Hello all!

Hello all!
I have no clue if this will truly work so will justt have a go at it with the hopes of pictures to follow sometime this next week! A true miracle for this technically challenged lady if you ever saw one! I indeed arrived safely after 48 hours of airports/airplanes/and the knowledge that the airport in France is freezing...God had a better plan to have me meet up with dear friend's French friends but I never heard page at airport and my electronics couldn't connect to wireless. So plan B or God's plan A? No idea!

 

 The ship was a bit of a cultural shock as there were meetings and more meetings and people and more people and tours and more tours! There are over 600 people on board and 35 nations represented. One can sit in the dining room with 6 people from 6 different countries. For example: breakfast was with OR nurse from communist Romanian now living in Germany, ophthalmologist from Holland, nurse from Australia, pharmacist from France and lab tech from China and ME! True cultural exchange! I am now embracing the beautiful woven fabric but beginning was rough trying to figure out how to fit in. Some of the "long termers", rightfully so, are a bit exhausted of making new friendships when we all just leave again. The 'newcomers" have no idea where to find things, what is 'expected" what is 'normal" "how to make things like electronics work". We need each other but I esp. had a total feeling of not "fitting" in. (Think back to jr. high days...yes, way back for some of us! :-) and walking into lunch room of 300+ people and not knowing where to sit and not knowing anyone...oh, my!) Even though I "knew" people, one has a hard time finding the 6 you might know in a crowd of 600! Yes, God brought me through all that to say "I am with you and will never leave you or forsake you" His presence is an amazing comfort and rock.

Ship words for you all to learn! ;-) Bow(front of ship) aft (back) starboard (right side) port (left) IMPORTANT to know if you want learned the hard way, so be quick to learn these!

Medical: I have worked a day shift and 3 pm shifts. Days is 0700 to 1530 (usually 4-5 nurses for shift); pms 1400 to 2300 (3-4 nurses); nights 2200 to 0730...a long one with just 2 nurses. Our patients are mostly adults with facial/neck/oral tumors some massive size never seen in USA because would have been treated long before ever grew to such size. My heart goes out to these pts. who have often been outcasts of society, downtrodden, cast aways. They tolerate an amazing amount of pain even though we medicate around the clock after surgery...there are numerous dressing changes, therapy, treatments. Please do pray for healing, wisdom, God's touch upon each and every one.
As a nurse, be prepared to not be able to flush and IV...totally different equipment, make an automatic blood pressure machine work...can't even find button to turn it on!. Medications are all "proper names" here so no generic ones that you might think you know! on and on and on...humbling, huge learning curve, helpless, numerous questions, patients in a ward watching your every move...YOU are their nurse for the night...yes, they are scared...wouldn't you be?! LAUGH at yourself here or you will cry! :-)

God is with you even to the end of the age! Blessings and love from the Congo!