This
is just a brief update to let you know that there have been some
unexpected changes in my plans. In August I was asked to go to the
Africa Mercy for six months to oversee the hospital construction there.
Other responsibilities will include coordinating with the Texas office
to begin filling key HealthCare positions, establishing/strengthening
contacts with companies as we seek donations or discounts of medical
equipment, and writing policies for the HealthCare department. As it
stands now, I am the HealthCare department :), but I will be working
closely with the technical managers of the ship refit project.
This was not an easy decision to make as my
heart remains on the Anastasis as she prepares to return to Sierra Leone
for 6 1/2 months.
What does this mean? For starters, it
means that instead of returning to the Anastasis in October, I will be
moving to the Newcastle, England (northeast England) area on Sunday,
September 7. The Anastasis is scheduled to sail into Sunderland, England
(just southeast of Newcastle) on September 10 and remain there for three
weeks. This will afford me some time to move some supplies off the ship
for my stay in England, but most importantly it will give me an
opportunity to hand-over some responsibilities for the duration of my
absence.
In addition to my unexpected departure,
we have some key leadership positions to fill: nursing supervisor, ward
supervisor, medical volunteer coordinator (our current coordinator is
moving to a new position within the department), and community health
educators. With the exception of the medical volunteer coordinator
position, these are all new vacancies that opened up within the past
month.
For those of you I did not get to visit
because of these unexpected changes, please accept my apologies. To
those I was able to spend some time with, thank you for fitting my visit
into your hectic schedule!
I have to keep reminding myself that my
Father in heaven 'knows the plans he has for me' and that his ways are
higher than my ways, so I can trust Him even when I don't understand
what I am seeing.
Would you please join me in praying
for God's wisdom in making these decisions, for joy and peace in walking
through these upcoming months, and for grace and strength for each
person in Anastasis HealthCare Services as we move into new areas of
responsibility?
