Dress Ceremony

One of the surgeries that is done on the ship is the repairing of Vesicovaginal Fistulas (VVF). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesicovaginal_fistula) VVFs are oftened caused by prolonged labor, which is common in Benin since women don't have much access to professional medical care. A VVF means that urine constantly leaks into the vaginal vault and out of the body. It usually has a profound effect on a woman's emotional well being, they are sometimes abandoned by their husbands and shunned by their communities.
After a woman has a VVF surgery on the ship, there is a dress ceremony. The women receive new dresses and doctors, nurses, and non-medical crew gather in the hospital for a time of sharing, prayer and worship. I was priveledged to attend a Dress Ceremony a couple weeks ago. The singing was beautiful, and even though I couldn't since along, I could dance and celebrate with them. The women pictured below talked about their experiences and the shame that came with having a fistula. One of the women share that her husband had stood by her, even washing the rags she used to stay dry. The other was abandoned by her husband, but was cared for and supported by her brother.

Attending the Dress Ceremony was a wonderful experience! It was my first time in the Hospital since it has been open and filled with patients. The nurses do an amazing job of keeping the wards colorful and filled with knitting and other arts and crafts for the patients to do. Patients are allowed to have one caregiver on board with them, so there are families and kidos everywhere. Since I work upstairs, in the 'Operations' area of the ship, I haven't had many opportunities to visit the hospital and meet the people we are serving. It is such a blessing to be here and meet these people, and see how the Lord is answering their prayers through Mercy Ships.