Africa Ahoy

"ATITALA" Goodbye for now

2009-04-24T18:23:00.006Z

Its been an amazing 3 1/2 months on Mercy Ships. Filled with old and new friends and lots of great memories. I hope these pictures capture some of whats so special about this ship.

VVF dress ceremony to celebrate the women's new lives and re-entering into society, no longer leaking urine since childbirth:

(The surgeon giving her patient a present at the ceremony to represent she is now clean)

Time for celebration and dancin'!

Thanks to family and friends that supported me financially, emotionally, and spiritually. I couldn't have been here without you all!

Three Blind Children

2009-04-23T18:50:00.000Z

These three little brothers and sisters were all born with congential cataracts. This is a picture of them all waiting with their mom the day before sugery on the ship!

Natatingou & Pendjari Safari

2009-04-23T16:46:00.009Z

Hettie, Laura, and I headed up north to the backcountry for a 2 day safari adventure. Living IN the ship is a whole world of its own, so it was nice to actually be off the ship and enjoying being IN Africa and being completely immersed its in incredible culture and people. We took a 8 hr bus ride complete with a full 8 hrs of blaring African Pop music and soap operas, ha. and a 4 hr off roading drive into the Pendjari National Park.

Considering we had "speed racer" as our chauffer we didn't scare off all of the animals! We saw baboons, elephants, antelope, alligators, buffalo, hippos and much more. Lions and cheetahs have not been seen in the park since Feb. The early morning time when they may be seen, our car broke down (luckily not in the field!) so if you know the scene from "Little Miss Sunshine" when the whole family is running behind the car and trying to jump in after it starts.... well my friend...that would be us ;) and we missed them possibly coming for a morning drink at the watering hole.

( this particular elephant SUPRISED us as he came up from the river and we got a little too close , My head was out the window mind you at this time until I heard its trunk making a charging trumpet sound. yIkes!)

Other fun was had as well, with the right connections you too can illegally enter Burkina Faso for a short ride and eat FuFu with the security guards!

On the way back to Natatingou we stopped to swim in some beautiful waterfalls and we picked up all sorts of people for the ride back into town!; kids, men and women that needed to get to school, market, or home.

On our way back to Natatingou we got to stop and see inside one of the traditional SOMBA tribe houses. Almost 30 years ago they were almost totally unknown to the Western world and remain one of the most untainted tribes left. For hundreds of years they have been building their mud fortresses in the Atakora Mountains. These huts are 3 stories tall, the first level being to hold storage and their livestock at night, as well as the elderly of the family as they cannot easily climb the stairs. If anyone tries to attack them the elderly can yell up to the rest of the family and warn them before the enemy climbs through the kitchen and then out to the roof where the children sleep, food is dried, and up another level into the tower where the parents and babies sleep. There was a 3 day old baby inside this one when we climbed up :) The grandparents were almostly naked and passed out for their siesta to the side of the house when we came, and stayed that way the whole time! The small lump with bird poo and feathers on it at the lower half of the above picture is the voodoo shrine where they sacrifice their chickens to keep the Gods happy.

I think you might find this entertaining, this is an excerpt from my Benin Travel guide related to these villages: Entitled Kinky Wedding Nights: " When a Somaba man marries he must visit the family of his bride-to-be and dance in front of them for hours on end, whilst the men of the house whip him over and over again. Any flinching or acknowledgement of pain on the side of the groom and he will lose his bride!"

The last night we watched an amazing thunderstorm come across the town. It was the first sign of rainy season coming and I can't tell you how felt it good to be cooled off by the fresh rain. On the bus ride home we saw tons of children going to and from school in there little uniforms, not only are they adorable to watch, but encouraging to see as its a sign of the importance of education they emphasize in the country compared to other areas of W. Africa that are more underdeveloped. The more I am here in W. Africa, the more I see education really is there key here to rise above the poverty that surrounds every city and every village here.

It was a great trip and I am refreshed to finish my last 2 weeks on the ward with Mercy Ships.

Girls Roadtrip- Our Tales & Trials of Possotome :)

2009-04-11T16:02:00.017Z

Hop in and fill up the gas tank....we are going on a roadtrip!

( A typical gas station)

Suzanne, Lauren & I are sitting in our chairs about 6am watching the sun come up over Lake Aheme in the small village of Possotome. Its one of 45 tribes around this fresh/salt water mixed lake. Canoes are gently gliding along the shiny, glass water. Fisherman checking their lines to see what the night brought in the baited traps. They teeter around the edges of the lake's circle of sticks, outlining where the lakes "divinity" lives " a spirit hippo" the guide yesterday said, like its common knowledge of course. If one casts his net in there, it is sacred and will upset the God, causing the Chief to have to heavily tax him & put a curse on him. Once a year each of the surrounding villages adds their own sacrifice to the whole to please the God so he will continue to provide fish.

This morning as we sit and sip our coffee we hear canoes first from the loud chanting and then from the sights of large huts they have built into the canoes loaded with as many people as they can possibly fit. It is a "game" they say... that is only done when there is a robber or dignitary in town. The game is played by the adults of the villages in which one man goes into the canoe's hut and is said to cause magic and turn into a snake!! Others are celebrating by dancing around with pillows. Thats about as much as I could understand of this story told to me by a Beninese?

(Canoe going past the lakes Divinity in the 'circle of sticks')

With a little more concentration I can tune into many more sounds around me...roosters crowing for the last of the members to wake up, laughter of staff, palm trees being swept on the ground to clean, birds chirping, water gently lapping as the locals go into bath and check crab traps near shore. It is so peaceful this morning.

Looking back, the past two days have been perfect. None of us speaking French and many charades later, we took a moto, got a taxi, and then foot arrived at our nice hotel. We spent the first afternoon passed out under a palm tree from the busy week. We woke up to drumming and I decided to see where it was coming from. We followed it to the village right next door and found a great delight... 20 some kids in their underwear from 2-6 yrs old dancing like freebirds!, older boys drumming and giving them their beat. Their round bellies and beaming faces COVERED in sand from their sharp, joyful dance movements on the beach. 20 soon turned to 30 kids and we took the beat and turned it into a swirl of "wear the kovos out" (kovos pronounced YoVos- is white person) ha. We played tag, duck duck goose, head shoulders knees and toes, and mass tickling sessions. We ended back in the drumming circle where we started - now time for the younger ladies to show off and perfect their dance moves. Every once in a while they took my hand and led me in the middle of the circle to try to imitate. Complicated feet patterns puzzled me and after several minutes of goofy attempts I sat back to watch in wonder again.

We sat that night, us three girls, with the full moon rising over the lake, a glass of wine, african food, and good conversation until our candle burnt to the bottom and mosquitos came buzzing.

Friday we wondered around the village road passing some children practicing their special dance for their Easter service. (Videos on Facebook) Their moms sat underneath the tree practicing for the church choir.

(This goat was tied to a sleigh of rocks underneath the tree where they were practicing. He is literally the "lawnmower" for the church courtyard. He does a darn good job eating the leaves that fall off the tree above as soon as they touch the ground. The poor goat hobbles over to it, and not a scrap is left!)

We were found by a eager teenager entrepenuer who is working with the French to start ECO-BENIN tourist excursions. We glady decided to be the guinea pigs as they were offering exactly what we were looking to try....catch some fish.

The next Usher himself- Our tour guide

We head out on Piroques (boats) to the middle of the lake. Instead of paddles we are pushed by long palm tree sticks that hit the shallow lake's bottom. HARD WORK! Each of us gets our turn learning how to properly wrap the long net in our hands before casting...1....2.....3....and we give it our best arm. Waiting several minutes for the weights to sink to the bottom and the fish hopefully entering, we are cheered on by the sweet old African men in the boats as though we were pros. They offer to cook us a meal with whatever we catch.

(Whadd think Pops?! :) Thats my throw- thank goodnes for softball throwing sessions in the backyard!)

Unfortunately we all strike out, but the Africans don't! Suzanne and I jumped in the water with them to cool off and they are even catching shrimp, crab and fish WITH THEIR HANDS! and dumping them in the boat for our lunch.

After an amazing meal we took a tour of their Hotel they are building in hopes of helping them along and promoting it to our lot of shipmates back in Contonou and increase business. Its exciting and hopeful to see the progress being made in the country to generate income, even in a little village.

As we checked out of our Hotel Monday morning, my friend realized sometime in the past day around $60 was stolen out of her purse, leaving our ability to pay our bill extremely short. We knew this was not good..... in Africa there are no credit cards, ATMs, etc, We explained our story to the owners, prayed, and told them we were women of our word...we would be back with the money somehow. God is good, and the day before on the boatride we had met 2 French men working with the NGO - ECO BENIN. We took a chance to visit them to see if we could borrow the money from them and pay them back when they came to our city next week to fly out. Not only would it have been extremely difficult for us to get back to the village again, but we knew it caused the hotel managers much stress as they simply can't take the chance on absorbing the cost like in the US worst case scenario. The 2 wonderful French men happily consented to lending us the money and every one cheered when we arrived back at the hotel. God provided and we were SO thankful. We had a great trip.

.... Other adventures are better left untold for awhile mom! ha. We are back safe and sound :)

WaRd PaTieNTs

2009-04-01T02:35:00.002Z

Clubfeet, Rickets, Lipomas, Goiters & Hernias.... Oh mY! These are some of my patients during the first 1/2 of my time here:

Facial Tumors, Cleft Palate, & Cleft Lips.... This is the world of Max-Fax a.k.a. Ward D. This is my newest area of patient care. This is less pain control, and more airway control! I really enjoy this area, as I did my last time on the ship. Its alot of wound care which I love, and you get to know the patients as they are on the ward much longer the patients shown above.

My Sweetheart

Soon to come is Plastic Patients which we screened for this past Monday afternoon!!! ...... This includes burn & injury contracture releases, keloids and some pretty crazy stories of how it all came about!

The Tasks at Hand...

2009-04-01T01:53:00.007Z

Many of our little ones that have been coming in are undergoing some pretty big operations. Many of my patients during my first few weeks on the ward have been clubfeet repair or femoral/tibial osteotomies to help their feet grow from bend... to straight again. This includes breaking, shaving, adding hardware and/or bending bones!!! Not the most fun as you can see from one of my little girls below. Pain control is a big issue and a daily battle, especially for the first 3 days. Ward A is hustling and bustling daily with many nursing tasks to keep these ones healing and comfortable.

Being one of a few pediatric nurses in our 4 wards, my patient assignments include getting the majority of the "trouble-makers" ( I would be too if scary white man broke my bones and made me not able to move and play in a big, scary cast!), so that the easier kids can go to those nurses who have never worked with the children patient poplations before.
Not only have these kids not seen many white people before, but many have never been in a hospital setting before, thats scary even for a mature adult!

Naturally I like a challenge, but I must be honest, these first few weeks have been very challenging at times. There are many hurdles to overcome here that I don't normally face in my job back home, a big one being trying to communicate things to the children and mothers through a translator. "Lost in Translation"....ha..... i've had some real doosies! Feeling run down by my crappy immune system lately, and a whole lot of crying and screaming children... i was feeling pretty down and really worn out.

I hit a wall last week and really started praying that God would restore my joy for working on the ward again. Thats when I really felt like he layed on my heart, Steph "SEE THE PEOPLE, NOT THE TASKS!" I am anal in my natural nursing nature and thrive on being one step ahead of the whatever may come next. With many other nursing hurdles that I won't go into, my BEST effort, sometimes is not enough or can't produce what I would like it to or get it done in time on my shift. I've had to learn when to let go of certain things so that I can really spend quality time with my patients as well, and find that needed time to laugh, rock, play, draw, blow bubbles and play games with them.

I think we all feel frustrations like this sometimes in our jobs. Even when we put everything we got into it, it doesn't seem enough. But I encourage you as well, to take the time out in our daily lives to not get so caught up in our duties, that we don't focus on the little souls right in front of us that need a little TLC. When our souls are content and cared for, many times the other little details work themselves out.

R& R continued... @ Grand Popo

2009-03-23T18:22:00.001Z

Matilda the Sea Turtle

Little R & R- Camping in Grand Popo

2009-03-23T16:57:00.004Z

This weekend 19 of us headed for a little rest & relaxation NE about 2 hours to a village called Grand Popo. We spent the weekend swimming in the ocean, sing and eating around a bonfire, sleeping on the beach under the stars, watching fishing canoes battle going out into the rip tide and hanging out camping at a little African Resort. A good time was had by all, 1 day was wayyyy too short. I seriously considered tying myself to a palm tree to stay behind in paradise for just a little while longer. I was feeling refreshed until I got sick again at the end of my time there...a bad sore throat/cold/cough that probably was never really recovered from my past two episodes this month. So I used my sick day off from work to update my blog :) I'm not sure where my immune system decided to take a vacation but I'm determined to regain it so I can make the most of the time I have left.

A Day with the Blind

2009-03-23T15:54:00.003Z

A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light. Early in the development of age-related cataract the power of the lens may be increased, causing near-sightedness (myopia), and the gradual yellowing and opacification of the lens may reduce the perception of blue colours. Cataracts typically progress slowly to cause vision loss and are potentially blinding if untreated.

Wikipedia

For the past month my room happened to be right next door to the temporary Eye clinic. Seeing my shipmates leading the blind hand in hand, around the halls by my room, to and from surgery peeked my interest a little more each day. Finally, this past week I asked if I could help during my time off and they gladly agreed.

I started the day off washing the humble faces of a line of patients waiting for cataract surgery. As I placed the warm toilette on their faces, I felt my heart slowly soften more and more with each stroke around their tender closed eyes, nose, and mouth. They truly have the most beautiful faces; broad contours and many weathered wrinkles from years of hard work under the hot sun. All the things that were on my mind, slipped away as I got to share in this really special and intimate moment with them, today is the day they will regain their sight :)

Next I started 1 out of 5 rounds of eye drops to dilate and prepare the cataract for surgery, waiting 5 minutes between each set. Then it was time to lead them side by side down the long hospital corridor, pray with them, and hand them off to the OR. I loved leading them to and fro, many of these tiny African mamas- I must say it feels good to be around so many women that are actually MY height! There is something really tender and humbling in them trusting & leaning on you to direct them where they need to go.

It is a fast procedure, only taking about 10 minutes. The patients are awake, given a local numbing injection straight into the eye!! The doctor makes a tiny incision into the cornea, loosens the cataract enough to slide it out, and then places their new synthetic lens inside. No stitches required. (My roommate came on my bed the othernight all excited to show me what was in her napkin...yes..a cataract, looking exactly like a hard, brown, tiny scap. ha.this is what happens when you live with 5 nurses ;)

After surgery they get a patch placed over their eye until the following morning. I felt like I had gotten to know these patients a bit over the day I spent with them before and during surgery, that I'd really like to be their when their patches came of the next morning. The patients are discharged the same day and return the next morning to our Hospitality center off ship in town.

I woke up early to head to the Hositality center and see my baby Odilion before the eye patients came (yes, he and mom are doing well and just by holding him I can tell he is gaining weight and growing in length!) As the eye patients came we lead them into the tent where we started to remove their patches. I could feel their anticipation grow as I started to remove tape piece by tape piece. As I lifted the cotton patch underneath I waited with eagerness to see what they would do as they try to open their eyelids and test out the new eye! One women got out of her chairand started singing and dancing, another stood up and thanked God, others sat in silence almost seeming out of awe with a gentle smirk. I then cleaned their eyes with some saline to remove the gunk that had collected around the eye the previous night and send them off to the next station to a series of vision tests. Many improved several rows on the eye chart. They will all under go one more outpatient procedure in a few weeks called YAG, that pierces another hole through the new lens to prevent any possible second cataracts from returning.

One last little story for you.. a few weeks ago I was headed to the craft market when I ran into 4 blind people in a row on the sidewalk. I carry slips of paper in my purse that say in French where our eye clinics are for a free surgical screening. I handed them to the children of the blind parents they were leading (Many children can't go to school because it is their job to lead their parents around all day) Onlookers thought I was handing out money and started to come near. My friends told me it was time to go, ha. but I saw one more lady by herself closely touching the wall as she walked along. She had bilateral cataracts and a very distant look in her eyes. I couldn't really speak a word to her, I just placed the information paper in her hand and curled her fingers around it and said a quick prayer someone would be able to read it to her....

fast forward about 3 weeks when I walked in that day to wash the faces of the line of patients waiting for cataract surgery...and she was sitting their with her distictive face and distant gaze. A rush of emotion came over me and I almost started crying. It felt like the exact little piece of encouragment I needed from God, saying "Steph, those little actions everyday matter".

... so when I took of her eye patch the next morning, I was especially full of anticipation, as she sat their muttering to herself like the day before something I still have no idea of what she was saying. I tracked along with her eyes and pulled the doctor and a translator over to take a look at her. Before she was only able to see light and darkness. Now ,although she can't see the exact details of my face, she can tell how many finger we were holding up and make out forms and shapes in front of her. It was one of those moments I can only cherish and try to explain. Its why I'm here.

This field of medicine has always in particular really fascinated me and I felt like I really learned a lot more about it this week. Giving sight to the blind is something words can't describe, its more like a beautiful picture that speaks a thousand words at once. Another reason why working here is not work at all, it is a PRIVILEDGE that i really feel lucky to be a part of. I'm hoping to volunteer with them about 4 hours a week now until I leave.

Death- Circles of 3

2009-03-23T15:28:00.002Z

They say people die in threes.... it always seems to be true. We had a special guest come onboard a couple of weeks ago to vist. She was a returning patient, one of the first cleft lip/palate babies Mercy Ships ever did surgery on. The founder of Mercy Ships had kept up with her year and year and invited her back to say hello from a nearby West African country and to look into getting her to Europe for a future heart/lung transplant she desperatly needed as she was becoming weaker and weaker from these underlying medical conditions.

