Endings & Beginnings
The end of the Guinea field service is coming too quickly!
Last week I erased April's screening activities off our office whiteboard and put up the schedule for May. It looks like I got distracted midway through and forgot half the month. But no, I didn't. It's just that May 17th is the last day patients will pass through our tent on the dock. For the final time, a surgeon will conduct individual assessments to determine whether each patient is fit and ready for surgery with Mercy Ships. When the tent door closes that evening, my team's role in direct patient care in Guinea will come to a close.
A week later, the surgeons will scrub in for their final operations.
By the end of May we expect that all patients will be discharged from the hospital, outpatients, and rehabilitation care.
Then it's time to pack up and prepare the Africa Mercy for her sail to the Canary Islands. The trip is scheduled for mid-June.
_________________
Patients who have become like extended family due to their long follow-up care are now being discharged. One of these patients is Adama. I first met her in Mamou, which is 6-8 hours from Conakry depending on the type of transport used. Initially she was shy and expressed fear about coming to the capital on one of our buses - her arms, chest, and neck significantly affected by burn contractures caused by a fire. I didn't become nearly as close to Adama as the medical team that supported her healing process from January to April. And yet, whenever our paths crossed as she waited on the dock for an appointment, we smiled to one another and waved. That brief interaction always brightened my day. As you can imagine, Adama had extensive surgery on board the Africa Mercy. She arrived to us undernourished, but with lots of individual medical attention and nutritional support she healed so well. Her range of motion significantly improved and emotionally, she opened up little by little. Just before Adama was discharged on Friday, the rehab tent was filled with happy dancing feet but also many tears. These departures are indeed bitter sweet - we are thrilled to see the patients go back to their lives with newfound confidence and stronger bodies, yet it is also sad to see these resilient, courageous, kind individuals leave our midst. Our communications team didn't follow Adama's story, but I wish they had. To have seen her homecoming last weekend would have made my heart so joyful.
As many patients head for home and our wards gradually empty, we start to bid farewell to fellow crew too. This ship is a revolving door to volunteers from around the world, so we experience goodbyes often. However, what makes the end of a field service especially difficult is the fact that this is the time when most long-term crew leave. These individuals and families have invested in this place for 2, 3, 5, 10+ years. They have so generously given of their time, skills, talents and love. They are a stable presence in a very transient community. To see them go, feels like a loss; when we don't see them around the ship, we feel something important is missing.
The weekends remaining are few and this somehow sparks a deep longing to experience all the good things of Conakry just one more time. One more day of swim club. Another run along the water. Another Hope Center visit. More Korean, Lebanese, and African food. A beautiful sunset. A night of live music outdoors. Another visit to the market. A walk through the botanical gardens. Brunch with numerous friends. Another trip to the islands. So many things - but there just isn't time.
_________________
For the past nine months I have had the pleasure of working alongside nine individuals who live in Conakry but who hail from all parts of Guinea and also Sierra Leone. They are the Screening day crew. In every country, these crew - all fluent in multiple languages - truly make the work of this ship possible They switch from one language to another with ease - something that still amazes me. One minute French, then Malinke, and later Susu or Kpelle. Throughout their time with us, they have learned a lot about healthcare and the surgical specialties we prioritize on the ship. They have grown in their knowledge of English. They have traveled with us up-country. They have made friends from around the world all while staying in Conakry. It's an enriching opportunity for them but likewise for all of us. It will be really difficult to say farewell to them after all the time we have worked together. I tend to be a person who says "until next time" when departing rather than "goodbye" thinking that it's likely I will see the person again at some point. And yet, in this case, I don't know whether "until next time" is realistic.
The end of a field service naturally prompts reflection about all the things that are distinctly Conakry in my mind - things that I hope to remember for years to come. Kids covered in soap suds washing under the light of the moon. Truck drivers brushing their teeth on the side of the road with a tie dye plastic teapot of water in hand. Taxis that are so beat up you wonder if they will break down before you get to your destination 10 minutes away. The gridlock of port traffic. Women dressed in beautiful and bright African print fabrics. Athletes working out on the stairs and overpasses of the main roads; making do with what's available. The strong sense of community and respect for elders. Orange (mobile) Money kiosks and shops everywhere. Women preparing vats of rice and sauce for sharing or selling. Children and teens playing soccer in the middle of the street. Resilient, resourceful, friendly people. Rain storms that will drench you in a minute.
