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!

September already?!

What an amazing time Greg and I have had with all of our friends and family here in the US. This entire vacation was possible because of all of your prayers and God intervening to get Greg his visa. 'With God ALL things are possible' and that has been a reigning truth throughout not only Greg's and my relationship but through our lives as well.
This past month has been anything but boring. To give you a quick breakdown: Sierra Leone- Virginia-Maryland-Boston-Ohio-Boston- New Hampshire-Boston. We spoke at two churches, one retreat, went to a wedding (not our own.. congrats Caiti and Charlie), and an engagement party (this WAS for us.. thanks Mom!). We had over 30 meals out with friends and family. Watched 15 movies. We purchased a wedding dress and a suit for Greg. Spent 160$ at Christmas Tree Shop for wedding flair. Purchased over 170 candles. Bought one mustache. Drove over 1500 miles. Walked the dog over 10 miles, hiked two mountains, and drove my mother crazy only 3 times.
We have both had such an amazing time with all of you and it is with a heavy heart that is now overflowing with love that this part of our journey must come to an end. We thank you for every phone call, meeting, conversation, dinner, lunch, gift, prayer, hug, smile, and laugh. Know that each was meaningful and special to us both. I know we weren't able to see everybody. We wish we could have spent more time with each one of you but please know in your hearts the love we have for you.
I pray that God will continue to bless each and everyone one of you and that you will continue to trust and obey him with your WHOLE lives.

I am still working on my grammar, so for now instead of making my 'grammatically correct friends' cringe, here is an abbreviated pictorial of our time home.
































































How lucky i am to know so many people that are so hard to say goodbye too...
Until next time!




Back to Africa we go...

Moskita, me no like!

Moskita… me no like!
I HATE mosquitoes!
I thought I hated mosquitoes before I came to Africa but after being here for two years I despise, loathe, and abhor them (I love my thesaurus). Last year, while working with the Burkitt’s program, I discovered even more about why mosquitoes are EVIL (maybe that’s a little harsh).
Here are some reasons why to hate mosquitoes:
1. They cause malaria, which kills up to 3 million people each year, mainly in Africa.
2. Malaria is a major factor in causing Burkitt’s Lymphoma (BL). This cancer mainly affects children in equatorial Africa. The reasons kids get BL are from chronic malaria, malnutrition, plus a dose of the Epstein Barr virus. This cancer, if left untreated, has a100% death rate. ‘Mosquitoes are EVIL’ statement still stands.
Then last November, during my visit to Liberia, this hatred grew even DEEPER when one of these little-parasite-infected-bugs infected ME with malaria (yes I was taking anti-malaria pills). Now they made it PERSONAL! It took me about 2 weeks to fully recover. The positive side of having malaria was that I could truly empathize with my patients but I wish I could have found out another way.
So this year as I took on the new role of being Off Ships Health Educator I was asked to head up the malaria education and bed net distribution program to all the patients at the Hope Center. I quickly accepted.
I wrote up a funny/interactive role-play and started going once a week to teach all the patients staying at the Hope Center. It started off kind of rough, but as the weeks went on it got better and better. The program has been going for about four months and over the past month the patients have become the teachers/actors. I now let them act out the play independently while one of the day volunteers head up the Q & A time.


Another blessing during these teachings has been the cultural sensitivity that I have received from the patients. For example many Africans are taught that malaria comes from:
Eating to much mangos, oranges, and/or oil
Working in the sun/Overworking
Drinking a bad batch of cow milk
Garbage
When children are naughty (if this one was true I would have had malaria everyday!)
Upon hearing these things my initial reaction was “YOU IDIOT!” But I figured that I should be a bit more gentle. instead I dug deeper to explain to them why these ‘fables’ were not true.
Becca: Yes these are some of the things that we are taught from our families that cause malaria. Now according to the story, how many days after we get a mosquito bite do we feel the symptoms of malaria?
Patients: 12 days
Becca: Okay so let’s say that 12 days after I get bit by a mosquito, I work in the sun all day long and then I come home and eat 10 mangos and 10 oranges plus do something naughty. What am I going to blame malaria on?
Patients: Aaaaaaa!
*definition of ‘Aaaaa’: a common Sierra Leone reaction which is used upon hearing or seeing something surprising; sound of comprehension)
Becca: Yes! “The ‘Aaaa’ of Understanding. I then went on to explain, “So you see we assume the most recent thing we have done gave us the malaria but don’t think back to the small mosquito bite that happened 12 days before.”
Teaching can be a struggle but is so POWERFUL when the students really understand. Sometimes when I am teaching I feel like I am a small burning candle desperately trying to light everyones candlesticks. I plan out all different methods on how best to try and light others candles and will research for hours and only light a few candles. BUT then there are other times I teach and all of the sudden its like ‘BOOM’ and I feel like I am standing center stage with bright lights shining all around. ‘Aaaaaa!’ These center stage moments fill me with excitement, hope, and passion to keep teaching preventative health.
After doing these teachings at the Hope Center, Mercy Ships decided to let me go and do this same lesson at a small village church about one hour outside of Freetown. Over the past 4 weeks I have been going out weekly to teach malaria and to hand out mosquito nets. We were graciously given 100 nets to be given out at one small tarp-constructed church. During my first two visits I led the role-play and Q & A and then the last two visits I became the student and students became the teacher. The first time the new teachers needed a little help during the Q and A time but this last week they did it 100% by themselves. I was so proud of them!



Today was my last day teaching in the village. It was sad leaving knowing that there were still so many that were in need BUT as I thought about the 200+ people from 16 different villages that had received the malaria education joy filled my heart. God is doing more than I could ever ask or imagine and his ways are SOO much higher than my own.
My hope is that each one of these that heard the malaria lesson would become a teacher. That they would be teachers in their home, school, workplace, and community. I pray that many candlesticks will be lit until each village shines bright.
Teaching at these two places has been an amazing experience. I have continued to be refined and challenged but also overcome with joy and love. This hatred towards mosquitoes has given me a deep passion and love for teaching others how to stop these little-parasite-infected-bugs.




In two weeks, Greg and I will be traveling to the US to do some fundraising and to visit churches, families, and friends. We are SOO excited for this time. We are also excited about not having to think about malaria during this time .. hehe..
May God continue to provide wisdom and discretion for stopping diseases like malaria that kill so many each year.