Crowned.

While I was really hoping my new crown looked a lot more like the one in the photo, reality is it's "White #2" which my dentist says blends in quite nicely with the rest of my teeth.

Only at Sand Creek!

I had an architect from Israel take video of me zipping yesterday.  I was waiting for him to send it to me before I wrote this blog, but alas, it has yet to come so . . .

The fall colors were amazing at Sand Creek and every time slot to zip was packed.  Believe me, as I played "Launch Pad Lucy", sending clients off of each platform, my arms were beyond exhausted!

Just a few highlights . . . 

• We had a Burnsville fireman zipping with with his eighty-three year old grandma.  It was his station's open house that I worked at for the Y, so yesterday was our second time together in less than two weeks!

• We had a neighborhood from Shakopee come zipping simply because they all really like each other and like to do fun things together.  They were great!

And one low light . . . 

• A grandfather had brought his second grade granddaughter to go zipping with a female friend.  When it was the friend's turn to zip, she refused to go.  She took off her stuff and gave it to the grandpa.  Fortunately, it was the right size fit and he zipped down after his granddaughter.  Then said friend came running back up on to the platform with an inside out harness saying she had changed her mind and she was going to zip with them. They had a four year old boy with them.  She was going to leave him up on top (by sheer cliff walls and a drop off) with no adults there.  All staff were out on the course and we don't do babysitting while people zip anyway.  She got mad at me for saying she couldn't zip!  Say, what?  The child was only four!  Some people . . .    

Thankful Thursday!

I'm running a bit late, but I remain forever thankful for what I'm about to share!

I keep thinking it was when one of us was in third grade that Jolene and I met for the first time - I was a year ahead of her in high school.  Our meeting grew into a friendship that has lasted over fifty years.  And the memories we've shared will last a lifetime . . . from playing Barbies on the front step to the day the muskrats chased us in the row boat to the countless pizzas we shared at Godfather's . . . Jolene's visits to Granite, becoming homecoming queen and having four babies! We've done graduations, weddings and combine rides.  Our kids have played with her children, dog, cats, and pigs!  She and Steve have stopped by on the Harley and we've been to the farm.  Every time we're together, the conversation flows and it's all the men can do to get us to "Stop talking!"  I am ever thankful for my dear friend Jolene who became sixty and fabulous this week!

The Gifts I Sent

  

Firsts in Senegal . . .

The following information was sent to us from our friend, Keith Brinkman, who we first met aboard the m/v Africa Mercy in 2007:

Na ngeen def (Hello) from Dakar, Senegal I spent six weeks last year in Senegal as part of our assessment teams and spent many hours working on our plans and preparations and so it is exciting to be here now.  We have already had many firsts in this field service here in the nation of Senegal: First Surgeries - started with maxillofacial, plastics and general surgeries - women's health, pediatric orthopedics and ophthalmic surgeries will start later in the visit.  Our amazing Patient Selection Team are going to all 13 regions plus the region of Dakar and providing consultations with the pre-registered patients by the Ministry of Health.  Some will be given an appointment to come to the ship for diagnostics and surgeon screening, others go on to a wait list and sadly many we have to share that they have not been selected.  Our initial surgical patients have come from those regional capitals we have already visited.  Our goal and agreement with the government is for impact in the interior regions and so 75% of our surgical patients coming from the 13 regions - right now we are 96% from interior and 4% from Dakar.  One of my first patients I visited, Abdou, has already gone home and will return in three months for his second maxillofacial surgery.  On Sunday while visiting the HOPE Center, I sat with Fallou who had his surgery on our very first surgical day and with Mohamed who will have surgery this week.  Together we tried to sing the song 'This is the Day' in the predominant language here - of Wolof - thankfully it is a song that repeats itself alot.   Photo:  An all-crew photo on the dock here in Dakar   First Medical Capacity Building - Courses: Ophthalmic, SAFE Pediatric Anesthesia, Clubfoot and Essential Pain Management for healthcare professionals from 13 of the 14 regions of Senegal.  Mentoring for surgeons, anesthesia providers, nurses, and others have started in our hospital and also in the local hospitals.  Our Safe Surgery team will travel and offer training over 4 to 5 days in each of the regional hospitals of this nation.     First Mercy Ministries - Lere and our two great day crew Sidney and Bertauly have made relationships with new partners for us and have started our Mercy Ministries Visits to two children's homes, HOPE Center and later to the Deaf School and Women's Prison. First Church Visits - opportunities to join the Christian believers here in Dakar at their places of worship - some have English translation and for others I try my best in French.  Our director hosted some of the pastors on board and look forward to more time with them visiting us on board and in their churches. First Reports - for our field service, we have 30 different projects in the Hospital, Medical Capacity Building and Infrastructure areas.  Each with their own project plan and budget.  I have started to publish my first statistical reports on our activities to the local government and partners and to the larger Mercy Ships world.   Photo: Pastor Ndour - he was one of our surgical patients in 1994 and now is a pastor in an Assembly of God church here in town.

