Orientation to Mercy Ships

 I hope this finds you well. I have been on the ship since Sunday afternoon. It is amazing how one can get turned around on a ship. There are even color coded stairs: red ( front of the ship) and blue (back of the ship). I am rarely getting lost now. There are 8 Decks on the ship. The 8th deck is completely open to the air and is a great place to watch the sunsets.  Deck 3 is where the hospital is located. Decks 2-3 and maybe 4 do not have windows. It is always pitch dark no matter the time of day. I live in a berth of 6. I am on the top bunk. My bunkmate is from Australia. Outpatient Rehab is actually in a tent located on the dock beside the ship. It is nice to get off the ship. 

There are currently 34 nationalities represented on the ship. The ship language is English, but those who speak other languages speak to each other in their mother tongue. I wish I new French as the people here in Pointe Noire speak French. We have day workers who are locals who help on the ship from 8-5 M-F. In Rehab, they help with translation mostly.   

Patients are scheduled for either 8:00 or 13:00. They come sometime in the morning. When they get there they receive a number. We treat roughly in the order they arrive. It is usually sink or swim as they often come in groups.  No patients until 8:30 or 1:30 but they most come at once and have to wait. In outpatient rehab There are a some orthopedic patients (tibial osteotomies, calcaneal osteotomies, femoral osteotomies, combinations, Achilles Tendon Lengthening, extra digits excisions) and many plastic surgery patients (burn contracture release covered with a skin graft on all different parts of the body)  

I think I will end this first one here. May the joy and peace of the Lord be your strength.