Getting into the Christmas Spirit

There are many traditions on a ship with 35 different countries represented . . . and then there are the traditions that are uniquely Mercy Ships. Every year around this time, the door decorating contest begins. The last few years it seems to have begun just before we sailed and then the judging occurs sometime during the sail, usually just before we get to the Canary Islands. The rules are simple - have the best decorated door (in categories of both office and personal cabins) using what you have around you, decoration can only be as big as the door, all materials can only be stuck up with sticky tack or magnets and cannot come more than 4 inches into the passage (I think this is new one - must have been some interesting decorating last year to make this necessary). I went around tonight to get some pictures.
Everyone gets involved: traditional, non-traditional, crazy creative, simple . . .

some multi-berth cabins (3, 4, 6 people):

family and couples cabins:

departments:

hostpital

HR and Ship Sales

Finance and Laundry Room

Even the Acadmey got involved!

High School and Office

Grade 2 and Grade 3

Grade 1 and Preschool

Oscar's Story

Here is a story about a young patient named Oscar who came to the Africa Mercy to have a cleft lip repaired. He is one of hundred of people in West Africa living with this very visible birth defect. Thank you to the communications department here onboard for the story!

Oscar Madohona: A New Smile
Cleft lip and palate abnormalities occur in approximately 1 in 700 live births. In developed countries, children typically receive corrective surgery before 18 months of age. Many medical professionals are involved in the child’s care – including surgeons, dentists, audiologists (hearing specialists), and speech therapists. Oscar Madohona had a cleft lip that remained unrepaired for ten years. He was born in West Africa, where a cleft abnormality can be a life-threatening condition. It is commonly believed that people with clefts are possessed by evil spirits. They are often discarded or abandoned by their families and communities.



Caring for a child with a cleft can be difficult. Emotionally, parents face rejection of themselves and the child by their community. Practically, they often aren’t equipped with the tools needed to assure that the baby is adequately fed. Oscar’s mother, Florentine, experienced these struggles. “When Oscar was born, some people thought the child was a bad spirit and said I should abandon him,” she said. “I thought he would die because I could not take care of him. I was scared I would not be able to feed him. But others encouraged me to try, so I gave everything to God. I trusted Him to help me take care of Oscar.” Florentine succeeded in meeting Oscar’s physical needs, but she could not protect him from emotional pain and rejection. “The other kids would tease and insult me. When they teased me, I felt very bad,” said Oscar. “Kids teased him to the point where he didn’t want to go to school,” added Florentine. “For a while, he stopped going. I felt a very, very big pain in my heart when people teased him.”
While living in Côte d'Ivoire, Florentine’s husband heard the Africa Mercy was performing free surgeries in Benin. At first, he was skeptical. But after further inquires, he realized it was true; there really was a hospital ship performing free surgeries. He sent Florentine and Oscar to meet the ship in Benin. Florentine, originally from Benin, remained skeptical. “Before I came to the ship, I was quarreling with my husband, saying, ‘No, because it’s a ship, because it’s free, it cannot be real.’ I was worried and scared,” she said. But when they came to the Africa Mercy, Florentine’s fears were relieved. What her husband had heard was actually true. Oscar received a free surgery and now has a restored smile. He no longer has to worry about being teased at school. “I am very happy now. I will tell the other kids at school what God has done for me,” said Oscar. Florentine is very grateful to everyone who helped in bringing healing to her son. “I am very happy; I cannot say enough. I hope that God blesses the nurses and the doctors for the work they have done. They have done a very great job for me and others. Thank you very much.”



Story by Megan Petock Edited by Nancy Predaina

Reflections

As we sailed away from Benin, I realized that writing on the blog has now become something of a need more than a desire. Sorry to anyone checking for updates that I have been so horrible with writing the last few months. I know I say it so often, but time has seemed to fly past since school started back up again. I now need to share some of the many things that have happened this year, both with Marcel and I and with Mercy Ships and patients, as soon we will have stories of different countries and friends.
Standing on the deck and watching the dock slowly slide away, it was one of those moments that is both exciting and sad. When looking through some stories and pictures tonight, I found a poem that a patient from Ghana had written about the Africa Mercy leaving Benin. Hope you enjoy. More stories to follow!

