Goodbyes Suck!

My time here head been filled with goodbyes and some are harder than others. To spend time with amazing individuals and then to have to say bye for who knows how long. It sucks! Today was a really hard goodbye.
Today (like literally five minutes ago) I said goodbye to the little girl who has stolen my heart this outreach. You may remember Alice from a previous post named What is Beauty? Today she prepares to fly back to Uganda with a new ear and a non-infected eye. All morning I had been looking out the ship window down to the dock where the patients sit under a tent waiting for appointments. Finally after peeking through the window at least ten times, I saw her. Sitting in her blue dress beside her papa. I took a deep breath trying to prepare myself for the goodbye to come. As I made my way down the gangway and across the dock to the tent she saw me. Immediately she ran over and gave me a hug while saying my name over and over. I told her I needed to say goodbye and that I am sad. She told me "Kari, no cry" ... If only it was that easy. She repeatedly lifted my glasses to make sure I wasn't crying. I was able to not cry while I spoke to her about going home and then I prayed for her. Prayers that she would easily transition back to home in her little village in Uganda and that the confidence she found here would never cease to get her through the day. As I said a final goodbye, hugged her so tight and kissed her head I started to tear up. I so wanted to stay right there on the dock and hold her/protect her from the hurts of the world. Will others make fun of her, will she be okay? I have to trust that God is holding her in the palm of His hand and her every step is directed by Him. Goodbye Alice, I love you.

Tonight I had one of those heart-warming moments that makes it all worth it. There is a little girl in the hospital right now that pretty much everyone on the ship knows. Her name is Ravette and she is the most joyful little girl I have ever encountered. Her laugh and sweet little voice are infectious. You can't be grumpy when she is around. She is one of the orthopedic patients that is on the ward for a complication. Tonight I was training another nurse to be in charge and she is more than competent at the job, so I had ample time on my hands to interact with the patients. I decided Ravette and I would go on a walk. Ravette has an interesting gait, she has a cast on one leg and her other knee doesn't bend very well so it's kind of like a leg swinging shuffle. Off we go down the hall, back and forth. Soon she starts singing a little song full of cute little noises with each step. Can I just say this little girl is a-dor-able! So as you can imagine my heart is already full of joy and I am smiling just because she makes me so happy. Then we approach a room at the end of the hall. This room is where the patients go for complex dressing or cast changes. She walks up to the door and peeks inside. Slowly she looks over her shoulder at me and enters the room. Slow swinging step at a time, I thought she was looking for someone. Then she looks around the corner, turns around and runs into my legs wrapping her arms around me crying. After doing my own little shuffle (since there is a child wrapped around my legs) to look around the corner. I suddenly realize she is scared because around that corner is the bed she has to lay on to have her cast changed. In that moment there was no where in the world I would have rather been. No where but in that scary dressing room, comforting sweet Ravette. This is why I love my job!

Before surgery.

After surgery ... She now only has one cast.

Prayer Request

When I decided to return for this field service I knew that money would be tight. Like really tight. Over the past the six months I have been trusting God that he would provide and he hasn't let me down. It has come from an unexpected place. I have had more support from fellow crew members than anyone else. Little notes on my door with an extra $20 tucked in or just offering to buy me a meal. As I look to the next five months, I'll be honest ... I'm stressing a little. I have money to pay for the next three months of crew fees and that's it. This doesn't include a plane ticket home. The total would be about $2500 + plane ticket which could be as high as an additional two thousand. Since I am volunteering here and paying for room/board, I have no income. One day at a time I am having to remind myself that He is faithful and the he has an amazing plan. I just wanted to ask for prayer, pray that I will remain faithful and no matter what is plan is I will be content. If you feel led to donate to helping me stay here on the ship follow this link: mercyships-us.donorpages.com/crewmates/

Please let me know if there is anything I can pray for you. :)

Looking back

As a new year begins I can't help but to look back at the year passed. Two thousand and thirteen ... Twenty eight years since I was born ... Ten years since high school ... Six years since I received my nursing license ... Looking back there have been a lot of memories. But the thing that stands out the most for this year? This whole entire year has been devoted to serving with Mercy Ships.

