Week Twelve! June 30-July 6

Twelve weeks down, two to go! 

It doesn't quite feel real that my time here in Madagascar is coming to an end (for now). I am trying to make the most of these last two weeks and enjoy all the memories! I have made lifelong memories and friendships that I will cherish forever. Thank you to those who have been praying for me - I also ask you to pray that the Lord would begin to prepare my heart to make the transition home. 


Ship Life 

On Monday, I was given the day off work due to a lighter surgical schedule along with two of my fellow OR nurses. We braved the rain and walked to the markets, lunch, and then decided to get pedicures. It was a perfect self-care day! 








For it being "dry season" in Madagascar, it sure does rain a lot (aka every day). Pretty sure I was caught out in the rain 5 out of the 7 days this week, including on a morning run. I even stayed in the port in case of the rain but still ended up getting drenched. 

The USA crew (& friends) celebrated the Fourth of July onboard together with cookies and some patriotic decoration! Even though I missed the typical summer celebrations of home, it was still nice to recognize the holiday and be around some red, white & blue! 

On Saturday, I enjoyed a day at the beach with some of the most special friends! We were blessed with perfect weather and SUNSHINE. We listened to music, played soccer, walked on the beach, and had a picnic lunch provided by the lovely Esperalda. It was overall a perfect day. 



I had the opportunity to attend a local Malagasy church on Sunday morning with other Mercy Shippers. Some of the longterm families attend the church every Sunday and one of the Mercy Shippers preached in English (with a Malagasy translator). It was nice to hear a sermon in English! We sang Malagasy songs as well as a hymn in English. 


Surgery On Board 

This week, I spent two days in pediatric orthopedics and two days in the hallway as the "day charge," helping out with any need that came up. I loved working in orthopedics at home, so it was really interesting getting to see the pediatric orthopedic surgeries here on the ship! Most of the pediatric surgeries performed this week were corrections of "knocked knees" or "bowed legs" from Rickets disease, caused by a deficiency in vitamin D or calcium. During the surgery, the surgeons basically cut the bones in the leg, turn them to the correct angle, then place screws and pins to keep the correct position as the bones heal. The visible change is immediate, so it was amazing to see a glimpse into how these procedures can have an impact on these children's lives! Even though the recovery is long and difficult, the ability to perform these life changing procedures is an honor to be a part of. 






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week One! April 11-19

Image
 WOW! What an amazing (almost) first week on board! I am continually blown away by the Lord's hand in this adventure already. Below you can read about my journey to the ship, first impressions of ship life, the first three days in the OR, and a weekend away!  Travel :       Heather and I left for the airport around 3:00pm on Friday, April 11th. We flew overnight from Raleigh to Paris (~8 hours), had a ~2 hour layover, and then flew ~11 hours to Antananarivo (Tana), Madagascar. We were not originally seated together for either flight, but thanks to two kind passengers, we were able to sit next to each other! I got extra lucky and had an empty seat next to me for the 11 hour flight 🙌. Overall, the flights were not too bad. I watched a couple movies, napped, and enjoyed the meals provided by Air France.      When we arrived to Tana around 10:00pm local time, we were greeted by a Mercy Ships representative who helped us through customs and filli...
Read more

Week Ten! June 16-22

Image
Ten weeks down, four to go!  Only one more month onboard the AFM... wow! It is hard to believe that 2+ months have already passed by. It has been an amazing experience already and I know the following four weeks will be filled with more wonderful memories.  Ship Life  This week was quite busy in the OR, so I did not have much time after work for activities or going out. I did enjoy two morning runs, but not much else happened during the week nights.    On Friday night, I was able to attend a praise and worship night at the Hope Center, where the patients stay before and after surgery. The band "Reko," a popular Malagasy group from the capital Tana, was invited to perform at the service. Unfortunately no photos or videos were allowed to protect the patients' privacy, but it was a beautiful night worshipping and enjoying community together. I even got to see some of the post-op patients and their families from that week!  On Saturday morning, I went on a cult...
Read more

Week Five! May 12-18

Image
 Five weeks down, nine to go!  Ship Life      I have definitely settled into more of a routine and feel like I almost know my way around the ship. My dad would be proud of my use of "starboard, port, forward, & aft" to describe the location of something on the ship. This week included more games with friends, beautiful sunsets, and yummy food. We also had our first week of trivia on Monday night! We placed third (out of five teams), so not too shabby! I am hoping that is just the start of a successful international trivia career.          There are numerous restaurants to choose from in the area and I have yet to be disappointed with a meal! One common meal is some kind of "Zebu" which is a kind of cow and is very similar to the beef we are used to in the States. I have ordered Zebu brochette (skewers) a few times and it is always tasty! I also tried banana flambé at a restaurant this week, not putting two and two together that it wo...
Read more