A few days after being here, she collapsed in the town outside the port and was emergently admitted into our ICU downstairs. She became weaker and weaker until her heart finally gave out on her. The crew that knew her was deeply saddened by her death but grateful she was among good friends, family and medical care during her last few days on earth.

The second death was a little baby with his mother in the back part of our ship, waiting to be seen for the first time by our physician. Unfortunatly by the time she came it was a little too late, and as some our staff passed by and looked at the crowd waiting to be seen, noticed the babies poor color. By the time the physician got there, the baby was already gone and pronounced dead. The mother wailed on her knees in the middle our cargo hold. A scene no one ever forgets. Another vivid wake up call to us here, of the misfortunate health care system in a third world nation.

The third happened last week on our ward. My roommate had just recieved her thyroidectomy patient back from having her huge goiter removed. The women asked to go to the bathroom shortly after settling into bed and by the time she got back to bed she was becoming short of breath. A rare, but extremely dangerous post-op complication was unfolding before my roommates eyes...the patient was bleeding internally in her airway and it was rapidly closing around her trachea. Just as was taught in our in-service the other week by the surgeon, the staff began ripping open the incision to release the bloodclot that was tightening her airway. The Code team arrived fast and took her back to the OR. She survived a second surgeryto repair the artery but was still in critical condition and needed to be ventilated with a trach in the ICU. She lived several more days but after a CT scan we saw that she had massive swelling in her brain and even if she DID wake up, she went to long without recieving oxygen to the brain and would have permanent damage. She had a wonderful, supportive christian family that came to see her daily. She passed one morning a few days after and went on to a much better place.

Starting the outreach off like this is never what one hopes for, but for them we know now they are in God's hands and experiencing a much better life than could be offered down here.
The rest of the ward is flourishing, with mininal infection rates and post-op complications. Please continue to keep them all in your prayers. Thank you.

Benin Half Marathon

2009-03-22T20:03:00.003Z

Last weekend the capital of Benin hosted a 1/2 Marathon race, that a few of our Mercy shipper crew decided to join last minute....no...no training was done ;) just the pure thrill and curiosity of it pushed these crazy "Kovos" (white man) to come out for the long, HOT run. Just like most things in Africa...things tend to be a little backwards..., here is some of the footgear my friend Ginger, who raced, saw during the race! It will blow your mind! ha. Take a CLOSE look...

(black socks/blue sandals)

old tennis shoes with NO back, shoelaces used to tie around the ankle!

barefoot,

and thats just a few...many ran in jelly sandals I used to wear on the 80's!

The race was hosted by a big Water Company...and yes...they ran out of WATER after about 1/2 the people came to the stations...leaving our poor untrained Mercy Ship crew at the mercy of buying baggies of water off the baskets on women's heads and some kind onlookers who handed them theirs! Have no fear though because they kept cool after the people at the stations THREW buckets of water on them soaking their footgear and socks, leaving them to the last half of the race with wet and wrinkely feet!!! At the finish line no one was cheering, so they almost kept running because they weren't sure they had reached the end, ha. Someone just told them to stop! I wasn't there to see this spectacle as I was working, but I thought you might get a kick of out it. I know I did. Another day, another adventure. To each its own I guess.

The gang :) ...inside & outside the ship

2009-03-10T22:45:00.002Z

Forest Adventure

2009-03-10T22:24:00.004Z

My little guy needs some prayers

2009-03-10T22:16:00.003Z

This is my little guy I was talking about in my last blog entry... he still needs a LOT of prayers to grow big and strong enough for surgery... I would really appreciate it... he is sick this week and could use some cheering. I'm a bit worried about him. I grow more and more attached with each shift.

Medical Screening Days

2009-03-02T12:50:00.007Z

A week ago we held two medical screening days at a big stadium in downtown Cotonou. There was estimated to be around 5,000 people in line, with half being family members, over 2,500 patients were screened for surgery! Its a day of full of amazing hope, but also despair for those whom we cannot help due to problems that are not operable.

Just like screening day in Ghana 2 years ago, it always turns out to be one of the BEST days of my life. My role in this years screening was to be in charge of hydrating all staff and patients. Trying to keep over 5,500 people hydrated during our long, HOT days proved to be busy, but SO fulfilling. I had a great team who worked extremely hard walking up and down the lines offering cold cups of water over and over again.. although Africans don't like to drink a lot, we really needed them too so we could get bloodwork off of them at the lab station and no one fainted on us!

The first time I came to the ship in 2006 there was a verse the hospitality team placed above my bed, " And whoever offers one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, ... you have done it unto me." - Jesus Matthew 10:42 When the screening director asked me to do this it felt like it was meant to be as that verse meant a lot to me years ago when I first stepped foot on this ship. Many of us may not be able to speak much French or their many tribal languages, but handing a glass of water and bread to the hungry with a smile is all the communication you need sometimes to calm nerves, show you care and that they are in a safe place.

We saw a little bit of EVERYTHING, huge tumors, cleft lip/palate, clubfeet, goiters, encephaloceles, cataracts, and other unusual deformities. Many surgical spots were filled but we finished at the end of two days with lots of openings so we are holding screening days throughout the next few months every tuesday and fridays at the ship. We have had many more show up this week including more Vesico-vaginal fistual women whom seemed strangely absent from screening day. We only have the VVF surgeon here for the next few weeks so we are broadcasting throughout the country to help spread the word were they can be healed for free, and hoping they are able to come soon!

Just a few days after our screening the OR opened and our wards are filling up day by day!! Its been a crazy week with all the new staff from around the world learning where everything is and the hospitals protocols & procedures, but we are slowly but surely coming along now. I've already worked 5 shifts on the ward this week and am getting more and more comfortable and excited. I have had mostly kids this week from simple to extremely complex surgical cases. I had a 5 yr old kid who had major facial reconstruction due to severe cleft lip and palate whom tried to pull out his airway tubes, but even in just the past 2 days he is finally up playing and drooling :) (typical part of recovery) but starting to smile. He will finally be able to talk and eat normally like he never been able to before.

One of my favorite patients I have already fallen in love with is a 6 week old baby who has bilateral cleft lip and palate deformities. With a young mother who has never been to school and has no money or breastmilk coming in, she has been feeding her son water for weeks, leaving him dangerously malnourished. He is just around 6 pounds and all wrinkly skin and bones. I took care of him over the weekend and we started him on our feeding program to get him big & strong enough to have surgery hopefully in a few months. I had to feed him tiny syringes full of formula every two hours so he did not get "Refeeding syndrome". He was so lethargic when he first came in we were not sure he would even make it through the night or next few days; so dehyrated he couldn't even close his eyelids! I am happy to report he is slowly gaining weight and energy!! Mom is eagerly learning basic parenting skills and showing good bonding signs. The little guy even got to meet the President of Benin this week when he came to visit the ship and met patients on the ward :) Please keep this little guy in your prayers as he is not in the clear yet!!

Just as there are many hopeful things happening on the ward, there is also a lot of hard things to accept. I had a young boy last week who came in with a facial tumor. After further cell testing they discovered it was inoperable and was referred to our hospice team with less than 6months to live. It took everything I had to hold the tears in when I prayed and discharged him with his mother.

And its only week 1!.... the adventure begins full force.

Ganvie Stilt Village- Africa's Venice!

2009-02-22T11:57:00.009Z

On Saturday we took an InCreDibLe little trip out to GANVIE Village. Its a village of 30,000 people in the middle of a lake who built a whole society on stilts about 2 meter above the water. Its an amazing African "Venice".

This is an excerpt from a Human Development website that explains it well.

"The meaning of the name Ganvie "we survived", is a reminder of the historical events that brought the village into existence. In the 17th Century, the Kingdom of Abome was waging war against neighboring tribes, on a mission to capture prisoners of war to supply the transatlantic slave trade. The chief of this tribe conceived an ingenious plan to shelter his people in the middle of lake Nokoue where enemies and slavers could not capture them. From rafts and canoes, a village system on water emerged, including markets, and today schools, restaurants, churches, clinics, etc."

On the boat ride out we traveled past many fisherman in the reeds, diving for their trap's catch, canoes crammed with children returning home from school, women bringing their produce to the markets..paddling with babies ON their backs still, young boys pulling balancing stunts to impress us (indeed it did!), children standing with on a piece of fabric and holding it in their hands to create their own windsails, and even 3 YEAR OLDS no joke paddling around the village to pass the day and visit neighbors!!! I would like to come back for a weekend of exploring and hanging out. Our tour went way to fast. Its incredible what these people have built. The pictures don't begin to capture it.

In true Steph fashion... once again.. lost my photos. I accidentally deleted ALL instead of ONE when I got home trying to edit them this time. I was so excited to capture some really great moments yesterday but Thankfully we have lots of great photographers onboard, so thank you Michel P. for letting me borrow yours!

Record Night

2009-02-22T11:45:00.004Z

By Day 7 of sailing we started to get a little bored, so in good ole' Mercy Ship fashion we made our own "Record Night" fun with lots of random activities. What else to do on a Friday night but see how many people you can fit into our tiny ship bathrooms??! .. we broke the record from 13 to 18 people! (thats me in the upper right corner) ;)

Healthcare Reception

2009-02-22T10:31:00.007Z

On Thursday the Minister of Health and U.S. Ambassador came to check out our Hospital Ship. All are hard work scrubbing and cleaning had shining results!

On Monday we held a Healthcare reception for all the local Healthcare organizations/Hospital officials to come and get to know us so we can hopefully partner with them during our 10 months in Benin. My job was to be a dining room greeter. Luckily, it fit the extend of my French to simply smile & repeat.. "Bonsoir and Bienvenu!" A good time was had by all :)

A Walk to Beautiful

2009-02-15T21:13:00.003Z

This is a BEAUTIFUL cinematography/documentary on the Vesico-Vaginal fistula clinic in Ethiopia. You can watch it at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/beautiful/program.html

It is a total of 55 minutes and broken down into 6 chapters. These are some of the kinds of patients will will see on our ward soon :)

Watch it. It will change your life.

Hospital Open House

2009-02-15T18:17:00.003Z

Scrubbing IN

Learning how to suture from the OR nurses!

Red being a difficult patient for the kiddos!

Future Surgeon checking out the X-ray machine & CT

Vital Sign station

Ward Preparations

2009-02-15T15:42:00.006Z

This week the nurses spent most of the time our time on our hand and knees, scrubbing and scrubbing some more.. Yes.. we learned how to stip and rewax floors. The whole hospital area had to be redone. Every surface from top to bottom had to be bleached, cleaned and organized. We have large three wards and one ICU.

The U.S. Ambassador and Minister of Health came about 5 mintues after we were done. Our achy backs and bruised knees were all worth it when we got great feedback of the officals "petting" the beautiful beds and commenting on our beautiful clean floors :)

To celebrate the reopening of the Hospital we held an "Open House" for all the ship's non-medical staff to come down and see what its all about. Each room and medical department had their own games and activities. The OR had a cataract removal simulations and suturing lessons from Dr. Gary Parker staff could try out, as well as rooms to "scrub in" and put on the whole costume.

The Ward made enough sweets to send send everyone into a diabetic coma! I helped create a "Digestion System Maze" that had lots of funny surprises to simulate the digestion process starting from the mouth, down the tongue (slide), through the esophagus (climing through a tube), churning in the stomach (hula hooping- with water squirt guns shooting "acid" into the stomach lining, small to large intestines(winding through bed sheets), finally into the rectum( through a tube, pressing a whoopie cushion) and out the anal sphincter (where you had to squeeze between 2 chairs alarming a toilet flush sound from i-tunes and handed a "tootsie roll" after displaying your best constipation face!

We had lots of laughs as we had everyone from 2 years old to 92 maneuver through it! Quirky fun?? maybe... ha. but thats what ya do when your stuck a ship with limited supplies and nurses active imaginations. Other rooms included lots of crafts & activities set up on the patients beds for people to see the activities they could do with the "Adopt a Patient Program." We also had a station where shipmates could learn how to take vital signs (BP, pulse, etc) and where they had to fully take care of nurses "acting" as patients. Yes, we pulled out all our favorite annoying tricks patients like to try to pull on you and made it as difficult and humorous as possible! These were just some of our many activities. I could time was had by all and got all non-medical staff more comfortable with visiting us downstairs when the patients come! soon!!!

Outside the Port Walls....

2009-02-15T15:00:00.007Z

We finally made it into port about a week ago, but not before the engines gave out right outside the port entrance. We had to float around one extra day to be able to fix everything that had beforehand been working just fine. This is not the first time our ship has had trouble entering this VOODOO capital of the world. We had trouble with crash landing incididents both in 2000 and 2004 I believe. Only in this country... Coincidence???

Well I can definatly tell you it lives up to being "the armpit" of Africa as temperatures outside the ship, with humidity, come to around 100 degrees F daily. I was surprisingly a bit timid to step out of the ship again and begin exploring, but after several good adventures venturing block by block until I finally got to town and beyond, I feel my love and excitment for all the magic Africa holds coming back again. I have to brace myself not to pick up and kidnap every stickin CUTE kid i see. Not speaking a lick of French is a bit aggrivating as it really keeps you from being able to participate fully in the culture, but a handful of English speaking locals or Liberians have come and greeted us warmly. I feel very safe here, besides the hundreds of mottos zooming by in unorganized chaos :) We have seen families up to 5 people on one tiny moto zipping around town! No helmets, crashing here and there... a nurses nightmare. We have been asked not to use this form of transportation if at all possible so that means we are all getting out our walkin' shoes! I will try to put Google Earth of our Port on here. If you zoom in you can see quite a bit of the area that was taken before our ship came, including the little fishing canoes that neighbor us :)
Just outside the Port gates I have already run into a woman with a cataract, a boy with a facial tumor, and a little girl with rickets. The rumor about Mercy Ship's arrival is starting to spread and it is exciting to actually walk past poverty and illness and be able to say "We CAN do something about that". Its more exciting and refreshing than I can even express! I keep papers in my pocket that have information about our screening days coming up this week. On Thursday and Friday of this week we will hand out hundreds of free surgical appointment dates to the canidates that fit our visiting surgeon's abilities. Since the last time I was onboard, a Pediatric Surgeon has come that can do some Gastrointestinal surgeries that we in the past had to say NO too.

My job was to take the lab work off the future patients after their assessment, but I have been asked to switch to being in charge of water management in the long waiting lines, making sure everyone is well hydrated and not passing out. It is very hot and chaotic on these days. Please pray that God gives me wisdom in how best to manage this task and the people on my team. It is however an answer to prayer, because handing someone a cool glass of water and a smile is a universal communication, that even fluent French cannot touch. P.S. I was told they do NOT like to stay in lines so PLEASE pray for our security teams and for organization; Also please say a prayer for those whom we have to say NO to because of medical problems that are beyond our ships specialties. These people are desperate and will repeatedly get back into line after beeing seen by a surgeon and told there is nothing we are able to do for them. It is a crazy emotional day!

Sailing

2009-02-05T22:25:00.004Z

We are currently on 6 out of 9 days on our sail from Spain to Benin. We are just about 30 miles off the coast of Liberia now. Gorgeous, calm, deep blue water.. about 1 mile deep. There are flying fish everywhere! A few days ago when checking out the bow of the ship, about 200 dolphins surfaced in the dear distance for a breathtaking show.... i had no idea they hung out in groups that big... and NO i am not exaggerating! My video camera is bad luck as everytime I bring it out, no dolphins show up to race the front of the ship like they often do. Last night I even managed to drop my 1 GB card with all my recent photos into the ocean, so sailing photos to come again later! This photo is one I found on google when looking up what a flying fish is?? The record for flight is 42 seconds.

Every morning when I step onto the deck I can feel the weather becoming more and more humid and hot. Benin is known as the armpit of Africa with us arriving at one of the hottest times of the year! I slept outside on the top deck last night and got an amazing glimpse of the stars. Woke realizing I too can have curly hair with over the top humidity!

I finished my time working in the kitchen this past Sunday. Left with a "bang" almost literally as it was the first of our sailing days with some rough waves. Plus I put myself on seasick meds so the swAyIng back and forth with huge stacks of dishes I was carrying from the dining room to the washer and being drugged proved to be an interesting combination that luckily is mostly blocked b/c of the meds :) I am highly sensitive....forgot that! It is now calm and beautiful so I am just saying "NO to drugs" :)

I am attending nursing orientation this week as well as learning how to knit....yes... i said knit. We do it everyday between 1-2pm so we can be able to spend time with the patients teaching them who are on the ward for an extended period of time. They love it. I am going to try to take it a step further since outside the ship there really isn't much "wool yarn" in Africa, and learn how to rip up old lappas (their clothing) and knit it into a sleeping mat, purse etc. A skill they might be able to use to make things for the market place with materials they have sitting around at home or use to sleep on instead of the dirt floor.

To be continued...

Camping in the clouds

2009-02-05T21:28:00.002Z

My last free weekend I got out of the kitchen and went camping up high in the rocky green coast with many other Mercy Ship friends. We had quite the adventure looking for a campground that no longer existed as the "old" map said it should! After hours going up and up looking for it in the rain and clouds, it was clearly explained the next morning when three Forest Sheriffs found our damp, rainy pathetic souls gathered by the last of our firepit. Luckily we had some cute grandmothers with us to charm them into pathetic genuine plees of being lost :) It definately wasn't the kind of camping I'm used to, but it was stunning in a murky, fungus kind of way ;) With good company you can't go wrong, We all had a great time.

Birthday Fun

2009-02-05T21:10:00.003Z

Spent my 26th birthday hiking between the rocky coast and black sand beaches. Found a little authentic Canary Island resturant built into the cliffs to enjoy my first Barraquito~ I hope to make it for you next time were sitting in my Chicago apartment trying to survive winter ! :)

It was a splendid day of fresh air and good conversation. I got a good feeling about this 26th year :)

BARRAQUITO

Barraquito, also called barraco is a coffee speciality from the Canary Islands, particularly popular on Tenerife and La Palma.The coffee speciality is served in a glass and consists of three layers; sweet condensed milk (minimum 10% fat), espresso and milk froth.