FARE WELL MY GREAT WHITE WHALE.
Alas the center’s candle is blown out
Soon the signs that points to the Port are broken
The paths that leads to the shore is blocked
They that make their wage in convoy to Novou are stilled and stopped
The days of the white whale’s rest are o’er
The time of your docking is spent
The season of your breeding is halted
Your coming, to some was heaven sent
To others it was a wish granted
But too soon it is to those who knows your worth and work
So sudden it is to those who wish in you to be healed
Soon the mouth that feeds from you will sing your fare well song
The hand that lend you help will wave you on
The soul that depended on you will wish you back
And the heart that stayed with you, only on your memories will stay and feed
But you, like any farer of the deep, your voyage must continue
Your search for souls to cut and heal lingers on
For many more awaits your coming
Many shores awaits the day of your rest
But now it’s time bid you fare well
It’s time to sing your departing song
It’s yet another time for your sons and daughters to go home
Some, never to be seen again
Some, never to walk the shores of the black pearls
Yet to others, a time to rest and regroup
All the souls you touched and healed
All the souls you cut and mend
Stands along the Novou shores
Visible and invisible
To wave and wish you well
In the still small voice of the shore wave
Hear their voices rise saying THANK YOU
For your time and toil
For your care and cause
For your mind and money
But most of all, for being a tool in the father’s hands
Through which He showed His love and care
To a world so lost and dark
Without love or hope
We those you touched and healed are eternally grateful
Thank you and fare thee well my great white whale.
From: Prince Eddie Daniels
To : The Mercy Ships

Zimi-Johns

I think everyone who comes to Benin at some point writes about the zimi-johns and I guess now is my turn.
Zimi-johns (not sure of that spelling - it seems to be different every time you ask a new person) are the most common public transport in Benin - some would call them motorcycles, others mopeds or motorbikes, I call them danger on two wheels :) The law in Benin says that a person must have license to drive a car, but anyone with the money to buy one can use a zimi-john - no license or training necessary. Because of this, it is estimated that there are over 80,000 in Contonou alone. Everytime you stop at a traffic light in the Mercy Ships LandRover, there is this sudden sea of motorbikes surrounding you on all sides. There are not really rules that everyone follows at the same time here (there are traffic laws and police, but there still seems to be some flexiblity in certain rules at certain places and times) so being surrounded by a sea of colorful motorbikes can be a little worrisome, trying to figure out where and when people are going to be turing, going straight or pulling over to the side of the road. Zimi-johns are also used as the local taxis here, with up to three adults squeezing onto the seat of the bike.
Although not something I plan on using an time soon (safety reasons - lots of accidents and burned legs from the exhaust pipe) they definitely lead to some interesting stories and pictures. There seems to be a contest at times about who has the best zimi-john story. So far, I have seen whole families (small child in front, dad, small child, mom with baby tied to back), women on the way to work looking very smart, men in suits and people moving furniture (wicker style couch balanced on the head on the man in the back about doubling the length of the motorbike). I have heard stories of a bundle of furniture roped up and then stuck on the back, a man with a cartons of drinks on the back, someone else moving a refrigerator -- always an adventure on the road. There is something beautiful, though, in the sea of colors and people moving down the road together. I wish I had better pictures, but I am trying to be good about not taking too many pictures of people without their permission while I pass them on the street. There are some people here who believe that the camera somehow affects their spirit, but moreso, I try to think about how would feel when some strange person in a big white car drove by taking my picture and posting it on the Internet. I don't know that any picture can really tell the whole story on this one anyway - just no way to capture the colors, sounds, smells and sights of driving down the road in Benin.

What God is Doing

Here on the Africa Mercy, we have a communication department that writes and puts pictures to stories about patients, crew members and different things happening with Mercy Ships. The following story was written by Carmen Radley - there are photos with the story, but I am having trouble getting them all onto the blog. For me, this story just reminds me how much love people have for one another and also how much God can change entire lives in a single day.

