Becca's Mission Adventures

Changing seasons

2012-01-16T16:33:00.000-08:00

When I began my adventure of moving to Africa, committing to two years with Mercy Ships seemed like such an overwhelming commitment. They always say that it goes by fast, but now that I find myself at the end of it all, I realize just how true that is. The day I left Africa, my roommate asked me if I was ready to leave. I had to say "no." Africa has captured my heart and the ship has become my home...how could I be ready to leave such an amazing place!

It has been in this beautiful place that I have seen the face of Christ like never before. I have seen it in the pain of a hurting woman who can't hide her tumor or shame, the brokenness of parents on their knees, crying out to God for their child to experience a miracle, and in the pain of a husband who doesn't know if his wife will live to see another day. I have seen it in the joy of a child walking with straight legs for the first time, the bright eyes of a mother whose daughter is finally smiling again after years of being ridiculed for her condition, and the songs of parents who have seen a miracle take place before their eyes.

It is so easy to talk about the power and love of Christ, but it is a completely different thing to experience it. When I left for Africa, I was determined to make a difference and to help those who were in need. I wanted to be obedient to God and his calling on my life to serve Him in missions. But, I hadn't realized that in "changing the world," I was the one who actually needed to be changed the most. I interacted with people who had next to nothing, yet bigger smiles and louder songs than anyone I have ever met...the source of their joy was always Christ. I was so humbled by the patients, day volunteers, and crew members who lived out the example of what it truly means to have "abundant life" in Christ.

In light of all I saw and experienced, I became aware of my own selfishness, pride, and lack of faith. What difference could I make when I was the one who needed to be changed? And yet, in the midst of feeling inadequate and unworthy to be used by God, He so gently began the process of shaping me and molding me into who He wanted me to become. He also chose to use me to impact the lives of many children and parents from all different faiths and walks of life, in both big ways and small. I have cherished every smile, song, hug, and kiss of each child that God has brought into my life. I have shared in their sadness and hurting when the pain was almost too hard to bear. We have danced, laughed, prayed, and cried together, but in the end we had to say goodbye. I am so grateful that God revealed Himself to me through those children and that He has used my experiences to begin to shape me into who He wants me to be.

It's been over three weeks since I left Africa. I've enjoyed the last few weeks that I've been able to travel around Europe, visit friends from the ship, and reminisce about our experiences together. Tomorrow I will fly across the ocean back to my other home in America. But, I haven't even hit American soil yet and there is already a longing in my heart to go back to Africa. Here in London, I have found myself wandering to the African exhibits at the British Museum so that I can feel a little piece of my home in Sierra Leone. I get excited about anything or anyone that makes me think of that place. The other day, I found myself thanking God for another reminder of Africa. I met a Nigerian mother at the train station who had her little black baby wrapped snugly on her back with an African lapa. Every little thing that reminds me of that beautiful continent seems to beckon me to go back. I know that I will. God has given me a love too deep and a calling too strong not to go.

But, for now I am going to America...I'm not sure that I feel ready to re-enter life there, but ready or not, I will do it. As I was thinking today about all the changes that lie before me, I was reminded of the story of Joshua and the Israelites after they crossed the Jordan River. They made a point to set up an altar of stones as a monument to remember God's faithfulness to them in the wilderness. The people took time to reflect on all that God had already done for them before they moved forward into battle. And while there are a lot of exciting things about going home, I know it will also be a battle...going back to "normal life" is never easy when you've seen how exciting and fulfilling life can be in an extraordinary place like West Africa.

So, before I walk into this new year and new season of my life, I am reminded of the importance of remembering all that God has done. He has been faithful. He has carried me through many high's and low's. He has walked beside me in the times that I found myself in the wilderness and has rejoiced with me when my heart was so full of joy that it felt ready to explode. He has been my sufficiency when I felt inadequate, my peace when I felt restless, and my hope when I couldn't see the silver lining in the clouds. And so, with great expectation, I am heading into this new season knowing that "He is able to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or imagine, according to His power at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20). I can't wait to see all that He has in store for 2012!

From soccer to sewing

2011-12-12T10:22:00.000-08:00

It was just another day on the soccer field. The boys were all full of energy, gathering around me and my soccer ball to form teams, when I turned and saw a teenage girl walking over. She told me her name was Anna and she would like to join us. Anna proved to be a great soccer player and gave the boys some good competition. She began to come and play with us regularly and taught me a lot. But, a relationship started to form that went far beyond soccer. I could've never imagined all that would unfold after that first soccer game with Anna.

Anna and I first became friends sometime in April. After that first soccer game, she would often see me walking up Savage Square (the street leading to the port where she also happened to live) and would greet me and ask when we were going to play soccer. Initially, our relationship was fairly superficial. We would say hi and chat a little, play our game of soccer, and go home. But, over time, I was able to meet her sister and her niece, learn more of her story, and talk to her about God.

Anna and I in April (on my left)

It wasn't until one of the last weeks in Sierra Leone that Anna and I finally got to have a deep talk about God. We sat down at the end of the dock with our Coke and fried plantains, watching the boats pass by on the water. We chatted about life for awhile and I finally started asking her questions about her faith. I got to share my story with her, how Jesus had changed my life, and the hope that we can have if we receive him into our lives. I went on to share with her and she agreed that she wanted to pray to receive Christ into her life. It was a really sweet moment and when we said "Amen," there was a big smile across her face. "Anna, you're my sister in Christ now," I told her. "So even if I don't see you again in Sierra Leone, I know I'll see you in heaven."

Anna had gone to a Christian church before, so it wasn't the first time that she had heard the good news about the cross and what Jesus had done to bring her hope....But, I'm not sure that she understood completely up until then that in order to have a personal relationship with Jesus, she had to take the step to receive him into her life. Either way, I was certain that she had prayed sincerely to receive Christ and it made me so happy to see her make that step. I was able to give her a Bible and talk to her a little more and we parted ways.

Not long after, Anna and I were talking and she said "Rebecca, I need you to help me. I don't have any opportunity." It was the first time she had ever asked me for anything. I knew that she had finished high school, but now she was at a place in her life where she was stuck. Both of her parents had died in the war and she was living in a small little shack sleeping on a few pieces of cardboard. She and her sister were sharing the small little space, along with her little niece, just barely scraping by. Anna wanted to start working, but didn't have any additional education or special skills that she could use professionally. I wanted to help her, but I knew I couldn't just give her money. I told her I would talk try to help, but I needed to talk to some friends first. I thought that maybe one of the older day volunteers that I worked with could help her to learn a skill or help her find employment somewhere. I was able to give her some clothes, including a Sierra Leone soccer jersey, which she was really excited about. But, I knew that I could do more to help her. I just prayed that God would show me how.

About a week later, a few friends and I met up with some of the day volunteers for one last trip to the beach. I began to talk to my friend Harry about Anna. He had met her before and I knew he would be a good resource. "Harry, I want to help Anna. She wants to work, but I don't know what she can do." As the words left my mouth, the thought came into my head "Maybe she could become a tailor." A few seconds later, Harry said "What if she learned how to sew and became a tailor." I knew it wasn't a coincidence that we both had the same thought at that moment...God was showing us how to help her. "You have to make sure that it's something she really wants to do first," Harry told me. I agreed and prayed it would all work out.

A few days later, I found Anna and asked her if she would be interested in going to school to be a tailor. She was very excited about the idea and even went with me to visit the tailor where I was having some clothes sewn. They showed her their machines and told her a little bit about the schooling process. I wanted to find a school close by where we could register Anna and she told me that they had a program at BJ, the school down the street where we played soccer.

The next day, Harry met Anna and I at the school and we were able to register her for the tailoring program. The school fees for the program, materials, and uniform for the entire year totaled to a whopping $120. I couldn't believe it! The school officials processed the paperwork and gave me a receipt. Anna's face lit up with a smile from ear to ear. She was going to be a tailor! "So, she starts in January?" I asked. "Oh no, she'll start next week," the teacher told me. I couldn't believe how smoothly everything had just fallen into place. One day Anna was a 17-year old soccer player feeling that her future looked dim and the next she was on her way to being a tailor.

As we left the school, we stopped to say a prayer for Anna and her future. We walked back to the port and Harry gave Anna his number. "Anna, you have to study hard and do your best because Becca is doing a lot to help you. And if you need anything, just call me. Think of me as your big brother!" I started to tear up a bit. I was so amazed that God had used me to impact Anna's life in such a big way! "Rebecca, I want to bless you," she told me. "Ok, then, you can make me a dress when you finish school," I told her.

It's amazing how God can use us when we open our eyes to see the need around us and step out to do something about it. I look forward to seeing Anna again someday and hearing how God uses her profession to bless others...I know that He has big plans for her life and I'm thankful that I could play one small part in the unfolding of those plans!

Anna and I on the dock during our last week in Freetown

Riding down the river

2011-12-06T13:33:00.000-08:00

As the outreach has been winding down, I have began to evaluate the things on my "Sierra Leone Bucket List" that I have yet to do....A few friends had traveled around riding the local boats up the river and had great experiences, so I had made up my mind that I would add that to my list of things to do before I leave the country until I had my own boat adventure.

It was my last night working on the ward and several of my patients were going to be discharged the following day, so I was giving lots of hugs and saying my goodbyes. Then, it dawned on me that Abas, one of our long-term plastics patients who happens to be a fisherman, was heading to his village back up the river the following day. I asked if he would mind bringing me along with him to ride up the river and see his village. "Of course you can come," he responded excitedly. We talked about the details of the trip and made a plan for the following day. I was happy to take the journey with just Abas, but knew it would be more fun to bring some friends along. I told my roommate Mekenzie about my plans for the boat adventure and her face lit up. Kenzie is always up for a good adventure and she has a great appreciation for African culture, so I knew she'd be a great person to have along. I would've been completely satisfied to have just one friend along, but I was pleasantly surprised when my friends Karin and Lindsay asked if they could also join us.

The next day, Abas' son arrived at the ship in the late morning and we all set off for our adventure, not sure what to expect, but certain that it would be a great African adventure. We jumped into a poda-poda and were happily on our way. After about ten minutes, we stopped at the police station. Apparently, the driver of the poda didn't have a license. "That's why we like traveling in boats. We will not have problems with police on the river," Abas muttered with irriation in his voice.

We found a taxi and made our way to the ferry dock. It was much more run down than the dock where we usually take the ferry across to the airport. We passed through the rubble and tried to avoid the calls of the men hanging out on the dock, holding tightly to our belongings as we passed. We paid our fees, took our life jackets (which we were surprised to receive) and found a place among the many passengers that were already inside the boat. We had a fairly comfortable ride sitting on the edge of the boat as we traveled across the water to Lungi, our first stop. When we got to Lungi, we were greeted by several of Abas' family members. Abas and his sister broke out into tears over their joy in being reunited after many months. He made sure that we met his family members and lots of other friends that he had there. We were eager to get on the next boat, as four white girls was attracting a lot of attention. We finally were told that our boat had arrived as Mekenzie was turning down a marriage proposal. Relieved, we started walking towards the boat.

Next thing we knew, we were all being picked up off the ground by the passenger-carrying men. Since there was no dock, these men are hired to carry the passengers to the boats. But, instead of asking if we wanted to be carried across the water, they literally swept us off our feet (though we still weren't agreeing to any marriage proposals!) and carried us to the boat. We managed to find space amidst the people and luggage in the crowded boat and attempted to get comfortable for the ride up the river.

Kenzie being carried to the boat

The ride was long, but beautiful and peaceful. Along the way to Abas' village, we made multiple stops. Sometimes it was to drop off passengers and other times it was to get something to eat. We were all very entertained by the African version of a fast food "drive-in window." They would pull the boat up along the side of the village dock, as a bunch of people rushed out, carrying platters of fish, fried plantains, and other African foods. Passengers would quickly hand their money out the side of the boat in exchange for the African delicacies and a few minutes later we would be back on our way.

Karin & Kenzie in our crowded boat

Lindsay and I on the other side of the boat

It seemed that Abas had a friend in every single village we visited along the way. He would point to the person and wave, then point to us and say "Mercy Ships" and show off his new shoulder with a smile from ear to ear. There were A LOT of stops along the way, but it was really nice seeing other parts of Sierra Leone that I'd never seen before.

Abas was very excited for the trip home

By the time we were nearing the village next to Port Loco where Abas lives, it was dark and the only light that remained was the light coming from a nearby mine. We made it to the village and were taken to Abas' home. He had not told his family that he was coming home, so they were all very surprised and excited to see him! They sat the four of us down on benches and for several long moments, they all just stared at us. Later we learned that most of the children had never seen white people. Instead of pointing and shouting "apoto, apoto" like most of the kids in Sierra Leone tend to do, they just sat and stared at us with wide eyes.

We struggled to communicate with the people, as most of them spoke Temne instead of Krio. Abas was walking around the village with other long-lost friends and we sat there awkwardly, not sure what to do next. Then a woman came along named Kadiatu. She was a pregnant momma, very lively, and our saving grace. She was able to speak Krio and Temne, so we were able to communicate with her quite well. Kadiatu decided to sing a Temne song for us and all the people standing there joined in. Next thing we knew, we were singing a Krio song for them! The songs continued back and forth for about twenty minutes and the awkwardness was broken. The children were smiling and laughing and we were enjoying every minute of it. Music always has a way of bringing people together! That night, the four of us snuggled into one small bed and I said a prayer that the giant spider on the wall wouldn't attack us in the middle of the night! Thankfully, it was gone in the morning and we were all ok!

Kadiatu and myself in the village

The next morning, we were happy to see that the first thing that Abas did was get out his supplemental Promod drink for his wound healing. But, he decided he needed to let his friends try the drink as well....Next thing you know, they were all taking shots of Promod from his medicine cup. TIA. We all got a good laugh at that sight.

We were given a tour of the village and they showed us how they make palm oil using small boat for the process. One of the women also showed us a plant that they use to treat malaria. It's kind of amazing how much they do with all of the natural resources that God has provided!

Later that morning, our okadas (motorcycle taxis) arrived and we started our journey back to the ship. It was supposed to be a shorter journey by land, but it turned out to be almost 6 hours (nearly as long as the boat ride)...the trip started on some narrow roads winding through tall grass...definitely more exciting than riding through the city! We made it to the open roads and drove through the beautiful countryside. It reminded me a lot of the trips we had taken upcountry in Togo.

At one point, we had to cross the river in a small boat. There weren't enough seats, so they cut down a palm branch and measured out a new seat for Lindsay right there. It was pretty cool to watch how innovative they are here.

Once we got across, we got into a taxi, which broke down about five minutes into the trip. We got out some cards and started playing a game on the side of the road while we waited for the taxi problems to be resolved. Soon enough, we were back on our way and made it into Waterloo. From there, we took a Poda Poda and finally reached the ship after about six hours of traveling! In spite of all the craziness of our travels, I have to say that it was one of my favorite trips of my time in Sierra Leone and I was thankful I could share it with such great friends!

Making a difference one turtle at a time

2011-11-14T23:00:00.000-08:00

It was the day before my birthday and I was thankful for an end to a long stretch of night shifts. I had a couple days off, so I rounded up a few friends and we headed off to Bureh, one of the most beautiful beaches I have visited in Sierra Leone. We were all ready for a fun and relaxing time by the sea. The tents were set up and the hammocks were swaying in the wind. Our dinner of fresh rice and fish lay on the table in front of us as the sun was setting over the horizon. I could already tell it was going to be a great birthday. But, I never could have expected the adventure that was ahead of us that night.

As we were finishing our quiet dinner, one of the guys from the beach rushed over to us and told us they had just caught a turtle in their fishing nets and that we needed to come and see it. We rushed down to the other side of the beach to see what all the excitement was about and were stunned to see a large, nearly 100-kilo Leatherback turtle. The turtle was lying on its back and had blood on its face from where it had been kicked. Most of the villagers didn't seem to have any interest in releasing the turtle. The men were rough with it and some of the older kids were kicking its flippers as it lay helplessly on its back. This was not Sea World. If we wanted to set the turtle free, we were going to have to do more than tell the people that it was a type of turtle that is critically endangered. One of the friends with me had recently spent time on a place called "Turtle Island" and had learned about some of the endangered turtles. He called a friend who works with a local group to release captured turtles and educate people about endangered species. One of the men took the phone and listened to this man explain that it is illegal to keep this type of turtle. The phone call ended and all the villagers began to discuss.

As we all stood around the turtle, waiting and wondering what the villagers would do, my friend Jess lovingly named the turtle "Nelson" after Nelson Mandela, who fought for his freedom (it turns out the turtle was a female, but we decided to keep the name)...Jess leaned down and tried to sneakily remove the ropes that were holding the turtle's flippers. She pointed to show me what she was doing and put her finger to her lips. I couldn't help but smile at her genuine efforts, knowing that even if we got the ropes off, it wouldn't immediately be free. There was a crowd of at least fifty people surrounding the turtle and it still needed to be flipped over (which would be impossible to do without anyone noticing, seeing as the turtle was so large). And then there was also the slowness factor. Turtles are called turtles for a reason. It was obvious that we wouldn't be able to free Nelson without the consent of the villagers.

After a long discussion and another phone call to the turtle-advocating people, we finally convinced the villagers that it would be best for them to release Nelson, as they could receive very heavy fines for keeping the turtle captive. They agreed to release the turtle, but didn't show a whole lot of enthusiasm about it. Once the decision had been made to set Nelson free, the spectacle that unfolded was a few white people trying to get a very large turtle back to the water with a big crowd of Africans standing around watching.

Flipping Nelson over

It took a couple of attempts to flip Nelson over...after all, the Leatherbacks are the largest turtles in the world! Once Nelson was flipped over, it became even more apparent just how exhausted she was...there was very little motivation to scoot out to sea after all that she had been through. Jess and I decided that she needed a little bit of encouragement, so we started helping to push her to the water from the back. "Come on, Nelson, you can do it!" we yelled (I can just imagine what the Africans were thinking watching two girls trying to push a turtle out to sea and cheering it on like small children ha ha).

A few of the guys joined us and helped us push Nelson along....there was probably about 100 meters that she had to travel to get to the edge of the water. We could feel the muscles under Nelson's shell as she pressed on toward the water. She was tired, but now a little more determined. I think she could sense that we wanted to help her (I'm sure that's just the animal lover in me)...We were all relieved when we finally saw her swim away into the ocean.

I know some of the women were upset that we let the "fine meat" go back to the sea, but in the end, I think the villagers were content with their decision. It is also a relief to know that they have very successful fishing there and that the people there seem to be well-fed. I'm sure they felt that they could've made a good profit off the tourists from the turtle meat, but I can guarantee that none of us would've been buying it!

I'm sure it seems a little bit silly, but the whole experience of setting Nelson free was somehow exhilarating....I told Jess that I felt like I was in a sequel to the "Free Willy" movies and she agreed that this was better than National Geographic...During all my trips to Bureh Beach this year, I had never once seen a turtle, much less a Leatherback. Our little adventure with Nelson was very special and certainly made it a birthday to remember!

Journey to the far away land of Kono

2011-10-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

It was the last day of Tamba Komba's time with Mercy Ships and tears filled his eyes as we said our goodbyes. "We'll try to come visit you in Kono," I reassured him. But I don't think Tamba was very hopeful that we'd actually end up coming all the way to his hometown miles away from the city.

