Official

Flights are officially booked! Mercy Ships gave a couple suggestions of travel agencies to use so I decided to do that rather than try to book flights on my own. There is something that makes it all feel so finalized when you see those confirmed flights. A feeling of no turning back. A feeling of reality setting in and a feeling of excitement!

I will leave on August 10th from New York to Paris which will be about 7.5 hrs. and then from Paris directly to Madagascar which will take about 10.5 hrs. The traveling doesn't stop there though. Once I arrive in Madagascar I will stay over night and the next day take an 8 hr. bus ride to the actual ship. I will basically be traveling for 2 days which I'm sure will be incredibly exhausting but all worth it in the end!

One of the craziest things about this trip is that I found out that one of my friends that I went to nursing school with is actually volunteering with Mercy Ships at the same exact time! We could have never planned this if we tried and we both had to agree that it was all part of God's timing and plan. We won't be flying together but hopefully we will be able to meet up for the 8 hr. bus ride.  

In these past weeks I have also started the process of packing. I mean where does one even begin to start packing for 3 months in a foreign country?!? I was getting worried about it but I already did some shopping for clothes, toiletries, luggage etc. and feel so much more relieved about actually starting to pack and getting myself together.

The goodbyes are slowly starting to begin with friends and some co-workers which of course is so very bittersweet. It makes me think that the goodbyes aren't going to get any easier the closer I get to my departure date. However, as I say goodbye I feel so encouraged from all the support I'm receiving that I actually feel at peace. I'm at peace knowing that the time apart will be short and that it is more like "see you later" and not so much like a final "goodbye."

Believe me when I think about certain aspects of this trip like packing, not eating pizza, being out of my comfort zone and the amount of insects, spiders, beetles and flies I'm about to encounter I get worried. The what if's and the questions surface. In general though I'm quiet calm about this adventure.

Perhaps it's the calm before the storm. Maybe I'm completely unaware of what I have gotten myself into. I believe that this inner peace is ultimately from God who I know so wisely and lovingly opened this door for me and promised to walk with me wherever I go as long as I keep my eyes fixed on Him. The author, perfecter and finisher of my faith.

Much love and thanks for reading!

Deborah



 Although I am currently serving with Mercy Ships, everything communicated here strictly reflects my personal opinions and is neither reviewed nor endorsed by Mercy Ships. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships
  

 

Thankful

I am so incredibly thankful for the support and encouragement that family and friends are showing me! It is at times overwhelming. Overwhelming in a good way. Overwhelming to think about how strong my support system is and how hard it will be to leave all of you wonderful people for a short time but the support keeps me going. It reminds me why I want to do this. So many of you have poured your wisdom, love, encouragement, laughter and life into mine that I can't help but want to pass it all along to somebody else. Isn't that what this life is partly about? Learning and growing and then passing that wisdom onto somebody else to empower and encourage them to live life how God has called them to live. Life filled with hope, peace, joy, a calling and a purpose.

Some of you have asked if I am doing any fundraising to help with some of the costs for this service trip. Mercy Ships takes a leap of faith by asking volunteers to not only donate their time and service but also some of their finances to ensure that the people of Africa receive all of their medical services completely free. For further details about donating check out this page
http://mercyships-us.donorpages.com/crewmates/DeborahMascia


I am grateful for any donations but more than anything I cherish your words of kindness, support, encouragement and love. Thanks for reading!


  Much Love,
  Deborah






 Although I am currently serving with Mercy Ships, everything communicated here strictly reflects my personal opinions and is neither reviewed nor endorsed by Mercy Ships. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships

The Beauty Of Nursing

Some of you have been surprised to hear that I will be working in a women's health clinic. I'll be honest so I was I haha! Women's health has never been my first choice. Give me somebody that has unstable chest pain, an intubated patient, a good respiratory failure patient or even a classic CHF patient and I am good to go! Tell me that I might be working with a women that is pregnant or has just had a baby and I get a little nervous. What is so awesome about nursing though is that there are so many different fields and specialties that you can try out and with each one you learn a new set of skills and gain more knowledge. The art of nursing and the basics are integrated into each specialty you just have to make some adjustments along the way. I think my fellow nurses would agree that nursing is a lot about being flexible, making adjustments and being willing to learn something new everyday.

When I originally put my application in for Mercy Ships it was for a position as an ICU nurse. They made sure to tell me when I applied that sometimes they don't have critically ill patients that need an ICU nurse so I would at times be needed in the regular adult wards. I was totally comfortable with that. I was prepared for that position. I really think God has a sense of humor though because of course the position that they offered me was nothing what I expected or even originally applied for haha! After reviewing the requirements and information about the women's health clinic I was confident that it would be a good fit and a great change of pace for me. Check out this short video to get a glimpse of what the women's health clinic at Mercy Ships is all about!

Women's Health Program from Mercy Ships on Vimeo.

 


Thanks for taking the time to read and stay tuned for more updates!

Deborah



Although I am currently serving with Mercy Ships, everything communicated here strictly reflects my personal opinions and is neither reviewed nor endorsed by Mercy Ships. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.