First fill approximately quarter of the glass with sweet condensed milk, not less than 10% fat. Now put hot, fresh espresso on top of the condensed milk. At last top everything with milk froth.

P.S. I think you can add a flavored Liqueor layer too. Irish cream is a good one :)

walaa! enjoy! I hope it warms you up. Cheers

Tenerife

2009-01-22T15:58:00.006Z

Hello Friends and Family!

I arrived safely in Tenerife after a fun week with Lisa & Kelly in Madrid & Barcelona. We had a great time exploring around Puerta del Sol, Gaudi's amazing mosaic masterpieces, Picasso's incredible museum, Palaces, marketplaces, and alley cafe stops to warm up. They are dear friends and old roommates and it was so good to have quality time together again :)

I'm already feeling pretty settled here on the Africa Mercy. I recived an amazing warm welcome and many hugs after boarding, by old shipmates I didn't even know were still here! They are my big, crazy international family and I feel really loved and honored to be among them again. I know this is where I'm supposed to be for this season, I can't stop smiling since I got here. This ship and everything it represents is my deepest passion and love :)

The ward preparations do not begin until near sail time in 2 weeks as everything must remain tied down until we get there, so until then I have been recruited to work in the kitchen galley as prep and clean up staff for mealtimes. For any of you that know me well, you can clearly see the humor in this, as most people like me to stay OUT of their kitchens ;) I already broke a blade on the bread slicer! But alas, i'm having a blast and learning the ropes. Its like a whole other world in the ship's kitchen. Our team is great and we have a lot of fun working together.

My room is again... ha, not ideal near the engine room and underwater- (so no window)... but i'm finding the alarms and passing ship sounds to be a rainy calming white noise, ha. The first day I kept thinking they were practice alarms where i needed to get to the dock, but I'm so turned around on this 7 Deck ship that I'm still working on getting around 1 week later.

I haven't had a lot of free time yet, but inbetween mealtimes I've had fun running different directions out of the port seeking outside the tourist hotspots and up into the neighborhoods where woman sweep their porches and siesta activities are takin seriously ;) For my birthday yesterday some friends and I did some exploring between the mountains and ocean on the northing tip of the island. It reminds me of a Greece/Romanian landscape mixed. The small section I've seen so far is breathtaking.

Not to much else to update you on for now. We sail Jan. 31st for 9 days before we arrive to Benin...in the meantime..i'm hoping to grow sealegs!
The ship has really slow internet right now, so it won't let me post pictures, but check facebook if you have it and I have some albums already made.

Bonvoyage to Spain

2008-12-29T21:22:00.007Z

Hey y'all. I am headed to Tenerife in the Canary Islands on Jan. 15th and we set sail for Benin- "the home of Voodoo" on Africa's West Coast beginning of Feburary! Will be here until May. Miss everyone, please keep in touch. My ship phone number is 1.954.538.6110. Its the same as calling Texas so not expensive! Hope to hear from ya :) I got a tiny camcorder for Christmas so hoping to send ya some interesting video footage over the next few months along with my updates :)

Love,

Steph

Leaving thoughts....

2007-05-21T23:11:00.000Z

what i'm packing with me....

Its been over 7 months, and my time in Africa is coming to a close. During these months I have walked through many different seasons, each with its own lesson, prepping me for the next step in this incredible journey. I felt like at the end of my time here I would have found a lot of answers to some of the questions I had come here determined to get answered. To some yes, I have, to most.. my experiences here have caused those questions to lead to more and more questions, some i'm realizing maybe can't be answered anytime soon. Questions on what to do with poverty, how do i feel about it, and what is my role in it? How do I walk away from it when there is SO much to be done, a disturbing haunting lack of basic healthcare that kills hundreds everyday?.. what are the needs around me in the states that i could get excited about participating in? God has placed certain passions on my heart; medicine, children, & health, they continue to have a strong presence in pushing me along in life, the joy of finding a way to bring all those together, of serving God with the gifts hes given me. Mercy Ships has played a significant part in confirming thats what I need to continue in. Two principles strengthened here.. i believe to whom much has been given, much is expected (God owns everything we have) & if it is within your power to do good unto someone..make the EFFORT to do it with the BEST of your ability...and do it with JOY.

Observations:
Ghana & Liberia are filled with amazing people...but esp. in Liberia, coming out of 14 years of a disturbing, bloody war I find it a very IRONIC country... on one hand i've come close to many men/boys that wouldn't hesitate to rob/harm me and their people in broad daylight, who carry scorns of hatred and evil pride from there ex-rebel days, and an EXTREME corruptness that continues to distrupt the nation from its much needed healing
.... but yet the majority has this UNFATHOMABLE resilency from the HORRIBLE acts that were uncontrollably violated by.. they carry FORGIVNESS- accepting these people back into their communities, HOPE- for their nation to be restored, LOVE- for perfect strangers..an amazing hospitality and deep care for me/us that touched me in a profound way...going the extra mile time and time again..when they owed me nothing (reminds me of what Jesus has done for us) They would give you their last plate of rice for the week with persistence and a smile. GENEROUS beyond their means..TRUSTING God to provide for their needs. BRAVERY- woman, who endure beatings as a common marital practice, many times forced to have children for a man's selfish pride, and the will to get up everyday in survival mode.. no savings, no food cupboard for back up, no jobs to be occupied. PASSIONATE- bibical passages flowing from them naturally like their reciting their ABC's

.... I have been surprised to find that some of the most amazing, beautiful people i've come across in life so far..are found down the dirt road..into the mud/stick homes of that old wrinkley woman who gets up at 5am to sweep her front yard made of dirt and feed her 10 children... As having many of them as patients I have gotten to interact with them on a intimate level. I think the most profound thing I've been reminded here because of them has been how SIMPLE life should be. How complicated i make it. They have nothing, but they trust God for everything....THEY know the meaning, the DEPTH of grace. They don't thrive upon merit or pleasures...they live on God's provision and find geniune thanksgiving in every detail of their life. When they sing, its the most beautiful sound in the world...because its faith from their very core, its unhindered. The funny thing, it isn't much of what they've said outloud..its just they way they live. Living in this crazy environment both on & off the ship here has revealed to me how incredibly selfish i am. How i am just as guilty of participating in our own culture's obession with consumerism and selfish ambitions. a constant glory seeker... feeling very ugly, there was a season where i completely hit the wall on knowing what to do with all i was seeing, what could i possibly do.. realizing..i can't save the world, i don't have the slightest wisdom or strength to help them, to stop the vicious cycle, to heal a nation, or even to change myself.. when i came across this passage:

" Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread." Proverbs 30:8

That is my prayer as i go home. That I would continue to try not to live my life on my own strength..but depend on God DAILY to continue to lead me and mold me into the beautiful creation he as designed me to be.. to TRUST in His GOODNESS, and daily provision for whatever it is we need. To let my light be stronger than darkness.

Children - The children here have touched me deeply as well. I find a refreshment that children are, at the core, the same even across the ocean. They continue to be a display of our basic human needs... love, affection, pure joy. And as little 5 year old Daniel puckers his burnt lips/face up at me and giggles as i clean his wounds.. i can't help but think of how beautifully resilient God made them. And just like the old woman,.. I find a unique sense of a genuine, simple, and loving attitude that cuts to the core of me, and hope to be more like one day.

"freely you have recieved, freely give" Matthew 10:8

"for you were called to freedom brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word... You shall love your neighbor as yourself"

My time with Mercy Ships has been a dream fulfilled, but also an added log on the fire for what I believe God is asking us all to do..step up to the plate.. go deeper into the game.. WHEREVER we are, there is much to be done..with God's strength, joy and wisdom. Hes the coach.. and WE are a significant part of his team.

"whereever" is relevant for me b/c i'm not sure where to go from here long. Will spend the following 6 weeks after leaving here at the end of May, traveling all around Europe with good friends..after that.. I feel like God's given me a complete peace about taking a season to be near home and good friends and family.. get to those weddings, birthdays, and holidays i've been missing.. moving to Chicago hopefully in August and trying to get a travel nursing job at a Children's Hospital. I am sad to leave the amazing community and events of everday life with Mercy Ships, but excited and ready to enter this next season, process everything i've seen, and let God show me the next path to pursue. Look forward to seeing many of you in July and hearing all that has been happening in your lives :)

P.S. only 2 more days before the Africa Mercy Ship joins us and the moving begins! (8 years of waiting for completion finally over!!!) President of Liberia will be with us the day before I leave, May 29th to celebrate!!!

You know your in Africa when..

2007-05-21T22:42:00.000Z

You know you're in Africa when....

you carry machettes to work like briefcases

when you play name that random cooked animal.. from your soup bowl!

when you can can buy anything from toilet paper to sewing machines right off people's heads, out your car window

when you cab buy underwear/bras from a street wheelborrow

when you can fit 30 people in ONE van...animals welcome

garbage cans? whats that?

when you go to a resturant #1 they ran out of 1/2 the items on the menu
# 2 they go buy the ingredients off the street AFTER you order

when chewing on sticks is like chewing gum

when a total stranger will go WAY (1hr+) out of their way to help you get to your destination safely

when your new name becomes "white woman!!" or "Obruni"

men tell you about their city wife AND their country wife with pride, 5 children is considered "small small" amount

when yelling/arguing is a common form of talking

when you can buy a bushel of mangos for 20 cents

when they climb up their front yard coconut tree to give you a complimentary drink

when your friends and ask for your number before they even know your name...and once they know your name...they NEVER forget it!

Victorya Faith - my last patient

2007-05-14T23:05:00.000Z

Victorya Faith was not only my last patient, but also the very last patient to be discharged onboard the Anastasis, before the new Africa Mercy arrives in 9 days! Victorya came to us as "baby girl" at 9 days old. She was born with a gigantic Teratome on her buttock (kind of like a huge tissue filled cyst; could possibly be from twins gone wrong in utero); it weighed 1/3 of her weight and was as big as her torso!

Her mom, Grace, took her to a doctor up country when she was 3 days old but they told her to wait until she was 7 months old and then bring her back.. Her mom went with her motherly instinct and took a chance on a rumor she heard about a hospital ship in Monrovia. She traveled 7 hrs and was found outside the port walls by a crew member, who had compassion on her and brought her to our Medical coordinator for assistance. In 7 months it would be too late for "baby girl"said Dr. Tertius, so she was admitted and fit onto the surgical schedule right away.

The first time I unwrapped her from her cloth lappa, I have to admit I was taken back by how BIG and deformed it looked and overwhelmed by just how tiny she was! The smallest baby to have MAJOR surgery I've taken care of so far. Through her stay I kept getting assigned to her and we became very close. I was excited to come down one morning at the start of my shift and see that because she had survived and was doing well, her mother had decided it safe to name her... the woman who found them at the port walls was asked to name her and fittingly so she is now called Victorya Grace :) She is a fighter! During her time here she developed an infection causing wound breakdown, but with constant wound care with honey, algae, and lots of prayers... she is doing great and should be completely healed within the next 2 weeks. God is good.

Bong Mines

2007-05-14T21:45:00.000Z

Saturday afternoon, took our Land Rovers to the train station and pulled em' onto a flat bed, strapped em' down and took off to see the interior of this beautiful, lush country.

Rode on top of the Land Rovers to get an even better view as we passed from the busy city, into the quiet bush... that is until the fresh air turned more into eye-burning diesel fumes toot tooting towards our faces!! ouch.

Passed everything from deforestation (mostly because trees used by locals to make charcoal to sell in the city...what our train was used to carry besides us)... to lush tropical forest!

Pulled up about 2 1/2 hrs later to a train platform in a village that used to be pretty hopping and VERY nice back in the 1960's...

In 1990 with the start of the civil war, the area was bombed and the Bong Mine which was used to obtain Iron Ore, was shut down and left over the past 17 years to rust and be stripped... sold piece by piece by robbers for a good profit.

Nearby is an old rock quarry which a Mercy Shipper discovered and makes for a great swimming hole, rock jumping, picnic kind of Saturday!

The train man decided we needed to leave earlier than usual, which was perfect because we got back for a special Super Saturday Game and Barbeque event out on the dock :)

HOME SWEET HOME.... for another 2 1/2 weeks

Screening Day!

2007-05-14T20:43:00.000Z

The long anticipated Screening Day! Hundreds start lining up outside the city's old stadium at midnight to get a spot in line to be seen by one of our Mercy Ship physicians for the chance for a free surgery and a new hope :)

Screening day was much shorter than we antipated ... meaning we believe we may have finally made a sizable dent in helping with some of their surgical medical needs. Despite, all appointments were filled from this coming July-November (end of Liberia outreach), except a few orthopedic OR spots which will easily be filled by people randomly showing up at our dock door throughout the next few weeks.

One of the most interesting and most enjoyable days of my life... I'll let the pictures speak for themselves :)

*India UN woman used to help guard one of the first large public gatherings since the war ended

*After waiting in a line outside the stadium, each potential patient was escorted into the stadium to wait again...and assessed by a physician

Health History and Vitals taken before seeing the MDs

Meet my heros :) Dr. Teritus, Gary, Tony, and Andreas

If good canidate for surgery, consent obtained by fingerprints as the majority cannot read or write...

Blood work taken....

... and the magic ticket given!

Sadly, not all are operitable for a various reasons...

A prayer team is standing by to pray with them before they leave if desired and to walk out with them.

Hard, but amazing day. The staff anxiously looks forward to see our future patients again onboard our new ship!

* My favorite moment of the day was when I was in charge of entertianing some of the kids waiting to be seen... asked them to come paint with me and some were shy as their burn contractureds arms made it difficult for them to move the paint brush back and forth, many kept from school because of it... with a little encouragement got them to do a bit of painting .. but the best part was thinking of all our similiar kids we've taken care of on the ward the past 2 outreaches, just smiled to myself knowing that they were gonna be fine in just a short amount of time.

Cheesemanburg!

2007-04-23T15:08:00.000Z

... breaking through the crowded lanes of rusty taxis, past the city limits UN check points, into the lush tropical greens surrounding both sides of the Rover, rocking back and forth down a system of bumpy dirt roads that doesn't belong to any map except one you make your own napkin... you will find a series of little villages making up "Cheesemanburg". Recently destroyed by war, you will find a surprising enchanting landscape of beautifully new, smooth mud houses, intricately patterned palm weaves and sticks to make up the roofs & windows, children playing in the rain all the way home in their crisp school uniforms, and adults doing their various laborious tasks with a natural ease.

I came here today with my friend & old roommate Jen, who is in charge of Community Health education. Todays task is to aid her in doing a basic village health assessment of 2 of these villagettes, to see and ask what exactly their needs are before directing & empowering their elected village health leaders in the coming months. Before anything of that can start, we must fulfill tradition and gather on the porch of the village's chief to introduce ourselves and meet the elderly gang of the neighborhood ;) I try to get the giddy smile off my face that reflects my thoughts of "am i dreaming?" and correct my posture into its most culturally respective manner, NO crossing legs i keep telling myself! As I look around I'm surrounded by the highly respected of the community, their wrinkley faces full of mystery and just as many questions about us, as i have for them myself. They as usual, quickly show us the same respect and treat us graceously with their finest possessions. Once again, a simple, universal smile is enough to break the ice and began to get acquianted.

After introductions and small elementary chatter, we stand to our feet to walk around to see the make up of the village... they take us on a narrow path down to their source of drinking, bathing, laundry water... a leafy, bug, filled riverbed they say never goes dry here. They do not boil the water or even comprehend adding chlorine tablets before drinking it. It physically PAINS my stomach just standing their looking at it!

Up the path a little way is a middle aged woman up to her waist (inside a 4 x4ft mud hole) in red palm oil she is creating as she stomps with her barefeet on the wet palm nut fibers...a cooking staple in Liberia.

Up another path into the "town square" again I gaze in awe at their houses they have created with mud, sticks, & the lucky ones, tin... each have helped their neighbor (somehow related family) to make a home. I learn they are a self sustaining community..only having to buy fish & salt from the outside to survive. Almost every other tree we pass, they offer us fruit of some kind, most i have never tried before.. i was jealous of them a bit...living in something like a garden of Eden,

... but then i am reminded why there is another Mercy Ships vehicle off the road a bit in the distance, working on teaching their members how to dig their own wells and latrines..

disease turning into death lingers among this lush garden and giggly children as well. After more tours of chickens in homes and old men with YOUNG wives cooking their lunches, babies taking naps right on their dirt floors... i get a chance to talk with some of the village members one on one! With the help of our health village trainees, we work through a list of 20 basic health questions... " What do you do with your garbage..burn it or throw it in the bush?" , Do you wash your hands before you eat or after poo poo?, Where do you go to the bathroom?, What do you think is your families biggest health concern?, How many of your family member have had diarrhea or malaria in the past month?" They answer and i try to keep a neutral face, wondering if they even know the answer i am looking, hoping for? At the end I thank them, ask a few of my own backpile of curious questions, turn down marriage proposals, and quickly move on!

Next week I've been invited back to help teach about Malaria..Africa's biggest killer (greater than AIDS) I am excited to have a shot at developing these teaching skills for the first time :)

I had a blast. I really think if i had to live in Africa, Cheesmanburg is where i'd set my rocking chair... Once again, beautiful people, who may not be intelligent in some things like their water system...but know the inspiring simplicity you can't find in a textbook. There is much to learn from one another.

(3 elected village health trainees working with M.S.)

Day out with "Doctors Without Borders"

2007-04-23T14:46:00.000Z

Today got an opportunity that I've been really geeked about for along time!!!, a chance to follow around a Norwegian physician named Kari, from "Doctors Without Borders" , also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres. I met Kari randomly one day a few weeks ago in an ER and she agreed to let me shadow her.

