It has been a while... — Kaylee Travels

Two years ago, I made a post detailing the process of traveling from Tana to Toamasina. My intention after that was to actually update people on things. Describe in greater detail the beautiful country of Madagascar. Talk about the amazing people I’ve been blessed to meet, describe life on the ship, and talk about the work we are doing. Yet, as it does, life happened. I met amazing people, worked with incredible patients, and had adventures. I went home, worked, came back to Madagascar, reunited with old friends and made new friends, met new patients and had new adventures. I went home, worked again, this time for a year and near family (yay!), traveled to Sweden to visit friends during that time among other fun things, and now I am back in Madagascar for the rest of the year!

Madagascar sunsets with the ship provide a rich source of photo opportunities.

This trip marks a new chapter in my time with Mercy Ships. My first trip, lasting for six months back in 2009-2010 spanning the end of the Benin field service and the beginning of Togo, I was working in the sales department, making coffee and ringing up fellow crew members’ purchases, having failed to get into graduate school for occupational therapy. I applied again from the ship, and the week before I was to return, my parents called the cabin phone (we did not have cell phones then) and told me I got in to school! The second time I came was in 2022 in Senegal, getting to be a part of the first field service after the pandemic shut the world down. It was my first time as a hand therapist, and I returned the next year in Senegal for the Global Mercy’s first field service, and then Madagascar the two years after that. Those four trips lasted between three and four months each. This time, I have the opportunity to be the rehab team lead for the rest of the year. The past month of being on the ship has been filled with learning details of the new position, the nuances of the orthopedic surgical block, which I’ve not been a part of before, and of course, getting to know the new team. It is overwhelming at times, but I have a very good teacher and a lot of support.

So I hope to be able to update more. I want to write on things happening here, fun times from the past two years, and post beautiful photos. We will see what happens.

In the meantime, I appreciate all the prayers you guys can muster! I want to do a good job in this position for the crew and day crew, so I can help them do a good job for the people we serve.