Darkness Lifting
For seven years, Genevieve has been the eyes for others. She gave birth to three children-two boys separated by a girl-all with cataracts in both eyes, preventing them from seeing anything but the most subtle shifts in light and shadow. Going anywhere has been an exercise in patience and strength for Genevieve-tying one-year-old Ricardo on her back with a piece of brightly-patterned cloth, taking seven-year-old Alexis by the hand, holding three-year-old Nadege by the arm-then guiding them up steps, though thresholds, and around potholes. For years, her eyes have been vigilant guards against danger-coal stoves sitting in the corners of rooms, containers of liquid that could scald or poison, and all the daily threats that could harm her children. "Because of the blindness, I must be with them all the day," Genevieve said. "Even if they are playing, I have to watch them. In everything, I have to be right beside them." Genevieve and her husband tried to get help for their children. They visited the hospital in Glazoue, the nearest city, but they had no means to pay for the expensive cataract surgeries. The physical toll of her children's blindness was heavy for Genevieve to bear. But the emotional strain was even more difficult, for Genevieve wondered what would become of her children in a country that makes no accommodations for blindness. Genevieve also struggled spiritually. "Why is it that all my children are blind?" she thought constantly. "What did I do to God for this to happen?" To make matters even worse, she heard people cruelly whisper, "It must be witchcraft or a curse-because three blind children in one family is too unlucky." Then hope surfaced when a man in their village offered to help. Andre Affedjou, a civil servant in Benin, and his friends sometimes assist people who cannot afford medical treatment. When they heard about Genevieve and her children, their hearts were touched. "Usually we find one blind child in one family or one handicapped child in one family, but three blind children for one family was too much," Andre said. He knew that if they did not get help, they would have a very bleak future and would be dependent on others of their entire lives. Andre said, "They will not have a chance to go to school because there is no blind school in the village. But if they receive their sight, it will be a great happiness." Andre heard about Mercy Ships on the radio and arranged transportation to Cotonou and housing for the family. They came to the ship the week before Easter-three happy children, laughing, using their fingers to "see" the toys the nurses handed them, and mimicking the foreign noises of the ship. Genevieve looked pensive-daring to hope, yet unsure that her solution had finally arrived. "I hope that the children will recover their sight," Genevieve said, "and they can go to school. I will be happy if my children can see my face and my husband's face." Ken Strauss, Eye Team Coordinator and wife of eye surgeon Dr. Glenn Strauss, said that the children arrived in good health-good enough to be operated on immediately. Often, children have to be nursed for a few days before their operations, usually due to dehydration or fevers or infections. She gave Genevieve credit for the children's good health and spirits. "She is such a wonderful mother," said Kim. "The kids are so happy. Even when they were blind, they were such happy little children." And their innate joy was evident in their infectious laughter, their giggling chatter, and their dimpled smiles that wandered the room without focus. They seemed to be designed to experience life and happiness to the fullest extent. The expectation for a successful surgery was the highest for three-year-old Nadege. She hadn't been blind long enough for permanent damage, yet her eyes were developed enough for the new lens to fit well. For congenital cataract procedures, children over the age of seven often have permanent damage because the optic nerve never developes, and the brain adjusts to blindness. This was a worry especially for Alexis. For baby Ricardo, the concern was that his eyes were not developed enough for the procedure and that the lens wouldn't fit correctly. The children all received their operations on the Thursday before Easter and spent a night with their eye patched. The next morning, the surgeons, operating room nurses, and Kim assembled for the exciting moment-it was time to remove the bandages. First they removed Nadege's. "When we got the bandages off," Kim recalls, smiling, "she grabbed the doll we were holding in front of her and said, 'Bebe, bebe.' So she knew what it was, and we knew she could see." Next was Alexis, who they feared wouldn't see as well. They put the toys on the floor. He looked around, walked straight up to Dr. Glenn, and took something he had in his hand. Finally, they removed Ricardo's bandages, and then promptly returned him to his mother's arms to calm him. For some time, he lay with his eyes squeezed shut. Finally he opened one eye and glanced around. Suddenly he saw something on his mother's shirt, and he reached up and grabbed it. "When he did that, we knew he could see, too," Kim says. "It's just like a miracle! Even to Dr. Glenn, to see their vision come back is still a miracle. For him, every operation is a prayer that their sight will improve, for them to be able to function, to get around and get into things, like kids are supposed to do. And when it happens, it's just fantastic." Now Genevieve's hopes are realized. Her children will see her face, and they will know their father by sight. They will go to school, She will see them holding hands and walking outside to play on their own. The burden she carried so faithfully and lovingly is gone! The darkness has lifted! "I am so happy," Genevieve simply says. "I am so happy, I cannot tell you how happy I am."