However, I felt determined to do all that I could to make the trip to see Tamba and wanted to stay true to my word...I made plans with a few of our day workers to take a 3-day trip up to Kono, but I had no idea at the time what I was getting myself into. The trip was supposedly an 8-hour drive away, but I was warned that the road was bad. Harry, the only day volunteer who ended up getting the time off work to come along for the adventure, had reassured me it wouldn't be that long of a trip...I told him that my guess was 10 hours. "No, no it will not take 10 hours," he argued. "Well, this is Africa and I am just being realistic," I told him.

The bus to Kono was supposed to leave at 6am on Saturday morning. We met the bus at the junction right at 6 and were taken to the main bus stop to load the remaining passengers. I was amazed that the bus came on time and that it was a nice, big, comfortable tour bus. It looked like something you would see in America...and it only cost 35,000 Leones for the journey (approximately $8.25). But, apparently the price had gone up 5,000 Leones (about $1.25) within a couple of days. The passengers became upset when they heard the quoted price. An argument broke out and there was murmuring among many of the passengers. Most of them got off the bus and the argument continued outside. I sat comfortably in my window seat with my pillow tucked under my head, doing my best to sleep through it all. It was far too early to be awake on a Saturday morning and I had no intention of getting involved in the drama.

We sat for another hour while the discussion continued. Apparently the passengers agreed to pay the extra 5,000 Leones, but several union workers were present and would not allow the bus to leave because "the change in price had not been confirmed." Instead, they loaded us onto smaller, less comfortable "buses" which were more like poda-podas...they had hard, uncomfortable seats, no room for luggage, and very little space to move. The workers saw me, the only white person in sight, and offered me a seat near the front (This is pretty typical hospitality among the Africans for white people). It was a nice gesture, but no more comfortable than the other seats...it pretty much felt like I was sitting on a slab of wood. We sat in the bus all loaded up and ready to go for about an hour...and then another hour...and another. I know that patience is not my strong point, but I was really frustrated that it had been a total of four hours since we first arrived at the bus...and we had not gone anywhere! I decided to keep my mouth shut despite the frustration I was having. I have traveled enough in Africa to know that half the time you spend on the journey ends up being spent in the waiting process. Harry turned to me and said "I'm glad that it doesn't come as a surprise to you and that you understand how it is in Africa."

We continued to sit and wait, but both of us were still annoyed. Apparently we weren't the only ones. After four hours had passed, several of the passengers started arguing with the driver. "Why didn't you just let us take the other bus and leave if you were going to just make us sit here for hours," one woman demanded. "We could've been halfway around the world by now," another man said as he pointed to his watch. The passengers' voices started to grow louder as they expressed their frustration and anger. I wanted to introduce them to the American expression "Time is money." They had just wasted our time, so the 5,000 Leones they had saved us meant nothing to us now. I decided that probably wouldn't be the best testimony, though, so I just kept it to myself. I didn't actually need to say anything though. The driver (who was one of the union workers) realized that the passengers were upset and things were going downhill. Within five minutes of all the complaints, he started up the bus and we were on our way. If we had known that was all it took to get us moving, I'm pretty sure we would've said something much sooner. TIA.

I do have to say that there was one positive thing that came out of the long wait. A woman saw me when I was waiting outside and asked if I was with Mercy Ships. She went on to tell me that her granddaughter was having eye problems. She wanted to take her to our eye screening, but she didn't know where to go to take her. I was able to give her the information for the eye clinic and she was very grateful. "Thank you for the good work you are doing," she said warmly. It was a good reminder that you can always find something positive in every situation.

The trip to Kono wasn't too eventful. The road was pretty smooth for the first few hours, but it started getting progressively worse and worse. They weren't kidding when they said the road was bad. The rain had provided some huge pot holes and large puddles to make the ride a little more exciting. I wouldn't have minded if we were in one of the ship Landrovers...but my bum was already starting to go numb, so the bumpy ride didn't help. I have to say, I was amazed at the small children riding along with us. There was one little girl sitting near me who looked like she was about two years old. She didn't cry once the entire time we were driving along. I kept both of us entertained for awhile by making fishy faces. But, eventually that got old and she dozed off....as did I.

We finally arrived in the district of Kono at 8pm. There was a light at the end of the tunnel. At least we were in the right district. But, we still had to get to the city of Kono. We stopped at least 10 times to drop people off who lived outside of the city. Finally, at 9pm, we arrived at our destination. It had been 15 hours since we had gotten on the first bus and I was more than ready to be off the bus! We were greeted by Tamba's father and drove to their house in his "ambulance" that they use at the local hospital where he works.

I knew that the second I saw Tamba's big smile, the long journey would all be worth it! He wore a grin that reached ear to ear and gave me a big hug. "I started to think you weren't coming," he said. We met his brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts. They were all huddled together under the dimly-lit porch. Soon the rain started and we said goodbye to all the relatives while Harry, Tamba, myself, and Tamba's sister all went inside to talk for a bit. That night, I went to bed with the sound of the rain gently pattering on the tin roof above me. Needless to say, I had no problem sleeping after the long journey!

The next morning, we had breakfast and started getting ready for church. I had completely forgot to pack any "church clothes" and knew that I would be completely out of place in jean capris and a tank top. Kadiatu, Tamba's sister, realized my dilemma and came to the rescue. "Don't worry...I'm going to dress you," she said proudly. She pulled out one of her nicest African outfits and put it on me, finishing it off with a head wrap and baby blue high heels (which definitely did not match!)...As she finished, she took one look at me and said "Beyonce, you look like an African queen!" It was very sweet.

The church was a Roman Catholic Church, which was very different from any other churches I have attended here. Most of the African churches have lots of singing and dancing, but this one was much more conservative and traditional. The service ended about 30 minutes after we got there. I was a bit confused Kadiatu had told us that church was from 10am-12. We had arrived at 9:30. Turns out that the last service ends at 10. "That was even shorter than an Amerian service," Henry joked. Oh well. I can't say I was really in my comfort zone with all the liturgies anyway.

After the service, we went on a long walk to go visit Tamba's uncle who worked at the diamond mines. Kono is a well-known area for diamond mining and I had yet to see any of the mines, so I was really excited about it. We took a long walk out to the mines and then watched the men working in the mud. I was struck by how long and dirty the work actually is. They told us that sometimes they'll work all day and won't find any diamonds at all!

Later on, I was thinking about the lyrics of a worship song called "All in all." The line that hit me says: "Seeking you as a precious jewel, Lord to give up I'd be a fool." I thought of the diamond mines and the long hours of sifting mud and water just to find one small precious stone. And I realized that my relationship with God is supposed to be like that...striving for the precious treasure of knowing Him, no matter what it takes.

As we wrapped up our time with Tamba's uncle, he offered me a diamond he had found in the place pictured above. I thanked him for the offer, but graciously declined. It would be a nice gift, but I'm not going to be another white person who is known for coming to Kono for my own financial gain.

After our visit to the diamond mines, we came back to Tamba's house to relax for a bit. The kids from the village all swarmed around me, interested in the white girl who had shown up at their friend's house. I'm not sure how often white people actually come all the way up to Kono, but they all seemed very intrigued as they stroked the white skin on my arm and stared at my blue eyes. I had brought Tamba's favorite Curious George book with me, so I pulled it out and began to read stories to the kids. They all gathered around me to see the pictures and hear the stories. Even some of the grown ladies from the neighboring houses came over to see the pictures and hear about Curious George.

Later, Tamba's father took us to the Kono Hospital where he works as a family doctor. The conditions of the hospital and patients was sad and overwhelming. A few nurses came and asked Tamba's dad to have me come to see a few specific patients (seeing as I would have all the answers since I am a white nurse of course!)...the level of care was all very heart-breaking to me. The one positive thing out of the experience was that I was able to connect with one of the directors who helps with the feeding program and offer her some helpful information and ideas for their babies who are not growing as they should be.

Post-partum ward at the Kono Hospital

One month old preemie baby still only weighing in at one kilo

That night, Tamba's family decided that we needed to watch a "Beyonce film" to prove to me that I look like the Ghanaian actress Naria Buari, who plays Beyonce in several famous African films. They set up their tv, dvd players, and speakers on the front porch and then rigged it up in true African-style to the generator in the dirt. Several neighbors came over for the excitement and found a place on the porch as the sound blasted through the speakers. I was less than impressed with the film, but thanked them for showing it to me and told them I was glad I finally got to see one of Beyonce's films (although I still don't see why they think I look like her).

The next morning as we were getting ready to head out for the long journey home, Kadiatu asked me if I liked chicken. I didn't think much of it and told her that I did. Before I knew it, she had a small chicken all wrapped up and ready to go with us on our journey. I was hoping he would be a quiet passenger because I wasn't about to listen to a noisy chicken all the way home! Thankfully, he proved to be a good little chicken and kept quiet the whole way back. Harry told me that I needed to give the chicken a name, so I endearingly decided to call him Eli.

The ride home was much more comfortable and pleasant than the trip to Kono. But, even with the nice big bus, there were a few times we hit some rough spots in the road and started rocking back and forth. At one point, the bus was rocking so much that it was almost worse than sailing! They ended up having us all get out of the bus and walk through a village while the bus passed through the huge water-filled craters in the road. I was able to snap one picture during the ordeal, but wasn't able to capture the full effect.

The trip back to Freetown took ten hours, which seemed short compared to the fifteen hours we had spent getting up there. When I arrived in the port, the big white ship I call my home was looking more inviting than ever. Needless to say, I was thankful to be off the bus after so many hours of traveling! At the same time, I know that my experience in Sierra Leone would not have been complete without at least one up-country trip in a public bus. I am thankful that I did it and I know that it meant so much to Tamba that we came up to visit. Seeing his big bright smile again and watching him walk proudly through town with his new straight feet made it so worth it!

The living blood bank

2011-09-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

On the Africa Mercy, we have quite a unique system to provide blood for patients who need blood transfusions...WE, the crew are the blood bank. The lab keeps a list of crew who have provided recent samples and are fit to donate. They cross-match the donors with patients who are identified as highly likely to need a blood transfusion the following day (there are always emergencies, but most of the transfusions can be predicted based on the type of surgery the patient will have). The donor will receive a notice on their door the night before they are needed to give blood to remind them to drink lots of fluids and be prepared to come down to donate.

Last year, I made every effort to donate blood during the Togo outreach...but, unfortunately I was never able to. The problem is that my blood type is common among Americans and not so common among Africans...so we have an abundance of donors on the ship, but not so many transfusions of that type are needed. I decided to give it a shot again this year and provide regular samples to the lab just in case it was needed. I even received a couple of notices on my door, but the patients never ended up needing transfusions....until last week.

I received another notice to drink lots of fluids and be prepared to donate, but I didn't get my hopes up this time. Then, around 10am, one of the lab techs found me and said, "Ok, come down. We need your blood!"

All the areas where they usually take people to donate were occupied, so we ended up going to the recovery room. I hopped up on a stretcher and happily held out my arm...I think I was abnormally excited about having them stick a needle in my arm, but I had been waiting for this opportunity for over a year. Needless to say, there was quite a bit of pent-up excitement now that it was finally happening :)

After giving the blood, the lab tech handed me a can of Coke and some cookies and told me I couldn't leave until I drank all of it...I willingly obeyed :) Then, with my excessively large bandage wrapped around my arm, I headed over to the OR office and met a friend there who is able to escort non-OR staff to observe the operations. He graciously agreed to let me go down and visit the OR where the patient was receiving my blood.

We walked into the OR and Dr. Gary looked up from the scalpel. He asked if I was the blood donor and then thanked me for donating. He pointed toward the suction canister to show me all the blood the man had lost. It was quite a bit.

A few days later, I met the man who had received my blood. Mohamed is 58 years old and has had a maxillary tumor growing for the last twenty years. It had become very large and painful, so he was excited when he received his patient card to have the tumor removed.

Despite Mohamed's large blood loss during surgery, he did not have any further complications and was able to make a good recovery. I had the chance to visit him in D Ward a few days after he had his surgery. I approached him and shook his hand, explaining why I had wanted to meet him. A big grin appeared on his face when he realized I was his blood donor. He shook my hand again and thanked me for helping him. It was a really special moment.

I have to say, it's so different actually meeting the person who receives your blood instead of just giving a bag of blood to be put in a refrigerator at a blood bank. It was a bit strange thinking about my blood pumping through Mohamed's heart and veins...but amazing at the same time...

With open arms

2011-09-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

It happened when she was only four years old. Her family loved her and took good care of her, but there was an accident while she was sleeping in the kitchen and little Alberta fell into a boiling pot of cooking oil. The burns covered her back, shoulders, and parts of her arms. Her grandmother took her to a clinic in their Liberian village, but they couldn't even give her pain medicine. She laid there in pain through the night and was taken to another clinic the next day. Alberta spent the next month and a half in a clinic getting treatment for her extensive burns. Her mother wasn't able to go with her, so her grandmother Mariah stayed by her side through the whole process.

But, even after all that time in the clinic, Alberta's care was far from everything she needed. The clinic was lacking the physical therapy she needed and after a short time, her arms had contracted and she had lost her ability to lift her arms up. The kids at school began to tease her and she would come home crying. She couldn't even wrap her arms around her grandma for a big hug because they no longer reached the way they did before.

"It was too much for us," her grandma told me. "She was crying all the time and she was not happy anymore." They sought out more help and found a place to get the surgery to repair Alberta's contracture, but it would cost $1000 USD, an overwhelming amount for the average Sierra Leonean. But, Alberta's grandmother didn't give up. She found a group of American surgeons who had come to Sierra Leone to volunteer and provide free surgeries. But since they had only come for a few weeks, they had to break the bad news "We have a surgeon who knows how to do the surgery for you, but the follow-up time is too long, so we can't do it." Mariah and Alberta had arrived at another dead end, but they didn't lose hope.

"I knew that if God had saved her that night from dying, then he could help us," Mariah reminisced. So, she continued to pray and hope. It had been over a year since the accident and Alberta was still struggling with the ridicule and teasing of others, but her grandmother held onto her faith in the God who sees everything and loves us more than we will ever understand.

A few months later, Mariah was volunteering as a soccer coach with LACES, an organization in West Africa that uses soccer as a therapeutic method to help children who have been affected by civil war. An American girl named Laura came out for a special event going on with the LACES group and noticed Alberta and her scars. She began asking questions and asked Mariah if it she could take photos of her granddaughter. "My friends told me not to let her take pictures," Mariah recalls. They thought Americans just wanted pictures of children like Alberta so they could use them to make money. "But, I didn't mind her taking pictures, so I said it was fine."

Laura was able to send the pictures to a friend who she thought would be able to help. In God's providential plan and timing, it turned out that he had previously worked with Mercy Ships and was back on the ship for a visit when she contacted him. He was able to show the pictures to the doctors and not long after, Alberta was on the surgery schedule.

Less than a month later, Alberta and Mariah packed up their stuff and set off for the journey of a lifetime to Sierra Leone. After a fourteen hour car ride to Freetown, Alberta and her Grandma arrived at our "Hope Center," where they would stay until Alberta had surgery.

Alberta pre-operatively on the ship

Three months have passed now since Alberta had her surgery. It has been a long process with a lot of therapies, dressing changes, and even some pain. But, not a day has gone by that I have not seen a smile on that little girl's face.

Alberta in her splint after surgery

There have been many, many dressing changes to her graft and donor sites. But, she is our little all-star. It still amazes me that she sings songs, reads books, and occasionally falls asleep during her dressing changes (some of the other kids still scream!)...One day, we finished reading "Green Eggs and Ham" (which is now her favorite book thanks to her favorite storyteller Beyonce :) and she got down from her dressing change saying "Thank you, thank you Sam I am" to Todd, one of our wound care nurses. It warmed my heart and brought a smile to my face.

While Alberta's wound healing has been slow and her hospital stay has been one of the longest out of our last group of plastics patients, she is finally on the verge of finishing her treatment! Her arms and shoulders are all healed up and she can finally move her arms in all directions. Every time she stretches out those little arms to wrap them around me with a big hug, I can't help but smile and thank God for bringing Alberta to us. He had a plan for her all along and I know He still has amazing things in store for her life!

Free from fever

2011-08-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

Over the last week, fever has been an ongoing theme on the ward. One particular patient, Alpha, has had fevers for that entire week. Yesterday when I took care of him, it was as though he were holding his breath every single time he was waiting to hear me tell him the thermometer reading. He was so discouraged and beginning to seem a bit hopeless.

So, tonight, as we were having handover, I felt like God was promting me to pray for Alpha, but I just prayed in my heart instead of praying out loud in the group. When I opened my eyes, Alpha was standing there next to our little circle of nurses, listening to us pray. At that point, I realized that I needed to be obedient and take some time to pray for him. So, I had Alpha come to the middle of the circle and we laid hands on him and said a prayer of healing over his body and against the fevers.

All through the night, I said a prayer each time I had to check Alpha's temperature. The tylenol and ibuprofen had worn off, but each time, his temperature was normal. I began to see the hope in his eyes once again. It had been a long week for him and finally he was starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

It's amazing how much we miss out on when we forget to pray. I was reminded of the promise that Jesus gave us: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7)....He wants to answer us...we just have to do our part and ask.

Angel in disguise

2011-08-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

His ever-present smile lights up the entire ward and his eyes shine bright as everyone gathers into the crowded room for the hospital church service. Patients crowd together with their bandages and IV lines, surrounded by nurses and crew members who have come to join in the service. The music starts and the drums begin to beat....the sound of African voices fills the air like a beautiful choir. But one voice in particular stands out a few decibals higher than the others...I turn toward the sound and see those bright eyes and big smile...and with no surprise, I see that it is Osman.

The first time I met Osman, he was getting ready to have surgery for a gaping wound on his leg. We got him ready for the operating room with his pre-op surgical scrub. As he waited for me to finish, there was a look of discomfort in his eyes, but he didn't say a word. When it was all finished, he proceeded to thank me and headed back to his little corner of the room with a big smile on his face. It was obvious that he was not the typical 9-year old boy. There was something deeper within him that gave him peace and joy in the midst of his circumstances. It was this same joy that would carry him through the next few months of a very long journey.

The following week was a difficult one for Osman. He had several complications, one being an arterial bleed, which led him back to the operating room. Eventually, the blood flow was so diminished that there was nothing to be done except to amputate the leg. It was devastating for all of us to find out, but amazingly enough, Osman never lost his smile or cheerful spirit. After spending a few days in intensive care, he returned to A Ward and continued to amaze us with his positive attitude.

It has been over three months now since my first encounter with Osman and he continues to challenge and encourage me. I was relocated to B Ward for about a month to help with staffing needs there, but every time I came back to visit the kids, I was greeted by my sweet Osman who always had a smile and a big hug for me. Sometimes I walk in at the right momen and catch him strumming away at his "guitar," which happens to be one of the crutches that he uses to cruise around the ward. Other times, I find him laying in bed doing his physical therapy exercises with a strained look on his face. Those are the moments that I get the opportunity to cheer him up...we count to 10 in every language we can think of until he is finally finished.

It's interesting how God works. When I first came to the ship, I set out to really "change the world" and make a difference in the lives of my patients. But in the end, I've discovered that the one who has been changed the most is me. The perseverance and optimism of these children is so inspiring that I can't leave a day of work without encountering God and His amazing work in this place.

