"Kehr"fully Docked in Dakar

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 Welcome back to the blog all! I have some incredibly exciting news to share with you all. In case the name of this blog entry didn't give it away, I will be returning to work with Mercy Ships off the coast of West Africa. During my initial time on board, the Lord started to stir my heart toward a return to the ship. After much prayerful consideration, I have taken a long-term volunteer position serving as a Ward Nurse Educator. My commitment is set to start in Sept 2022 and end in Oct 2024; yes, that is two years that will be spent aboard a ship. If you've been following along with the journey, you already know that the Lord is doing some amazing things through the Mercy Ships organization and its volunteers.  As mentioned, I will be working as a Ward Nurse Educator. In this position, my time will be split between patient care ...

Hey all! First off, no, I did not forget about you. I completed my time in Senegal and then traveled to Croatia for a trip that had been postponed for two years. I've made the trek back to my home in Oregon which greeted me with rain showers in typical Pacific Northwest fashion. Since being home, I've connected with friends and have had the opportunity to share about my time in Senegal.  Even after multiple questions and opportunities to share, I'm still not sure how to sum up my time in Senegal. Words and phrases that come to mind include life-altering, faith affirming, perspective changing, and refining. However, none of these truly do justice to the months that I spent in Dakar.  The Lord was continually faithful to answer prayers. He brought together an incredible international community of people to serve His children in Senegal. Friendships were forged that will last a lifetime. I heard the saying "once a Mercy Shipper, always a Mercy Shipper" before I depar...

Hey all! Week 11 is underway. It about time that I share some patient transformation stories! The overarching purpose of Mercy Ships is to bring hope and healing to the forgotten poor. The onboard hospital is only a small portion of the ship delivering hope and healing, but let me introduce you to some of the people whose lives are forever changed. (Disclosure - the patients (or their caregivers) have given consent for their pictures to be taken and shared.) Meet Aminata: I first met her when she was admitted to the ward the night before surgery. She was the life of the party. She danced and sung, muttering words that were hard to understand through her cleft lip and palate. We danced with her and laughed until we cried. In the morning, she went to surgery for her cleft lip and palate repair. Upon returning from surgery, this little one had tubes in both of her nostrils, her mouth was incredibly painful, and she was scared.  We worked day and night to get her back to her pre-surger...

It's week 10 onboard the Africa Mercy. Life here has a rhythm, like the beat of a drum. The drum is an invitation to dance and share joy. The beat speeds and slows depending on the day, but the drum is always reverberating. The hospital has completed nearly 100 surgeries, forever changing the lives of the patients. Crew members come and go as their commitments start or end. New, lifelong friendships are formed. Life is good. Suddenly, though, the drum beat has paused. Sickness has snuck onto the ship. Our captain has called for each of us to practice solitude. How do you practice solitude when the drum beat is meant to be a shared experience?  How do you continue to find joy in the stillness? Over the last week, I have been reminded over and over again that Jesus sought out solitude to spend time with the Father.  Mark 1:35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Matthew 14:23 And...

Greetings from Senegal - the country of Teranga! I'm so grateful to be meeting with each of you again! Happy Senegalese Independence Day (April 4)! Teranga = Hospitality. Senegal is known as the country of hospitality. Thank goodness all of the Senegalese people I have met embody the spirit of hospitality and invite me to join into their culture and country. Today is a day off from the hospital for me, so I was able to join in the Senegalese Independence Day celebrations. In 1960, Senegal declared its independence from France. There is a central plaza in Dakar (Place de l'Independence) that played host to a military parade this morning. The Senegalese president was a part of the celebration. While Senegal will likely never be my permanent home, it was a special thing to share in their festivities. I would be remiss to fail mentioning that the Senegalese futbol team secured their spot in the World Cup last week when they beat Egypt! I am honored to work with and learn from our S...

Hello friends!! I'm finishing my sixth week on the Africa Mercy (AFM). It's hard to believe how quickly the time has passed. This week I thought I'd take you for a "tour" of my current home and fill you in on what it's like to live on the world's largest civilian hospital ship. The AFM formerly existed as a Dutch rail ferry Dronning Ingrid . Mercy Ships acquired the vessel in 1999 and retrofitted it to serve the surgical mission. Since it is a retrofitted ship, it's got some wonderful quirks. Many laughs have been shared because of the oddities.  The AFM generally has about 400 crew members living onboard from up to 60 nations. It is equipped with single cabins, couples and family cabins, and shared cabins (with up to 10 beds per cabin). I share a 4-birth cabin with some amazing humans. You may remember a picture of my cabin from shortly after I arrived. It has far more life with my sweet roommates! Meet the roomies !   Out to Coffee: Left: Reinskje -...