God is good - what more can I say.

Blood Brothers (or Sisters)

The other Friday night, I was paged to call the Laboratory - sounds scary, but everyone knows what that page means - they need blood.
We do not have a way to store blood here on the ship, but we have the next best thing - 350 people from all over the world with all different blood types just lining up to share their blood with someone (well, not really, sometimes it is like pulling teeth - pulling blood? . . . really hard to convince them to have someone shove a needle in their arm.) I am not sure how many people there are on the list, but we do several surgeries a day and there has not been a problem so far with getting blood when needed. Considering that Red Cross will most likely never let me donate again after living in West Africa, I like to do what I can now :)
In the two years I have been on the ship I think I have been called four or five times. It is different here on the ship - you do not give your blood to Red Cross knowing that someday it will be used, you know that it is being taken over to the other side of the ship and used within the next few hours. There is a feeling of connection, even if you do not know the patient personally, you know they are there and God is doing something in their life. Sometimes it is blood for a regular surgery, sometimes it is an emergency because someone has started to bleed during surgery, sometimes it is for a patient who is recovering, but is having trouble. But it is a different to know that there is an immediate need and you are helping to fill it.
So, if you ever come to Mercy Ship and stay for awhile, be ready! Someone out there may need your blood!

Abendessen beim Deutschen Botschafter

Freitag vor einer Woche sind wir als deutsche Crew vom deutschen Botschafter in Benin zum Abendessen in seine Residenz eingeladen worden. Dort hatten wir dann Gemeinschaft mit dem Botschafter und seinen Angestellten und haben dort einen schönen Abend verbracht. Elizabeth, als meine Frau, war natürlich ebenfalls mit dabei. Vor ein paar Monaten hatten uns der Botschafter und seine Angestellten an Bord besucht um das Schiff zu besichtigen und hatten Mittagessen zusammen.


Kommenden Samstag , am 4. Juli , feiert Amerika Independence Day , den Tag der Unabhängigkeit. Dazu hat die US Botschaft hier in Benin alle Amerikaner im Land zu einer Feier in die Botschaft eingeladen. Ich, als Elizabeth´s Mann , darf dann ebenfalls mitkommen. :-)

No News is Good News

Not really sure what to write about - nothing too exciting starting up lately.

Classes finished for the Academy on the 5th and last week was the last official work week - time to get things organized and get paperwork finished. I will be working this summer on getting our school library set up and ready for the fall. We have been working on it over the past year, but we were able to order about 500 new books this spring that need to be entered and ordered. I also will be going through old books, making sure everything is in order and getting a better picture of what all we have. It should take some time, but the organizer in me is looking forward to this summer and having things ready for the students in the fall.
Marcel has been busy with work and is also studying for some Mircosoft Certification tests that he is working on. He is looking at taking a series of about seven tests over the next year or so. He is much better than me at self-study - I tend to procrastinate when I am left to study on my own, but Marcel is really good about finding time in the evening or the weekends to get his studying done. He has taken (and passed) the first test and plans to take the next one around the end of the month.
I always like pictures in a blog, so I thought I put in this one of how nicely we clean up. There was a night last weekend when everyone had fun and got out the good clothes and make-up. We looked pretty good -- if I do say do myself ;)

Good-byes

Living on the Africa Mercy long term means that there are a lot of 'hellos' and many sad 'good-byes'. Depending on the month, there can be a hundred or so people coming and going - more leaving at the end of an outreach and more coming at the start. When Marcel and I came back to the ship in January after being gone about a month, it was amazing - I would walk around the ship or dining room and hardly recognize anyone. So many people we had come to know had returned home and new faces had arrived to take their place.

In school, we also have kids coming and going. The big change times are usually in the summer and in January, although you never know when someone might be allowed to come or need to go. This past December I had three girls return to their home countries with their families and one new student come to the ship in January. Sometimes you have not known the kids as long or have not worked with them enough to feel too much emotion at their leaving, but no matter what, it is one more time that you have to figure out how to say good-bye. Yesterday another one of my students left to go with her parent to work with Mercy Ships in Texas. I guess her leaving got me thinking of many of the people who I lived or worked with who are no longer here. On the one hand, it is pretty exciting to have people that I know all over the world, but on the other hand, it is hard to stay in touch and let people know that I am missing them at times, find out what is up in their lives and let them know what is going on in mine. For any former roommates, co-workers and friends who are reading this now, know that you are missed and I think of you often.