Every now and then, I have one of those days when I am feeling completely overwhelmed and discouraged....without fail, those are the days that God brings Osman my way. He hobbles over on his crutches to snuggle up close to me with a hug and smile...and it's in those sweet moments that I realize God has blessed me with a little angel in disguise.

Surprise, I'm home!

2011-08-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind, but so full of great memories. I was blessed to have my mom come out to the ship to visit. I have always thought it would be cool to have someone from my family come to the ship and experience it firsthand. When my mom first mentioned it, I didn't really think it was going to happen. But, it all worked out for her to come and she was able to spend time with me on the ship for about a week before heading into Freetown to work with an American teacher who was doing a teaching conference for local teachers.

There's something about experiencing the ship for yourself. You can explain to someone what it's like and show pictures and all, but actually meeting the patients, observing surgery, working on the ship, and meeting the people is another story. Needless to say, the days my mom spent on the ship doing all of those things was the big highlight for her. I really enjoyed seeing her interact with the patients in A Ward and the Hope Center, experiencing "African church" for the first time, and singing on worship team with me. The kids called her "Beyonce's mom," which she thought was funny. Many of the patients also didn't believe she was old enough to be my mom, which we laughed about since I'm the fourth of five kids.

Enjoying the sunset from Deck 8

So, the whole trip was quite an experience for her and I was so thankful that she could be there to experience it all with me. But, what she didn't know was that I was going to surprise her by coming home with her! I had decided a couple months ago that I wanted to fly home for my cousin's wedding, but had debated whether or not to disclose the secret to my mom. In the end, my cousin and I decided that it would be best to keep it all a secret and surprise everyone when I showed up (I really like surprises and he's really good at keeping secrets). I had told quite a few people on the ship that I was going home with my mom, but that it was a surprise and everyone kept saying "Really, Becca...How are you gonna keep it a secret when so many people on the ship know!"...But, I prayed that my plan would work and threatened (well, strongly warned) my friends not to tell (or "I go beat you"). There were several times that friends slipped, but their words were vague enough that my mom didn't catch on.

There was quite a bit of planning that went into the surprise. I had to cover all my bases and yes, I even had to lie (sorry mom!)...The day that I left, one of my friends picked up my luggage from my cabin and carried it out to the Landrover for me (of course, it had to be one of the ones I wasn't riding in so that my mom wouldn't notice). I had also bought a bag "for my roommate" when my mom and I were in the market since my roommate was leaving on the same flight to head out for vacation. Being the good friend that I am, I even offered to carry her bag for her (of course my mom didn't know it was actually MY bag, not Mekenzie's...once again completely clueless!)...I also had to get around checking out at reception and turning in my key without my mom seeing. So, I had my friend conveniently "call me down to the ward to start an IV" right at lunch time (which was right before we were supposed to leave)...Needless to say, I checked out and had my packed bags waiting in the car for me without my mother blinking an eye.

Since my mom's never been to the ship before, she didn't realize that no one takes the hour-long ferry ride across to Lungi unless they are going to the airport and actually flying out...she thought I just wanted to come along for the ride...at this point, I was pretty amazed that she still hadn't figured anything out. In fact, there was a part of me that thought she knew and was playing along and pretending that she didn't know anything.

Riding past the ship on our way to the airport

So, we made it across to Lungi with all our bags. My mom started getting sentimental and saying goodbyes...which was when I finally said to her "Mom, I have a confession to make. I lied to you." She was a little shocked and said "You did?" with confusion. "Ya Mom, I didn't ride the ferry for nothing. I'm coming home with you," I told her. She was laughing and crying at the same time and I finally felt a sense of relief that I could let out the secret and stop lying.

The truth comes out...

She was so happy that she cried :)

Ok, so I just want to say that I do not endorse lying and yes, my mother was a little surprised that I could lie to her so well (I attributed that to all the games of Mafia that I've played)...But, in the end we were all happy because it meant that I got to surprise my Mom and the rest of my family and friends.

The trip home was great and I even got to spend my 6-hour layover in Chicago with one of my best friends who was on the ship last year. Surprisingly enough, I didn't even experience culture shock when she took me to the mall...I guess you just get used to switching between Africa and the states after a few times :)

We even got free gift cards for doing a survey

The last two weeks have been great and I am so thankful that I was able to go home for Jared's wedding and for a little vacation. I was also really grateful to be able to spend some time with my nieces and nephews, who are all growing up fast! I was bummed that I couldn't be home longer, but prayed that God would multiply the time that I was there and help me make the most of my time...He definitely answered that prayer by giving me quality time with so many people that I love!

I had lots of pool days with the kids

I knew I wouldn't get to spend much time with Jared at the wedding,

so I visited him at the station and even got to do a ride-along with him

The wedding was beautiful and I was so grateful that I was able to be home for such a special day in Jared and Julie's lives. It was also a great reunion with lots of extended family that I hadn't seen in a long time.

Me and my cousin with his beautiful bride

A couple of days before I left, my 2-year old nephew asked my sister, "Is Aunt Becca taking her car to Africa?" to which she said no. He responded in surprise and said, "So she's walking to Africa!" She had to explain that I have to fly in an airplane to get back to Africa. So later on, we found Africa on a map and showed him where I live now. It's always hard explaining to the little ones where exactly I'm going and why I won't be back until after Christmas (I had to tell my niece that I'd bring her back cool toys so that she didn't burst into tears)...But, by now they have learned that Aunt Becca always comes home...and it's not so bad saying goodbye as it was the first time I left.

Together with all my nieces & nephews at the wedding

My visit home was a great surprise for everyone and even though it's always a little bittersweet saying goodbye, my heart is in Africa and I'm excited to see all that God has in store for the rest of this year!

Back to Africa I go

Sunsets & salsa

2011-07-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the little joys in life are the things that keep us going...the times when God gives us a little piece of heaven and reminds us of his beauty and love for us...lately, two of those joys have been sunsets & salsa. We have had some really amazing sunsets and a group of my friends make a habit of watching the sunset from Deck 8 a few evenings a week. I have named it "The Sunset Club" and while I made fun of them for it initially, now I am always grateful when I head up there and find that my friends are already there enjoying God's beautiful creation. We have also started having worship nights where a few of us play guitar and sing worship songs at dusk. There have been some incredible moments of God's presence in the middle of it all.

View of the sunset from Deck 8

Another thing that has brought me so much joy has been salsa...no, not the kind you put on your taco...salsa dancing. I have always loved dancing and learned salsa when I was in college. So, when I found out that there were salsa lessons here in Sierra Leone, I was ecstatic about the whole thing and made sure to recruit as many friends as I could. Salsa has been going strong now for about a month and a half and it has been such a fun activity for everyone. I love watching my friends get excited about it and seeing them improve with all their dance moves. It seems like such a random thing to do in West Africa, but there's a small part of me that wants to believe that God thought of me when it all came together...after all, He does know our hearts and all our desires...even the little things that don't seem to matter to anyone else.

A few friends practicing their salsa steps

One thing that dancing has shown me over the years is that I often like to take the lead. It works out alright when my friends are learning and need a bit of guidance. But, once they start getting the hang of things, the guys don't want to be led around...they want to lead...and rightly so. And I can't help but think that life is a bit like dancing. So many times, I try to tell God what I want to do next or which move I want to make when He has a better plan. It's so easy to get caught up in what we want or we anticipate until we find ourselves taking steps that He never intended for us...and when there is resistance and pulling in opposite directions, it will inevitably lead to disaster and the beautiful dance is lost.

But the opposite is true as well...when we stop trying to control what He's doing in our lives and let Him lead, the result is always something exciting and so much more amazing than what we could've ever come up with on our own. Who knew that God could use something like salsa dancing to teach me all of that...I guess some of our best lessons are learned through life's simple pleasures.

Purpose in the pain

2011-06-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

Well, the last couple weeks have been a bit of a transition on the ward. Our plastic surgeon headed home a couple weeks ago, so surgeries for A ward ended (general and maxillo-facial surgeries in the other wards have continued). As a result, most of the patient care that we have been a lot of pain management and dressing changes. This has allowed us to have a lot more time with patients (especially in the evenings after the dressing changes are done). But, at the same time, when you have a ward full of children, you have to provide some good entertainment to keep them from bouncing off the walls.

Last weekend, we had an art contest to see who could draw the best ship. There were quite a few entries and we had some nice pictures at the end to decorate the walls on the ward. In the end, we decided to draw a number with a correlating picture for the winner instead of voting on the best picture (we didn't want to cause any tears from the little guys).

Among other things, we have kept the kids entertained with lots of games, crafts, coloring, movies, and songs. One of my favorite parts of the day is tucking the boys into bed (there are 5 in a row who are between the ages of 5 and 10). Their new favorite song is "Here I am to worship." We sing it together almost every night and then they give me kisses and I make them all lay down and close their eyes to sing them the "goodnight song." It is one of those sweet moments that makes all the hard, frustrating parts of the job so worth it.

There have definitely been a lot of ups and downs over the past couple weeks. Some of the kids despise their dressing changes and just scream through the whole thing. This past week, one of the little boys intentionally peed on me and tried to bite me because he was mad he had to get his dressing change. A lot of the kids also hate their hand exercises, which are very important for regaining full movement in their hands (which were previously contracted from burn injuries). Several of them have thrown tantrums and we have had to really talk to those kids quite a bit about the whole reason we're doing this...we have come across quite a few behavior problems and have had to guide some of the parents in appropriate discipline (sometimes they just threaten to beat the kids which only makes things worse). But, with time and a lot of patience, things are starting to improve and the kids are beginning to understand the reason for why we're doing what we do. We have been able to build up a lot more trust with them as well. It's encouraging to see all the improvement that we've had, even though it has been a slow and painful process. It's interesting that we've been studying patience in our Beth Moore Bible study this past week...I guess God knew that I would need an extra dose of that.

It's interesting when I think about all we've been teaching the kids and what God is teaching me through it. We ask the kids to do painful things like stretching little fingers that don't want to be stretched or taking off bandages that need to be changed. We give them medicine, but we know it is somewhat painful. But, because it's for their good, we tell them they need to do it and ask them to trust us. The same is true with God. So many times, He stretches us and asks us to do things that are painful and unpleasant. We often throw our tantrums and ask God why he is making us do something we don't want to do...all the while, not understanding that it is for our own good. But, as we learn to trust Him as our loving Father, we realize that He allows us to go through uncomfortable circumstances to perfect us and make us more like Him. And in the end, the pain is worth it.

"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

Hebrews 12:11

Miracles still happen

2011-06-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

Every now and then something amazing happens on the ship...and each time I have the privilege of witnessing these little miracles, I am so blessed. A few weeks ago, we admitted a two-year old girl named Josephine who had inhaled a stone. Her family had been to one clinic after another and even went to the government hospital. They were told by the specialist that she needed a pediatric anesthetist in order to perform the surgery to remove the stone. But, if she didn't get the operation soon, she would die.

In desperation, her parents went to the ministry of health seeking any help they could find. At the same time that they were at the Ministry of Health, Ann Gloag, a member of Mercy Ships' International board, was there as well. And through God's providential timing, the family connected with Ann and she was able to arrange for Josephine to come to the ship for medical attention.

Josephine before surgery

However, the type of surgery that Josephine needed was not the type of surgery that we usually perform on the ship. In the OR, the surgeons all came together and tested every idea they could possibly think of. But, after spending five hours in surgery with no success, they decided they had to stop before irritating her lungs too much and causing further complications.

Josephine came back to the ICU on a ventilator, needing very close attention and care. I was the charge nurse on shift, so I came down to get report with the ICU nurse from Dr. Gary Parker (our head surgeon) and the anesthesia team when Josephine got out of surgery late that night. I have to admit that there is a part of me that tends to feel a bit inadequate when it comes to being "in charge" of the ICU. I am not personally an ICU nurse, but there is only one charge nurse at night to cover all the wards, so that means I am left with the responsibility of the ICU.

Around 2am, I walked down to the ICU to see how Melissa (the ICU nurse) was doing and to check on Josephine. Right after I got there, Josephine started acting restless. She was squirming back and forth, despite the sedation meds that she was receiving through her IV. Her breathing started to become labored and she was sucking in for breath. "Something is wrong," I told the nurse. "She looks like one of our RSV babies back home." Although she was an ICU nurse, she didn't normally work with pediatrics, so we combined my pediatric knowledge with her ICU experience to try to troubleshoot the problem. Right then, Corina, a Pediatric ICU nurse came through the door in her pajamas. "I just woke up thinking about the ICU and thought I'd come check on you guys," she said. Within a few minutes of her arrival, Josephine's became more labored and then her heart rate dropped extremely low...too low to pump enough blood for her little body. The girls started compressions while I ran to the phone to page the anesthesiologists. Thankfully, they were roommates and the two of them came down immediately. They had even slept in their scrubs in case we had an emergency.

Corina had pulled out the breathing tube when Josephine had started to crash because it had become clogged (which was why Josephine was showing such labored breathing). They were manually bagging her when the anesthetists arrived. We got everything ready to put in a new tube and Michelle (one of the anesthetists) re-intubated her successfully. But, Josephine wasn't out of the woods yet. She still had a stone in her lung and would continue to go downhill until it was removed. As I was rushing around to get supplies for the anesthestists, I saw Josephine's parents in the other room, on their knees, crying out to God for their little girl. My heart was breaking for them. One of our staff had informed me that their five-year-old son just died a few months ago and Josephine was all they had left. Surely God wouldn't take her too. We had to do everything we could to save this little girl's life!

Thankfully, Josephine settled not long after her new breathing tube was placed and the rest of the night she did well. But, time was running out and no one wanted to face the reality of what would happen if we couldn't remove the stone. The surgeons were aware of her fragile condition and voiced their concern. What we really needed was a cardio-thoracic surgeon. The problem was, how would we get one before time ran out?

So, finally, Ann Gloag called a friend who works as a professor in Nairobi and explained that she needed a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon immediately. She was looking for someone who could fly in as soon as possible. The professor recommended Dr. James Munene, head of cardiac surgery at Nairobi’s Kenyatta National Hospital.

Ann called Dr. Munene to explain the situation and requested that he come to Sierra Leone. It was the middle of the night and he was a bit reluctant, as he had never even heard of Mercy Ships before the call. But, after some persistence, Dr. Munene agreed and told his wife that he would be flying to Sierra Leone in the morning.

Dr. James flew to Freetown the next morning and not long after was performing surgery with Dr. Gary to remove the stone. The surgery went well and the stone was removed without any problems. A few hours later, Josephine was sitting up in bed, eating and drinking and doing great.

I visited Josephine the day after her surgery and was pleasantly surprised to see her awake and alert, playing in her bed. She was a very different child than the fragile little girl I had seen a few nights before who had fought for her precious little life. Her parents were sitting there with her, as her uncle played guitar music for everyone to enjoy. They were all in good spirits and celebrating the life of their little girl.

Josephine with her parents in the ward

It is so apparent that God's hand has been in all of this and it has been amazing to see his perfect timing through it all. It was no coincidence that Ann was there the day Josephine's parents came looking for help and it was no coincidence that Corina woke up in the middle of the night and came to the ICU at just the right time. We were not the only ones looking after little Josephine. God was watching over her life and in the midst of some scary circumstances, He showed all of us that we can still believe Him for little miracles.

Saying goodbye to the ship

Youth ministry

2011-06-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

Well, one of the great ministries that I have been blessed to be a part of this year is working with the youth group onboard the Africa Mercy. The youth are kids of the long-term crew who attend the academy we have on the ship. This semester, we had nearly twenty kids in Junior High or High School in the youth group. Every tuesday night, we met with the kids in our youth room to have fun with a variety of activities, including games, testimonies, music, and sharing time. Over the last few months, we've been reading through a book called Bruchko. It is a true story about a teenage boy who feels called to work in South America. He packs up and moves there without any formal training or missions organization and sees God do amazing things through his obedience. It was a very inspirational book and it was great to read it with the kids and discuss it together.

Outside of Tuesday night youth group, we've had fun with movie nights and beach trips with the kids. We also served together at a local youth center called "Don Bosco" and offered that ministry every other Saturday to encourage the youth to connect with the locals in Freetown. Many of the kids who live at the youth center had problems at home or came in from the streets, so it was great to see our youth connecting and being positive role models to them.

Attempting to stay hidden during a game of "sardines"

One of our beach days with some of the older youth

It's crazy to think that the semester is already over and it's now "summer break." Many of the kids are leaving this week to go home with their families for a much needed vacation. Other families are ending their term with Mercy Ships and won't be returning. While it is sad to see them go, I am so thankful for the opportunity to be their youth leader and get to know them this year. It has been great to build relationships with them and to see them grow over the past few months. I know that God has big things in store for each one of them and I'm excited to see all the ways that He chooses to use them.

A few of the youth leaders decided to dress up and bring ice cream to the kids' cabins for

a study break during finals week...they were all pleasantly surprised :)

Youth group starts back up in the fall, but for now we're all having "summer break" and most of the kids will be home on vacation. Until then, I guess I'll have to be a grown-up (after all, isn't that why being a youth leader is so much fun...you kind of get to be a kid again)!

Tamba and the land of A ward

2011-05-21T18:09:00.001-07:00

Well, I've been spending an awful lot of time in A ward lately...sometimes I feel like I live here! But I have to say, it's been a lot of fun having quite a few "long-term" patients that I've been able to get to know well! We transitioned into plastics over the last week, but we still have a few remaining ortho patients. So, it has been great to watch their progress. One patient in particular has stolen my heart and made work even more enjoyable for me...it's a little boy named Tamba.

Tamba prior to surgery

Tamba came to the hospital from up north at the end of March. He had to have a series of ponsetti casting for his clubbed feet. His feet were completely turned around and he couldn't stand without assistance. After weeks and weeks of watching other patients go to surgery, his feet were finally in the right position to have his own surgery. On May 5th, he underwent the first of two surgeries. The surgery went well, but the recovery was pretty rough the first day. Before Tamba went to his second surgery, he told me, "Bioncé, you have to be there for my surgery." I promised I would try and I was thankful that it worked out for me to observe his second surgery, where Dr. Frank performed bilateral supra-malleoloar osteotomies." It was very interesting to watch and Tamba was happy to hear that I was in the room when he had his surgery.

Tamba with his "Bioncé" and another friend

Tamba has had his ups and downs during his time here at the hospital. There have been some sad days...like the day that all of the patients on his side of the ward were discharged home except for him....and the day that his IV infiltrated and I had to start a new one on him (I'm really glad I got it on the first try because I didn't know if he'd forgive me if I didn't!)...but there have been a lot of happy days too...in fact, there are few times that I ever see Tamba without a smile on his face. He is such a joyful kid and has really come out of his shell since the first day on the ship.

Tamba has a strong faith in God and has really inspired me in our little times of prayer together. There have been many nights that Tamba reminds me "It's bedtime, Bioncé. Let's pray." A few nights ago, he decided to initiate a time of prayer and singing among the ortho kids and their caregivers (the nurses joined in as well of course!) It was great to listen to the kids pray and sing to God. It brought joy to my heart and a smile to my face. One of the kids who is Muslim listened to us singing and said "You white people like Jesus a lot." It was pretty funny, but I was thankful that even if he doesn't believe, he is starting to understand what we believe and why we're here.

