What a crazy thing we are doing! And yet days can feel normal at the same time. This past month and a half has been full of wonderful, hard, sweet, boring, challenging, and more lovely experiences. Many times, those feelings can be all mixed up together.
We celebrated Dara and Ivan’s 14th birthdays in March and my 40th in April! We went out for a lovely dinner with Dara and Ivan, but it was also challenging, as people were begging just on the other side of the fence. We noticed our waiter at the end of the meal gave our leftovers to a man who had been staring at us the whole meal. It’s hard to know what to do when faced with these different and challenging circumstances. We are asked not to give to beggars in town as it can encourage more people to come to the area, and then, when we leave, even more issues, and yet… if we had known he would get our leftovers, we would have left a lot more. We are learning to listen to God’s prompting of when we need to give and when we need to hold back and offer a kind word or prayer instead. We are not perfect, and it often feels so difficult in the moment to know how to handle these things. Another very young girl stood just behind our table selling peanuts. I regret not buying some. These are the hard and honest things we face here.
On the ship, the kids enjoyed a Friday night birthday like they would at home with video games for the boys, a swim, and a movie for the girls with their friends. We are so grateful for the lovely people around us who have such loving and generous hearts. They make each person feel special, even with limited resources. The girls made Dara a homemade piñata, which was such a sweet thing to do!
On my birthday, I decided we should get away to a popular mini tourist-type place called Palmarium. We took a boat ride about 3&1/2 hours to this remote place where we got to hang out with lemurs and spend time in nature (which is like luxury when you spend most of your time in a concrete and steel shipyard). We stayed over 2 nights, did some night nature walks, and then enjoyed the peace and quiet, relaxing on the little beach there. What a treat, and the best way I could have thought of spending my 40th birthday. So thankful! After the 5&1/2 hour boat ride back (we switched motors halfway?) I was surprised by a cabin filled with balloons, lovely decor, and a cake. My fellow PCG moms had made sure I felt all the love for my birthday, and Dan made sure I had a cake, which our amazing Food Services Manager made! I sure felt the love, and I think I’m more ready to tackle the next decade in my life!
Recently, Dan had the opportunity to donate some of our older laptops to a program that helps orphans with education. He brought his team along and set them up with some equipment. A practical way to help kids get an education, which can be a huge challenge in this country.
Our kids also recently had a work experience week where they paired up with someone they learned from on the ship in their respective jobs. Callahan chose the Galley and had a great time chopping the endless amount of vegetables it takes to feed a ship of over 400 people daily! Dara paired up with our Security Officer, and she learned what security on and off the ship looks like. They got to travel into town to the local police department, the port gate, the HOPE Center, and so on. She also got to do some training with our on-ship Gurkhas! Ivan spent his week training with the IT team. He learned all about the onboard IT systems and inner workings of what is needed to run a small community on board a hospital ship!
Speaking of the hospital, we have been full steam ahead with doing surgeries, screening patients, and all that comes with that. Of course, we are not allowed to take patient photos for privacy reasons, so my pictures of this are limited to our communications photos. I have enjoyed my time at the HOPE Center, interacting with the patients and their caregivers there, reading books, building block houses, or participating in the sanitary pad sewing program. Each time is special in showing our care and love to each patient. So many have heartbreaking challenges as they deal with life in a very poor country, and also physical ailments that keep them feeling less than human. We are here to lift them up and see them from when they arrive until they leave. We want them to know that God sees them, and we see them. That they should not be treated any differently than anyone else. Our kids also spent an afternoon at the HOPE Center playing with the kids and had a great time!
Some patients are unable to get surgery, and one of those reasons might be because a tumor is malignant and removing it would ultimately not take away the cancer. I do not know all the reasons, but I know we also have a team that provides palliative care to those who may not have much time left here on this earth. My desk is beside this team, and I am impressed with their care for each individual. For the patients who live closer, the palliative team will visit their houses and help support them and their families as they go through that difficult time. It is harder to support patients who live far, but they do their best to provide whatever care they can. Please pray for this team and those who have to tell a patient and their family the bad news.
Here are some pictures from the communications team of just a few patients who come on board for surgery! There are many! I am assisting in entering the charts of patients who have had initial screening in their towns, and over 1700 of them will come to the ship for assessment and surgery.
Patients playing together at deck 7. 
Kaylee Earll, Hand Therapist, dancing with a patient. 
A patient during deck 7 time. 
Hannah Miles, Ward Nurse (Adult ICU), playing with patients at the ward. 
Bettina Knuff, OR Nurse Reconstructive Plastic Team Leader, with a patient at the ward. 
Bettina Knuff, OR Nurse Reconstructive Plastic Team Leader, with a patient at the ward. 
Dr. Marcin Bierc and Dr. Mark Shrime, Maxillofacial Head and Neck Surgeons, checking up on patients at the ward. 
LeeAnn Matthews, HOPE Center Facilitator, with a patient. 
Patients playing together at deck 7. 
Patients playing on deck 7. 
A patient dancing on deck 7. 
Plastics patient on deck 7. 
Plastics patient on deck 7. 
Hannah Miles, Ward Nurse (Adult ICU), with a patient at Deck 7 during patient recreation time. 
Susan Parker, International Hospital Chaplain, visitng patients at the ward.
Easter on the ship was a special time of remembering what Jesus did for all of us. The Chaplain team organized a special walk-through that had five stations to experience—the First Passover, Foot washing, Upper Room, Communion, and the Garden of Gethsemane. We experienced time set aside to remember His love for us. He sacrificed, served, gave, loved, and brought us hope. On Easter day, we had a sunrise service on deck 8 at 5:30 am, which was lovely, and God sent us a shower and a rainbow that morning. We enjoyed a special breakfast in the cafe, followed by an Easter service at 10 am, and finally, a big Easter dinner around 1 pm. A big thank you to the galley and dining team who worked so hard to ensure we enjoyed a wonderful meal together.
Well, it’s hard to keep this at a reasonable length, but hopefully you can get a picture of what it’s like here in Madagascar and what living on a hospital ship is like. We thank you for your support and prayers as we face daily life here. Living with over 400 people in close quarters can mean lots of challenges arise, but also lots of wonderful friends and experiences. If you have any questions or things you would like to see, please leave a comment, and we will do our best to answer.
Also, if you want to support us financially, please click this link. Croutch Family’s Mercy Ships Canada Fundraising Page – Mercy Ships Canada
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