This organization I've investigated and googled many times over the past several years; i HIGHLY respect the work they do and have been even more impressed seeing it more up close and personal since being around them in Liberia! They are one of the MAIN reasons health care has been able to continue post civil war, they have decided to extend their contract until 2008, the longest time their relief organization has ever remained in a country because Liberia is still very much in a state of RELIEF and only starting on the edge of their own development and getting back on their own two feet.

Overwhelmed by the lines and lines of woman and children waiting to see the doctors on this Monday morning, the workers seem to remain calm and in complete control. After a tour of one of the small clinics they run, i get to sit in with a Children's Physician Assistant to see what the main health complaints are of Liberian children and how they are treated.

After many cases of malaria, some hernias, malnutrition and some productive coughs we move on across town to Liberia's only Pediatric hospital... what originally had 60 beds has been extended to accommodate over 250 patients, 2 to a bed! Being a Peds nurse myself I was really curious to see how it was run. Got a tour by the big mama head nurse, Sue, who informed me that each nurse has up to 30 patients each....5 at a time is the legal limit where i worked in Texas, remind me to NEVER complain!!! They had an ICU mostly filled with severely malnourished children- a STUDENT nurse calmly bagging a post respiratory arrest baby, a TB chest unit, neonatal babies unit, and several general medical wards, even happy to see a playground and playroom. Most of the "Doctors Without Borders" workers are not here to do all the work for the Liberians, but to serve alongside them, teaching them proper techniques to give the best care possible to their people!

Its funny what can make a person"high", ... I've never needed drugs or alcohol to make me feel giddy & alive... give me a moment to be part of something bigger, the healing human body & spirit, and I'm utterly drunk on life! I don't know if I'll ever be called to work for them, but it was a real honor to get this opportunity. Next goal.. stalk UNICEF headquarters in town to see if i can do the same with them ;) Trying to learn/understand/observe how they undertake such a big task?

The beautiful thing is..God didn't wire any two of us the exact same :)

What is your individualities high?... i'd really love to hear

* exploring FuN in the SUn *

2007-04-15T17:54:00.000Z

just a few random photos from the past week; bicycling, taxiing, floating around Monrovia...

CECE BEACH

A TYPICAL CAR WASH STATION!

MARKETPLACE

Golden Beach Resturant

Hellos & Goodbyes

2007-04-15T16:45:00.000Z

(Before we shipped out towards Liberia, a M.S. doctor came earlier by helicopter to enter remote villages and find potential surgical patients where there is absolutley no access to healthcare. Red Cross International partnered with us to fly them back.
These are some of the patients leaving after their stay at Mercy Ships to head home)

Its been over a 1/2 year now living & working here in W. Africa & every week there are at least a handful of goodbye & hellos to the everchanging staff of Anastasis Mercy Ship! I must admit, I'm a bit uncomfortable with "goodbye's, I would much rather say "see ya later" and take my chances! I've been surprised at myself though how only a few handful of times throughout all these months i've found myself teary in such a potentially emotional evironment... I guess I've taken it as a sign I must be where God has wanted me in this season of my life, to find such peace here. Even with close friendships with staff, looking back it has ALWAYS been goodbyes related to my patients that get me. Last night I snuck down to get one last look at them sleeping before they headed for the plane early in the morning...

I only have 12 more shifts left onboard before the ward closes and the new ship arrives, from which I will not be here in July when they reopen on the new Africa Mercy. I can't believe my time here is almost over..6 more weeks. I'm finding it hard at the thought of knowing how to walk away from all this. I have fallen head over heels for the Africans and especially the children I've gotten the priviledge to know & look after. Here is my newest heart throb.. meet Daniel "the giggle monster".. he spent his days on the ward doing much more than just healing from a facial burn... he kept his mischevious little self busy by sneaking up on nurses to attack tickle them, monkey cling himself to our backs, whispering sweet demanding nothings into our ears requesting "bAllOOn", "tea & bread", or "no chickle (tickle) i BEG u" and my personal favorite.. sitting on my lap during daily burn care, dodgeing my Q-tip to pucker his sweet little burnt lips and trying to plant them on my lips! Ooo how i will miss all their sweet little faces...anyone want to send me an extra BIG suitcase??

(taken after a ritual tickle attack by our cute little instigator here)

Release of New Ship!!!

2007-04-07T16:12:00.000Z

*The Anastasis Mercy Ship I am on currently will retire mid May and the 6 year awaited completion of the new AFRICA MERCY, will join us in Liberia May 21st for transition!!!!

29 March 2007 PRESS RELEASE

(Issued on behalf of Mercy Ships UK)

WORLD’S LARGEST CHARITY HOSPITAL SHIP TO SET SAIL NEXT MONTH

The world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, has successfully completed ‘sea trials’ enabling it to sail on its inaugural trip to Africa. The former Danish rail ferry, has been converted into a state-of-the-art hospital ship at a cost of over £30 million and will provide free healthcare and community development services to the poorest people of Africa. The ‘sea trials’ took place in the North Sea under the supervision of Bureau Veritas – an international marine certification organisation that tests systems on ships. All systems onboard were checked and the trials took approximately 24 hours led by the ship’s Captain and his technical crew. The Africa Mercy will return to Blyth for another four weeks where hospital supplies and materials will be loaded. The ship is now free to start final preparations for its first field service in Africa where more than 400 volunteer crew will provide free medical care, capacity building, relief aid and community development programmes to the people of war-torn Liberia.

The Africa Mercy is the fourth ship to be operated by the international charity, Mercy Ships, which has provided more than £350 million worth of services since its inception in 1978. Statistics include treating more than 200,000 people in village medical clinics; performing more than 26,000 surgeries and 162,000 dental treatments; and completing more than 800 construction, agriculture and water development projects.

Don Stephens, Founder of Mercy Ships, said: “Every ship has life savers, but this ship is a life saver in itself to thousands who wait for her arrival in Africa. Without this ship so many of the poorest of the poor face lives without hope. This huge white hospital ship docked in an African port is a strong symbol of hope.” Judy Polkinhorn, Executive Director, Mercy Ships UK, said: “This is a momentous day for everyone involved in Mercy Ships. Hundreds of people have worked tirelessly on this project over the last several years and we owe each of them a huge debt. “Our focus is now to complete the loading of supplies and volunteer crew over the next few weeks in order that she can start service in Liberia.” All the crew on board the Africa Mercy will be volunteer professionals from around the world. Doctors, dentists, nurses, community developers, teachers, builders, cooks, seamen, engineers, and many others will donate their time and skills to the effort.

AFRICA MERCY – FACTS · Formerly ‘Droning Ingrid’ ·
16,572 tonnes ·
474 berths for crew ·
78 bed ward ·
6 operating theatres ·
X-ray room ·
CT scanner ·
Dental clinic ·
Pharmacy ·
School – up to 60 pupils ·
Length: 499 feet ·
Breadth: 78 feet

Hope

2007-03-26T13:49:00.000Z

" Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are you not he, O LORD our God? We set our hope on you, for you do all these things?" Jeremiah 14:22

Well, its been almost one month now in Liberia. It is a stark constrast from Ghana, as you found out from my last entry. Over the past couple of weeks I've had some really interesting walks and talks with the people of Liberia.

Sometimes I'm scared to ask their story, afraid of making them relive the terrible events that affected everyone in such a deeply personal level. But I am finding most are willing and appreciate an ear to share their pain. There are many stories of families torn apart, savings to start up again stolen without justice, disease & death of many loved ones...

but among all the crap i feel like i'm wadding through there are stories of Hope:

~ there is a nicely dressed woman in african cloth with 6 children who tells me on the street, everyday "by the grace of God" all of her family is fed. I have heard this countless times from others as 80% of the country has been unemployed for many, long years. God provides for their daily needs faifthfully.

~ this week on the ward, after a random friendship began between a crew memeber & a patient, a rare connection was made after a realization that the crew member KNEW the patient's daughter... who the father hadn't seen in 18 years due to the war..and didn't even know if she was alive. Yesterday he was reunited not only with his daughter but his 3 grandchildren for the 1st time. You couldn't get a smile off his face all day.

~ Last week a group of 14 patients where flown in from a very remote part of Liberia from the Red Cross to Mercy Ships ...who had no idea what a t.v, cars, or concept of what a glass door was (one of the patients ran straight into it!!) ..to have removals of neglected tumors and repairs of cleft lips fixed. One of my patient's mothers was able to see her 2 sisters & mother after 5 years of being separated by distance, soley because of no monetary means to get to one another, just focusing on surviving day to day.

These are just a few of the things that have helped me to find glimpses of hope and that God is a big God, able to repair what seems like a hopeless cycle of a fallen & broken nation.

" Rejoice in Hope, be patient in Tribulation, be constant in Prayer" Romans 12: 12

I would like to ask you to help pray for this Nation.

"He delivered us from a deadly peril. On him we set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessings granted us through the prayers of many." 2 Corinthians 1:10

* For the ongoing task of creating a new, reformed, non~ corrupt police force

* For President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's humble leadership in Liberia.

* For the few educated people of Liberia to STAY and help take OWNERSHIP of rebuilding the economy.

* For Liberian based healthcare facilities to start to run again... NGO's will be pulling out in the next 1-2 years, leaving them to care for their own, with little resources.

* For anger, rage & pride to be replaced by love & forgiveness

* For the Education system as a whole... teachers, money for enrollement fees, parents to not be so dependent on their children for selling products on the street to make a living, keeping them from a chance at education.

* For the Church to continue to play a huge role in the reformation of the country, instilling genuine Godly principles into the lives of former rebels and corrupt leaders. For the healing of broken trust, families, and a generation of childhood lost.

* For God to give me daily, divine appointments with the people here...and the wisdom and strength to respond appropriately.

" For to this end we toil & strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe." 1 Timothy 4:10

Thank You.

Pirate Night!

2007-03-26T12:36:00.000Z

Saturday was PIRATE NIGHT on The Anastasis Ship :)

Started with dress up time for the kids in the Mediteranian Lounge...

...by getting quite resourceful from random items around ship...

(Petey the mango parrot in a surgical mask nest)

Then all sat down before Pirate Ben to learn the legend of the Pirate's secret hidden treasure...

They then recieved the 1st of 4 clues to find the hidden treasure map and overthrow Captain Hook...

The last clue.. Clue 4 was the great battle to rescue Tinkerbell in the high tower from being taken capative by the evil Captain Hook...

There happened to be a "Tinkerbell Terrorist" in the bunch.. who continuously insisted on trying to slice my belly & throat open with her sword... luckily for Tink her blade was made of tin foil! ;)

After the legendary battle was finished... the hidden treasure map was found on the Pirates and the final search for the buried treasure began...

The tReAsUre * was found on the distant stern's Jungle gym! as for Tink... i've been told if nursing doesn't work out.. I should pursue my second calling, ha. I have been bestowed a new nickname on the Ship now my young & old ...great.

Was a bit homesick this week...but this pulled me right out of it! This great community has really become like a second big, crazy family :)

The Miseducation of Liberia

2007-03-10T22:32:00.000Z

Liberia... Where to start?....

Last Thursday sailed into Liberia's capital, Monrovia.. to be greeted by over a hundred Liberians singing, drumming and dancing, as we docked our ship into their port! The Vice President of Liberia and Minister of Health gave an opening speech as we listened from the lower deck. The NEXT evening we got to step off the ship as our passports were finally validated.

This port is BEAUTIFUL. Much more so than in Ghana, we have a long, quiet dock just to ourselves and for that we are all very thankful. We have been enjoying it every evening. In the distance from the port we have a panaoramic view of the city climbing up onto one big hill. If you look closer with binoculars from the ship, you will see that our view of the sea and the city suddenly reveals a different disturbing story..as you focus in... you start to notice that those big government buildings have huge holes in them, houses turned into ashes..as you walk through the roads you see a shutdown bombed out hospital on your right..and a brandnew shiny car dealership on your left...you will pass over a bridge where some of the heaviest fighting occured, bullet holes going through the lamp posts and storefronts...and among the rusty, yellow taxis you will wind around big militarty trucks with 'UN" in big black letter on the side making their presence among the people.

Brief history lesson: Liberia was created by 12 freed slaves from America, I believe the only African country that has never been colonized. The capital originally named Christopolis meaning "city of Christ", was changed to Monrovia after President Monroe released the country from some hefty debts. After a much too complicated history to go into of rule between the founders & the indigineous people, civil unrest began...

Liberia is just getting over 14 years of Civil War, ending in 2003! All those years of fighting between the rebels & the government left what was once one of the most economicly sound countries in AFRICA..into one of the poorest countries in the WORLD. In the rebels attempt to overthrow the government, they bombed their factories used for export, destroyed sources for electricity & running water, and lost human dignity in the way they treated the civilians; losing over 250,000 lives, destroying many more:

* 80% unemployed & making less than $1 per day
* 52% living in extreme poverty
* 1 out of 6 people dependent on international food aid
* 10% have access to healthcare
* 25% have access to safe drinking water
* 50% of children get Malaria during the wet season
* 1 million internally displaced people (IDPs) ~ countless becoming orphans b/c parents murdered or placed in orphanges until parents can be found
* During the 14 years of the civil war, there was NO EDUCATION...schools completely shutdown..making a literacy rate of 20% as of 2003. Told we will see 20 & 30 year olds going to elementary, middle, and high school in the mornings!
* Years of CORRUPT government leaves the UN to find trustworthy civilians to rebuild a competent police force before pulling out.

* Countless children ex-rebels, agreeing in order survive, dealing with having murdered their elders.

There is a weird sense of justice here: Many put in prison without proof of crimes, left in starving, dirty jail conditions with loved ones not knowing where they are for YEARS until the new government can rebuild and give them all a fair trial. If someone is caught stealing in the markets, they will be chased down and beaten, perhaps even to death, as was witnessed by some crew members last year. (As an organization, we are trying to be very careful and not flaunt cameras around, or other material possessions so that we might not tempt a desperate Liberian, thus possible causing him great injury)

At the top of the city's hill you will find what once was one of the most ritziest hotels (Dakur?) on the African West Coast ...today it is in shambles. Walking around the premise was extremely eerie; the bombed out, burnt, & ravaged hotel is now used as a refugee camp for thousands. Past the large marble entrance where President Monroe used to pass, rements of what it once was, you will find woman siiting outside the hallways cooking in their metal pots, babies lying on FILTHY mattresses outside by an drained pool, and children playing around piles and piles of garbage..one of my friends even found a child with a handgun coming out of one of the rooms, his father had to tell him to quickly put it away when they saw them...! At the top of this hotel is an incredible view of the whole city and our crisp, white ship in the distance. The city tells two stories everywhere you go.

In 2005, the first woman president of Africa took office in Liberia..Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She is winning the respect of her whole country and world as she slowly is making order out of mass chaos. Mercy Shippers who were here just 10 months ago already see good progress...nicely paved roads, more buisness's reopening, 2 trafficlights functioning, and just yesterday noticed the start of rewiring the major city lights to function on generators. Although there are many blank, eerie stares on the faces of the people, there are many more who offer comforting smiles and help to the lost looking Americans. There is a small sense of hope in the air as progress in now becoming more tangible. With the peace agreement in 2003, 15,000 UN soldiers live in bases around the city. It is the second largest peacekeeping troop in the world, the first residing in the Republic of Congo.

One of the UN bases is just outside our gates. We have already established a little, friendly competition and in the evenings we stroll on over there to play volleyball with the Bangladesh UN, and soccer with the Nepalese UN soldiers. At the end of the soccer games they do a little march thing for us in their green & blue uniforms.. while we just stand there all muddy and in our smelly clothes. Kinda humourous ;)

Being here seems a bit overwhelming and more scary to me, but overall EXCITING that it seems we can really give some tangilbe hope to them by offering our services and being a extremely small part of their countries rebuilding. I am anxious to get started. Surgery starts again on March 19th!

lets go saiiiiling!

2007-02-28T22:03:00.000Z

Preparing to leave...Stowaway search..... no one in hereeee!

Liberia ahoy, 2am Monday morning! Got up in our P.J.s to see the ship start its final voyage. It was a little rocky & my stomach not so happy so I thought I'd pop a Anti~Drowsy Dramanine tablet before heading back to bed, MD orders. Little did I know "anti~drowsy" means "less drowsy" and if any of you have ever been around me when I've taken Benadryl... this is like that x 10!! very entertaining when I manage to come out of being comatose! I don't think my neurons were firing in my head for a full 24hrs... my head was completely numb & I slept 18/24hrs... every couple of hours my roommates shaking me awake to make sure I was still with em'. Same reaction to about 1/4 of the ship, everyone sprawled out, drooling, running into walls.. what a mess!

This is the bunker ship that met us off the shore of Ghana the 1st day, where we stopped to get some gas! They had a dog onboard :) I don't know if it was the meds...but I was really weirded out that my "home" was floating!!... in the middle of nowhere!!..getting gas!!..

Luckily the next day the med finally left my system & I managed to grow my sealegs!!! horray!

....Stepped outside & hardly left since! Its absolutely gorgeous out here, nothing in sight but the most beautiful blue i've ever seen... its definetly not in the crayola box! Spent the 2nd day on the bow, dolphin watching...

reading, hanging out, and praise & worship at sunset...

(looking down at the front of the ship cutting through the water)

Had a sleepover outside on the bow with the girls and got up to watch the sunrise the next morning... woke up many times during the night..each time the sky more beautiful than the last.. staring at the gorgeous stars & waves, the questions on my heart lately seemed to become peaceful with the sights of our beautiful creator... if he can create such splendor.. surely he can be trusted with the details of my life...

Day 3: Captain Steph Day! Up to the bridge where Sailor Josh showed us the way....

