Learning how to juggle…

Upon returning to the ship, after Greg and my time back in the US, I knew I was going to have to do a bit of a juggling act. As of September 5th I would be working 20 hours in the hospital and 20 hours out of the hospital (Off Ships). Just like any ‘change’ the beginning is always interesting as you try and figure out when to throw a ball UP and when to grab the next one. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be good at this ‘juggling’ thing but so far so good.
I was a bit worried about working back in the hospital because I had been out of ‘ship nursing’ for about a year because of my time in West Africa and my new role earlier this year. But I was also SUPER excited to be doing patient care again. The hospital leadership asked if I would be willing to do post-operation care (wound care) and I said “Sure!” I have been doing this now for about 3 weeks and I have loved every single minute of it! It is nice to do something that I know and that I love.




The other great thing about doing this post-operative care is that I get to do wound care on all of my Hope Center patients. These are the patients I go and teach three times a week. It is such a blessing to be with them in so many different aspects of their journey with Mercy Ships. With my new schedule I will continue to teach my three days a week but I am now trying a new method of teaching by writing out role-plays on preventable illnesses. Sounds challenging doesn’t it? Well you are right but it is exciting to see how the patients and day volunteers/translators have fun with it.




So my third juggling piece is the continuation of the church leaders conferences. This year Mercy Ships has decided to do follow up conferences for each of the conferences that went on earlier this year. The first will be held on the September 28th in Freetown (where the ship is located). The next two will be held on October 4th in Bo (~5 hr drive) and the last on October 5th in Makeni (~3hr drive). These conferences always make me a bit nervey (yup made up a word) but God is teaching me that where I am the weakest that’s when I am the strongest because I rely on HIS strength. So be praying that I am very very weak. After these conferences are finished then comes the fun administration part which I looooovvvee (heavy sarcasm). Be praying for weakness in this too.. hehe…

Let’s recap for a second.
‘Becca’s Juggling Act’ includes
1. Post-operative care
2. Health education at Hope Center
3. Church Leaders Conference
This act may look complete but I don’t want my act to be boring so I thought I would throw in one more exciting piece: the planning and preparation for Greg and my marriage.
Today marks exactly two months until the ‘Big Day’. Greg and I met with our amazing wedding planners, Dulce and Liz, last week and saw how much we haven’t done yet. We are also still meeting weekly with our ship chaplain Marty and weekly with our Sierra Leone pastor, Pastor Moses, who will be marrying us. There is still a lot that has to be done but it has been so cool to see the willingness and desire of friends and family wanting to help out. God has been so obvious throughout each step of our preparations.
Who knows maybe you want to help out too. And if you do you are in luck I have things that I need you to do! These things are very important, don’t cost a lot, and are VITAL for this small little juggling act AND the many life acts that are to follow. I need your prayers.
Please be praying for the rest of this Sierra Leone outreach and all that Mercy Ships is doing. Be praying for all the patients for both physical and spiritual healing and that they would truly see Jesus in all that we do and say. And please continue to lift up Greg and I in prayer as we prepare for our marriage. We are super excited to see how God will use us to further his kingdom but still have many unknowns ahead of us. To God be all the glory and honor both now and forever more!