I am happy to report that the Africa Mercy has sailed out of the ASTICAN shipyard in Las Palmas! Don't get too excited though, we've only moved to the neighbouring island of Tenerife. We are back in almost the exact spot where we spent those 2 joyous months of quarantine/lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic. That does mean that we are now technically - geographically - further away from Senegal. But in the grand scheme of things, we are closer to our return now than we have been since that all started. Real, tangible progress is happening to facilitate 'Senegal 2.0' - the second phase of our field service during which we will complete our planned surgeries, continue to support & train local professionals, and reconnect & follow-up with some of our previous patients.
Speaking of training, take a minute to watch this update from an Ophthalmic surgeon from Togo. He is a shining example of the ripple effect that these partnerships can have. THIS is the most important outcome of the work that we do. Not the individual lives impacted (although each one is precious), but the exponential impact of equipping someone to serve and train others...who can in turn train even more! Emigration of skilled professionals away from low income countries is part of the reason that doctor-patient ratios there remain such a huge barrier to care. It is so heartwarming and encouraging to see someone who nearly followed that path, where he could have had a very comfortable life, but chose instead to stay and fight to better his own country.
Meanwhile, on the AFM...
I am still helping fill the Assistant Purser role for a little while longer before starting to shift towards Hospital prep. Preparation for the sail was a little stressful. Our sail day, however, was glorious weather and a much needed respite. I asked the Captain if we could just circle around for a few more days, but my request was, sadly, not approved. ;)
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| ...our last sight in Gran Canaria! |
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| Early start meant a beautiful sunrise... |
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| Bye, bye, ASTICAN! |
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| We still did *quite* a few circles to calibrate the compass. I'm sure some stomachs did not appreciate it. |
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| We managed to squeeze in some worship on the bow - a Mercy Ships tradition! |
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| The first (of many) Tenerife sunsets - just as the tug was nudging us in to port. |
We have a few hurdles now here on a new island, but fortunately, in part because of high vaccination rates on the island (and within our crew), we have a fair bit of freedom to move around and explore - within a limited radius of the ship. Granadilla is a tiny, brand new port which is just beginning to be developed, so there is not a whole lot within walking distance except for construction sites, rocky desert and rocky shorelines. Which, to be honest, is fine by me. It's a nice change from the crowded streets of Las Palmas.
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| Lookin' pretty good in her shiny new paint job. As you can see...not much else around her! |
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| Some veritably post-apocalyptic landscapes in the surrounding area. |
So, here we will sit. And wait. A little while longer.
Just a few more months.
Just a few more months.
Senegal is on the horizon! Next time I'll try to share some stories from our Advance team who are already there, preparing the way for us to return.
Well, I'd better get back to my online course work for tonight. Learning about nearly every kind of wormy-parasite-type thing that can I could come across in my travels. What fun! Sorry for leaving you with that wonderful thought! ;D
-D
