Home for the Holidays

I find myself reluctant to write this post, as it will be my final entry for this trip and means that it is officially over. It is so hard to bring the past 2 months to a close, after so many wonderful people, places and experiences. However, returning home to my family just days before Christmas has helped to soften the blow of leaving Madagascar. It certainly felt like a magical homecoming after 3 long days of travel, flight delays, a missed international flight, lost luggage and extremely swollen ankles. Listening to “I’ll be Home for Christmas” on endless repeat while circling the Dallas skyline glowing with holiday lights, it really did feel like the ending to a Hallmark Christmas movie.

A welcome sight after a long journey home

Of course, Christmastime on the Africa Mercy was special in many ways, due to the 30+ nationalities represented in the ship. Christmas traditions abounded, but my favorite tradition by far was the Santa Lucia processional. My Swedish roommate played Santa Lucia, and a group of Swedish and Norwegian men and women joined as her chorus in singing traditional songs. From celebrating these different holidays to making Christmas cards with the patients, Christmastime in Madagascar was very unique and a pleasant removal from the typical commercial bustle this time of year.

Santa Lucia in the Swedish tradition

In the last weeks before my departure, the clinic stayed very busy and at times we were bursting at the seams with patients. As a result, I was able to participate in one of the largest dress ceremonies for our OBF patients. After getting to know many of the patients for almost 1 month, it was a particularly special dress ceremony. Happily, many of the women in this final dress ceremony had very supportive families and husbands, which is a rarity for the VVF patients. We celebrated the husbands who stood by their ailing wives for years, staying true to wedding vows taken so long ago. It made the goodbyes much easier, knowing that the women I cherished so much would be returning to a brighter future surrounded by faithful loved ones. On top of all this, the local Malagasy nurses passed their exams and were taking on more responsibility in the clinic. Sad as I was to leave, it was very fulfilling to see the clinic flourishing in so many ways before I left. I know that the team there will only continue to grow and nurture this clinic so that many more women and families can benefit from surgery and rehabilitation.

One of our patients and her sweet husband

A full celebration at this dress ceremony

Before leaving Madagascar, I did my best to squeeze in every last activity. From running along the beach to eating lychee ice cream, I savored every last moment in this beautiful country. Perhaps the most unexpected activity was that of bathing pigs. One of our day crew told us about the 17 pigs he kept at his home, and invited a friend and I to help out with the chore of washing his prized possessions. This was quite a treat and one I won’t soon forget! The pigs were kept in pens, as a part of his small compound within a neighborhood. Our friend welcomed us into his home, resembling an efficiency apartment, which he built in just one day. From getting water out of the pump to snatching piglets from their ferocious mother, it was a unique glimpse into the life of a farmer in the city.

Last run on the ocean road

Hungry piglets pre-bath

Final farewells and selfies

After saying goodbye to friends in Tamatave, I traveled with a large group of volunteers to the capital city Antananarivo to catch a flight home. After an 8 hour bus ride through magnificent countryside, we arrived in the capital with enough time to explore just a little bit. A fellow volunteer and I trekked around the town and even found a vantage point from the former gravesite of the Queen of France. After this brief diversion, I was off to Johannesburg, then Amsterdam and finally US soil.

View of Antananarivo, a vast and sprawling city

Found a friend in this Scottish volunteer, only to say goodbye just hours later

I wish I had some clever words to say after these past 2 months, but to be honest, I am still trying to process all that has happened in this brief timeframe. However, I know that I am grateful for the opportunity to travel to Madagascar, to know and love the people of this nation, and to serve alongside many gifted individuals from around the world. God's handiwork around the globe continues to be evident to me, in the form of unique and diverse individuals made in his image, in the beauty of landscapes painted by his hand, and in his outpouring of grace and mercy for and through his people. Psalm 66:1-4 "Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name."

Hope and Healing

It seems inevitable that on a foreign medical mission trip, many questions and discussions should arise on issues of responsible charity, sustainable outreach, capacity building and other such topics. Add to this the idea of prevention and we involve everything from the educational system to agriculture to international relations. Amid the lofty questions of how best to do missions or what is socially responsible, there are real individuals currently experiencing the full force of illness, poverty, disease, etc. I have been challenged to balance the intellectual aspect of missions with meeting the urgent needs before me. It may feel like an exercise in futility to stop this cyclical pattern of poverty, yet when I look at the beautiful faces before me I can't help but come alongside these individuals and share in the real hope God has given us.

