tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65729540956842529892024-03-19T04:35:43.456-07:00Africa meets DanielleD-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-65894909726263673972013-05-11T01:43:00.000-07:002013-05-11T01:45:08.062-07:00Satisfying the heart<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRoTkWuXphW44CjxK-p6RSFYtmy1oXJxrWkqj2NHLxhw1hJD8DfB0f99tKUIoAhr-v7vPBhWeUL8gLEy-Qbt4GVCx4FsI-TQ3gJHkareG316zqjtbl9A36luTpmXF_FEE5FmGOHENP1M/s1600/IMG_1557.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRoTkWuXphW44CjxK-p6RSFYtmy1oXJxrWkqj2NHLxhw1hJD8DfB0f99tKUIoAhr-v7vPBhWeUL8gLEy-Qbt4GVCx4FsI-TQ3gJHkareG316zqjtbl9A36luTpmXF_FEE5FmGOHENP1M/s320/IMG_1557.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>2 ½ months onboard the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Africa
Mercy </i>is not nearly enough to satisfy a heart craving to see hundreds of
lives changed and hearts renewed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it
does serve to quench the thirst a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was hard for me to leave when so many of the patients I was caring for were
still in the midst of healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hated
knowing that I wouldn’t be there to see their skin grafts all healed and the
function that they would gain from their newly changed limb or face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I knew that I was leaving them in very
skilled and qualified hands who would update me on the outcomes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All this said, it really wasn’t too difficult
to leave the ship because I was so excited for what was coming ahead!</div>
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5 days before Dogara and I left Guinea on our way to Sierra
Leone and Nigeria, we had a nice night out in celebration of his last day
working on the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the past few
weeks, we were both very feeling very tired of our time in Guinea; tired of the
political difficulties in Guinea, tired of long work days, and tired of him
living off the ship and me on the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So celebrating his last day of work was a nice sigh of relief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We dressed up nice and went for a drink at an
open air- ocean side garden restaurant called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fugu-Fugu-Faga-Faga.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Great
name, huh?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a nice and relaxing
place to sit and talk and debrief our time in Guinea and look forward to our
trips to Sierra Leone and Nigeria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
enjoying the warm breeze and each other’s company, it was time to start heading
back to the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked along the
ocean until we came to a soccer field that sat on the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had never been there before, so we decided
to go in and explore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dogara’s roommate was
also with us at the time, walking around snapping picture, trying out his new
camera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a few minutes, we stood at
the side of the field by the ocean, and Dogara suddenly started talking real
serious and saying extremely nice things about me and our relationship... I was
starting to wonder if he was feeling alright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then I realized what was happening—in this perfect place, with this
perfect man—was about to be a perfect moment that I would never forget. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I soaked in every detail of the moment as he
got down on 1 knee and asked me that fateful question, “will you marry me?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Yes, of course!” was my ecstatic response as
his roommate started snapping shots left and right!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at the soccer field pre-proposal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bnE-q3Yn92DX9vlaYlO0-pZXU9Q1bnzany2iWMBGPVb8iQRntSIHCoTBCss-Cfk9YnIhrUMONZxSiuQbtgFq4WNC3uISz5XsjJOnUpnm5sIbOAo51mGiArU8OO6NLxXnlx-AO8JZ9Fs/s1600/DSCF0036.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bnE-q3Yn92DX9vlaYlO0-pZXU9Q1bnzany2iWMBGPVb8iQRntSIHCoTBCss-Cfk9YnIhrUMONZxSiuQbtgFq4WNC3uISz5XsjJOnUpnm5sIbOAo51mGiArU8OO6NLxXnlx-AO8JZ9Fs/s320/DSCF0036.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wondering why he is talking so serious...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The moment of truth</td></tr>
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It was that beautiful moment that every girl looks forward
to and I couldn’t have asked for a better story to tell. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had discussed our relationship and future extensively
over the few months before this, and God had made it very clear to us that
marriage was the next step, so I had been anxiously hoping and waiting for this
moment, and couldn’t have planned for a better time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked
him later if he was nervous, and he said no, nothing could make him nervous again
after having the “discussion” with my dad on the phone!<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">post-proposal</td></tr>
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5 days later we left for Sierra Leone to visit some of my
old friends and favorite places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After 1
week there we flew to Nigeria to spend a month with his family and friends
celebrating the Big News with all of them, and on June 1<sup>st</sup> I will be
flying home to celebrate with all of YOU!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">early morning departure from ship</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyn4InLKGcI1_Shg2hcjUOCK_1GbJGERbdnrsu0Lms4iuqhL-oDEd4Tb5DbnMMUS1XXD_cNqSQmR3vImoEl-6mq9jdqPaIZpItHb_TNCZ8FueSxDfjedeTJrYrOgnzrGqGxhgvZajAc8I/s1600/IMG_1566.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyn4InLKGcI1_Shg2hcjUOCK_1GbJGERbdnrsu0Lms4iuqhL-oDEd4Tb5DbnMMUS1XXD_cNqSQmR3vImoEl-6mq9jdqPaIZpItHb_TNCZ8FueSxDfjedeTJrYrOgnzrGqGxhgvZajAc8I/s320/IMG_1566.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying our friends wedding in Sierra Leone</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">visiting with old friends in Sierra Leone</td></tr>
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<i>I have some serious prayer requests this time that I earnestly
ask you all to help me with:</i></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> - </span></span></span>We have applied for a fiancé visa so that we can
get married in the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not easy for
West African’s to get visas to the States, but we are confident that our
relationship is designed and encouraged by God and by His grace we will get the
visa!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ask for your prayers in this,
especially for a speedy process!</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> - </span></span></span>Also pray for wedding plans to come together
smoothly, as there is a lot of unknown as to when we will get the visa, and
once it is granted we have 3 months to get married!</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span>- Last but not least, pray for our relationship-
that we will not get bogged down with concerns about the visa process and all
the logistics of the situation, but that we can continue to grow and remember why
we are doing all of this!</div>
<br />D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-42756856796018060692013-04-01T04:48:00.000-07:002013-04-01T04:48:10.023-07:00"Jesus Wept."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <i>Bringing hope and healing</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlRsURowqS9xCCatpcjRu_ls1wxIOdAKq-ntXCg4LQg_NJB4Qtjpk149vnSSG4SOz0DPfkmpT731H3IotovC0Z9gZnPihs3Xl90N5cM4IWu1WmbW-zbMcC2Dl7RbAkU0VtEmtaiNnfvw/s1600/GNC130311_SCREENING_PLASTICS_DB0003_LO.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlRsURowqS9xCCatpcjRu_ls1wxIOdAKq-ntXCg4LQg_NJB4Qtjpk149vnSSG4SOz0DPfkmpT731H3IotovC0Z9gZnPihs3Xl90N5cM4IWu1WmbW-zbMcC2Dl7RbAkU0VtEmtaiNnfvw/s320/GNC130311_SCREENING_PLASTICS_DB0003_LO.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screening day: This boy is having surgery on his eye and hand</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60Ugf_ix91hodvnsOfdMZEMo7APHcNv3abOk1F1NEQqwa5ZwZTHiPOYCkD42nI9mO4fzni3fG-l7Y7NfWF9ISpqyngogQma7917RT10VHPWGMSX8GQtH3vapJb7Mcjizjnr5-9qG4NLk/s1600/GNC130311_SCREENING_PLASTICS_DB0016_LO.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60Ugf_ix91hodvnsOfdMZEMo7APHcNv3abOk1F1NEQqwa5ZwZTHiPOYCkD42nI9mO4fzni3fG-l7Y7NfWF9ISpqyngogQma7917RT10VHPWGMSX8GQtH3vapJb7Mcjizjnr5-9qG4NLk/s320/GNC130311_SCREENING_PLASTICS_DB0016_LO.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This hand belongs to the young boy pictured above</td></tr>
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2 weeks ago, I finally started the job that I came here for, and the job that I love oh so much-- dressing changes! Plastic surgery has started, which means lots of skin grafts and complicated, delicate dressing changes! I love wound are of all types, but skin grafts are near the top of the list. They require a lot of patience and precision; it's an art really, to wrap it just perfectly so that the new skin is properly protected, but yet has enough freedom to move and do therapy exercises. It's similar to the relationship my sister and I have with painting-- I am very careful and precises to be sure that the whole wall is perfectly covered with no streaks, splatters, or bumps on the floor, ceiling, or trim-- similar to doing a skin graft dressing change! Nicole, on the other hand likes to use fast, dripping brush-fulls of paint, no matter where it lands: floor, ceiling, dog, mom..-- similar to doing a quick patch job on some road-rash before shipping to the hospital. Needless to say, I don't think Nicole would be cut out for my job!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0sL11e9vthuVsKJPFbFPkhHzb_yNHLuAB8yrNsMf6SSP6ooncTm9EAbaJog8uE8atjU9l5-RCGSn6rQAJ5p8slr1Q0LTwBNhPI3iJqxJ0OXb_GNPf3-o_BssY33HiFNwxZepk3yMDPMM/s1600/GNC130311_PLASTICS_SCREENING_DAY_MM0004_LO.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0sL11e9vthuVsKJPFbFPkhHzb_yNHLuAB8yrNsMf6SSP6ooncTm9EAbaJog8uE8atjU9l5-RCGSn6rQAJ5p8slr1Q0LTwBNhPI3iJqxJ0OXb_GNPf3-o_BssY33HiFNwxZepk3yMDPMM/s320/GNC130311_PLASTICS_SCREENING_DAY_MM0004_LO.jpg" width="212" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my dear english-speaking patients on screening </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">day</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The first 2 weeks were refreshing, doing what I loved and teaching other people the delicate art as well. Then after 2 weeks it's time to start pulling out K-wires. If you rewind to 1 1/2 years ago, I also talked about pulling K-wires while in Sierra Leone. A K-wire is a metal rod that holds a joint still so that the graft has time to heal. I like pulling them, but I don't like the pain and torture I cause the patients by doing it! I usually just pull it out, whether they are screaming or crying-- just like a bandaid- you just have to do it! Sometimes nurses would cry after pulling out K-wires and I would think to myself, "what a weakling! have some backbone, don't be a baby!" Last week I pulled 4 wires out of a girl named Nancy*. She is 24 years old, and even after a hefty dose of valium to relax her, she screamed bloody murder, told me I was killing her, and had to have 3 people holding her back. It took an hour, and by the time I pulled the last one, she was off the chair, swinging at me and screaming. I left the room while the others patched her up and calmed her down. I went into the ward to ask the nurse to get her some pain medication, and when the nurse asked me how it went, I instantly started crying. I went out into the hallway and tried to control myself but the heaving sobs kept coming uncontrollably. A small 8 year old patient from the ward was walking by and started petting me and hugging me trying to console me. <br />
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It was a strange feeling, I had no idea how much it had affected me. It's not a good feeling- to torture somebody. And I now fall into the category of weak-sauce nurses!<br />
<br />It is currently Easter season, so the story of Jesus' journey to the cross is fresh on my mind. Jesus went through so much pain and torture, both physical and emotional on his way to the cross. He was beaten and mocked and had the ultimate torture of dying on a cross. Before his trial, Jesus said, <span class="text Matt-26-38" id="en-NIV-24093"> <span class="woj">“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." (Mat 26:38) When Jesus was lead to Golgotha to be crucified, he was beaten, had his clothes stripped from him, thorns put on his head by the soldiers, yet he never showed any anger or vengeance against them. And when all is said and done, and Jesus was sitting on his heavenly throne- if those soldiers asked for his forgiveness, he would give it without question, even after all the torture they put him through.</span></span><br />
<span class="text Matt-26-38" id="en-NIV-24093"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Matt-26-38" id="en-NIV-24093"><span class="woj">I was reminded of this amazing forgiveness when I went back into the ward an hour later to see Nancy. I was so afraid that she would hate me forever and never understand why I caused her so much pain. But when I walked into the ward, she called me over to where she was sitting on her bed, she gave me a thumbs up and then hugged me. I could have cried all over again! I was so thankful that she could see through the pain and understand that I wasn't trying to hurt her, that I really cared about her. </span></span><br />
<span class="text Matt-26-38" id="en-NIV-24093"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text Matt-26-38" id="en-NIV-24093"><span class="woj">It's not always easy to help people, and sometimes you have to cause them pain in order to give them healing. Thank goodness we have a God who is merciful and gives healing when it is most needed!</span></span><br />
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<i><span class="text Matt-26-38" id="en-NIV-24093"><span class="woj">Some of my patients: </span></span></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPS2ghR3lIn4lNhJ3_0XFgvCqxXa5eQEnfDF6RRTMcymsV4zbl6UJzr_3Q_GbXPpUNLZvBUhHnodInSvo_kIE_TX8Xx6L8Bu3Fj3SgwJAP5CwipCk34zPvTsRAJKjCO4THSNiW03tnjTc/s1600/GNC130312_PAT18577_Asumaro_MM0008_LO.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPS2ghR3lIn4lNhJ3_0XFgvCqxXa5eQEnfDF6RRTMcymsV4zbl6UJzr_3Q_GbXPpUNLZvBUhHnodInSvo_kIE_TX8Xx6L8Bu3Fj3SgwJAP5CwipCk34zPvTsRAJKjCO4THSNiW03tnjTc/s320/GNC130312_PAT18577_Asumaro_MM0008_LO.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This
young woman was burnt due to an accident during an epileptic seizure.
