One Last Go-Round

 

Lakka Beach, Freetown, Sierra Leone, as viewed from Lakka Beach Island Resort.

It's been the better part of a year since I wrote a blog post, which wasn't intentional on my part. My best guess is that, after coming out of the pandemic through successive seasons like nothing I had ever encountered before, and two and a half years of novel experiences on the GLM, now that the ship has been in the same country for two successive field service, maybe I forgot how to write an update during a season when we stay in one spot! But of course there is always more to share about our work here in Sierra Leone, and I have a life update to share as well, so here are some of the highlights!

With the OR team after delivering a morning devo.

Did you know that Sierra Leone's First Lady, Fatima Maada Bio, is studying for her masters degree in public health through UCLA? She attended the ceremony marking the GLM's second arrival in Freetown back in September. In her speech, she made it very clear that she and her husband, President Julius Maada Bio, were very happy with all that Mercy Ships was doing in Sierra Leone. She also zeroed in on the fact that our surgical numbers from last field service indicate that some patients had undergone more than one surgery in the course of their care with Mercy Ships. This is not abnormal for us, but her remark still struck me: 

"To have surgery once, you are lucky. To have more than one surgery, you are one of the luckiest people in the world."

Photo credit: Tirsa Tapia

Undergoing multiple surgeries is conceivable when you have systems like medical insurance in place. In countries where the majority of citizens foot the bill for every single procedure they undergo, it's easy to see how seeking even necessary care could quickly become an impossible goal. Even when Mercy Ships covers all costs associated with care, patients still face challenges.

For everything that volunteers sacrifice in order to work on the ship, oftentimes, it is the patients who sacrifice even more. They leave their families and their jobs (paid leave is not common here) for an undetermined amount of time in order to receive the care they seek. Our Hospital Chaplaincy team has sometimes been called to step in and provide practical support when a patient is feeling concerned for their loved ones at home, who may struggle to buy food for themselves while the main breadwinner is away.

Out in town you'd be hard-pressed to find a time of day when certain streets are not bustling--bursting, really--with activity. As long as people are out running errands, socializing, or commuting--by motorcycle, bus (Freetown just introduced a new and improved bus system last year), keke, or on foot--well, there is money to be made, and income is often dedicated to immediate needs. Sellers carrying pastries, toothpaste, beverages, tea towels, and all other manner of small wares on their heads, or seated by the roadside, often carry a megaphone in their hand, set to repeat a recorded advertisement of their offerings (the most ubiquitous is for cellular credit: "top-up, top-up!"). In the deepest parts of the market, surrounded by these recordings on top of hundreds of voices, the cacophony is truly incredible. It's all I can do to focus on where I'm placing my feet to avoid treading on merchandise, a mysterious puddle, or another foot. I am rarely comfortable taking my phone out in a market, but I found a video on YouTube of a typical market street.

The photo to the right is another typical sight in Freetown--

squishy sandals galore! Although it looks chaotic, this carefully arranged tower is also designed to attract shoppers by presenting all of the options at once. Sellers jump to their feet when you approach, and can usually pick out what you're looking for in no time!

We have been in "Sweet Salone" for almost two field services, and Mercy Ships has now committed for a third, for 2025-2026. Not only is there still much that can be done in partnership with the government of Sierra Leone, but Mercy Ships is also still carefully laying the groundwork for the next field service location--a task not to be rushed through, and so to be welcomed with open arms to return to Freetown is a win-win.

What has left the biggest impression on me is the openness and hospitality of the people of Freetown. As we know well from our time on board, building relationships across cultures can be challenging, but Sierra Leonians have shown themselves ready to meet any challenge, even getting us westerners to loosen up! ;)

A fellow crew member from Sierra Leone invited us to his wedding recently!

A photo from a recent community night in the Cafe.
Photo credit: Merel Visser-Piet

As many of you are already aware, I am not planning to be on the ship for our third arrival. Instead, I'm preparing to conclude my service on board the Ships. I've expected for a long time that this would be a daunting and emotional transition. But now that I'm practically standing on the threshold, I'm also filled with excitement--in a few short months, I get to marry my best friend!

If you have not already met Jay-B, let me introduce you! Jay-B is from Benin, and his name is short for Jean-Baptiste. We both started serving as crew in 2017, and have been very nearly inseparable since 2022, so last summer, he asked me if I'd like to stay forever, and I said yes! Although the wedding date is still about 3 months away, I know the days and weeks will pass faster than we can say "K-1 fiance visa!" (but hopefully not faster than we can obtain said visa--amen!) 

Together we are already walking the tightrope between "here" and "there"--

Between being present in the moment and with the people around us...

...and anticipating and preparing for life after the ship.

Some newly trained volunteers in the Cafe! Before the end of training,
we always grab a random prop from the Cafe to take a selfie.

Between reflecting on all the past years have meant to us...

...and reflecting on the major life changes to come.

Playing cards during a weekend away from the ship.

Between gratitude for all that we have seen God do during our time on board...

...and excitement for everything the years ahead hold!

A recent dance part of deck 9 with the Food Services team for the Chief Steward's birthday!

