Hospitality Center.

The Hospitality center is a place that patients are able to go to while waiting for surgery or have just received surgery and are still recovering but do not need to be in the hospital, but can not go home yet or where they can wait in between surgeries. It is not too far from the ship and dock. One day last week, the girls in my department decided to go one afternoon to play and visit with the patients. It was such a fun afternoon and I loved getting to interact with the patients and their families. When we got there, the kids were playing a French memory card, trying to match the correct letter to the picture, so we quickly joined in. Everyone was so friendly and you could tell they loved having visitors. They had a lot of fun taking pictures with our cameras and posing for pictures. We brought yarn and nail polish for the women and the mommies and ladies loved making bracelets and enjoyed keeping their hands busy. The building is very nice and everyone seemed very comfortable there. There are 2 large air condition rooms with about 20 beds each. A mattress sits underneath each patient bed so a caregiver can sleep next to the patient, and the mosquito nets are above. All their meals are cooked and served there. There is a sitting area inside and outside and we have Mercy Ships staff there 24/7. I enjoyed the afternoon there. Even though I do not know their stories or what surgery they received (however some were obvious), and communication was difficult with some, it did not make a difference, we were able to play and love on those kids, provide company for the adults and they knew they were special.
Romans 12:9-13
Love must be sincere… be devoted to one another in brotherly love…. Honor one another above yourself…be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
The Hospitality Center.

Where the patients sleep.

Playing Memory.

With some of the patients.

The cooks... they were really excited to have their picture taken.

Some of the ladies sitting around making bracelets...

and painting their finger nails, but they will only paint their left hand. The reason we were told was because they eat with their right hand.