"Kehr"fully Docked in Dakar

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 -...

Africa Mercy in Dakar Hey all! Glad you came to visit again. Today, I don't have any pictures of grand adventures. Instead, I have a story to tell you. While onboard the Africa Mercy, I am assigned to work on D Ward. This is the hospital ward caring for maxillofacial patients. What's that? Think cleft lip, cleft palate, facial tumors, etc. I have been blessed with the opportunity to care for these patients before and after they have surgical repairs. For background, I have cared for patients from 3-years old to nearly 50. All have facial deformities that limit opportunities in life and may have isolated each from their community. Think isolation at the beginning of COVID, but for an entire lifetime instead of a year or two. In Senegal, the medical system is a you-pay. If you cannot afford to pay for treatment or live too far from a hospital, then your ailment will continue to be present.  Enter Mercy Ships. Advertisement was circulated throughout Senegal that Mercy Ships was co...

Hello again!! I can hardly believe that it is my 3rd week living in Dakar. Each day I am here holds new blessings and lessons. This week, I've been reflecting on the passing of time. At home, every day feels rushed with a schedule packed to the hilt. Time passes differently for me here. Work days are a short 8 hours in contrast to my 12 hour shifts at home. I work 5 shifts a week rotating between days (0700-1530), evenings (1400-2230), and nights (2200-0730). Shifts pass by quickly and there is an abundance of time outside of work to spend developing friendships with other crew members. Each day feels like it stretches for an eternity in the best way. At the end of the week though, it's sobering to be reminded just how quickly the week passed away. It's gone in the blink of an eye.  A friend here reminded me that time works similarly in God's economy. Time moves slowly and quickly in the same instant. The Lord, in his kindness, allows time for each one of us to choose t...