Back to Africa

It has been awhile now since I left Africa...sometimes the memories seem so distant, but the people there are still so special to me and there is still a deep place in my heart that gets excited anytime I am reminded of that beautiful continent. And although I left the ship almost 3 years ago, the memory of the ship didn't leave me and often still comes up in everyday conversations and occasionally even in my dreams. So I had really hoped to be able to go back to visit the ship while it was docked in Madagascar. I had been working on Operation Smile missions for about a year and had heard that there was a mission to Antananarivo, Madagascar in April. I applied for the trip and waited....and waited. I knew the odds of getting on such a highly sought after trip were not very high for me since I was new to OpSmile and didn't have too many missions under my belt. But still I hoped...and prayed.


Then, through a series of God-ordained events, one of my leaders on another mission earlier this year "just happened" to mention to me that she had been contacted about a need for another nurse to Madagascar. I told her I had been trying to get on the mission and she put in a good recommendation for me. Within a few days, I had an email in my inbox inviting me to join the team. I could hardly believe it! This was really going to happen!


To add to the "coincidence," I found out that my friend Jaime was going to be working nights on the mission with me. We were both staying beyond the mission and decided we would travel together for a bit after the mission ended.


Antananarivo or "Tana" as it is more commonly called was not a disappointing place to end up. The people were definitely different than the Africans I had come to know so well in West Africa. I quickly came to learn that there was both Asian and African influence in Madagascar and the people looked and seemed to be a combination of the two...not quite as loud and friendly as the West Africans, but still very warm and kind-hearted. Many of them spoke French and I was excited to practice my broken French for the first time in a long time. Thankfully, there was always at least one person who understood French (or should I say MY French) who was able to translate into Malagasi to the other Mama's in the room.


In spite of the fact that I had only done three missions prior to Tana, I was designated the "nurse in charge" on night shift. Apparently, I have that "natural leader" trait, so I didn't have a choice. I enjoyed being able to help out the others as much as possible. Our local nurses were also wonderful and I had the opportunity of getting to know them well.

Our local nurse "Malala" and I with one of our patients before surgery

The mission went smoothly and in spite of moments of children crying and everyone needing their pain meds all at once, it was beautiful to be back in Africa, taking care of these wonderful people who were so grateful for the surgeries we were able to do for their little ones. There were too many cute kids to count and in spite of occasionally making the kiddos cry when I forced their medicine down them, I still ended the mission with a bunch of new friends (even some of the kids who decided to forgive me...it's amazing how much forgiveness hugs, bubbles, and toys can bring)!

We had so many wonderful patients with their own stories of hope. But one of my favorites was a father and his son who had their cleft lips fixed the same week. The Dad recalled that he had been sad about his cleft lip his whole life, but that when his son was born, he realized there was a purpose. Now his son wouldn't feel alone! He would be able to relate and empathize with his son. And now, so many years later, they were both having surgery. It was so special.


The mission came to an end before we knew it and Jaime and I headed out to the rainforest. What we didn't know was that our late departure from Tana and lack of planning was not the best combo for traveling out to the Volcana Lodge. Thankfully, though, we had God on our side and He definitely paved the way for us.

As the two of us boarded a bus full of people heading the direction we wanted to go, we got cozy as we realized we would have to put aside the term "personal space" for the duration of the trip. Thankfully, Jaime and I have both been in these situations before, so it wasn't a big deal for either of us. About 5 minutes after driving down the road, the bus stopped to pick up more people. We saw a guy get on who was wearing one of our "Operation Smile Madagascar" t-shirts. We said hi and realized he was one of the local surgeons from the team. And we were VERY grateful to have someone on the bus to tell us where to get off because we didn't really know what we were doing.

A couple hours later, we got to the town where we were supposed to get on the "connecting bus." We hadn't realized when we left town that there would be a time crunch. This was the very last one to go to the town we were headed and there was about one seat left...maybe. Jaime and I squeezed into the back, along with two other guys, who decided it would be easier for them to just stand on the back of the bus and hold on to the back door than to try to find a spot inside. We started off and within the first few minutes, Jaime had a chicken pecking at her foot. We couldn't help but laugh. This situation was not ideal, but it sure was comical...we were the only two white people in this bus that was jam-packed with people and animals and now a chicken was hoping that her toes were something he could eat. Thankfully, the ride on the chicken bus was only about 45 minutes (compared to several hours we had spent on the first, less crowded bus), but it was still long enough for Jaime and I to form a life-long chicken bus, random African experience, BFF connection. When we arrived at our destination, we found out that there were no taxis around. Thankfully, we had made a friend on the bus who happened to work at the hotel we were staying. We were able to get a ride up to the hotel instead of walking several miles up a dirt road that was now covered in mud from the rain (not to mention it was getting dark). So it was the grace of God that we made it in one piece.

The next several days were filled with lots of fun activities, a walk through the rainforest to spot families of lemurs, a "night walk" where we saw lots of chameleons and other fun little animals with our flashlights. We even got to visit a little island that was full of lemurs that we were able to feed. It was so funny having them all crawl around my shoulders and walk on my head. They LOVED the bananas we brought them and reminded me a lot of little monkeys!