Many say that it is just a part of being with Mercy Ships, but that sure does not make the good-byes any easier. I think one of the first questions that people ask here on the ship is 'How long are you here?' and somehow, when I hear '4 weeks' I wonder how close I want to become to this person. Not that I am cruel or unwelcoming or never talk to them again, but there is a different feeling in the short term and long term relationships. It is hard to invest time, self and energy into a relationship you know may not continue in three weeks. I think the hardest good-byes are the people who are here for a year or longer. These are the people or kids that you took the time with, talked to and found out more about them, but still are leaving before you are and so you get to say good-bye again.

Ausflug am Wochenende

Vor mehreren Wochen an einem Samstag sind wir mit ein paar Leuten zu einem See außerhalb von Cotonou gefahren und haben dort den Tag auf einem Sonnendeck verbracht. Einfach eine schöne Art zu relaxen nach einer Arbeitswoche an Bord.

Die Anlage , Bab's Dock genannt, liegt wie schon erwähnt an einem See, und es ist nur per Boot zu erreichen. Man faehrt zu einer kleinen Anlegestelle, die man per Landrover
erreichen kann. Dort wird man dann per Boot abgeholt und fährt durch eine schöne Mangrovenlandschaft bis man dann auf den See hinausfährt. Auf der anderen Seite ist dann das Bab's Dock , geführt von einem Belgischen Ehepaar. Auf dem Sonnendeck sind Matten vorhanden wo man sich in die Sonne oder im Schatten hinlegen kann. Auch gibt es Hängematten und man kann auch dort was Essen und Trinken, im See baden oder kayaken.

Einfach eine schoene Möglichkeit zum ausspannen.

Beim Einstieg ins Boot.

Durch den Mangrovensumpf.

Auf dem Bab's Dock.

Auf dem See.

'La Boutique'

Here on the Africa Mercy we have this great little room down on Deck 2, tucked away in a corner, warm and stuffy and full of stuff just waiting to find a new home. It is like the Mercy Ships equivalent to a second hand store, but even better because everything is free - like a big swap-shop.





I don't know when the tradition of 'The Boutique' started, but it is a place that almost everyone on the ship visits at some point and leaves with hands full of stuff that they did not even know they needed :) Pillows, plates, clothing, pictures, lotions, shampoo - if there is something you need, the first place to look is down on Deck 2. People have a tendency to collect things over the time they are here, but when they go to pack their two bags to go home, they realize how much they have to leave behind - the African dress that you thought looked so good here, but you realize you will never wear anywhere else, the half bottle of good quality shampoo that is too heavy to pack, the book that you brought along, read and now don't need anymore, an old pair of shoes, the lotions that someone gave to you, the odd plate and mug that you collected over your time here - it all adds up.
I have to say that I did not visit so often at first, but after a couple good finds, I was hooked. Now, most days I am wearing something that came from down on Deck 2. It is fun to 'go shopping' and pick up something that you would never buy usually because you know that everything is free and if it doesn't work, you can always take it back down and someone else is sure to be able to use it. It is easy to take chances with colors or styles when you know that it is not costing anything.

Feueralarmübungen an Bord

Auf einem Schiff gehören Feueralarmübungen zum Leben an Bord dazu. Auch hier auf der Africa Mercy haben wir regelmäßig Feueralarm- und Brandschutzübungen. Dabei haben wir mehrere Feuerwehrteams an Bord gebildet, die im Brandfall an Ort und Stelle sind.

Ich bin selber in einem der Feuerwehrteams an Bord. Meine Aufgabe nennt sich "BA Control" , dass heißt ich überprüfe und überwache den Druck in den Sauerstoffflaschen der Feuermänner in meinem Team. Ich schreibe die Werte auf, bevor die Männer in die Gefahrenzone gehen, um das Feuer zu löschen, un schaue dabei auf die Uhr. Wenn die Zeit abläuft , dann gebe ich Bescheid, so daß die Männer wieder herausgerufen werden, um die Sauerstofflaschen gegen neue auzutauschen.

