Saying goodbye to a patient

I am working on A ward as I write this update. It's a quiet night. We have 7 patients between the two of us, me and my coworker. I miss the last VVF patient that left yesterday. She had been here for over a month, getting dressing changes a few times a day. Since she came, her english has improved quite a bit. I had the chance to be her nurse on and off while she's been here and had a few opportunities to pray with her. She had a VVF repair, and was still leaking after the surgery and has an open wound that will take a while to heal. She is older, in her early 60's I would guess. She had started to get tearful and wanting to go home. After all, a modern hospital ship is not her normal environment nad too far for her loved ones to come and see her. Fortunately, one of the nurses realized after praying with her, that she lives in the same town that has a clinic where a few midwives were trained on VVF care. They came to the mercy ship and learned from the nurses here. So she finally got to go home and have the medical care that she needs. Praise God! We can only do so much and then we have to step back and remember that it is God who said He will look after the orphans and the widows.

As I was giving her a hug goodbye and telling her how I will miss her, she wrapped her arms right around me and we prayed. And I realized in a new and deeper way how important relationships are. Even if they are short. That God is pleased when we share our lives with one another and give of ourselves even when it would be easier to stand back at a distance and not be vulnerable. That is still a little stretching for me. To love with Gods love and that holds nothing back. Please pray for her, that her wound will heal without complication, that she will have all the supplies she needs, and that God will send people to watch over her.