Jamie and I with the lemurs

After our fun trip to Volcana Lodge, Jaime and I headed back from our trip and then parted ways, as I started out for Tamatave to see my friends from Mercy Ships. It was very different visiting the ship as a guest instead of being there as a crew member, but I had a lot of fun catching up with old friends, visiting the patients on the ward, and helping out with the kids at the orthopedic rehab center down the road. I also brought some fun things for the kids at the "Hope Center," the facility that Mercy Ships used for patients who needed follow-up, but no longer needed to be hospitalized and had no place to stay in Tamatave. The kids quickly warmed up to me and before long, we were taking tons of selfies and goofy photos. I couldn't help but think to myself "Oh Africa, I have missed you!"

Before I knew it, it was time to leave Tamatave. I had a nice little stop in South Africa on my way home for a safari, as well as a visit to several old friends from Mercy Ships. I came home with a full heart, grateful for the opportunity to see so many dear friends and make many new friends in two amazing African countries. Until next time, Africa...

Guatemala

Throughout my travels, there have been several places that I immediately fell in love with. One of those was Guatemala. I was so excited when I found out that I had the opportunity to go back! I arrived in Guatemala City almost exactly a year to date since my first trip there in October 2015 with Helps International. There is something about Guatemala that really captured my heart. From the warm-hearted people and rich culture to the beautiful lake, volcanoes, and amazing scenery, it's hard to go there and not love it!

This mission was honestly my favorite Operation Smile mission so far. We had an amazing team comprised of lots of internationals, including volunteers from Brazil, Peru, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Australia, Norway, Bolivia, Venezuela, US, Canada and of course Guatemala. We had awesome team leaders and everyone seemed to come together quickly to accomplish a common purpose: to give the best care to the children of Guatemala. 

Screening flowed smoothly and there was even a special program on the stage to entertain the kids during some of the waiting periods. I was able to connect with several of the kids as they came through the vital sign station. The Spiderman and princess tattoos I had brought were very popular with the kids and they all wanted one before they passed on to the next station. There was one little girl in particular named Telma who bonded with me immediately. I was grateful that we finished the vital signs and registration stations a bit early that day because she was waiting and ready to play. She had brought her own little bag with a kid-sized brush and play makeup. 

The kids were happy to show off their princess tattoos

So we set up her "beauty parlor" in the back and I did her hair and makeup. Then it was my turn. Thankfully, another little girl came along before I was completely decked out in hot pink eye shadow and we we were able to switch over to doing her hair. After we finished with our "beauty parlor," the girls started asking me about my stethoscope and I was able to teach them how to listen to their heart and lungs. I decided to take advantage of their curiosity and the teaching moment and taught them how to check their radial and carotid pulses too. Then I pulled out my pulse-oximeter and taught them how to check their pulse and oxygen level with that fun little gadget. The girls were very fascinated and I told them that they should consider being nurses when they grow up! 

Telma and I 

Learning to use a pulseox

Eventually we had to pack up and part ways, but  I received multiple hugs before they finally left. Screening had been a success and I had the chance to play with the kids this time too, which was definitely a bonus! 

We were very blessed to have such a wonderful hospital to work in with some incredible staff! They even converted an extra room into an OR for us the day before surgery! The head nurse, Rosy, was also one of my favorite people. She was so kind and humble and helped us with everything we could possibly think of that we needed in the hospital.

A few friends with Rosy (far right)

Before long, the operating rooms were in full swing and lots of babies and children were getting new lips and palates. I tried to get a bit of extra rest that first day, as I was getting ready to start my stretch of night shifts. In spite of my efforts, I was pretty exhausted after the first night, especially since the other night shift volunteer was from Peru, so there was only Spanish-speaking. Needless to say, my rusty Spanish improved very quickly. 

My night nurse buddy Ana and our pediatrician Alexie

One of the great things about working night shift is that once everyone gets settled, things slow down and there is more time to talk to the patients and families. Generally, most of them are sleeping by this time, but for some reason, we seemed to have at least one child every night that decided to wake up in the middle of the night who wanted to play. It was sweet to watch the mamas attempt to play with the kids in spite of their sleepy eyes and obvious exhaustion. Occasionally, the kids would want to play with the nurses or let us hold them, but mama always had to be in sight or they would cry. So, in this case, there was no rest for the weary when it came to the poor parents. But in spite of their exhaustion, it was evident that the parents had so much joy that their children had been able to receive their surgeries!

In the middle of the night, as different children would wake up ready to play, their parents would bring them out to the hallway and start talking to the nurses. During this time, I had the opportunity to hear some of their individual stories. One in particular touched my heart. It was the story about David Gomez, an adorable 11-month old little boy who was born with cleft lip. His mother, Adela was smiling as she was watching David play with a beautiful smile and a perfect lip. He had just had surgery that day, but his lip was healing so well that you could barely see the incision line. 

As Adela began her story, her eyes filled up with tears and her voice became shaky. "I had seen other babies with cleft lip before David was born, but I never thought it would happen to me. I had three healthy children and then David was born. It was such a shock when we saw that he had a cleft lip. It broke my heart to see him that way. Every time I looked at him, I felt sad. I just wanted my baby to be healthy." Whenever other children would see her baby, they would ask what happened to him. She would try to explain that he was born that way, but couldn't help but feel sad for her baby. 

Adela started to look into options to get David's lip fixed. There was a surgeon in the area, but he wasn't a specialist for cleft lips. Finally, she found a specialist, but it was too expensive and she knew that she couldn't afford it. Then, a medical group came down for a cleft lip mission, so she took a bus to the city where they were holding the mission in hopes of getting help. But when she arrived, she found out that she had been misinformed and the mission had already ended. Feeling hopeless, she returned back to their hometown of San Marcos. 