... good thing I'm not on my meds today ;) Just off the coast of Cote Ivoire,

Ahoy...FULL SPEED AHEAD!!!!!!!!

how'd I do??.... right on course..straight ahead...see for yourself!

Ended the day with a Root Beer Float party on the back of the ship, & as the rainy
storm kicked in...headed in for some sWaYing crew Irish linedancin' lessons.

(crazy Ben getting ready for his dance off)

As you can see.. it has not been boring here, I would LOVE another week of sailing! But... tomorrow we should head into Monrovia, Liberia in the late morning, singing our horribly out of key randition of "Hail Liberia" National Anthem to the welcoming party. For now, i'll will enjoy the fresh ocean breeze and the gentle swaying that lalls me to sleep :) Good night *

Sailing Day?

2007-02-25T21:36:00.000Z

This was taken at 1pm after our last life boat drill!! Lift off time was scheduled @ 4pm.... all lined up...waving... no engine function...hmmm..(tested 2 weeks ago and worked)

Hint * The Anastasis is the last boat still standing made in the 1950's....

....what was i supposed to pack in that survival bag again???!!!!

maybe tomorrow?

President's Visit

2007-02-25T19:13:00.000Z

This week has been a big one for us ~ getting ready to sail and then... Thursday the President of Ghana and the Minister of Health made a visit to our ship! With two days notice and no idea of how many entourage we would have to entertain, we all scurried around the ship scrubing, cooking, and looking up old patient files to get some of our old patients to come back to show our work up close & personal :) The morning of, us nurses were buffing the ward floor when the secret service showed up early and we rapidly took to sliding around like Pipi longstocking on towels to dry the floor! 11am sharp turned into 4pm ish as he got stuck in a meeting. We all warmly greeted and waved to him from up on the Promenade deck as he arrived with 3 flashing, white motorcycles, blaring sirens, 4 black cars and a long line of others. Open car doors lead to a flood of military men in berets & long guns before seeing the President.

He stepped out at our gangway to meet our Captain & Executive Director who escorted him on a tour and into our International Lounge for a presentation of M.S. and press conference. I got real lucky and slipped into one of the last 3 seats! What was about to happen none of us could have ever anticipated..and would NEVER happen in the U.S: After, Dr. Gary- our max/fax surgeon of 20 years onboard, talked about what we do, what we are about & showed a slideshow of our projects, surgical patients and time in Ghana, the President got up and was left almost speechless.. He told us about how he had come not expecting to see much more than some medical people doing some good work to the unfortunate and to get some good press coverage, but instead he found an amazing spiritual climate on the ship that he was deeply touched by in a way he never expected. He opened up right there in front of everyone about how he was a "Sunday Christian", but seeing all the work completed through our time here at M.S. makes him desire to emulate Christ in his own life everyday. THEN...the Minister of Health, who is the one that hunted down the President to make sure he came here b/c he himself was left speechless with his and the Vice President's visit last week...stands up and gives a small sermon directly TO the President in front of the cameras about how he DOES have the power to do miracles in the lives of HIS people everyday through Christ in HIS heart :) I think we were all sitting there with our jaws dropped! I couldn't believe I was witnessing this, ha. We had been praying that he would see more than just our ship when he came!

Both men had a great sense of humor as well...joked that they were going to close the port so we couldn't leave and invited us to a Cocktail Thank You party in the city on Friday nigh! Got ready not knowing what on earth to expect, but soo excited for an excuse to put on a nice dress...(hurtin' for some heels, miss them!!) Walking down the gangway to get on the buses with our own flashing motorcade escort seemed like we were all going to the African Oscars~ somehow everyone managed to get all the dirt & grease layers off....we clean up nice! The Minister of Health was our M.C. for the night and even played a number on the drums for us, joined in on the dancing! He was determined that we eat, drink, and be merry! This man has really gained my respect, he was incredibly encouraging and supportive., even asked to be a crew memeber ;) He send us home with 200 boxes of plantain/yam chips his wife made through her own company. I felt a little bit better about leaving Ghana after meeting these men, Ghana seems to be in good good hands!

Maternity Ward Dedication

2007-02-18T16:35:00.000Z

In November to.... Opening on Feb 16th!

*The Chief of Tema giving opening speech and handing responsiblity over to the nurses who will be staffing it!

Packing up

2007-02-15T16:46:00.000Z

Packing up!!! Set sail in 10 days.....

my "Little Women"

2007-02-11T16:26:00.000Z

The ward full of healing VVF woman quickly became my "Little Women" as i called them. These women are precious beyond words. They have traveled a long road of shame, loneliness, and great loss before coming here, but their strong, graceous spirits are some of the most attractive i've ever met. If i could have you experience ONE thing in Africa so far, it would be to spend an afternoon in a room full of my little VVF women:

Almost all not knowing how to read or write, but all speaking at least 3 different dialects ~ each one showed me their unique personalities. We spent some of the quieter afternoons tossing a beachball around bed to bed, exercise marches/dances around the ward, braiding bracelets, chatting~ laughing as we tried to understand each other and they tried to teach me how to tie their fancy head pieces! One of my favorite afternoons I taught them all how to blow kisses!!.. that was a hit and each time i left for my shift as i went to say goodnight to my little women.. many blew me kisses and made sure i "caught" each one ;) This is one of my most cherished memories I will take with me.

Bilbata is a 24 year old woman that especially touched me in a deep way. She was married, and has had two pregancies. Her first child died at the age of 3, her second was a stillborn after 3 days of labor. The long pregnancy left her with a fistula causing her to constantly leak urine and feces for several years. Her husband deserted her, but luckily her father took her in. When she heard the rumour about Mercy Ships being in Ghana, her family helped her to get here. The doctors examined her and told her they were sorry but there was too much scar tissue, and a surgery would not restore her. Laying in our hospital bed surrounded by other woman that had finally found hope of VVF repair, she became suicidal. I did not know her at this point, but heard of her. Clementine, our amazing Ghanaian Discipler on the on the ward, prayed with her and and presented the Gospel to her, asked her to think about it... A few days later Bilbata turned from Islam to Jesus... A few days later the Doctors rediscussed her case and decided although they did not believe it would be successful, they would attempt to repair her hole. Over the course of the next few weeks after surgery, I was assigned to dear Bilbata. Being my age and speaking small small English we had a great time talking and joking around. Her spirit did a complete transformation. Although day after day post surgery she continued to leak while surrounded by others that were dry, she became the main encourager of the entire ward! She sang, she laughed, she hugged, she danced each day. It was not a false happiness, you could tell it was real, it was welling up from deep inside her. Not only did it encourage the other patients, but she was a huge uplifter to the nursing staff as well. I looked forward each day to being around her, she taught me more than i can put in words. When we held VVF ceremonies for our other successful cases, and those woman got up to dance in their bright, crisp new outfits..she never ceased to be right among their dancing and celebrating with them, hugging and kissing them to say how glad she was for them. It was a deep genuiness. She continues to praise God each day for life, despite not receiving her healing. When I think of the immensity that means in her life..returning to her village unhealed, a life of isolation.... i am ashamed to think of what i consider "problems" in my own life, and my attitude towards them. She has a child-like faith that God has her right where he wants her. Story to be continued...the doctors are referring her to a specialty MD up north this month to see if anything else can be done.

Georgette, was a little 7 year old who was BORN with a fistula (congenital), very rare. Her father gave up his prized University education to pay to go from doctor to doctor to find a cure for his little girl. After years of no such luck and one failed operation, they found their way to Mercy Ships. She was a little spark of joy to our ward, she insisted in joining in with the other VVF woman, all marching around the ward together for their daily exercise, each one with their foley catheter tails in hand, Georgette first among the "little women". During her VVF ceremoney celebration, her dad shared the joy he had when she raced to him to say with a big smile that she had a urge to go "pepe". It was the first time in her life that b/c she wasn't leaking, she had that sensation to empty a full bladder. Dad and I croweded in the bathroom together as she made her first pepe, and worked on exercises to strengthen those muscles! The excitement was universal..even the 60 year old woman where bear hugging me with delight when I took out their foley catheters and they made their first toilet run in years! simple joys :)

I'm sad to say the rest of my time here, there are no more VVF surgeries scheduled. This was an experience of a lifetime I hope to be a part of again one day. As these woman left this week I already feel the void of their amazing presence. Please remember them in your prayers over the next few weeks they will try to reintegrate with their previous communities and hopefully, start a new life of acceptance!

Goodbyes <3

2007-02-11T15:32:00.000Z

This week 23 patients were discharged, countless goodbyes, our ward closed and our Ghana Outreach complete. I can't believe my time is halfway through...sad to say goodbye to the beautiful people i have met here, but excited for the sail in 2 weeks and to experience a whole new culture in Liberia. As things begin to slow down here for a season, we are finding lots of random things to do... one being this week my friend Kristen & i bumped into the gross meat section of the market; as we walked down the narrow isles of smoked goat heads & piles of cow intestines...a genius lightbulb went off & we decided to buy a HUGE cow heart to dissect! Bought a knife, kitchen tray, & heart all for only $6...cheap entertainment! Secretly wrapped it up and hide it in the common frig until a group of giddy nurses gathered around it at night on the bow to explore & review the heart anatomy! :) At the end had fun bombing it into the ocean, waiting to see if any sharks would come :) ...

As we followed the heart vessels, sliced open into the chambers i was amazed once again at the visiual simplicity around such a complex functioning, vital organ. Interesting how the bible assigns the same word, "heart <3" to represent the deepest, most mysterious, precious part of us, our soul.

1 Samuel 16:7 For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart"

Jeremiah 29:13 When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord."

Just like the heart dissection..our spiritual anatomy is hidden.. its complex to figure out all its dimensions on the inside and make it function effectively, the way we want it to. Have to dissect it to see whats going on inside. The heart looks sturdy, but it is a fragile thing, literally & figuratively. Takes exercise, constant attention to make it strong, filter through the old & used --> to the refreshed, renewed.

Each day the Lord, through my time at Mercy Ships, is molding and renewing my heart. Exercising it to have a greater faith in his hand, to give more unselfishly, to carry out my daily actions with all my heart. mind, and strength; he is renewing me with joy when i use my full potential, the passions and skills he has given me.. then i can deeply glorify him & be a part of strengthening his kingdom. It doesn't stop pumping until your "done", its a life process.

So this Valentines day..i challenge you to look at your heart and see where a vessel might need to be strengthened to make it function to your full potential.

monkeys & hippos & elephants O mY!

2007-01-25T22:36:00.000Z

Jan. 16th Hettie~ my roommate & I headed out for an 8 day adventure throughout Western & Northern Ghana. Our path didn't go exactly they way we planned, but we managed to bump into all sorts of funny surprises along the way and had an AMAZING time :) Here are some of the highlights...
(<--elephant track)

Day 1 Accra to Kumasi: Bus showed up 6 hrs late! In the evening made it to Kumasi and spent the night at an old Mercy Shipper's apartment in the city. Her roommate is a Dr. who is doing drug trials on the "Mysterious Disease" the Brueli ulcer in the nearby villages. It was interesting to learn about her work as there are only a few people in the World currently even trying to research this unknown disease that is found mostly in Africa. Got up in the morning and walked along the edge of West Africa's largest market & toured the Old Ashanti Chief's Palace~ more like a simple home with some cool tribal relics... interesting to see 3rd world royalty! Antiques sit in open outside air, instead of behind glass cages. The reigning chief has as much power if not more than the President of the Ghana! LUCKILY, they have agreed on issues so far?!

Day 2: Kumasi to Techiman: ventured to the "Monkey Sanctuary" where we were simply taken to the backyard forest of a local village and the guide pointed up to some trees, and eloquently explained and I quote, "look... monkeys!" We got to get very close to them! This tribe believes that the monkeys are their ancestors, so basically when the monkey comes in the evening to steal their food from their hut, you don't sweat it b/c you could be feeding your grandma!! ;) They even give them a human~ like burial, got to see the monkey cemetery & where the fetish priest is buried. Their was also an amazing free standing vine structure that outlines where a tree once was. The vine is a parasite that chokes the tree and takes it shape, leaving the tree to decay and disappear. That night stayed at a nice hotel where I actually had a HOT bubble bath!!! miracles of all miracles. Stayed up late that night as I had a very significant conversation with one of the young hotel guards. Its one of those conversations that you Know you were supposed to have. Hassai is a very bright man, my age who genuinley shared with me his perpetual struggle/hopelessness of his fight to get out of poverty. I just sat and listened. I have been praying for God to show me the harder side of Africa, and I am very grateful to have learned what I did from him. I pray his dreams for a higher education come true and he is able to find joy. It broke me... but in a good & necessary way if that makes sense.

Day 3: Techiman to Wenchi to Bui: After a looong tro tro ride with a psycho older man who persisted to turn around and jabber incoherent nonsense to us for 3hrs, I think I had my day's exercise just laughing at him; when your tired & trapped with 31 other people in a old Volkswagen with a big muslim woman sitting partly on you and a chicken in the back, all you can really do is just laugh, hard :) Luckily laughter is contagious and he eerily laughed with us! Got dropped off at Bui National Park a.k.a a bunch of old woodplank houses with no electricty or running water in the middle of NOWHERE. Spent the dark evenings hovering over a small kerosene lamp and learning from 12y old Joyce all the ways to cook plantain. We had to bring our own groceries.. for $4 we lived off hardboiled eggs, bread, plantians, and apples for 2 days. The 1st morning we were there we set out at 7am to see the Hippos. Before that could happen we had to walk an hour on foot passing all the cute kiddos in uniform on their way to school running to greet us cheerfully and say "you are MOST welcome!" When we got to the tourist center in the remote village (an open hut with goat poop in it) we were told to sit down while they hired local fisherman to canoe out to the hippos with us. Felt like caged animals as we were just stared at, like they were waiting for Hettie & I to do some type of trick! Got 4 adorable fisherman to take us out. As we got further & further up the river, the more hippos we came across...each time my lil' fisherman turned around with a big grin on his face and excitedly proclaimed "A HIPPPPPO". They were as giddy as we were to see them! Saw 24 hippos in total, 13 at one time! This safari was the biggest highlight of my trip, I LovEd it!

Day 4: Woke up at 4:30 am on my birthday to walk to the bus station (the bridge) and wait as we were commanded to "SIT down" and then left in pitch darkness! ha. Out of the dark, some without shoes...amazing local women arrived with bundles of heavy sticks or produce on their heads and babies on their back to go to the bigger villages to sell. The grandmas found it important to get up BEFORE the crack of dawn as well to "organize" and sweep their dirt outside their homes?? We just sat their and took it all in :) When the tro tro arrived we all hopped in and went down the horribly, bumpy dirt road BEEEPING loudly as we got to each village to help wake everyone up who needed to go to town. Spent 13 hrs of my 24th birthday cramped next to a bunch of people and a few goats in the trunk... needless to say I wasn't lonely!!!!

Day 5: Mole National Park!!! Morning and evening $1.50 safaris on foot with P.K. our armed tour guide, and lots of other Bruneii's (white people). Saw elephants, antelope, crocodiles, and birds ohh my! A few hours before we arrived, an elephant had come up to the swimming pool to get a drink of water!!! Families of warthogs snorted their way through breakfast eating the hotel grass. Nature up close & personal, ahh :) Just as fun as seeing the animals was sitting down after the safaris's to eat with the other guests and find out what everyone was doing in Africa; a German couple motorcycling for 2 months across West Africa, a Dutch couple here to contine a child sponsor program that helps kids work during the day to support their family and schooling in the afternoon so they can still get an education, a 32y hippy Israeli here to learn drums and dance who told me all about what it was like to live in Israel with the random suicide bombings, German man working with a Reforestration program as Ghanians like to just burn land like crazy...and many more interesting people :)

Day 6: Monday decided, hey!, lets head 5km out of Mole Park to a nearby village called Larabanga for a bike ride to see the oldest Mosque in West Africa... why not?! sounds fun... until... the guard and the cattle boy BOTH told us to go LEFT instead of right at the fork in the road so 1hr after riding down the dirt road in the middle of a HOT, savannah afternoon we came upon 2 old men on their bikes (our only piece of civilization since we left) who pointed the other way to Larabanga... i think we would have ended up in CHINA had we kept going? Needless to say, we made it, saw the amazing mosque and the volunteer teacher that was taking us around wanted to show us his school. It was another one of those moments that really made a harder reality sink in. He casually explained that he was in charge of 2 classes, each with 80 kids as they are understaffed. They don't have enough school housing or teachers for all the kids in the community so some can't go to school and 40 of the kindergardners have class under a tree, if they have enough money to buy a stool they may bring it! There are so many kids b/c having many kids (up to 10 is normal!) is their parents Life Insurance.
... on the way home... the ONE big hill between this village and the Park had a huge herd of cattle crossing it.... Welllll my ancient bike didn't have any brakes. so as I tried to swerve in and out of them I came about 2 feet from crashing into one Big OnE! It was a close call, ha ;)

Day 7: Got up at 3:20am to not miss our one way bus ticket outta here! Took it to Tamale and spend our last day reading and relaxing. The northern region of Ghana is about 90% Muslim so not only does the landscape change to savannah with circular muds huts, compared to jungle with rectangle huts, but the structures have a Arab flare and mosques around every corner. The people are beautifully mysterious with their turbans and head wraps on, distinquished men with long white beards. The people in Tamale use motos to get around as well, so saw some many motor mamas with their babies simply wrapped onto their backs kickin it down the highway at highspeed, some even with another small child in the front. It makes a nurse cringe! From the tro tro windows also saw a lot of signs of people with Polio, Rickets, bloated bellies...hard to see.