She and I had a dance party last week when I left the bandage off her
leg because her wound was healed!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLM55LTkn_FW9r70Iiz4sR5V0zCdsnQ12VKQa4PG28JAUrxT05H7nSJEtIkyEc_UevlD8VrJIz_HIIN58HvpxFpfsmTxh9qNoO72tEFK-ceYQg4L5AA3_c4SbMUUgjfxLfUKPJrjj4KvE/s1600/GNC130311_SCREENING_PLASTICS_DB0070_LO.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLM55LTkn_FW9r70Iiz4sR5V0zCdsnQ12VKQa4PG28JAUrxT05H7nSJEtIkyEc_UevlD8VrJIz_HIIN58HvpxFpfsmTxh9qNoO72tEFK-ceYQg4L5AA3_c4SbMUUgjfxLfUKPJrjj4KvE/s320/GNC130311_SCREENING_PLASTICS_DB0070_LO.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This
sweet lady is from very far up-country and is one of the sweetest,
strongest women I know. She smiles at me every time I pull a staple out
of her and never shows any fear or pain.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span class="text Matt-26-38" id="en-NIV-24093"><span class="woj">A few pictures from the ward, post surgery with all of their splints and bandages, which I change for them everyday! </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a good lookin baker I know!</td></tr>
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<u><b>Prayer requests this week:</b></u><br />
- quick healing for all the patients, and <i>pain free</i> dressing changes!<br />
- healing for 3 of our patients who are struggling with infections<br />
- for my upcoming travel to Sierra Leone and Nigeria in 2 weeks!D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-55602617114392855322013-03-13T09:49:00.002-07:002013-03-13T09:53:09.592-07:00Be Strong and Courageous<br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78kFBuEWzq-udDKSaGkQtplZZ3hPBnCRVw-xq272y_N4vPyoVR_fVz1Snxcw6jtISwRtYzQeHN60NjmBz9si4jxagTpYjl7SxEgGOFZ0sEkNlBQvxNznIZkqitO7QR4MKcFTnHEoDkbs/s1600/GNC130220_B_WARD_MM0004_LO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" psa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78kFBuEWzq-udDKSaGkQtplZZ3hPBnCRVw-xq272y_N4vPyoVR_fVz1Snxcw6jtISwRtYzQeHN60NjmBz9si4jxagTpYjl7SxEgGOFZ0sEkNlBQvxNznIZkqitO7QR4MKcFTnHEoDkbs/s320/GNC130220_B_WARD_MM0004_LO.jpg" width="320" /></a>“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear, for it is the <span class="sc">Lord</span> your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The need for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">courage</i> is a theme that has been reoccurring several times over the past month as I watch and care for my patients.</div>
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When I first arrived to the ship, I was working with the VVF women who had had surgery 2 weeks prior, and were just finishing healing and treatment before going home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last April I also worked with VVF, stands for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vesico-vaginal-fistula.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>VVF is a complication of child birth where a women who has no access to medical care labors for days or even weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Normally in a developed country a women in obstructed labor would have a C-section and be fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But here in West Africa, these women have so much trauma from the pressure of the baby who is literally<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> stuck</i> inside of them, that they end up with tissue damage which causes them to leak urine and/or feces constantly for the rest of their life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are usually left by their husbands and banished from their village due to their foul smell and forced to fend for themselves, alone, for the rest of their lives.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">VVF dress ceremony celebration for the "dry" women</td></tr>
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When I arrived on the ship in February, most of the women who had healed properly had already had their joyful party and gone home to celebrate and rejoin their communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The women who were still on the ship were mostly failed surgeries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a very difficult surgery, and there is such a small amount of tissue area to work with that sometimes the fistula can’t be fixed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I talk about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">courage</i>, these women are a shining example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have come to the reality that they have to go back and face their communities- still leaking urine and feces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite their devastating news, the women continued to be joyful and uplifting on the ward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would sing and dance, give the biggest, most loving hugs every time you started your shift, and never let their circumstances affect their kindness towards others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though many of them weren’t Christian, they were truly a reflection of Christ in His love for others despite his grim future of death on a cross.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A normal day on the ward, with patients, nurses, and translators</td></tr>
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I saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">courage</i> portrayed again during our screening day for patients for plastic surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our plastic surgeon is now here (yay!) so we saw about 50 possible patients with issues need skin grafting such as burn contractures or large tumor removals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of these patients came from very far, traveling for days to get here just for the chance that they might receive surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only that, but some of them have such large deformities that they probably never enter the public eye for fear of mocking and ridicule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they have learned to hide it so well with scarves around their neck, or draped over one eye to cover large tumors, or long skirts to cover bent legs or deformed feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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On screening day I was working to go over each patient’s paperwork and to help move patients from the waiting area in to see the surgeon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was encouraging to see their transformation from sitting in the waiting area with down cast eyes, looking tired and scared and unsure of their decision to come to the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After they see the surgeon they have a long waiting time again, not knowing if they will be accepted for surgery or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the long, hot day we start handing out appointment cards and instructing the patients when to come for surgery and it is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">incredible</i> to see how they change from fear to joy as they find out they are going to have surgery and hopefully have an miraculous change in their life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">courage</i> it took these patients to decide to come out of hiding and take a chance on a life changing surgery is inspiring.</div>
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Now that plastic surgeries have just started, I will be working on the dressing change team doing the dressing changes on all of the skin graft surgeries every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We started already this week and have done a few dressing changes on hands and legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hardest part about doing a dressing change is the pain and fear that we inflict on a person!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember last year in Togo while I was doing a dressing change on a young boy, my friend came in to watch and when the boy started screaming and crying he got a sour look on his face and left immediately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afterwards I asked him why he left, and he said, “It made me nauseous to watch you torture that little boy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can you do that?!”<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The first few dressing changes I did here in Guinea were difficult for the patients, but I always go into the ward a few hours later and check to make sure they still like me and don’t hate me!</div>
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Now don’t think it’s been all work and seriousness for me these past few weeks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a look into the fun I’ve had exploring Conakry:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBC37r2kiTdbbi8cxcnxbN7fKfz8JXMrZCCReZB97YALZFGJ0iWD5gLT9G_NdMKLk9p38NoJWhOMWl5Bn2FG3GljggvlmuCOrBKwNT1fpxbOenpnIY-b9uWKEzTVF0b96kTdnTOGep0Y/s1600/DSCN4062.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBC37r2kiTdbbi8cxcnxbN7fKfz8JXMrZCCReZB97YALZFGJ0iWD5gLT9G_NdMKLk9p38NoJWhOMWl5Bn2FG3GljggvlmuCOrBKwNT1fpxbOenpnIY-b9uWKEzTVF0b96kTdnTOGep0Y/s400/DSCN4062.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roume Island (photo by June)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrmd45eZyx8FoPkloRAYA6GFVql95Fyh0QfwMHZV44iwqQygw7KOwwxWJj9LZ05AvZv78BSvcAP3PfVvAH7A27iX3v1GeWzDCG9xUsNvIWorx4M4cXGnfn6XUacsW36yTlEjmhW1hqBc/s1600/DSCN4061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrmd45eZyx8FoPkloRAYA6GFVql95Fyh0QfwMHZV44iwqQygw7KOwwxWJj9LZ05AvZv78BSvcAP3PfVvAH7A27iX3v1GeWzDCG9xUsNvIWorx4M4cXGnfn6XUacsW36yTlEjmhW1hqBc/s320/DSCN4061.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ship wreck! (photo by June)</td></tr>
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Trip to Roume island!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a beautiful place!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took a wooden boat out of the local fishing village, weaving and winding through the harbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why were we weaving and winding you ask?? Well to get around all of the ship wrecks of course!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kid you not, I saw at least 6 ship wrecks on our 45min trip to the island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And not little boats, BIG ocean liners!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no idea what happened, but I don’t think I want to find out!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we got to the island, we set up camp in a cute little palm branch bungalow and played in the sand and water all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOASBSrgTU4A1V26UrEyx3ILqxgxKuViI6mNt73Bg6LiVA3aF6NEeNfq49w0_NMQJnCqFUCUIdDOzSith6c-gSPxQND8hVcUemGGa9wLLrwZMwVrhvK4BZr9X2YpfXRgWMf_NU7BPQyE/s1600/885424_10151530532528554_16066968_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOASBSrgTU4A1V26UrEyx3ILqxgxKuViI6mNt73Bg6LiVA3aF6NEeNfq49w0_NMQJnCqFUCUIdDOzSith6c-gSPxQND8hVcUemGGa9wLLrwZMwVrhvK4BZr9X2YpfXRgWMf_NU7BPQyE/s320/885424_10151530532528554_16066968_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our tasty dinner (photo by C. Fast)</td></tr>
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We made a delicious dinner of fresh fish and French fries (Ok, all I did was peel the potatoes, the boys did all the cooking!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we made a campfire on the beach and watched the stars!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we were lying on the beach watching the stars, my friend Christina says, “where is the moon?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…wait, is there no moon in Africa?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We bust out laughing at her, but let me tell you--- I have YET to see the moon in Guinea!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m starting to think she might be right... I’ll keep you updated on my investigation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietpBvzA-WF10P7i8QcrnaSw0xJyUcjA1b9Vp7Rc4ABSaHA8i9Dxv0sC_ovVFFHrVnehUTsI25YbONKqSOqhC6ZQT-B-Dl-dHgRKnfaQ_Anntv_pueUAWuZ9RRe_0hjWxTHZQPWrTZEGI/s1600/882350_10151530533958554_1759766935_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietpBvzA-WF10P7i8QcrnaSw0xJyUcjA1b9Vp7Rc4ABSaHA8i9Dxv0sC_ovVFFHrVnehUTsI25YbONKqSOqhC6ZQT-B-Dl-dHgRKnfaQ_Anntv_pueUAWuZ9RRe_0hjWxTHZQPWrTZEGI/s320/882350_10151530533958554_1759766935_o.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">part of the crew at the beach (By C. Fast)</td></tr>
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Up to this point in my island-adventure-story, the island was a beautiful adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then the beach demons came out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AKA- crabs!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not sleep a WINK that night because 1) contrary to common belief, sand is NOT soft and fluffy, and 2) I had crabs running over me all night long!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time I would get comfortable something would scamper over my foot, or run into my leg, or try to climb up my side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not pleasant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, Dogara did a few crab-chases and removals for Christina and me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Prayer requests:</u></i><br />
