treading water

i apologize for my lack in posts recently. mainly because i worked a stretch of seven shifts last week and then with a day off here and there, i'll be honest, sitting down to blog has not been a top priority lately.

because this blog is a way to keep our family and friends, our supporters, informed of our ministry and our lives over here on a ship in africa, i want to keep it real and honest. i've debated whether or not to share this with the blogger world, but since this is the best and quickest way to share a prayer request, and this blog is somewhat of a journal, here it goes...

i, hannah, feel like i'm treading water, struggling to stay afloat. as a charge nurse i work mainly evening shifts on my charge shifts and then the other shifts "fill in" where there are holes. this leaves me with a day off here and a day off there when i'm not working my every other weekend. the nursing staff works all shifts, regularly switching back and forth between days/eve/nights, and sometimes within one week. this is tiring. and after almost nine months, i'm exhausted. not to mention tim works an 8 to 5 job with weekends off. the differing work schedules make it difficult to find time to get off ship together. and i've been sick twice in the last month with a cough that has hung on for four weeks now! most likely due to living on a ship with 350+ people and working the schedule i do. our management team is aware of such schedule glitches, but with a constant change in staff, its a schedule nightmare, and its pretty much "the nature of the beast" around here.

please, don't misinterpret-- i know that no job or ministry is without its struggles and faults. my job back home certainly was not immune. i can't begin to even describe what an incredible privilege it is to be a part of such life-changing surgeries here!! i've just been feeling the tole extra hard lately and need your prayers. 

my life is not my own. my time is His. i want to lay down my pride and selfish wants and needs. i desperately want to embody His love and be able to give and give day after day. 

please pray for strength and energy, endurance, health, and a renewed sense of spirit. i want to make the most of my time on and off the ward these last two and a half months here in Benin. my heart and focus need to be in the right place.

thank you to each one of you who are regularly lifting us up in prayer!! 

(p.s. we did manage to get-away together last weekend to celebrate our anniversary. i'll share and post pics soon! :)

the big 5!!

THEN:

September 18, 2004

Portland, OR

(picture of a picture :)

NOW:

September 19, 2009

Benin, West Africa

5 years...forever to go!!

Its hard to believe that its been five years already!!

I remember a conversation Tim and I had during our first months married. We were getting frustrated with the ups and downs that come with the huge learning curve in our relationship as we interweaved our lives in every way. I remember us both verbalizing our wonder in what it would be like in 3 years, how much deeper we would know each other... and, oh, to be married 5 years! We wondered what our marriage would look like after five years together!

And here it is! Here we are! We have gone through so much together and experienced much change in the last five, short years... job changes, buying our 1st house, three moves, a complete career change, and turning full speed into missions... on a ship... in Africa :) 

A lot can be said of that, but when it all comes down to it, I credit it to one thing: faithfulness. First, to God's insurmountable faithfulness to us both. He is our Constant. He abides. Amidst the change in the Seasons, He remains. I credit second to my husband, and his faithful love for me and our marriage. His selfless love challenges me every day.  Through these years, my love for him has grown stronger and my respect deeper than that Day when we became Us.

I have known no other happiness. 

Faithfully,

from (then) until forever,

I will love you.

favorite time of year

It is the beginning of Fall back home... my very favorite time of year! 

Aside from relationships back home, I miss the change in seasons the most here. There is no such thing as four seasons, just hot and more hot, mixed with "cooler temps" at times, and an occasional short rain :) This is our backyard at home this time of year--our renters sure have their work cut out! :)

Top 10 reasons why I love the Fall:                                                       

1. The change in leaves, so beautiful, the bright colors of red, orange, and yellow!

2. The crisp smell of fall in the air and the cool nights

3. The rain fall

4. Fires in the fireplace

5. Tis the season of cups o' tea and hot chocolate... and fun mornings out for coffee dates with my husband!

6. Pumpkin period!... pumpkin blizzards at DQ, pumpkin milkshakes & sweet potato fries at Burgerville with my twin, pumpkin crisp... oh, and the individually wrapped chewy caramels too! 

7. The occasional thunderstorm

8. Daylight savings,"fall back," and gaining an extra hour of sleep :)

9. My favorite holiday is this time of year--Thanksgiving!!

10. and, of course, our wedding anniversary this time of year... celebrating 5 years this month!!

local church

This last Sunday we took the opportunity to attend church out in the community. We piled in a landrover with seven other people and drove a half hour outside the city. The church was started five years ago by one of our own, Jean Claude, when the ship came to Benin for the first time. 

The church's simplicity was refreshing with its open sanctuary made up of concrete walls and floors, and its wooden benches. Four of their six windows are complete at this time. Rather than the Western mind-set of taking out loans left and right and hoping the money will come in, they collect the week's offerings and then only buy as much as that money will get until next week's offerings. I think we westerners could learn a little from the Africans :) 

In typical African fashion, the service lasted three hours!! Full of worship, a small ladies choir, and an hour and a half sermon.  We both were amazed at how well the children sat through it, and this was all after their Sunday school class!! Course, you don't want to get caught nodding off because a man holding a small stick walks along the aisles every so often.  He'll tap you with it if your falling asleep :)  Not to mention, we waited for over a half hour for the pastor to show up because he was coming from preaching at another church. Oh, how I love this country!! It just simply makes me smile!!

Such a hospitable people too! We were warmly greeted and introduced. After the service, we were invited to the only other room off the sanctuary to share fresh coconut milk. Yummy!!

an odd request

Some things the patients say here are just too funny, really.  

