Life after Mercy Ships....

My last week on board I was unable to blog, it got to the point when you knew every event would be your last. Last night at Obamas, Last late night Starbucks, Last shift, Last adventure to the market, Last taxi ride, Last Chaka Wakas, Last dance at Gardens of Guinea. Coming on board I felt serving for 4 months was a substantial commitment, but it was not nearly enough time.Four months was enough time to see one full speciality (plastics) and finish VVF ladies. It was enough time for your cabin to feel like home, the food to become boring and my 30 second commute to work to feel normal. I was comfortable on the unit, with the doctors, nurses, and patients. We had "our spot" in the comfy chairs in Mid Ships, where many of these blog's where composed over these past months.

Taboo Charades became a weekly tradition, as did schwarmas! Tailor 19 received all of our business, and rewarded us with "Cadeuxes!" (gift purses) as a thank you before we left. Our African dancing skills have been refined and after dancing at a wedding with other locals, one African lady complimented me on my African booty dancing skills, now that's a compliment! I even avoided gaining the "Mercy Hips" as they call it!

On our last week, packing was a dark cloud hanging over my head. Somehow everything fit back into the same bag it came in. We had one last celebration with all of the Day workers (locals) on board and danced to our last African worship music. One of the last evenings there was a "fake wedding" on the ward, basically an excuse to have a party on the ward with the patients who were left in the hospital. It was filled with laughter and dancing of course. We all sported our best African garb! Laughing and dancing with friends, and patients who had become friends. Saying goodbye was a daily occurrence as patients were being discharged from the ship. watching nurses saying emotional goodbyes to patients they have cared for for months was enough to make anyone watching tear up. We know we have the option to see one another somewhere in the world, however these patients are returning to their villages and we know we wont see them again.

Every night we took the opportunity to watch the sunset with our friends on the deck, socking in the last African sun.Nina and I watched the sunrise while sitting on the walkway in front of the bridge, and later that night 20 of our friends gathered on the deck and sang worship songs for an hour or so. how much more of a peaceful day could one ask for? My last night on board we made our way out to ChakaWaka to catch the sunset one last time at the beach. We then made our way to Garden of Guinea, where we joined the rest of our friends. With a little charades and a nod to the man leading the band dancing Spanish music (in french) rung over the court yard. First it was only Hope and I dancing, but in no time the rest of the crew joined in! The dance floor was packed, the evening air was hot, and we were soaking it all in. In traditional African way, the power cut out, we were left jumping and clapping as the drummer continued to hold the beat. The darkness was invited. Soon the generator kicked on and the band picked up where they left off. What more could I ask for on my last night on a continent that I love so deeply. Of course my last day was difficult, saying good bye as people left for overnight adventures and lunch in town. I was left with a few close friends to hug and wave goodbye to as I left the port one last time.

Mercy Ships is an organization that I will continue to follow, promote and pour into. I know I will see the Ship again. As some fellow crew leave and others have signed on to extend into the next field service to the Congo, I will continue to follow and pray for the progress that Mercy Ships does up and down the west coast of Africa.When I arrived on the ship I wrote about the strong sense of peace that I felt when flying towards Africa. Knowing I was in the right place at the right time. Leaving the ship I am sad to say goodbye but again, the second time in my life I feel the same overwhelming sense of peace about returning home. This summer I am working on the Health Care team as a first aider here at Camp Qwanoes in Crofton BC (on Vancouver island by Nanaimo) For the next 3 months (until September 1st). I know my family is thrilled to have me home, in Canada and away from the scary unknown. I will continue to follow the news of guinea and am curious how the elections will go. Keep the nation in your prayers as they continue to go through this stage of unrest. Keep our patients in your prayers too. They have returned home, however you all know after surgery it takes weeks or months to fully heal. People have asked how am I adjusting, well Ive only cried twice once in a grocery store over cheese and another time in The Gap. Since arriving home on June 1st its been go go go until arriving here at camp on June 5th then it was Jump right into work here. I think it is helpful that I've left one christian bubble and moved to another. shocks or society don't have a chance to set in. Reality of work is a distant concern.