Then one day, Adela's 7-year old son called out to her from the living room "Hurry Mommy, come here!" Adela rushed to the room and found her son watching a tv commercial for Operation Smile. "Look Mommy, they can fix David's lip! I want to see my baby brother like that with his mouth fixed. You have to take him to those people." This was the first time Adela had ever heard of Operation Smile. With renewed hope, she took down the information and prayed that she would be able to finally see her baby with a new lip.

As the day for screening approached, Adela said she began to get nervous. "I had heard that they wouldn't be able to do the surgery if he got sick or had a cough, so I was trying my best to keep him healthy." When screening day arrived, David was in good health and ready for surgery! Soon Adela received a surgery date and information on when to bring her son to the hospital. David was finally going to get his surgery! 

David recovered quickly and took his medicine like a champ. "I'm so happy he can have a normal mouth now," she told us trying to hold back the tears. "I am just so grateful." 

David and Adela

It was so great to hear David's story and so many others as each night passed. It was such a great reminder to me of why we do what we do. It is worth all of the jet lag, hard work, night shifts and tired days. Because at the end of it all, we had 99 babies and children with each of their own stories who received their own special miracle and now each one of them has a bright future. I am so grateful that I got to be a part of each of their amazing stories! I hope it's not long before I get to come back and be part of another incredible mission!

Adventure to Half Dome

One of the great things that I love about being a travel nurse is that I get to explore new places all the time! And many times, I also have friends come visit and explore with me! Michelle is one of those people. She is a Canadian dental hygienist that I met on Mercy Ships several years ago. Ever since we bonded on the sail to Tenerife in 2012, we have stayed in touch and had lots of adventures all over Canada and the US. I always know I can count on her for a fun adventure.

So when she decided to come visit me in San Francisco, I knew this time would be no different. Normally, I'm a pretty good planner, but Michelle is so laid back that I know we can always swing something last minute if we need to. We had only loosely planned a few things for her visit and nothing was really set in stone up until a week before she came out. So when a friend at work started telling me about her recent camping trip to Yosemite and showed me pictures, I decided I needed to take Michelle camping there! The only problem was that campsites are apparently hard to come by. It was only a few days away and I wasn't sure I'd get something last minute, but I thought I'd give it a shot. And what do you know, there was one campsite open and I got it!

So then I decided that we should attempt to get permits to hike Half Dome, an intense hike that is listed as one of the "Top 10 Must-Do Hikes in the US." Based on the pictures and stories, it seemed a little bit intimidating, but I had a feeling it would be a lot of fun if we got to do it. Due to the popularity of the hike, only a set number of permits are issued per day to hike it. I prayed we'd get lucky and applied for the permit lottery two nights before Michelle got to town. The next night, I got an email telling me that I was one of the lucky few who had scored two permits for Half Dome! I sent Michelle a text late that night and told her to pack her hiking boots. We were going to hike Half Dome!

Saturday morning, Michelle arrived and we set out for our adventure. The drive to Yosemite was about 3 1/2 hours from Oakland, which was the perfect opportunity to catch up in the car. It turns out we were enjoying our chat a little bit too much...because I missed the signs that tell you to turn off your air conditioning while driving up the switchbacks. It was a hot day and there was a lot of uphill driving on the way. We were chugging along when we heard a noise underneath the car, as if something had broken or fallen off. I pulled off to the side of the road to see what was wrong, but Michelle and I didn't notice anything abnormal. So we got back in and kept driving until I noticed that my temperature gauge was getting hot. As I was looking for a place to pull off, my car started to smoke. There was a parking lot off to the right hand side and I pulled in to see what was going on with my car.

We had no cell phone service and weren't quite sure what to do. Then a few people pulled up next to us. We thought they were stopping to help and then noticed the sign in front of us. It said "Welcome to Yosemite." We had made it all the way to the entrance! I guess if your car is going to overheat, that's not a bad place to pull over. After realizing how close we were to the ranger station, we walked up and used the phone to call my insurance. Basically our options were 1) Try to fix the problem ourselves or 2) Tow my car. I wasn't about ready to let them take my car away. We were within walking distance of our campsite, but the Half Dome trail was miles away and I had my mind set on hiking it. We hadn't come this far for nothing!

The nearest gas station was five miles away, so we had to hitchhike down to buy some coolant for my car. We had no problem catching a ride and jumped in an RV with a friendly British family that was heading out of the park (this was another time I was thankful that Michelle is so laid back). We enjoyed hearing about their adventures driving across the US. Then they wished us luck as they dropped us off at the gas station. We bought the coolant and then surveyed the options for people to hitchhike back into the park with. We met a friendly Swiss couple and they agreed to let us ride with them after they filled up their gas tank. "First I just have to figure out what type of gas to put in my rental car," the guy said. He had the car manual out and was flipping through hopelessly. I smiled and told him not to worry. We may not be experts with car mechanics, but we could certainly help him choose which gasoline to put in his car :) Ahh, I just love foreigners!

After I got to practice a few phrases in French and hear more about Switzerland, the couple dropped us off at our car and told us they hoped to see us on the Half Dome trail the next day. Things were looking up and in spite of the hiccup with the car and Michelle and I were having a great time. Soon enough, we were setting up camp and preparing our packs for the big hike the next day.