Day 8: The airport didn't look too sketchy so we fly back from Tamale to Accra, no more tro tros for us! Of course even in Accra on the way home, the adventure continued... was cruising down the highway in a taxi to Tema Port when I decided to try the window button to make it go up as my hair was blowing in my face... Being a normal run down taxi, the button didn't work. The taxi driver saw my attempt and decided to help me... so he immediately pulled the car over on the side of the highway, pulled out a big 8 inch knife, flung himself over me & jabbed it 4 inches away from my right arm into the window button. fixed! he said as the window went up. Oh my. Went out with a bang! never a dull moment in this wonderful country :)

So if you made it all the way through reading this.... You can tell, I had a BLAST!! It was the trip of a lifetime that I will never forget. Each day full of so many fun memories :) Trips like this are not possible in Liberia as it still has a lot of civil unrest from a recent war, so I wanted to take advantage of it all while I could. We sail in exactly one month from today. Have had a wonderful warm welcome back to the ship, it feels like i'm exactly where I should be :)

*if you want to see more pictures~ go to photo link on left, click on NW Ghana roadtrip, then view as slideshow :)

Life

2007-01-11T18:58:00.000Z

Its been a strange week.. one of those times that reminds you how fragile life really is. Felt pretty much the whole rainbow of emotions in one week. At work this week had a patient who came in for a cyst removal and the next day her surgery was canceled as we discovered she had HIV and was too immunocompremised to take chances on a good recovery. She spoke another language far from mine, found it difficult to know how to console her, sad to bear the defeated look on her face, scary to know i had taken some blood work off her the other day and it was a simple glove and my skin that protected me from such a deadly virus. Caring for VVF ladies whose smell is much more than i anticipated, shocking me into the reality of what they've been through, but delighted to see the brillant smiles on their face and eyes light up as i walk by their beds seeing them recovering beautifully from surgery. In a state of awe as i had an OR day yesterday and watched the surgeon recreate what once was, with the graceful sutures gliding in and out.. Then 2 days ago, was working on the ward again when an emergency page went off to a shipmates cabin where CPR, meds, shocks were started and stopped after 35 minutes. We lost a beautiful, old security guardman who was scheduled to fly home to Nepal the next morning. We never talked much, he had very broken English, instead we exchanged smiles, his was very warm. Our ship has a spirit of heaviness over it, but the wierd thing to think about is that life waits for NO one, then next day we return to work.. as life fades.. life continues to go on. A good reminder to make the most of it. I am thankful for what i have, for every experience~ the bad makes the good sweeter.

Cape Coast

2007-01-11T18:37:00.000Z

Another CRAZY African adventure... almost needed a vacation from my vacation! Saturday 5am scrambled in our hired tro tro with 14 mercy ship friends for a weekend around Cape Coast. 1st stop 3hrs down the road rolled up to one of the old British/Dutch Slave Castles built around the 1500's. Took a tour with this amazing Ghanian man, who had literally got choked up himself, telling us about the horrific events that took place here... lead us through dark, smelly, male & female slave dungeons built RIGHT BELOW the CHURCH the soldiers attended reguarly!!!! Winded through pitch black passageways they would take after up to 6 weeks of dungeon life to the DOOR OF NO RETURN, filing the chained, malnourished slaves into ships to be taken to Europe, or North, South America for free labor, mostly to start plantation farms. Saw the auction rooms where they were sold for $4-6! Even heard stories of local chiefs selling their own people (never knew that!) and of soldiers raping the woman and forcing the woman to name them after themselves, adding SON at the end. To this day, many of the popular last names include "Williamson", "Peterson" ie! Makes you think... how can we sometimes get it SO wrong?...

Settled in for the night at a charming brick hotel, called THE BRIDGE. It sits in the very middle of a big fishing village, bustling with carved canoes going in and out from the Atlantic carrying piles & piles of fish, and another slave castle about 200 yards from our hotel window, Elmina Castle. People watching was amazing. Scary carnivel costume parades down the street to beg for money.

Started the next day off casual, moosing around the town, then cramming in the tro tro again to head for KAKUM NATIONAL PARK, where we took a canopy walk into the rainforest. So MUCH fun :) Even got to take a 2 hr hike THROUGH it to learn about different medicinal uses of the trees & plants. As you can probably guess... i was pretty pumped about this. So interesting.... trees where Tylenol comes from, medicine that "cures" Measles & makes the placenta come out after birth (the tree i'm standing by above), some pretty funny explanations! Saw bark they use to make casts, sap for calcium, root systems as tall as me.

A bit exhausted...stopped at the crocodile farm for some lunch...(at 5pm!) This farm was UNREAL... no real fences or gates to contain the crocs... they could go anywhere they wanted..even up to some patio furniture if you were brave enough to sit there!!! ahhh. Got up the nerve to touch one...after i convinced our tro tro driver to be my bodyguard!... (it's smiling... i think it likes me ;) ) Fun was had by all. Just a bit crazy. I was nominated leader of the group, being the youngest..but in this crazy country for the longest amount of time. Some of the group on Africa time, some on U.S. time made some things difficult.. but we all laughed and had good conversation all weekend. Even braved a flat tire on the way home together.. taking stations around the tro tro at night as some of the local teenage boys where eyeing our bags. Never been so happy to see my cabin!

VVF surgery kickoff

2007-01-01T23:00:00.000Z

VVF = Vesico-Vaginal Fistula

Starting Jan. 3rd the surgeon's onboard will be starting with our 2nd round of VVF surgeries. Vesico-Vaginal Fistulas are caused simply by unrelieved obstructed labor. Prolonged pressure of the baby's head against the back of the pubic bones produces ischaemic necrosis (dead tissue) of the intervening soft tissues (ie. genital tract & bladder) In a labor taking long enough to produce this, the baby almost always dies. The head softens and the mother eventually delivers a stillborn infant if she (the Mother) survives that long!

It is estimated over 2 million woman world~wide, mainly in Northern Africa, suffer with this condition. Some reasons include being given in marriage & becoming pregnant at an early age 15, 16, when their bodies have not had a chance to fully mature, as well as little to NO access to proper health care or hospitals.

These woman are truly special woman I'm told. Most are left by their husbands and shunned by their communities due to there stench as the fistulas leave them with a constant run of urine & sometimes bowels. As if their newborn dying and isolation wasn't enough, many curl up trying to make the urine stop and develop severe contractures leaving them with disabilities, shame, fear, hopelessness...

I'm excited to be a part of restoring their hope, changing their story around! Many times after a woman gets repaired she is accepted back into her family & community; dignity is restored, and may even be able to give birth again. Every woman who has surgery on board is given a certificate to have a baby at a hospital free of charge, one time.. as to prevent this from happening again from improper care.

After surgery the woman have a 2 week bed rest period, followed by one more week. Then, Lord willing, discharged! Before returning home, our ward holds a ceremony where each woman recieves a new dress made especially for her to celebrate her new life!!! Please pray for our ward as we interact with these amazing woman. PlEaSe Pray against infections, proper healing both physically, emotionally, spiritually, and wisdom in how to best take care of them! Thanks :)

Emmanuel's Gift

2007-01-01T22:00:00.000Z

This is a great movie recently shown on the Mercy Ship Aft deck for movie night. I highly recommend it! True story~ It is a beautiful documentary made in 2006 about a boy growing up in Ghana with a disability. Abandoned by his father at birth because of it, but encouraged by his mother, he rises up against ALL odds to get sponsorship to ride his bike across Ghana, in attempt to dismantle Ghana's huge prejudice that the deformed have nothing to offer society but to be beggars and settle deep in poverty. He gets farther than anyone ever expected, and is currently changing the country in a big way. 10% of Ghana's population has some type of deformity!! I want to show this to every patient on our ward! Watching it is also a great way to get an authentic taste of Ghana's sights & culture. So, next time you find yourself wondering thru Blockbuster & nothing catches your attention & you need some inspiration.. you know what to do ;)

Hut Hello

2006-12-31T01:46:00.000Z

Kathryn. me. Kristen. & Paradise

Paradies Lost & Found

2006-12-31T01:19:00.000Z

After all the Christmas hustle & bustle, a small vacation sounded nice! The day after Christmas piled in a Tro-Tro with my two good girlfriends Kat and Kristen to head for "Ada Foah" "PARADISE", as we were told by a few who had been there! After our 2hr ride we got dropped off in the middle of a marketplace in which we were left to find our own canoe ride to the tip of the penisula. A young, local boy approached us and assured as as we winded through the market and his village that HE could get us there... soooo we looked at each other and decided adventure was what we had come for, so why the heck not, what else were we gonna do? We hopped in his canoe he had carved himself and set out about 2 inches above lake level, a 30 minute boat ride to " The Estuary".

Along the way we passed a feast for the eyes, one section ~ naked kids jumping off their fishing boats soap~sud bathing or swimming/chasing after us to smile and greet us!!, woman gathering water in their buckets to start lunch, and men bring in their fishing nets... to the neighboring section: white, pot~bellied rich men sitting on their verandas dining and sunbathing with their jet ski waiting nearby. Thankfully, passed that confusing neighborhood front... further and further up the lake until we stopped at a little beachfront with several simple huts and a quiet neighboring village on the otherside of small lagoon. One side of the pennisula the lake, the other~ the ocean!

Settled into Hut 12.. one double bed with a hot pink mosquito net for the three of us to share, a sand floor, four palm leave walls, and a straw roof...no running water, no electricity. a community latrine. yep. thats about it :) spent the first day laying on the beach and playing soccer with the locals. That night made a bonfire and stayed up until we were told the moon would bring in the sea turtles to lay their eggs. When it was nice and dark and the moon bright, we headed to the beach with our flashlight to check for turtle prints. They look almost exactly like tractor prints!..and b/c there are no vehicles anywhere around here... you know it when you see it. Followed a couple tracks, but the turtles had already made their circle up the beach and were back in the ocean. Finally followed one a long, long way..seemed this turtle had already layed its egg as we could see the big circle it made at the top of the sand hill...but it was winding around confused and lost in how to return to the ocean. We found it up the beach making a wheezing sound, it was so tired, it was having a hard time moving. Before we knew it the "hut" manager~ Winifred, decided to SAVE THE TURTLE. so he and our new german friend Hanz pushed the turtle all the way to the entrance of the sea. The sight was incredible. The sea turtle was HUGE~ estimated about 500 pounds, looked like it could EAT me..seriously looked more like a DINOSAUR to me than a turtle.

The next morning slept in and after breakfast tried to read & journal in the hammock across the lagoon, but 6 energetic village kids and one drunk man had other plans for me! The kids wanted to swing me, and then SOMEHOW found myself giving the drunk man a "Love 101 lesson" as he spilled out his decision to marry either me or the other local 16 year old he had his eyes on, who was ALSO right next to me~ giving him the evil eye with her arms sternly crossed, ha. I hope my ranting saved that girl :) His name...Papa ZuZu, the coconut buisness man...enough said. next... well if you can't beat em' join em'... grabbed another Mercy Shipper and we headed into the children's village. Went further and further into their village as we played endless games of tickle tag ;) met the Big Chief and got a funny photo with him. and finally in the late afternoon made my way back across the lagoon for another canoe ride tour further up the river. By the time we got back to the huts it was about dark and we needed to head home.

Made it all the way back in our tro~tro and to my cabin were I was so excited to show my roommates all the amazing photos and video footage I got the past 2 days, when... i came up empty handed. At the bottom of my pack.. no camera to be found. I got that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach..and am puzzled how it all came about. All i can figure is after we looked at the photos in the tro~tro, remember putting my hand down deep inside my pack, but maybe b/c it was dark i "thought" i put my hand inside the pack but it was just to the side of it... I don't know.. all i know is that I hope whoever finds my camera can really use that money to get their family ahead a little bit.

What I loved about "The Estuary" is that it was actual tribal land belonging to the chief I met. This hut "hotel" was just an extention of their village.. their locals passed THROUGH it and there was no scolding by the manager or evil eyes given, only warm greetings by all the foreign hut "resorters" and staff. We were all one community. It felt really unique in that way.

And when I watched the children and mothers and father...there was ONE thing that stuck out in my mind.. They were SO FREE. They walked around with no possessions to worry about clinging to, no schedules to be bound by, just the day and whatever it brings. So as much as I felt horrible about losing my camera... i couldn't cry, b/c what i've witnessed with these people, is what I've witnessed over the past 2 1/2 months here with the Ghanians over & over again.

" Do no lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:20

" I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" John 10:10

These verses stick out in my mind when I see them. There has been a lot of mind games and questions swirling around in my head trying to sort out what I make of poverty..its ups and downs riches...ups and downs. I don't know if i'll have it answered by the end, but I do know that these simple people may not know who the first person to walk on the moon was, or even care about it... but they know A LOT about whats important when it comes to being free in their spirit and pure in faith. I hope its contagious, b/c its really attractive. Paradise lost is sometimes Paradise Found.

* sidenote. God is GOOD! Ironically enough.. The Mercy Ship photographer was at the same place as us and tagged along with us for pretty much everything, so many of those pictures that meant so much to me will be replaced by hers when she gets back...and probably much better! A camera is replaceable, I'm just SO thankful some of those trip's amazing memories won't be lost in picture form.

Wish you all a merry, blessed new year*

Christmas times*

2006-12-31T00:29:00.000Z

Merry post Christmas :) I don't know about you but I always get a bit sad the week following Christmas... what an AmAzIng season and event it represents*

The Christmas season was buzzing on the boat..we had a German Christmas, a Swedish (Santa Lucia) Christmas, a Dutch Christmas...a VERY interesting Ghanian Christmas eve service, & of course an American Christmas celebration. Christmas AROUND the world!!! It's a Dutch Mercy Ship tradition for everyone to leave their shoe outside their cabin Christmas eve for people to fill with presents. Christmas morning my roommates and I gathered outside our door to find a small mountain of goodies :)

On the ward Christmas morning, the patients woke up to find a pillowcase with a bow tied around it at the end of their beds. They didn't get it at first?? As the nurses encouraged them to untie it, they peered inside, and pulled out a gift specifically for them. I'm sad to have missed it. But Christmas evening I worked a shift on the ward...and it was magical :) Each patient pulled out their gifts for me and held them up proudly on display, smiling the cutest smiles ever from age 4- 65 :) We only have about 12 patients left on the ward during this break, so little nursing was needed, but MUCH celebration! They drummed, we danced, we sang, we watched christmas movies, we played games, we ate...some liked my brownies, and other tried to HIDE it and told me they liked it. ha. :) I think the hot pink frosting scared them & they are not used to sweets. Wish i had that problem! Had a wonderful conversation with a patient's father who through his son's several operations on the Ship has turned from Muslim to Christianity and was so elated to express his joy in this seasons meaning; the birth of Christ~ the Son of God, coming down in humble human likeness to be a living example of service & sacrifice! Maybe the most joyful man I've ever met. Wish you could wrap THAT up & take it home!

The week before Christmas had some great day trips! Was able to go to one of our local villages~ Ashiamin, to see our HIV/AIDS team do some education in the local church. They are educating several community leaders through 6 different classes: 2 on "What is HIV/AIDS?" 2 on "Counseling/Community Support Pre/Post HIV tests" & 2 on "Basic care of an HIV/AIDS person"
It was some of the BEST teaching I've seen here so far, the group was VERY responsive. Ghana has one of the least HIV/AIDS population in Africa, but it is still prevelant. There is a big focus in Ghana now to support and not condem/outcast those with HIV/AIDS. These leaders will be in charge of continuing education and starting a support system for these people in their communities. exciting!

Christmas eve eve I went to the Nswam's Women Prison to give out presents and celebrate with them. Mercy Ships has been in partnership with them in our Rabbit and Bee Harvest projects. It was a very interesting experience, one i think you just have to be there for... But I can tell you their prison grounds were the most bright green I've seen in all of Ghana so far; the prisoners do all their own gardening and cooking. They walk freely between their cement homes and grounds, enclosed by a simple but tall cement wall. They were either dressed in White or Blue dresses. White meaning a crime other than Blue~ murder. Some are said to be on "Death row" but it is only a title to which later goes down to "Life Sentence". There is no death row in Ghana. I can't describe it, but their walk, their deep song, their faces (for the most part) seemed free. Much more so then our American prison systems. It wasn't scary, the grounds almost seemed peaceful. Kate, the M.S. leader that has been working with them talked about how although they may be enclosed by big cement walls, with Christ they are free, born again. Some women let me hold their babies, which they only get to keep with them for one year. It all seemed kind of ironic, but ....true. wish i had more time there.

Christmas Eve!! woke up and drove to the local beach to see the bright orange African sunrise with the surf gang. Wasn't planning on setting foot in the ocean, as i have a slight phobia of it, but my friends boogie boarding looked too fun to miss out on, so i edged my toes in and made a fast splash into the ocean before i changed my mind. After about an hour of boogie boarding and no bites yet!!! I tried surfing. Lol and behold before i knew it my friend Lucy pushed me ahead towards shore and I stood up and rode the wave all the way in. Got up several more times, got my butt kicked several times too! It was no family fireplace Christmas Eve, but i'd say it was the next best thing!

Kaitlyn & Naomi

2006-12-18T11:51:00.000Z

A quiet Sunday afternoon on the ward :)

Ghana Outreach Update~ stats

2006-12-18T11:23:00.000Z

Tema Outreach Update*
as of Dec. 5th

Just wanted to give you a New Year's update on the Mercy Ship Tema Outreach. We are scheduled to be finished here in Ghana by mid Feb. Our last surgical date onboard is Feb. 2nd.
Here is a bit of whats going on over here. God is doing wonderful things here, not only physical, but very much giving hope and changing hearts. Feb 25th we will sAiL to Liberia to begin a 10 month outreach!!! The Africa Mercy is rescheduled to meet us May 15th!

1) Reconstructive surgery- accomplished to date: 277 Goal: 500
(ie 277/500) Common patients I see: Hemimandiblectomies r/t facial tumors, thyroidectomies r/t goiters, burn
contracture release r/t acid burns(abuse) & fires, cataract removals, Benign tumor removals

2) Vesicovaginal Fistula Repairs- 31/70 Many more to come in beginning of January. Please pray for courage for these
woman as they re~enter society after being abandoned for many years.