Thank you to all of you who have supported me financially, in prayers and words of encouragement. It has been a blessing to serve with Mercy Ships. I highly encourage any of you to look into the opportunity to serve and share what you have learned about the organization with others too. The ship is only 50% hospital staff, the other 200 are food services, stores, deck hands, trades and more. They are always in need of IT guys, plumbers and electricians. Feel free to pass my info onto anyone having questions about Mercy Ships. nmoen@ymail.com

As I sit here in the porch of my lodge overlooking the ocean and salt spring island I am happy to breath in the fresh BC air, and hear the birds chirp. I have missed home, but I will miss the daily adventures that i got to fully participate in over the last few months.

Peace and Love to all, Thank you for reading and fallowing my adventures over the last 5 months.
Much Love,
Nicole.

Marla

We read, watch, and feel we have a grasp on what life is like for the millions on the other side of the world who live in war torn countries, however our imagination cannot even come close to what reality is for these individuals living lives in these areas.

There was a man named Marla that shook me to my core, and left me in tears and praying a number of nights. Meeting him before his surgery, I learned about his story.

Marla was a business man, his work lead him to cross between the Guinea and Sierra Leone border on a weekly bases. Even once the RUF (Rebal United Front) started patrolling the boarder Marla had to continue with his travels to continue to provide for his new bride. The date was the early 2000's. One day on a routine trip crossing the boarder the RUF arrested him and proceeded to torture him. They were demanding information from him and continued to torture him until he lost conciousnes. when he awoke he was left with a padlock in his face. The boys and men had smashed his hard pallet (the roof of his mouth) with a knife and put the padlock up his nose and out his mouth, crushing his bone and teeth. This was their way to stop Marla from talking about what he had witnessed and gone through.

Marla on his second visit to Mercy Ships for a couple more surgeries.

An aid organization in Sierra Leone found Marla and took him to local hospital in attempt to remove the padlock from his face. They were unable to remove the lock, he was moved from one hospital to another, but no one could help him. He was left with this giant medal padlock attached to his face crushing his tissue. Finally the aid organization brought him to Conakry, Guinea and payed for his addmitting fee to the hospital and promised reconstruction surgery. In the hospital they ware able to remove the lock, leaving behind a mangled face. However the aid organization left him to cope on his on, providing no help in locating his family if they survived or with any follow up surgeries. He was left alone in Conakry and remained around the area since.

Three years ago Marla arrived at a screen in Sierra Leone for a Mercy Ship screen. This started his road to recovery. Marla has had several surgeries reconstructing his crushed face. March is when we welcomed Marla on board the ship once again. He was smiling and so happy to be on the ship.The surgeon was able to reconstruct his nose out of a forhead flap through a series of operations. In addition he placed a metal plate on the roof of Marla's mouth to reform his hard pallet.  Marla was so thankfull for all the care he was receiving and would lift his hands and praise God for his blessings. He was a man of strong faith. But how? How can he be? He has seen the bottom of humianity, he has been treated like a cripple ever since. We are sitting in our confotable lives, having our faith never being tested and we find it terrifying to share the gospel or even show others our hearts and love for God on a daily bases. We have it easy, we should be giving thanks daily, not just after a difficult time. Marla raising his hands in praise will forever be a reminder of how we are told to be bold with our faith, and give thanks allways.

Marla had his last surgery a week before the ship closed the hospital. He was given two nosterals in his reconstructed button nose. When I walked up to him on the unit after his surgery he called me over and demonstraigted how he was able to exhale through his nose! He was so excited and proud of his new face. I love that I was able to witness his stregth and faith through his recovery. He is going home with two nasel trumpets in place (they hold the airway open until the nose has healed) He will remove these in a few weeks time. Such an aazing story of a man overcoming the circumstances given to him. I was only his nurse, he was an example of faith being bold and Gods amazing Love. I feel so blessed to have been a part of his story and will miss Marla very much, he will forever be in my thoughts and prayers.

Marla a few days before leaving the ship with a fellow nurse Joe-ella.