June 19th Day 12 on the ship
1000: Below are the boxes the LDS church donated to Timor schools. They actually do get delivered!
2000: I haven't had the spirit come so strongly to me the way it did today in a long time. Everyone else got to attend church this morning, but I was working. We managed to discharge the remainder of the children we were going to see in Timor Leste by 2 pm, and then closed the unit. I took care of the very last girl to be shipped off the boat throughout her hospital stay. She was a young girl about 11 years old, who had a large burn on her abdomen from an accident a long time ago. The scar tissue was preventing her skin from expanding as she grew, which was causing problems. They did a skin graft from her leg, and kept her for a long time so they could a second stage dressing change at the very end. I think she was my big experience of the trip. She was cheerful and positive, and her mother was wonderful too. I really wish I could find her a few years from now and see how she does. After that touching departure, I had a relaxing evening and met up with our spectacular group at dinner. We've learned a lot about and from each other these weeks. Nobody wanted to leave the dinner table, we were enjoying the moment knowing that this would end tomorrow. The deck felt peaceful and all of us kind of naturally drifted into a makeshift testimony meeting. Everyone took turns sharing their strengthening moments, and the spirit was strong. Chaplain Williams was kind enough to hold a special sacrament meeting just for me. Me only! I felt like I couldn't contain my feelings. The whole group came to support me so I didn't have to sing the hymns as a duet with the chaplain. Then Dave Hansen got up and gave an abbreviated version of the talk he gave this morning. For me only! I was so overcome. It seemed so personal, and the love from the group was strong. The whole trip seemed summed up in that meeting as we laughed and cried together. Chaplain Williams got a selfie to remember the meeting.
My heart is full and my spirits lifted. I feel like although our patient load was small, we did so much here.
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