My last official full-time job workday was 1 January. I'm in awe that God chose me to give this huge mission and that He knows and loves me so much that He fulfilled an unrealized dream in me. To help those less fortunate than myself through my profession. To love the unloved, to bring joy to the depressed by letting Jesus shine through me. I am blessed to be able to love on the people of Congo, even if it is just by holding their hand or sharing a smile. Jesus tells us to love the least of these.
 

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

- Matthew 25:40

I am so excited about what this new year holds. I will be continuing my volunteer work with Mercy Ships for the next five months and then I am trusting in God's unrevealed plan for my life. I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for helping me to be a volunteer with Mercy Ships. And thank you for loving me and being earthly examples of Jesus' love. I hope your new year is filled with God's abundant love and I challenge you to share that love with others. Reevaluate what is love to you? You never know when you could make a difference with just a smile!!

I also wanted to share a video of some of the people I love explaining what love is to them.

 

Reason

There is a reason ...
There is a reason ... I left my job in January.
There is a reason ... I volunteer my nursing skills to help others.
There is a reason ... I haven't received a paycheck in a long time.
There is a reason ... I won't see my family for nearly ten months.
There is a reason ... I live in a small cabin with five other girls.
There is a reason ... I am here and I want to share it with you.

They are the reason ...

 

I just wanted to share my heart and brighen your day with the smiling faces that light up world. I will be volunteering here on the Africa Mercy for the next five months and I pay to be here. All I want for Christmas is to be able to stay here to meet more smiling faces. If you are interested in finding out more visit my donor page at  http://mercyships-us.donorpages.com/crewmates/KariGriffis/ Merry Christmas!

Joyeux Noel

A few years ago a friend told me that he could see me walking down a road surrounded by little brown children. I laughed it off, never in my wildest dreams did I ever think it would come true. For the past two and a half years has been an unknown dream realized. Growing up I really didn't think I would leave the state of Georgia none the less go all the way to Africa ... Three times! God has blessed me beyond imagination, giving me a life that far surpassed my dreams. Being the holiday season I've been thinking about what I am thankful for this year.

My job. I get to work in the coolest hospital in the world. Like seriously, no other hospital like it.

Making life-long friends with people from all around the world. I haves group of girls that are more than friends, they are the best sisters I could ask for on the ship.

Perfume and nail polish. I know, I know material things, but I've recently acquired both through friends and it just gives you a big confidence boost.

Wi-Fi ... In Africa!

Pecan pie ... Crazy right!? But when you have been here long enough, a little slice of home is amazing.

Just the beginning of a long list of things that I will compile over the next couple weeks, months and years. I challenge you today to think about what are you thankful for? What unrealized dreams have come to pass? 

Joyeux Noel! 

Manna

Manna - the food miraculously supplies to the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16:14-36)

We have something with a similar name here on the ship. MANA (mother administered nutritive aid) is given to patients who are malnourished or need an extra boost to heal. It’s kind of like really sweet peanut butter … yes I’ve tasted it. Though I’ve been handing these little packets of goodness out for two years it wasn’t until recently that I saw something on the back of the package. It reads … Manufactured by MANA nutrition, Fitzgerald GA. How crazy is that!? I’m not the only thing from Georgia over here in Africa. I’m serving these patients good old Georgia peanuts. I just wanted to thank all of the hard working farmers back at home who work day in and day out growing peanuts. It may not seem like you do much when you are riding on your tractor every day, coming home dirty and sunburned. You are literally saving lives and I for one am so thankful. Each of these little packets has 500 calories of nutritional support. I have seen starving children grow stronger. I looked it up on their website www.mananutrition.org, right here and right now on the Africa Mercy is not the only place you make a difference.

These packets literally are manna from heaven, sent to save lives. Pass this on and share this with your favorite farmer, let them know they make a difference.