Saturday May 2

Not sure that I've had a birthday this week, more a celebration of life. I've had the song sung to me so many times, had so many treats and specila events happen that I certainly won't forget this one in a hurry. It started Sunday evening the 26th with a phone call link to my home church at Gorsley near Ross on Wye at the beginning of their evening service..

Monday evening I attend Toastmasters and their too they remembered it was my birthday. tuesday at work as we met at the board for our meeting oin the OR corridor I was sung too again - I had made cake for them too. wednesday evening is the eye team small group and we shared we brownies and ice cream in honour of my birthday. Friday 33 of us went out for a meal to the local Lebanese again everyone sung to me. I've had quite a few cards and some lovely presents. I've been very spoilt and will look with fondness recalling this particular birthday.

Meanwhile there has been work to do and I have continued in my role as anaesthetic nurse for another week. I really enjoy the change and working with different people. I have spent most of my time in the orthopaedic room as that's where most of the children are and have worked again with the same anaesthetist. this always makeslife easier as we begin to work very much together as a team. The surgeons have great fun and taken the english banter well. It's amazing how certain always come back and find myself just slipping in roles that I have had before.

On Wednesday we had a little lad who was about 3 who was to have his club feet corrected. As I carried him up the corridor I was aware that his breathing was not all it should be - his chest was rattling beneath my arms! Alerting the anaesthetist to this she listened and decided that he really needed a chest xray and antibiotics for 24 hours before we should operate. At home we would give a full course of antibiotics and have the child back 3 weeks later. This option wasn't available for this little boy as the paediatric surgeon was leaving at the end of the week. By giving him 24 hours we were able at least to start the process and give a better chance. he had his surgery on Thursday to correct his club feet. as the plastering was finished the surgeon put the lads 2 feet together and stated the lad had "happy feet" meaning they were pointing in the direction they should be normally not all bent round as they were. Perhaps the most important thing though which took place each time I was in the orthopaedic room this week was the way each member of the team took it in terms to pray before we started surgery. Our prayer for this little boy was that he would grow up strong and loving tha Lord. One day hopefully he will be told about his operating on a big ship and about the people who cared for him and why.

Our community meeting on Thursday evening is always an important time on the ship and this week I had been asked to be MC for the meeting. The international lounge seats around 300 and was pretty full. The service is also shown by video link to cabins. Having had due notice I was prepared for the meeting and spoken with the main speaker, who had had some devastating news about himself just 24 hours earlier. he still wanted to speak and so I was left wondering how I should set the tone for the meeting. In fact I decided to go with the way I fely Father had led me including the short reading which was not a bible reading but one about a chinese woman who had a cracked pot that she filled each day from the river and used to water the seeds she planted. The cracked pot felt ashamed because it couldn't carry its full quota of water like the second complete pot. She reassured the pot that she had known about its flaw and explained how she had used its "flaw" to water the seeds that flourished into beautiful flowers which she used to grace her home with beauty. we all have flaws but God is able to use our flaws too to help other people. The speaker used the verses from Jeremaih ch18 v1 - 6 to illustrate his points.

....and so life continues