In den regelmäßigen Übungen spielen wir dann verschiedene Szenarien durch. Wenn der erste Alarm, der Feueralarm, läutet versammeln sich die Feuerwehrteams an ihren Muster Stationen. Dabei schaue ich in unserem Team, daß alle Leute da sind und gebe diese Information an die Muster Kontrolle per Telefon weiter. Dann werden wir zu der Gefahrenzone geschickt und wir versuchen das Feuer zu löschen. Kurze Zeit später ertönt dann der "General Crew Alarm", das bedeutet das Schiff wird evakuiert. Das heisst die gesamte Crew versammelt sich dann draussen am Dock. Wenn wir auf See sind , dann ist es etwas anders, dann versammelt sich die Crew oben an Deck bei den Rettungsbooten mit Rettunsgwesten.

Diese Übungen dienen als Training für uns als Feuerteams für den Ernstfall und auch für Crew, damit jeder weiss was im Nofall zu tun ist.

Running

So we have started again . . . the sweating, the sore muscles, braving the heat to head out a few times a week to run :)

When we first started dating, I think Marcel grew tired of hearing me say that I was going to go out and run and finding out later that it never happened, so he started running with me. Nothing crazy, I don't think we really even run more than 2-3 miles, but at about 10 minute mile in West African heat, it can be a good workout. We got Marcel running shoes at Christmas in 2007 and have been trying to be good about getting out since then. Ran in our first race together this past New Year's Eve in Ohio. We had registered the week before and the weather seemed good the days before - even went out the 30th and had a good run around the neighborhood. Woke up on the 31st to a foot of snow and freezing temperatures. We decided to go for it and although we were a little numb and sore at the end, it was nice to do - 5km in about 35 minutes.



Liberia was great for running because, although a little boring, we could run on the dock and then out to the gate (and back) which was about a mile. Running on the dock meant that we had to worry less about cars and people and attracting attention. Here in Benin, we have a dock, but it is more busy with cars and motorcycles coming back and forth, so it is not a good for running. We try to wait until after dark because there seems to be less traffic and less heat :)





A couple weeks ago there was a 'Benin Half Marathon' but we decided to skip it. I don't know, maybe if it was in a couple months from now we might have had a chance, but we just started running again here in Benin, the heat is horribe from 7.00-11.00 in the morning and who knows what the conditions (water, toilets, registering) would be like. We heard later that people did have to buy their own water because the race organizers ran out - luckily there are always people selling things along the side of the road. We'll have to see what our next race will be :)

The Rain Storm

Yesterday it rained for the first time since we got here. I know that in two months or so we will probably be sick of the rain and complaining, but yesterday was actually really nice. The kids were so excited when they saw the rain, although it did end up in a storm which got a couple of them a little worried that the boat was going to sink. The wind picked up enough to be blowing things around on Deck 8 and even moving the plastic playhouse on Deck 7. When we went out for playtime it had slowed down a bit, but it was still wet and raining a bit which added a new element to our play. Instead of being wet from sweat, we were wet from rain. I have not been in a rainy season since last August, so it is an interesting feeling to be starting it again.

One little one, on coming out shouted 'Our first rain in Benin!' A few moments later, a boy from England turns to me and says 'This is just like England . . . it rains every day and every minute there!' He seemed quite excited by this thought though - maybe it was a little taste of home to cheer him up - a big, loud rain storm.

The air conditioning has not been working the way it should the last couple days, which was actually a blessing in bringing 8 wet kids in from outside. I think we would have frozen if the air was actually working properly. We got out blankets and pillows anyhow and had a few moments warm rest while we listed to 'Green Eggs and Ham' on a CD. It was funny to see two kids try to share a blanket. They were all big enough, but somehow a couple seemed to have the same problem Marcel and I have some nights with one person ending up with all the blanket - usually the one fighting for the covers is the one who has them all and does not realize it. Sandy and I were laughing to see two different pairs of kids acting like old married people.

The Cabin Mix-Up

So to regress a little bit, there was a story when we returned to the ship that I never told. As I am on a role with blog entries, I will try to get it down now before I forget again :)

Marcel and I had a great time away from the ship in December and January, but by the time the end of January rolled around, I think we were ready to come back. This is our home now, a place that we both feel comfortable and our third 'family' is here.