On Sunday morning, we woke up early and headed up the road for the Half Dome hike. In the first five minutes on the road, my car started overheating again and my heart sank. "No, this can't happen! We have to hike Half Dome!" I popped the hood and Michelle poured in more coolant. We were starting to get pretty good at this. Then we rolled down the windows and cranked on the heat (a little trick we were taught the day before about cooling down your engine) and said a prayer that we would make it. After that, it was smooth sailing and next thing we knew, we were at the trailhead for the big hike.

The scenery was beautiful all the way up with stunning waterfalls and massive granite walls around us. We met a few people on the way, including a couple named Camilla and Max who quickly became our new hiking buddies. Camilla was from England and Max from Germany, but they had met each other in Tanzania. We all shared stories about Africa and our humanitarian work overseas and after bonding over our love for Africa, we decided that we should all hike to the top together.

Max and Camilla proved to be great hiking buddies and doubled as photographers when we found a great view and wanted to take pictures. After a long, hot, hike we finally reached the cables. Michelle and I looked at each other with big eyes. We had heard it was tough, but standing there watching all the people pulling themselves up the steep incline made us both a bit nervous. "Are you thinking of turning back?" I asked Michelle. "No we came this far. We have to do it," she responded very matter-of-fact. I was glad she was all in because I certainly didn't want to do this alone.

Next thing we knew, we were climbing the cables, slow and steady, one step at a time. One of the challenges of going up was that it was a bit crowded when we started and we had to carefully pass the people who were coming down. So there we were, holding on to the cables with both hands, trying not to slip at the extra steep parts and only looking down occasionally. It was one of those times that I got to experience what the saying "hold on for dear life" really means. It took a lot of upper body strength as well, as you're literally pulling yourself up the mountain.

Finally, we made it to the top and celebrated with a drink, a snack and some photos. We had finally made it! On the way back down, there were a lot less people, so it was nice that we didn't have to worry about passing all the hikers climbing up. Surprisingly enough, I found that going down was not scary at all. We just came down backwards holding the cables and before we knew it, we were at the bottom. After a few miles of hiking, we stopped by the creek for a little while to pump fresh water and relax. Even though we would've loved to stay there the rest of the night, we knew we had to finish up the hike so we headed back down the trail.

As our journey came to an end, we said our goodbyes and parted ways with Max and Camilla. On the drive back to the campground, the stars were so amazing that I had to pull off for a few minutes. Michelle and I had a few minutes of taking in the beauty of God's creation and I silently said a prayer thanking Him for getting us safely up and down the cables in one piece.

Back at the campground, we celebrated a successful day with a small campfire (thanks to Michelle and her fire-building skills) and roasted marshmallows over the fire. It had been a fun adventure and I was grateful to share it with such a fun, adventurous group of people. I don't know if I'll ever make it back to hike Half Dome again, but I can definitely say that it was an incredible experience that I will never forget!

Ethiopia

After almost two years away from Africa, I was very excited when Operation Smile contacted me and asked me to go to Ethiopia this summer. I would finally be going back to Africa! Although I had never been to Ethiopia before, I had friends who had visited and loved it. So I was excited to go see for myself what it was really like.

But it's funny how one experience with the same organization can be so different than the next. I think I expected my mission to Ethiopia to be very similar to the mission in Chiapas, even though they are such different places...simply because I was working with the same organization doing the same surgeries. Obviously that was a bit naïve considering that the locations and cultures were very different.

So I quickly found out that Ethiopia was a whole different ball game. There were many challenges that we had to face that didn't come up in Mexico....like the fact that sometimes there was no running water, which meant there was no laundry services and our supply of clean sheets was low. So we had to improvise and use what we had and find other things that we could use to cover the beds (we settled for the disposable "chux" pads).

Another challenge was the language barrier. I didn't realize how much I had taken for granted the ability to speak Spanish in Mexico. In Addis Ababa, our patients spoke primarily Amaric, which I do not even remotely understand. We also had quite a few patients that had traveled from Somalia to have surgery. So we had to use a Somali interpreter to communicate with them. Unfortunately, we only started with one Somali interpreter, so we had to share him among all the patients until they could get us a couple other interpreters the following day. Thankfully, we had a sweet med student who spoke Somali who I was able to recruit to help us at the beginning of the mission. 

But in spite of all the challenges and lack of resources, we had an amazing team who pulled together to do an amazing job. I was absolutely blown away by the nurses and physicians on our team. One of my favorites was Annemieke, a Dutch pediatrician with an English accent who had a perfect balance of professionalism and fun. There was always a lot of laughter when she was around. And she also took care of me when I got food poisoning, so I owed her big time for that!

In the pre/post team, we had Swedish, Canadian, and American nurses, along with a local Ethiopian nurse who we trained. He was a quick learner and was also a huge help with the Amaric-speaking patients. It was a lot of fun watching him grow in his knowledge and skills through the duration of the mission.

Photo-op with our local nurse Mekuria (left) 

This was my first time working day shift on an Operation Smile mission, so I got to see a lot more of the action this time around. One of my favorite stations was the pre-op play area where our child life specialist, Alex would prep the patients for surgery. She would explain the anesthesia on a kid's level and let them play with the masks and other medical "toys." There was always a lot of fun and laughter going on in this part of the hospital. I can genuinely say that Alex is one of the most energetic, gifted specialists I have ever worked with in my nursing career. She did such an amazing job with the kids and helped us keep a smooth flow with all the pre-op patients going into surgery.