Now Serving In Senegal!

The m/v Africa Mercy is currently stationed in Dakar, Senegal.  The primary people groups in Senegal are the Wolof, Fulani, Serer, Maninka and Jola.  Wolof is the largest with population of over 6 million people.  Wolof is also the primary language spoken here.  In country briefings on the ship, crew are learning more about the culture, religion, relationships, languages.  The primary religion is Islam, Some unique aspects of Islam here involves brotherhoods and the marabout (spiritual leader) - importance of peace, high mosque attendance, and Touba - a holy city.  The percent of the population who are evangelical Christians is less than 1%.  There are many living, studying, and working here from other countries in West Africa, so in the churches often it is people from elsewhere not from Senegal attending.  There is a great emphasis on peace and you see that from their greetings "How are you?" - "Jaam nga am" - which means "Have you peace?" and your response is "Jaam rek, Yow nag" which means "Peace only and you?"  

During the Africa Mercy’s 10-month stay in the port of Dakar, Republic of Senegal, Mercy Ships plans to provide 1,200 to 1,700 life-changing surgeries (maxillofacial, burns reconstructive, pediatric orthopedics, women's health, general which emphasis on children, and ophthalmic) onboard, to treat over 4,000 at a land-based dental clinic as well as providing healthcare training to 1,000 to 1,500 local health care professionals through mentoring and courses, both in Dakar and in each of the regions.  The ship is partnering with the Ministry of Health and Social Action to reach those from the interior who need the surgical services the ship has planned and can offer.  The first time a Mercy Ship came to Senegal was in 1993/1994 with the m/v Anastasis.

Only at Sand Creek - on a Sunday!

Normally I do not work Sunday afternoons, but . . . 

While I was at my surgeon's last Monday, he mentioned the youth from his church were coming out to Sand Creek to go zipping.  He just didn't know when.  I promised him I would work it - not realizing it was yesterday!  But look - we had fun in spite of the weather!

With Living Christ Lutheran Church on Platform Two . . .

 

Thankful Thursday - Post Two

As I was talking to my supervisor at the Y last night, her day today sounded absolutely overwhelming.  Far too much too do and far too many hours - from 7:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. with barely a break to breathe. 

So I said, "Barbara, can I take the fire station off your plate?  I can go there tomorrow night and you can have a break."  She said she would think about it and let me know.  Friends, she didn't need to think long.  I got the text at 7:25 a.m. this morning.

In just a few minutes, I'll be leaving for Burnsville Fire Station One to represent the Y at their "Safety Night".  I am thankful that I can do this for Barbara and I am thankful that God is blessing my time there!  I found out that I'll be working it with my dear friend, AmyJo.  We're kind of hoping no one shows up so we'll have more time to talk.  God is good, all the time.  All the time, God is good.