first week back

Thank you all for the comments on the last blog post! Thanks also for your prayers and support!

I’ll have to start with a some confessions J I started working last Tuesday after ‘sleeping in’ till 9 am. After work I wanted to go the a nearby shop to get some mint syrup (as some of you know I really really like in about every drink). After some time walking out of the port, I realized that I was going alone… which would be normal back home, but not recommended (or forbidden by Mercy Ships) in West Africa. Besides that it was 5:30 pm, so it was getting a big dark already. Because I wanted to make sure I was back on the ship before dark, I took a motor-taxi. Euhm… going out at dusk is not recommended, as a woman alone very much not recommended and riding the motor-taxi’s without a helmet isn’t recommended either. (for the record, you may need to read ‘not recommended’ as 'not allowed'… :-S). I did get my bottle of mint syrup and got back on board safe and sound, but I realized that I might have sort of broken a few rules within the first 24 hours of my time back on the ship. I’m trying a little mantra; think first, then act or speak… not working that well yet :-D

The only 'obstacle' during that trip was the guy in the store. He did not want to let me go without giving me his phone number… just to boast the ego a bit ;-)

Last Wednesday we had to say goodbye to most of the dayworkers. Since I knew a lot of them from 2010 and from the start of this outreach it was so great to be present at this moment, where their service and commitment were celebrated.

Yesterday we had to say goodbyes to a lot of people. I feel blessed to get the change to wave them farewell and give them a last hug.

Afterwards there was a little ‘special goodbye’ for the hospital staff. Last year some nurses started a bit of a tradition in closing the outreach with a water fight. I love water fights!! The group would come together after community meeting and have some sort of end-of-the-outreach-talk until one of the masterminds would start throwing water balloons. I was asked to ‘help out’ from deck 7. Of course I wanted to share some love from above :-D

It is really nice to be able to help out on deck, assist in the hospital pack up and have some fun on the side.

Many blessings

& a big hug

Maaike