There were definitely a lot of moments where I almost felt like I was back on the ship again. It was mostly the controlled chaos and the many "TIA" moments when you just have to go with the flow and accept that things are different in Africa. I think that the 2+ years I spent in West Africa definitely helped me to be more laid back in that type of working environment.

Along with the controlled chaos, it was also just nice to be back in the African culture. While we didn't have drums and dancing in the ward like we did on the ship, we did have the warm African culture. And of course, you can always break through the cultural barriers with bubbles and toys! 

One day during the mission, I had to go down to another unit in the hospital to borrow some blankets (because once again, there was no running water or laundry). When I got to the nurses' breakroom to ask them for blankets, they were having their afternoon coffee break. Now you have to understand that in Ethiopia, they are serious about their coffee. They actually roast the beans right there, make the fresh coffee and serve it with fresh popcorn (a little strange, I know, but it makes for a pretty good combo). So I walked in and saw that they were pouring the coffee and being the warm-cultured people that they are, they asked if I wanted to join them for coffee. Never mind that I was in a bit of a hurry to get the blankets so I could go back to the ward and get some things done. None of those things were urgent and this was an opportunity to soak up the Ethiopian culture. I knew I had at least ten minutes to spare and these were the kind of moments you do not pass up.

Preparing for the traditional coffee ceremony 

While I sat and drank coffee with these friendly people, I had the chance to get to know them a little bit better. A few were shy with their English, but one of the head nurses had actually trained in Cuba so she spoke perfect Spanish. So there I was, sitting in an Ethiopian hospital, speaking Spanish and drinking coffee with perfect strangers. It was one of those moments where I had to stop and think to myself "My life is so crazy and I absolutely love it!"

After a nice coffee and chat with the nurses, I thanked them and headed back to finish up my work upstairs. I was a little nervous that I would be regretting the coffee later on (they don't always use purified water), so I said a little prayer that I wouldn't get sick and headed back to the ward. Thankfully the post-op area was not very busy and the other nurses hadn't even noticed I was gone while I was making new friends in the L & D unit. After a few hours of no stomachache, I also thanked the Lord that I didn't get sick from the coffee.

But unfortunately, a few days later, I was not so lucky. My roommate had shared some fruit with me and even though I had washed it with bottled water, the next morning, it decided to come right back up. It is never fun to start a day on the mission with your head hanging over the toilet, but sometimes that's just how life goes. I knew I couldn't stay back at the hotel because another post-op nurse had a fever and was staying back. So I sucked it up and went to work.

But after only a few hours of being at the hospital, I found myself with my head over the toilet once again. I finally decided I couldn't hide it anymore and told my friend Annemieke (who happened to be our team doctor) that I had been vomiting. After a little bit of scolding, she loaded me up with some zofran and told me that if I vomited again, she was sending me straight to the hotel. But our post-op team was already short-staffed, so I decided that I wouldn't take my chances and would just lunch and hydrate myself as much as possible so I could get through the day. I felt miserable and it was physically one of the hardest shifts I've ever worked, but I made it through and collapsed on my bed when we got back to the hotel. Needless to say, I slept really well that night.

The rest of the mission went pretty smoothly and before we knew it, the trip had come to an end. As usual, we had our final party the night before everyone flew out. Our team leaders surprised us with a live band and performers who did some of the local African dances in the traditional outfits. By the end of the night, we had all joined in the fun and dancing. It was a great end to a long week.

Kayaking with Jamie on team day

While I have to admit that this was not the easiest mission I've ever been on, I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of the team. I felt challenged and stretched on many occasions, but it was a great growing experience for me. And we all know that difficult situations provide great opportunities to build stronger character! I was so blessed to work with this team of volunteers and I hope to see many of them again on future Operation Smile missions!

Another new adventure

Sometimes the dreams in our hearts take a long time before they finally comes to pass. For a long time, one of my dreams was to be a part of the work of Operation Smile. I heard about it several years back and was intrigued by their work in providing cleft lip and palate surgeries all over the world.  I had thought about signing up with the organization for awhile and then finally decided to apply at the end of 2013 after finishing up with Mercy Ships. But the process of becoming officially "credentialed" and accepted for a mission was much slower than I had anticipated. After submitting my application, months of nothing but silence followed and I started to lose hope that I would ever have the privilege of serving with them.

I had almost completely forgotten about my application when I saw an old Mercy Ships friend at a wedding last summer. He informed me that he had plans to go to Malawi with Operation Smile a few weeks later. He assured me that he had lots of connections who would be able to help me with my credentialing process and get me signed up for a mission. So the process finally started moving along as my friend connected me with several key people within the organization. Before long, I was officially "credentialed" and asked to submit my mission location preferences.

But the only problem was that each mission only allows one first-time nurse to come. The purpose for this restriction is to provide a strong team that has plenty of experience with the standards and expectations of Operation Smile. However, it makes it a bit more challenging for the first-timers, as there is only one slot per mission for the newbies.

A few months went by and then one day, out of the blue, one of the team leaders wrote to me saying that they needed a Spanish-speaking nurse on their mission to Chiapas, Mexico in April. I was excited for the opportunity to finally go on my first mission! Things came together quickly and before long, I had my plane ticket and was all set to go!

Having grown up near the border of Mexico and visiting many times before, I expected Chiapas to be very similar to all the other places I had been in Mexico. But both the city and the mission itself exceeded my expectations! The city center was very quaint, with cobblestone streets, restaurants, live music, and some amazing coffee shops (they grow the beans nearby and  everything is fresh). Not to mention, there were lots of great places to experience the culture, including one of my favorite activities...salsa dancing!!!

