Dorina

My first full week back onboard the Africa Mercy was packed with challenges, new experiences and moments of both exhaustion and joy. 

One of our biggest tasks this week was resetting up the Hope Center. Meaning that all the supplies were packed into tots or shrink wrapped in December when the ship left the port in Madagascar and sailed to Durban, South Africa for its annual maintenance period. Durning my training in Texas the ship completed the maintenance and sailed back into the port of Toamasina, Madagascar. 

I was also tasked with making several trips to the local market for this year’s essentials. The markets were vibrant and full of life, but navigating them in the intense humidity made the process even more demanding. Still, there is something rewarding about knowing that each item we found and bargained for would contribute to making the Hope Center a comfortable place for the patients in their healing journey. 

The rainy season humidity was no joke  and by the weekend, exhaustion caught up with many of us. Despite staying hydrated I felt the effects of it, so the weekend was a welcoming break. I spent several hours resting and reflecting on my first week on board and thankfully felt much better quickly. Saturday evening we had a team-building dinner in town with the day-crew who had helped us with the set up that week. It was a perfect chance to relax and bond outside of work, while strengthening friendships that will carry us through the months ahead. 

My first week back on the Africa Mercy was a mix of hard work,  cultural immersion and learning to pace myself in the heat. It is only the beginning but I already see the impact of this mission, although not through the faces of patients but for the people serving alongside myself. 

I can’t wait to see what the next weeks bring especially the moments we welcome our first patients into the Hope Center.