Been Busy!

Life's like a river current, isn't it? It just keeps on flowing, and we do best to lay back on the water and flow right with it. If we try to stand up and stay in one place, we hit a good deal of resistance, but the current keeps moving...just swirls around us and flows on. And I've learned that you are supposed to float down the river feet first so that you aren't as likely to get your feet caught on things on the bottom of the river that will pull you under. That position also keeps you face-forward. There's no point in looking back at where you came from. You need to keep your eyes on what's ahead, or you'll bump into a rock or get caught in low-lying branches, and cool things will pass by without you even noticing!

So, we've been caught up in the river of life. We are now about to begin the 7th week of surgeries on board the M/V Africa Mercy. Monday through Friday the current is the swiftest for me. As I've been trying to juggle the things and situations that need my attention, I've also been able to spend a little time playing my favorite roll..."scrub nurse". And I've been witness to what may be the fastest surgical time in the world! The other day, I worked with our neighbor and fellow North Carolinian, Dr Bruce Steffes, on "hernia day" (which is every day in the general surgery room. There are SO many!). He was able to repair bilateral hernias on a 5 year old in 10 minutes, with a total OR time of 22 minutes! Amazing!

Dr Bruce working with Dr Mark Shrime on a goiter a few weeks ago

John's been spending a little spare time fishin'. Last week he had some interaction with a fellow on the dock that gave some good insight about asking and receiving. Below are some photos of the strange looking fish he caught. It wasn't big, but it was interesting. Some of the locals called it a "snake fish".Joey got to spend 3 days in the Galley with Eddie the Baker this past week. The Junior High and High School kids got to have some "Work Experience". Joey got up around 4:30 am and learned about baking. He also was able to help make the pizzas for the crew's dinner on Thursday evening. That was one of the highlights of his time in the galley. He's very passionate about pizza! They had a little extra fun making this "bread man" too.

Bethany and David have been trying to get as much "Deck 8" time as possible. Deck 8 is where the pool and climbing frame are. The pool is a refreshing oasis in the hot climate. And David has been challenging himself to cross the monkey bars without falling. So far, he's crossed more than 13 times! (He's counting!)

And so we float on down this river that's life. The nicest days are the ones where the current is slow and we can pay attention to the beauty on the river banks. Those would be the weekends of life, I guess!

~Jenny~