Walking down the gangway in December and saying goodbye to the ship was a heart-wrenching experience...I knew I would come back, I just wasn't sure when. But when God has placed a passion and calling on your life, you can't ignore it for long. Within the first month that I was home, God made it clear that I was supposed to go back to the ship and serve in Togo, the first country where I worked with Mercy Ships. My 3 1/2 months at home was filled with lots of good times with friends and family, lots of sweet moments with my nieces and nephews, and many divine appointments with patients and coworkers at my job at Phoenix Children's. I know that God had a purpose in my time at home and I was so grateful for the precious gift of sharing it with so many loved ones. He used it to refresh me, refocus my heart, and remind me of my passion for serving in Africa.
Thursday night, I could barely contain my excitement as my plane landed in Togo. I was greeted by friends at the airport, followed by more friends at the gangway, then a bunch more at the main reception area of the ship. I was showered with hugs, cards, and kind words of how I had been missed...it was a great homecoming. It was a bit surreal walking back on the ship, but in many ways it felt as though I had never left.
I feel like the last few days have been sort of like one big family reunion...I am constantly running into old friends and Togolese dayworkers, catching up on life and sharing about all God has done in the last year. I can't but help think that this is a bit of what heaven will be like...one big reunion with people we love, sharing of God's goodness and faithfulness...and I'm pretty sure it brings a smile to His face to see it.
I jumped back into work on the ward on Saturday, feeling a little lost as I'm working in a different ward than before....but so much is the same as it was when I left...the patients are still grateful for the surgeries they've had, the mommas still love singing and dancing, the babies still love being wrapped up on my back, and God is still very present in this place.
Tonight, I got to watch a momma light up as she brought her 4-month old baby boy into the ward. Tomorrow his cleft lip will be made whole...and now there is hope in his mother's eyes. I got to cheer up a little boy who was sad that he still has to get food from a tube instead of his mouth...I reassured him that he will be able to eat from his mouth soon enough then tickled him until his frown turned into uncontrollable laughter. A few minutes later, a small baby girl was crying because her momma is still recovering from surgery and can't give her all the attention she needs. I picked her up and tied her onto my back as the other patients and caregivers watched. As I finished tying her snugly in her lapa, the patients began to applaud...maybe they thought I figured it out on my own since yesterday was the first time they all saw me...they don't know I've had two years to practice :) Either way, it made my heart happy and the little one on my back quickly became quiet and content.
I had to stop for a moment and take it all in...and then it hit me: my heart is truly alive again! This is where I belong and where I am most fulfilled, living out the calling that God has placed on my life....and I am so thankful that He brought me back here...because it is here that I discover the joy of serving him to my full potential!
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