Over the past month at the OBF clinic, we have been overjoyed to see a 92% dry rate for our patients, indicating successful surgery and healing from fistula! We recognize the widespread impact of the fistula on these women, as the condition often limits access to education, employment options, and social interaction. In an effort to ease the transition back to work and chores and social standing, we have initiated basic teaching programs on math skills, writing the alphabet, telling time, and various health topics. This is intermixed with Bible stories, praise songs and the occasional dance session. I think it is every nurse's dream to work in such a holistic treatment program, so it has been a real privilege just to be a part of this clinic. 

We can't exactly take photos of patients while we are working, so here is a shot of some of the team during break time. Tough crowd, eh?

It turns out that our team is not the only group excited about this clinic, as we have hosted many interested parties over the past month, including well known corporate donors, global charity groups. and even the US ambassador. They all share our enthusiasm, not just for the 20-30 patients in our clinic on any given day, but for the ongoing projects that are stemming out of this clinic. Since my arrival in late October, the volunteer Mercy Ships nurses have been training local Malagasy nurses in safe nursing practice and care of the fistula patient. The transformation in these nurses has been so encouraging to witness over the past 2 months, as we are preparing to turn the clinic over to this local team in the next couple of months.

Looking to the beautiful women who have inspired this clinic, our fistula patients each carry a unique story and we have the chance to celebrate each of them at our dress ceremonies. It is impossible for me to know or record each of their stories, and even a glimpse into their life could fill pages. I hope I have the opportunity to share some of their stories with you when I arrive home, but for now I'll just share a tid bit. We have treated very young to relatively old patients, creating a multigenerational family dynamic in the OBF ward. One of our patients is a young teenager, rescued from a local hospital after a traumatic labor and fetal death. It was a worst case scenario in every regard, from the situation of her young pregnancy to the gruesome death of her baby. She was found emaciated, covered in sores, wet from her fistula, angry and unreceptive to help. She continually refused medication and food, and fought the nursing staff on every approach. Yet this young lady has now been nursed back to health, is smiling and cooperative, and is recovering from a fistula repair. This girl is on an arduous journey that is far from over, having experienced more trauma in her short life than any of us may know in a lifetime. Having watched just a small part of her transformation, the parallels to the Christian life are remarkable. Wasn't I also filthy and saturated in sin, angry and turning away from God's love? Yet God continued to pour out his love for me, overwhelming me with his grace and restoring my soul back to health. It continues to be a hope and prayer that this young patient may one day find true healing, not just from a volunteer surgeon or nurse, but from the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ.

Since I cannot share each story and a picture is worth a thousand words, I have included some pictures from our dress ceremonies.

When I am not being filled up at the clinic, I have been enjoying time with fellow volunteers from all over the world, exploring Tamatave and surrounding areas. Roadside scenes include bountiful lychee stands, fast food tents, and goat herding through the city streets.

 Shopping is always an adventure, and I even collected Christmas decorations from the bazaar the other week. 

It has been so fun to work with our local daycrew and I got an invite to celebrate at a birthday party with one of my new Malagasy friends. 

A nearby zoo housed chameleons, hiking trails, and some poor caged lemurs (probably safer for me that way).

On top of all of this, I was able to travel to a nearby island called St Marie for a long weekend with two of my roommates. I can hardly believe I was able to see this amazing place and was actually moved to tears the first morning I woke up to the beautiful view of the ocean (that or it was fear of the giant cockroaches clinging to my bug net). On the small island we were treated to waterside meals, canoe rides, hiking, snorkeling, kayaking and many more wonderful things that I simply won't bore you with. St Marie is an enchanting island and it has pulled in many Mercy Ships volunteers with its Siren's call.

I'm now in my final week here, experiencing the mixed feelings of sad goodbyes and eagerness to be home with family and friends (and dogs). I'll hold off on closing remarks for now, as I still have 5 days left in this country and anything can happen in that time period.