He makes all things new.

Life after the rain. Fresh start. New beginnings.

These words encompass the last few weeks of my silence, as well as my current state of heart, and what i believe is still yet to come.

Life after the rain. For all those of you who responded to my 'plea

for prayer' and did just that, thank you. The second screening was completely night and day from the first. The crowd was organized, calm, quiet, and things went very smoothly. We rejoice in the 300+ people who received surgery dates over the next ten months!! PTL!

Fresh start. We are finishing our fourth week of surgery! Does anyone else besides me think that's just crazy? :) Its been busy, busy, busy all over the ship as we have become "operational" again. Days have been full of getting the hospital up and running again, orienting new staff, starting surgeries, preparing for and hosting the medical reception, and then dealing with some challenges over some of the processes in place with our host country. Tim spent the last few weeks finishing up advance work, affectionately referred to as the "Container Expediter," a title he is glad to hand over. :) I have enjoyed being back on the wards, where my heart is. Although advance was a privileged experience, it reinforced my love of patient care over administration. Every day I see lives change before my eyes. Like Isatu, who wasn't allowed to go to school because of her cleft lip. She now smiles and is so excited to be able to go to school! Or Margaret, who said "those kids won't provoke me anymore" when she saw her face after surgery. Oh how I will miss this.

New beginnings. In just a couple short months we will be on American soil. Going home. A new chapter. Our minds are switching gears as we are talking about home now more than ever. And trying to get a handle on what that means and might possibly look like for us amidst the non-stop demands of our schedules. Truth is, we don't know. And quite honestly, for the first time in my life, I am okay with that. This way when God does reveal His plans, we are open to whatever, wherever, whenever. Over the last two plus years we have seen many, many people come and go. Countless goodbyes. Its surreal that it will soon be our turn. I don't think it will really hit home for me until months later, when the dust has settled, and there is some quiet to begin processing.

As for fun, last weekend we spent an adventurous day out with friends on Banana Island. After a two-hour car ride to the beach, we then took a sketchy boat ride across the ocean to the island. :) We spent a lovely afternoon on a secluded beach that included napping in a hammock and eating a delicious meal of fresh tuna, lobster, couscous, and hummus.