- We have 5 weeks of plastic surgery ahead of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pray for NO infection! And pain free, quick recoveries. </div>
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- Pray for peace in Guinea due to some political and tribal conflicts</div>
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- For my upcoming plans once I leave the ship end of April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More details to come!</div>
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D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-39181275071869362772013-02-18T08:52:00.002-08:002013-02-18T08:52:46.063-08:00Belated ending and a new beginning I have finally arrived back on the Africa Mercy after being away for 8 months! I left the ship in Togo with mixed feelings: not quite ready to leave, but not quite ready to stay. The ship is a difficult place to leave, because you know that even if you come back, it will never be the same. Turn-over is high, and the dynamics on the ship are always changing. But regardless, it was time for me to leave after a 10 month commitment. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFg2cWn_Rj8Aa0PVUpi-uFU-9TtaDjQGluLbSlFaLHiWgO8_VwrheSXkPPG8Q-4A7dlLI_bU5RIPOsPuj1Zrbz-KR6lxtThCfFY-ahYejwcS99kAwN2cwLDqUQrf3D7If8-bnKLFxs4w/s1600/IMG_0699.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFg2cWn_Rj8Aa0PVUpi-uFU-9TtaDjQGluLbSlFaLHiWgO8_VwrheSXkPPG8Q-4A7dlLI_bU5RIPOsPuj1Zrbz-KR6lxtThCfFY-ahYejwcS99kAwN2cwLDqUQrf3D7If8-bnKLFxs4w/s320/IMG_0699.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Nigeria with Dogara and his parents</td></tr>
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After I left in June, I had an adventurous trip to Nigeria where I met some wonderful family, and then I traveled to Wales and Norway to see some ex-shippers. It was a great transition between leaving the ship and going home- to have some time in the western word with people who understand where I'm coming from and what the last year of my life has entailed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Wales at a castle with some amazing fellow nurse!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Norway with 10 other shippers- on top of "pulpit rock"</td></tr>
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It took me a long time to understand and digest everything: learning how to be home again and live in the Western world, trying to fit in with family and friends again who have had a whole year of life without me, and then try to figure out what the heck God wanted me to do with my life now!<br />
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Should I stay in Wisconsin, should I go back to Mercy Ships, should I join another ministry? Whatever it was, I knew I wasn't content where I was, and travel nursing didn't seem to be panning out. Besides, my heart was still in West Africa- in more ways than one.<br />
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On February 13th I joined the ship in Conakry, Guinea, and after stepping foot on African soil, I finally felt some contentment. There was a happy, smiling face to greet me at the airport that I had been dying to see for so long, and as soon as I stepped onto the ship, I realized how much I had missed being there. So many old friends to see, and so many great friends to reconnect with. For the time being, I know I'm back where I need to be!<br />
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It will take some getting use to- learning new faces and a new country. Even though I left not too long ago, I feel like the new kid on the block again... that awkward person who lurks in on conversations... "will you be my friend?" "can I play with you guys?" But, they'll all learn to deal with me eventually, right?!<br />
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In the ward, VVF (Vesico-Vaginal-Fistula) surgeries are just finishing up, and the patients for plastic surgery (burn contractures, skin grafting, etc) will be coming in a few weeks. I will be on the dressing change team, which is my dream job! Stay tuned for patient stories in the next few weeks!<br />
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Prayer requests:<br />
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- for my continued integration into ship life and learning the country<br />
- for the patients who will be coming in for plastic surgery- that those who come we can have a huge impact on their lives<br />
- pray against infection before it even starts in all the skin graft wounds we will be creating and healing!<br />
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PS: If any of you didn't watch the CBS 60 Minutes episode on February 17th, check it out online, they featured Mercy Ships!! They were filming when I was in Togo last year!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating the Olympics in the UK!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlQD9LLMV68LB1aXpe-cO_8uVUfPyRpdExdC2Vyaqe5E_sF8wBH3sOiPo2SRa7O7GzwxZqsAiZJVNJSN7eSMx7Ceqh7EZ4LAIGVHkp5VUwN73_IstEjxqWMFQTNQFHNbB8OX1bYuyVjw/s1600/578856_453512644682758_148537380_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-3201505604550987722012-05-08T21:43:00.001-07:002012-05-08T21:44:47.659-07:00Not all fun and games...<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-lCX4J_10H6Mvk5Hmn2u-kcdnyDhahuT6YukwuCJVR8vKTtvFduXxFXjRCWBRNHHLGXBYKjUC4jb9wkBEt1yiynYG4rOe2TzrAT8cvDS7h8b8xmqmDs3Ba99lm_2iEY75Z8wLSltMew/s1600/SLE1103_SHIP_PORT_JR03_LO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="214px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-lCX4J_10H6Mvk5Hmn2u-kcdnyDhahuT6YukwuCJVR8vKTtvFduXxFXjRCWBRNHHLGXBYKjUC4jb9wkBEt1yiynYG4rOe2TzrAT8cvDS7h8b8xmqmDs3Ba99lm_2iEY75Z8wLSltMew/s320/SLE1103_SHIP_PORT_JR03_LO.jpg" width="320px" /></a>I am only 2 months away from ending my 1 year adventure in West Africa, and I have been seriously thinking about how I have displayed my life and journey through these blogs. And I am deeply wrestling with the fact that I have not shared a very real and horrifying part of my life here, and I think it is time you all know. It's not always rainbows and sunshine with fun times bummin around Africa, and heart warming stories of patients lives being changed. I have been painting a very sugar-coated picture of my life here on the ship, and I need to let you know the truth about the life-threatening terror I go through here almost daily. </div>
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Living in a port is not easy. When you visualize a port, you may picture stacks of neatly organized shipping containers, a steady flow of ships docked at the shoreline loading and unloading cargo, and semi trucks following their steady route of carrying products to and fro. You may even be saying, "yes, I have been in many ports and this is exactly what it's like". Well let me ask you my friend, have you ever been in a port after dark? <br />
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After preciesely 9:07pm every night, every port around the world is supernaturaly morphed into a deadly jungle of prehistoric creatures lurking around every corner. The driving force behind the movement of containers in a port is primarily done by a gigantic horrifying creatures called a T-Rex. You may have mistakenly thought that the T-Rex was extinct, but I can assure you my friends, it most certainly is not! (many port-savy people may refer to these machines as a "Terex", but that is just a decieving disguise for what they truely are!) <br />
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They are quite silent for such large creatures. You can hear the sound of their rolling footsteps and eerie machine-like screams just seconds too late. Their claw marks (which very closely resemble oil-soaked tire tracks) are seen covering the grounds of their latest handy work- An area you must be sure to avoid, just in case the nasty creeper comes back for more containers. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCk0Pdc3rZiXm4HvG08jFL0a1GURK3NPSYudS8z5CoBSAUv9nkxJQfYcZNCgqtHapE7wuRhUCbUH52m-lmGLJNXhyphenhyphenRKMW_FepApyVMlsqZpyvBd4mJoCRoEdGTzwjAGL1lihPB-nJVcg/s1600/TGE1202_CONTAINER_OFFLOAD_DB0130_LO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="214px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCk0Pdc3rZiXm4HvG08jFL0a1GURK3NPSYudS8z5CoBSAUv9nkxJQfYcZNCgqtHapE7wuRhUCbUH52m-lmGLJNXhyphenhyphenRKMW_FepApyVMlsqZpyvBd4mJoCRoEdGTzwjAGL1lihPB-nJVcg/s320/TGE1202_CONTAINER_OFFLOAD_DB0130_LO.jpg" width="320px" /></a>Let me fill you in on another little secret- these so-called containers that apparently hold cargo for export... not even close! They are actually the T-Rex's main weapon for destruction. The T-Rex digs his fangs into the insanely heavy metal containers and lifts them up high over his head while he slowly creeps though the urban jungle looking for an innocent victim to drop his weapon of mass destruction on- whether it be rat, cockroach or human. </div>
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It takes a highly skilled and trained person (much like myself) to stealthfully maneuver around the port after dark without being spotted by the beety, lazer, night vision eyes of the T-Rex. It's eyes sit way up on top of its arms so it can better spot it's pray as it lurks around the containers at night. If you walk carelessly through the port without first stopping, listening, and safely peering down your chosen route, you may just waltz around a corner and find one staring you down, charging straight for you as your body is frozen in terror with no place to hide except to jump down one of the open sewer holes scattered around the port. <br />
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And just to make it more terrifying, once you bravely pass through the main portion of the port and miraculously avoid any encounters with the T-Rex, you have one last obstacle, and that is to make a run for it through a large clearing where a T-Rex could pop out at any minute, his death-filled eyes staring straight at you, his weapon of mass destruction held high over his head, and your only hope is to out run him and reach the safety of the ship's security gate before he dominates you!<br />
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Every night I return back to the port, the moto taxi drops me at the front gate, and I stand outside for a brief moment to gather my courage, strap on my running shoes and stealth jacket before bravely entering <em>Jurassic Park part 4.</em> Some port gaurds may describe me as strange and delirious as I routinely tip toe into the port and assume my best spy-postion; with my back up against a row of containers, carefully side stepping my way to the corner and listening for signs of T-Rex's before Par-Core-ing my way to the next container row. But <em>they</em> are the delusional ones- living frighteningly close to the edge of disaster and carelessly underestimating the capabilities of the T-Rex's. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DB9EPjRWtX2xBwKesMsK-aSYZwyugCxhbiCacdW4cNQaCRRbcoqnp6yfRQe8yHXwj3AUJXylUJ_q8J7pW0M9-vAaHUxO2vljjo0cpA-qaep1l-A5eo9JIt6mCX7ktUeUqgJCqs57lVY/s1600/TGE1202_CONTAINER_OFFLOAD_DB0096_LO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="214px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DB9EPjRWtX2xBwKesMsK-aSYZwyugCxhbiCacdW4cNQaCRRbcoqnp6yfRQe8yHXwj3AUJXylUJ_q8J7pW0M9-vAaHUxO2vljjo0cpA-qaep1l-A5eo9JIt6mCX7ktUeUqgJCqs57lVY/s320/TGE1202_CONTAINER_OFFLOAD_DB0096_LO.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div>
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So next time you are all sitting at home thinking, "Man, Danielle is living the dream over there in Africa- snuggling cute babies and frolicing around in the sunshine".. Well, yes you are correct-- <strong><em>but</em></strong> don't forget about real-life horror film I am daily living through! It is NOT all fun and games here in Africa!</div>D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-21975904564289172682012-04-20T06:36:00.000-07:002012-04-20T06:36:16.317-07:00A small glimpse of Eternity<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7dLEgOf6pFBuqdGE0-sedf981vt2u-2bxuamJ5L42gh8pTLRuMzTDOPceegT47lNcT7G6mW5Z70F62deARyZYrIUDAwmNCvhlMP4JMy5-8zQBk8WUMUv_AUEVMUIPNIry-XAEkAg7OE/s1600/IMG_8054.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7dLEgOf6pFBuqdGE0-sedf981vt2u-2bxuamJ5L42gh8pTLRuMzTDOPceegT47lNcT7G6mW5Z70F62deARyZYrIUDAwmNCvhlMP4JMy5-8zQBk8WUMUv_AUEVMUIPNIry-XAEkAg7OE/s320/IMG_8054.JPG" width="320" /></a>In my last post I told you about a young woman named Chantal who has been with us since February. Every outreach we seem to have that one special patient who becomes like family and steals our hearts away. This outreach, Chantal is that woman. She is a 25 year old woman from Ghana who had burn contractures on her neck and arm fixed with skin grafting last time the ship was in the area in 2009. Initially she was a wonderful success story with a completely healed skin graft. Shortly after her recovery and after the ship had left, due to a chronically suppressed immune system, her graft reopened and she was left with a large, painful, infected wound covering her right chest, shoulder and arm. For 3 years she suffered with this wound, unable to move her arm and doubled over in pain with no signs of hope or relief. That is, until the ship returned this past January to Togo.<br />
