Cast Off Your Mooring Lines & Set Sail

 The time has come, we are leaving Togo.  To be honest, when I first heard we were coming to Togo I was a bit skeptical.  Mercy Ships was just there in 2010, why are we going back so soon?  Do they really need us?  I don’t speak French, how am I supposed to connect with my patients?  I really didn’t want to go.  Funny how looking back over the last 5+ months, I realized there was no other place I would have wanted to go. 

Goodbye Togo!

Mercy Ships had done a short field service in Togo in 2010, only 5 months while most field services are 10 months.  We were just returning to finish what we started then.  We were able to provide over 1,500 surgeries to people who would probably never receive care.  We taught 7 local surgeons new surgical techniques, allowing them to provide care to the people.  We provided over 10,000 dental procedures & helped thousands more with our off-ship programs.  Random fact: Togo was the first country in Africa Mercy Ships ever visited back in the early 90’s.

Captain John gives the go ahead

Casting off our mooring lines

I’ve learned through my travels that speaking the local language is important, but not necessarily a deal breaker.  Nursing has its own language that is universal; a kind touch, a smile, a soothing voice is often all that is needed to convey to your patients that you are there to help them.  Plus, I always had our awesome dayworkers there to help with the more complicated things like asking questions & giving instructions.  Kids are also the best teachers when it comes to learning a new language.  They are patient & love to show you new things.  I often go straight to the kids when I meet a new group of people, they accept me & I’ve learned that people begin to develop trust in you when they see how you interact with their children.

Saying goodbye

Leaving Togo behind

Now our time has come to leave.  A small crowd of mainly dockworkers, crew members that were staying behind & the government officials gathered on the dock to see us off.  The last crew member was on board by 0930 & our mooring lines were let go around 1000.  Slowly, we slipped out of the harbor & into open waters, heading west towards Tenerife.

Goodbye Togo, I’ll miss you!

Blessings