Today, Tamba was discharged from the hospital to the "Hope Center" where long-term patients can go if they still need follow-up, but live too far away to make the frequent trips for their appointments. Thankfully, the Hope Center is just a short walk from the ship. I promised Tamba that I would stop by and see him after he moved over to his new temporary home. It was great to find him sitting with the other ortho boys listening to a story that one of our day volunteers was reading. I have a feeling that he'll do well over there.

Tamba and his friend John (another one of our ortho patients)

While it's sad to see some of my favorite patients leave the ship, I'm grateful that many of them are still close enough to visit. And as I reflect on these first few months of the outreach, I see how God has been so good to bless me with such close relationships with so many patients. I hope that I have blessed them as much as they have blessed me and I look forward to developing close relationships with many more patients in the months ahead!

A new identity

2011-04-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

Since my first trip to Africa, I've been doing my best to embrace African culture. When we arrived in Sierra Leone, I determined that I would do my best to fit into the culture here. I've been learning a bit of Krio, trying out some of the local foods, traveling the way a lot of the locals travel (poda-poda buses), and doing what I can to learn the culture. So, when one of our translators offered to braid my hair with extensions, I thought it would be another great way to become a bit more African.

So, after seven hours with Edwina, a lot of great conversations, a stiff neck and a few mosquito bites, I had a new look (and somewhere near 150 braids).The patients loved the braids and told me "Now you are African!" All the patients and translators starting calling me "Bioncé" because apparently they all think I look like an actress from Ghana who has a similar personality and face. (I personally don't see the resemblance, but all of them do). They had called me "Biance" before, but once I braided my hair, it really caught on and very few patients still called me by my real name. I was very amused by the whole thing and got used to answering to "Bioncé." One day, I was walking through the market and a random person I didn't know shouted "Bioncé!" as I passed by. So I guess there must be some sort of resemblance with the actress, even though I have a hard time seeing it.

Throughout my travels, I have earned a few different African nicknames here and there, but I think this one is my favorite yet.

Me & one of our ortho kids at the Hope Center

I'd really love to keep this cute & cuddly baby

It's the little things that count

2011-04-11T16:51:00.000-07:00

It's been said that you don't realize what you have until it's gone...Over the past couple weeks, we've been reminded of those little conveniences that we have on the ship that we often take for granted...because for a brief time, those things were taken away from us. We have had issues with power outages, air conditioning issues, and most recently lack of water. There were some issues with our usual water sources coming in to the ship at the same time that our water consumption was at a record high...the result: water restrictions.

We were all informed on Friday that the water supply was low and that we should only take showers "if absolutely necessary" (that one was left for interpretation) followed by the water to the cabin showers being completely shut off on Saturday. Thankfully, a Sierra Leonian friend of mine who works in the ward picked up a couple bags full of drinking water packets for me (it was actually the result of a miscommunication we had, but it worked out quite well in the end). My roommates laughed when they saw all the water packets I came home with, but in the end they were all thankful because we got creative and poured it in the tea kettle and managed to still have make-shift showers. It kind of just felt like we were camping.
A friend of mine recently shared with me about the water and electricity issues she's had living in a local apartment complex in Sierra Leone. She is from Europe, but has become familiar with Africa, as she has been working here for several years now. She shared that at one point, she and her roommates had to carry water up their stairs in buckets because the water lines broke. When that issue was fixed, they had power outages, with the electricity only working for a few hours each day. Hearing her share about those challenges with such a positive attitude reminded me that I have so much to be thankful for. Most days, I have air conditioning, clean water, and even wireless internet. That is much more than most people in Africa have.

The water crisis on the ship is almost over and lots of clean water has already been loaded. We can take real showers again (but only the standard 2-minute "ship showers of course!) and they will be filling the pool again soon. The paper plates and plastic cutlery have been put away and we can eat off of real dishes now. The crew galley is open again for all the people who want to bake and cook. Things are pretty much back to normal here on the ship. But, I think something has changed inside of many of us. We certainly have a new view of water, but we also realize that it's the little things in life that make a difference. And for those things, we are grateful.

No bones about it

2011-04-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

Well, over the last month, my life has been invested in bones...helping lots of patients heal from their orthopedic surgeries. I have been learning a lot about orthopedics and have found that the more I do ortho, the more I love it. From ankle fusions to osteotomies to 8 plates, there is something really exciting about watching patients have their bones fixed. It is always exciting to show them the before & after x-rays so that they can see what it looks like inside while they're waiting to get out of their casts.

This year, I have the role of an ortho charge nurse, which has brought new learning experiences and a few challenges along with that. But, it has been a lot of fun getting to know the nurses and doctors better. We have been blessed with some great orthopedic surgeons and anesthesiologists. In fact, the man who invented a special orthopedic surgery for children known as the "8-plate surgery" was actually one of the surgeons who served with us on the ship for several weeks. I am always so blown away by the phenomenal staff we have and the way everyone is treated as equals, working together as a team.

Our team of amazing nurses

Another thing that has been fun about orthopedics is that we have quite a few patients who are with us long-term, due to treatment and the part of the country that they have to travel from. The extra time that they spend with us gives us the opportunity to get to know them better. One of the kids that has stolen my heart is named John. He is such a sweet little boy and has made huge improvements since surgery. One day he started to sing a song that he made up about how he loved Mercy Ships. The next day, we had a visit from the First Lady of Sierra Leone and he sang one of his songs for her in front of a big audience of people in the ward. I was so proud.

John getting out of bed with Physical Therapy

Another perk of all our long-term patients is that they sometimes have adorable little siblings who stay in the hospital with them. John's little sister, Gladys is one of those precious little ones. She is fourteen-months old and full of energy and attitude. But, she is just so cute that she's so hard not to love, even when she's misbehaving. Gladys has become my little helper and likes to climb up on my lap when I'm doing my computer work. We've done our best to train her well...Now she sanitizes her hands with the wall hand sanitizer (pretty much every 5 minutes, but hey at least she's clean!), waves goodbye, and blows kisses. I'm a bit of a sucker when it comes to Gladys. I know I shouldn't hold her constantly, but when I put her down and look at her little pouty face and lifted arms, I can't help but pick her back up. But then again, sometimes it's better to keep her close...otherwise, we find her trying to escape from the ward or getting herself into trouble.

Me & my little helper

Screening success

2011-03-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

Well, after the last screening and all the unfortunate events that came with it, we were all praying for a good screening this time around. I am happy to report that our second screening was very organized and peaceful. The location we were able to use this time was ideal and a ton of planning and extra precautions were taken this time around. A small group of Mercy Shippers even arrived the night before to start pre-screening all the patients who were spending the night in the line.

We all arrived early and grouped up to start the day off right in prayer

My jobs included pre-screening, completing admissions paperwork, and taking vital signs. It was exciting to see all the people who were able to get scheduled for surgery, while there was also a sadness inside of me for all the people who we couldn't help. It is never easy to say "no" to people, especially when they see you as their last hope for help. For all of those who we had to turn away, we just had to pray that God would intervene for them in ways outside of ourselves.

It is always overwhelming to see the need in West Africa and all the people who need help

Julie and I paired up with a translator to pre-screen the line

For those we were able to register for surgery, there was hope and excitement

Thank you for all your prayers for screening! After the first time around, we have seen the way that God has turned our sorrow into joy.

Frog hopper

2011-03-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

Last week, my friend Stacia and I had a day off together, so we decided to take a walk to the craft market. It was nice to walk through town and spend some time off the ship....but, I forgot how exhausting the market can be! As we were walking along, Stacia told me she felt like we were in a game of "frog hopper"...you know, that computer game where you have to get across the street without getting hit by a car (well if you don't know, it was a game was really popular back in the day before there was such a thing as Playstation or Wii)...I couldn't have thought of a better analogy myself! Taking a walk in the market involves avoiding the gutters and potholes, constantly dodging cars, vendors, and a whole lot of other things. It is quite challenging, but fun...a bit of an obstacle course if I do say so myself.

There are often piles of trash in the market after the national clean-up days

After about half an hour of our interesting journey through the market, we found refuge at the Crown Bakery, a nice little restaraunt that a lot of NGO's seem to have discovered...we had a nice lunch and enjoyed the peace and quiet that created a sharp contrast with the bustling city outside.

After lunch, we proceeded on to the craft market and had an entertaining time there as well...Within the first few minutes, I discovered a game called "snakes and ladders"...when I picked the game up to look at it, the lady working at the stand insisted on showing me the game. She then proceeded to play until the game was almost over! I decided to fork out the 6000 leones after that (about $1.50) to buy the game...With a demonstration like that, who could say no...Besides, I figured the patients in the ward would like it (and they definitely did)!

There was not a dull moment in the craft market...at one point, we were looking at earrings and two vendors picked up the banana leaf fans and started fanning us as we were browsing...Stacia and I exchanged a look and tried not to laugh. A little while later, a woman pulled me over and starting wrapping a skirt around me, even though I hadn't even been looking at the skirts (and wasn't interested in buying one there)...Stacia just laughed at me...until they started doing the same to her...Just another TIA moment (this is Africa)...where else can you find such a comical shopping experience!

All in all we had a somewhat successful shopping trip...and neither one of us fell in pot holes or gutters (I had one friend fall into a gutter full of black "water" the other day and it was a pretty awful experience for her!), so I'd say we passed the test!

I'm not gonna lie...there are days when I would rather go to Walmart than worry about bartering with a stubborn vendor...or drive my Toyota down a well-paved street instead of walking through the dirty streets in Freetown, dodging everything and everyone in sight...but then again, where's the fun in that! And on top of that, at the end of every trip to town, as I round the last corner to the final street leading to the port, I am greeted by a bunch of little kids who call out "Rebecca! Rebecca!" (most of them know me because I play soccer with the boys at a nearby school on a regular basis). As I wave to those calling out my name and walk hand in hand with the little ones, I can't help but smile and thank God for bringing me to this beautiful country...even if I do have to play a bit of frog hopper from time to time.

Journey to Banana Island

2011-03-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

I am one of those people who has always been intrigued by the thought of living on a small little island...I remember watching Swiss Family Robinson when I was a little girl and imagining what it would be like to live on an island in the middle of nowhere (and I really wanted a house up in the trees like the one they had :) I have never actually been on a deserted island (well, except for those bird sanctuaries in Hawaii, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't count!)

Banana Island isn't exactly a deserted island..there are about two hundred people who live in the village there...but it was quite secluded and peaceful. We had to take a boat ride to get to the island, which was a wooden boat with a motor thrown in the back...they had to scoop the water out of the bottom of the boat before we got in...thankfully it didn't sink :)

When we arrived on Banana Island, one of the guys from the boat took us through the village and then led us to the "guest house," where we could relax and enjoy the beach. The Africans there told us that it was the cheapest guest house and reassured "a white man lives here" (I guess they thought we would be more apt to pick the place that had the white people lol). We decided to explore a bit more before settling down on the beach and took a little walk through the trees to check out some of the other parts of the island. Eventually, we came back to the first guest house, which seemed to have the nicest beach.

When we got back, we were greeted by "the white man" that the Africans had referred to. His name was Gregory and he was from Greece. He invited us to sit and have a cup of coffee, which we thanked him for. Later, we were joined by his girlfriend, who was visiting from London. They were a neat couple and I was intrigued by their simple life of living on this island and running a guest house. I asked if they ever left the island to go into the city, to which they responded that they only went into the city when they desperately needed to. They preferred the peaceful, calm lifestyle of the island.

After chatting about Sierra Leone, life on an island (vs life on a ship), and a bunch of other things, Greg announced that he needed to leave to go fishing since we would be eating lunch at the guest house. So, he set out with one of his workers and the rest of us collected our things and walked over to the beach. The beach was a little rocky, so we couldn't swim much, but it was ideal for laying out and reading a book, so that's exactly what I did.

We had some nice beach time and a couple hours later, Gregory came back in all his gear with some fish (they weren't doing the traditional fishing...they wore their scuba gear and speared the fish)...we had a nice lunch of fish and rice. Afterwards, we hung out in the hammocks under the shade for a little bit and then rejoined some of the others in our group and decided to head back to the boat (they had given us a set time for the boat ride back)...the boat wasn't ready for us and the man who had brought us told us it would take another two hours. He had gotten in an argument with his colleague who had helped to bring us to the island and apparently wasn't paying him what he wanted. We had alredy paid for our ride over and I didn't want to deal with his shenanigans, so after talking with him a bit, we decided to take a different boat back (thankfully we had only paid a one-way fare).

When we reached the other side, we came across two white men and found out that they were Christian missionaries and one of them was a nurse interested in helping out on the ship. We gave him the number to the ship and jumped into our "poda-poda" (aka minibus) for the hour and a half ride back to the ship.

As crazy as the city is, there was a part of me that was happy to be back. I definitely enjoyed a day on the island...I would love to go back and even spend the night in one of the guest house huts. But, after seeing what a quiet little semi-deserted island is really like, I don't think that I could actually see myself living there...unless of course it came with a house up in the trees :)

Gotta have some bananas on Banana Island!

Broken

2011-03-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

This morning we all packed up and set out for screening. We headed out before the sun came up, eager and excited for all the patients who would come to get scheduled for surgery. But no one could've been prepared for the events that lay ahead of us....

We arrived at the national stadium while it was still dark and set up all the different stations for screening. There were hundreds of people already lined up outside when my group arrived. Our security team was already there, doing a great job of keeping the people organized in their lines. I headed back to get things set up in the lab...To be honest, I was really thankful that I wasn't assigned to be one of the screening nurses this year. After saying "no" to so many people last year and seeing so many disappointed faces, I didn't know if my heart would be able to handle that again.

As we were walking around and setting up, I looked out front and saw a bunch of my friends working on the security team. I could tell there were a lot of people and it was already a little bit hectic. I thought of the stress that I had when I worked security at a small screening last year and said a prayer for my friends who were dealing with a much bigger number of people that were streaming in.
Our booth was set up between the surgery scheduling team and the pharmacy...the patients trickled in a few at a time, but it wasn't too crazy. I kept thinking about the drastic difference between the chaos outside and the calm atmosphere inside. My heart was heavy for my friends who were already getting exhausted from the crowd. I thought of Jesus and the crowds that followed him in hopes of being healed of their illnesses, the people pressing in, and the way he cared for each and every single person he encountered.
A little after 10am, things were really slow in the lab, so I decided to take my bubbles out into the waiting area (for patients who had already been screened and were in the second stage of being processed) to entertain the kids. I showed them my bubble wand and they started to run around laughing and playing, trying to catch all the bubbles. I watched their faces light up with those white toothy smiles and my heart felt content to be back in West Africa. I decided I should go outside and find the group that was in charge of entertaining the kids to see if they needed any more toys (I came prepared!) or help. As I walked outside, I saw my supervisor, who had a concerned look on her face. "Becca, hurry over to the tents. There are patients who are hurt." She had an urgency in her voice and even though I wasn't sure what was going on, I knew something was wrong.
I started running down to the tents out by the main entrance and came upon a scene that reminded me of something I would've expected to find in Haiti or some other disaster situation. There were quite a few patients lying there under the tent who had been injured in the crowd. I walked around to assess the situation and see which patients were stable and which ones needed immediate attention. A few nurses were already there taking care of some of the more severe cases. I came across a girl who was suffering from dehydration and a broken jaw. I stayed with her and cared for her until they could get an available Landrover to drive the patients to the hospital.
The Landrovers aren't exactly fit to be ambulances, but we managed to fit the patients inside and headed out. The traffic was terrible, but we had a woman with us from Sierra Leone who helped our driver signal the emergency to other drivers and get through the traffic quickly. We made it to the hospital and took the patients back to the Emergency Department.
As we drove back to the stadium, I sat with my friend Esther and processed a bit of what had just happened. It had all taken place so fast, I hadn't really stopped to think about much more than the nursing care I needed to give my patient right then and there.
Later on, we were filled in on the details of what had happened...a number of things were going on in the crowd and the crowd ended up storming the gate. At that point, about two hundred more people were admitted to relieve pressure, but in the chaos, a number of people were hurt and then carried over to the tent. In the end, thirteen people were injured and one man died.
When we got back to the screening site, we were told that screening was being shut down for the day. The circumstances were too risky and the environment wasn't safe with such a large, uncontrolled crowd. We packed up and headed out, filled with disappointment and frustration. As we got in the car, one man brought his little baby over to the window and begged us to do something to help him get his baby in for surgery for his cleft lip. We directed him over to a small group that was staying behind to screen a few last people who were already in the gate.
The desperation of the people was great today and the events that took place left all of us feeling a bit defeated. But, as we all gathered together to talk about the day, we were reminded that it is often in times of great resistance from the enemy that we realize that a battle is raging...God has big things in store for this outreach and this country and that is why the enemy is trying to stop it. But, we're not giving up yet. Today has been a hard, somber day, but I know that God is still in control and that He will "work all things together for good for those who love Him" (Romans 8:28).
Today, I witnessed brokenness in every possible way...physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But, in brokenness comes beauty...in brokenness we recognize our need for the One who heals and restores...and He is the One that we turn to when we feel like we've hit rock bottom...and in those moments, we are reminded that we can still praise Him.

Blessed Be Your name

When I'm found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness

Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

Arrival day

2011-02-28T18:05:00.000-08:00

Well, we finally arrived in Sierra Leone! We got here on Sunday morning...I woke up very early and headed outside to watch the sun rising as we approached land...the anticipation was high and we all gathered on Deck 7 dressed up in our African clothes. When we reached the port, I was able to spot several friends on the dock who were on the advance team...unfortunately, we had to wait a few hours before they were able to board (due to customs and other issues), but when they finally did come on the ship, we had a nice little reunion!

After we arrived, there was a nice little ceremony with some of the local government officials on the dock, while the rest of the crew watched from Deck 7 and then surprised the crowd when we sang the Sierra Leone national anthem with the country flag flying (we had been practicing during the sail).

We were all a little bit disappointed that we weren't able to get off the ship to walk around in town the first day we arrived (because of customs issues), but thankfully they released us today!

So far, I've only been out into town once, but from the little bit that I've seen, I really like it! I went out today to walk around and explore a bit with some friends and the minute we got outside of the gate, we were surrounded by lots of little children wanting to hold our hands and learn our names. The kids are so adorable and most of the people we've met in town have been very friendly.

The one bad thing I've heard so far about Freetown is that there is A LOT of traffic (which is very obvious the moment you get to the road!)...I really don't like being stuck in traffic, so that's a bit of a bummer, but I have a feeling that we'll just be walking a lot more this year!

As we had church last night, I was reflecting on some of the things that we have been talking and praying about in preparation for this outreach. One of the songs we have continually come back to in our community that has really resonated with my heart is called "God of this city." This has become a prayer for me as I consider the outreach ahead of us:

You're the God of this City

You're the King of these people

You're the Lord of this nation

You are

You're the Light in this darkness

You're the Hope to the hopeless

You're the Peace to the restless

You are

There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come

And greater things are still to be done in this City

Greater thing have yet to come

And greater things are still to be done in this City

Sailing Highlights

2011-02-26T03:39:00.000-08:00

Well, the sail has almost come to a close, so I thought I'd share a few highlights before we get to Sierra Leone and things get crazy. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking this time:

Watching seals and other sea life

Volunteering at our Starbucks Cafe

Sock Golf

Silly team outfits for sock golf

(I would just like to say that my Irish friend picked

out my outfit and none of this actually belongs to me!)

