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Sunsets
The amazing African Sunset... what else can I say. It's breathtaking every time. Today is almost a sad day for me as it is the last day I will be doing admissions. No, I didn't get fired!! ha ha... but we are shutting down the operating room to get ready for the transition period for when the Africa Mercy comes.
I have not really mentioned much of this transition, so let me give you a bit of background. The Africa Mercy is another ship that has been getting rennovated and comissioned for the last 8 years to take over the Anastasis, as she is very old and well used... SO, finally after many awaited years and many glitches along the way, the Africa Mercy has been just finishing a few last minute certifications and safety items to get ready to sail from Blythe, England, where she is docked, to sail down to us here in Monrovia. She is scheduled to arrive on the 21st of May where she will dock on the other side of our dock, right beside us and we will be going through a period of moving many, many, many items from the Anastasis over to the Africa Mercy, and then we will resume with our ministry. The Anastasis will
African Sunset.
Here is the sunset from the dock. Truly amazing that I get to watch that every night from the ship! sail down to India where a ship wreckage company has bought her, so they will take her apart and sell her for parts!
This is a very sad time for many people as they have dedicated their time, some for many years in fact, to living and working on the Anastasis... so essentially, their home will be destroyed and will have to make a transition to living and working on the Africa Mercy. But they also have been waiting for years for the Africa Mercy to come so I think many of these emotions are bitter sweet and mixed up.
So for the rest of this week, there are a few more surgeries, then two HUGE screening days on the 3/4 of May... to find people to operate on when the transition is over...
We will be setting up at a football stadium (or better known as soccer to us North Americans!!!) and people will come from everywhere and wait for us to see their ailment in hopes that something will be done. We will screen for Maxillo-facial and orthopedic surgeries this time. From these hundreds of people the surgery lists will be compiled and they will be told when
Mmmmm pineapple.
Here, fresh ripe pineapples are plenty, so I buy them and get the girls to cut them up and put them in the bag for me so I can eat it right away. It's so good! to come back, given an appointment card with the day they will come back for their operation.
Unfortunately though, there will be SO many people that we will have to turn away as they have illnesses or problems that we are not screening for... so many hopeful people will be turned away, disappointed.
But then after that, we will all be devided up into teams to start packing and preparing... packing to move over to the Africa Mercy, packing the antiques up in crates to be shipped out to be sold at auction, and give many many things away to the local people... for instance... many of the items down in the ward will not be used in the Africa Mercy because it is already equiped, so donating these items to local hospitals and clinics around Monrovia for their benefit! So that is really neat that we are able to give many of these items away to people and organizations that need them more than we do!
So, I will try and not be too sad... although I have already begun pouting that I will not have Kate, Esther and Elaine to work with anymore everyday. ARGH!!! I already
African Fun.
Here are some boys being boys on the beach last weekend... they were entertaining us doing the splits, and kartwheels. etc. miss them. But I did get the most amazing gift from Esther. She asked me the other day if I liked African dresses... and of course I said yes... cause they are so beautful with the bright colours on their dark skin... but then the next day she comes out with a present all neatly wrapped with a piece of medical tape on it that says..."From Esther, just to say I like you." I NEARLY cried! IT was so special that even though she doesn't have much, nor does she sew well (according to Esther)... but she made me a dress with a really nice fabric just to say thankyou. I feel so honored. It was really special and a moment that I will forever take with me from Liberia.
It feels like a chapter of this Mercy Ships experience is closing, but I am not sure what the next chapter will entail... but I am hopeful that something will show up for me to continue this journey and love it to the fullest of it's possiblities...
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Sarah and Rob
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puppies
Now just dont come home with a kittie sibling for leroy then his nose will be seriously out of joint!