As difficult as it will be to experience the closure of this field service, there is an amazing opportunity waiting for me in Senegal! Yes, you read that correctly. I have extended my time on the ship.
In March I was offered the position of Hospital Programs Liaison for the Advance Team. The Advance Team is a small group of crew that goes ahead of the ship to the next country in order to pave the way for a successful field service.
My role is varied and extensive (and I am still learning a lot), but to put it briefly, I aim to lay the foundation for our direct-care medical programs so they can function optimally once the Africa Mercy docks in Dakar. My work will span so many topics - medical license recognition, pharmaceutical imports, legal age of consent, patient referrals, infectious disease protocols, ambulance services, local laboratory and radiological services etc. Naturally, I have already met with department heads to better understand what they need from me. Once in Senegal, I will collaborate significantly with the Ministry of Health but will also form relationships with people representing local hospitals, health-focused non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, mission organizations etc.
The core Advance Team is comprised of twelve individuals who work diligently, have great attitudes, love God, and who believe in supporting one another to accomplish all that needs to get done before the ship arrives. I really couldn't have asked to be part of a better group.
At the beginning of the Guinea field service, I never would have considered the Advance Team and not in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to receive the role of Hospital Program Liaison for Senegal. This field service has been an amazing experience for me, and I often am reminded of how God birthed this desire to serve with Mercy Ships over a decade ago and kept it alive through life's ups and downs. I know the work before me over the next few months will stretch my comfort zone and my patience at times. However, this position will also strengthen my language skills, medical knowledge, cultural understanding, and faith - all things that I welcome.
The excitement officially starts in a few weeks when I fly to Dakar with some other members of the Advance team. Together, we will live in an apartment in the city and work throughout the country in our respective roles until the ship docks mid-August. Then the ship becomes our home again.
For anyone wondering if this position means I will stay with Mercy Ships for another 10 months, the answer is no. Plans do change around here, but right now I am set to disembark in September. Then it will be my turn to wave goodbye...until next time.
Last week I erased April's screening activities off our office whiteboard and put up the schedule for May. It looks like I got distracted midway through and forgot half the month. But no, I didn't. It's just that May 17th is the last day patients will pass through our tent on the dock. For the final time, a surgeon will conduct individual assessments to determine whether each patient is fit and ready for surgery with Mercy Ships. When the tent door closes that evening, my team's role in direct patient care in Guinea will come to a close.
A week later, the surgeons will scrub in for their final operations.
By the end of May we expect that all patients will be discharged from the hospital, outpatients, and rehabilitation care.
Then it's time to pack up and prepare the Africa Mercy for her sail to the Canary Islands. The trip is scheduled for mid-June.
 |
| Looking Back Our first night out as a team in Guinea |
_________________
Patients who have become like extended family due to their long follow-up care are now being discharged. One of these patients is Adama. I first met her in Mamou, which is 6-8 hours from Conakry depending on the type of transport used. Initially she was shy and expressed fear about coming to the capital on one of our buses - her arms, chest, and neck significantly affected by burn contractures caused by a fire. I didn't become nearly as close to Adama as the medical team that supported her healing process from January to April. And yet, whenever our paths crossed as she waited on the dock for an appointment, we smiled to one another and waved. That brief interaction always brightened my day. As you can imagine, Adama had extensive surgery on board the Africa Mercy. She arrived to us undernourished, but with lots of individual medical attention and nutritional support she healed so well. Her range of motion significantly improved and emotionally, she opened up little by little. Just before Adama was discharged on Friday, the rehab tent was filled with happy dancing feet but also many tears. These departures are indeed bitter sweet - we are thrilled to see the patients go back to their lives with newfound confidence and stronger bodies, yet it is also sad to see these resilient, courageous, kind individuals leave our midst. Our communications team didn't follow Adama's story, but I wish they had. To have seen her homecoming last weekend would have made my heart so joyful.
_________________
As many patients head for home and our wards gradually empty, we start to bid farewell to fellow crew too. This ship is a revolving door to volunteers from around the world, so we experience goodbyes often. However, what makes the end of a field service especially difficult is the fact that this is the time when most long-term crew leave. These individuals and families have invested in this place for 2, 3, 5, 10+ years. They have so generously given of their time, skills, talents and love. They are a stable presence in a very transient community. To see them go, feels like a loss; when we don't see them around the ship, we feel something important is missing.