Playing the victim in one of our many fire drills

Crossing the equator

Worship on the bow

Beautiful sunsets

Playing sardines with the youth group

(you can't see me in this photo...I'm in hiding under the table)

Sailing "can" olympics

It has been a great sail, but we are all excited to be back in West Africa and see all that God has in store for us in Sierra Leone!

Whirlwind in Cape Town

2011-02-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

Well, we made it safely to Cape Town on Sunday afternoon and were given about 24 hours to see the sights and enjoy the city while fuel and water were loaded onto the ship for the sail ahead of us. So, it was a little crazy having such a short amout of time, but since I had already been to Cape Town and seen most of the tourist attractions, it was nice to be able to just take my time a little more and enjoy it.

We were blessed to have an amazing spot to come into port at the V & A Waterfront and it was absolutely beautiful!

The V & A Waterfront

The Africa Mercy in Port

Hiking Table Mountain

Aside from hiking Table Mountain, we mainly just did some final shopping, went to dinner for a friend's birthday, and walked around the Waterfront (it is even more beautiful at night)...and of course, when we got back to the ship, we had to have one last "at sea" fire drill before we could sail away!

We got to watch a beautiful sunset

as we pulled out of the port

Sailing out of Cape Town at sunset

It was a very busy, but fun 24 hours and I was thankful for one last visit to Cape Town!

From sea to shining sea

2011-02-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

Well, after lots of engine testing, fire drills, and last minute preparations, we have finally begun our journey from Durban to Cape Town. We made it out of Durban without any problems and are now sailing in the Indian Ocean. At some point tomorrow, we will be passing the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and sailing the rest of the journey through the Atlantic.

My roommate and I as we were leaving the port

So far, the sail has been very enjoyable! The first night out on the ocean, my roommate and I went out to the bow to eat dinner. It is always a scenic spot, especially in the evenings when the sun is setting. But, we were pleasantly surprised to have a great show from a bunch of dolphins! At first, there were three or four swimming in a pod, jumping gracefully through the water...then a few more joined in, then a few more. They just kept appearing! Several of the dolphins went right under the front of the bow, where they could ride along the waves with the ship! We all watched in amazement and awe of God's beautiful creation for about half an hour, as they just kept coming! Over the course of that time, we probably saw at least forty dolphins! It was absolutely amazing!

Here's a close-up of one of the dolphins

(Thanks Melissa for the photo)

Thankfully, I haven't gotten seasick so far, although a few others have not been so fortunate...the seas have been pretty calm for the most part and the ship has actually been going significantly faster than it has in the past now that we can run all four engines. Last night, I got to visit some friends who were working at the bridge and even got to steer the sihp for a little while! I always enjoy going up to the bridge and seeing all the fancy technology, along with the maps and charts. I definitely have a lot of respect for all the deckies and officers that work so hard while we're sailing!

We are all excited to have a short stop in Cape Town on Sunday. We will be refueling and finishing a couple of things with the ship before we set out for the longer part of our journey to Sierra Leone. Thankfully, they will be allowing the crew to go ashore and enjoy Cape Town for a day and a half, so we're all excited about having some time on land (especially in such a beautiful place like Cape Town) before we're off once again.

Settling in

2011-02-06T06:03:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that it's only been a little over a week since I got back to the ship. It didn't take long to adjust to life on the ship this time around...I sort of just fell back into the swing of things..we had a great reunion my second day back on the ship, when lots of crew and their families returned from Appelsbosch (the temporary off-ship housing in Durban). From that point on, life got busy with all sorts of things, including my new job in housekeeping (just for the sail), birthdays, babysitting, visiting a local church, and even a day at the beach (all pretty much within the first week!)

But, even after four months of being at home and adjusting to Western nursing and life in America, the ship still feels like a second home. , it always helps to come back to my "Mercy Ships family" here. I have loved holding babies, playing games, and singing with the kids. Leaving my sweet little nieces and nephews in Arizona is always one of the hardest parts of missions for me, so I'm thankful that God has blessed me with some "adopted nieces and nephews" here to have fun with.

One of my favorite changes on the ship is that the swimming pool on Deck 8 is finally finished! We were hoping they would be able to open it in Togo, but there were some adjustments that had to be made first. Everyone seems to be loving the pool and it has been a refreshing way to end the day...not to mention, it's just a few flights of stairs above my cabin, so it's very convenient! The kids definitely make the pool a very lively place as well, reminding me of summertime with my nieces and nephews back home. I suppose it is a bit strange to be swimming in the pool and worrying about sunburns in early February, but then again, we are in Africa!

We're still not sure exactly when we'll be sailing, but we're praying that all the testing will go well so that we can sail out of Durban this Thursday. I am more than ready to be out on the open seas and headed to Sierra Leone!

Seeing through new eyes

2011-01-29T12:18:00.000-08:00

Well, this week I had an eye-opening experience so to speak...It started off as a pretty normal day...My friend Megan decided that we should go for a swim in the morning at a nearby pool and told me that her brother-in-law would be coming along with us. When he arrived, I noticed he was holding onto Megan's arm..."That's odd, I thought." Then I looked at his face and saw him squinting his eyes...and then it dawned on me that he was blind. I was a bit surprised and wasn't really sure what to say or do. She hadn't mentioned anything about him being blind, but then again, they were both used to it.

I guess I've never really stopped long enough to actually process what life would be like without the gift of sight. Sure, I've played those games growing up where you have to lead each other around and appreciate that you have eyes to see...But, it's kind of different when you actually meet someone who is blind and spend time with them.

As we walked in, Megan went inside to the locker room while Cuibis held on to my arm as we walked down to the pool. He proceeded to ask me a series of questions about our surroundings, where he should leave his belongings, etc. I was a little bit caught off guard at first....for him, this was everyday life...people were constantly describing things to him that his eyes could not see so that he could create a picture in his mind of what was around him. I stopped for a second to think...I didn't want to awkwardly tell him too much or too little about the setting...this was all very new to me. I stumbled through some descriptions, walked him to the side of the pool, and proceeded to explain where he should go to swim his laps. Unfortunately, they were cleaning the pool that morning and had a big hose running across the pool, so it was a little bit challenging to swim laps, especially for a person who can't see.

Cuibis requested lane lines, but they told him it wouldn't be possible today due to the cleaning. But that wouldn't stop him. He shrugged and proceeded to start swimming his laps. I know that when I swim without goggles and can't open my eyes under water, I rarely swim in a perfectly straight line. Well, I suppose that's a bit what it's like for a blind person to swim...except that when they come out of the water, they can't see where they've ended up. But, Cuibis was very determined and wouldn't let anything stop him. He even kept Megan and I on track, telling us how many laps we needed to swim of each stroke. It was a bit like swim team. I had a hundred different things going through my head...I was so intrigued by this man. I had never actually known a blind person before. What was life like for him and his family, not being able to drive or see his wife's face or his new little girl who was just born a few months ago. "Ok, girls, three more laps of freestyle," Cuibis called out, interruptng my thoughts.

We finished up our laps and started heading home. Cuibis had lots of questions for me about the ship and what I'd be doing in Africa. The more I talked to him, the more I realized that even though he was physically limited, he didn't let his disability keep him from living a full and fulfilled life. He had a good job, a wonderful family, and an amazing faith in the God who created Him. As we dropped him off at his house and said goodbye, I was left with more than a sense of pity...I was inspired.

It seemed fitting that I would encounter a blind person right before embarking on my next adventure with the Africa Mercy. One of the most common surgeries we do is cataract removals. Many people are eagerly waiting for us in Sierra Leone....among them, I'm sure there are many who cannot see or have limited vision due to cataracts and other eye problems. I'm so excited to be a part of the miracle of sight that will take place in their lives...For someone like Cuibis, who has been blind from birth, there is no surgery to open his eyes. But, ironically, this blind man is the one that God used to open my eyes to the world of those who have no physical sight, yet the amazing things that He is able to do in and through them...one day, Cuibis will have new eyes in heaven and he'll be able to see a place that is more beautiful than anywhere he could've ever seen on earth...For now, my heart is with those in Sierra Leone who are blind both physically and spiritually...I know we will see many eyes opened his year!

From one home to another

2011-01-19T17:30:00.000-08:00

Well, the time has really flown and I'm already leaving one home to head back to the next! Tomorrow I'll be getting on a plane and heading back to Africa! It has been such a blessing to be home during this time and to spend this time with family and friends, work at PCH, and even do a little bit of traveling.

About this time last year, I was heading to the ship for the very first time, full of excitement and anticipation for what God had in store. And I have to say, God blew me away by completely exceeded my expectations! I had an awesome experience and literally saw lives transformed, including my own. I was also blessed to get to know so many amazing people and to experience a great community of people who love Jesus and are living out His calling on their lives. Although I faced my fair share of challenges at times, I got through them with God's help and grew in the process.

So, although I'm sad to be leaving friends and family behind for another year, I'm excited to see all that God does in and through me in Sierra Leone! I have a feeling that this year is going to be just as amazing, if not better than the last! But, it's always hard leaving people that we love. I started feeling a bit sad this week, as I left my last Sunday night service of the year at my church and walked out of Phoenix Children's Hospital after my last shift of the year. It's also been sad giving friends and families the last hugs I will give them in 2011 (although I do have to say, they are always GREAT hugs because they have to last for an entire year!)...But, then a good friend reminded me that I am blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life who are worth missing!

The goodbyes really have been so much better this time around. I think that people realize that a year sounds long, but really does go by fast. And since my friends and family made it eight months without me last year, it makes things much easier to leave again for just a few months longer. It has also been great sharing the pictures and stories with everyone while I've been home to really explain why I love Mercy Ships and want to go back to Africa to volunteer again.

I would have to say that the hardest part of going back to the ship is leaving my sweet little nieces and nephews behind...they are so young and it's hard for them to understand why their Aunt Becca is leaving them for so long. While they enjoyed getting fun little gifts from Africa after my last trip, my oldest two nephews really struggle with the fact that I'm going to miss their birthdays...again. But, that's just a part of serving on the mission field...you can't be home for everything. And of course, I left fun little presents with my mom to give the kids for their birthdays so that they don't feel forgotten :)

There are quite a few other things that I'm going to miss besides the many amazing people in my life in Arizona...mostly just the conveniences of American life....a car to drive wherever/whenever, a quiet room all to myself (I do love my roommates, but sometimes a little peace & quiet is very hard to come by on the ship!), Walmart (Sometimes buying two things can take nearly an hour in the market, which can be really frustrating!), hot showers that last longer than 2 minutes, and the fact that I don't stand out as a foreigner in the States, among a few other things...

But, leaving my American life and all its comforts is such a small sacrifice in comparison with the joy I find in seeing so many lives changed on the ship....in fact, I wouldn't even consider it a sacrifice. I truly feel blessed to have the privilege to serve as God's hands and feet in Africa and I'm so thankful that He has called me to this ministry.

Today, God reminded me of my ultimate purpose as I read this verse: "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ." (Philippians 3:7-8). In the end, it's all about gaining Christ! As I think of all the hurting, broken people who are desperately waiting to find hope and healing for their physical illnesses, along with the brokenness of their souls, I realize that it is in reaching out to each of them that I will find Christ. And that is where God wants to meet me...in the faces of the hurting and hopeless, the lost sheep who need to find their way to the Good Shepherd. So, as I leave for Africa, I don't feel as though I'm leaving home to step into the great unknown...I know that I am safe in the palm of God's hand and I look forward to going back to my home on the ship and my life in Africa...I'm sure He has heaps of new adventures in store for me!

Haiti

2011-01-08T23:09:00.000-08:00

Well, this last week was an absolute whirlwind, but an amazing experience! I had the opportunity to spend a week in Haiti with Samaritan's Purse helping out with the cholera outbreak. Two nurses that I had served with on the ship (Beth and Becky) had told me about it about a month before and we were all able to arrange our trips the same week. In fact, all three of us even got to work together on night shift!

Beth, me, and Becky

The cholera clinic we served at was right beside a place called "City Solei," mainly filled with slums. So, the majority of patients arriving during the night had walked over from there since the "tap-taps" (taxi trucks) only ran during the day. The clinic itself was a compilation of large tents with separate mens, womens, and pediatrics areas. The patients would first come through the triage area and if they were sick enough, they would be admitted. Otherwise, they were given oral re-hydration liquid to drink and once they "passed" their oral challenge and could keep down the fluids, they were given education on cholera prevention and treatment and sent home.

For those who did get admitted, the treatment was mainly IV fluids, along with a few oral medications. Once we were able to switch them over to oral re-hydration and they could keep it down, we discharged them and sent them over to the education tent to learn more about cholera treatment and prevention. They also received tablets to make safe water to drink and materials to create their own oral re-hydration fluid at home.

During our time at the cholera clinic, there were multiple times that my friends and I said we felt like we were living in an episode of M.A.S.H. There was the element of working inside of a tent instead of an actual building, patients all lined up in a big row, homemade IV bag warmer, occasional bugs jumping around, and the MREs (the already made meals that they use in the army...they make dinner time an adventure with the special heat-activating mechanism).

Our makeshift IV fluid warmer

Eating our MRE army-style meals

I have lots of memories and stories I could share, but I'm going to highlight two of the more meaningful experiences for me. The first happened the second night when I got moved from the Peds ward to the Womens ward. For the most part, most nurses freak out when they usually work with adults and have to work with kids....well, the same is true in the reverse. Most Peds nurses just don't enjoy working with adults as much. The ladies were very sweet, but let's be honest, I was pretty disappointed that I didn't get to work in Peds that night.

But, a few hours into the shift, one of the women needed some help with her baby. He was crying and crying and she was too weak from all the vomiting to even sit up and try to breastfeed him. So, I took the crying baby and managed to get him calm while a friend went to look for formula. She managed to find some in our supply room, but unfortunately there were no bottles. So, I sat there with my precious little five month old and fed him his food with a 5cc syringe...it was precious. Another nurse mentioned to me "See, you get your Peds fix after all." It was true. God knew that I needed a precious little baby to cuddle and feed that night. And He knew that momma wouldn't have the strength or energy for the next few hours to feed her baby. So, I got to take over the responsibility. And I have to say, I was so thankful for the opportunity!

The second experience that really impacted me and built my faith involved another little baby...a four-month old named Deuli (well, that was the nickname I gave him...his real name had another 5 letters tacked on the end and I had a hard time pronouncing it!). My encounter with Deuli came the very last night. He had been very sick when he was first admitted to the hospital. He was so dehydrated that they couldn't even get an IV in him. Instead, they had to place an intraosseous needle into his bone marrow. But, unfortunately, his fluid status had been over-corrected before I came on shift. When I got report on this little guy, I was really concerned about him. But, his little body had seemed to hold up just fine (kids can sometimes surprise us!) so I told our doctor what was going on and we agreed to keep an eye on him.

So, the funny thing about kids is that their little bodies can compensate for a long time and then suddenly crash. That's exactly what happened with our little Deuli. In the middle of the night, he suddenly started to crash. His respiration rate had increased and he was working harder and harder to breathe. We realized he needed medication to get all the extra fluid off of his lungs, so I quickly ran to the pharmacy and got the medicine. But, even after he had two doses, he hadn't really seemed to improve. His breathing had started to slow down, but not in a good way. He hadn't slowed his breathing because his lungs were relaxing. He had slowed his breathing because he was losing his drive to breathe. He had been working so hard that he just didn't have the energy to keep going. He looked like he was about to give up. It was one of the scariest things I have ever had to watch. We weren't in a hospital setting with all the equipment to provide drastic interventions. Someone had found an ET tube and some other supplies in case we did need to intubate him to maintain his airway, but the supplies weren't optimal for his size and we didn't want to have to put a tube down in this setting.

As I sat beside little Deuli watching him do all that he could to take the next breath, I felt a sense of fear and desperation. I kept begging him to keep going "Come on buddy, you can do it. Keep on breathing!" I kept repeating that over and over again. I felt like his little cheerleader, pushing him to keep going. As we discussed as a team what our options were, it dawned on us that we hadn't yet prayed. We laid hands on little Deuli and began to pray. Then our doctor called over the Haitian pastors who were there and they began to pray as well. We moved Deuli and his mom over to an open area with all our supplies in case we had to go to extreme measures. People were talking about what we could do if we had to intubate him, but I kept telling myself: "No! We don't even need to talk about that...we're not going to have to do anything else. He's gonna be ok!" I was grasping for all the faith I could find in those difficult moments. "Please, God, don't let him die!" I prayed under my breath.

The Haitian pastors continued to pray and a couple began to sing. And then, I looked over and Deuli had relaxed a bit. He was still working hard, but you could tell his little body was heading the right direction. A few more minutes passed and he continued to improve. I pinched his little foot to precipitate a cry and he took in a few good, deep breaths as he cried (I know it seems mean, but breathing was the biggest priority and it was necessary to get him some more oxygen in that situation). It was the best sound I had heard all night. It reminded me of the first cry a baby has at birth. Everyone waits for that sound to make sure their little lungs are working. So, it was such a relief to hear Deuli crying and to see him breathing a little more normally. He had made a quick turnaround. And I knew that it was only prayer and the grace of God that had pulled him through.

Me & Deuli, my miracle baby

I will never forget that night and the way that God met us there in that place...in a place without monitors, without oxygen, without all the medical equipment we depend on in the hospital. Sometimes all you can do is pray. And that is enough. Miracles do still happen.

My entire experience in Haiti was truly amazing! I loved the staff (especially working with my friends from Mercy Ships!), the Haitian nurses and translators who worked with us, the sweet little patients and their families, and even the weather (it was nice and cool at night). I met some really amazing people and bonded with them in a special way that you don't experience over one week's time back home and was encouraged by the servant's heart I saw in those around me...And of course, my faith grew in a HUGE way! Even though I was only in Haiti for a week, I saw things I had never seen before and I can honestly say that I came home a different person. What a great way to kick off the new year! :)

Our Peds Team

Blessed

2010-12-01T13:09:00.000-08:00

Over the last couple months that I've been home, there have been so many times that I have found myself so overwhelmed by God's goodness to me and His blessings in my life. Last week, as I celebrated Thanksgiving with my family, I was reminded once again of how much God has given me. It has been such a gift to have this time at home with my family, to spend time with my precious nieces and nephews, catch up with old friends, make new friends, and have my old job back at Phoenix Children's Hospital.

It has been fun taking care of patients in the "western" setting again, despite the fact that there are many days that I have to really pray that God will give me patience with the high maintenance patients and parents that I take care of on occasion (You know, like the ones who are demanding for one thing after another and then complain that they didn't get enough ice in their water...there's always that temptation to tell them there are plenty of people in the world who don't even have clean water, but then I realize that I need to show grace to people who might not have that perspective just as God has shown grace to me). It has been amazing sharing with my coworkers about my experiences in Africa and encouraging them to get involved too! I've been surprised that even some of the doctors and nurses I didn't know very well before I left have shown interest in what I did in Africa, asked to see pictures, or requested more information about Mercy Ships. It always excites me when other people catch the vision....even if they aren't necessarily ready to pack up and move to Africa, it is so refreshing when I see other people open their eyes to what is going on in other parts of the world and want to do something about it!

