Living Water

Hello all, hope you are all okay - cannot believe it is almost Christmas time! The official count is that I have been away for five and a half months! Can't believe it has been that long - almost half way through.



On Wednesday I went out with Jan Pieter and the water and sanitation team, to check on their progress with the well drilling, and to give some moral support to Pam who works as the educator. It was a neat day - could not believe how hot it was - and how well the men coped with the heat! Im sure the enourmous fountain of cool water was welcome when the drill hit water.



Pam teaches the children about the importance of simple public health things that we take for granted, like washing hands, using designated spots for toilets and such. At the end of the day we were able to give out a couple of hundred Bibles to the kids - so water and living water!

It is awesome to see the wells being used and knowing that it has made life at least a little bit easier for the villages the team has visited. The village we were at on Wednesday even gave the men a live chicken as a gift of thanks. I believe it went home with some of the locals that were helping with the drilling for their dinner.

They have drilled a number of wells so far, and at the moment are concentrating on constructing latrines at the same villages, to try and really make a difference in hygiene. JP was telling me that although Ghana is one of the most developed countries in West Africa, that their access to safe toilets is the worst in the region.

When one of the visiting surgeons Dr Leo Cheng chatted to us - he said although he can remove a big tumour from someones face or body one patient at a time, those who are working in public health are making differences to thousands. I have to say he has a point - and I am pleased Mercy Ships can be a part of both!

The Wonderful Ward

Hi! I know I have been a bit slack at updating this blog recently - and looking back over the last four months I realised I haven't shown you much of what I do when I am at work on the Anastasis. This week I decided to show you a few pictures and bits and pieces from the ward.

We start each shift with handover - much the same as in any ward in the world, however we spend time praying for the patients, the surgeons, the nurses and the ward at this time too.

After handover, we like in most wards check on our patients and start our nursing care. Dr Gary Parker - our maxillo-facial surgeon and any visiting surgeons then do ward rounds - meeting and greeting each of their patients with the charge nurses, physios, pharmacists and ward nurses, and deciding on a plan of care.

After ward rounds - we know what we need to do before the shift is over, so the work starts in earnest. We dispense medications, feed and water the patients - especially those who have had surgery on their jaws and inside their mouths - they require naso-gastric tubes, which we pour ready made liquid food down.

There is also a lot of dressing changes - anything from surgical scars to removing drains, removing sutures and staples, and cleaning the wounds - which can often be quite a challenge.

During this time of course we are also constantly assessing the patients - making sure they are okay and recovering from their surgery well and without complications.

In amongst all the routine post-operative care we provide to our patients who have had their surgery - we also admit new patients and take them up to the Operating Room (OR) for their surgery, where together with the OR nurses and some translators we pray that all goes well!

When the patients return from the OR, it is always a sight to see. The ward is a level below the operating rooms, so we have to carry the stretcher down stairs! It is not as bad as it sounds, and over the years they have developed a unique pulley system to gently transport the patient down into the ward.

Over the next couple of shifts and days - these patients are recovered by the ward team back to independence.


After all the required nursing work is done, we are able to relax with the patients, share stories, play games, show movies and generally get to know them and where they have come from.

We make many friends, and it is often sad to see patients discharged. However it is great to see them leave the ward, happy and healthy of course!

I hope you feel a little more aware of what goes on on the Anastasis ward, and what sort of things I do when I am at work. Thanks for your interest and prayers - they are much appreciated!