Sunday... Day 6.

MERCY CHRISTMAS.... From our ship to your home. haha

Day 4.

We are still moving,  and this is how I spent my afternoon. :)

Sunrise Day 3

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, 

       for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

 

Au Revoir l'Afrique

Tuesday we sailed out into the Atlantic blue leaving Africa in the long off horizon and our next destination 10 days away. As we left the port I found a few tears making their way down my cheek. I was surrounded by people from all over the world, some who have only been here a few weeks and some like myself who have seen this entire outreach through. From beginning to end. I wondered what most were thinking as the words amongst all of us were few. 

I knew what I was thinking. I was thinking of all the hard work and sweat( literally)  that has went into these last 10 months, all the patients and family members who have in someway or another been affected by our presences. I was thinking of all the randomness that occurs everyday and is now not so random. I was thinking of all the places I had visited over the last 10 months and all the people I had come in contact with. I was thinking of friends who have come and gone.I was thinking of all the challenges and success that have passed me by. I was thinking of all the change that has occurred in my life since the very first day I left home over a year and a half ago.  But most of all I was thinking of how honored I was to have lived such an awesome adventure in my lifetime..not that the adventures in my life are over, just this one. 

When I left home June 2008 I was expecting to see our Father in ways I never thought were imaginable and sure enough He out did himself. It has been a journey and don't get me wrong there have been good day and bad days, but that is life. I leave Africa with a heart empty of things to give and full of blessing received. I knew this would change my life, however I never knew what change my life really entailed. 

So now I sit on a rocking hospital ship that is making its way to Tenerife and from there I will fly home....not sad but happy, blessed, and thankful. It's amazing really. God has granted me such peace about leaving and returning home. He has prepared me in such away that I know that coming home is the next step. Now I wait to find out what steps to take after I step of the plane. 

Liz Meg and I on Deck 8 just before we set sail. 

The tug pulling us out to sea. 

Separation for land and people waving good bye. 

The now empty birth were we lived for the last 10 months.

Togo Advanced Team that will stay in Africa and prepare the way for the ship to head to Togo in February.

Au Revoir l'Afrique!

My Thanksgiving.

I know Thanksgiving is one of those holidays were most people have plenty of traditions to uphold and follow. However this weekend I have been thinking about what Thanksgiving actually means and I am almost positive that eating lots of food until you are about to burst then laying around watching tv while you flip through the ads for Black Friday is not the only way to celebrate. Enjoyable to most but not the only way. This Thanksgiving I celebrated in a new way and it was such a wonderful day.

It started out by not having to work thanks to all the hard work the dental team did 3 days prior. It was not planned to take the day off however it worked out that way. 

I woke up without an alarm which is one of my most favorite things to do. After waking up I talked on the phone to a dear friend living in Norway then I had lunch. After lunch I thought to myself oh my!  my first day finished with the clinic and I am all ready bored. Then I remembered I needed to actually make a trip out to the clinic to check on one thing. So I got a car and set out for the dental clinic one last time.

On my way I remembered I also needed to stop and see Joyce and Jugo one last time. You might be asking yourself who are Joyce and Jugo? I blogged about them back on September 12. Here is the short version on them. Joyce the mom and Jugo the daughter came to the dental clinic on the first day back in February. Jugo needed a cleft palate operation and we did that for her back in September. From February until now I have developed a lovely relationship with this family. I have been to Joyce's store several time for visits and she would randomly stop by the clinic just to say hi and see how things were going. Over the months I have really grown attached to them.

So I thought Thursday would be the perfect day to stop by and say hello/goodbye. First I stopped at Joyce's shop where she has a small business. After visiting for a while we decided to go pick Jugo and her sister up from school. That was a treat in its self. They were so surprised to see me and not only to see me but to see me at their school. After picking them up we drove to their house. The ride was so fun. The girls had never been in a car and they loved it. Every little bump and pot hole that most people complain about they laughed about. On the way to their house we made a small detour at the tailor shop to pick up the dress they had made for me. It was so cute.. I love it. Once we got to the house they showed me around which took about 2 min. The house was 3 rooms one room had a bed on the floor, and one room was the kitchen/ toilet all in one. The girls changed clothed and then I took them back to the shop. I asked Joyce how late will she work tonight and she told me 9pm. She then said in Africa you must work hard so your children can have a little. By the time we arrived back at the shop it was time for me to go.  We prayed together, said our good byes, and even cried all of us including Jugo. 

You might think to yourself this seems like an awful way to celebrate Thanksgiving... but it was so wonderful. I was able to just for a few hours step into the normal every day life of a little girl who's life has been changed by what we done here on the ship. I was able to see the grace God has given them and myself. I was able to see that the people we are here serving are just that people with normal lives. People like you and I that are just trying to get by. While we were praying before I left Joyce said one line that I will never forget She said "Father Thank you for using Jessica to stop my tears. Thank you for guiding us to her, and using her to guide us to the ship. My tears are gone now and I thank her but PRAISE YOU for who YOU ARE. 

This has been the best Thanksgiving ever and it was not because I had a nice spread of Turkey, potatoes, dressing, and pumpkin pie.....which I did have in case you were wondering. It was because I was able to see at the end of the day all politics and branding put aside, peoples lives are being touched and in most cases it turns out that not just the patients lives are being changed it is also ours. The crew members who are here to help but in the end are helped more than we/ I could ever imagined. 

I hope you enjoyed your families and friends over the Holiday, I know I missed mine but none the less I had a day full of things to be Thankful for. 

Joyce outside her small shop. 


Surprise pick up at school. The girls loved it. 
Jugo at home jumping on the bed. Typical kid. 
Outside the house just before we said good bye. 

Packed Up Cleaned Up Wrapped Up Day 3

Day 3 and the dental clinic is now packed into a container sitting on Deck 8. It only took us 3 days to tear it down, clean it up, and bring it back. All our hard work payed off and now we get tomorrow OFF... which means it will be just like home(well not just like but as close as it is going to get) tomorrow on Thanksgiving Day.  Sleep, spending time with good friends, and a Thanksgiving Day meal. I have so much to be Thankful for, and have had an Amazing year. Time for whatever is NEXT. 

First trip from the clinic to the ship

Second trip from the clinic to the ship. Packed true African Style. Stuff  stuffed everywhere.

Neighborhood boys waving goodbye to us the last time we pulled out of the clinic. 
3rd and final trip from the clinic to the ship. We had to stop and retie down the tables on the top of my Land Rover. We almost lost them. 
Me bringing in the LAST thing to be packed into the container. WOO HOO it is finished.
The container with all the dental stuff.
and there it goes from the dock to deck 8. 

That my friends is how you tear down, pack up, and move a dental clinic from land to sea.

Cleaned Up. Day 2.

DAY 2. Cleaning- Finished! Only thing left to do is bring it all back to the ship tomorrow. :) 

Day 2 
empty sterilization room 

Empty Dental Clinic

loading up the generators and compressors. That was a big job! Thanks Karl for the help.

All the equipment packed and ready to be driven back to the ship to be placed in our container tomorrow.