Wrapping it up

Yes, change is in the air.  Tomorrow is the last day of surgery.  I wanted to show you pictures of baby Paul, who is probably the patient who has been here the longest.  He was too small for his cleft lip and palate surgeries.  As you can see from the before and after pictures, he is now all smiles!

Nurses are cleaning the hospital wards, getting ready for the ship to sail.  The pack up team is here,  seven people from Holland, England, and the US, who come every year to help at the end of the field service.  They have been washing the admission and outpatient tents on the dock, and are taking  the tents down today.  That's hot work!

We're saying goodbye to lots of friends.  It's a Mercy Ship tradition to go down to the dock to say goodbye, then everyone waves as the van leaves for the airport.

Mercy ministries is also wrapping up.  This is a picture of my last visit to the  Hope Center.  Maurice always leads the "cadeau" song, which is French for gift.  One cadeau this week was Mama Debbie.  I like being a gift!

Debbie

Celebration of Sight

Cataract surgery is over for this field service in Cameroon.  Cataracts are very thick in Africa, because of the bright sun and because they just keep getting bigger with little available surgery to cure them.  Dr Glenn trains local surgeons,as well as surgeons who can come to the ship.

Every Friday, patients come back for post surgical follow up.  After the check ups, they hold a Celebration of Sight.

There is music, dancing (of course) and patient testimonies. I love hearing the patient's stories, of lives changed and hope restored.

There is Bible teaching, with an emphasis on thankfulness.  It's not thankfulness to the surgeons, nurses, or to Mercy Ships, but thankfulness to God, who made it all possible.

Debbie

African Fabric

Yes, I love fabric.  I love to see the different patterns and the bold bright colors of Africa.

When we were in Guinea, most women wore traditional African dress.  The fabric is beautiful, with intricate patterns.  Women buy fabrics at the market, which are sold in 5-6 yard pieces.  That's about the amount needed for a dress, including a headscarf.  They take it to a tailor, who sews a custom made dress.

In Congo, in was similar in that women wore the traditional dress, but the fabric was different.  The prints were larger, and featured modern prints, like electric fans, high heel shoes, or even computer sticks as part of the fabric's pattern.

Here, in Cameroon, I was surprised to see little in the way of traditional dresses.  Most of the women wear very modern dresses, which are made with African style prints and fabrics.

Here on the ship, we had an African fashion show where the crew got to show off their African fabrics and styles.

And a blog about African fabric would not be complete without a picture of Crazy Scrubs Friday on the ship!

Debbie