the happenings

its been awhile since i've posted. here's what's been happening the last few weeks, with a bunch of pics :) ...

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The last surgery was Nov 20th. The last few patients were either discharged home or sent to the local clinic for follow-up wound care. One was admitted to the local hospital because she will need additional surgery. 

So, can you guess what us lucky nurses have been up to this last week and this next week?? :)

Double bleaching EVERYTHING!! Down to every packaged supply in the cupboards. And packing up/tying down everything for the sail, thanks to Red, our tie down guru :) I keep telling myself, "All for Jesus" and reminding myself that "whatever I do, I do unto the Lord."  I think I even reminded the nurses that God is just as much glorified in the down and dirty cleaning as He is in the love and care we gave our patients.

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Dinner at the Presidential Palace (see prior post)

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Tim has enjoyed playing frisbee on Fridays 

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Having fun, just being plain silly :)

This little guy had a beakectomy :)

He's even getting consulted by all our specialists :)

Oh no, the ladies are showing their knees!! :)

Doing our best African dance moves--you can't tell in the photo, but I'm doing the shoulder action :)

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Saying farewell to all our lovely and dear day volunteers. We had some incredible worship before they left!

(i blinked on the flash)

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Even though it was a normal work day, we still enjoyed a delicious traditional Thanksgiving meal made by our amazing galley staff. We ate turkey, green bean casserole (though the beans were yellow), cranberry sauce (made from dried craisins), mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Here, you modify to the ingredients at hand :) 

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While those back in the States took part in Black Friday, we literally had our own Black Saturday (black-out). At 7 am the generators shut-down for rest and repair for 10 hours. This means no electricity, lights, flushed toilets, power, internet, or air-conditioning. This in turn equals a mass exodus. We spent the afternoon at a nearby hotel, lounging by/swimming in the pool. We finished the day with dining out at a restaurant off the water. 

We sail in just 9 days!! We're just a tad bit excited! :) Our vacation is just around the corner!!

dinner with the president

I'm so behind on blogging...

A couple weeks ago the entire crew was invited for dinner at the presidential palace!! After haven been cancelled and rescheduled three times, it finally did happen :) The president wanted to thank the crew for the services that we've rendered to his people of Benin over the last ten months. Very thoughtful, especially when that's about 300 people!

Everyone enjoyed dressing up in their best for the occasion. I finally had a reason to wear my African dress that I had made by a local tailor awhile back.

After being shuttled by bus to the palace, we experienced true African time as we waited/ mingled for two hours until we sat down around white linen tables of gold-colored decor. After the president's grand entrance with the national anthem, he honored the founder of Mercy Ships and two of our outstanding surgeons. Mercy Ships was awarded the highest honor that this country can give! Pretty impressive :) I got to be one of ten to go up and thank the president and congratulate Don Stephens on behalf of the hospital staff. This means I got to shake the hand of the president! :)

Finally at 9 pm, past the point of hunger, we enjoyed a delicious buffet meal. And let the entertainment begin!... Traditional dances and chants from different regions of Benin were presented, giving us a unique cultural experience.  

Thanks Mr. President for the memorable evening! :)

final week

This is the last week of surgery for our outreach here in Benin!

I thought I'd share with you some specifics on my heart that need prayer over the next couple weeks...

- There are three patients with wounds that are still open. Each need a miracle. If their wounds are not healed in the next two weeks when the hospital closes, they will need to go to a local hospital for further care. Given the health care system and conditions here, it is not the best option. Its hard to leave the country when there are patients we operated on who are not fully recovered.

- This week we will be consolidating the wards as we begin to close them, while still accommodating for those post-op. We need insight and collaboration for it all.

-These last few weeks here will be especially busy for Tim as the purser's office will disembark close to 100 crew! Please pray for his sanity :-)

- We say good-bye to all our lovely day volunteers! These are local men and women who have worked alongside so many of us in ministry on and off ship. As a nurse, I simply could not do my job without them! Their gift of language enabled us to fully communicate with our patients, and their hard work kept the wards clean. Many of us will not just be saying good-bye to co-workers, but also friends.

- Three of our crew are in Togo over the next couple months preparing the way for our next outreach, getting the necessary things in place. They need wisdom and insight, cooperation with the officials and contacts they will be dealing with, and provision of all the necessary things to prepare for the ship's service.

I have been reminded recently that God does not need us to heal these people. He can do anything in His great power. He only asks that we are willing. And to seek Him.


Last month we did VVF surgery again--repair of a fistula in the bladder to the vagina caused by obstructive or prolonged labor, leaving a women constantly leaking urine for life. I thought I'd share a few photos of the women celebrating their "new beginning."

Once again hope and dignity have been restored! Our redeemer lives! Isn't God just awesome? :-)

new position

These last three weeks have been extra busy for me, transitioning into a new role!! I am now one of two Assistant Ward Supervisors! Let me explain.