I have also really enjoyed the opportunity to do some traveling since I've been home. In October, I got to go down to Mexico with the ministry I used to work with (Love Walks). It was so fun to see lots of old friends down there and I was surprised and touched that a lot of the kids (even the younger ones!) remembered me! In November, I was able to attend a medical missions conference in Kentucky and had a fun reunion there with several of the nurses I knew from the ship who also came out for the conference. After the conference, I was able to spend a few days with Jen (one of my best friends from the ship) and then went to Nashville to spend a few days with my cousins. Last weekend, I got to travel down to California with my dad to see our extended family in the San Diego area and had a great time with everyone there. I was even able to see two friends from the ship who are currently working in San Diego and another friend who used to work with me in Flagstaff, who now lives down there.

So, while things have been busy with travel, work, and catching up with friends and family, this has been such a fruitful and refreshing time for me. Lots of times, people will ask me if I miss Africa and the ship...and the answer is always yes and no...while I do miss it, I am so thankful to be home and I want to be fully present during the time that I'm at home. So, even though I am excited to be back in Africa next year and looking forward to seeing all my friends back at the ship, I am soaking in every moment that I am here, enjoying the beautiful blessings that God has poured out on me in Phoenix.

God's perfect timing

2010-10-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a little over two weeks that I've been home now and while that may not seem like a very long time, it seems REALLY long when I'm used to being super busy with work, ministry, and social activities day in and day out....then, suddenly life slows down and I don't have a job to go to every day, fewer social activities, and quieter days. God keeps reminding me that He wants me to "be still and know that He is God."

But to be honest, I have been a little restless...I tell God that I want to be DOING something...week one was ok, week two got harder, and by the time I hit week three, I sort of just hit a wall...I had been in contact with the manager of the department I was hoping to go back to at Phoenix Children's and then suddenly there was silence...a whole week of silence...I started to question why God had brought me home, where he wanted me, and why nothing was happening....You're probably thinking "But it hasn't even been three weeks yet...just wait!" But, I have realized even more through this that waiting is a huge challenge for me...

Over the last few weeks, one verse keeps coming back to me: "They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)...It seems like I haven't been able to get away from this verse...I've come across it in devotional readings, heard it on the radio, and even had someone pray that verse over my life at church...By that time, I was saying "Ok, God, I get the point...I need to wait." He also really struck me with Isaiah 64:4 "No eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for Him."

So, I have to admit, I'm not so good at waiting (if you haven't already noticed)...But, even in the waiting, I know that God has good things in store for me...I was talking to a good friend about the job situation and how I was frustrated being home but not being able to work. Then, he gently pointed out the possibility that maybe I was struggling with it so much because I had been finding my worth in my work...it wasn't easy to admit, but I realized that he was right...that was a big part of the problem. It's easy to feel valuable when you're serving in Africa, helping kids walk for the first time, removing tumors that have brought years of pain and criticism, and seeing shame turn to joy...it's easy to feel like you have a purpose when you're part of changing people's lives. But my worth isn't found in what I do...it's in who I am in Christ and what He's already done!

I realize now that even though God has placed a call on my life to be a part of such an incredible ministry, his purpose for me coming home for these three months is not about fitting back into society, having a job, being "successful" by my own terms or by the standards of the world...but, God's purpose for me is to know Him more and to become more like Him...his ultimate goal is for my sanctification. And if that means teaching me to wait on him for a job in order to build my faith a little stronger and give me the opportunity to develop a little more patience, then that's what He's gonna do...

God has often used music in my life to speak to me...and as I was thinking about God's desire to sanctify me and conform me into His image, I began to find that my focus moved from me and my problems to Him and His power...one of my new favorite songs says "Why should I worry? Why do I freak out? God knows what I need" (Your love is strong by Jon Foreman)....and I realized "Yes, God does know what I need and He's already taking care of it...so quit freaking out, Becca."

When we're focused on our circumstances, it's so easy to lose sight of the One who sees our past, present, and future...it's easy to act like we're in control of our lives...we get weighed down by our problems and think that it's up to us to figure things out. But, when we realize how small we are and how big God really is, it is so humbling...God reminded me of how powerful He is through the lyrics of a Christian songwriter: "I guess I thought that I had figured You out...Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be. The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees. What do I know of You, who spoke me into motion...what do I know of holy? (song by Addison Road).

How is that I think I know better than the God of the universe...that my time table is better than his...am I really that proud to tell God that I'm right and He's wrong and that He needs to fit things into my will...sometimes I come to God like a whiny child, telling him what I want and when I want it...only to find out that His plans are better than mine and He knows best...

Needless to say, God humbled me and showed me that just as he has come through for me in the past, He will come through for me this time, in his own way and his own time. He wanted me to rest during this time...not just physically and emotionally, but to rest spiritually...to rest in Him, knowing that He is a good God who loves me and will take care of me...

So, I stopped whining and worrying and instead found myself resting and trusting...And what do you know? Today I got a call from Phoenix Children's Hospital that my temporary position was approved and I should be able to start working as soon as next week! That was such exciting news to hear, but I wasn't actually too surprised when my boss told me...something just told me that God was gonna come through for me on that one :) I'm not saying that God rewarded me for being patient because clearly, I was not too patient. I'm not saying that God gave me the job because I deserve it, because, like all of the good things He gives me, I don't deserve it. But, he blessed me because He is a good and faithful Father who delights in giving good things to His children...and the more I experience that in my own life, the more I learn to trust Him...because, just like He promised, He always comes through for us!

Home

2010-10-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

"Surprise! I'm home!" That was one of the phrases I used the most over the past week...I found out back in June that Mercy Ships was going to let the nurses go home during the ship's generator project in South Africa since the hospital was going to be closed and they weren't going to be needing us for the eye and dental teams (which is what they originally thought they could use the nurses for in SA, but they ended up having enough people without us)....that meant that I would have 3 1/2 months to go home, see family and friends, and get ready for the next year in Sierra Leone (I'm going back in January for the whole outreach).

So, I decided back in June that I'd just come home and surprise everyone...after all, who doesn't love surprises! I only told my sister Joy, who picked me up from the airport last friday when I flew in...we had devised a plan together to have her birthday party the day after I came home so that we could just show up at my parent's house together and surprise all my family at the same time!

Friday, as my plane came into Phoenix, it was very surreal to look at the window and realize that I was home. I was so excited that I could barely stay in my seat...but at the same time, there was a part of me that was fearful for the unknown...I was here, but I wasn't sure what the next 3 1/2 months would hold...

The surprise went well (although it ended up being 3 or 4 separate surprises because of course everyone in my family showed up at different times! :)...there were lots of hugs, a few tears (mostly from my mom...I had a feeling she'd be happy to see me :) and of course a few looks of shock and confusion...one of my favorite moments was when my nephew walked in and saw me, came straight into my arms, started stroking my hair and then held my face and said "I knew you'd come back"...."Of course I came back sweetie," I told him...but then, I guess 8 months seems like an eternity to a 3-year old who can't grasp the concept that he can't ride his bike to Africa to come visit (although he did tell me at one point that he was going to do that!)

I had a great time with my family that day, followed by more fun surprises at church on Sunday night when I just walked in and saw lots of old friends, most of whom had no idea that I was going to be there...it was a fun reunion!

So, it's been a little over a week now that I've been back and while it's been great to see friends and family, there has been a mixture of emotions that have gone through me during this time....I really didn't experience the typical "culture shock" that you expect to have coming back from Africa...I experienced that in South Africa, where I stared in awe at the nice cars, big shopping malls, and all the white people...so, being in a more "westernized" culture in South Africa for a few weeks before coming back helped me transition in that sense...

But, on the other hand, it's always strange to come to a place that you call "home" and find that it isn't quite the way you left it...I know I expected myself to change in Africa, but I guess I didn't really think too much about all the changes that would happen at home...of course, I knew that it wouldn't be exactly the same, but it just kind of hit me all at once...all the new faces at church (I've been going here for 5 years and I don't know half the people anymore!), friends are engaged, married, pregnant, etc....groups of friends have changed, people have changed, families have grown, friends have moved, and my favorite worship leader doesn't sing at my 11am service anymore! I have no idea what people are talking about when they refer to the latest movies, songs, and local news...everything that once seemed so familiar has all of a sudden become a bit foreign and I find myself a little lost in the mix of it all...

You always think that coming "home" will bring a sense of familiarity and comfort, which it has...but, at the same time, there are days that I just want to curl up in my bunk bed and be rocked to sleep by the gentle movement of the ship...or go down the hall and knock on a friend's door and hang out, play games in our mid-ships lounge, tie a crying black baby on my back, or take a ride on a zimi through the dirty, crowded city streets...to me, that crazy, foreign life became familiar and comfortable in Togo...and while there are definitely certain aspects that I don't miss, I do feel like I left a part of my heart in Africa with my "Mercy Ships family" who are still there, my Togolese friends and patients, and inside my big white metal box that I have called "home" for the last 8 months...

Don't get me wrong, I am happy to be back in Arizona...It's been great to see my family and friends and I have been blown away by how supportive and receptive people have been in letting me share about my experiences in Africa...it has been so encouraging to have so many people who genuinely care about what Africa was like, what I was doing on the ship, experiences I had, etc....even people I barely know! That has really helped me to process things a little more and adjust to being back...It has been really great to hear all the "new" songs on the radio (we couldn't download music in Africa), jump in the car and drive (I REALLY missed driving!), and have freedom to go wherever whenever again (and I don't even have to scan out when I leave home ha ha).

But, when you are really busy working and helping people, developing deep relationships with friends (the same ones you live with, work with, travel with, and hang out with almost 24/7), and you are a part of something that is life-changing for others, it is easy to feel purpose and direction in your life...I think the best word to describe the last 8 months of my life would be: full. It has been so fulfilling serving God, seeing lives changed, and developing so many deep relationships with some really amazing people from all over the world.

So, over the last week I've been asking God to show me my purpose in being home...What is it he wants me to do? What is it He wants to teach me? How does He want to use me? I feel like I'm just waiting right now...waiting on a job (things are looking hopeful, but still up in the air with my old hospital), waiting for the next step, waiting to hear His voice...but, then, God reminded me through His word this week that "Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength" (Isaiah 40:31) I think that waiting is actually much harder than doing...I tell God "I'd rather be busy serving than just waiting around for something, Lord"...but, as hard as it may be, I had a friend remind me that "He makes me lie down" (Psalm 23) for a reason...So, for now, I'm waiting on the Lord, allowing Him to refresh my soul, and trusting Him to bring purpose to this short season of my life before I go back to Africa...I know He has a purpose...He always does...and in His time, I know that He'll make it known to me and I'll look back and see that this season of my life has been just as full as the last.

Deer in Durban

2010-09-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

Well, today we left the ship. It was a bit surreal packing up all the boxes to move everything over to Applebosch and watching everyone pile into Landrovers and leave the ship behind....for the next four months while they're doing the shipyard project on the ship, it'll be solid ground for the rest of us! It basically looked like we were moving one HUGE family! There were two big moving trucks that were filled up, two big buses, and lots of Landrovers. It was kind of wierd leaving everyone, even though I know I'll see them in a couple weeks...I'm SO excited for our little vacation in Capetown though!

Becca T and I had made plans to meet a friend of a friend in Durban (it's so nice to have connections)...but there are no taxis inside the port and we were told we wouldn't be able to walk to the main road. So, we loaded up our luggage with one of the families headed to Applebosch and had them drop us off on the "main road"...but unfortunately, it wasn't actually the "main road"...more like a highway in the port...we pretty much were literally "kicked to the curb"...I think our ship driver was just confused because the port is so much bigger in Durban that he really thought we were at the main road...but we were pretty far from it!

So, after waiting about ten minutes at the curb and seeing NO taxis, we decided we should find out if taxis even come on that road...There was a pickup truck for some company helping another truck that had broken down on the side of the road...we asked the man in the first truck about taxis and he said we weren't at the main road and wouldn't find any, but he was happy to give us a lift after they finished fixing the other truck...So, after another few minutes, "Pastor Paul" motioned us back over and we hopped into the bed of the truck (I was SO glad Becca decided we should pray before we started off our adventure!)...After our nice long security briefing on the ship about staying safe and being smart, we were now riding with a stranger in the back of a pickup truck in South Africa...but, we really didn't know what else to do...there was no bank in the port, so we had absolutely no cash (except for US dollars, which is no good in South Africa unless you're at a bank)...we had phones, but no South African SIM cards to call, so that did us no good either...So basically, we were stuck...as we rode along, we just laughed at the situation and hoped one of our buses didn't drive by with a bunch of people wearing horrified looks on their faces! :)

Becca was excited for the ride

We documented the adventure with pictures :)

"Pastor Paul" dropped us off at the main road...we basically looked like we were in the projects...awesome...so, since we didn't have any Rand, we couldn't take the buses...we had to take a private taxi so that they could stop at an ATM...but, after about 20 minutes of standing on the sidewalk wating for a taxi and seeing zero (SO different than the hundreds we saw in Togo), we started to think of other options...and then...voila...out of nowhere, this nice BMW pulls up and we see Isabelle and a few others from the ship! What a relief! The car was packed full because they were heading to the airport, but Isabelle's friend agreed to come pick us up after the airport run...

So, we did some more waiting...and laughing...this would only happen to us :) About forty minutes later, the car returned and we hopped in...

Becca and I in "the projects"

I guess I wasn't really prepared for culture shock in South Africa and the whole "re-entry process" they always talk about...I mean, I know it's a lot nicer and more developed than Togo, but I forgot about the whole western mentality part...Right away, Roger (Isabelle's aunt's friend... I love all our distant connections) starts asking us a bunch of questions about the ship and the work..."You have to PAY to work for them?!! Why do YOU have to pay!"..."How do you make a living? Who supports you? What are you going to do after this"...the questions kept coming...we were being bombarded and our worlds were colliding...It was clear that money was important to this man...I wasn't too surprised when he told us he owned his own business and started talking about his status and things like that...Becca and I were sitting in the back quietly (which is of course almost unheard of for us!), taking it all in, sitting in shock...Wow, this guy just didn't get it...we hadn't expected the culture shock to hit us right away like this!

We made it to our meeting point, thanked Roger for the ride and found Megan waiting patiently (poor girl had to wait an extra long time due to our delays)...She drove us around South Beach and pointed out some fun places, including Durban stadium, where they held some of the World Cup games...we got out for a bit and walked along the boardwalk....I kinda felt like I was in California...It was a beautiful place!

So, afterward, she had asked if she could drop us off at the mall for a couple of hours because her sister had just had a baby and she wanted to go visit the baby...as we were driving to the mall, Becca and I were taking in the city, staring in shock at all the skyscrapers, nice cars, and all the nice buildings...She dropped us off at Pavilion Mall, which is a HUGE mall...we walked in and just stood there for a minute...where do we go, what do we do...we were like deer in the headlights...So, we just started walking...and staring at all the stores...we only ended up going into a few of them in the entire two hours while we were there...it was just too overwhelming...we decided instead to go to a nice coffee shop and sit and talk...

At the mall

Looking down from the top story at the mall

As we were sitting there inside the mall sipping our lattes, it sort of felt like we were back in the states and had just met up in the mall for a coffee date...It was so nice...but almost didn't feel real! After having a nice chat, we started walking around again and SCORE...we found a candy store! It was kind of like Sweet Factory...we were seriously like little kids in the candy store...it's been a long time since we've had some good sugar! So, we filled up our little bags, took a couple photos (yes, I know we're SUCH tourists) and headed out...

So, tonight I am sitting in Megan's cozy little home, enjoying the little things in life...couches, cats (I'm not even a cat person, but I miss house pets), fresh juice, bathtubs, and solid ground that is not rocking back and forth....

Our cozy house in Capetown

It's funny because even though there are a lot of things that are so exciting to see and experience again, there is a part of me that can't believe we're gonna be living on land for these next few months! There is just something really special about the ship that I absolutely love!

Well, tomorrow Becca and I head to Capetown to spend a couple weeks with an old friend of mine who lives there! I feel a little more prepared to travel now we have cash and working cell phones! Let the adventures continue!

Sailing fun

2010-08-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been over two weeks now that we've been sailing and it's hard to believe that tonight is our last night out on the big blue sea! I love looking out the windows and seeing the ocean waves, watching whales on my lunch breaks, and getting lots of fresh ocean air!

So, what do you do on a 16-day sail to stay busy? Well, there was a range of fun activities, including "sailing movies" like Titanic, The Guardian, and Pirates of the Carribean...I love watching those kinds of movies during the sail because it really feels like there are special effects..you can feel the ship rocking back and forth and an occasional shudder when we hit the waves...and even the wind blowing on your face (we watched Titanic outside with the projector)...those kind of movies are definitely more exciting during a sail across the ocean!

One weekend, we had the "Mercy Ships Hobnob Olmpics" and had different games at each station, complete with referees and yellow cards and all that fun stuff! Each team dressed up and had a name....our dining room team (I'm helping out in the dining room for the sail) was named after our fearless leader, Pierette...

Pierette's Possee

Another day, we had a carnival for the kids and I got to help out! It was a lot of fun getting involved and getting to know some more of the kids better!

The temporary tatoos were a big hit!

We even had a pinata!

(this was right after they cracked it open)

Having fun with Max on the bow

And of course, we had lots of whale-watching (no good pics sorry) and even saw dolphins swimming along with the ship out on the bow!

And then, there are always beautiful sunsets to watch and good quiet times with the Lord!

Oh, and I had fun with baby Esther (don't worry, I didn't smuggle her from Togo...she's a crew member's daughter)

Leaving Togo

2010-08-19T08:13:00.001-07:00

Well, it's hard to believe that the outreach in Togo has already come to an end! It doesn't seem so long ago that we were sailing into the port, welcomed by lots of excited Africans, singing and playing drums, grateful that we had come to their country to bring hope and healing. So much happened in the last six months...there were moments of excitement as patients looked in the mirror for the first time after surgery to see their new faces, mommas received their babies back with fixed lips and palates, and watched their children walk straight for the first time after their legs were fixed....then, there were times of tragedy, moments when I didn't understand what God was doing or why he had allowed things to happen...there have been lots of good times and wonderful memories, as well as heartache and the loss of good friends who have had to say goodbyes...But, through it all, God has been good...He has always proven Himself to be faithful.

The last couple days, I have been reflecting on our time in Togo and all the ways that this outreach has changed me..once again, I have fallen in love with Africa...in a deeper way than before...I just love the warm culture and the joy that radiates from the African people...especially when they are singing and dancing to God...I love all of the TIA (this is Africa) moments when you experience something that would never happen in the Western world, but is perfectly normal for Africa...but, most of all, I love being able to make a difference in people's lives and knowing that God has revealed Himself to a patient through me...

It's kinda crazy...we only left Togo four days ago, but I am missing it already...I find myself out in the middle of the ocean, with Togo miles behind us...and a faint memory of the past....But, even though it has been sad to leave, I am encouraged that our time over the last 6 months has been well-spent...it has been so amazing to be a part of something that has changed so many lives...seeing the physical and spiritual changes in my patients..and in myself...God has grown me in so many ways...I've learned so much about trusting Him, serving others, dealing with conflict resolution (that's a big one when you live in a tight community!), being a leader, and so many other things...God has definitely been refining me and showing me the areas of my life that I need Him to chip away the rough edges...which has been a humbling, but good process!

