Hello home!
There truly is no place like it. I began my
journey with all of you and your prayers and the Lords guidance and arrived
here to not one familiar face and mostly languages I don't understand from
countries all over the world. But two things connected us from the beginning-
our love of the Lord and our obedience to His calling, and that was all that
mattered. Strangers instantly became family. So here we
are.. week 3 into the mission and with the holidays coming up I
miss home and everything about it. But I am reminded of the reason I am
here and the joy it will be to share these special times with these loving
people.
Ship Life
Life on the Africa Mercy is much different than home. Half of
the ship is a hospital and the other half is divided into cabins where the crew
live, the academy where the children attend school, the ship shop (our
Walmart), Starbucks (where I have been a barista :), cafe, dining
hall, and offices. I travel about 30 seconds to work in the hospital
from my cabin I call home. We do everything old school in the hospital, without
computers or I.V. machines to calculate the appropriate fluid for a patient.
Each ward is one room with 15 beds so all the patients and nurses spend
most of every day with each other. I am in ward D, where we repair cleft
lip and palates and remove large tumors and such. When a dressing change or
something needs to be done in one of
the patient "rooms" we use magnets to hold curtains to
the ceiling to separate their bed from the rest of the room to have as
much privacy as possible for procedure. The hospital more or less functions as
a hospital does at home from the outside looking in. The patients are
admitted for surgery, prepped for the surgery, operated on, and cared for
afterwards until they have healed and can be discharged home. We have an
outpatient retreat called the Hope Center where our patients are physically
ready to be discharged home but need outpatient appointments for things such as
follow up visits, therapy sessions, dressing and wound changes, etc. Our
patients then stay here until they are able to be released. From the inside
looking out you can't explain the way everything flows together with
limited supply, the language barrier, and cultural differences. The only answer
I have is the Divine intercession of a Living God and the power of His peoples
prayer. One thing I can say is I have seen a lot of hope and a lot of healing.
That is one thing you will leave this little piece of heaven on earth
knowing-when you are on your knees calling out to the King of kings, expect
miracles.
Thank you for your prayers, thoughts, and encouragements. I
seem to have everything I need just when I need it. That's how our God works
sometimes.. He shows Himself mighty just in time so there is not a shadow of a
doubt that it was His hand orchestrating things perfectly into place. I love it
when He does that.. what a witness.
Love and Blessings from Africa :)
and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
-McCall
"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous
works among all the peoples!" [1 Chronicles 16:24]
