The Congo?

Some time had passed and I made a surprise little road trip from TN to CT to celebrate Easter with my family.  It was that weekend that I got the initial email from Mercy Ships saying that I had been accepted to serve.  I'm sure those of you who know me can hear some of the choice words that may have snuck out of my mouth.  I was all smiles, but that overwhelming panic also managed its way into my mind.  Before I could let it take over, I shared the good news with my family and they seemed to welcome the verbal diarrhea that often accompanies my excitement. 

Multiple conversations took place with my parents, sisters, and friends.  We talked about where I'd be going, how long I'd be away, what the weather would be like, how was I - the world's worst packer - going to decide what I wanted to bring vs. what I needed to bring.  After everybody else got their fill of "Mercy Ship talk," my mind continued to race.  I've been a PICU nurse for five years and, sure I've had a fair share of experiences, but I am well aware that there is plenty more to learn - so I couldn't help but question, will what I know be enough?  What are the working conditions on the ship?  What will three months of cabin life be like?  What are the living conditions off the ship?  I wonder where the other volunteers will be from, and have they done other mission work before this?  How did they find out about Mercy Ships?  I was experiencing full blown flight of ideas.

In addition to my flight of ideas, I've also had days of panic and days of excitement.  I suppose this is a pretty normal response - well at least normal for me haha.  The neat thing though is, as the days creep by and it gets closer to boarding that ship, the excitement continues to build.  One of the ways I've continued to fuel that excitement is to do a little more research about what Laura Jo and I are getting ourselves into.

 Some fun facts about Mercy Ships:

• "Mercy Ships, a global charity, has operated a fleet of hospital ships in developing nations since 1978.  Following the 2000-year-old model of Jesus, Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the poor, mobilizing people and resources worldwide"
• "The Africa Mercy is the world's largest non-governmental hospital ship, and is dedicated to the continent of Africa"
• The crew consists of more than 400 volunteers representing over 75 countries
• There is a total of 78 patient beds
• Some of the surgeries performed include cataract removal, lens implants, orthopedic surgeries, cleft lip and palate repairs, facial reconstruction, tumor removals, and obstetric fistula repairs

Information from www.mercyships.org

Things to know about the Congo:

• The Republic of the Congo is not to be confused with the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• It is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers
• Fun comparison fact - it is slightly smaller than Montana
• French is the official language
• Estimated population is 4,492,689
• Life expectancy 55.6 years
• Physician density: 0.1 physician/1000 population (from 2007)
• Hospital bed density: 1.6 beds/1000 population (from 2005)

Information from the CIA World Factbook

 



Pointe-Noire here we come!