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I can just imagine her reaction at the news. Could it be? Is it true? After 3 years of intense pain, rejection and haughty eyes constantly on her, the smell of infection haunting her every move, the inability to hold, care, cuddle, and love on her 4 year old daughter. And now that big white metal floating box that once gave her hope and healing is back! Normally the ship does not take on medical patients because we aren't equipped to handle care to that extent. With few exceptions, our patients are relatively healthy people who are in need of surgical help- to remove tumors, fix birth defects, hernias, bone and joint deformities, burn contractures, etc. Because Chantal was a past patient of ours, we took her case on in an attempt to help her heal again and regain function. I could go on and on about the ins and outs of her months and months of medical treatment, but it can be summed up into a long road of infections, antibiotics, agonizing daily wound care, physiotherapy, surgery after surgery, skin graft after skin graft, moments of hope for the medical team, followed by moments of disappointment and confusion after each failed antibiotic treatment and surgery. <br />
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About 1 month ago, as I shared in a past blog, Chantal accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior and redeemer. For a while she was in higher spirits and had more pep and motivation in her step. (And she didn't mind my embarrassing dancing anymore!) But shortly after that her tired body had had enough, our last ditch attempt at antibiotics failed, sepsis took over, and we were at the end of the road for medical healing. Our medical regime turned towards comfort and pain management instead of aggressive treatment. <br />
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I was fortunate enough to be able to spend the last few evenings as Chantal's nurse. She phased in and out of lethargy and alertness, and I was able to be there for her awake moments, to make her smile a few last times, and to talk with her and give her comfort. After spending months down in the dark, window-less ward with few opportunities to see sunlight, my friend June and I packed Chantal up in a comfy wheel chair full of pillows and took her up to the top deck of the ship to sit for an hour and enjoy the sunset and warm breeze. It was a moment I will never forget as it was in her last 48 hours of life in that tired, broken body. <br />
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Last night, in and out of moments of clarity, Chantal was able to enjoy some more fresh air from the comfort of her bed as she was rolled in front of a big door right at sea level that was opened especially for her. In a very peaceful moment, with people who cared so much for her sitting by her side, Chantal said "Jesus is here, Jesus is here", and she was finally taken home with our Lord and left her broken, hurting body behind. <br />
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It was a sad and difficult evening for us nurses and caregivers who had poured out so much love and energy onto Chantal over the past few months, but our sadness was only selfish because it is truly a joyous moment that she has finally gone home! It is easy for us, as logically minded medical professionals, to feel like we failed Chantal, that our efforts and the pain we put her through were all for nothing. Why would God let her go through this only for medical treatment to fail? But as one of my colleagues said, God was never surprised by what happened. Everything that happened with Chantal was exactly how God had it planned all along. She was in constant pain for over 5 years- struggling from burns, wounds, and infections. She didn't receive medical success while she was here, but she did have a better outcome than most of the patients we see-- she received spiritual healing, which is the primary purpose we are here. For the first time in a long time, Chantal is without pain, without wounds and infections, and has a new, restored body. Not only that, but before she left this earth, Jesus came to the ship, sat in the ward with her, and took her home. <br />
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It was a sad, happy, frustrating, relieving, and incredible experience, all mixed together. God had a purpose in Chantal and it was faithfully fulfilled.. she came to the ship to meet Jesus so that she could go home to Eternity with Him. For the first time Chantal is walking down the golden streets of heaven with no wound, no infection, and no pain, hand in hand with our Creator. The biggest success stories from this outreach are the hearts that are redeemed by Jesus, and Chantal has helped to refocus us and remind us of our true purpose here-- to share the love of Christ.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNkAwGz4_RsKw2g6rCgW7-UVIiW2DlaA3pRXjDMJne2tFxoMK4j1nbBfn6LU-N96I4DoLb-urU9E15NRm0Ij7SGHSM11dIh2i7ru7FfpEyirJ7jRkVDbFmwCm0FEI6ZnWDEFr4g-Nvws/s1600/IMG_6949.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNkAwGz4_RsKw2g6rCgW7-UVIiW2DlaA3pRXjDMJne2tFxoMK4j1nbBfn6LU-N96I4DoLb-urU9E15NRm0Ij7SGHSM11dIh2i7ru7FfpEyirJ7jRkVDbFmwCm0FEI6ZnWDEFr4g-Nvws/s320/IMG_6949.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-33861521041608405622012-04-20T03:57:00.000-07:002012-04-20T03:57:12.857-07:00"Encourage one another and build each other up.."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zKIla8WlMrGKFdvmlemh5Fyyl6b8kDXlKaLIeOACW4gHoekq1sGwDNK0j8VD-hfxxVXP99pHwuIkD24TTQqQ8a3TTztsfhIo10_NUG9SnZ7NRJhvJXffQLX-a2qJap8-afCuoKs1-uM/s1600/IMG_7734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zKIla8WlMrGKFdvmlemh5Fyyl6b8kDXlKaLIeOACW4gHoekq1sGwDNK0j8VD-hfxxVXP99pHwuIkD24TTQqQ8a3TTztsfhIo10_NUG9SnZ7NRJhvJXffQLX-a2qJap8-afCuoKs1-uM/s320/IMG_7734.JPG" width="213px" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErl1ToH3uC4jnTVhWMHDwSNqYTn6wP2dA-HAUfE_0Ewf80zpffdri22YFGmXQZ-yoniUsAFVkBq9m7Tc8q8wpArXV_Ka6UhEfHsxbKw5fYTsg_HtG-cCkxPldMmACZaXNpX1RhTQnbRI/s1600/Picture+170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErl1ToH3uC4jnTVhWMHDwSNqYTn6wP2dA-HAUfE_0Ewf80zpffdri22YFGmXQZ-yoniUsAFVkBq9m7Tc8q8wpArXV_Ka6UhEfHsxbKw5fYTsg_HtG-cCkxPldMmACZaXNpX1RhTQnbRI/s320/Picture+170.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
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Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 that as brothers and sisters in Christ we need to encourage one another and build each other up. I have seen the most beautiful display of this in the hospital this past week. The plastic surgeries are finished, and we are now just continuing to heal the wounds and do physical therapy on joints and limbs that haven't moved in years, and slowly trying to get all of the patients well enough to go home so we can start a new round of surgeries and patients. The healing process for burn repairs and skin grafts can be a very slow, painful, and discouraging time for patients (and nurses!). Wounds we thought were healing well suddenly become infected, and skin grafts that we prayed would take root are lost. As some patients become well enough to go home, others are left behind frustrated and disheartened because their wounds haven't yet healed. But so far, God has been amazing and our infection rate is much lower than previous times and nobody seems to be getting "burned out" but energy and excitement are high and the ward is always filled with music, joy and dancing!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hj4bNC0sZufyv2tGD2g8c9QFuaqVsUm92IA8e4CvdE7-1AXt8y45y30IOUi12PtIMbfpuBi6Idpq49tj6bxcBtzzFKRd6PWIHdjsPMdT2KqsbksH1SZ3sK_94FLmwIVgATWE-qCFeQw/s1600/IMG_6942.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hj4bNC0sZufyv2tGD2g8c9QFuaqVsUm92IA8e4CvdE7-1AXt8y45y30IOUi12PtIMbfpuBi6Idpq49tj6bxcBtzzFKRd6PWIHdjsPMdT2KqsbksH1SZ3sK_94FLmwIVgATWE-qCFeQw/s320/IMG_6942.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a regular evening on the ward!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYh1atX1lifG7t862hssX8h0fpvem1utAETqvDHQZa-sh2hZPMrngvHKSKAzNDrfNKhfGNlvx53JMyvMPtYAlQIZ9JkaWbKmzi54qWvUZLHSy7EA-tD67iqlJK2xyE_81ZYhWi54kQd_w/s1600/28+march+12+080.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYh1atX1lifG7t862hssX8h0fpvem1utAETqvDHQZa-sh2hZPMrngvHKSKAzNDrfNKhfGNlvx53JMyvMPtYAlQIZ9JkaWbKmzi54qWvUZLHSy7EA-tD67iqlJK2xyE_81ZYhWi54kQd_w/s320/28+march+12+080.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div>One young woman I asked you to pray for last time, Chantal who has been with us since the beginning of the outreach, has been going through a lot of surgeries, painful dressing changes, difficult medical complications, and it seems to be a never ending road of frustration and discouragement for both Chantal and us nurses. Last week, we saw something suddenly change in Chantal. One afternoon I walked into the ward, and she was sitting up in a wheelchair in the middle of the room visiting with the rest of the patients. We were all pleasantly shocked to see someone who never got out of bed except to hobble to the bathroom with lots of pain and assistance, sitting up by her own choice! Someone who rarely joins in the ward dance parties (except to laugh at me and say, "my sister, please please, stop dancing") We were all encouraged and excited to find out that she accepted Jesus as her Savior early that day!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7dLEgOf6pFBuqdGE0-sedf981vt2u-2bxuamJ5L42gh8pTLRuMzTDOPceegT47lNcT7G6mW5Z70F62deARyZYrIUDAwmNCvhlMP4JMy5-8zQBk8WUMUv_AUEVMUIPNIry-XAEkAg7OE/s1600/IMG_8054.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7dLEgOf6pFBuqdGE0-sedf981vt2u-2bxuamJ5L42gh8pTLRuMzTDOPceegT47lNcT7G6mW5Z70F62deARyZYrIUDAwmNCvhlMP4JMy5-8zQBk8WUMUv_AUEVMUIPNIry-XAEkAg7OE/s320/IMG_8054.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chantal with some incredible ladies</td></tr>
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Unfortunately things didn't stay in such high spirits for long, as more medical complications, pain, and wound care are continually happening. But this past week I saw something that lifted my spirits and made 1 Thessalonians 5:11 come alive for me. I was working in the ward and I had my back turned to the patients, when all of a sudden I heard an outbreak of cheering and clapping! I turned around and Chantal was up- all by herself- ,walking to the bathroom, and all the other patients and patient-mama's were standing up applauding Chantal and encouraging her on her first solo-excursion out of bed! It was so beautiful to see how the patients have all partnered together in their difficulties and challenges and come alongside each other to show love and encouragement. It was a true picture of what a healthy Christian community looks like, and half of these people were Muslim or animistic!<br />
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Chantal still needs lots of medical care, prayer and frankly, a massive miracle in order to heal her. But I have faith in the words of James 5:15 that says, "the prayers offered in faith will make the sick person well, the Lord will raise him up!" I know that with prayer, fervent prayer, she can and WILL be healed!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUmZX-blnTZWesoKJOC08pYp56OUMpRKzBbCkhRcX7TxL1oxKaUFsUeU-9X6XEtNfVQxFcYZoVvo8nuofL11OUG2e0w4KxROsNYv_XZI6BnHOD0jkRMps3H6yA5365Nnr3mixVK-SGXY/s1600/IMG_8061.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUmZX-blnTZWesoKJOC08pYp56OUMpRKzBbCkhRcX7TxL1oxKaUFsUeU-9X6XEtNfVQxFcYZoVvo8nuofL11OUG2e0w4KxROsNYv_XZI6BnHOD0jkRMps3H6yA5365Nnr3mixVK-SGXY/s320/IMG_8061.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kokou!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I saw another display of 1 Thessalonians 5:11 in another patient who has been here since the beginning of the outreach as well. Kokou's knee was contracted at a 90 degree angle from a burn many years ago. We straightened his knee, but since even before her came to us, he has been struggling with infections at that site. He has been in and out of isolation (which means he is in his own room, isolated from all the other patients so the bacteria doesn't spread) as his wound continues to be infected. Within the past few weeks, he has been very down and discouraged for a number of reasons. His wound was healing very well and he had gone home for a while, but then had to return back to the isolation room when he became re-infected. He was so disheartened at having to come back, especially since he is a very very active, social-able person. He is a farmer by trade and spends majority of the day outside, so being trapped in a windowless hospital is very difficult. That paired with the fact that West African culture hates being secluded-- they are a very community oriented culture-- makes living in isolation pure torture for Kokou! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNZWWqbFN-3vn8pKY541Zr9QVAtHvdbPZ5LQePSCfyQ2bQoWgoav062ZCSk4lLNZ57Oghpa2_gS6-K35culugRj-fRJ_tLOHnb5zkHLqgAnzXy3B1pvBHyNOnNOErwO0GsW-p0ZeJR0U/s1600/28+march+12+001.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNZWWqbFN-3vn8pKY541Zr9QVAtHvdbPZ5LQePSCfyQ2bQoWgoav062ZCSk4lLNZ57Oghpa2_gS6-K35culugRj-fRJ_tLOHnb5zkHLqgAnzXy3B1pvBHyNOnNOErwO0GsW-p0ZeJR0U/s320/28+march+12+001.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dance party begins!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>One evening I was in the main ward, and the patients were all singing, dancing, playing the guitar and drum. It was a regular night on the ward when someone had the great idea of going down the hall to the isolation rooms and singing and playing for Kokou! So a whole pied piper line walked down the hall, patients, nurses, day workers- the whole lot of us! and stood outside Kokou's room and sang and danced. He was so happy, he was up dancing around his room singing! It was so amazing to see how the other patients cared so much for Koko and were so encouraging for him. It's not just medication and medical treatment that heals- a little smiling and positive thought goes a long way in healing wounds!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfb-iIXzNwAVpju23cxv9gd2jgRZyDxpLXf7QAdXVPMaVRWIcc6wX5ZJDEDyiInzIn-9qVxwWzQiWfToW_hE10oLouv_XdZBr75NOoPx-p7hUA5KWMAvmKjc0G9em8Oqm9C5VB2R26b0/s1600/28+march+12+006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfb-iIXzNwAVpju23cxv9gd2jgRZyDxpLXf7QAdXVPMaVRWIcc6wX5ZJDEDyiInzIn-9qVxwWzQiWfToW_hE10oLouv_XdZBr75NOoPx-p7hUA5KWMAvmKjc0G9em8Oqm9C5VB2R26b0/s320/28+march+12+006.jpg" width="213px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kokou laying in his bed enjoying the musical show</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMuzpX3snntVg8drX0ioCR6FRXGbZ8gbhsVL5wqeKEZFf1AvZyhvGZSxs0JViPDYtDXFdbhYrSyUQC4aCTtJPuETgvyLhflIVSKYfriACbSAA6uxwnhb0jenJrx8xQnkubYq-Yw8PTn1E/s1600/28+march+12+048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMuzpX3snntVg8drX0ioCR6FRXGbZ8gbhsVL5wqeKEZFf1AvZyhvGZSxs0JViPDYtDXFdbhYrSyUQC4aCTtJPuETgvyLhflIVSKYfriACbSAA6uxwnhb0jenJrx8xQnkubYq-Yw8PTn1E/s320/28+march+12+048.jpg" width="213px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richara- unable to walk after foot surgery- enjoying the music and dance whilemy back!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
