Ellen On Mission

It's officially been one month of living on the AFM in Madagascar! This month has been full of fun times, adventures, and new experiences! I am so thankful to be in this place with these people. Praise the Lord!  Ship Life     During the week (Monday-Friday), I work from about 0800-1700. Breakfast is open from 0630-0745, and I've really enjoyed getting breakfast around 0715 and bringing it to the cafe area of the ship to eat and have my devotional time. The gym on the ship opens at 0600, so some mornings I will do a workout before going to breakfast/quiet time. While the days seem busy and full of activities, the pace of life feels slower and more relaxed here, in my opinion. It is so nice sitting and having 45 minutes of quiet time before the day begins and not rushing out the door to drive to work. That is one thing (of many) that I will try and better incorporate into my routine once I return to NC.        On Monday, our surgeries for the day f...

This week was another busy week of surgeries, game nights, and adventures with friends! Three weeks down, eleven still to go!  Ship Life     One shared area in the middle of the ship, fittingly named "midships," is a popular place to play games, simply relax, or chat with friends! There was some friendly competition a couple nights this week after work. I learned some new games but also played some familiar favorites, including Code Names. Turns out playing Code Names with people from all over the world can be a bit challenging (but entertaining)! I also have enjoyed playing volleyball on the dock!        On Wednesday evening, a local band came to the café area of the ship and performed. They were all very talented and played well known worship songs and we all sang along! The night ended on a high note when homemade ice cream was served.        I unfortunately caught a sinus bug that was going around, but thankfully was better by t...

Week two is done! It feels like time moves differently here on the Africa Mercy, it's hard to believe another week is over!  Ship Life     Easter Sunday on the ship was AMAZING! The day started with a sunrise worship service at 5:30am on the top deck. It started pouring rain during the service, but we all continued to praise in the rain! At the beginning of the service, we sang songs mainly focused on the cross and Jesus' sacrifice for us. For the second half of the service, the songs were focused more on the celebration that Jesus rose again and we have Him as our reigning Savior! The rain stopped after a few minutes and the Lord blessed us with a stunning double rainbow! It was a beautiful image of the Gospel, starting the service with clouds and rain but finishing with sunshine and a rainbow! Later that morning, there was a more traditional Easter service with more worship and a teaching message.  The galley and dining crew organized a delicious Easter meal in the...