Well, I was expecting at least an exciting hug when we came into reception, but it seemed as if everyone was out and the receptionist was new and did not know us as well -- of course. So, she got our paperwork out and began to check us in and get us our cabin keys. Now before we had left, we had figured out what cabin we would be in -- before we had even got engaged we had asked about a couple's cabin and been told that one would be waiting for us. So the receptionist hands me a key and says 'Cabin 4211. Should be set up for you.' Now it took me a few seconds to realize why that number sounded familiar - not because that was the couple's cabin we had seen before we left, but rather because it was the number of the woman's 4-berth cabin I had just left. I thought for a moment and then told her I thought she had the wrong number. She looked down at the list given her by Human Resource Department and says 'No, I don't think so, Marcel is listed there as well . . .' At this point Marcel and I both started laughing. Luckily I was able to run down to Deck 4 and find that the cabin we had been assigned before we left was 4319 (and the door was decorated for us) and the receptionist had no trouble giving us the keys to our real cabin. Otherwise it would have made for an interesting first night back -- not only was Marcel assigned to a woman's cabin, they had already moved someone into the bed that I had been using before, so there would have been five women and one man in a cabin made for four women . . . interesting is the only word for it. I am also glad that we were not new to the ship. I cannot image what it would have been like to never have been on the ship before and then to walk down to a cabin, not having any idea what to expect and being greeted by 4 women and no bed. Who do you talk to about that?

Good for a Laugh

So I thought I would try to share some of the things the kids have said recently. Because my memory for the exact is not that great, some will be paraphrasing, but hopfully you will get the idea and be able to laugh along.

Being a Mommy
The theme of this story seems to be an on-going one now that I am married. Last September when Marcel and I announced that we were engaged, a mom (a fellow teacher) told her daughter the next morning - the reply "She's going to be a mommy!?" The rest of the girls were content with my saying that I had a 'princess ring' and that I would get to wear a 'princess dress' when I got marrried and did not push too much past that. The little girl continues to ask about being a mommy, but I think the best was a few weeks ago at snack.
"Miss Elizabeth, are you a mommy yet?"
"No, I got married and I am a wife."
"But are you a mommy?"
"No, when you get married, you become a wife and you have a husband, but you do not have to be a mommy. Marcel and I are husband and wife. Later I will be a mommy."
"Later like tomorrow?"
"No. I am only a wife right now - that is what I want to be right now, I will be a mommy later when I have a baby."
"Later like tomorrow."
"No, later like when you are in first grade."
"But that's a long time."

The next day, a different girl who had also been at the table for the 'pregnant tomorrow conversion' was sitting on my lap facing me while we were playing outside. Her mom is pregnant right now and starting to show more the last few weeks. The girl looked at my shirt and asked "Is there a baby in your tummy?" -- poking at the lump that was my belt buckle. I told her no and lifted up my shirt a little to show her, but she proceeded to poke at the little fat that is there and said that she thought there was a baby there. At that point I picked up her shirt gave her a tummy tickle and told her that her belly looked more like it had a baby in it. Luckily, she laughed and changed the subject then.

Comments from the Peanut Gallery
The morning we sailed into the harbor here in Benin, we had actually started school already, so I had the whole group out at the rail on Deck 7. I was trying to keep them occupied (as there was not so much happening) by asking them what they could see in the water. Some were saying they could see fish, octopus, trash, dirt, etc when one looks down and says, "I see cholorea in the water!!" I thought I had hear wrong - how did a four year old know about cholorea? - so I asked him to say again what he had see. "I see cholorea in the water!" His mom was nearby, so I had to ask. She said that he had had many shots before coming and they had talked about what they all were for. Although it helped with the understanding, it still was an interesting comment.

A different day, we discussing where the paper train we had made would stop. One boy spoke up and said that he wanted the train to stop at the IOC - this is the Mercy Ships base in Texas where everything is run. OK, I thought, we'll call that a stop at an office in Texas. The next boy speaks up and says "I want the train to stop at the IRS." After I stopped laughing, I asked him if he knew what the IRS was. "An office," he said simply. I still do not know if he really had a clue what he was talking about or where he had heard that, but it did make for a good laugh. Our train was pretty magical - it stopped in Texas, the IRS, England, South Africa, Italy and Benin.

