It's hard to believe that it's only been a little over a week since I got back to the ship. It didn't take long to adjust to life on the ship this time around...I sort of just fell back into the swing of things..we had a great reunion my second day back on the ship, when lots of crew and their families returned from Appelsbosch (the temporary off-ship housing in Durban). From that point on, life got busy with all sorts of things, including my new job in housekeeping (just for the sail), birthdays, babysitting, visiting a local church, and even a day at the beach (all pretty much within the first week!)
But, even after four months of being at home and adjusting to Western nursing and life in America, the ship still feels like a second home. , it always helps to come back to my "Mercy Ships family" here. I have loved holding babies, playing games, and singing with the kids. Leaving my sweet little nieces and nephews in Arizona is always one of the hardest parts of missions for me, so I'm thankful that God has blessed me with some "adopted nieces and nephews" here to have fun with.
One of my favorite changes on the ship is that the swimming pool on Deck 8 is finally finished! We were hoping they would be able to open it in Togo, but there were some adjustments that had to be made first. Everyone seems to be loving the pool and it has been a refreshing way to end the day...not to mention, it's just a few flights of stairs above my cabin, so it's very convenient! The kids definitely make the pool a very lively place as well, reminding me of summertime with my nieces and nephews back home. I suppose it is a bit strange to be swimming in the pool and worrying about sunburns in early February, but then again, we are in Africa!
We're still not sure exactly when we'll be sailing, but we're praying that all the testing will go well so that we can sail out of Durban this Thursday. I am more than ready to be out on the open seas and headed to Sierra Leone!
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