It is less than 2 months until the ship leaves Togo, so there is still a lot to go- a lot of wounds to be healed, and a lot of surgeries to be done! We really need to heal these infected wounds so that we have room for more patients!<br />
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<u>Prayer requests:</u><br />
- Since I initially started writing this blog, Chantal's health has progressively gotten worse. Please pray for her comfort, that she will be free from pain, and also for her family who we are trying to bring in to the ship to visit. Chantal has accepted Christ as her Savior, so truly she has the best outcome out of many of the patients we see. But it is hard for us medical staff to see that at times when it seems that our efforts and work has been in vain. All we can ask of any patient who enters this ship is that they will get to know Jesus! So also pray for the nurses caring for Chantal- that they will be able to see the amazing success story that she is! And even though it is painful on this side of Eternity, we will see her again- smiling and praising the Lord!<br />
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- Please pray for Enyonam who is rescheduled for surgery on May 29th-- please pray that we will be able to find her and get her here!!<br />
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- Please pray for the VVF (vesico-vaginal fistula) women who have just come in last week and have started surgery. Pray for successful surgeries and lives to be restored!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwcTGD7IfSUsa3gOSe1XcsRObN4Fj4RQvVYb9WGSAQv_AHGC4WxyDkWEu3yceD68M0CsHPOK-B88lks5lvNfBmKGU6oIyavIjbB20M7RDI4adAkKStno46ngHZdUNdEts4WQvWgSD53M/s1600/IMG_5331.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwcTGD7IfSUsa3gOSe1XcsRObN4Fj4RQvVYb9WGSAQv_AHGC4WxyDkWEu3yceD68M0CsHPOK-B88lks5lvNfBmKGU6oIyavIjbB20M7RDI4adAkKStno46ngHZdUNdEts4WQvWgSD53M/s320/IMG_5331.JPG" width="213px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't know who this baby belongs to, but it was handed to me and I wasn't about to say no! Any takers??</td></tr>
</tbody></table>D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-50098707471764706282012-03-21T02:13:00.000-07:002012-03-21T02:13:49.769-07:00Crossing borders solo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRLD-7Ta75MhfltA3Seg6LoJZ7_xs2DLcQQXpGQ0vU_D51Yk-cEUSUKy9UkTu6GYUER7KyRIUnIp9-ts6LNCu2Lz9zTttYH5fdDRydWxizFyIh57pH3viu4rqk23_hqFNbNDQNwuuQCE/s1600/Photo-940BCA06-7800-4891-B3D9-B1A2959831F5-20120220-091102-2048.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRLD-7Ta75MhfltA3Seg6LoJZ7_xs2DLcQQXpGQ0vU_D51Yk-cEUSUKy9UkTu6GYUER7KyRIUnIp9-ts6LNCu2Lz9zTttYH5fdDRydWxizFyIh57pH3viu4rqk23_hqFNbNDQNwuuQCE/s320/Photo-940BCA06-7800-4891-B3D9-B1A2959831F5-20120220-091102-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7QsAFUcuogJuc9rrMmXRnPGINt6dohJeP6hSO8NT58tcu-Ez3YjwxVy5nQDnPLVKBpHNX8G2LbsPjhyphenhyphenWg5NUPI9qdV7eRW0_MU7x4aevK3ql1KTb4532esy7prbkN0C8mLsJoAs5Cls/s1600/Photo-DC2801FF-81F7-402D-AA06-A7BB1239A2EA-20120217-101357-2048.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7QsAFUcuogJuc9rrMmXRnPGINt6dohJeP6hSO8NT58tcu-Ez3YjwxVy5nQDnPLVKBpHNX8G2LbsPjhyphenhyphenWg5NUPI9qdV7eRW0_MU7x4aevK3ql1KTb4532esy7prbkN0C8mLsJoAs5Cls/s320/Photo-DC2801FF-81F7-402D-AA06-A7BB1239A2EA-20120217-101357-2048.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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As I sat on a hot, black, old, cracked leather seat of a rickety VW van, my hot sweaty skin stuck to the Ghanaian squished in next to me, I looked out the window and couldn't stop the huge grin that came across my face. Sometimes I take it for granted where I am and I forget to appreciate the beauty of the West African countryside. I remember seeing pictures and movie clips from West Africa with the tropical green trees, red sandy roads, beautifully crafted mud-brick houses with thatched roofs, and people walking about in brightly colored African fabrics that just add to the beauty of the countryside. A few years ago, I never would have dreamt I would be here enjoying this myself! And here I was, traveling solo on a mixture of motorcycle-taxis and VW vans from Togo to Ghana-- being the creepy "yovo" in the back of the van looking out the window with an all-too-giddy smile! God is good!<br />
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With a 4 hour journey, I had plenty of time to enjoy the countryside and remember how amazing it is that I am doing what I'm doing right now! Along the way, I had time to think about the patients we were seeing in the hospital, and especially the new plastic patients (burn contractures, deformed extremities, etc) that would be coming in the next week for surgery. As I was thinking, I felt the Lord prompting me to pray for the people I would be seeing in Ghana and especially for people with deformities that would be good candidates for surgery that I may come across. I prayed and napped as I traveled to Accra and waited very IMpatiently for the adventure that lay ahead!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9qQZinJu4YQHDNeNE_NrejI5aCqxIbhJh0LLGqqYmPPpt1gtspAlgQ0TBkvnEecSGAh7M9XDbn-HO_Wu9HlylaqvCBsI0Pf41ZUdXLnN9wWPq9FBDGOtCQE2E5pD7u2Dr4LNVOj-OAw/s1600/Photo-DD73E93E-C59D-4D16-BA79-D7DCBF9B112F-20120215-090941-2048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9qQZinJu4YQHDNeNE_NrejI5aCqxIbhJh0LLGqqYmPPpt1gtspAlgQ0TBkvnEecSGAh7M9XDbn-HO_Wu9HlylaqvCBsI0Pf41ZUdXLnN9wWPq9FBDGOtCQE2E5pD7u2Dr4LNVOj-OAw/s320/Photo-DD73E93E-C59D-4D16-BA79-D7DCBF9B112F-20120215-090941-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim and I at the Accra airport- together at last!! and in Ghana of all places!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I generally don't like traveling by myself, but it was very empowering to know that I could work through language barriers and make my way from Lome to Accra when I had no idea how to get there in the first place! I was beyond excited to meet up with my good friend Tim and a group from my sister-churches back home who were coming on a 2 week mission trip to Ghana. I initially only knew 2 out of the 17 people in the group, and they all took me in like family and welcomed me as a member of their team. By the end of my 5 days with them, it was hard to leave as we had grown so close together!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtrYwT6G6XlXCPSIv5xNR6QbaWoI-jD4hAB7cahVUiJ3ZwspvPPewNg5c9nFxZSneoxyJ8HmpiCi5Mx8uV1mKUxuFNMCbz5nBlkreJVGYLxcC3e3njM2qc2xSTVkGHIundX0wKtMwkrk/s1600/Photo-E331FDDA-6163-474E-B2EE-E051B87E578B-20120219-051141-2048.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtrYwT6G6XlXCPSIv5xNR6QbaWoI-jD4hAB7cahVUiJ3ZwspvPPewNg5c9nFxZSneoxyJ8HmpiCi5Mx8uV1mKUxuFNMCbz5nBlkreJVGYLxcC3e3njM2qc2xSTVkGHIundX0wKtMwkrk/s320/Photo-E331FDDA-6163-474E-B2EE-E051B87E578B-20120219-051141-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our amazing group!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Before I joined the team, I had no idea what we were going to be doing in Ghana! Being the organized planner that I am.. NOT! I was just along for the ride to hang out with Tim! When I got there, I found out that we were staying at a vocation woman's school that gave women from poor and oppressed backgrounds training in useful skills such as cooking, sewing, fabric dying, hair dressing, as well as others. We did some work at the school, and then also did medical clinics in nearby villages and schools.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRXp0xLg3996VGpbJ3c45xW2gDQZA-srpcemNvG3r-vJfCVt4gjLcwPXqV8fhhTh5dvYR0w7eNrqTuzuaPtXbjCLeAdZ6_lJVe-1jC1k4D6VZPIirWzq9IN7xz7jQoBlAuJujURp6hjk/s1600/Photo-D66FB11E-97D2-4AE9-8BB1-4B844EB4EFA0-20120216-055553-2048.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRXp0xLg3996VGpbJ3c45xW2gDQZA-srpcemNvG3r-vJfCVt4gjLcwPXqV8fhhTh5dvYR0w7eNrqTuzuaPtXbjCLeAdZ6_lJVe-1jC1k4D6VZPIirWzq9IN7xz7jQoBlAuJujURp6hjk/s320/Photo-D66FB11E-97D2-4AE9-8BB1-4B844EB4EFA0-20120216-055553-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group taking a walking tour of the woman's school</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdTXAgsI31N55tsj0G8W56O4xYftjjifb5F_HzceTU_docdTvmmp9NpS73rKwLxBMx0il2-GMVtSfpa4cS5rSrAjAiSVtvljtr6P1IVELD-qC1pMdqpPhPozRhBIMq3Uc0fZX7ax5J48/s1600/Photo-ED17AD7C-CE6F-466B-B8B5-037074759ACB-20120216-062138-2048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdTXAgsI31N55tsj0G8W56O4xYftjjifb5F_HzceTU_docdTvmmp9NpS73rKwLxBMx0il2-GMVtSfpa4cS5rSrAjAiSVtvljtr6P1IVELD-qC1pMdqpPhPozRhBIMq3Uc0fZX7ax5J48/s320/Photo-ED17AD7C-CE6F-466B-B8B5-037074759ACB-20120216-062138-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cooking class</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgha1eXzQYMCLVLh7d89xxiopulCetCB0Ikm6DKpnTldJMj5cqA1-MUzznGmIlALp5FGLHR1vbj14-7e_kbqPvV5V-FHhhgTPCitGuU0Eb-T4yW1bxZw60kXV_Oj2ma8aMXmfAHzjUrnTA/s1600/Photo-381139A6-6F2B-4BBC-B28D-9D9A9A2D4D34-20120216-055733-2048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgha1eXzQYMCLVLh7d89xxiopulCetCB0Ikm6DKpnTldJMj5cqA1-MUzznGmIlALp5FGLHR1vbj14-7e_kbqPvV5V-FHhhgTPCitGuU0Eb-T4yW1bxZw60kXV_Oj2ma8aMXmfAHzjUrnTA/s320/Photo-381139A6-6F2B-4BBC-B28D-9D9A9A2D4D34-20120216-055733-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sewing class- with manual sewing machines!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2fr4osgkrABAq4cCWF7F4TCLVf5fC2u2akKkvVU1aLMihIUBnSDDeGcSfowYaeCie35_kaNtG52X3Idne9qBZ5HUhiQiW0nqPphU5stEh8eBkYO-X9pspe9G3-AKBy7aWRaky6i27Ec/s1600/Photo-7FF7A6BE-966E-43BC-8B53-FA10E1D14626-20120216-063354-2048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2fr4osgkrABAq4cCWF7F4TCLVf5fC2u2akKkvVU1aLMihIUBnSDDeGcSfowYaeCie35_kaNtG52X3Idne9qBZ5HUhiQiW0nqPphU5stEh8eBkYO-X9pspe9G3-AKBy7aWRaky6i27Ec/s320/Photo-7FF7A6BE-966E-43BC-8B53-FA10E1D14626-20120216-063354-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fabric dying-- I had some dresses made by the women-- the fabric-dying and sewing is all hand done by the ladies!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFAq8klvu52mjYg5Nog7JEsR52Gg3xPovFD8YQnurYm-bzDGNDJIS1eqrs-hNJ3eoU8XJpIoQwQTjdjfv48CmEP9FSNSaqwTzO-ziQe2XPc_5VuNm_4YU5DLtVFByNli8jufSakV1uL8/s1600/Photo-08C9EEF0-5317-4923-A962-A8DA8CEDCBC5-20120218-064245-2048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFAq8klvu52mjYg5Nog7JEsR52Gg3xPovFD8YQnurYm-bzDGNDJIS1eqrs-hNJ3eoU8XJpIoQwQTjdjfv48CmEP9FSNSaqwTzO-ziQe2XPc_5VuNm_4YU5DLtVFByNli8jufSakV1uL8/s320/Photo-08C9EEF0-5317-4923-A962-A8DA8CEDCBC5-20120218-064245-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">setting up the pharmacy for the medical clinic</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZka-c5EjQDxeqJp4UnaArSsOsDfhLbY29NMENm3l2JmTwNPsVRdQscwAgfnSOA0az4RuoSbrivJpH5VnDtZDuNCZw1qUhpKBe8o3ur-0c6-l02UiyLo0_b45Fv9clHJcKVnFND82jjs/s1600/Photo-38DF15ED-FCD7-44F5-B0A1-282033E6FE92-20120218-062901-2048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZka-c5EjQDxeqJp4UnaArSsOsDfhLbY29NMENm3l2JmTwNPsVRdQscwAgfnSOA0az4RuoSbrivJpH5VnDtZDuNCZw1qUhpKBe8o3ur-0c6-l02UiyLo0_b45Fv9clHJcKVnFND82jjs/s320/Photo-38DF15ED-FCD7-44F5-B0A1-282033E6FE92-20120218-062901-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working in the pharmacy! I'm practically a pharmacist now</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1MkaYnxxPEGTcxkwPixJI-AMxuPT09O2fWx2yQf0HBkWzDCDpJxl9GGZnwNeEvYQNTrQq3R8pYwEIzNpIspeVJUuEa-daYbtb0PLyCAxDcERWNHuBMVvMqRDD5Il1xkwdLYPIHu8fUE/s1600/Photo-F31F85AB-CDF3-427C-8502-3E82AFA3EFF6-20120218-062424-2048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1MkaYnxxPEGTcxkwPixJI-AMxuPT09O2fWx2yQf0HBkWzDCDpJxl9GGZnwNeEvYQNTrQq3R8pYwEIzNpIspeVJUuEa-daYbtb0PLyCAxDcERWNHuBMVvMqRDD5Il1xkwdLYPIHu8fUE/s320/Photo-F31F85AB-CDF3-427C-8502-3E82AFA3EFF6-20120218-062424-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screening the patients</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The first night I was there, I was talking with some of the ladies on the team discussing our experiences and travels in West Africa, and one of the ladies started talking about the year before when she was on this same trip in Adidome, Ghana. She had met a little boy who was born with his hands and feet webbed together which greatly affects his lifestyle, with his acceptance in his village, education, and ability to find a job in the future. She was very burdened for him and prayed fervently for him for the past year, and recruited her grandsons to do the same, in hopes of finding a way to help him. As she was telling me this I was immediately covered in goosebumps at the connection between our 2 stories. I said to her, "I think I might be able to help!" How great is our God that he brought us together as 2 pieces of the puzzle in this boys life!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLAAZ_FsPF-gGjB1DJfPr8HpxN4RmLlZ3wnFi-H8-FZBlYM3jyP5anoPUMDE5PggtBnSrbRDHlK7kzSujPg39O1kGlDW3a5mh2ozQIkPXISyO9J_G0sE2Nco0gu3zsq3XpP0pB7-2V_4/s1600/Photo-4C7D0C89-58E7-4695-ADCB-25955E4FAAF9-20120220-092454-2048.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLAAZ_FsPF-gGjB1DJfPr8HpxN4RmLlZ3wnFi-H8-FZBlYM3jyP5anoPUMDE5PggtBnSrbRDHlK7kzSujPg39O1kGlDW3a5mh2ozQIkPXISyO9J_G0sE2Nco0gu3zsq3XpP0pB7-2V_4/s320/Photo-4C7D0C89-58E7-4695-ADCB-25955E4FAAF9-20120220-092454-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Timme! kid-magnet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Throughout the week, we tried and tried to get ahold of the boy so I could see him to see if he was a surgery candidate, but we were unable to find him during my time there. It was disheartening, but I know that our God is Good and nothing can stop him from bringing grace and peace into this boys life. <br />
