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.

The Couple's Cabin

Many single people here on the ship joke that they want to find someone to marry so they can move into a couple's cabin. Although not the best reason to get married :) the cabin you have as a married couple is definitely a plus.

For two people, there is a double bed, two closets, small kitchenette, a computer desk with shelves, a sofa and a small bathroom. Most single cabins have 4-6 people living in the same amount of space. Looking at the space I have now, I wonder how I lived in a space a third of the size with half a closet and a bunkmate for over a year. The grace of God is an amazing thing! -- Of course, I had great bunkmates then too :) Thank you for putting up with me Shayla and Joanna!

Anyhow thought everyone might like to see some pictures of our first 'home'. Enjoy!