Last month there were some unexpected changes in leadership/management, leaving this position vacant. Initially I was not going to apply. I felt inadequate and not sure that I wanted the responsibility. But, I was encouraged to apply. So after much prayer and discussion with Tim, I applied and interviewed, leaving the results up to the Lord.  If He wanted me in this role, He would put me there. I had to trust that His purpose would not be more than I could handle and that it is always attainable. 

Three weeks later, I am still in awe that God has put me in such a place. This is certainly not a role I envisioned or sought after. I believe, however, that God has put me here for such a time as this. I am excited for the personal and professional growth and challenge. Not to mention I am working with a great team of nurses from all over the world who bring such uniqueness and strengths to the wards. Of course I miss having "my own" patients, but in this new role I've come to learn its the nurses that really make the day for me. I am excited about ministering to them under my leadership. 

I am still on the wards, just not taking personal patient assignments. Instead I oversee the wards during the day (patient care, nursing staff, and translators). After report from the night shift, I start my day rounding with the physicians regarding each patient's plan of care.  After I communicate this with each nurse, the rest of the day is spent either on the phone, at the desk, or running from here to there dealing with any issue or question that arises, and coordinating the next day's surgeries and admissions. Because I am still on the wards, I try to help with patient care whenever I can. With constantly changing staff, I enjoy the teaching aspect as well, a part of my job back home that I miss the most. 

Oh, I must not forget the biggest blessing... its schedule. Its weekdays with shared-on call time! Good-bye to nights, evenings, and weekends!  You will not be missed :) Hello to more time with my hubby, a better social life, and early mornings. 

I have slept better in the last weeks than I have in the whole ten months that we've been here! 

May I lead like Jesus.

another TIA moment

One of those "This is Africa" moments...

Many of our medical/hospital supplies are donated or ordered. We are nearing the end of the outreach with only one week of surgery left! Our last container of supplies was delayed by several weeks because it got sent to the wrong country in Africa. Oops! :) The container finally arrived earlier this week! It was a happy day :) Needless to say its been quite interesting coming up with alternatives. I've been wanting to record some of them...

So, you know the end is in sight when you are:

-Unwrapping and wearing sterile surgical gloves because there are no regular exam gloves.

-Drying your hands on a communal cotton town because there are no paper towels (or if you're me, you just let your hands air dry :) )

-Drawing up meds in multiple syringes because there are no more 10 ml syringes

-Mixing vitamin-fortified milk and "protein drink" bought from the local supermarket for tube feeding because we are out of Ensure.
-Placing 18-gauge needles in pre-op patients because we are out of 20-gauge needles (fairly big needle).

To the hospital staff's credit, we are very cautious with our supplies and very resourceful. Nothing goes to waste! We save, sterilize, and reuse anything that is in one piece (within reason of course) :) I expect I will probably go through some culture shock when I return back to work in the states after 2 years, and begin to throw away again any and everything the patient has touched or breathed on. :)

wordless wednesday (Happy Veteran's Day)...

USMC 7th Engineer Batallion 2003

Iraq

nov 10th

Being the wife of a former Marine, I just couldn't let the day pass without commemorating the significance of today... the anniversary birthday of the Corps! :)

Semper Fi!!

(Always faithful)

little Ani

(photos by Meg Petock)

Remember Anicette?!  

She was one of two babies I wrote about this summer in our feeding program (the other Hubert)... She was so tiny and malnourished at just over 4 lbs when we first met her.  We had to wait to do surgery until she was fatter and stronger. She has slowly been gaining weight over the last few months ... Now, five months later and 6 lbs heavier, she is nice and plump with a full face!  What's the most exciting to me, is the change in her mama. She was unattached and disinterested in her deformed child when she first came to us. Anicette appeared to be an inconvenience and a disappointment (In the African culture, children born with a deformity are often viewed as demon-possessed or cursed.)  I believe God has changed her heart since being under our care here. We not only loved her baby, but loved her... encouraging her and praising her. She learned to meet her baby's needs, diligently feeding her and growing to love her. Mama has such joy and spunk now. She loves Ani and just dotes on her every need. Just today, I heard her singing to Ani.  I will miss that :)  She also gives the best hugs with the biggest smile and contagious giggle.

Anicette had her cleft lip repaired this last week and will get her palate closed next outreach. 

Praise God who is the God of love, who restores a relationship between a mama and her baby. He who closes a lip and restores dignity. 

Your nurses love you and your mama, sweet Ani girl. We look forward to seeing you next year!

water

Water For Christmas was all about getting people to give $10 every Friday to build wells in Africa with charity: water. 

This year Water For Christmas is doing it for one day only.

$10

24 hours.

November 13th.

academy open house

Tonight was open-house night at school :)  It was fun to visit the classrooms and see projects displayed by the different age groups represented on board. There are 10 classrooms in all and a large central room full of computers and shelves stacked high with textbooks and various educational material. It was a great opportunity to see this area of the ship that we don't normally get a chance to see. The first picture is a world map with photos of all the students on board next to their home country. Its literally an international school :) The last picture is me in between two friends Estelle (kindergarten teacher) & Allison (OR nurse).