Farewell Sierra Leone!

Currently I am sitting in midships trying to write this blog and all I can think of is how this morning we left Sierra Leone. I can’t believe that this journey is beyond half-over and it has been marked by the closing of quarter 2 at school and confirmed as we pulled away from the dock in Sierra Leone. I know I  need to take some serious time to reflect on the ways that the Lord has moved in my life and all the ways that He has stretched me… because I know the list will be quite lengthy.

The weeks leading up to the sail have been a whole new type of craziness on board. The hospital closed about 3 weeks ago which launched more than half of the crew into packing-mode. Everything on the ship must be secured in a special way to prepare to sail and the process takes some time. The Academy also has had to be secured, grades entered…. and goodbyes said. A family left the ship this week and it was really… sad. One of the little boys in the family was in my class, and with a class of only three… I feel like a special part of my life onboard I had to say goodbye to. I know that the Lord is showing me a new way of understanding that things and people come in seasons and I should learn to embrace it… but it is still really hard… and not my favorite thing.

In addition to all of the serious things that needed to be dealt with… the last few weeks have been the last few weeks… and it was NECESSARY to embrace this and do fun things off ship. Kayleigh and I had pretty much the biggest adventure EVER off ship together (by ourselves, might I add… which makes it like a million times better) and I would try to tell all of the stories… but I know I would dilute the Africa crazyness and the adventure would lose its charm. Just trust me when I say that it is a memory that will be forever in my mind- and I LOVE that! Also, at one point and African man told me I was a professional swimmer… that was a highlight.

Home is so soon sometimes I can hardly breathe when I think about it because I am so excited!!

My cutie class looking out at the garbage floating by. AND playing eye spy with it 🙂

First at-sea fire drill!

Goodbye Sierra Leone!