Our last full day in the Mole St. Nicolas was a combination of emotions and activity as we wound up our medical plans and started to think about our departure. While the nurses in our group conducted morning and afternoon classes to train local caregivers in CPR and first aid in preparation for the launch of the orphanage in a couple of weeks, others of our team organized medical supplies we had not used in clinics to restock Jody’s shelves in her clinic.
Then it was time to hit the beach to soak in the beauty of God’s creation, float on the gentle swells, look for tiny seashells, and watch the sunset, all the while enjoying laughter and fellowship with Kerwins and Kenson, the two interpreters who have shared their skills and personalities and music with us on this trip. We will miss them, as well as Jody and Jose and their lively clan.
As we eat dinner under the festive blinking party lights on the patio, we all recall highlights of this week: Ladies’ Bible study, adventures on the high seas, clinics in 3 different villages, playing “telephone” with the little girls, singing with Kenson, Jody’s impassioned testimony. We won’t miss the barking dogs in the middle of the night, and some of us may not opt for rice and beans for several weeks! But we leave grateful for the hospitality of the Castillos and the people of the Mole, already thinking about what we’ll bring on our next trip, and with a deeper sense of God’s presence and power and His imperative to be the face of Jesus wherever we are.