I don't know if we will be able to help him; if his complication is something we can operate on, or if there is room in the surgery schedule, but I know that there was a reason that Susan and I were brought together to pray for this boy. Now this boys family and the surrounding villages know about Mercy Ships, so I pray and trust that he will get the help he needs someday!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETjEQE2n2RggLV3sDIJITkhSJjYZQ1wymN48TLYxb_VFTOQjjbi5dd8WOj8oxd5wHdw-d8G-lU6vl950z5kY9ulz0LO9QwokicMBsplw9Oef_nsxCQi5-tfkgtGCK7fTJb1fNmFXi6PM/s1600/Photo-9BEEFFDD-9A8D-4338-80D8-48396F1F6B30-20120220-044153-2048.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETjEQE2n2RggLV3sDIJITkhSJjYZQ1wymN48TLYxb_VFTOQjjbi5dd8WOj8oxd5wHdw-d8G-lU6vl950z5kY9ulz0LO9QwokicMBsplw9Oef_nsxCQi5-tfkgtGCK7fTJb1fNmFXi6PM/s320/Photo-9BEEFFDD-9A8D-4338-80D8-48396F1F6B30-20120220-044153-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>After being disheartened from not finding the boy, God lifted my spirits when I met a 7 year old girl named Enyonam in one of the villages who has a cleft lip. She was very sweet and smiley and shy and kept her hand over her mouth to cover her cleft. I sat down and held her hand and talked to her mom in my fluent Ewe (Ok just kidding, I had a translator!) and found out that the girl doesn't go to school because she is ridiculed for her lip. I explained to her mother that I work for a volunteer Christian hospital just across the border in Togo, and we would be able to fix her lip. She asked me how much it cost, and I said, "nothing, it's free." Then she asked, how much is food and lodging? and I said, "nothing, it's free." Then she asked, how will we get to the ship? and I said, "I'll pick you up at the border." Then mama knelt down in front of me, grabbed my hand and started crying, saying, "akpe akpe caca" which means "thank you thank you sooo much!" <br />
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After screening day, it was such a sweet, humbling experience to meet this family. Yes, we do have to say no to a lot of desperate people, but here was an example of complete, genuine, mercy that we <i>can</i> provide. God clearly placed this girl in my path and provided me with the means to help her and change her life forever. If Enyonam is the only reason that I am even in West Africa, then <i>Praise God!</i> I would do it all over if just for the sake of Enyonam. Enyonam's surgery is Marcy 29th, so pray for her and watch for updates and photos!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIQMFKSCECid9EYKVyQQ6Jmku23Opm4kpRmn8_M7cXUxhncQzlsNZi1T5tLz6G-p4N2_vAeKcvnsqK4jTqgNqGkzh_ZBLGH3HrhP4XbBgOMfAFgmTHYUCkCrfGbGzqqTP9RqgtJZJsI0/s1600/Photo-5956F517-60A9-4A54-A10A-C3AB1242A711-20120223-082737-2048.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIQMFKSCECid9EYKVyQQ6Jmku23Opm4kpRmn8_M7cXUxhncQzlsNZi1T5tLz6G-p4N2_vAeKcvnsqK4jTqgNqGkzh_ZBLGH3HrhP4XbBgOMfAFgmTHYUCkCrfGbGzqqTP9RqgtJZJsI0/s320/Photo-5956F517-60A9-4A54-A10A-C3AB1242A711-20120223-082737-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguj-QnUjbdEPeVoa3WNJuye3qvGTwTnb3najKbbTiQl5hPo7_Hen4DliJ_94VB7-ltOhvUoEgotlKDbdyDFwKjzi7pRbtStMMhMMKK_HVLJe9Rple-QCdmXdoB75aJbFd9JgWOrTYF6Y/s1600/Photo-E6D6AB66-1426-46B5-89A1-1149764C0EE6-20120223-082147-2048.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguj-QnUjbdEPeVoa3WNJuye3qvGTwTnb3najKbbTiQl5hPo7_Hen4DliJ_94VB7-ltOhvUoEgotlKDbdyDFwKjzi7pRbtStMMhMMKK_HVLJe9Rple-QCdmXdoB75aJbFd9JgWOrTYF6Y/s320/Photo-E6D6AB66-1426-46B5-89A1-1149764C0EE6-20120223-082147-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a>I returned from Ghana with a renewed heart and attitude and ready to finish out my next 3 months!<br />
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Dance Party! Why can't white people move like black people?!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCS8efxjFWuKRIF9qmDhRMRl79mC_kd1tSVdKnAbB7-zrnJXPhoYqGAFuQS6XdnRTdyGMzkZa9DWUU12qkUdmi7aB1wGssWwJWLkWPUewP76RCv5fiQwdtw4gS5hyw-Z1XLr0Xvn-psBs/s1600/Photo-2B25C444-1D3F-4B91-8C4A-555538F33F4C-20120219-054912-2048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCS8efxjFWuKRIF9qmDhRMRl79mC_kd1tSVdKnAbB7-zrnJXPhoYqGAFuQS6XdnRTdyGMzkZa9DWUU12qkUdmi7aB1wGssWwJWLkWPUewP76RCv5fiQwdtw4gS5hyw-Z1XLr0Xvn-psBs/s320/Photo-2B25C444-1D3F-4B91-8C4A-555538F33F4C-20120219-054912-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And guess who we got to see?! Gifty and Comfort! I met these ladies at my small group at Westbrook church over a year ago!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84y2hIwMPlvoXuzVyxR6PMROK8Eai3lnM8I0Sygv3Ooz3cTLYQSSL5L1egnvR7DAXIuw_-d8gyVL_-ASnlWQBoTKt3lvJyy__q_DauGrgQZGKMe_g5XOL5S-aerc428f7iimqN_GQq9w/s1600/Photo-871F524D-827B-4448-BE22-2ECA68B07508-20120221-082104-2048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84y2hIwMPlvoXuzVyxR6PMROK8Eai3lnM8I0Sygv3Ooz3cTLYQSSL5L1egnvR7DAXIuw_-d8gyVL_-ASnlWQBoTKt3lvJyy__q_DauGrgQZGKMe_g5XOL5S-aerc428f7iimqN_GQq9w/s320/Photo-871F524D-827B-4448-BE22-2ECA68B07508-20120221-082104-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim met the children that we sponsor together! Unfortunately I had to return to the ship before I could meet them.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84y2hIwMPlvoXuzVyxR6PMROK8Eai3lnM8I0Sygv3Ooz3cTLYQSSL5L1egnvR7DAXIuw_-d8gyVL_-ASnlWQBoTKt3lvJyy__q_DauGrgQZGKMe_g5XOL5S-aerc428f7iimqN_GQq9w/s1600/Photo-871F524D-827B-4448-BE22-2ECA68B07508-20120221-082104-2048.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwn3fV44ms0tut0P19RpSOt3Pf3aPTHgd7atSpdvRp-QwDGWsGc3zhp4B7tD68wOPTUQYFJhiCMgHs358QR-1lLcUJY_zaUICwQyqz31GNGmuG2JZxLnrUMKQUzlh4BGawV-ST0Zml8nU/s320/Photo-93326385-DA6B-497E-AB4A-D29074BB5D83-20120220-044426-2048.jpg" width="320" /></a><u><i>Prayer requests:</i></u><br />
- For Enyonam and her mother to travel safely, and for a pain-free uncomplicated surgery! <br />
- For a young lady who has been in the hospital since the first week we opened in February. She has a terrible wound, infection, and poor immune system, and has endured many surgeries over the past month. Pray for her miraculous healing and for any emotional or spiritual burdens to be removed from her heart.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFAq8klvu52mjYg5Nog7JEsR52Gg3xPovFD8YQnurYm-bzDGNDJIS1eqrs-hNJ3eoU8XJpIoQwQTjdjfv48CmEP9FSNSaqwTzO-ziQe2XPc_5VuNm_4YU5DLtVFByNli8jufSakV1uL8/s1600/Photo-08C9EEF0-5317-4923-A962-A8DA8CEDCBC5-20120218-064245-2048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a>- For this coming June-- What in the world is Danielle going to do next?! I need direction :)D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-30082861515551808062012-02-07T16:38:00.000-08:002012-02-07T16:44:45.914-08:00Screening Day.<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><strong><em>Disclaimer: This was a painful blog to write and may be a painful blog to read, so read at your own discretion.</em></strong></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAwGFEiWzH0d64qYOBjhE8zwSiG-xzxZOuVt66myx8C_2uVwzEmiOkVbZNAvgub2imdcJZQvOhujeQJm14KKtPDZW6nDAyt2A-Qmy3St9aNDFLKLs5Wo-tbI9lSDsdU0c2FPdQ1ZFG4g/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0625_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78fVKbxPJUkhHHC0hvWWXxDNQx8MhJa_dxFr9JWivKPeVWCQY6foyrkEmotGxah9TW0L31KOhL30ulGgu0he9vcY64xrnxcDoR5WiXO3YI1d7-kgyKe5wOY3ilI9wjz8QJ7t-ZF0y2jw/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0018_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78fVKbxPJUkhHHC0hvWWXxDNQx8MhJa_dxFr9JWivKPeVWCQY6foyrkEmotGxah9TW0L31KOhL30ulGgu0he9vcY64xrnxcDoR5WiXO3YI1d7-kgyKe5wOY3ilI9wjz8QJ7t-ZF0y2jw/s320/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0018_LO.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The last 2 weeks the ship was busy preparing for the big patient-screening day which was held this past week. A lot of planning and organization went into this day, and nearly everyone from the ship was needed to help. Only a few bare bones crew were left on the ship to keep it running. We spent a lot of time praying for this day, because thousands of people were expected to come from all over the country who are desperate and see Mercy Ships as their last hope. Security has to be very tight, and things have to stay very controlled and organized otherwise they could get out of hand quickly. We were fortunate enough to have use of the national stadium in Lomé. The event started with security at 2pm the day before the screening. People started lining up that evening, and a crew of people worked to pre-pre-screen patients throughout the night. By 4:30am, the ship was emptied, and a convoy of landrovers took everyone to the stadium to begin the long, exciting, yet heartbreaking day! </div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mIeKmSdha9nfQrFIw3VQWfhQ5FqBlRQu6V7BI27BCnZa1Sa20vya5IE9EpVjjcGU8VJwaGMlV8l6kT9Ujrauf6A3UYDOKe9PzgbZikXRmcUuyLS5cyzs-O8FQzhm7AFLLBubfL7f_40/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0181_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mIeKmSdha9nfQrFIw3VQWfhQ5FqBlRQu6V7BI27BCnZa1Sa20vya5IE9EpVjjcGU8VJwaGMlV8l6kT9Ujrauf6A3UYDOKe9PzgbZikXRmcUuyLS5cyzs-O8FQzhm7AFLLBubfL7f_40/s320/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0181_LO.JPG" width="320px" /></a>For me, the heart break started as we pulled up to the stadium, and in the dusky morning light, I could see the thousands of people lined up outside the stadium. It was at that point that I realized that screening day was not going to be a busy, fun day of seeing thousands of people and giving hope to the hopeless, but it was going to be one of the hardest days of my time here in West Africa. I started crying right then in the front seat of the Landrover and it took everything inside me to control the sobs. I knew that only a small percentage of these people were actually going to make it on the ship for surgery. Before screening day, I lived in a naive little bubble where every patient I saw was someone that we could help, and now I see the reality of the thousands that we can’t. As one of my friends put it, “I feel like this is a sick version of American Idol, and we are choosing who does and doesn’t make it through”.</div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSvNbLaUV0mnNym_HmWgrP9qy_XfxOTc6NbJwkQjR-c2LhdjUjP9SJYH3MWMcAj7BzkepPmvBhXES7BYFlD8yOvB2Of8BzqGtWk-JUdQEwAR7ZG-Vjiu92Dxny7i7NejrRwk4q8_jjqc/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0253_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSvNbLaUV0mnNym_HmWgrP9qy_XfxOTc6NbJwkQjR-c2LhdjUjP9SJYH3MWMcAj7BzkepPmvBhXES7BYFlD8yOvB2Of8BzqGtWk-JUdQEwAR7ZG-Vjiu92Dxny7i7NejrRwk4q8_jjqc/s320/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0253_LO.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYhrpCMqQGSg3EdRM8OBnrIjPnBXTm9-ijuCaaZ3yFHbJyuNxibmFEHMf3iZO5jGclLrfnz1JC2JOju7WRa7lTfdyWpBKOp5Edg0aZ0KUReT01RwbsN1t_A6IEicXjx7Ne46nYGSaa8w/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0136_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; height: 204px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 334px;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYhrpCMqQGSg3EdRM8OBnrIjPnBXTm9-ijuCaaZ3yFHbJyuNxibmFEHMf3iZO5jGclLrfnz1JC2JOju7WRa7lTfdyWpBKOp5Edg0aZ0KUReT01RwbsN1t_A6IEicXjx7Ne46nYGSaa8w/s320/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0136_LO.