Dorina

The last few weeks on Mercy Ships were beautiful, emotional, and heavier than I expected. Time has a funny way of slipping through our fingers, and as I looked ahead toward the end of the year, I felt a wave of overwhelming mixed emotions come over me.

On one hand, my mind and body were ready for rest. I could feel the signs of burnout, quietly telling me it was time to pause. But on the other hand, the idea of leaving the people who have become my family and the place that has become my home felt heavy. How do you step away from a community that shaped you, challenged you, and loved you for an entire year?

In the midst of all of this, it was a delight to have my good friend Darian come to volunteer with the eye team for six weeks. Having a familiar face from home was a blessing. We spent countless hours sitting on the floors of our cabins, chatting just like we used to do back in Canada. Her presence was comforting, sharing a part of a chapter of my life with someone who truly knows me made these final weeks even more meaningful.

I also found myself reflecting on the many special relationships that shaped my days onboard. These friendships weren’t just casual connections, they were deep that carried me through the hardest moments and celebrated the sweetest ones. Because of that, my last days were intentionally filled with moments of gratitude through shared meals, long conversations, quiet goodbyes, to celebrate what we built together. Each interaction reminded me just how profoundly relationships have touched my heart.

I made the difficult decision to leave at the end of November. It wasn’t easy, but I knew deep down that this chapter was meant to close. My time at the Hope Center where I’ve poured out my heart for the last ten months had reached a God-ordained conclusion.

Every patient who walked through those halls left an imprint on me. I loved them fiercely, in the way that God loves us: fully, intentionally, and without reservation. The laughter, the tears, the prayers, the chaos, and the moments of healing. And even as I felt myself growing weary, the love never faded. 

Saying goodbye doesn’t mean the story ends. It simply means this beautiful season has done its work in me, and now I carry it forward. I’m leaving with a heart full of gratitude, awe, and a deeper understanding of what it means to serve and be served.

As I step into rest, I know God will keep weaving the threads of this past year into something greater than I can see right now. And for that, I’m deeply thankful.