Chiapas at night 



We had phenomenal leaders who made sure everything was perfectly organized and ready to go when we all arrived. Our entire team was amazing, with a mix of international and local volunteers. My roommate was from Italy, our pediatrician was from Russia, and we had several other team members from Spain. And obviously we had lots of volunteers from Mexico! But in spite of the team's cultural diversity, everyone worked well together to give the patients the best care. The screening went smoothly and before we knew it, the surgeries were in full swing.

Our amazing leaders (in orange) and a few of our translators 



I was on the night shift with another nurse named Kristi, an experienced volunteer who did a great job of teaching me the ropes of OpSmile. It was great to have a little bit slower pace on the night shift to have time to get used to everything without being overwhelmed and also to spend time getting to know the patients better. The patients and families were so grateful for the work we were doing and endlessly thanked us.

One night, one of the mom's who was very intrigued with the international volunteers began asking me questions about how we all had come together in Chiapas. She asked me what it was like to be on an airplane up in the sky, as she had never had that opportunity before. Her eyes got wide as I described what it was like to be up in the clouds looking down on all the cities that seemed so tiny from up above. Watching her intrigue over the experience of flying reminded me of the privilege it is to be able to travel as much as I do, which I often take for granted.

Another night, Kristi came back to the nurse's station with a big smile on her face and told me to go to the room where one of the older patients was awake. It was the middle of the night and most of the patients were sleeping, so I was curious as to what could be going on. I went out to investigate and found an older boy, sitting at the edge of the bed, holding up his mirror, in awe of his new smile that he had been waiting for all of his life. While everyone else was sleeping, he was too excited to close his eyes and lay down. He just wanted to sit there and look at his beautiful lips and new smile.  It was a very sweet moment.

Kristi and Elena (our pediatrician) 



The trip was full of precious moments that have made for some very special memories. I may not remember the names of each and every patient, but I remember their smiles and the joy I saw in their parents' eyes as they admired the transformation of their little ones. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this mission and to work such an amazing team! I will forever cherish the memories I made in Chiapas and I look forward to many more missions in the future. It may have taken a long time to get on my first mission, but it was definitely worth the wait!

Travel nursing adventures

Well, it's been an amazing year and I realize there has been a long silence, so I finally decided it was time to update my blog. I'm not here to tell you that I'm back in Africa or somewhere else halfway across the world. But I've been on a very different kind of adventure this year...the adventure of travel nursing. Though it didn't involve working on a ship, rafting down dangerous rivers, or trekking through the jungle, it has been a very exciting adventure and something I've wanted to do for many years, so I was so grateful to finally get to do it!.

My first travel assignment this year was to Denver, Colorado from January-April. I have wanted to live in Colorado since I was a little kid, so I was really excited to head out there for a 3-month assignment. My family thought I was crazy for leaving Arizona during the winter and head to the snow, but I embraced the opportunity to live somewhere that I could snowboard on my days off and build a snowman in my backyard. But we still had enough sunshine to keep me from freezing to death!

One part of travel nursing that has been a good faith-building experience has been the need to find a new place to live every few months. I wasn't sure where I would live when I got out to Denver, but God had it all taken care of. A good friend from Mercy Ships had an open room to rent out and just happened to live less than 10 minutes from the hospital in a great area. It was awesome to see everything come together and be reminded that wherever I go, God will take care of my needs.

I got to Denver and fell in love with it right away. It was fun to be in a new city with an old friend that I had met on the other side of the world. I met some other great people in Colorado, connected with a few old friends who lived there, found a great church, and got plugged in with an awesome small group from church. I met some really fun people there, including the sister of one of my old roommates from the ship...small world. We also had a Mercy Ships reunion in Colorado Springs and I had a few other ship friends come to visit me in Denver while I was there. Overall, it was a great experience and I loved the hospital where I was working. I had to pry myself away from that place when my contract ended because I genuinely wanted to stay in Denver forever.

The next adventure was a trip to Peru with more ship friends, where we did a lot of exploring and sightseeing. One major highlight was an overnight stay on an Island at Lake Titicaca, where we met a random Peruvian family and spent the night at their house (because that's how we roll). They even offered to let me name their newborn baby! It was definitely a fun cultural experience that brought back memories of weekend adventures in Africa!

And of course you can't go to Peru without spending some time at Machu Picchu! We did a 4-day trek on the Inca Trail and ended at the famous ruins. That was an amazing experience that I will never forget. We had a fun group of about 20 people, including 5 Swedish people and a Dutch guy close to our age. Needless to say, we all hit it off and had a fun time together hiking and camping along the way. We were also spoiled with an amazing cook who made us some extravagant meals, including a cake with a picture of Machu Picchu for our last night.  We were not suffering on that hiking trip by any stretch of the imagination! The last day was the perfect ending to the trek. The sun was barely rising and there were clouds everywhere. It almost felt like we were hiking in the sky. When we got to the Sun Gate, we could see a slight outline of Machu Picchu below the clouds. Then as we stood looking down, the clouds all cleared up and we could see the ruins in all their beauty below us. It was absolutely breathtaking!

From Peru, I headed to Chile for five days to hang out with my friend Lycia who was visiting her parents there. She showed me around Santiago and then we spent several days in a little cottage on the beach with her family. It was a relaxing and refreshing time that I was very grateful for. We finished off the trip with some wine tasting and shopping, which was an added bonus!

