The end is near...

For once I'm going to write to all of you guys! I haven't said too much about my time here on Mercy Ships because I've mainly been showing pictures I really didn't know what to say. This is one of my final weeks in Madagascar and probably my last blog post. Throughout my time here I had a hard time showing/telling about the work Mercy Ships does here in Madagascar because not only do I not work in the hospital but I also am not allowed to share pictures of the patients unless they are taken by the Mercy Ships communications team.

I had many plans when I originally came here to Mercy Ships but many of them got halted rather quickly! My first plan was to donate blood for the patients during their surgeries but that didn't end up happening because I got a piercing within the past year which makes me ineligible to donate because I have a higher chance of Hep C. Then my next plan was to observe a surgery! That idea was also quickly altered when I decided to be there for my friend when it was her turn to give blood because I quickly realized that I couldn't handle any sign of blood! Not even a bit that was flowing lightly into a bag! So I decided that going into a surgery where they slice people open is probably not the best idea.

But luckily that doesn't mean that I don't get to see any of the patients. Sometimes at night my friends and I go down and visit the wards and maybe even make the nurses a midnight snack. :) I also had the chance to visit the Hope Centre. The Hope Centre is where all the patients are brought before their surgery and after once they are stable.

My mind has run a blank on things to say about the change and surgeries that Mercy Ships is bring to Madagascar right now, but if you any of you have any questions just post them in the comments below and I'll do my best to answer them. :)

Parc Ivoloina

Manda Fort

 Africa Mercy

 Drive to Foulpoint

 Fort Manda

 Taxi Brousse (the main mode of transportation)

 Inside the fort

 I found a cannonball!!

 A selfie with the girls at the fort

Ended the day relaxing on the beach!

Halfway already!

 view from the ship

 PACKAGE FROM HOME!!!!

 Just having some fun in radiology getting an ultrasound!

 MY LIVER!!! :)

cabin night

 banyan trees

Great Times

So it has been two weeks since my last post so I figured it was high time to let you all know what I've been up to! I've mostly been working and going to different orientations which I'm finally finished with now! But I've also had a few going away parties already which is quite sad considering I've barely been on the ship and my friends are already leaving! :( Overall my time here had been great and I've spent a few days wandering around Tamatave which has been interesting!

 The day workers having fun times in the galley

 Sunset on the night we had a ship wide BBQ

 A picture of us girls after we had a dance party in the dining hall

 The view I had when I walked one day down the beach

 A flower one of the day crew made me out of an orange peel!

 Arm wrestling competition in the galley

The sunset from the top of the ship

My first week on the ship

My first week on the ship went surprisingly well! I had a bunch of orientation classes the first full day I was aboard!

 First day at work in the galley

 The Galley

 Then two friends and I decided to go on an over night trip to Mahambo! To get there we choose to take the common mode of transportation in Madagascar. The Bus. These buses are like large vans that fit about 14-15 people! It turns out that they can actually hold 29 people and a chicken! So the drive there and back was rather interesting to say the least! 

 Early morning sunrise

 A Lemur

 Where we stayed

The beaches...