The ship is now in a state of transition as we prepare to sail to Ghana in a few weeks. All of the surgeries are finished. The wards are slowly emptying, and the Hope Center has closed down. I am really missing the Hope Center - I usually visited the patients there several times a week, so I won't know what to do in the evenings now. Last week I was able to visit on the last few nights before the patients left. There is one little girl in particular, Kadiatu, who became my little buddy. That is her on the left. She looks very serious, but all it took was a little tickling to get her giggling. The woman on the right is Kadie. She doesn't speak English or even Krio, so it is hard for us to communicate. The night after I took this photo, I printed it out and took it to her. She was SO thankful for the picture! You would have thought I had given her 100 dollars. She kept thanking me and hugged me several times. Patients like Kadie who weren't quite ready to go home have been transferred back to the ship for a few more days. This has been great because I've been able to see her several times in the ward.
Out of everything that I have been able to do with Mercy Ships, visiting the Hope Center has been the most life-changing. Getting to know the patients, paint their nails, and play games with them has really impacted me. I still remember the first few times I went. I felt so uncomfortable because I didn't know how to act around people/children who are severely deformed in one way or another. Since then, I've learned to look them in the eye instead of looking at their tumor, cleft lip, burns, etc. I also didn't know how to react to the children who are so needy for love that they cling to you. You can tell that a child has been neglected and/or abused by the way that they are desperate for attention. One little boy, Isheika, was an example of this. He had no left ear, and an infection had disfigured his face so that he had no nose. I always went out of my way to play with him and pick him up. In the moments that he wasn't receiving attention, he would hit or pinch until he was noticed.
Lately, I have also been getting to know the patients who are down in the wards of the hospital. A wonderful lady, Rosie, who worked in the Hospital Laundry room told me how she would go down to the ward several times a week and rub lotion on the patients hands and feet to share God's love with them. I thought this was a great idea, and my friend Phebe and I kept this going once Rosie left a month ago. Like many experiences here, this has been equally challenging and rewarding. The first time that I gave a woman a foot massage, I have to admit I was a bit uncomfortable. I have never seen feet in such a bad condition before. These women have never been pampered with lotion or nail polish before. The tops of their feet are very wrinkled, and the bottom is SO hard and dry. The only shoes that they wear are cheap flip flops that offer no support. So most of them have no arch in their foot, and their feet are spread out wide. Occasionally someone will be very ticklish, so while I am rubbing their feet they start laughing, which makes me laugh too. Sometimes they will ask for extra lotion on their hands, and will then rub it up their arms and all over their face! One woman turned with her back to me, lifted up her shirt, and pointed to her back. She wanted a back rub! This has been such a humbling experience, and the men and women are always so thankful. They say "Tenki Tenki!" with a great big smile.
Some of my friends in the ward (they were SO happy when I gave them these pictures)!
My roommate, Dorike, who has been down to the ward with me.
I cannot believe that I have less than 4 weeks left on the ship! Time is flying by so fast, and I'm enjoying every day. My next post about this weekend will be coming soon. God bless.
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