What is to come is a transition back to life in the US for me, and a transition to living in another foreign country for Jay-B. Our wedding, moving into a new place, starting a new job, and staying on top of all of the paperwork that stands between where we are and where we want to go in the future have been the focus of many late nights in the past months, not to mention still soaking in ship life, the worship team that we lead (there are 4 different teams on board, and we all lead the worship for the crew service once a month), and all of the things that make life here so sweet.

A scene from planning music for one of the worship services.
The objects below the guitar are hand chimes for Christmas!

Most of the time, we're handling the pressure pretty well, rooted in trust in the One who holds our future. Then there are days when that pressure and emotion need to be "released", and there are some tears. In those moments I sure feel lucky to have access to the amazing support network we have through Mercy ships, not to mention my incredible fiance, who always knows exactly how to encourage me. May they continue to be tears of gratitude, and not anxiety!

Jay-B at Loro Parque in Tenerife--
those aquariums were amazing!

A few prayer requests for the months ahead:

Breakfast on deck 8 is a favorite weekend ritual.

• For favor through the remaining steps in Jay-B's visa process.
• Plans for re-entry and life after the ship--we are looking for an apartment in the Bloomington/Richfield/S Minneapolis area that we can rent for about 6 months from June 2025-January 2026.
• Prayers for winding down our service well, handover with our replacements that needs to take place, and for smooth transitions for our teams who will carry on without us.
• At a high level, Mercy Ships is looking for a new CEO. Do you know anyone??

Recently we took a trip to visit the village of one of the Sierra Leonian crew. Ishaka (pictured above) and his brother are investing in planting a palm tree farm that can provide jobs and income for their community!

The Mercy Supply Chain

The Sales team (including Chief Steward Paul, right; and
Assistant Steward Mendy, left) in the Cafe

"God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body."

-1 Corinthians 12:18-20

Serving up smiles in the Cafe! 

Now with about 5 months as Global Mercy Sales Manager in the books, I am loving this new role. The title might be a bit of a misnomer, as the Ship Shop, Cafe, and Post Office on board are not revenue-making operations. They are there as a way to bless the crew and provide an oasis in the midst of work. Our little team made of me and three staff has seen some routine turnover, and it's been wonderful to see new team members blossom and get excited about serving the crew and making them smile--We're getting a lot of mileage out of a 3-D printed smiley stencil one of the families made!

An "African Fabric Fashion Show" is an annual tradition
on the ships, and is one of the Crew and Day Crew's
favorite activities to do all together! I wish you could hear
the cheers of encouragement as friends and coworkers go
down the "catwalk"!

An especially fun aspect of the role is helping to coordinate community activities, and when you have such a large and diverse community all bringing their interests and ideas forward, it can amount to some very lively and colorful life outside of the office! On any given night of the week, you could pop into Bible studies, dance lessons, worship evenings, a film festival, the crafting group, the sewing enthusiasts, a presentation, a Brazilian Ju-Jitsu class, or a national holiday observance... the list goes on! (I've included more photos of community life at the end of this post)

On April 27 (in addition to being the Dutch holiday known as "Kings Day"), Sierra Leone celebrated 63 years as an independent nation. The best word I can think of to describe Sierra Leonians is "Courageous". Anyone here who has been alive since 1990 has lived through civil war (1991-2002), the Ebola virus epidemic (2014-2015), and finally (like the rest of the world) the COVID-19 pandemic. Literal volumes have been written to record and analyze everything Sierra Leonians has overcome (I recently listened to the audio version of Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds by Paul Farmer, which focuses on the context and aftermath of the Ebola epidemic). Many are raising their families in neighborhoods where intermittent electricity and running water is a fact of life, and the streets are so narrow and steep that there is no margin for error, let alone space for intrepid toddlers to run free.

Visiting Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary

Out in town, signs of need are almost everywhere you look, and it can leave the mind feeling drained. I'm intentionally sparing much detail on this, because "signs of need" are not what defines Sierra Leone.

What does define Sierra Leone? In short, the people. If you ask one of the many Sierra Leonian crew on board (as of last month, there were 22!), that is most often their response, and what makes this the nation they are proud to call "Mama Salone".

A photo from a patient Naserry's homecoming.
(Photo credit: Tirsa Tapia)

This is not Mercy Ships' first visit to Sierra Leone. A walk through one of the main hospitals, Connaught, introduced us to many dedicated doctors and nurses who have received training from Mercy Ships at some point in their careers. And to be sure, you need to be dedicated to work in the medical industry here, making sure the community has reasonable access to medical care in an unforgiving professional ecosystem.

An anesthesia training course participant honing her skills in
the GLM simulation center. (photo credit: Elizabeth Brumley) 

I am constantly reminded that Mercy Ships cannot fill every need that might be held out in front of us. In a nation that is striving for healthcare, electricity, access to water, and jobs, the need to stay focused on the piece that God has given Mercy Ships to manage is very important. Within the GLM, each department then manages an even smaller piece of this, in what one chaplain named Jim recently referred to as the "Mercy supply chain". I absolutely loved this image! It highlights that we cannot do what we do without each one contributing to the full in their area of calling, and it serves as a small snapshot of what it means to live and serve in God's Kingdom, wherever we may be. In this way, we bring the Kingdom to earth in a bigger and more wonderful way than any of us could have done on our own.

