New beginnings!

It’s been a busy week full of exciting new things, experiences, and people which is very apt for the start of a new year! I began 2019 by working with my gorgeous patients and the fabulous day crew.

Our day crew are locals from the city who speak the native language of our patients. Not only do they translate for us they assist with bed changing, washes, giving out meals and keeping spirits high with singing and dancing. We are so grateful and blessed to have them working alongside us. After my shift I went up to deck 7 where you can look out to sea, and we watched the fireworks being set off on the mainland. The photo above on the right is a captured moment of me and my cabin mates excited for fizzy apple juice (the closest we get to Prosecco) and dancing in the rain. We welcomed the New Year in style!

#Godofmiracles #bestday #dreamscametrue

On Thursday I visited the outpatient and rehab tents which are located just off the ship on the port. We have teams of physiotherapists, doctors and other lead specialists who have appointments with patients to ensure they are getting appropriate and thorough post operative care. Occasionally our crew have to visit these tents when they slice through their fingers with tools or dislocate their limbs...

The smiley teenager in this photo on the right had lost hope that he would ever be able to walk pain free again. He was listed for surgery with Mercy Ships and weeks later he was able to stand almost straight up with no pain. Our God is a good and faithful father!

Now this bit isn’t for my Mother or Aunty to read but another new thing I experienced this week was travelling by taxi! You begin the adventure by bartering down the price so you’re not charged triple, the 7 of you then climb into the 5 seater and pray you can get back out again at your destination. It’s best not to look straight ahead as cars tend to not have lights or fully functioning dials and drive up and down one way streets like they own the roads. The other thrilling part is nobody has wing or rear view mirrors, so if your car stops we all stop and perform an emergency break! Keeping my heart rate elevated...

#cheekyfaces #cuddles #preciouschild

My favourite new thing this week however was visiting the Hope Centre. The Hope Centre is where our patients and their caregivers stay before and after surgery. A group of people from the ship go most days to visit them, play games and sing songs. Today’s visit was glorious. So many beaming faces and clapping hands as we entered the shelter and began saying hello. Some of my patients from last week were there and greeted me warmly, all wanted to sit on my knee, play with my hair and talk to me.

We sang with them and told them that Jesus is their good shepherd and he wants to know and love them all.

We cut out cardboard sheep for our activity and coloured them in which caused many an argument but we finally finished with happy kids and fairly solid multicoloured looking sheep!

This Sunday another 80 crew arrive, we’ll gain another cabin mate and orthopaedic surgery will finish. I’m excited to meet new faces and to being working with our plastic and max fax patients, a different field of nursing but one I’m excited to learn about!

Today I'm cleaning the wards and have probably taken my allocated tea break so should go back to join my friend with her mop and bucket! x