Today I lost my flip flops to the ocean. In comparison to the grand epiphanies that have been gracing my thoughts and blog as of late, this may seem insignificant; however, today being my day off, losing my flip flops may be the most significant occurance for me to share. Yesterday I got to take care of beautiful African children and help them get ready for life-altering surgery. I potentially have never been happier to be a nurse. Since I have been here, I have been getting progressively more and more anxious & excited to have patients and do the thing I came to Africa to do. I loved finally "working" (loosely-used term, considering the fact that, instead of getting a paycheck, we are paying to provide service). If I wasn't such a hyperactive productivity junkie, I might be able to appreciate the time we are getting to relax and enjoy life, before surgeries are in full swing. As it is, I just cannot wait to be overworked and exhausted from being a nurse.
Today though, I slept in until 10:00, drank a starbucks latte, and layed on the dock with my friend Stephanie (again, the term "dock" needs to be used loosely, because, although it is the term we use on the ship, and technically a "dock" is the place where the boat goes, I fear that saying we were laying on the dock might conjure up images of a far too idyllic setting. In Canada, saying "laying on the dock" means tanning in my bikini on a floating wooden dock at a cottage in Muskoka. Our dock here is concrete, with somewhat protective guardrails in select spots, and UN soldiers with guns strolling casually up and down, or sleeping, depending on the time of day...just to give an accurate visual). Back to my relaxing day; Stephanie and I are perfect "chilling" friends, because we share an identical taste in music and a mutual belief that Grey's anatomy and it's soundtrack is therapy for health care workers. Our shared love for Jack Johnson and pretending we are at the beach led us to the dock this afternoon. If you close your eyes and feel the wind in your hair, and listen to the waves and feel the sun on your skin you can almost convince yourself for a moment that you are not in the poorest country in the world. You might actually think that you are lying somewhere beautiful. Although the last thing I would want right now is to be anywhere but here, for a breif moment, the chance to mentally escape from this world is a treat.
So I am lying there: happy, content, relaxed, daydreaming about the number of babies I want to have (JUST KIDDING!!!), when a very strong magnetic force from the ocean stealthily creeps up the wall of the dock and tears my flip flop from my foot. I was left completely dumbfounded, wondering where Jack Bower was in moment of complete helplessness. Shocked, I sat up and looked down into the ocean far below where my stray flip flip floated. All alone. Stephanie suggested that I throw the other one in, so that when it finally washed up on shore, at least whoever finds them will have a pair. Stephanie has a couple years on me, and plenty plenty Mercy Ships experience behind her. If she thought my flip flops needed to be together in the ocean, then I trust her advice. I am not sure why Jesus wanted my flip flops today, but I sure hope He has fun with them!
posted by Jenn
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Today I lost my flip flops to the ocean. In comparison to the grand epiphanies that have been gracing my thoughts and blog as of late, this may seem insignificant; however, today being my day off, losing my flip flops may be the most significant occurance for me to share. Yesterday I got to take care of beautiful African children and help them get ready for life-altering surgery. I potentially have never been happier to be a nurse. Since I have been here, I have been getting progressively more and more anxious & excited to have patients and do the thing I came to Africa to do. I loved finally "working" (loosely-used term, considering the fact that, instead of getting a paycheck, we are paying to provide service). If I wasn't such a hyperactive productivity junkie, I might be able to appreciate the time we are getting to relax and enjoy life, before surgeries are in full swing. As it is, I just cannot wait to be overworked and exhausted from being a nurse.
Today though, I slept in until 10:00, drank a starbucks latte, and layed on the dock with my friend Stephanie (again, the term "dock" needs to be used loosely, because, although it is the term we use on the ship, and technically a "dock" is the place where the boat goes, I fear that saying we were laying on the dock might conjure up images of a far too idyllic setting. In Canada, saying "laying on the dock" means tanning in my bikini on a floating wooden dock at a cottage in Muskoka. Our dock here is concrete, with somewhat protective guardrails in select spots, and UN soldiers with guns strolling casually up and down, or sleeping, depending on the time of day...just to give an accurate visual). Back to my relaxing day; Stephanie and I are perfect "chilling" friends, because we share an identical taste in music and a mutual belief that Grey's anatomy and it's soundtrack is therapy for health care workers. Our shared love for Jack Johnson and pretending we are at the beach led us to the dock this afternoon. If you close your eyes and feel the wind in your hair, and listen to the waves and feel the sun on your skin you can almost convince yourself for a moment that you are not in the poorest country in the world. You might actually think that you are lying somewhere beautiful. Although the last thing I would want right now is to be anywhere but here, for a breif moment, the chance to mentally escape from this world is a treat.
So I am lying there: happy, content, relaxed, daydreaming about the number of babies I want to have (JUST KIDDING!!!), when a very strong magnetic force from the ocean stealthily creeps up the wall of the dock and tears my flip flop from my foot. I was left completely dumbfounded, wondering where Jack Bower was in moment of complete helplessness. Shocked, I sat up and looked down into the ocean far below where my stray flip flip floated. All alone. Stephanie suggested that I throw the other one in, so that when it finally washed up on shore, at least whoever finds them will have a pair. Stephanie has a couple years on me, and plenty plenty Mercy Ships experience behind her. If she thought my flip flops needed to be together in the ocean, then I trust her advice. I am not sure why Jesus wanted my flip flops today, but I sure hope He has fun with them!
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