We are well into our first weeks of surgery on board the Africa Mercy! Our sweet Ortho kiddos are roaming our HOPE Center halls and dockside tent areas, and our many Ophthalmic (mostly cataracts) patients are arriving, being assessed and many have had surgery already. Restoring sight and restoring hope for their future. We also have our Maxillofacial patients who come often covering their faces or necks with scarves until they realize we do not judge them for their appearance. We love each one equally and provide care based on the safest path for each individual. Sadly, some may receive a “no” to surgery because of other varying health reasons. Our prayer is that they still feel our love and care for them despite not being able to get the surgery they hoped for. For those who receive surgery, it often then involves healing and rehabilitation time. We will start to get to know many of them who stay at the HOPE Center for a longer time. Pray that all heal quickly and well as we need patient flow to go well in order to keep having beds available for new patients and their caregivers. We want to provide excellent care all the way through their journey with us.
The HOPE Center has 57 Day Crew, 7 crew Facilitators, a manager, myself (admin assistant), “COPS” guards, a catering team and other support services like maintenance and supply who keep it all running as smoothly as we possibly can! With over 300 beds and already pretty much filled to the brim, it’s a busy place! One project that was started this year is Kids in Care. This program was created by a previous PCG (Primary Care Giver) on the Global Mercy Ship to give the kids something to learn and do while spending their days with us. It’s a beautiful curriculum with Play Therapy and School days, which I got to print and prepare for our Day Crew and crew who will implement it. I’m excited to see the kids participating in this program!
A second program is one that I am working to continue from a PCG and Facilitator who started it in 2024. The Menstrual Pad Sewing workshop has been such a lovely way for us to connect with women patients and caregivers. We spend our Friday mornings sitting together and sewing in our HOPE Center classroom while the kids play down the hall or outside. Crew who are off that day also come and help out by threading needles or holding babies and helping direct the sewing of the reusable pads. It is a privilege to be able to continue this. One extra addition to this program this year is that we had a very large donation of premade reusable menstrual pad kits from Texas. It has been fun to see the women excited to receive a kit as we hand them out after the workshop. So, even if theirs didn’t turn out so great they have some that are going to last a little longer. A big THANK YOU to those that made and sent those kits to us!
Back on the ship, Dan has been coordinating many key elements of the running of operations. From making sure the Transportation and Maintenance team have what they need, to Supply [a very small word for a very large operation], to our wonderful Academy, the Stewards department (yah for clean and comfortable spaces and food to eat), Finance (we sure do appreciate having the resources we need to buy what we need) and finally the mighty IT team who are always getting people sorted with all their electronic devices. He is thankful for wonderful managers who support their teams well and make his job easier!
Another part of being Operations Director is the planning for what’s next. Right now, this looks like planning a full pack up for the end of this year in Madagascar and a full set up in early March of next year at our next new port. We need so many things to come together that these planning stages are vital to the mission so we can begin surgeries on time. We have some tight schedules ahead to keep! Please be praying for wisdom for Dan as he collaborates with others and makes these plans.
We also saw the finish line for our kids grade 7 and 9 school years. They completed exams at the end of this month and now have some time off school until mid Aug. We are excited for them to have time to join in some various ship departments to get some volunteer work experience as well. Please pray for them as we make these decisions and as they have these new opportunities and experiences ahead.
Speaking of the Academy break, Dan will actually be covering for our Managing Director as they bring their eldest off to college this year. He will have just over 2 months of being Managing Director on the Africa Mercy. This will involve a lot more “people” type management and can have different challenges to the Operation Director role. He would appreciate prayer during this time especially, but is trusting that God will direct him as he covers this roll during Academy break.
Our mission of bringing hope and healing to the worlds forgotten poor has been a beautiful example of how God meets us wherever we are and lifts us up. He sees us. He loves us. He cares for us. I hope you know how much he cares for YOU too! Some days are hard, some days we may not feel Him close, but all the time He is faithful. He meant what he said.
Ephesians 3:17-19 New Living Translation
17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
If you would like to support Mercy Ships Canada who, in turn, supports us please click this link for more information. Croutch Family’s Mercy Ships Canada Fundraising Page – Mercy Ships Canada . Please let us know if you donated as we are not able to see who donated through Mercy Ship Canada. Thank you to all who have been praying for us and supporting us financially and with encouragement. It means so much to us and to the people who are receiving this much needed surgery.
Prayer Points
- For our friends who have left/are leaving soon. That they would discover where God is leading them in this next chapter.
- That we would manage changes and transitions well
- For our very full patient spaces and for solutions to problems that we come across
- Unity and grace in a season of busy days and much to get done
Praise Points
- For new families and crew getting ready to arrive on board
- Time of rest at the beach and with friends
- Patient safety as they travel
- Wonderful Madagascar Independence Day celebration
- many completed surgeries!
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