You're doing what now?

    So, those of you who I see on a regular basis probably know what I'm doing these days, and those of you who I haven't seen in some time probably know what my hopes/dreams/plans for my "someday in the future" were. Or were. But a lot of you probably don't know both of these things. So, let me explain.

   For a long time I've felt a pull to follow a certain wise man's example of loving and serving those who have been neglected and least loved in the world. Having spent my entire life in a country where education, job opportunities, and healthcare are essentially handed to you, I particularly feel a responsibility to those affected by war, disaster, and abject poverty that simply doesn't exist in Canada. The tremendous disparity in the distribution of wealth in our world is staggering. I know I'm just one person, and I can't fix that. But this was a bit part of my decision to pursue nursing. I can be a very small part of bringing modern health care, so often taken for granted by the wealthy, to the poor and marginalized, many of whom would never otherwise have the chance to receive treatment (another huge influence on that decision was an amazing woman named Pearl...but that's another story for another time).

    I remember sitting in my car in my parents driveway one night in my 2nd year of university. I turned on the radio and heard news reports about the earthquake in Haiti. All I wanted in that moment was to somehow be there, so I could actually do something about the suffering and death that was happening. I had very little money to speak of. In fact, I had negative money to speak of. I was living off student loans; didn't even technically own that car. I couldn't feasibly give monetary support to the red cross or another aid organization to help the relief effort. I knew first aid, though; I knew what to do with an injured, hurting person. If only I could *be in Haiti*...I could actually do something (albeit something small) to help. I hated the realization that at that point in my life, there was just not a whole lot I could do to help in that situation. So, I waited. I studied. I prayed. I worked my butt off to graduate and work off my debt.

    Around the same time all that happened, my dad happened to see a documentary about this crazy organization that runs a free hospital off a ship in the ports of some of the world's poorest countries. He told me, "Danita, you need to go look at this website. Pronto." I was immediately blown away by the work Mercy Ships does, and knew I would not only jump at an opportunity to work with them, but actively work toward it. As do many aid organizations, Mercy Ships requires their nurses to have a few years of experience (and, you know, a completed education and license) under their belt. So, skip ahead a few years, and I am finally in a position where I have the experience and stability in my life to jump in to international humanitarian waters. 

    I am realizing here that I've been explaining and not really summing-up. Sorry! But I hope I've given you a bit of an understanding of what I've been doing with my life, and why I've been driven to take on this adventure!

    Boldly going where my Savior's gone before,

-Danita