I know that South Africa will be significantly different than West Africa...but I'm excited for all that God has in store for us and I know he will continue the refining work that He has begun (Philippians 1:6)

Top 20 things that I loved about living/working on a ship in Togo

2010-08-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

1. I can roll out of bed in the morning 5 minutes before I need to be at work...because it takes me about 30 seconds to get there...take a few steps, down a flight of stairs, a few more steps and I'm there!

2. At any given moment, patients may burst out in songs, someone starts playing the drums, and voila: a dance party breaks out in the middle of the ward!

3. I occasionally got to have church together with my patients...and also got to play volleyball with the ones who were staying at the hospitality center (after they were discharged from the hospital...those who lived far away and needed to come back for dressing changes stayed there)

4. One hour of my shift was spent out on Deck 7 with the patients...taking in the sunshine, enjoying a beautiful view of the beach, and occasionally singing worship songs together!

5. At the beginning of every shift, we start the day off right by praying together!

6. Seeing the before and after surgery pictures....and the smiles that followed as the patients experienced physical (and often emotional and spiritual) transformations

7. It takes approximately 1 minute to get to: the post office, church, work, the coffee shop, the bank, the store (ship shop), the internet cafe, or to my friends' "houses"....because it's all on the ship :)

8. On those lovely nights that my friends and I decided to run on the dock, we would be joined by mice and cockroaches, which would inevitably get in the way of our jogging path every time...simple things like going for a run are so much more interesting when you live in Africa!

9. When walking down the street, you will almost always see a small child who happily greets you with "yovo, yovo bon swa" (good afternoon, foreigner)...with which you are supposed to reply "sava bien, merci" (I'm fine, thank you)

10. Someone cooks for me and cleans up the dishes after every meal! There are very few other places where you'll find that!

11. The most effective way to leave someone a message is done with a sticky note on their door! (let's be honest, getting a text just isn't as fun as finding a sticky on your door...and our phones don't work here anyway!)

12. I live/work with people from all over the world (US, Canada, Honduras, Dominican Republic, England, Holland, Germany, Italy, Ghana, Liberia, South Africa, Nepal, Australia, New Zealand...to name a few...I'm still missing a bunch)

13. I can wear flip-flops to work :)

14. There is always someone around to socialize with....even at the oddest hours of the night!

15. If I ever need to clear my head and get some fresh air, I can just go up to Deck 8 and have a nice view of the beach!

16. I can get a frappucino for less than a dollar (and it's real Starbucks coffee too!)..You can't do any better than that!

17. Lots of smiles, hugs and "I love you's" from the kiddos!

18. If a baby on the ward started to cry, I would just wrap them on my back and continue going about the day...worked like a charm every time! (The African mommas trained me well :)

19. Mercy Ships became so well known, especially in Lome...people would see us walking down the street and just say "Mercy Ships! Thank you!"...Also, crossing the Ghana and Benin borders was super easy...they would look at your Mercy Ships badge, say "Mercy Ships!" and stamp your passport!

20. The people I work with are also the people I eat with, live with, and travel around Africa with...it's easy to get close when you spend time together 24/7!

Traveling in Africa

2010-08-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

Traveling in Africa has been quite an interesting experience...there's never a dull moment! Here are a few things I have learned about traveling during my time in Togo:

1. It takes almost as long to barter the price of the ride as it does to get there (oh, the joys of being a yovo in West Africa!)

2. Helmets and side-mirrors are not actually a necessity, just an added bonus for some...

3. If a zemi (aka motor taxi) has a working spedometer, you have found a nice ride...if the zemi has a working spedometer, side mirrors, AND a working gas gauge, you have found a REALLY nice ride!

4. Sometimes it is just better to close your eyes than to watch what's going on in front of you

5. It is possible to ride a motorcycle in a dress (I never thought I would even try!)

6. If you need to stop and get gas, there will probably be some glass bottles and funnels involved :)

7. There is never too much luggage...Somehow it will all be packed on top of a car or bus...the same is true for fitting people inside!

8. If you don't see a visible path, that doesn't mean you can't drive on it...even if you're driving through grass up a mountain, you WILL get to the top somehow!

9. If something breaks on the car/bus, it can be fixed...even if the car still looks/sounds like it will fall apart at any minute...somehow it runs...after all, this is Africa!

10. Sidewalks are perfectly acceptable places for motorcycles to drive...no one will say anything because everyone does it!

Never too much to fit!

This was when we fit 9 yovos (plus the driver) in a taxi!

CRAZY!!

Zemi ride in Benin (with my luggage :)

A special wedding

2010-08-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

There's one really cool story that I recently became aware of...right when I was feeling like all the patient stories had finished up for this field service, God brought another my way...

I was out on the dock one day helping some people pack up the physiotherapy tent and had been walking back and forth carrying things from the dock to our containers inside the ship...As I was busy scurrying about, a patient called me over (the hospital had closed but there were still a few last days of post-op appointments to check up on the patients)...His name was Daouda and he proceeded to tell me his story...

He told me the story of how he had come to Mercy Ships for surgery...It all began with a love story...he had met his fiancee and fallen in love...(which was quite a story in and of itself...my favorite part was that when she didn't want to give him her number, he asked to borrow her phone one day and called his own number so that he could save it in his phone...sneaky and persistent...but it worked in the end!)...So, he and the girl had fallen in love...and got engaged about a year ago (which was also quite a process because in their culture, the guy has to meet all the family members and they ALL have to approve before their sister can marry him!)...But, he hadn't been able to marry her yet...he was born with his fingers stuck together...so he wasn't going to be able to put a ring on his ring finger until he had surgery to separate them!

So, he started saving up money...and a year later, he was still saving...and waiting...Then, he heard about Mercy Ships and was able to come for a free surgery to separate his fingers! He was so grateful for Mercy Ships! After telling me his story, he gave me a wedding invitation and told me he'd like me to come! I was so excited because I had heard about this guy before...but hadn't met him before...and hadn't heard his whole story...and now, he was inviting me to his wedding!

So, this weekend, some friends and I got decked out in our African outfits and headed to the wedding...It was really special to be a part of such an important day...We felt really honored to be there too because there were less than a hundred people in attendance and nine of us were from Mercy Ships!

Me and a couple friends at the wedding reception

The wedding ceremony was a bit different than what I'm used to...and different than the last African wedding since this one was a Muslim wedding...but, it was great to see Daouda and his wife so happy and to be a part of their big day! Even though Daouda isn't a Christian, it was so awesome to see how God worked out the timing of Mercy Ships coming to Togo so that he could have his surgery before his wedding...and I pray that the Lord continues to use the impact of Mercy Ships to bring him closer to Christ!

Roundtrip run to Ghana

2010-08-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I wanted to do ever since I came to Togo was do a big run...my friend Ginger had told us how she ran a half-marathon last year when the ship was in Benin, so we looked into it to see if there would be any half-marathons in Togo this year...no such luck. During the outreach, I had a few friends who decided they would run to Ghana (the country west of us) since the border is only about 10 Kilometers away. I thought it would be fun to do, but didn't finally attempt it until last week. My friend Tania and I ran the 10 Kilometers together and had a lot of fun! It was a great bonding experience!

Running in Africa is always such an adventure! As Tania and I were running along, we had lots of people on the road cheering us on.."Tres bien" (very good), "Di courage" (a saying that they like to say to runners on the street...it more or less means take courage or keep going from what I understand)...Lots of people were encouraging us and cheering for us as we ran by!

The path we took was right along the beach road, so even though we weren't actually running on the beach, we could see the ocean for most of the run. There were all kinds of other sights, sounds, and smells (oh the smells of Africa!!)...there were lots of cars and zemis out on the road already. In fact, we actually saw an accident happen right in front of us as we were running! A motor-taxi hit a woman running across the street with a bucket of apples on her head! The apples went everywhere, the motorcylce went down, and the woman fell over right onto the sidewalk in front of us, along with the two guys who had been riding the motorbike..thankfully, everyone was alright...we asked them if they were ok and made sure they could move everything ok....As we were standing there, a crowd formed and it got a little crazy. I was shocked that some people started shouting at the woman and telling her she shouldn't be running across the street in front of the motor-taxis...I admit it's a good point, but seriously bad timing to discuss it...I mean, come on, the lady just got hit by a motorcycle!! Pointing fingers and yelling at her probably wasn't the best way to handle it!
Anyway, we stayed for a minute to make sure everyone was ok...then, when the crowd formed, we decided to move on, as there were no apparent major injuries and there were now people attending to the situation...

We continued running along and soon enough, we found ourselves at the Ghana border! After buying a little extra water, we walked over to the ocean and just stretched and relaxed for a bit...it was a nice feeling to just take in the beauty of the ocean and realize I'd just ran to another country! I mean, I know it wasn't that long of a run, but it still felt like a nice accomplishment!

We started out with Aleah...

But only Tania and I finished together

(with our red faces and bags of water at the end)

A couple days later, my friend Becca asked if I wanted to do the roundtrip run with her...all the way to the Ghana border and all the way back! I was a bit nervous that it would be a little too long since I hadn't done a ton of recent training with long runs...but I thought I'd give it a shot...

So, today we got up early and headed out....all we brought with us was our I-pods (yes, I know it's not smart to run with them in Lome, but I just had to take that chance...I mean, it's about 12 miles and I wasn't gonna run that far without music!), water, emergency taxi money, and Lok (well, actually he was already coming with us...but it was nice to have one of our gierkas aka security guards running alongside us!).

Once again, there were lots of exciting things to see along the way...but thankfully, no accidents! There were quite a few Africans out running as well, since it was a Saturday morning and lots of people here tend to run on the weekends...we even saw a dad running with his three little children (one looked like he was only about 5 years old!)...I think my favorite part of the run was when my roommates and Stefan (my "German dad" as I call him) passed by in a Landrover (they were heading into Ghana today)...They honked and waved as they passed us...funny that we almost made it to the border before they did :)

We didn't end up needing our "emergency taxi money," which I was happy about because I definitely would've been disappointed if we hadn't finished the run! But, I have to say, as we passed by all the taxi drivers lined up along the side of the road every couple of miles, there were a few times that my legs just felt tired and I stole a longing glance at the comfortable taxi, accompanied by the nice taxi drivers calling us over for a ride...it made me think about life and how there is always the temptation to "take the easy way out" instead of running the race that God intended for us. Tempation is always there for us along the road and it would be so easy to just get in and be selfish, but we would be missing out for God's perfect plan for our lives (I don't know, I like analogies and every now and then, I get those deep thoughts when I'm running). So, every time I saw those taxi drivers motioning me over, I would just think to myself, "Nope, I'm definitely not taking the easy way out!"

But the run honestly didn't turn out to be as difficult as I had expected...sure, there were times when my legs felt tired, but it wasn't really until the last mile or two that I really wanted to stop running and just walk. But, we kept encouraging each other and finished strong! We ended up finishing the entire run in almost exactly two hours, which we were happy about...we got back around 8 am and I thought to myself, "Wow, I definitely don't usually accomplish this much by 8:00 in the morning!" It was a nice feeling of accomplishment!

So, even though we didn't get our half-marathon this year, we got our 12+ mile-run and a great experience together!

Becca, Lok, and I at the end of the run

Last but not least

2010-08-06T06:24:00.000-07:00

Today, the last patient left the hospital. It was sad to see Josee leave, but amazing to say goodbye, knowing the transformation that had occurred in this 18-year old girl over the past several months. Josee came to the ship about 3 months ago for surgery on her foot. She had a deformity of her toes that required her to wear special shoes. She had surgery, went home, and then came back due to an infection in her foot.

Me & Josee

But, I think there was a bigger purpose for her coming back that didn't involve antibiotics, daily soaks, or dressing changes on her foot....instead, it was her for her heart. From the time Josee came to the ship until now, she has been eager to get close to God, read the Bible, and learn all that she could. It was great being able to talk to Josee about the Bible and about her own life...it was great that she spoke English and French because we were able to talk together about her struggles...

Some of my favorite shifts were the evening shifts when I got to spend with Josee and read the Bible together with her...we would take turns reading (in French mind you) and she would listen patiently as I stumbled through the French words....I felt like a 5-year old child learning to read, but she loved it. Then, she would take a turn reading for a bit and we would go back and forth and talk about the verses. My favorite was tucking Josee in to bed...I would ask, "Josee, can I pray for you?"...every time I asked this question, her eyes would light up, a big smile would come across her face, and she would hold my hands and wait for me to pray.

Josee gives the best hugs!

One night, I felt led to read this verse to Josee: "But he (God) said to me: 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me...for when I am weak, then I am strong" (from 2 Corinthians 12)...As I read those verses to Josee, her eyes started tearing up...I knew that she was tired of being in the hospital and wanting to go home...many times, the patients around her would get discharged after only a few days in the hospital and she would get discouraged that she still had a way to go before she could leave...the infection was just taking a long time to heal...But, that night, God spoke to her that he would be sufficient for her and help her to be strong in her weaknesses. We decided to copy down the verse in French and put it up on a big paper over her bed so that she would have a constant reminder that God's grace would be sufficient.

Josee really made the hospital a different place. She was so full of joy and energy...she really lit up the wards..everyone who met her just fell in love with her...she was hard not to love!

So, after three months of living on the Africa Mercy, getting to know the nurses, and getting comfortable with the environment and people, Josee decided that she was coming with us to South Africa...she didn't want to leave...she wanted to sail along with us! She had really changed! So, when Josee was the very last patient to leave today, it felt like I was saying goodbye to a fellow crew member...she wasn't just someone who I had taken care of for a few days...she wasn't just a patient...she was a friend and she had found a special place in my heart! I don't know if I'll ever see her again on this earth, but I know that we'll see each other in heaven...a much better place than the hospital!

Oh, how I hate goodbyes

2010-07-31T19:43:00.000-07:00

Tonight, my heart is heavy. It has been a really strange week with this dreaded day approaching...the mass exodus. Between these last two days, there have been about 50-60 people that have left the ship...It's always a little hard going down to the dock and waving people off...it's even harder when it's almost a fourth of our whole crew...so today, there is an emptiness...not just on the ship, but in my heart.

I have had to say goodbye to a lot of amazing people, some of whom live in countries I may never get to visit. It's always hard letting go of people. But, I think the hardest part of today was saying goodbye to Jen, my BSF (best ship friend...and no I'm not the only cheesy person that uses that abbreviation on the ship :)

Before I came to the ship, I prayed that God would give me one really close friend while I was in Togo...Jen was the answer to that prayer. Jen arrived on the ship one day before me....we got to know each other during the sail to Togo and somehow we just clicked. Soon enough, we were best of friends and pretty much inseparable. Some people called us twins...our names would get mixed up all the time...in fact, even today, right after Jen left the ship, a friend of mine accidentally called me Jen.

I have to say that Jen is one of the best friends I've ever had. She's one of those people that I can trust completely and tell everything to without worrying about being judged for it. She's the kind of friend that I can let loose with and totally be myself around. She's the kind of friend who understands me...who can finish my sentences before the words come out of my mouth. Just the other day, we were having a conversation with some other people and both of us kept saying the same thing at the exact same time...She looked at me and said 'This is wierd' and we both just laughed about it.

You know you've found a great friend when you can spend the entire day working together, go to breaks and meals together, and then hang out after work and still not be sick of each other! It was kind of funny how a lot of times, if Jen and I hadn't seen each other one day, we would call each other or stop by each other's cabins...because we spent so much time together that a whole day was just too long to be apart! :)

Even though I know I haven't lost Jen as a friend, I still feel a sense of loss with her leaving the ship. Of course, I have some really amazing friends who are still on the ship with me...but, I don't have my best friend anymore. Jen told me I'll find another best friend, but I would have to disagree and say that she is irreplaceable...but she's going back to Chicago and I'm staying in Africa...So, I guess it's time for me to say another prayer for God to bless me with a good friend...he answered that first prayer far above what I ever anticipated and I know he is looking out for me..so, Jen, even though I would prefer you to any replacement, I know God has other plans for you right now, so I suppose I'll send another prayer up...

Godwing, I love you

2010-07-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple months, I've gotten to know one special little boy, Godwing. I first met Godwing over in B Ward. He was the 'little boy in the corner'...he had both of his casted legs propped up in casts and just seemed to take in all the action of B ward from his little corner of the room. For some reason, Godwing seemed to just latch onto me. I only actually took care of him once or twice, but every time I was working, he would motion me over...then, he would hold my hand and say to me 'Rebecca, I love you' in the cutest little voice. After a few minutes, I would go back to taking care of my other patients and then he would call my name and motion me over again, just to have me hang out with him or to tell me again that he loved me. It was a precious little relationship we formed.

Because Godwing lived up north, he had to stay at our hospitality center, about two miles from the ship. Every now and then, I would visit the hospitality center and I always saw my little Godwing there. Whenever, his mom would see me, she would motion over to Godwing and say 'Rebecca, I love you.' It pretty much became an extension of my name...it couldn't just be 'Rebecca,' it was 'Rebecca, I love you'...every time :)

A couple of the cutest kids from the ward

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to the church service at the hospitality center. It was so fun being able to see so many patients I had taken care of! We got to sing together, dance together (because we all know that dancing is essential in every church service in Africa), and learn about God together.

Godwing at the hospitality center

My favorite part of the service was the testimonies at the end. The speaker asked if anyone would like to go up front to share what God had done in their life through Mercy Ships. I was so happy when Godwing's mother went up and started talking about how happy she was that her son can now walk. She called him up to the front to tell his story. One of the hospitality center workers who was helping to translate put him up on his shoulders and Godwing was beaming. He seemed so happy that his story was being told...and we were all so excited to see him walking so well with his casts off!

This past week, Godwing came back for his final post-op appointment. His mother gave me a big hug and told me that it was their last day on the ship. She looked at me sadly and said 'I wish I had something that I could give you, but I will promise to pray for you.' I told her that was a gift in and of itself and she smiled. It was sad saying goodbye to my little Godwing, but fulfilling to know that he was one of the little lives I was able to impact. Godwing, I love you...

Going home with Tani

2010-07-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

It's not everyday that you get to go home with a patient...especially to a tiny little village out in Africa! But, this past week, that's exactly what I got to do! After my visit to my family in Basaar, I headed to Kara, another nearby town to meet the patients that were traveling home after surgery.

I got into the bus full of patients, barely able to believe that I was able to find them and now would be able to travel all the way to Dapaong (the city at the top of Togo, only about 30 kilometers from Burkina Faso). I looked at all the VVF women (the ladies who come for fistula repairs), admiring their beautiful new outfits that they received during their dress ceremonies, where they were finally able to dance again after years of being outcasts in their society due to a problem that developed during childbirth, causing them to leak urine and thus be shunned by those around them. The VVF ladies, ranging in age from mid-20's all the way to 60 years old were going home with new dresses and a new sparkle in their eyes, happy to be healed and excited for their new lives.

The few weeks that the VVF ladies had been on the ward had been a stretching time for me, as the nursing care was much different from what I'm used to as a pediatric nurse. It wasn't really my favorite thing in the world, but God stretched me through it, and seeing the joy that now shone through these ladies made it all worth it in the end. The women sat smiling and laughing. "We are so happy because we are healed," they told me. Those are the moments that I'm reminded that I really do get to be a part of something that is truly life-changing.