"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."

-Romans 12:3-8

Patient Marie before her goiter removal surgery on board (Photo credit: Abigail Beinetti)

Patient Marie after her goiter removal
surgery (Photo credit: Tirsa Tapia)

A gospel song I heard in a local church that we visited recently has stuck with me. It is written by S.O.J Macauley in the Krio language, making it uniquely Sierra Leonian. Most recently I heard one of our Dining Room Day Crew singing it while she emptied the dish carts.

The chorus translates to:

"When you work for God,

there will be no losses;

He is the Master Businessman,

who knows how to pay you."

May the Master Businessman help you to flourish this week. As Chaplain Jim said, "Go give 'em heaven!"

Friends putting on a live music night in the Cafe

Showing off our African Fashion!

A goodnye dinner for a Sales Staff.

Experiencing a Passover seder dinner during Holy Week

A group of ladies that play football on the dock every week.

Day off at Lakka Beach--we can recommend
the $15 lobster at Paul's Beach Bar!

We are one of four teams that take turns leading musical
worship on Sunday evenings.

Enjoying late night snacks with teammates after a worship night

I have been giving guitar lessons to two other crew
members. One has just switched ships and will
need to find a new teacher on the Africa Mercy!

Sierra Leone has a train museum

Testing out a restored hand cart at the train museum
with our two guides (it actually moved!).

A beautiful Freetown sunset over the port.

The Great Interruption

Do you see the nativity scene? I was amazed!

Warmest greetings from the Global Mercy! So far in Sierra Leone, over 500 patients have already received life-changing surgery, and the OR is now taking a break for the holidays. On board we celebrated with many Mercy Ships traditions, involving lots of music, a variety show, and an amazing Christmas meal. 

One of my friends set up a holiday photo booth!

The Christmas worship team!

While there is lots of joy, many crew will tell you that Christmas on the ship brings lots of activity, and--who put that wall there? I didn't see it coming, but suddenly I hit it. "A Geography of Time" by Robert Levine uses the phrase "hurry sickness" to describe the consequences of fast-paced living--difficulty focusing on the present, and loss of interest in activities that are not traditionally considered "productive".

On Christmas morning, we had a worship service. The speaker said we are sometimes quick to get frustrated when our plans get interrupted (eh-hem, especially when we are hurrying through said plans). But the interruptions are often where God is at work, and whenever he works, we can be assured that it will be incredible. After all, God has an epic plan to heal the world.

When you think about it, that's kind of what happened at Christmas--what an incredible interruption! Can you imagine receiving the news that Mary got when the angel first visited her?

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

-Luke 1:30

That would be a lot to take in! Giving birth to a never-ending kingdom? Oh boy, talk about pressure. What thoughts and fears could have gone through Mary's head? Plans for a normal marriage would have been shattered--if she could still get married at all. 

Was there a part of her that felt loss, with this new direction her life suddenly seemed to be taking? If so, you wouldn't know it by her response. Mary was presented with the perfect opportunity to feel frustrated, cheated, and bitter about how complicated her life had become, but she didn't take the bait. Instead she wholeheartedly embraced the work of God in her life without resistance.

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May everything you have said about me come true.... From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name."

-Luke 1:38, 48-49

We can learn so much from Mary's example. When she could have pushed everyone away and distanced herself from God, she instead proclaimed that she saw herself as highly favored. There is so much to gain when we welcome interruptions and open ourselves up to God's unpredictable workings. Imagine what God can do with a heart like that.

• Thinking about Mary's song in Luke 1 reminds me, have you seen the episode of The Chosen called "The Messengers"? I just watched it again the other day. I love all the imagination behind this show, while it still stays true to the scripture we treasure. This episode is about 40 minutes long.
• I also heard this song yesterday during a Christmas dinner with friends--enjoy!

I don't know how you accidentally join a hand chime rehearsal,
but that's what I managed to do earlier this month!

In this season, many crew are transferring to the other ship, the Africa Mercy. Goodbyes are hard, and I'm not always the best at keeping up with all the departures. I am staying on the Global Mercy for now, and after two weeks of handover with the next Executive Assistant, I switched to the role of Sales Manager at the beginning of December. 

One of my last meetings as Executive Assistant

Now I serve with a small team to oversee a few areas on board: The Cafe, the Post Office, and the Ship Shop, which is kind of like a convenience store with some basic food staples, snacks, merchandise, and other living necessities. Not surprisingly, there is a lot to learn, but I think I'm making some slow progress! To many, the cafe is seen as the heart of the community, where crew get together during morning breaktime or for evening crafting I'm looking forward to this opportunity to show hospitality to the rest of the crew.

My new team made this thoughtful sign for me!

I am so grateful for your prayers, support, and friendship through this journey. In God's hands, they are multiplied into a blessing to so many, and I can't thank you enough.

One of the green-soaked views from high up in the
hills at Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary

We attended a service at a local church on
Christmas Eve. The worship was very energizing!