After coming back from my South American adventures, I spent a few weeks working at my part-time job in Phoenix and see family and friends while waiting for my next travel nursing assignment to come together. Before I knew it, I was heading to California to start another travel assignment. Once again, the details came together on where I should live. Through a series of events, I ended up living with a girl my age who was a social worker at another local hospital. She had a cute little townhouse less than 5 miles from the hospital and right across the street from some great hiking trails. It was another perfect living situation that God brought together.

Living in San Diego was a great opportunity to catch up with friends and relatives out there. Not to mention, I met some other fun travel nurses who became good friends. On my days off, if I wasn't at the beach, I was kayaking, hiking, paddle-boarding, or surfing. There is definitely a lot to do in San Diego! I also found an awesome church and got plugged in with a small group. My first week there, the leader's wife found out I was a nurse and told me all about their upcoming medical missions trip to Guatemala. It just happened to fall right at the end of my contract.

So I headed to Guatemala for the next adventure with some amazing nurses, doctors, and support staff. I mainly worked in the surgery center, but I did get to spend some time helping in the mobile clinic as well. One day, I even got to help build stoves for some of the local families in the area! It was fun to use my Spanish again and connect with the people there, especially the kids! At the end of the trip, we got to do some sightseeing in Antigua, hiked to an active volcano, and kayaked on Lake Atitlan, one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen. It was fun to get to know the people from our team a little more and explore the country together! 

After Guatemala, my plans were to just go back to Phoenix for the rest of the year and work at my job at PCH. But then, a last-minute opportunity came up to do a 2-month travel assignment in Flagstaff at the hospital where I worked while I was in nursing school. So, loving Flagstaff as much as I do, I jumped at the chance to move back. Once again, I had to figure out where I would live, but this time I wasn't too worried. God had taken care of it every time before...why wouldn't he do the same this time around? I was literally driving to Flagstaff the day before my assignment not knowing where I would live and I was honestly not worried about it. I could see how God was growing my faith. I did have a week that I was able to stay with my cousin, but I didn't want to overstay my welcome, especially since his wife works from home and I was worried I'd be in the way.

So my very first day, I was in the HR office filling out my paperwork when a girl walks up to the front desk and asks about places that she can post for short-term roommates, "like maybe for a travel nurse or someone like that." I sat there in total shock. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. After the lady at the desk gave her some information, I said "I'm actually a travel nurse looking for a place and I'm interested." Needless to say, it turned out to be the perfect fit living with two amazing Christian roommates in a really cute place near the hospital!

If it wasn't enough to come back to Flagstaff for a 2-month assignment that my manager basically tailored to the exact dates I wanted to come, she also approved one week off in the middle of it so that I could take a birthday cruise with my friend Lycia!

So the day after my birthday, Lycia and I set sail for the Caribbean. Even though I had previously worked on a ship for over two years, this was the first time I had ever been on a cruise and it was awesome! I definitely felt spoiled with all our fancy dinners on the ship and housekeeping twice a day. The sailing alone was relaxing and beautiful, but we had some amazing stops along the way including Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize, and Roatan. It was such a fun way to celebrate my birthday and our waiters even sung to me in three different languages at the same time one night at dinner :)

I wrapped up the year with some good time in Phoenix with friends and family. My next assignment will be back in Denver in mid-January at the same hospital from last year. I loved it too much to not go back.

In reflecting on this year, I have been reminded of the faithfulness of God. He is my constant one in spite of the constant changes in my life. I'm so grateful for all the amazing blessings He poured out on me this year and can't wait to find out what adventures He'll have for me in 2015!

I'm leaving doubt and sorrow in the distance. I'm gonna trust and cast my fears aside

My life's a work that I know You'll finish. I know I'm gonna be alright.

It's You I'll chase when I can't see your face.

No matter how many skies fall down, I'm covered under the peace I've found

You're my shelter when there's no where else to go.

No matter how many times I break, you promise always to keep me safe.

You're my rescue when I'm spinning out of control.

Oh, my God is always faithful. 

From the song "Faithful" by Hawk Nelson

One last time

"What? You're done with Mercy Ships...for good???" These are the words I have heard over and over again from friends and family over the last few weeks. I have been trying to process how to share my journey in coming to this decision and reflecting on what God has done in my life over the last few months and I think I'm finally ready. So get comfortable and pour yourself a cup of tea...this is my story:

It all began at the beginning of this past summer. The Guinea outreach came to an end and I was preparing to go to Zambia with some friends from my church back home. I wasn't sure what exactly was going on inside me, but something in my spirit that had become restless, dissatisfied, and hungry to experience more of God's presence and power. I shared this with a good friend of mine before I met up with her in Zambia. Below is an excerpt from the words in my email:

"Uncomfortable. That is the best way to describe how I feel right now...not because things are bad on the ship...things are going well here. But, over the last week or so, I've felt like God has been challenging me. My former roommate, Deb, just came back from working at a bush hospital in Sierra Leone and all of her stories about the children dying every day from various illnesses like cerebral malaria or malnutrition have really weighed heavy on my heart. On top of that, I've been reading a book called 'The Irresistible Revolution' and have been challenged about actually living out what Jesus says instead of just taking the bits from the Bible that I actually want to do and leaving out the rest. I am starting to get uncomfortable as I realize that God hasn't called me to an easy Christian life...even as a missionary on a ship in Africa. I feel like God is birthing some sort of revolution inside of me! I am so grateful to be a part of this ministry with Mercy Ships and I have seen so many lives changed...but what about actually working in Africa? I've been working next to Africa for the last few years and I just feel like my life on the ship has become too comfortable...like God is calling me to something bigger. I'm not sure what that looks like yet, but I know that He will show me in His time. 
 
