2nd Screening Day set

The new screening day is tomorrow.  As you can imagine the ship is busy with people organising all that we will do and need.  Security at the new venue has already begun with shifts beginning this afternoon, changing at midnight and then at 0600hrs.  There will be pre-pre-screeners in the crowd asking people why they have come and telling them to stay a little longer to see a pre-screener or to go home now before the sun comes up because we cannot help them.  People will have already arrived at the venue, a day before it begins.  The desperation is still as big as ever.  We cannot walk down the street into Freetown without having someone stop us and ask if they can see a Dr on the ship, or if they can bring their sick child to us.  Each time we suggest they go to the Dental clinic or Eye clinic on any Monday all year and they should be seen, or to come to screening day if we think it is appropriate.  Until the last few days though even we did not know when screening day would be, but we would suggest they listen to the radio for further instructions.  Now the day is finally here.

Please be praying for us, that God will bring the people he wants to heal and that those we cannot help will stay home.  Pray for safety for the Mercy Ships team and for the people of Sierra Leone, that the crowd will behave and not push their boundaries.  Pray that God’s presence will be at the new venue, keeping the people calm and bringing peace to their desperate souls.

As for me, tomorrow I am charge nurse over one of the orthopaedic wards.  I will not get to be a part of screening day as I was last time.  I am sad that I won’t be there, but I know someone needs to look after the patients that we do have.  And the ones we have are gorgeous!