Different Waves

As we prepared to join Mercy Ships and come to Sierra Leone almost two and a half years ago, we had many goodbyes and "this will be our last..." in America. Now, we're doing it all in reverse. We are saying goodbye to this beautiful country, courageous Sierra Leoneans, deep friendships, and our home for the last two years, which is this ship. We waved goodbye to that chapter of life.

Waving goodbye to the Pacific (January 2024)

Two years ago we waved goodbye to the Pacific Ocean. Soon, we will wave goodbye to the Atlantic. We're going to miss this. But we're also missing our beloved, sweet, and chilly North Coast. 

Soon, we will sail to Gran Canaria island in the Canary Islands (off the coast of Morocco), be there for about a week, and then fly back to America in early July. I (Jeff) will not appreciate the rocking of the ship, but I will still love and enjoy the vast, deep blue. We will receive the ocean's waves. 

It has been a joy. A blast. A beautiful time. We're thankful for how the Lord has led us, bumps and bruises notwithstanding. So now we will wave goodbye to this chapter of life.

Sunrise on June 8, 2026

I captured this beautiful sunrise early a few days ago. With rainy season here, much of the dust, smog, dirt, and haze has disappeared and we can, once again, have amazing sunrises and sunsets. We can also breathe more healthily, too. Perhaps a sunset is more appropriate for this type of blog post with saying goodbye. But I woke up early and could enjoy the beautiful soft blues, yellows, greys, and deep burn oranges. 

There are many goodbyes: to the people, culture, food, patients, port, ship, sunsets, friends, and more. Waving goodbye is difficult. We're grateful for the waves — all of them.