3) Dental Clinic- 2,565/4,500

4) Eye patients (cataracts, strabismus) 968/2,000
training locals- 15 eye workers
17 eye professionals

5) HIV Aids Care & Prevention: starting volunteer programs to equip locals to teach locals
83 participants from 23 communities/churches
Hope to have 2+ Mercy Coalitions created
* Although Malaria kills more people in Africa than AIDS!!!, much edu is needed in this area. Please pray for receptive
ears and earnest workers. Common myths keep this disease alive (ie- A.I.D.S. American Invention to Discourage Sex!
or that if they sleep with a virgin it will cure them!)

6) Fountain Head Christian School
The local community communicated a need to expand the school beyond Elementary school to include a Junior High so their
children would not have to switch schools. This is a Christian school lead by YWAM, Many influential government leaders
are sending their children here! Please pray for the staff as they have a daily impact to change the future of Ghana :)
*added on 6 classrooms, 2 offices, staff room, bathrooms

7) Tema Polyclinic Maternity Ward
To be completed in January
Project requested by Minister of Health to meet a "felt" need.

8) Ashaiman Youth Health Center
Giving youth a safe place to come to for HIV/AID edu and help
To be completed in January

9) Water & Sanitation
13/38 Wells completed. Mercy Ships working with a local company that has committed to complete what we are not able
to do before leaving in Feburary. The Minister of Health identifed the areas for us where there was the most need.
Local villagers are also being taught how to build effective latrines.

10) Bee keeping
training 52 local woman, 1st Harvest in January!!!! These woman work for Ghana Forestry & have committed to do
continuing education for locals~ passing on their new knowledge.

11) Agricultural Training
Ben, our agricultural expert just arrived last week. Please pray for him as he jumpstarts this program!
training HIV Africans to start a produce business, starting late December.

12) Empowering Woman
154 participants graduate Dec 13th, after having started
snail, rabbit, or mushroom businesses! Wonderful woman!

13) Strategic Health Initiative Program (SHIP)
Partnering with Medical Ambassadors to teach 30 men and woman to be their Village's Basic Health and Sanitation
Leaders. Pray for the new leader's courage, effort, and effectiveness in spreading the word! Have gone out with the
director several times..she is very creative and thorough! Pray for Jean's perserverance in finishing strong.

14) Church Leaders Conference
300+ local pastors to meet mid January Topic: Unity

Thanks so much for your support in so many ways :)

ELF :)

2006-12-10T16:40:00.000Z

MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE!! If you haven't seen this.. you simply must :) Even if you have.. you should watch it AGAIN :)

"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear!"

Christmas season!

2006-12-10T14:50:00.000Z

OUR CHRISTMAS TREE!!!! :)
(tarps & hard hats)

Christmas season is getting into full swing here!!! Portholes being decorated with lights and greenry, Advent services, Christmas movies on the deck, holiday baking! - I was completely lost in the market maze yesterday among the pigfeet and plantains, when i literally stumbled across a cake decorating store? I was able to buy some red food coloring and green sprinkles!! Thats the first store like that I've ever seen here! It was definetly a gift from God. Its fun to see God cares even about the little, silly things that are important to us :) He is providing me with exactly what I need here and more. Also, today I moved into my new room with two good friends. We are all here until end of May so no more constant new roommates! It only took me about 10 minutes to move, ha. Thats a first :) And NO MORE acrobats to get into & out of my bed.. aah :)

It really is starting to feel like a home and family here. Now if they would just let me go to breakfast in my pajamas! As much as I truly do miss all of you, especially around the holidays.. I'm REALLY looking forward to spending it this year in Africa. Its a totally different feel here. I look out the Tro~Tro windows and see the mud huts passing by and think.. this scenery is like baby Jesus's time :) I get so easily caught up in the hustle and bustle back home, but life is slow pace here, no matter what you wish. No Big Santa's plastered on store fronts or the "obligated" gift giving. I wander through the market and hear "O Holy Night" among scattered pieces of tinsel decorations..and it just feels simple..peaceful, like the real reason for Christmas is not able to be disguised by mall sales.

I can't believe it, but somehow my work schedule gives me the 22,23,24,25 off as well as New Years Eve and the 1st. I was fully prepared to work many of these as patients will still be with us. To tell you the truth, if I can't be with family I think the ward is the next best place to be. The patients and parents on the ward have grown so close to my heart. I LOVE spending time with them, they are such amazing people. Teaching me SO much. So I think thats where you will find me Christmas day.. giving them a taste of Betty Crocker's frosted brownies with red frosting and green sprinkles! I'm love my job here, my life here. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.. for now :)

a heavy heart

2006-12-01T22:57:00.000Z

this week i lost a dear friend and co-worker back in Texas due to a tragic car accident... i don't think i've ever had such a hard time accepting some is gone before... i think its because she has always been so vibrantly full of life. i close my eyes and shes right there, telling a funny, inappropriate joke ;), or giving personal care to the families on 4W, i've always thought of her as a cornerstone to our little unit, keeping our chaoticness together with her hard work. ... i want so badly to be with you guys, please know that i've been thinking of y'all all week, want to just sit and be with you.. i absolutely hate being so far away right now. you guys are in my prayers, praying that God brings peace and his arms around you all during this. i feel like i have so much pent up emotion right now, but i can't release it. one good cry and maybe i could squeeze all the pain out.

its funny how you cry when you don't want to and can't when you want to. the ward has had some difficult moments as well this week. had to cancel a surgery of a little girl's burn deformed hand due to having malaria and a dangerously low red blood cell count. it couldn't be rescheduled like it normally would be due to our already full schedule til the end of our outreach in Tema. not only that, but i was told to discharge them by 7am to make room for incoming patients as we are getting short on beds. (had come 8hrs away from deep in the mountains) as i sent them away i've never seen such visible hope drain from a mother's face before. i choked up inside and couldn't even manage to say a prayer with them, i had the translator do it. the mom was so disappointed, knowing she could never afford on her own to have this surgery done in a local hospital. she refused to hug me goodbye..it made me want to throw up. ... but God is faithful and gives tender mercies in between questions we may never understand.. if nothing else it made me realize the strong impact it must be to do the surgeries for the ones we can..

God was good to bring it a bit full circle with a quiet week on the ward, with plenty of time to spend with the kids and just play. Regina (whose picture is above, just before she decided to PEE on me!) is here for the same type of surgery as the other girl i had to turn away. (she had some burn contractures on her arm and side released due to falling into a firepit a year ago) shes spent the week on my lap just wanting to cuddle, offering the new ability of moving her arm again to give me hugs and blow kisses :) God knew just what i needed.

Its ironic how we want control in our life to keep everything within our understanding, but somehow..when life seems to become crazy for awhile- i'm learning all i really wish to do it throw my hands ups, not in defeat, but because i realize i don't know how best to take control, and if God's above and near, looking down on this mess seeing the big picture, then its better left to him.. and accept he knows what he's doing. i may never understand why these things happen, so i will take time in each season as He brings it Eccesciastes 3 "a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to dance". ..... Lydia, you are dearly missed.

Moto

2006-12-01T22:38:00.000Z

Thank you Miranda's small group!!!! We look forward to the toys you will send us very much :) Look at the pathetic toys we have to play with now...stephanie's stethoscope!

Wli children

2006-11-27T12:13:00.000Z

Wli Village~ weekend outing

2006-11-27T12:05:00.000Z

HoHoe, here we go

2006-11-27T11:23:00.000Z

Took a tro tro to the HoHoe area for a weekend in nature! It was wonderful and so refreshing :) From Hohoe there is a little village called "Wli"about 15 minutes by taxi, where we stayed Saturday night. This village is the real deal! No longer concrete huts, but red mud huts scattered among the lush Africa jungle. Each person, adult and child stops their banging of cassava for dinner with their long wooden sticks, or from carrying big, metal water buckets on their heads, along the trail to hold their hands up and say "You are Welcome" These people are beautiful! There is so much behind each set of eyes.

Saturday took a short hike to the Wli lower waterfall and stood there for a long while just feeling the power of the water crashing down 1600 feet above us. It was so windy! After the locals gave us a beautiful African dance performance and dragged me up on stage for a dance lesson, and after the drums stopped drum, drum druming through the night..slept until the rooster outside my window crow, crow, crowed at the top of its lungs, ha! Got up since sleeping wasn't an option, ate a good breakfast, and headed out for our 5hr trek up the beautiful mountain range to the upper falls. It was quite the adventure..switchbacking up the mountain did not exist..instead we made our way straight up! or straight down! with either a 6 inch trail...or no trail.. pushing back jungle brush well above my head. Our little, guide Alfonso told me there was a 100% chance we would not encounter any snakes... i told him i think thats a good number :) What we did encounter was hundreds of beautiful colored butterfies, bugs, and preying mantis. It was crazy tiring, but well worth it. I think i'm gonna go back, as the cook offered to let me join in behind the kitchen to learn the secrets of making Fufu, and their special..mushroom soup!

On the way home smooshed in with a tro tro full of locals, and my friend Hettie & I asking them a million questions about Christmas celebration in Africa, and starred out the window getting a glimpse of African nightlife in the country. Amazing weekend :) and Christmas is around the corner here now, on and off the ship!

Man of my dreams!

2006-11-27T10:53:00.000Z

Found me a chocolate man! table of drying cocoa beans from the Wli village forest

Ghanian culture

2006-11-19T16:12:00.000Z

learning Ghanian culture...

have 70 different dialects...offical one is English :)

average daily income is $5

Tribal marks most often seen on the ward-
a horizontal line below the left eye (even on babies!)
on forearm, homemade ink pen tattoos- first line is for their name, 2nd- name of
their Tribe, 3rd- name of their father's tribe

Known for production of Cocoa, rice, gold, fabrics

It is an insult to wave, point, or shake with your left hand as that is the hand you supposedly "wipe" with! Considered "unclean" and rude

Knives, spoons, forks do not exist at the dinner table! You must use your right hand as your spoon.

Main dishes: Fufu (mashed cassava), Banku & Kenkey (fermented maize), beans, rice & fried plaintains.

"Madarse" is Thank you, "Dabie" is no in Twee...the only words i know and can remember thus far. the word please doesn't exist.

"Toilet" means # 2. They laugh at me if i say popo!

"Minerals" means Coke or Fanta (soda)

lanes on the highway serve no purpose

take your shoes off before going in a home

they love their Nigerian soap operas.

will have cellphones and a television in their home, but no running water and 1 bed for the family.

4 choices for transportation: foot, taxi, tro-tro, or bus. You take your chances with all of em'!

If you go to a remote village..make sure you meet the chief. If he offers you a small glass of potent alcohol, pour a few drops on the ground before drinking as a sign of honoring the forefathers. Tribal political power is as prevalant as the offical government.

Ghanians are very friendly people! They will always remember your name. Very generous and outgoing.

sometimes a little TOO friendly. Marriage proposals, and I Luv yous, come after "my name is ___" ! I read that this is because otherwise their Ghanian woman don't take the men seriously.

* Reading a book on Hot and Cold cultures.. and their cultural characteristics, how they socially interact with people differently. Its called "Foreign to Familiar". They consider the southern U.S. a "hot culture". Hot- more relational oriented/indirect communication Cold- business first, direct communication. Living in Texas the past 2 years, and growing up in Michigan, its been really interesting to look back at my life, and now here in Ghana and see how right on the book is... and figuring out how to not offend people with my own cultural norms from both places, or even where i fall in that scheme! Good read for travel lovers :)

a latte' rest

2006-11-19T15:26:00.000Z

Laying low this week in the air conditioning, catching up on some R & R between work. The Ward has been fun, but crazy as its a full on pediatric ward for me now. Lots of Cleft lip and palate repairs, palatoplastys, debulking/amputations, cataracts, etc. If one cries...they all get upset and cry! I found out this week balloons make for better pain control than narcotics! It looks like a circus down there now! :) ahh gotta love organized chaos! (kids suddenly on the floor squatting by their beds peeing into containers they've found, as they are used to doing) Charades can take you pretty far if a translator isn't near by. Always an entertaining shift...never boring thats for sure.

If anyone is interested in sending toys, we have a PATHETIC toy bin: half of the puzzle pieces missing, fully colored in coloringbooks, mismatched lego connector pieces. Toys are a wOnderFul method for distraction during wound care, pain control, and/or to simply pass the time, waiting for healing; I would love to see that thing double, brimming with functional toys, new or used~ in fact, i'm making it my new personal mission. Also, this is so funny to me for some reason, but the adults LOVE to watch the old Ten Commandment movies over and over again! (EVERYDAY) VeggieTales too. If you have any old ones laying around you stopped watching 10 years ago or would like to donate some toys, please let me know!!!!!

Started a new side hobby as well this week... on my way to becoming a Starbucks BaRistA*! We have a coffeeshop on the upperdeck in our meditteranean lounge area where staff goes to relax and hang out... You want a latte', a lotta lattes i'm your girl :) I'm not gonna lie, it was a little like the chocolate factory episode on " I Love Lucy" trying to get all the concontions right, but so fun for me, luckily the training has only begun.

Thursday evening, got a tour of the engine room. Amazing! I'm even more convinced engineers are brillant, genus people! I felt like I was in a spaceship~ there is a whole underworld to the ship you would never know is there! The engine pistons run three stories high!

There is a tropical storm nearby this week so the boat is moving a ton, huge waves crashing on the breaker. Even the slightest movement makes you feel like you're going crazy in the head, tipsy topsy.. hope its over soon.

This coming week I do night shift duty, but the following weekend my friend Hettie and I are planning a trip to HoHoe to see a waterfall and climb the highest point in Ghana. Until then, I'm happy with laying low :)

the bead factory

2006-11-12T14:45:00.000Z

Saturday took an adventure to the bead factory! Had to take a Tro Tro (kinda like a big van) to a town called KPong 2 hours away. Fit 25 people in there! This is the furtherest away from the ship I've been so far, the more outside of Tema we got, the more green and lush it became. Reminded me a bit of the tropical Dominican mountains and forest...beautiful!

Saturday is also the only day of the week that people in Ghana have funerals. So as we drove through the village streets, we saw probably about 10 funerals taking place. They dress in black and red linens. For them, a funeral means a celebration of life. They carry the casket down the dirt road while family and friends dance and sing along their sides. It was amazing, made me all teary- eyed.

After a Tro Tro ride, taxi, and walking about 2 miles on foot, the end of the middle of nowhere dirt path led us to circle of small buildings (the factory)surronded by HUGE mango trees. Mr Cedi of Cedi beads himself gave us a demonstration of how each one is hand crafted.

Most are made from crushed glass bottles, others are made from red dirt/clay from termite mounds. Apparantly their saliva used to build their homes, helps the clay they make their beads out of withstand hot, hot temperatures during the firing. Each molds of bead are fired around 800 degrees celcius! If they are hand painted they need two rounds of firing and 2-3 days of cooling.

After the demonstration went to the local bead market and did some shopping! It was SO fun to wander through rows and rows of hanging beads. Went home and have spent Sunday morning, stringing and creating my finds. Most strings of beads cost anywhere from 20-60 cents. However, they also had a section in the market with lots of older beads that were a little bit more expensive; bought a few beautiful, long, white beads that been handed down from generation to generation through their grandparents. For all my artsy amigos, I documented the bead making process for you on the photo link. enjoy!

Olivia & her Mushroom hut

2006-11-10T23:20:00.000Z

Olivia, 23y, is one of 24 woman chosen in a M.S. program to help start a mushroom business. She graduates from the program in December and hopes to sell her mushrooms to local hotels and resturants. Met her Wednesday doing home visits with my friend Uta. Got to go into 6 different woman's homes in Ashaimen to see how the construction of the mushrooms huts went. She did a fine job! She is also a fabric maker and one day soon, she has invited me to go back to shadow her for a day in the tye dying fabric factory in the middle of the village to see the process. I'm very much looking forward to this :) Did I mention how much I'm loving all this!

the African cradle

2006-11-10T22:07:00.000Z

"aunTie Steph"

2006-11-10T21:24:00.000Z

On attempt #4 success! Lets just say there is a reason God made African woman with big packages up front... not holding on me!! This is the way woman carry their bebes here :) They laugh at me in the ward when i pick them up and put them on my hip. Its so precious to see them sleeping in these at the marketplace.

O.R.S. education

2006-11-07T23:27:00.000Z

In Ashiamen village- the poorest community outside Tema. These are 5 out of the 25 local leaders being taught and trained in Maternal Health principles. They are learning how to take the knowledge back to their villages and educate their communities. Today, sat in on one of Mercy Ship's communitiy dev. classes on how to make a O.R.S (Oral Rehydration Solution)to replace fluids lost from rampant diahrrea. A pinch of salt and a palm of sugar!! Taught simple signs and symptoms to look for in severely dehydrated children and adults and how to treat it, how to break the cycle of diseases that cause diahrrea. Taught three cheap different ways to purify water. (Around 30,650 people die each day from diahrrea)
We had a fun time mixing up the O.R.S. and taste testing each others. I think I put too much salt in mine!

Fishing village

2006-11-07T23:07:00.000Z

Monday morning went on my walk to the lighthouse and decided to go a bit further outside the offical port walls... what i found was absolutely breathtaking. This is just one of many pictures i tried to capture of this little fishing village in Tema. Fish 3 feet long in bowls on woman's heads, baskets and baskets full of little fish, crabs, stingray. New boats being chiesled into being among the old tattered ones. Thousands of fish being washed and then thrown back onto the dirt to be dried and sold. A little further up the beach we saw remains of old sunken ships, a soccer game, and smoke houses where goats and little children where coming out of no where. This is like a little piece of heaven on earth :) I felt so alive, I can't wait to go back!

