I am in two minds...

Surgery for this Sierra Leone outreach finishes tomorrow.  The hospital closes on Friday 25^th Nov, where the last patient will go home or to a clinic we have arranged for continued care.  The next days until Dec we will be cleaning and packing ready for the ship to sail to Ghana for a two week break.

In less than two weeks, before the sail, I will leave the ship to be on holidays, which I’m very excited about!  But it also means that I am leaving Sierra Leone, with no idea of when I will be coming back.  This country and her people have buried themselves deep into my heart.  I will have to say final goodbyes to patients who have been on the wards for months, to Day Volunteers who have worked with us all year and nurses whom some I have worked with all year and some only a few months.  So the ‘goodbyes’ weigh heavy on my shoulders.  The last few days I have spent hours writing in cards saying goodbye to friends, with each card, the weight gets heavier.  In fact it is so heavy right this minute I feel sick, unsure of what to do with this multitude of feelings.

As I think over this year, I wonder where on earth it has gone?  About 1,200 crew members have come and served on the Africa Mercy and I have looked after countless patients, cuddled countless babies and played with countless children.  Although the numbers have been countless to me, each child has taken a small piece of my heart with them.  Just take a look at them:

 

 

 

How can you not leave your heart with them?  How can you not love them as much as humanly possible?

I have seen some dramatic transformations this year.  Just have a look:

 There are so many more before and after photos to come which i can't wait to share!!!

I am just so blessed to be able to be a part of each of their lives.  And will be very excited after a refreshing holiday to come back for more!  Thank you for supporting me with your emails, your kind words, financial support and prayers.  I’m looking forward to writing more in the future!