Staring Out the Window

The whole reason for my extended time at home was for my sister’s wedding. It definitely held bonuses like extra time with friends and even being able to work again and earn some money. After the wedding my family had relatives stay for a week in our house. We had several adventures including a trip to Morton Island (highly recommended), a walk up Table Top and a drive to find kangaroos, wallabies and deer.

The rest of the time we sat around drinking coffee, doing puzzles and word games, chatting and swimming in our pool. The weather was perfect, sunny and blue skies with scattered clouds. Oh, glorious! I haven’t been in a country during spring since 2010 and I soaked up the seasonal change, raving about how much I enjoyed it. September in Toowoomba has a Carnival of Flowers and so it was the perfect time of year to be outdoors and drinking in the smells and colours of spring.

Extra time at home meant that I got to see the happy couple when they returned from their honeymoon and catch up with them. Extra time meant more days drinking coffee with mum and my sister Rebecca, sitting on the porch swing on the back deck and swimming in the pool being silly. Extra time meant that I had more days with my gorgeous little ones. Selfishly I was so glad the littlest has been induced three weeks early because it meant that I had five weeks with him!

this just makes me laugh

My last days in town were full of goodbyes. Although I love my life on the ship, I found it particularly hard to say goodbyes again. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice at all to live life far away from home, because your new place becomes home too, but this time I felt the wrench. I hate missing my friend’s kids growing up while I’m away. In February it’ll be my own niece growing up without me. I can’t stand that thought, but while I know God has me here, it’s where I’ll stay. Thankfully we have such great access to the internet on board that I can keep up with photos (provided the ones with the kids post photos!). It’s not the same as being there but it’s definitely better than nothing!

I arrived back to the Africa Mercy in Cape Town, South Africa on Monday evening. I was still feeling sad about leaving home and part of me will always feel sad about missing life there, but I was welcomed back to the ship with open arms, huge hugs, big smiles, so much enthusiasm that my heart smiled as wide as it could. And here I sit, on the same bed I left, staring out the window into an unfamiliar port, literally minutes away from sailing out into open seas. Oh, do you know where we are going? Madagascar!!!!!

I Am Full

The day finally arrives. The night was spent mostly sleeping but listening for an alarm to sound the beginning of the day. It has been eagerly awaited. It has taken months to plan.
The sun has already risen but the day is still early. The hot rollers are switched on and ready. Hairspray in hand. Bobby pins lined up. Make-up set up and spread across the table.  It is my little sister's wedding day.

Although we had a tight schedule to keep with hair and make-up being done by us at home, we wanted to keep the morning fun and light-hearted. Champagne with hibiscus flowers bubbled happily in our glasses. I concentrated hard at making Ruth's hair the most beautiful, perfect assembly of pinned and hanging curls. She in return, did mine while I simultaneously had my makeup done by my sister-in-law, Lyndi. I stayed as still as I could while my hair tugged, and my eyes and face were painted. Lyndi said I must have been good at the game Statues when I was a kid.

 
Before Ruth had completed my hair up-do, when my makeup was finished, I began to braid Sarah's hair. Looking around the room, Lyndi was doing Rebecca's make up, Sarah was in front of me as I tugged in her hair, Ruth behind me placing the last pins, mum giving support and encouragement and dad documenting it all with photos. (Not quite sure where my brother had gone- perhaps too much hairspray happening for him!) In the moment I had a laugh. It felt like we were playing games and not like my sister was about to make the biggest promise of her life.

Hair and makeup perfectly set, the bridesmaid dress falling in gentle waves against my body, jewellery dangling, shoes zipped and tied to complete the look, I walked upstairs to the bride, "Time to put your dress on Ruth!"
I slipped her into her hand made gown, lacing up the back and pulling it tight. She had spent more than 100 hours putting this dress together and she looked stunning. I don't actually think I've ever seen her look so beautiful. Photographer and bouquets arrived and apart from a moment where I almost fell backwards down the front stairs, all was ready and we were on time!

The old classic wedding cars arrived, unintentionally matching our colour scheme!  Stephen wanted Ruth there on time and not late. She had promised she would be. So we pulled out of our family home, leaving behind the mess of empty champagne glasses, shoes boxes, scattered makeup, left over bobby pins and my sister's bedroom, never to be slept in by her alone again.

Stephen was beaming as we walked down the aisle. Ruth glowed. I swallowed back tears. We sang a song together as a church. As our voices rose to the heavens it was as though the church roof lifted off and the angels joined with us. The sound filled the church and overflowed our hearts. I had to stop singing to choke back my tears. He was smiling with us. Actually I think God’s heart was bursting with pride for these two. I watched the bride and groom for the rest of the day, gaze into each other’s eyes with so much hope for their future together. I am thrilled for them. I know it's just the beginning of an amazing journey and adventure together.