My co-worker had just given one of her patients a shot of morphine for pain, when the patient lying quite comfortably in the next bed over perks up. She waves her hand and casually, but eagerly, states that she would like one too.

Who asks for a shot in their buttock for the heck of it?!  We busted up laughing!! 

Only in Africa... :)

satisfaction

(warning: bodily functions mentioned ahead) :)

Yesterday was an especially good shift for a number of things. First of all we were short-staffed due to this very nasty bug that has been going around the ship that has been the culprit of sky-high sick calls these last couple weeks. This is not normally a good thing, nor am I implying that it was, but it made the shift extra busy. With a background in medical nursing, I thrive on the busyness, managing my time, prioritizing my duties and patients' needs, and the complexity of the patients' illness. Its not so much this way here. The patients we serve are here for their surgery and the majority are fairly healthy otherwise. They are alert and oriented (memory intact :), they can get out of bed themselves and walk independently to the bathroom. They swallow their pills without difficulty and sleep through the night...a nurse's dream job, really :)  

But, yesterday I felt a little more in my element and a little closer to the job I left back home. I was on the plastics ward, patients recovering from bone contracture release, commonly caused by a burn injury. Half my patients were on bedrest and two of them hadn't pooped in over four days (major concern when you're bedridden)!! They all laughed when I told them we were going to have a poop party today! So, I spent the day giving some serious bowel care, getting them on and off the bedpan, emptying urinals, sending two patients to surgery, and eyeing the first wound vac we've had here in the last 8 months I've been here. I got the two patients to poop and, with the help of my co-worker holding the child and a little prayer, I successfully drew blood on a little 3 year-old boy whose veins were a challenge!! Yes, its the simple things that make us nurses happy :) 

And I mustn't forget loveable Julian, the sweet 10 year-old boy who said my name every time I walked by his bed and gave me high-fives and a hug sneaked here and there. Or 2 year-old Naita who runs around squealing in delight with her contagious giggle wanting you to chase her around with one finger like a bumble bee, and then grabs your legs in a hug. And of course, squeezed in there, Julian's 3-month old baby brother who I snuggled and cooed in my arms. 

Yes, that is a successful day! :)

big white whale

As my shift was coming to an end, my patient P. Eddie, who speaks fluent English, handed me a paper full of his handwriting, "I want you to have this," he said with a big smile. As I read his words, through his eyes, I was moved and encouraged. It reminded me of the hope, the love, the life that is here--something I've recently needed to hear. I was in awe of how God has revealed himself to P. Eddie through others. 

We may not be able to help everyone or save each struggling life, but God IS here. And I believe that, like P. Eddie, each patient who leaves this ship has encountered God in some way...

I asked him if I could make a copy and share it with others. I now share with you: 

"My appreciation to the staff and crew of the Mercy Ship"

Angels Among the Sons of Men

The day the Big White Whale landed on the black shores of Africa, was a blessed day to the Sons of Men.

It came with Angels to walk amongst the Sons of Men. Why do I call them Angels? Let me tell you of my time with them.

I came on board the White Whale with rooms filled with the lame, the mame, the formed and the deformed, the wrong and the right.

And deep into the darkest part of the night, I saw men and brethren, maidens and ladies though flesh as us, yet with hearts of angels.

Sleeplessly and tirelessly they toiled through the night, through the pains and aches of men. They with hands to heal and mend, bringing from above the Father's love to the Sons of Men.

Some they cut, some they tie, some they seal and yet others they fix with tools untold.

Like messengers of the most high they come not thinking of their own. They risked their lives and sailed the Sea to lands beyond the endless world to shores of men afflicted and in pain.

Their hearts and lives they came to share as Angels walk amongst the Sons of Men.

Some in this life are born to pass and some are born in life to live, yet these Angels are born to preserve humanity.

Though some lives they see as waste, yet with speed they move to save. With words of love and touch of peace, they endlessly toil to make right the wrong.

You were born as men to your lands and yet Angels you served the earth.

Gold is dug from earth beneath.  Treasures are hunted on high seas. But love so pure and true can only in hearts like yours be found.

You labor in the Lord shall not be in vain.

For every life you touch and every soul you save.

For every bone you mend and every face you straight, 

The Lord of life and light will light your path and guide your life.

For you are truly Angels amongst the Sons of Men. 

in His arms

Our sweet little baby has gone home to Jesus today. 

You were like an angel whose short little life touched so many, oh how we loved you so! 

May God be glorified through your death, Huber-guber...

Thank you, thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement! God is not done yet... seeds have been planted in the hearts of his mama & papa, please join us in praying for their salvation.

please pray!

This is little Hubert (I call him Huber-guber) and his sister, Pauline. Hubert is one of the babes that has been staying here these last few weeks as part of our feeding program. The gubers had his cleft lip repaired back in April. He returned back to us because he was losing weight back home. We have been working hard with his mama to fatten his little body up for his cleft palate repair in November. The little guy has stolen each of our hearts!

I am asking you, pleading with you, to pray for this sweet babe and his family!! He has declined this past week with high fevers and infection, and his weak body is working so hard to breathe. He is currently under the care of our ICU nurses. Although we are a hospital, we are a surgical hospital. We also don't have a pediatrician on board. Please pray for discernment. 

My head fully trusts that my God has a plan for Hubert's life. I know he was created with a purpose. But my heart hurts with the reality of his numbered days and seeing him suffer so. 

Keep fighting Huber-guber, God is holding you close...

We need your prayers. 

Little Huber-guber needs a miracle.