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zO1T0oZ8CTE3nhicYqC7CvFc-c-Z4eZBdLfYM44Ac6p7IfAsnbhIE40X2mqkZkl-Futo6nIYZQoalBqUA8LuKAUoh1T_l3mXm6SE7GzO70LB5e0_D7bTkNR1RujKvI4abTc4zqqfi4k/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0332_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zO1T0oZ8CTE3nhicYqC7CvFc-c-Z4eZBdLfYM44Ac6p7IfAsnbhIE40X2mqkZkl-Futo6nIYZQoalBqUA8LuKAUoh1T_l3mXm6SE7GzO70LB5e0_D7bTkNR1RujKvI4abTc4zqqfi4k/s320/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0332_LO.JPG" width="320px" /></a>I was fortunate enough to be a part of the children’s ministry team. We split up and went to find children to entertain and occupy their time while they waited for hours to be screened. My friend Jenny and I decided to leave the stadium and head out to the long line up of people who were standing in the hot sun since at least 2 or 3 in the morning. We had so much fun walking up and down the line, greeting people and giving them something to do; blowing bubbles, painting nails, coloring, stealing and holding babies—anything to help them pass the time, and give the parents a little rest by entertaining their children for a while! </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Qrab70mSEu4G-IEcZaMUULX3Rb8WXRJOBrmKnSjW1Y8I_Ep12wYrFqFEDHg4CVqyKJFqIdYFQ_pg-mn9bXI6opN5zYN-2QPQ_B-KGn1WusNJrm3ZOvCp_OqUeGnfeRoqbZJXJwl41B0/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0779_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Qrab70mSEu4G-IEcZaMUULX3Rb8WXRJOBrmKnSjW1Y8I_Ep12wYrFqFEDHg4CVqyKJFqIdYFQ_pg-mn9bXI6opN5zYN-2QPQ_B-KGn1WusNJrm3ZOvCp_OqUeGnfeRoqbZJXJwl41B0/s320/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0779_LO.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal">I don’t know if I would consider us extremely blessed or horribly punished to be one of the few crew who got to be outside the gate and have the devastating reality of interacting with the thousands of people who never even made it past the initial screening. Approximately 3500 people came to the screening, and less than half of those even saw the surgeons. There are very select surgeries that we do, so it is very difficult to tell people who have been standing in line for hours that we can’t fix their stomach ulcer that they’ve had for years, or their arm that broke a few years ago and healed completely wrong.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFHZslOW8Vr83yOaIbQnwkYgkEBEGW1k3hhZnREpf2T-1VZSnGqt-WdwshqnYeE0bWR6RxYvljshxLi-fGU2JzRgLCleLTAxtpbyKFgUHpxNCGRAzsm_urmZgCK1V0NsP0rIxhhBA5WY/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ1099_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFHZslOW8Vr83yOaIbQnwkYgkEBEGW1k3hhZnREpf2T-1VZSnGqt-WdwshqnYeE0bWR6RxYvljshxLi-fGU2JzRgLCleLTAxtpbyKFgUHpxNCGRAzsm_urmZgCK1V0NsP0rIxhhBA5WY/s320/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ1099_LO.JPG" width="320px" /></a>Before the screening day, I asked God to help me see his people the way he saw them, and he definitely answered, and held nothing back! Throughout the day, Matthew 25:40 kept infiltrating my head and breaking me to pieces: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” And here I was, telling thousands of helpless, hopeless people that we couldn’t help them. I felt like every time someone walked out of the stadium, we were saying, “Sorry Jesus, I can’t help you”. I am still having difficulty fully processing the day because it really challenged the way I see the world and my position in it. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZKMuBa6-pb_oudjaK93lkkXxs12BgDWh4H_xMJ3AwKSuke3s9oexz4QR6AOiBO1R5US1INks8ib_W3cFKFO_HM4OQVB3Hq1iaUUgiuKX7Rq4x9b6grENu4GBrSBQTKzhsBS5-b6cZqs/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ1027_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZKMuBa6-pb_oudjaK93lkkXxs12BgDWh4H_xMJ3AwKSuke3s9oexz4QR6AOiBO1R5US1INks8ib_W3cFKFO_HM4OQVB3Hq1iaUUgiuKX7Rq4x9b6grENu4GBrSBQTKzhsBS5-b6cZqs/s320/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ1027_LO.JPG" width="320px" /></a> I think the hardest job of the day was the prayer team, who was in charge of talking and praying with the thousands of people who we were not able to help. My prayer is just that everyone who came to the screening came for a reason, whether it was for a chance at a life changing surgery, or for a chance to see Christ’s people in action and receive prayer. By 7pm, everyone had finally returned to the ship, dirty, sweaty, tired, and hungry. What a long, exhausting day, but I am so glad that I was able to see this part of Mercy Ships and be a part of it. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This is a broken world that we live in, tainted with pain and corruption, and that won’t change until Christ returns to bring us home. All we can do is to continue to plod along seeking one hurting human after another and showing them love. God is Holy and Sovereign and can do greater things than we could ever fathom. It was in His plan and will that every single one of those hurting people came to the screening. I have no doubt that His glory was seen and His purpose was achieved at the stadium that day. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbMKIEqGjehtvuMA-uH3VSIvteT-89iUvgztrh7C6LOiZj5s1vdM2vHXBHb9zRCXbgmUTibccz2chFE1QsrQVHyaLWJBtIGbH48DRqOK-BkdkGeUNWQA3xcTESAexgD1naKfLH6Tech4/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0684_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbMKIEqGjehtvuMA-uH3VSIvteT-89iUvgztrh7C6LOiZj5s1vdM2vHXBHb9zRCXbgmUTibccz2chFE1QsrQVHyaLWJBtIGbH48DRqOK-BkdkGeUNWQA3xcTESAexgD1naKfLH6Tech4/s320/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0684_LO.JPG" width="320px" /></a>These are a few more pictures from screening day and everything that went into it. To the right is my friend June working on collecting patient history. Lots of work went into collecting histories and doing physicals, which was especially difficult due to the language barrier.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseu5I_fRd1-t-w7CaycAe5Dq9taRqriQTyF1MRgXMuiQt5AD2pyqNMnWAj4xn0ktvxYe9YRzhWAx7qKaekJ0AGUq2ADHmxhURD-H_hlThYB-j7R91Wdyg0Hi5f9Xj5iy5vaJDi8xLL2I/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ1165_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseu5I_fRd1-t-w7CaycAe5Dq9taRqriQTyF1MRgXMuiQt5AD2pyqNMnWAj4xn0ktvxYe9YRzhWAx7qKaekJ0AGUq2ADHmxhURD-H_hlThYB-j7R91Wdyg0Hi5f9Xj5iy5vaJDi8xLL2I/s320/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ1165_LO.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Qrab70mSEu4G-IEcZaMUULX3Rb8WXRJOBrmKnSjW1Y8I_Ep12wYrFqFEDHg4CVqyKJFqIdYFQ_pg-mn9bXI6opN5zYN-2QPQ_B-KGn1WusNJrm3ZOvCp_OqUeGnfeRoqbZJXJwl41B0/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0779_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAwGFEiWzH0d64qYOBjhE8zwSiG-xzxZOuVt66myx8C_2uVwzEmiOkVbZNAvgub2imdcJZQvOhujeQJm14KKtPDZW6nDAyt2A-Qmy3St9aNDFLKLs5Wo-tbI9lSDsdU0c2FPdQ1ZFG4g/s320/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0625_LO.JPG" width="320px" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_p39mgixGO5SF39EpxRAc24-BhbaYmKxilGQigDVTxRdHPURIYIMJZcfRjFroKY8CsLtoDS7M-sGka2xhgxclGDCagk7mInwSposLJYM-OqO9T3vN7Uvail19OB_sn3Qg9Mwy4Ixqq1c/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0642_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_p39mgixGO5SF39EpxRAc24-BhbaYmKxilGQigDVTxRdHPURIYIMJZcfRjFroKY8CsLtoDS7M-sGka2xhgxclGDCagk7mInwSposLJYM-OqO9T3vN7Uvail19OB_sn3Qg9Mwy4Ixqq1c/s320/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0642_LO.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><i><u>Prayer requests:</u></i></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Please continue to lift up in prayer the thousands of Togolese people that we were unable to help. God is a big God and a miraculous God and has the power to heal these people- and he doesn’t need a scalpel and a surgeon. </span></div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFHZslOW8Vr83yOaIbQnwkYgkEBEGW1k3hhZnREpf2T-1VZSnGqt-WdwshqnYeE0bWR6RxYvljshxLi-fGU2JzRgLCleLTAxtpbyKFgUHpxNCGRAzsm_urmZgCK1V0NsP0rIxhhBA5WY/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ1099_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJoNWL_l26D8tEEU-qenqGj1Datw1Aqt1NNSOAr4iq-KnSAJaWUK7t_OV2LnN2ZwJ0TI7W8xPSr9c_cno1iiREQxxaCoJDlle2dZ1YxqScV9fWnXffkSJDNUZXH0RTOMjWlQAiy1JGn8/s1600/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0715_LO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJoNWL_l26D8tEEU-qenqGj1Datw1Aqt1NNSOAr4iq-KnSAJaWUK7t_OV2LnN2ZwJ0TI7W8xPSr9c_cno1iiREQxxaCoJDlle2dZ1YxqScV9fWnXffkSJDNUZXH0RTOMjWlQAiy1JGn8/s320/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0715_LO.JPG" width="213px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This little cutie is a picture of hope. She has already had surgery, and I was playing with he and rocking her to sleep just a few hours before I finished writing this blog! She is down in the ward and will probably go home tomorrow! God is good and despite the heartbreak I had during the screening, God never fails to shine His glory through and reveal His purpose!</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><br />
</blockquote><img height="63px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAwGFEiWzH0d64qYOBjhE8zwSiG-xzxZOuVt66myx8C_2uVwzEmiOkVbZNAvgub2imdcJZQvOhujeQJm14KKtPDZW6nDAyt2A-Qmy3St9aNDFLKLs5Wo-tbI9lSDsdU0c2FPdQ1ZFG4g/s320/TGE1202_SCREENING_JJ0625_LO.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 556px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 189px; visibility: hidden;" width="96px" />D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-80197245275099607692012-02-04T11:55:00.000-08:002012-02-04T11:55:48.608-08:00"Yovo, Yovo, bonsoir..."<div class="MsoNormal">“yovo, yovo bonsoir,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ca va, bien, merci”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is the song that is sung by a chorus of children around every corner that I walk in Togo! It says, “white person, white person, good evening, how are you, fine, thank you”. It is a joke ridiculing the fact that white people, or “yovos”, generally only know these 4 common phrases in French! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So far during my time in West Africa, I have been called an Opoto (Temne), Pumwe (Mende), Obruni (Twi), Toubab (Wolof), and now Yovo (Ewe)! I’m making quite a collection of names for myself!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So I arrived in Togo about 2 ½ weeks ago. I had a lovely relaxing time with the family in Ireland, Germany, and Belgium. You can read all about the adventures at spotofblueadventures.blogspot.com. It was a perfect and much needed break and a good half-way point for my time in Africa. I was getting a bit tired and run down on the ship, especially because we were in transition between countries, the hospital was closed, and there was about a quarter of the normal amount of crew members on board. I came back excited and ready to start a new field service! (and excited to be back in the warm weather!)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My first Togo adventure was to the beautiful Mt. Agu. We had no real plan of how we were going to get to the top of the mountain, but we packed our camping gear and hit the road. As we were aimlessly wandering up the mountain, we stumbled upon a YWAM (Youth With A Mission) base, and stopped in to ask for help/directions to the top. After making fast friends with the ladies who live there, we ended up staying at the base, and then hiking up the mountain the next day! The people at the base were so sweet, and I will definitely be returning there anytime I need a little getaway for some R&R up in the mountains!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Stephen, and Jenny on our way up to the YWAM base</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June cookin Breafy!</td></tr>
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This is Aimee- one of the amazing women at the YWAM base! She didn't speak English, but that didn't stop us from becoming fast friends! They were so welcoming and cooked us some delicious fried plantains after our tiring hike!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And it was tasty!</td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">We walked through many villages on the way up the mountain. It was the best part of the hike, winding up small trails and around houses that cling to the side of the mountain. There were tons of goats and the cutest little baby goats! My obssession with them has given me the title "goat girl" once again... I thought that title was history, guess not.</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OZogkRgfZ07PbgS8yYOy5rJkKEiZPNqx_UG05mESzAbFgwx3EqGiZfBZC0gufxhg7FlELF2ETUc99IrF7W-tSMEcXOfhs4VjIG_QdhXO_bWBPVsenEuUUMU7sgIE46DugHd0ezLsVN8/s1600/DSCN2481.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OZogkRgfZ07PbgS8yYOy5rJkKEiZPNqx_UG05mESzAbFgwx3EqGiZfBZC0gufxhg7FlELF2ETUc99IrF7W-tSMEcXOfhs4VjIG_QdhXO_bWBPVsenEuUUMU7sgIE46DugHd0ezLsVN8/s320/DSCN2481.JPG" width="320px" /></a>This is a picture with our amazing friend and guide, Gilberto. He works at the YWAM base as a teacher and was kind enough to lead us up the mountain after a very long week of work! Fortunately he spoke English!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qRpwRBtFJjv-6FZLxzcw5qsjlOXWgTnkAkfmahc2o7xGUCaYWGa_rqi4hu8qMgxscrDd6bAoRks1akIQsIwmRb7akn0hANeb_vKWBIIPI48HPvH5sf3HExqrjQOc5uAiDen2LSdSH2k/s1600/DSCN2539.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qRpwRBtFJjv-6FZLxzcw5qsjlOXWgTnkAkfmahc2o7xGUCaYWGa_rqi4hu8qMgxscrDd6bAoRks1akIQsIwmRb7akn0hANeb_vKWBIIPI48HPvH5sf3HExqrjQOc5uAiDen2LSdSH2k/s320/DSCN2539.JPG" width="240px" /></a></div><br />
