Welcome Back

I pulled the Land Cruiser into the Port of Dakar around 6:20am on February 1st. In the pre-dawn stillness, I killed the engine and gazed ahead in slight disbelief. The dock in front of me had been cleared of the rebar, rice, and flatbed trucks that had covered it just a few days prior, and would be transformed again in a few short hours.

Welcome back to Berth 14.

Before long, the sun came up. The first group to join me were Day Crew, all alumni who had worked with the ship before. They were there to set up the dockside infrastructure that would soon help us welcome patients from around the country. I was especially excited to see Ka, who I knew from the previous field service. (Ka also appears in this post from February 2020!)

Welcome back to Mercy Ships, friends.

Morning devotions with the team at our apartment.

By God's design, there are some seasons of life where grace carries us through one day at a time. Many people have experienced this reality in deeper valleys than I've ever walked, but my team got a taste of it in January. It was a month that seemed to last one day and a whole year at the same time. Arrival day was barreling towards us, and thinking of all that had to be accomplished in time was a bit overwhelming! Through unexpected challenges, exhaustion, and late nights of work, we found ourselves frequently leaning on God for our daily bread. 

To those that prayed for me and the team in Dakar, thank you. When we were working and waiting for one more appointment, one more phone call, or one more authorization, we were frequently reminding each other to trust God. Trust that He would come through in His perfect way, in His perfect timing. It's a nice thought on paper. In practice, the waiting can be torture!

Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
-Psalm 9:10

Recognizing the silhouette of the Africa Mercy in front
of the Pilot boat was a highlight of the day!

Despite the struggle, February 1st did come. It was a day filled with greetings, hugs, photos, a portable toilet delivery, a lunch run for the dockside teams, one very exciting boat ride out to meet the Africa Mercy and drop off the Pilot who would guide her into the port, more hugs and photos, and an arrival ceremony hosted by the Senegalese Ministry of Health. Any exhaustion from the preceding weeks was replaced by a sense of victory, and pure joy! 

Welcome back to Senegal, Africa Mercy!

That's one excited Advance team!

Almost two years after the ship left, arrival day felt like the perfect answer to all of our waiting, questions, and prayers. Mercy Ships will be able to fulfill its promise to the people of Senegal, and our team could not be more honored to have played a part in it.

(To see more photos and videos from arrival day, I saved it as a highlight on my Instagram page.)

With our work as an Advance team winding down, each of us was preparing for their next step. Several members of my team moved onto the Africa Mercy to serve in roles on board, while others prepared to return home and continue in their roles as part of the Country Engagement Team. 

One last team dinner before we parted ways.

Arriving in my cabin

As for me, there was a period of uncertainty, and periodic conversations with the HR team about where I might land post-Advance. After much prayer and deliberation, I accepted a role as the Executive Assistant on the newest member of the Mercy Ships fleet, the Global Mercy.

Welcome back on board, Kate.

The job title may be familiar from my time on the Africa Mercy, but it comes with a new ship, a new team, and an unusual schedule for the next year that bears little resemblance to the seasonal rhythms that I had come to know by heart.

While the Africa Mercy is actively treating patients and training Senegalese medical professionals, the Global Mercy is still getting equipped for service, and won't be ready to welcome its first patient for almost another year. But the preparations being made now will be crucial when the time comes for her to follow in the AFM's footsteps.

I boarded the GLM at the end of a months-long equipping phase in Antwerp, Belgium. From there we sailed to Rotterdam for a two-week PR stopover. During that time, the ship welcomed tens of thousands of guests to see the new ship first hand. 

Quality time with old friends has been a 
highlight of Rotterdam.

Among many visitors who were discovering Mercy Ships for the first time (yay!), there was also an astonishing number of Mercy Ships alumni who made their way to Rotterdam to see the new "baby" in person. 

Running into old friends, I habitually exclaimed "welcome back!" and then immediately laughed because we were on new ship in a new country. Welcome back to what, exactly? But it was understood immediately. 

Welcome back to this community. 

Leave it to your old friends to make a new ship feel like home.

On Tuesday, the Global Mercy departs for the island Tenerife, to moor in the same port where the Africa Mercy spent almost two years preparing for its return to Senegal. I will write more about the ship's schedule in my next post.

Exploring the hospital with

my friend Irma.

Despite the distance, whether by offering surgery and training or by welcoming visitors to take a tour and hear stories, we are united around one cause. Far beyond Dakar and Rotterdam, we want to participate in God's epic plan to heal the world.

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
-Psalm 33:11

Even if we could make all our plans run like clockwork (LOL, we can't.), treat all the patients, train all the local surgeons, and raise all the funds, God is the one who brings true healing. May you experience it this week, as well. Blessings to you, friends, and glory to God!

For health reasons, we still don't do communal singing indoors, but we
can worship outdoors. In Belgium and the Netherlands, that meant bundling up!

Entering a lock on our way out of Antwerp.

Arrival day in Rotterdam

Visiting two former youth students in Delft