Linda Atwood's Global Mercy Journey

 My February 2023 return to Senegal for the Grand Opening of the GLM Ship Hospital The Global Mercy surgical ship arrived in Dakar, Senegal to live out her mission of providing hope and healing to nations with limited surgical capacity. Dr. Juliette Tuakli, Mercy Ships' Diplomatic Ambassador for Africa, said at the arrival ceremony: "For the first time in Mercy Ship's history, two nations will be served from one port. Mercy Ships is grateful that Senegal, in the true spirit of Teranga, has opened its border to a selective group of patients from The Gambia who will be served alongside patients from Senegal." After my many months in Tenerife, during the equipping phase of the Global Mercy ship, it is an amazing experience to return to Senegal with a fully operating hospital.  A pediatric hospital bed which is now a place for a young patient during our field service time in Senegal. Watching the patients and their families walk up the gangway is a powerful experience. Th

  December 2022 on the GLM in Tenerife Mount Teide, a volcano on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain is the highest point in Spain and measures 12,198 feet about sea level. Teide received snow late on Christmas day which was a magical event for the Mercy Ships crew spending time away from their northern home countries.  Prior to Christmas day the crew did find festive ways to celebrate the holiday including using a new way of recycling shredded paper!  An indoor snowball fight spontaneously erupted at the conclusion of our Christmas Variety Show. The Global Mercy Ship remains in Tenerife, Spain until early February 2023 which created the need to make a "white Christmas" with the shredded paper from the ships. It was a festive surprise which challenged the housekeeping crew! The Christmas season on both our ships - Africa Mercy and Global Mercy was filled with traditions from around the world. This photo shows the Swedish celebration of the Feast pf Saint Lucy which honors L