________________
The weekends remaining are few and this somehow sparks a deep longing to experience all the good things of Conakry just one more time. One more day of swim club. Another run along the water. Another Hope Center visit. More Korean, Lebanese, and African food. A beautiful sunset. A night of live music outdoors. Another visit to the market. A walk through the botanical gardens. Brunch with numerous friends. Another trip to the islands. So many things - but there just isn't time.
 |
| Sunset from August When skies were free of dust |
 |
| Boats headed to the islands |
_________________
For the past nine months I have had the pleasure of working alongside nine individuals who live in Conakry but who hail from all parts of Guinea and also Sierra Leone. They are the Screening day crew. In every country, these crew - all fluent in multiple languages - truly make the work of this ship possible They switch from one language to another with ease - something that still amazes me. One minute French, then Malinke, and later Susu or Kpelle. Throughout their time with us, they have learned a lot about healthcare and the surgical specialties we prioritize on the ship. They have grown in their knowledge of English. They have traveled with us up-country. They have made friends from around the world all while staying in Conakry. It's an enriching opportunity for them but likewise for all of us. It will be really difficult to say farewell to them after all the time we have worked together. I tend to be a person who says "until next time" when departing rather than "goodbye" thinking that it's likely I will see the person again at some point. And yet, in this case, I don't know whether "until next time" is realistic.
 |
| The amazing screening team Tops were a gift from our day crew |
___________________
The end of a field service naturally prompts reflection about all the things that are distinctly Conakry in my mind - things that I hope to remember for years to come. Kids covered in soap suds washing under the light of the moon. Truck drivers brushing their teeth on the side of the road with a tie dye plastic teapot of water in hand. Taxis that are so beat up you wonder if they will break down before you get to your destination 10 minutes away. The gridlock of port traffic. Women dressed in beautiful and bright African print fabrics. Athletes working out on the stairs and overpasses of the main roads; making do with what's available. The strong sense of community and respect for elders. Orange (mobile) Money kiosks and shops everywhere. Women preparing vats of rice and sauce for sharing or selling. Children and teens playing soccer in the middle of the street. Resilient, resourceful, friendly people. Rain storms that will drench you in a minute.
 |
| Obstetric Birth Fistula Patients African Fabric Dress Ceremony |
 |
| Orange Money shop in Kankan |
____________________
As difficult as it will be to experience the closure of this field service, there is an amazing opportunity waiting for me in Senegal! Yes, you read that correctly. I have extended my time on the ship.
In March I was offered the position of Hospital Programs Liaison for the Advance Team. The Advance Team is a small group of crew that goes ahead of the ship to the next country in order to pave the way for a successful field service.
My role is varied and extensive (and I am still learning a lot), but to put it briefly, I aim to lay the foundation for our direct-care medical programs so they can function optimally once the Africa Mercy docks in Dakar. My work will span so many topics - medical license recognition, pharmaceutical imports, legal age of consent, patient referrals, infectious disease protocols, ambulance services, local laboratory and radiological services etc. Naturally, I have already met with department heads to better understand what they need from me. Once in Senegal, I will collaborate significantly with the Ministry of Health but will also form relationships with people representing local hospitals, health-focused non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, mission organizations etc.
The core Advance Team is comprised of twelve individuals who work diligently, have great attitudes, love God, and who believe in supporting one another to accomplish all that needs to get done before the ship arrives. I really couldn't have asked to be part of a better group.
At the beginning of the Guinea field service, I never would have considered the Advance Team and not in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to receive the role of Hospital Program Liaison for Senegal. This field service has been an amazing experience for me, and I often am reminded of how God birthed this desire to serve with Mercy Ships over a decade ago and kept it alive through life's ups and downs. I know the work before me over the next few months will stretch my comfort zone and my patience at times. However, this position will also strengthen my language skills, medical knowledge, cultural understanding, and faith - all things that I welcome.
The excitement officially starts in a few weeks when I fly to Dakar with some other members of the Advance team. Together, we will live in an apartment in the city and work throughout the country in our respective roles until the ship docks mid-August. Then the ship becomes our home again.
For anyone wondering if this position means I will stay with Mercy Ships for another 10 months, the answer is no. Plans do change around here, but right now I am set to disembark in September. Then it will be my turn to wave goodbye...until next time.
 |
| Senegal Advance Team |
Thank you so much for your sharing. Remembers me lot of things.
ReplyDeleteChristine Ghennai ;-)