For now, I'm trying to be faithful where He has me...we have one more week until we sail and then I'll be with you guys in Zambia...and I can't wait! I know that God is going to stretch us all in new ways, open our eyes to His power and show us that miracles still really do happen. And I think there will be transformation not only in the people we meet and share Jesus with, but also in ourselves, as we realize that God is still at work today, that Jesus meant it when he said that we'd do even greater things than He did, and that when we search for Him, we'll find him." 

On my flight to Zambia, I spent some time praying about God's will for my life and my involvement in Mercy Ships. I was making plans to come back the following spring when I felt a tender tug on my heart, a gentle whisper from the Lord. "Are you coming back because I told you to come back or for your own selfish motives?" I sat in stunned silence. Why wouldn't God want me to come back? I was serving Him and making an impact on people's lives...that couldn't be a bad thing, could it? But the more I thought about it, the more I felt convicted. I hadn't gotten clear direction from God to go back to Mercy Ships after Congo, yet I was already making plans for my next trip. I had to stop and evaluate my motives. Was I going back because it was familiar...maybe even comfortable? Did I just want to see friends and have my "Africa fix" again? Or was I going back because I knew it was where God wanted me to be? I sensed I knew the answer, but decided I would continue to pray about it during my trip to Zambia and see where He led me.

God did stretch me in new ways in Zambia and opened my eyes to see His power on a level I had never experienced before! I was a part of spiritual warfare in very intense ways and saw miracles happen right in front of me as people were healed in the name of Jesus. I was forced out of my comfort zone as I was given the opportunity to preach and began to speak with boldness as I shared Jesus. I saw healing, deliverance, and rebirth in the lives of so many people that we encountered. God was working in these villages in a very tangible way and we got to be a part of all He was doing! 

In the midst of all the amazing transformation we saw in the lives of the Zambian people, I realized that God was doing exactly what I had expected Him to do...He was transforming me! I could no longer settle for mediocre Christianity or living in my comfort zone...even on a ship in Africa. God had shown me a glimpse of His amazing power and relentless love and I would be forever changed. At the same time, God kept speaking to me about how He was doing a new thing in my life...through verses I read in my devotions, prayers that others prayed for me, and through the words of a pastor who worked in Zambia. 

As we sat around the fire one night, a man who I barely knew looked straight at me and said "God has placed a calling on your life. You're not going to be doing what you originally thought you would. He is going to use you in ways that you never even imagined possible." I will never forget those words. Usually I would be very skeptical of a message like that coming from someone I didn't even know. But it was as if God himself had spoken directly to my soul. I knew it was from Him and I was excited to see what He had in store! 

When I got back to the ship, that restless, uncomfortable feeling was still there. I knew that God was using me on the ship, but I also knew that He had called me to go beyond what was easy and comfortable for me. I could sense that I had changed: my priorities, my desires, my understanding of what missions was supposed to look like, even my worldview. At the same time, there were some changes going on within Mercy Ships as well. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it wasn't the best fit for me anymore. But the thought of leaving for good was painful to think about. When I had first come to the ship, I had taken a huge step of faith, left home, and come to a place that was completely out of my comfort zone. But now stepping out of my comfort zone actually meant leaving the ship, letting go, and saying goodbye. It meant leaving the place that felt most like "home" for me over the last three years. But I knew God was leading me and that He would go with me every step of the way. 

 As I prepared for my transition back to the States, a friend shared a quote with me that seemed so fitting: "You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price of loving and knowing people in more than one place” (Miriam Adeney). I couldn't agree more. 

I am so grateful for all God has done in my life during my time with Mercy Ships. I have worked with some of the most amazing people I have ever known, experienced what it means to live in community with other believers on an everyday basis, and I have grown in my understanding of missions and the African culture. I have seen hearts softened, hearts restored, and lives changed. I've had the privilege of walking through life with close friends from all over the world, learned to speak non-American English (which many of my friends tell me is the proper way to speak), and have made so many incredible memories which I will cherish forever. But, most importantly, I have learned to hear God's voice more clearly and to seek Him even when life is noisy and distracting. I pray that He has been pleased with the work that I have done and that someday in heaven there will be a line of people waiting to tell me how God used me to impact their lives for eternity. More than anything, I want to hear Him say those words "Well done, good and faithful servant." 

So while this has been a wonderful season, I realize that God is now moving me into a new season in my life. I wish that I could tell you exactly what that looks like, but I honestly don't really know yet. I only know that it's okay when I don't have it all figured out because it causes me to depend on the Lord and wait on Him to lead me. So for now, I'm trying to be faithful right where He has me and trusting Him to do far beyond what I could ever imagine. I know He's got something amazing for me up His sleeve...He always does! 

"I could just sit, I could just sit and waitFor all Your goodness, hope to feel Your presence

I could just stay, I could just stay right where I amAnd hope to feel You, hope to feel something again

I could hold on, I could hold on to who I amAnd never let You change me from the inside

I could be safe, I could be safe here in Your armsAnd never leave home, never let these walls down

But You have called me higher, You have called me deeperI’ll go where You lead me Lord

I will be Yours, I will be Yours for all my lifeSo let Your mercy light the path before me"
-Lyrics by All Sons & Daughters