(link on the left for the rest of the pictures)

view from my favorite spot at the lighthouse

2006-11-07T22:43:00.000Z

Agnes my dear & me

2006-11-04T10:56:00.000Z

She got to go home this week! I will miss her.

Sam & Bernice

2006-11-04T10:50:00.000Z

Full Moon *

2006-11-04T09:55:00.000Z

Hello! What a week its been~ was it a full moon this week? Strange things kept happening. My week started with a big CRASH... monday night at the end of my shift we were all sitting down to give the next batch of nurses report when i heard a pulse oximeter beeping on one of my collegue's patients. I walked over to see what was causing it and our very first Thyroidectomy patient (removal of a huge goiter)was coding!! She turned a horrible ash color, eyes rolled back and the left side of her neck started to swell to the size of a cantalope completely occluding her airway! I just froze for a second..looking at her is disbelief, we had JUST talked about how bleeding was a RARE risk from this type of surgery. Adrenaline kicked in and ran for the oxygen and crash cart, 911 emergency team was called and about 20 minutes later she was put on the pulley system to the OR to reconnect her carotid artery. Found out later she lost all her blood, but was quickly replaced with IV fluid and blood tranfusions. Well, I guess God answered two of my prayers... I got to see my miracle and she lived! I keep playing it over and over in my mind and there is no way she should have survived that. I was sure she was gone. It was quite emotional and hard for me to continue work this week, but the staff has been great and we are all really becoming a team. My nightmares have ceased thankfully and 2 days ago she was extubated and walking around making funny comments as she is still a little doped up!

The other real life nightmare this week was happening simultaneously as the code... the sewage system was broken on 3/4 of the toilets on the ship for 2 days! enough said. Its fixed now, thank goodness.

Got another new roommate this week that i'm really excited about. She is working as one of the Community Health directors (one of my other huge interests here) and seems to be really adventerous, I'm looking forward to getting to know her better :)

This week got to go see some of the other ministry sites. Mercy Ships has some on-shore projects such as building a maternity ward unit extenstion to the local hospital. They designed it after the typical model here in Ghana (4 women laboring in ONE ROOM!) yikes. Its interesting how modesty plays a big part here in some ways but not in others?? Also building a HIV/AIDS education center just for teens as they found out that many weren't going to get help b/c they were afraid of running into their elders at the local hospital. They just layed the foundation. I have such a huge respect for these workers. They make it brick by brick in hot, hot weather (6 degrees from the equator)!! Also saw the dental and eye clinics Mercy Ships has out in the community. They were using the same building as a local community health center in which this week in 5 days Ghana is trying to immunize every kid under 5 for Polio and Measles, still killers here. It was a bad house!! ha. Babies everywhere!

Had to get away from the full moon a bit this week, so we had a roommate day and rode bikes to the local health club to swim for the afternoon. The ocean is not safe to swim in around here b/c of riptides and bacteria. Besides riding while inhaling much gas and dust, wearing pants in 100 degree weather... its was a little piece of heaven! Also ventured out to the lighthouse near the port and its absolutely my favorite place around here. If you go in the morning you can see all the colorful, beat up sailboats heading out to catch fish for the day. Its like something out of National Geographic, each boat has three pieces of timber crafted between a bedsheet to become a sail! The sea is gleaming and its stunning, a place for fresh air and peace. I love it. God is good to get me through this week.

Nursing Friends

2006-10-30T00:19:00.000Z

Anne from Sweden, Roomie Julie from Minnesota, and Caroline from Canada doing a happy dance after eating some real food~ some much needed double chocolate brownies!! yum. Simple pleasures :)

Slimy Snails!

2006-10-30T00:09:00.002Z

Mercy Ship's Community Development teams are teaching a group of local promising, but struggling woman the art of bee, snail, and rabbit keeping as a means to start a local buisness of their own. This is a project I'll be checking out in the next few weeks and am hoping to get involved in! Their HUGE!!! There are TONS of them!!!

Roomie

2006-10-29T23:43:00.000Z

This is one of my fabulous roommates. I met her back in March at the Mercy Ships course I took and we both just happened to be put together as bunkmates here! As we both work as ward nurses and both have the same name we have already been given nicknames. She is Stephanie ObibenEE (word for black in Twee) and I am Stephanie ObrunE (word for white)! It works out quite nicely as the locals like to shout the obvious out to us anyways, ha. The wrap skirt I have on is one I had made from the the fabric I found at the local market- I should fit in now right ;)

GHANA GAMES tournament teammates

2006-10-29T22:53:00.000Z

patients....patience

2006-10-29T22:29:00.000Z

another week. time is playing tricks on me- i feel like i've been here a long time, yet the week went by in a flash. God is good. I came here to give, give, give... yet in just two short weeks the patients on the ward have given and taught ME SO MUCH. The picture I included this time, is the "after" picture of the woman in the last entry, that recieved surgery on a Mercy Ship. I've never met this woman, got her picture of the M.S. website, but it is a perfect pictation of the transformation that is taking place here, its amazing. This deformity is more common in this area of the world than anywhere else, and no one knows exactly why? Because of this deformity and many others we see on the ward, they are treated as total outcasts to their societies, not wanted by family, not given work to provide for themselves, as many think their deformities were caused by evil spirits. This culture is very much into Animism. Over the past two weeks that i've gotten to know the patients staying with us, they have completely melted my heart. I worked several night shifts this past week and looking over the ward in the middle of the night, it made me laugh- looks like a M.A.S.H combat zone with everyones bandaged head, arms, and legs! Unlike my job at Children's in Austin, the patients tend to have a longer hospital duration time, which i'm really enjoying as i can get to know them better. Went for a walk in the morning and ran into my blind pt (Janlop) i told you about last time. He saw me coming 20 ft away :) He was just coming back to say thanks!

Some of my favorites... Solomon~ who smiles even when he sleeps, Edward~ who wakes up every morning to meticulous check out his trach site and new nose, Agnes~ the 80 year old who randomly sits up and does a little jiggy when she's happy, and tries to drive a tricycle everytime we take her out on the deck for fresh air, Kate~ who gives me a BIG thumbs up EVERYTIME i look her way to see if she's doing okay, Bernice who insists on calling me her "motha" (mother):), and Samuel who could hardly talk or eat b/c of one of the largest facial tumors Dr Gary has seen in his 20 years here, who when he got his bandages off the other day, burst out with tons of questions for me and preachin' it! ha These people are incredible- with so little, they have the spirit of a giant. Many come timid from years of social isolation and leave a different person- singing and laughing, smiling. The humbleness and simpleness of these people hits me to the core everytime i look at them, everytime. I look forward to going to work at this place.

I think the biggest thing I'm learning here so far is what patience looks like. I look at the patience these people show day after day, contently sitting in their hospital beds waiting to heal, from huge wounds~ physically/emotionally/spiritually, and it makes me realize what an instant gratification person i can be in my own life. I want the world to work around MY timing! What i want, when i want it. These people put me to shame and i'm thankful for it. I can feel myself struggling inside with certain issues of patience in my life, but being here i know i am being forced to work on them and God is faithful to do his perfect will for my life. I just need to trust in God's timing, not mine. It took alot of passion to get here, I don't want it to become mediocre just because I'm here now.

Speaking of timing issues... Africa Mercy is scheduled to be finished and meet us in Tema, Ghana this Feburary...but there is a chance that for any number of reasons i'm sure, it might not be (it has a long history of being delayed). They are extremely hopeful this time, but if it is not, the ship I'm on now, The Anastasis is not able to sail or have passengers after mid Feburary under the law (too old!) People joke around here the ship wouldn't sink from the bottom, but from the TOP....and its true. The other night we were all sitting in the dining hall eating dinner and part of the ceiling started caving in from someone taking a shower above, and just last night i found a leak in our ceiling about 1 foot away from my bed! and when I told my roommate about it today she said.."oh just put a diaper over that spot, thats what we usually do, not worth fixing b/c we are moving soon!" yikes! haha The point is. I would really love to continue with Mercy Ships in Liberia in Feburary, so please be praying for the completion of the ship or we will all be sent home!

As for what i did with myself for the rest of the week, lets see...tried to go to a supermarket Monday but it was closed for Ramadan. The trip wasn't a lost cause though b/c it was an incredible sight to see hundreds of African Muslims flooding out of the local mosque all in their finest white linens. After that I spent the afternoon off the ship helping put together housing units for rabbits and snails that local woman will be taught how to start a business with. Tuesday learned how to play Cricket and almost got my head chopped off by the ball!!! Wednesday got to go to Sister of Charity Orphanage- one that was started by Mother Teresa. The nuns really do wear those blue and white sarai's wrapped around their little bodies!!! 2 rooms held 50 children under the age of two!!!! Only 6 nuns to run it- pretty well run for that i must say. I was exhausted from playing with em' after 3 hrs, i don't know how they do it. no idea. A little 2 year old kid with two different size legs just wanted me to tickle him...for hours! ha. he had an amazing grin :) They are beautiful children. We were not allowed to take pictures, which is probably for the best, but one mental picture will never leave me from that day- six tiny girls in dresses sitting on a little bench in a row, with the nun kneeling down, lining up the six bowls and six spoons by each one, taking her hand to feed them a spoonful of cereal one by one down the row, and then starting at the beginning again til it was all gone. All shared one cup filled with water. Snacks are bits of bread they are expected to learn early how to hold and eat themselves.
Today, finally got my body back on schedule after a few night shifts, went to church and a local wedding, and later we had "Ghana Games" and a Barbeque on the Aft deck. My team is in the picture above. I didn't look at our score, i'm pretty sure it wasn't worth looking at. ha! But it sure was fun!

As for this week, not much planned. Will go observe the mobile dental and eye clinics off ship, as well as the maternity ward they are building on Wednesday. With the arrival of a new surgeon we will be starting a bunch of thyroidectomy's (Goiter pt's) this week! Gotta go study up on that!
Miss you guys :)

My First Week!

2006-10-20T15:15:00.000Z

Its hard to know where to begin... I think I've spent the majority of this week in some state of shock! The dynamics of this ship are incredibly interesting. There is over 300 staff, that include 35 different nationalities. I'm not even sure how many floors there are on this ship as it is a giant maze with lots of dead ends and secret stairways. I'm constantly turning around! I live in cabin 7C (near bottom, front of ship) with 5 other girls; 2 from the U.S., 1 canadian, 1 New Zelander, and 1 from Switzerland that is leaving this Sunday. Most are ward or OR nurses, and one a dental equipment sterilizer.

On work days, my day starts around 0630 with breakfast and off to work by 0700. The nurses give report to the oncoming shift and we pray for the upcoming day and patients together. The day shift works 7am-2pm, evening shift 2pm-9pm and night shift 9pm-7am. We work 5 shifts one week and 6 the next, getting every other weekend off. The ward is on level B, as well as the lab, X-ray, CT, 2 OR rooms, engine room, bank, post office etc... Because we don't have any place to store blood, the lab has a list of ship mates with their blood type on the wall and if a pt in the OR should need some, a matching ship mate is paged overhead to the OR room to give blood! Its a walking blood bank :)

Eye/Cataract patients are quick, easy surgeries and go home the same day. Yesterday I got to take care of a sweet 60 year old man that was blind in both eyes. Because there are so many here in Ghana with cataracts, in order to help more, the surgeons fix only 1 eye so there is time to cover more patients. I got up early this morning to take him down to the mobile eye clinic were they removed his eye patch. He sat there for a few seconds and then we said...Can you see!? and he got a huge smile on his face and said yes! He started shaking all of our hands and laughing. We then took him to the chart and as where before he could only see the very top letter E....he could now read all the way to the 2nd to last row! It was amazing to see. He left to walk home on his own!! The ship's name is Anastasis which means "Resurrection" in Greek, where the ship was built. It really carries out its meaning, huh!

For major surgeries, the patient comes to admissions the night before to be oriented and sleep over until they go to the OR in the morning. There is alot to be covered during orientation for these patients as many have never seen a hospital, toilets, a ship, or white people before!! There are usually always two surgeons on board. They group patient's surgery's based on what the visiting surgeon can preform. For the next few weeks, we are doing mostly Maxillary-Facial surgeries... this includes removal of HUGE benign tumors, burn scars, cleft lip/palate patients. Although wound care, treatments, medications are mostly the same, the diagnosis are extremely different! For many of these facial tumors to be fixed, they have to take out a part of their infected maxillary bones (jaw), and replace it with a bone graft from the iliac crest (hip bone) or rib, and then take skin graft from the thighs!! ouch!!! If these tumors are left untreated, many would suffocate to death as it cuts of their airways or are not able to eat.

These patients are TROOPERS, even with huge dressings, extensive wound care, nasogastric tubes, and catheters, many are fine the 2nd day post-op with tylenol or motrin!! In the states... I gaurantee we would be dishing out loads of morphine and codiene!!! For the ones that don't speak English (about 1/4) we have translators at the bedside to help out. The two other main languages they speak are Ga and Twee. In the afternoon we are given time to take our patients out on the Aft deck to play and get some fresh air. I can't really say that this port is very senic... the port side consists of huge barge machinery and big, metal containers for exporting... i think its mainly rice and cement. I have been told if you look over the railing at night on the ocean side, you can see local naked Ghanians swimming in the water with rice bags they have stolen from the shipyard, ha!!! There are hundreds of fish that hover by the ship at night! I am told that near Christmas we will move onto more plastic surgery, cleft lip, cleft palate and VVF (Vesico-Vaginal Fistula) patients.

I am feeling rather comfortable on the unit, it feels good to know all my preparation was not in vain! Working with nurses from Sweden, England, Australia, Canada, Germany, etc. i'm sure will keep things interesting.. as everyone has a their cultural preferred way to preform tasks, even outfits... they still wear pleated dresses and skirt uniforms in many European countries!!! And because all medical supplies we use on the ship are donated and sometimes ancient...we are constantly having to figure out how that particular piece of equipment from that specific country works! crazy.

Today I went into town for the first time as well. Walked about 30 minutes to the marketplace. It is a FEAST for the eyes, nose, stomach! Smoked fish heads staring at you, woman frying plantains, pig noses, cow back skin, mashing tomatoes, carrying platters of fruit with huge knives on their heads!!!!!!!!! Oh and they have a stand where they sell snails in their shells bigger than my hand. They lady had to constantly pick them off the ground and put them back onto the table :) Many of the stands consist of walls of beautiful, bright and intricate patterned fabric. I found some nice blue fabric and hired a local woman to make me a wrap skirt. On the way home, I had some fresh pineapple and a coconut, water & pulp... delicious! cost 75 cents :) even better. I will try to capture some of this stuff on my camera in the future... they want you to build a relationship with them first. Also, not able to take pictures on the nursing ward, only when we take them to the upper deck, There are a few patients I already want you to meet. I'll try to get them on here next time :)

My big Friday night plans consist of the nursing girls going into town to the gas station (local hangout and night club) to have a pizza party. I'm told this will be interesting! I have no doubts, ha! This coming Wednesday I go to the Sister's of Charity HIV baby orphange to just "play". I'm having a blast :) I downloaded some photos on the link to the left to give you a tour of the ship. I had a ton more but haven't figured out how to get past the max megabit limit per month yet.. i'm working on it

Love
steph

Getting ready!

2006-07-15T18:17:00.000Z

Oct. 8th. 2006
"Grow in the soil of hope. Step out bravely and beautifully, growth occurs in the mystery of God's timing" Trigg Johnson

Its almost time to go... I can't believe its finally here; waited and worked many years towards this dream. There is this jOy that wells up inside of me everytime I've thought about joining Mercy Ships over the years, indescribable... Its kinda like the feeling one gets when diving into a crisp lake, seeing the first snowflakes of the new season silently coming down, or holding a baby... but x 100 :) Its peaceful, refreshing, hopeful. I'm excited to put this passion into practical action; to get my hands dirty, to hear stories, to be part of another's physical, emotional, spiritual healing process.

I'm excited about it b/c it feels like I get to live IN my favorite word...HOPE! Webster describes it as "to desire something with expectation of obtainment."
*Vaclav Havel ~ "hope is a way of life, an orientation of the heart"
*South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said that people of faith are "prisoners of hope"... To me, this dream of joining the organization's mission and vision, has literally felt like its "captured" my desire, held me firmly, and there is an overall secureness that God has blessed this "dream" and allowed it to come to life, to obtainment!

In Gustavo Gutierrez's book "The Power of the Poor in History" he very bluntly says "but the poor person does not exist as an inescapable fact of destiny. His or her excellence is not politically neutral, and it is not ethically innocent. The poor are a by product of the system in which we live and for which we are responsible. They are marginallized by our social and cultural world, despoiled of their humanity. Hence the poverty of the poor is not a call to generous relief action, but a demand that we go and build a different social order."

Howard Zinn writes, "To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishy romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of the world in a different direction. The future is an infinite succession of presents."

I share all these insights to explain the deep extent of this conviction on my life. It is a powerful conviction I'm glad is present and continues to push me to new ground. Despair paralyzes, Hope gives life. As a fairly new nurse and young woman I have much to learn about the how the world works and why; but what I do know is that if I have the power and resources to make it better, more beautiful, the way God intended, then there is deep joy in that. That is what I want my life to be about.

I look forward to, with anticipation, other hopes to come to life through this journey as well. I don't know exactly what i'm walking into, or what I will find, but I'm confident that this is right for me in this season of my life. I hope you will come along with me to :) I look forward to sharing this adventure and my patient's stories with you through this blog! I have exactly the amount I need to go, team effort* every single one of you was needed!!! :) I love you guys and thanks again for all your support in getting me here. Stay in touch~ please :)
My mailing address with be:

Mercy ShipsM/V Anastasis/Medical Dept.
P O Box 2020
Garden Valley, TX 75771-2020USA

P.S. If you look to the left you will see a link for more Africa Pictures...will be updating periodically, so feel free to check out future slideshows