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Last shift tonight then we close the hospital!!

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  Photos in "C"ward with Shannon from UK and Rebecca from Germany. Our last day shift! In the background is a note from a patient that says "Tenki" which is Thank you in Krio The Day Crew and C-Ward had a night out for a fun dinner! The C ward (for pediatric patients) and the Day Crew (locals who are hired on the ship to serve as nursing assistants). Above: Cleaned at Cheshire house with a fellow nurse named Kathryn from Michigan. I was soaked through my clothes in sweat!  Below, the girls dorm at Cheshire.  This beautiful home is an oasis in a tough part of town for disabled kids.  It's a blessing to be a part of the ministry there. The Cheshire house dedication. Below: Dave went through the 'goodbye for now' tunnel when he left the ship! Working my last shift tonight then we close the hospital this week and start cleaning before the ship heads to Spain for its annual maintenance period and restocking. Prayers: Pray that Ruth can push through the last 2...
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Goodbye for now (for Dave)

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  Above: A typical street view as we drive through Freetown We had the pleasure of visiting a church last Sunday with our new friends Tim and Kathy.  Above is the church and below is the special lunch that the pastor's wife prepared for us after church.  Amazing fruit and chicken shared among fellow believers! Below, we were able to go to the Tacugama Chimp sanctuary on our day off.  It was very fun and entertaining.  We were able to hike through some jungle to see some of the chimps in their 6 acre space. I was able to give blood this week and they let me hold it afterward and get a photo... sort of strange but really cool that it will be used to help a patient onboard. Engine room tour below.  This ship is just amazing.  It is kind of humbling to see how much infrastructure it takes to provide a first world environment for the crew and patients. Below is a gift Ruth was given by one of her patients.  So sweet! Below are a few examples of before ...
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Hospital Tour, Night shift and more

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It has now been 3 weeks in Sierra Leone! Ruth going shopping with a few ladies in a keke (3 wheeled taxi, often called tuk-tuk in other countries) Playing cards with new friends from all over the world.   Representing USA, Nigeria, New Zealand, and Switzerland Meeting for a coffee break at the Cafe.  Ruth worked night shift this week, so she was on the clock from 10pm to 7am.   Dave went to the Cheshire house, a school/orphanage for disabled kids.  This was an amazing place where kids of the poorest and neediest are housed and cared for.  It was in a very difficult neighborhood as well.  We worked hard to wash dirt off the walls all morning and another group came in the afternoon and painted. Above is the team I worked with. Ruth and I were both thinking this week "you couldn't pay me to do this..." She is not a fan of night shift.  I am not a fan of spidery dirty muddy buildings... but we were doing it for these kids and the pay isn't what i...
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Second Full Week in Freetown!

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 Two weeks under our belts! We feel we are now getting the hang of living on the ship.  This last week we both worked full time.  Ruth worked evenings in the Nurse Ward (2:00pm to 10:30pm).  Dave worked from 8am to 4:30 each day.   Here is a pic of Dave and Anniek, a fellow hospitality teammate.  We are singing worship songs with the house keeping crew and wearing our "Fun Friday" hospitality shirts.  The whole ship has some sort of African print for Fridays. Here is a photo of Ruth (she's in there...keep looking!) with her ward and several patients and crew. Here is a photo of a typical operating room on the ship (there are 6 on board) Last Friday we had the privilege of going to praise night at the Hope Center.  It is a long term facility that is run by Mercy Ships.  Patients go there if they have a long recovery or if they live several hours away.  You can see several of the patients are cute kiddos (called pikins in Krio). ...
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