The following day was my mum's 60th birthday party. Again our house was full of life, love and laughter.

 
I love my family. I am so proud of each of them in their individual ways.  This whole weekend was full of family, love and laughter. My heart is so full. I feel God so strongly in those moments where I take a step back, look around the room at those whom I love and let my heart swell and throb with joy for all God has given me. I am full.

Umar

This is Umar. Umar is from Sierra Leone. He was one of my patients in the hospital for some months, back in 2011. He stayed for such a long time that when I was allocating nurses their patients for the next shift, (he would be sitting on my lap) he would pick his favourite nurse to be his.
One day after we had been up on deck 7, as I gathered the patients, two boys, Umar and Amara grabbed one of my hands each to walk downstairs. Umar looked up at me and called me Mum. He had his own Grandma as his mother, but he had decided to call me Mum and that is what he called me until the day he discharged. It caught on and all the other kids and even some adults called me Mum for the rest of their hospital stay. Oh how they planted themselves so deeply in my heart.
When I think of the Ebola Virus Disease ripping through their country, destroying their families and maybe even my children who called me Mum, my face contorts with pain and tears begin to fall. My body racks with sobs for the pain this country is suffering. An unseen, deadly virus, stripping the country of their community love, as people are isolated and unable to be touched as their bodies fight a virus disease the world has never seen on this scale.

How desperately I wish I could be in Sierra Leone, not only fighting this virus but checking for those that I still carry in my heart. When the ship sails away from a country and I leave behind beloved patients, I know I leave them in God's hands. Who could be more reliable?! But how desperately I wish I could know they are ok! I long for the day I can stand face to face with them in heaven and speak to them in the same language.

 

   

Right Now

I would have thought in the past four years on the ship that I’d eaten enough boiled eggs to last me a lifetime, but when I woke up from my night shift today, it was the best snack I could think of to eat. Perhaps that’s my body’s way of telling me I’m ready to return!

Within the next week Mercy Ships will reveal the new country that my home, the Africa Mercy, will set sail to in the coming weeks. I can’t wait until it's revealed!

In the last couple of days spring has truly arrived to South East Queensland. That means I can actually wear a t-shirt outside sitting in the shade and still be warm! Those of you like me who don’t love winter will know the joy that this truly brings! I’m currently sitting on our porch swing, surrounded by a light, cool breeze, hearing the birds tweet in the trees and the leaves rustle (ok, and now the digger up the road making obnoxious noises). As the weather slowly changes a large part of me wants to stay and enjoy an Aussie spring and summer. It’s been four years since I’ve been somewhere for spring.

These weeks at home have flown by. There has been plenty of action in my life with a friend having an early baby, who is gorgeous and healthy. He is delightfully cute! By the end of the week I will have worked 35hrs in the kid’s ward, which has certainly kept me out of mischief this week. In the weeks gone I’ve also managed to squeeze in a little travel to Adelaide for a Louden girls wedding prep weekend, a trip to the beautiful Sunshine Coast with lovely Mercy Ships girls and even a flight to Sydney from Toowoomba! It was the most delightful experience flying out of my home town instead of driving two hours to the airport. There I visited more dear ship friends.

Windy day on Sydney Harbour

My sister’s wedding is only 14 days away and still plenty of organising to do (and wedding dress sewing for the busy bride!) Life has gotten so busy with all these things that my mind is focused more on being home than anything else. When I got an email from HR on the ship about details for my return, I looked at dates and counted the weeks until I might fly back to my ship home, my heart jumped a little, feeling like I was leaving all too soon. I guess I’m adaptable these days, to settle into the place to call home, wherever that may be. So much has changed on the ship since my departure back in May that I feel somewhat anxious at returning to my home. The other part of me can’t wait to be back in Africa, making a difference to lives who need a little more loving. My heart still aches for West Africa struggling through the Ebola Virus Disease. I hate sitting back and watching that unfold, seemly helpless to make a difference. I know those countries. I know the streets, the town names, the people. I know their fragile healthcare systems. The articles reporting on Ebola are not positive, but as I pray for the people, I know there are stories of survival. The latest BBC article I read from yesterday said that 55% of people with Ebola were dying. So 45% of people who’ve been infected with Ebola have survival stories. I wish I could hear them. Part of me desperately wants to join the aid teams over there, to make a difference wherever possible. For now I will wait and see where God leads me.

Right now in front of me I have family and friends, visits and catch ups, sunshine and t-shirts, coffee and good food.

 sigh. Look at that sweet face.