Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Let's be honest....

So I knew when I signed up to work with Mercy Ships for three months that I was also signing up for what I am going through now....transition! Ah, everyone's favorite thing. And for those friends and family that have had to bear with me these last few days, I say thank you and I also say I'm sorry! :) Well, you all know I am crazy anyway. But I thank you for your great patience and your prayers. They are being answered, as at least a bit of perspective has re-entered the world of my mind and I am more at peace than I was a couple of days ago. The phrase "waves of transition" has appeared in more than one of my emails home to you, and it seems to be the most appropriate, as there have indeed been ups, and there have indeed been downs. As many of you have reminded me, this is probably quite"normal", but in the words of my Uncle Tom "what's normal??" Great question!
Three months is short, but it was also long enough to experience a part of my heart's desire being fulfilled, and also long enough to increase my hunger for more. I laugh, thinking of the "step of faith" it seemed to take to get here, and now it is seeming to require a "step of faith" to return home. In some ways returning home feels like I am leaving a piece of my heart behind, while at the same time returning home reconnects me with my precious and treasured family and friends in Seattle. Really I am not in a place to be distressed! :) But tell my heart that!
I hesitate to put this on my blog, probably mostly because it is a little raw and really undefined and probably not the most well-articulated thoughts on the planet. But I guess I write it to ask that you would pray for me. Nothing huge or crazy but simply that I would REST in the Lord, that I would know that my treasure is really in Him, and He happens to be be everywhere:), and that I would, once again, remember that HE is God, and that nothing is too big....or too small for Him.
Tomorrow we will arrive at the Canary Islands, and Monday I fly out! I will be with my sister's family in South Korea for 2 weeks over Christmas, and mom and dad will be there too!!!!!!!! I can hardly wait! All that to say, there are still some more pictures I would like to try to get on the blog in these next few days, so we will see! The sail has been GORGEOUS and only a little bit nauseating at times:)...I am afraid any pictures I have won't do this justice.
I am eagerly anticipating reconnecting with you, my dear friends in the next few weeks. Thank you for your prayers, your emails, your notes, your faithful blog-reading! How did I get so blessed to have you all in my life?! God bless you today....and stay tuned:):)

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Ward nurses hit the town!



















The Friday after the ward closed down, the remaining nurses on board went out for a celebration dinner. Some friends pictured above: Melanie, Meg, Me, Vera, Elaine. :)



















Goodbyes and Goodbye Parties!!

We all got decked out in our African Finest (or for some of us...the only 'African' clothes we have...) to celebrate and say farewell to our translators the week before we left. Here are a couple of ladies that I had especially enjoyed working with...Musu (blue) and Esther (white).




Marthlyn

Before her surgery...











And three surgeries later...





Before and After...A Couple of Special Patients

CYRUS~ Before his surgery... healing...and after....