In Benin

So, jetzt wird es endlich Zeit , dass ich hier auch etwas in Deutsch reinschreibe. :) Ich versuche nun ab sofort , wie meine Frau Elizabeth auch, ebenfalls jede Woche etwas hier reinzuschreiben.

Elizabeth hat ja unten schon ueber das Screening berichtet. Ich war an einem Nachmittag der beiden Tage dort als Fahrer eingesetzt. Das heisst meine Aufgabe war Crew und gegebenfalls Equipment von der Halle zum Schiff und wieder zurueck zu transportieren. Da bin ich dann besonders zum Ende des Screening Tages hin und her gefahren.
Autofahren in Cotonou ist sehr herausfordernd, mehr als es in Liberia war. Zwar gibt es hier Verkehrsregeln wie Schilder und Ampeln, die mehr oder weniger beachtet und eingehalten werden. Auch der Strassenzustand ist viel besser, keine oder nur wenige Loecher. Aber ... Hier gibt sehr viele Motorradfahrer, viel viel mehr als Autofahrer und sie fahren kreuz und quer, schneiden einen usw. Daher muss man sehr vorsichtig fahren. An einer Ampel beispielsweise kann es passieren , dass man ploetzlich von Motorraedern umringt ist.

Wir starten wir allmaehlich wieder , wie im letzten Einsatz, den Jesus-Film nach dem Evangelium von Lukas hier in Cotonou und Umgebung an verschiedenen Orten zu zeigen. Dies ist der Dienst, wo ich mich ausserhalb meines Jobs an Bord engagieren werde. Letzten Dienstag abend waren wir das erste Mal draussen. Leider hat die Fahrt zu dem Ort laenger gedauert als erwartet , so dass wir erst nach 20 Uhr den Film starten konnten. Da wir um 22:30 wieder an Bord zurueck sein muessen , konnten wir nur etwas ueber eine Stunde den Film zeigen. Den zweiten Teil muessen wir dann kommenden Dienstag zeigen. Dabei zeigen wir den Film in der Landessprache Franzoesisch oder in einer der lokalen Afrikanischen Sprachen je nach Ort. Werde zu dieser Arbeit dann in Zukunft immer mal wieder etwas schreiben.

Screening

A few weeks ago, for two days, several thousand people crowded to the Musem de Arts in Cotonou, Benin seeking help for a whole range of medical problems. They gathered because they had heard that Mercy Ships was coming and offering free medical care. For several months before the 18th of February, posters, radio ads and word of mouth had been spreading the news.

This is a normal start to most outreaches for Mercy Ships. In order to have patients who come to the ship, first we must find them (or better said, that God would find them and get them to us). It can be a day full of joy for some and disappoint for others. When the word of free medical care goes out, people can come with everything from a headace to cancer to children with disabilities. Everyone is just hoping for the right word and healing for their problem. The day is called 'screening' because it is just that -- trying to find as many people to help as we can but also recommending patients for other hospitals or clinics in the area who could help them better or offering prayer and support if the problem is beyond our power to help (but never beyond God's). For the many that we can help with problems like bowed legs, cateracts, non-cancerous tumors/growths, VVF, clubbed feet, burn scars it is a day of joy as they receive their card that allows them to come back to the ship later in the year for treatment.

For the the two days, starting at 3.30 in the morning on the first day, most of the Africa Mercy crew made trips back and forth in the heat to help with everything that needed to be done. The hospital staff was busy with the medical side of things - taking histories, making decisions about who we could help, taking blood to test for any unseen problems, giving vitamins, etc. The rest of the crew was working in security/crowd control, passing out water (and bread at mid-day), prayer stations, kid-care (for all those bored children who spent hours waiting) and driving people back and forth from the ship. Everyone working together (and God's help) helped to have two days that went very smoothly and thousands of people moving through the hall.

Please be praying throughout our time in Benin (until the end of November) for the patients. Pray that they would make it back to the ship when they need to - there would be no problems with transportation or fear of the unknown. Pray that they would remain as healthy as possible so they will be strong for their surgery. Pray that we will be able to minister to their hearts as well as their bodies with our love and actions. Pray also for the patients that are still out there that God needs to show us still - pray that there will be a connection made a help given.