Night Skies and Morning Sunshine


 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
                                               The Global Mercy Surgical Ship Experience The Mercy Ships organization continues to offer surgical support in Africa. The decision to focus on Africa developed with the realization of the great need for free and safe surgery. Fifty percent of the West African population is located along the coast. The Africa Mercy and Global Mercy surgical ships offer care to those living on the coast and also throughout the country.  Globally, 5 billion people lack access to safe surgery. Children and adults die every day from treatable surgical treatment.  Managing the operational details of a ship requires a full time captain, engineers, and many deck crew to keep everything in excellent ship shape. My single cabin became a sanctuary for relaxation at the end of busy days. My schedule as a counselor for the crew was meaningful...
Read more

Joining the Global Mercy ship

Image
  May 2, 2022 Dear family and friends, My Dream Volunteering on a hospital ship became an interest of mine over 50 years ago. During my youth there was a hospital ship called the SS Hope which was in operation from 1960 to 1974. My dream created a plan to finish a nursing program and join the hospital ship. However, when I graduated from Mankato West High School, the Hope Project retired the hospital ship, putting a stop to my dream. I moved on to completing my nursing degree at Saint Olaf College, and focusing on family, more school, and work.  Life continued with many blessings to help manage sorrow. During the pandemic years, I traveled from one family home to the next, and enjoyed time with multiple generations. In December 2021, I said goodbye to my father and in April 2022 welcomed a ninth grandchild. Now I am inspired to find adventure in my third trimester of life. My hope of being crew on a hospital ship was renewed when I thought about my graduation (retirement) from...
Read more
Image
"Jere Jef"  Senegal! A familiar phrases heard around Dakar is "Jere Jef".  It means "thank you" in Wolof , the language of the Wolof people in West Africa.  I leave Senegal on 26 June 2022 with hopes to return in February 2023.  Dakar is referred to as the gateway to Africa. The port is a massive area of various docks for cargo from many countries. It is fascinating to watch the large ships arrive and day workers help to remove the cargo. This cargo seems to be anything from cars to corn! The Global Mercy ship will be leaving soon with hopes to return in February 2023.  Moving around the streets of Dakar feels safe and welcoming. The safety officers aboard the Mercy Ships provide country information and report the crime rate in Senegal as low. The recent protests around the Presidential Palace have been peaceful. The home of President Macky Sall, (head of state since 2021), and his family is less than one mile from the port where the Global Mercy ship is l...
Read more