Patrick

So I was going to do a blog about Patrick...the "patient" who was here a while ago I had written about. He was from Sierra Leone and here for plastics screening. He did not end up getting surgery while here but hopefully will if Mercy Ships goes to Sierra Leone next year which is the tentative plan depending on if the government there will allow us to come.

Patrick is 14 or 15 and lost both of his parents in the war. After the rebels killed his parents they threw him into the fire. He lost his siblings as well. He is blessed to have an uncle who he now lives with. He has an amzing story. With all the scars he has he looks like he is 15 going on 60. Despite all that he is the most joyful guy. I took him up to deck 7 after work one day and for whatever reason none of the patients on any of the other wards came up that day. I ran into Ali on the way up who was not working but came up just to hang out for a little while. That was the most wonderful hour or we had. The 3 of us had so much fun that day and the next few days he was there. That day on deck 7 Patrick was telling us all about Sierra Leone...teaching us the language Creo and teaching us the dances they do there. We were laughing so hard and having such a good time. What an amazing kid. He is another one we would visit everyday. The day he left Ali and I walked him to the end of the gate. That was another hard one to say bye too. We got the address to the tailor shop his uncle owns so if Ali and/or I are here next outreach and go to Sierra Leone we can find him. Not sure exactly why he came all the way to Liberia only to get told he will prob. get surgery in Sierra Leone..but I know God had a plan in the time he spent here. There is another patient here now who has been here forever and has continuos oozing from his wound and not sure why God has him still here except that God probably has a plan behind that too. Anyhoo...sorry to get off subject. But here are some pictures we took that day on deck 7. Cool to see the contrast of how much joy he has, but at the same time, you can see the pain and hurt behind his eyes. I wish I could get the videos of him teaching us how to dance on here. I do believe Ali tagged me in one on facebook that you can get to from my page.