to now be doing what I will be doing here for this time. So I was privileged to work the weekend in the ICU, and then spent yesterday working on the ward for my final shift. Not completely recovered from my jet lag...my head hit the pillow EARLY last night, and I think I slept for a solid 10 hours! :)
Now I have my first official 'day off' and have been eager to catch up...in terms of rest, of reflecting on what this week has held, and on communicating with all of you. Thank you for your emails, your encouragement, and your notes that were sent along with me. God has BLESSED me through your friendships and I am thankful. So if you are interested in some stories from the first week here...read on:). Much love to all of you.
Whew! It is hard to believe a whole week has gone by already, and with it the passage of many emotions inside of me as I adjust to this place...from initial jet-lag...to feeling extrememly overwhelmed, lonely and admittedly fearful...to the other end of the spectrum...of feeling a depth of joy and peace and comfort from my God and from Him giving me eyes to see Him here and a glimpse of what these next months are sure to hold. So as I sit here now, and reflect on this past week, I am thankful and amazed at how much God has done in just the span of several days.
So I will sum up briefly the past week, and then will try to follow with a couple of stories to give you a glimpse of what this last week has been like! We started out right away on monday with much general ship orientation and much time was spent with our nurse manager as she gave us new comers the low-down on our new jobs that we would be starting. Tuesday I was able to catch up on a little of the jet lag in the morning (zzzzzz.....), and then actually set foot on Liberian ground later that afternoon as I headed into town with my friend Kelly, who I know from eight years ago when we did our Discipleship training school together on board the Anastasis, the retired mercy ship. Wednesday was my first day of work......and that has been the story ever since:). Those who know me well know that six days of work in a row for this nurse is unheard of!!:) But as I have said to some friends, I believe this was all God's good grace to throw me in there and help me to get acquainted quickly!! There is still MUCH to learn, but putting in a big week to kick things off proved to help me a LOT, and far from my initial fear and hesitation, I now feel anticipation, excitement, and thankfulness for the work God has brought me to do here. After two days of orientation on the wards, I was meant to be working on my own last friday, when I arrived to find my assignment for the day to be in the ICU, for which I had not been oriented at all!! To my great relief, the ICU manager did not intend to leave me alone in an unfamiliar unit, and graciously stayed my entire shift with me, helping to get me oriented to different machines, equipment, medicines, and charting....After a couple of days on the ward, I strangely found myself to be more comfortable and at 'home' feeling in the ship's small Intensive Care Unit:) I laughed at God's sense of humor, as I am not sure I ever could have said the ICU at home has ever given me a sense of comfort:) haha! But I found it to be a piece of familiarity and was surprised in a good way to see how the Lord has prepared me in the last five years to now be doing what I will be doing here for this time. So I was privileged to work the weekend in the ICU, and then spent yesterday working on the ward for my final shift. Not completely recovered from my jet lag...my head hit the pillow EARLY last night, and I think I slept for a solid 10 hours! :)
Now I have my first official 'day off' and have been eager to catch up...in terms of rest, of reflecting on what this week has held, and on communicating with all of you. Thank you for your emails, your encouragement, and your notes that were sent along with me. God has BLESSED me through your friendships and I am thankful. So if you are interested in some stories from the first week here...read on:). Much love to all of you.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Liberia.....the far side of the sea....
here I am!!....well the long-awaited adventure has begun:). i am happy and Thankful to finally be HERE on board the Africa Mercy after many many hours on airplanes and in airports. and unbelievably things went as smoothly as possible on my journey here...i think i can say many prayers were answered (thank you for praying)!!!
a couple fun things from the trip over...
i was able to meet up with some other nurses traveling to Mercy Ships on my final flight into monrovia! a couple of girls from Holland...which was great, not only that, but the chief medical officer, Dr. Gary Parker (who has been on Mercy Ships for more than 20 years) and his family were also on board the flight. They are so kind and made the entrance to Liberia a little less stressful as we followed their lead through customs,etc! And as if that were not enough, on board our airplane was none other than the PRESIDENT of Liberia!!! She did a little walk about the plane, stopping at my new friends sitting in front of me, greeted them and thanked them for coming to Liberia!! HA!! How about that for a welcome to this country?!
I do confess after 30 some hours of traveling and arriving at a large ship in the dark and settling my belongings into a room about the size of a college dorm room with four people permanently living in it...i did have to think to myself .....WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I DOING?!?!?! but.....as usual, the morning brought with it new perspective, and God's promise that His mercies are NEW every morning. I have found a couple of friends from past mercy ships adventures on board, and have begun the process of making some new friends as i meet some wonderful people from around the world. today has been much orientation that will continue this week...i will have my first day orienting on the ward with patients on wednesday, and am really looking forward to it.
Before I left, my mom read me a verse at my going away party from psalm 139... 'if I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.' When I arrived last night, there couldn't be a better description for how i felt....most certainly on the FAR side of the sea. What a great promise and reminder that I have been clinging to, and know to be true. God's hand is holding me, and I am doing my best to cling to Him!
One thing is certain...many adventures lie in the months ahead. Thank you for your prayers! I love you all and will try to be in touch via the blog....still not sure what is realistic for how much/ how often I will be able to write, but I will do my best:) Thinking of you all with much thankfulness!!
a couple fun things from the trip over...
i was able to meet up with some other nurses traveling to Mercy Ships on my final flight into monrovia! a couple of girls from Holland...which was great, not only that, but the chief medical officer, Dr. Gary Parker (who has been on Mercy Ships for more than 20 years) and his family were also on board the flight. They are so kind and made the entrance to Liberia a little less stressful as we followed their lead through customs,etc! And as if that were not enough, on board our airplane was none other than the PRESIDENT of Liberia!!! She did a little walk about the plane, stopping at my new friends sitting in front of me, greeted them and thanked them for coming to Liberia!! HA!! How about that for a welcome to this country?!
I do confess after 30 some hours of traveling and arriving at a large ship in the dark and settling my belongings into a room about the size of a college dorm room with four people permanently living in it...i did have to think to myself .....WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I DOING?!?!?! but.....as usual, the morning brought with it new perspective, and God's promise that His mercies are NEW every morning. I have found a couple of friends from past mercy ships adventures on board, and have begun the process of making some new friends as i meet some wonderful people from around the world. today has been much orientation that will continue this week...i will have my first day orienting on the ward with patients on wednesday, and am really looking forward to it.
Before I left, my mom read me a verse at my going away party from psalm 139... 'if I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.' When I arrived last night, there couldn't be a better description for how i felt....most certainly on the FAR side of the sea. What a great promise and reminder that I have been clinging to, and know to be true. God's hand is holding me, and I am doing my best to cling to Him!
One thing is certain...many adventures lie in the months ahead. Thank you for your prayers! I love you all and will try to be in touch via the blog....still not sure what is realistic for how much/ how often I will be able to write, but I will do my best:) Thinking of you all with much thankfulness!!
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