Dropping off one of our VVF ladies on the ride up

But, one patient that had significantly impacted my life was little 9-year old Tani. Tani was burned in a fire at a very young age. When she came to us on the ship, she had no nose at all, just a hole where her little nose had once been. She was missing her right eye as well. I remember the first time I saw Tani. Someone was taking pictures and she had the biggest smile of anyone on her face...but, it was clear that she was aware of her disfigured appearance, as she tried to put her hand over her right eye, so that the camera wouldn't capture the part of her that she didn't want anyone to see.

Tani with the other kids at the hospitality center

(before surgery)

Covering up that sweet little face

Tani quickly won all of our hearts. She was such a good little patient. She underwent two different surgeries where the doctors made a new little nose for her, using a skin flap from her scalp and a graft from her leg. But, Tani's recovery was delayed by an infection she developed after surgery. As a result, she ended up being in the hospital for a little over a month, just long enough to become the star patient on the ward.

Tani would always help us with her nursing care. She loved to take the thermometer and take her own temperature, push her own meds out of the syringes into her mouth, and most of all....mouth care! Tani was supposed to use a special mouthwash to scrub her mouth with her little mouth swabs four times a day to prevent infection. Every time Tani needed to do mouth care, I would hand her the supplies and say "s'il vous plaît, laver la bouche" (Please clean your mouth). Tani got so accustomed to me saying this to her (she heard it a lot since she had to clean her mouth four times a day every day!) that every time she saw me, she would imitate me and say "S'il vous plait, laver la bouche" followed by little giggles.

Through all the coloring, disney movies, and the other fun activities on the ward, Tani and I developed a close relationship, so her eyes sparkled when I had told her I might come home with her to meet her family. Her primary caregiver during the majority of her time on the ship was 19-year old Amos, the son of Tani's pastor in Dapaong. He had never even met Tani before coming to the ship, but gave up a month of his summer vacation to take care of her...and basically became a big brother to her. So, it was fun to travel first to Amos' house, meet his parents and tell them how great of a job he had done.

The trip to Dapaong was beautiful, very green, wide-open spaces....not much around aside from some little mud huts every now and then. Every so often, we would stop for a bathroom break, find some bushes, and be on our way...that has become the norm for road trips for me now....TIA..

As we were driving along, Amos and I were talking about arrangements for Dapaong (it was all a little last minute, so there weren't a ton of plans made)...from what I had understood from our conversatons on the ship, I was going to stay at Amos' parents' house when we got there. But, on the drive, we were talking about it and Amos adamantly stated, "Oh, no, you can't stay at my house. It's too poor. White people can't stay there!" I couldn't help but laugh..."Well, I think I'll be just fine," I reassured him..."unless it's an inconvenience for your parents..if that's the case, I can stay at a hotel," I told him....He assured me that there was plenty of room and that his parents loved having guests, but kept shaking his head and saying that he didn't think it would be good enough...It made me kind of sad that he felt that I should be entitled to a nicer place just because I was white. I hate that mentality and I've seen it quite a bit here in Togo. If it's nice enough for you, then it's nice enough for me, I told him. And it turned out to work just fine.

Amos in front of the house

Me with Amos and his family

The first night in Dapaong, Tani and I shared a room. It was kind of special having a sleepover with one of my little patients. As I was getting ready for bed, I put on a bunch of mosquito repellent lotion (which didn't end up working at all!). As Tani watched me rub in on my arms, her eyes lit up and she pulled out a large bottle of baby lotion that she'd been given at the hospital. "Tata, regardez" (Auntie, look). She mimicked what I was doing and rubbed the lotion up and down her arms until the were shiny. It was so sweet. It was also the first time that Tani called me "Tata"...I was no longer just her nurse, now I was her Auntie and her friend. That really touched my heart.

My bed was on the concrete floor...but still ok for a white person :)

The next day, we headed out to Tani's village. Amos' father, me, and Tani were all piled onto one motorcycle and Amos rode behind us on a motor taxi. He had offered to give up his spot on the motorcycle so that I could go to Tani's village and meet her family. But, I knew he wanted to go and I wasn't about to take his place and keep him from going to Tani's big homecoming without a fight. He didn't want me to have to pay the massive amount of 3,000 cephas for his zemi ride (a whopping $6). I told him it didn't matter..my mind was made up and he was going...he deserved it..he had just spent a month of his time caring for this little girl and he had every right to see her off to her home and meet her family. So, he finally agreed, even though I think he still felt bad about me spending the money...such a sweet kid!

Tani and Amos

The ride out to the village was beautiful...very open and green..we were on a bumpy dirt road for most of the ride, passing by small villages every now and then. It was fun driving through in the morning, seeing all the people starting off their day. Lots of women were walking down the road with their buckets on their heads, venturing out to the place where they could fill up their water. We saw lots of people already working away at the ground in the field, as well as a few oxen plowing the fields....it reminded me of the stories in the Bible. It's kind of crazy how primitive some parts of Africa still are...but I have to say, I do love the beauty and simplicity of it all.

We finally arrived at Tani's house after about an hour's drive. Her home consisted of several little mud huts with lots of animals roaming around and lots of little children with questioning looks on their faces, curious about this yovo (white person) that had come back with their sister.

Someone ran out to call Tani's mother and as we waited for her to come home, Tani pulled out her bag of goodies from the ship. It was full of toys and stuffed animals that she had accrued over the last month she had spent in the hospital. It was so sweet watching her pull out all her toys, handing each one to a brother or sister. At one point, she was hunched over her bag with her little brother on her back, hanging on for dear life as she played Santa Claus and distributed presents. It was rather amusing...I tried to remind her that she had a little guy on her back so she wouldn't drop him, but he knew better than to let go...he seemed pretty well trained...after all, this is Africa :)

Tani went on distributing toys and proudly showed her brothers and sisters how the different toys worked until she finally got down to the very bottom and there was nothing left to give. It was so beautiful to see Tani's generous, unselfish heart in the toy distribution. The big smile across her face was good evidence that she has learned that it is "more blessed to give than to receive." I was so proud of her as I watched her interact with her brothers and sisters.

Me with Tani's family

I would have to say that going home with Tani was one of my favorite experiences so far in Africa. I feel really blessed to have had the opportunity to meet her family and I look forward to taking care of her in Sierra Leone next year!

Meeting my family in Togo

2010-06-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

Well, this last week was a really good one. I had the opportunity to head up north to Basaar to meet some relatives that I had never met before. It turns out that I have family in Togo...kind of funny, I know. My dad's cousin married a Togolese woman, so even though their family lives in the states, her brothers are still here in Togo. So, last friday, I headed up to a town called Basaar to meet her brother Seidou.

I asked my Togolese friend Raphael to come along since I had never been there before and didn't really want to travel alone. He also speaks French, which was an added bonus for traveling since my French is still lacking. We got to the bus station around 4:30 in the afternoon and then did something I've become accustomed to in Africa...we waited....and waited...and finally left around 8pm when the bus was full. But because we left so late, we didn't actually get there until about 2:30am.

Seidou, me, and Rafael

Raphael and I shuffled out of the bus with all the half-asleep passengers (including us) and called Seidou. He sent his nephew to come pick us up on the motor bike...he found us pretty easily...I guess I stand out among all the Africans...I never really have figured out why though :)

It's a little awkward meeting family for the first time...I mean, you know you're related, so that relieves a bit of awkwardness, but it's always a little odd meeting people who are somehow related to you, yet from a different culture....and even though they spoke some English, they were definitely more comfortable with French, so it was all an interesting combination. Seidou and his wife were so sweet and hospitable to us, though. Even at 3am, they came out and chatted with us for a bit and then showed us to our rooms. I was really excited to see that I had a queen size bed all to myself (our beds on the ship are tiny bunk beds)...that was a special treat! And they even had a flushing toilet and running water in the shower...not hot, but hey, it was much better than a bucket bath. I really hadn't been sure what to expect (especially since we're in Africa), so I was very pleasantly surprised by the nice accomodations.

Saturday, we had some fun get-to-know-you time with the help of my friend and translator, Raphael. It was fun eating the African food and the traditional meals and drinks. I even got to drink the traditional Choko-chok drink that apparently brought Andy and Anna (my dad's cousins back home) together. I had never heard the story before, but Seidou told us tha Anna used to sell the drink and Andy would come to buy it quite frequently. After awhile, they got to know each other better as he would come to buy the drink, then became good friends, got married, and the rest is history. I think I may have expressed a little too much excitement about the drink the first day because the second day, we drank it 5 times (good thing it was the non-alcoholic version!)...they seem to have it everywhere all over town...it's really sweet and most of the time you drink it out of a wooden bowl.

Drinking some choko-chok

In the afternoon, we visited the market since it was the big market day. We definitely have a big market in Lome, which I have visited lots of times, but the one thing that really struck me that I had never seen before was the animal section of the market. There are people who have their goats and chickens on ropes out on display for someone to buy and cook for dinner...and then you see others walking home holding a live chicken in their hands or leading their new goat home...little do they know that they're being led to the slaughter...kind of sad, I know...but hey, it's Africa...it's normal to eat goats here.

After our visit to the market, we headed to a mountain with hopes of hiking up....but, only a little ways into the "hike," we were greeted by a man who told us we needed special permission to go on the mountain (I think it's because there is a place where people do Voodoo on the mountain) but that he'd be happy to go with us the next day. So, we arranged a time and headed back to the house.

View on our mini hike

That night, we watched the Ghana vs. USA game of the world cup...let me just tell you, it's hard to root for your own country when you're surrounded by Africans in Africa who want the African team to win...I was a little sad that the US lost, but hey, at least we made it as far as we did.

The next day, we had quite a little adventure climbing up the mountain. We were hoping to see monkeys since there are apparently quite a few there if you come at the right time (according to our guide who lived right next to the mountain), but we only saw one monkey at a house at the base of the mountain. The hike was pretty steep, very green, and quite interesting since there was no actual path. We were pretty much bush-wacking half the time and every now would find a faint trace of what may once have been a path. Every now and then, Napo, our guide would point to a plant and say "Don't touch that one, it's bad!' I knew better than to get anywhere near it! We made it to the top of the mountain and had a great view of the humble mountain town of Basaar.

We made it to the top!

(the view is overlooking Basaar)

Our tour guide was disappointed that we hadn't found monkeys (but not as disappointed as I was!), but he was adamant that if we tried again the next day and left a little earlier, we would find lots of monkeys on the mountain...so even though I was leaving to head north to Dapaong the next day, we worked it out so that I'd still have time to catch a zemidjan (the motor taxis) to the next town to meet up with the bus heading north from the hospital.

Unfortunately, though, we came back the next day, climbed the mountain again (it wasn't any easier the second time...still very steep!) and found...no monkeys! I wasn't too disappointed though, because we spotted one that had escaped from the trees that was roaming around at a house at the base of the mountain.

Afterwards, we visited Napo's friend, who had two monkeys he'd caught on the mountain. I had fun putting them on my shoulders and feeding them bananas. It may not have been the smartest idea ever to play with monkeys in Africa when I haven't had any rabies shots, but hey, you've gotta take risks sometimes right? :) Thankfully, I didn't get bit...I don't think there were even any attempted bites...the monkeys were a lot of fun and the family was very entertained watching me and my cousin attempt to get them in a good position for a picture...I think we succeeded though!

This little guy looked confused...guess

he'd never seen a white person before :)

Later that day, we heard singing and music (including lots of drums) from the house and I asked what was going on...turned out, there was a soccer game at the local stadium...just a high school match, but my cousin was happy to take me...I love that they don't even need tv to advertise what's going on in town...you can hear it from your own backyard! (although I do have to say that most of them have tvs...don't know what they'd do without them during the world cup!)

The soccer game was a lot of fun to watch....I mostly just liked being at the stadium and seeing all the people getting excited for their teams..kind of reminded me of high school football games back in the states...although I will say I've never seen a bunch of goats run across the field during a football game back home :) Gotta love Africa!

After the soccer game, we went back to the house to watch more soccer...another world cup game! Soccer has definitely become a new interest for me since I've been in Africa...partly because I started playing with some friends here on the ship..we usually play mondays and wednesdays..not to mention, my BSF (best ship friend) LOVES soccer...so her passion has rubbed off on me a little...I have to say, it was nice to be able to watch the game with Seidou and his family and not have to worry about finding all the right words to say in French since I no longer had Rafael there to translate for me.

Practicing my African momma skills with my

cousin's baby

Monday, I said my goodbyes and headed out for Dapaong....off to the next adventure!

Weekend in Benin

2010-06-10T17:29:00.000-07:00

Well, last weekend, I finally made it to Cotonou, Benin! The trip got off to a bit of a rough start...We had a big group of people and things were a bit rushed as we left the ship...and in the chaos of everything, I lost my yellow fever card :( So, that wasn't too great since I sort of need it to get into South Africa in September..but thankfully, I was able to contact the health department to have another one sent.

We spent our first night in a place called Grand Popo. There was a full moon and we all just went out on the beach and sat next to the ocean...it was really peaceful and so beautiful! It was nice to just be able to have a quiet night and a time of fellowship with good friends!

Grand Popo during the day

Hanging out on the beach at night

The next day, we headed off to a place called Bab's Dock, which was a popular mercy shippers' getaway last year when the ship was in Benin. In order to get to the dock, you have to take a boat ride through the lagoon, which felt a little bit like Disneyland, especially when we were passing under the archway of trees. Once we reached the dock, we were greeted by the owners, a french couple who know Mercy Ships well because of all the visitors from the ship last year.

Getting into the boat to head to the dock

Do you see the resemblance to Disneyland?

The nice thing about the lagoon is that the water is only about knee-deep all around. So, after a nice lunch and some time relaxing under the umbrellas, we went out in the kayaks and then played volleyball in the water (the net is just above the lagoon). After taking in the sunshine for a few hours, I headed back out on the boat with a few of the girls from our group who were also heading to Cotonou.

I had made plans to meet up with an African friend who is from Benin and wanted to give me a good tour of Cotonou. While I was waiting, I went for a swim with the girls at the hotel and then watched the sunset over the port. It was really beautiful and for a minute, just being in the big city with lots of nice buildings around (there's not too many of those in Togo), I almost felt like I was back in America. Sometimes, you just need a little taste of home!

My friend showed up a little later and we had a nice motorcycle ride around the city. I was a little nervous about riding around Cotonou on a motorcycle at first, especially since there's a ton of traffic and there seem to be quite a few accidents there, but my friend made sure to be safe for me, so I was appreciative of that! My favorite part of the "tour" was driving into the dock where the ship was last year and seeing all the fisherman's boats and big ships around. I had seen pictures of the port from friends who were on the ship last year, so it was kind of surreal to finally be there myself. The port was beautiful with all the lights reflecting off the water. But, unfortunately, I didn't get any photos since I didn't have my camera with me.

The next day, I met up with my African friend again and we got to visit the artisan market and then spent the rest of the day at "Obama Beach." I am always so amused by the obsession Africans have with Obama. They sell Obama bags and even boxers in the market and if you look at the right places, you can even find "Obama biscuits." I think it's quite amusing.

Obama beach was nice, but definitely not like the beaches in the states. The current is so much stronger here in West Africa. Thankfully, I was still able to swim at this beach, although I wasn't out too long since I was so worn out from swimming against the current. After hanging out and relaxing on the beach for awhile, we came across some girls from France who were playing soccer on the beach. So, my friend and I went over to meet them and then joined in their game. They were all really sweet girls and after playing soccer, we all ended up hanging out for a couple more hours. I really enjoyed listening to everyone speak French and realizing how much I actually understood!

After our time at the beach, we headed over for some genuine African food (the kind you eat with your hands!) and called it a day! We headed back to Togo the following morning feeling energized again after three really amazing days in Benin!

Love in any language

2010-06-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

There's an old song that talks about "love in any language" and how people can understand and communicate love no matter where we are in the world. Being in Togo has been a very different experience for me in comparison with the familiar culture and language of all the places I've traveled to in Latin America over the last few years. It's always been easy for me in places like Mexico and the Dominican Republic, where I was familiar with the culture and able to speak the language. But, I think that the language barrier in Togo has been good for me in a lot of ways. It has taught me to "listen" in other ways outside of just hearing a person's words...watching their facial expressions, tone of voice, and body langauge. And it has also taught me how to communicate in creative ways when I don't speak the language.

So far, I wouldn't say I have learned a ton of French, but I've learned enough to communicate the important things I need to know when I'm traveling or taking care of patients..the phrases I use on the ward probably wouldn't be very useful anywhere else...ie: swallow your medicine, did you poop today (I even know how to say that one in the local dialect!), are you having pain, etc :)

But, I am learning that whether I'm in the wards or out and about in town, the most important thing people listen to isn't our words, but our actions and what we communicate to them by the way we live.

Tonight, I went to a place where I didn't hear much French or Ewe (the local dialect). We went to a place where there wasn't a whole lot of speaking at all....I went with a group from the ship to visit a local deaf school. It was fun to sit with the kids, help them with their crafts, play soccer with the little boys (I was wearing a skirt too...which is always interesting!) and just practicing the language of love. It really doesn't take a lot...just a little hug, a high five (or even better, learning their secret handshake!), or even just a smile...showing the kids that we love them and care about them...

It's easy to go through our busy lives and forget the simple things...but those are the things that really say the most....I know I am one of those people that always has a lot to say...but I am reminded that the most important thing I really need to communicate is love...because after all God is love and that's the reason I'm here...to show others that there is a God who loves us so much that he gave up everything...even His own son to be with us...it didn't take Jesus a lot of words to communicate love...he stretched out his arms and died...and I can stretch out my arms and embrace those who are hurting and in need...no words are necessary...just a little love.

My home in Africa

2010-06-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

So I realize that I told several of you that I'd post pictures of my home in Africa...and that was several months ago! It's hard to believe that the Africa Mercy has already been my home for over four months! So, I just wanted to show a few pictures so you can see a little more of what the ship looks like inside...

Here's me next to the ship on our dock..as you can see, the ship is pretty big!

Deck 7 has a beautiful view of the beach!

And Deck 7 is also where we take the patients to get some sunshine

and fresh air every afternoon

One of my favorite places on the ship:

The Starbucks Cafe

The sitting area in the cafe (Deck 5)

Midships (the hangout area on Deck 6)

The Internet Cafe (also on deck 6)

"Town Square"

To give you an idea of how it fits together, the two people in the back are standing

in front of our "ship shop" (where we can buy toiletries, snacks, and baking supplies,etc.)

The stools to the right are directly in front of starbucks..

If you take the stairs up to the right, you end up at the internet cafe

If you take the stairs to the left, you end up at all the couches and chairs in midships

Up on Deck 8, there's a couple of lounge chairs for people

who want to get some sun

The dining room (this is the area we line up for our food)

And now...pictures of my new room...I just moved from a 6-berth to a 4-berth!

My roommates' bunk area is at the front of the room

(it's pretty empty now b/c they left for summer break)

This is the view when you first come in the room

(The picture above is behind the first curtain)

My little section of the room...gotta

love the bunk beds :)

Our lovely little bathroom...this is where we take our 2 minute "ship showers"

(well, most of the time anyway...there's not actually a timer)

The living room

Our view isn't amazing but I'm glad to

finally have a window!

I love the way the ship looks at night!