A New Start - Cameroon

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View out the window in my cabin. 

I have been back on my floating home for just under a week. As I settle into life back on the ship I have been feeling a range of emotions. I am excited to be back and look forward to starting again, but part of me misses last year. Some of my friends are no longer on the ship, many of my coworkers are different and the ship is no longer in Benin which had become like home over the last year. At the same time I am getting excited about what this year has in store and how God will use me and those around me, both crew members and patients to bring him glory. It feels strange to start again where I started a year ago, but in a new country.

The ship is in Douala Cameroon where we are docked along the bank of a large river. We can’t see the ocean from the ship, which is very strange. The view from my cabin window is that of the river and its far bank. Standing on the deck of the ship I can make out Mount Cameroon one of Africa’s largest volcanoes in the distance.

Cameroon is a central African Country bordering Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. It has 2 official languages (French and English); however, the English areas are much smaller than the French. Most of our patients will speak one (or more) of the over 200 African dialects spoken throughout the country. The most common religions are Christianity, Islam and Traditionalism; however, the majority of Cameroonians actually practice a combination of 2 religions, mixing Traditional practices and beliefs with either Christianity or Islam.

A Ward Still mostly packed up. Lots of cleaning yet to be done.

The ship arrived in Cameroon on August 16^th so by the time I arrived with a group of returning nurses the hospital was only just starting its set up process. All week we have been working hard to turn deck 3 back into a hospital, even as the first of our patients board to receive some of their pre-surgical testing. This year, with the help of Cameroon, Mercy Ships is trialing a new way to do patient screening. 30 local doctors were trained and have been traveling throughout the country screening potential patients over the last few months. This means that the chaotic mass screening days by Mercy Ship's screening team can be avoided and we started scheduled surgeon screenings with patients who had already passed the pre-screening process immediately.  Orthopedic surgeon screening has been going on over the last 2 days so lots of littles with soon to be straightened legs have been visiting to get their preliminary x-rays.

B-ward with one side emptied. Now there's
room to clean the walls and the floors.

Setting up the beds on the newly cleaned B-ward!

As I mentioned above, this has been a crazy week for me. I flew out of the United States on Saturday the 19^th and arrived exhausted on the 20^th in Cameroon. I didn’t have any time to recover from my jet lag before setting to work unpacking, cleaning, scrubbing, and setting up the wards. On Friday afternoon I helped with our hospital day crew orientation, during which I was able to meet many of the day crew I will be working with over the next year. Day crew are local crew members who don’t live on the ship. They are hired by Mercy Ships to help in a variety of ways. The week has flown by and I am thankful for a weekend to recover and rest. Next week will not be quite as busy for me. On Sunday the new nurses will be arriving and will start orientation which I will only have brief involvement in. At the end of the week we will have ward specific education and time to get to know our coworkers both nurses and day crew. The hospital will then open the following Monday, with patients being admitted in the evening for surgery Tuesday morning.

Can't set up the beds without hanging curtains. 

Day Crew Orientation 

The hospital isn't the only department busy setting up. Here the deck crew
is helping to set up our dock space. this structure will provide shade for our
patients waiting to see the admissions nurses and those coming for out patient
appointments.

And so my second year with Mercy Ships begins. Please keep me, the ship (crew, day crew and patients) and the country of Cameroon in your prayers. Here are some specific prayer request that I have.

1.      That I would be protected spiritually. Last year, especially during the second half of the field service, I felt under spiritual attack. This took many different forms. I am listing it as my first request because even if you don’t pray for me in any other way, I ask that you would commit to regularly praying for my spiritual protection throughout the year.

2.      That I would be protected physically. Last year I was sick 7 or 8 times during the field service. Prayers that I would stay in good health and not have a repeat of illness this year would be appreciated.

3.      That God would prepare our hearts (crew and day crew) for service. That we would show his love in all we say and do, in the way that we work together, and in the way that we care for patients.

4.      That God would prepare the hearts of our patients. That they would see Him in a new light. That they would see themselves and their worth the way He see them. That they would feel loved and accepted.

5.      That our patients would be protected both physically and spiritually.

6.      For the many crew members traveling to the ship this week and those starting new jobs. That they would arrive safely, that they would not struggle with jet lag, and that they would not become overwhelmed.

Author's Note: While I am currently serving with Mercy Ships the ideas and opinions expressed here are my own. Mercy Ships has not reviewed nor do they endorse the content written within this blog.