He bought a stick of sugar cane and let us try some. It was a deliciously sweet snack at just the perfect time! We were almost down the mountain, hot, sweaty, tired, and shaky legs!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 3 amigos :) Jenny loves Wisconsin, she's a keeper.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our jungle trail</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We made it to the top! This is standing on the highest point in Togo. It's nearly Everest. We are awesome.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The last 2 weeks, the hospital has been busy at work getting the hospital set up and ready for patients. One of the fun things this included was <i>hospital open house</i>. This is a time when the whole crew is invited down to the hospital before we get patients, and every ward and department set up fun activities. For example, we did things such as <i>learn to put in stitches, intubate a dummy, do brain surgery, put in an IV, remove a cataract, </i> and one of the best things (in my opinion) was my ward’s activity which was <i>be a nurse for a shift</i>. Some of us nurses played patients, and the crew had specific nursing tasks to do in a relay race against each other. It was hysterical and fun as the crew ran around trying to give medicine to someone who kept spitting it out, putting a bed pan under a patient and being surprised to find coffee grounds poo, and changing a dressing on a ketchup and mayonnaise wound! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is me- dead on the dinning room table during lunch! (I survived, don't worry)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Advertising in the dinning room for the hospital open house- rocking out to<br />
"staying alive" while they are doing CPR on me</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuWvSIDl536VOmgWgdcHWWe4vGIocTEiwHI6QQGTgHsmWZo0yGbmK4kb8_TEjBk-E3-3LqM0Tow2ShAQSwXWhKNinHpbM9wI1uzkdDW7AEN0qjqIGy3JwV4q7hFy20zzV5Y9R6V9768A/s1600/TGE1201_HOSPITAL_OPEN_HOUSE_JJ149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuWvSIDl536VOmgWgdcHWWe4vGIocTEiwHI6QQGTgHsmWZo0yGbmK4kb8_TEjBk-E3-3LqM0Tow2ShAQSwXWhKNinHpbM9wI1uzkdDW7AEN0qjqIGy3JwV4q7hFy20zzV5Y9R6V9768A/s320/TGE1201_HOSPITAL_OPEN_HOUSE_JJ149.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fake surgery at the hospital open house</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqmPfd0WbULKy4_dPeUtZdzhNv3tDJu2fSwM0OsZZmPo7RageMJD1uwlg8tdeSLtik2aK2GFZg1BTUGn8-h398VBW1MtEgsfzEMR-wPnlNXQD_Qr75hw-hEmhx8m1ys3bfkXiLITUagE/s1600/TGE1201_HOSPITAL_OPEN_HOUSE_JJ208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqmPfd0WbULKy4_dPeUtZdzhNv3tDJu2fSwM0OsZZmPo7RageMJD1uwlg8tdeSLtik2aK2GFZg1BTUGn8-h398VBW1MtEgsfzEMR-wPnlNXQD_Qr75hw-hEmhx8m1ys3bfkXiLITUagE/s320/TGE1201_HOSPITAL_OPEN_HOUSE_JJ208.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June and I laughing at "nurse for a shift"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8LQXlRD52-344uj8QjL8o3Tm5_FaCRgYBk8hnkqFI2ts_ba7p3HR0ijjfWQ08j737DM-eKOQ9ZhjELl-vQmMtK3BGyvNSz48AX-UX081tFNyj16R7RgYrIDGtAzjGT4Yc9u105ZNHAs/s1600/TGE1201_HOSPITAL_OPEN_HOUSE_JJ212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8LQXlRD52-344uj8QjL8o3Tm5_FaCRgYBk8hnkqFI2ts_ba7p3HR0ijjfWQ08j737DM-eKOQ9ZhjELl-vQmMtK3BGyvNSz48AX-UX081tFNyj16R7RgYrIDGtAzjGT4Yc9u105ZNHAs/s320/TGE1201_HOSPITAL_OPEN_HOUSE_JJ212.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how our crew try to give medications to an unruley patient during "nurse for a shift"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of the ward nurses in a group photo! See if you can find me.. it's like Where's Waldo!</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal">So some of my friends tell me I’m getting too comfortable Africa, but I choose to think of it as “cultured”. I’ll share some of their evidence with you and let you judge for yourself:</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span> </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> 1. If I have the choice between a squatty-potty and a porcelain throne, I will choose to squat. I mean, how many times do I have to explain that it’s a more natural and healthy position for the human body! And I’m pretty proficient at the “African bidet”(if you don’t know what this is, then I will spare you the details)! </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 2. I</span> ate cat. And I liked it. I don’t condone the way the poor little Garfield died, but if it was served to me again, I wouldn’t hesitate to chow down. The only weird thing is that it gave me a strange sensation about an hour later like I had a hair ball stuck. And the after burps… not so appetizing. </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 3. </span>And last but not least is the possibility that I have a little friend named Willy. Willy is a worm that lives deep down inside me somewhere. OK, I don’t really think I have worms, but my friends are convinced that I do simply because I enjoy the occasional street food and street juice. When it’s hot out and I’m parched from the sun, I just can’t deny those enticing baggies of homemade juice! Or better yet the old used water bottle half filled with the delicious concoctions. Besides, it’s nothing a little Albendazole can’t cure! </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><u>Prayer requests:</u></i></div><div class="MsoNormal">-Screening was yesterday (blog to come), please praise God for the patients who were accepted for surgery and will be coming to the ship in the next few months. Pray that they will be able to see Christ’s love on this ship and have their hope restored!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">-For the people that we were not able to provide medical care for, that they were able to walk away from screening feeling loved, cared for, and having a renewed hope in the Lord. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">- For the cultural interactions on the ship- that people won’t cling to the cultures that they are comfortable with, but that the crew can be better integrated and learn to understand each other better.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">- For my continued French and Ewe learning!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you all for your love and prayers! I’m looking forward to a great outreach over the next 5 months, but I can’t believe my time here is already half way over! I love hearing from all of you so continue to update me on your lives!</div>D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-75180847650189477572012-01-04T10:20:00.000-08:002012-01-04T10:20:49.288-08:00Holiday adventures of a traveling vegabond "Make sure you write a blog before you leave for vacation Danielle..." "Oo of course I will Mom, Don't worry!" --Oops. So I sit here now in the Hethrow airport with a 3 hour layover, and I figure now is a good time to update you all on my where abouts the last few weeks! <br />
<br />
The last few weeks have really felt like a weird limbo. I feel like a wandering vegabond just visiting places that I don't actually belong. The 2 weeks surrounding Christmas I was in beautiful Ghana! The ship was on holiday there- just a time for the crew to relax in a semi-developed country. And WOW did I have some reverse culture shock! There were stop lights, and cross walks, and a MALL. I was in a car that went faster than 30mph for the first time in 5 months, and I almost had a panic attack!<br />
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I had fun exploring some of the touristy areas of Ghana, as well as the local markets in Tema and Accra. <br />
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It took me a while to settle in and get use to being away from Freetown, and deal with a lot more of my ship-family leaving, but we had a great Christmas that helped to make me feel more at home in Ghana. A lovely Christmas play put on by the kids, a Christmas eve service complete with a bell choir, and a fun night of gift opening with friends! But one of the best parts was being a part of the crew that made Christmas brunch! My Norwegian counterpart and I, also known as the "culinary nurse food presentation specialinsts" (it's kind of a big deal, ok), had a blast setting up a fruit and dessert table and making everything look beautiful for a wonderful, homey, Christmas brunch!<br />
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After the Christmas festivities, I took my vegabond travels northward to Dakar, Senegal to visit the one and only Kelsey Staudacher! I had an amazing hostess and tour guide to give me a great taste of Senegal in one short week. here are a few points to sum up my Senegalese week:<br />
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1. Don't let West Africa fool you, it's COLD! What a shock to arrive during the cold season when my body is use to the Ghanaian heat! Granted, it was 70-80 degrees, but I'm getting wimpy :)<br />
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2. If you want to go to Senegal, make sure you speak French, Wolof, or have a great translator, because nobody speaks English!<br />
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3. If the public transportation is on strike, no problem, just hitch hike through West Africa!<br />
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4. I have never been so afraid of food in my life. I started to get anxious as meal time came closer every day-- we would sit around a big shared bowl, and the cultural thing to do is to make sure the guest eats as MUCH as possible. Even to the point of bursting. For every meal. Thank goodness Kelsey stratigically planned for us to skip some meals! and I have had about 10 years worth of MSG-- my blood pressure is probably 160/100 by now.<br />
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5. We didn't enjoy watching fireworks on New Years Eve, we went one step further and enjoyed being IN a firework! No firework laws equals insanely dangerous explosions all around you!<br />
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6. I have perfected the African bidet and scoop shower, but I am looking forward to a HOT shower without the 2-minute ship limit!<br />
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7. We walked all over the country, but probably the most intersting walk was a 10K hike through the back streets of Dakar following a Bifal (basically a very interesting Muslim Rasta) in the dark.. oo the memories! <br />
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8. and lastly, the Senegalese people are so kind and welcoming, despite being a vegabond, I felt very welcome and at home!<br />
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So now here I sit in the Hethrow airport, paying way too many Euros for internet, waiting to begin my next week of vegabond life in Europe with the family! Then it's back to the ship to make a new home in Lome, Togo for the next 6 months. <br />
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As always, thank you all for your prayers and support! <br />
<br />
<em><u>Prayer requests:</u></em><br />
- for fun, safe, and memorable travels with the family in Europe!<br />
- For the people in Togo who we will be serving soon, that their hearts will be prepared for amazingness, and we will be able to make the biggest impact on the most amount of people in only 5 months.<br />
- For my language learning- that I will learn French quickly and have the courage to use it!<br />
<br />
Due to the not-so-hot internet speed and weird british keyboard, I will be adding pictures later! stay tuned!D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-76765828824360866452011-12-12T15:15:00.000-08:002011-12-12T15:15:47.483-08:00Sail away! Sail away! Sail away!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">Good’ay mateys! Greetings from somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!<span> </span>It’s such an incredibly freeing yet confining feeling to be out on the open sea!<span> </span>Plus I get to learn really cool words like “muster” and “bunker” and starboard, port, aft, bow, bridge, etc. I’m a pretty able seaman!<span> </span>It’s been a while since I last wrote, so I will rewind for a minute and re-cap my last weeks in Sierra Leone before I get to the sailing stories!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9JCZCFUSeUaCXWgbHmyF0c0Ih7n_aRxeI_L1QtrOl0qwiI18bVq6wG4PW1wtQRU8d1uVpeEJQwFVcLt2PDaMZ__YyvYzx6G8PiHOJOE2iDhn60Bh7qFb2kUxjxWb0V_yCka-HoWeDEc/s1600/PB230772.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9JCZCFUSeUaCXWgbHmyF0c0Ih7n_aRxeI_L1QtrOl0qwiI18bVq6wG4PW1wtQRU8d1uVpeEJQwFVcLt2PDaMZ__YyvYzx6G8PiHOJOE2iDhn60Bh7qFb2kUxjxWb0V_yCka-HoWeDEc/s320/PB230772.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiding from the teary-eyed mob!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">My last few weeks in Sierra Leone were wonderful and awful at the same time.<span> </span>After the hospital closed, I transferred to work in the galley- cooking food for all the crew on the ship!<span> </span>It has been a lot of fun- we even cook food sometimes amongst all the music and dancing!<span> </span>The nice thing about working in the galley was that it gave me more days off for my last 2 weeks in Sierra Leone (SL).<span> </span>I was able to enjoy some extra time in town with local friends, and I even managed to get in a few extra trips to the beach, and watch one last soccer match between the ship crew and the locals (never mind that the game was delayed due to a riot at the earlier game resulting in tear gas and a fleeing crowd that I got swallowed up into...)!<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here is a photo journey through my last few days with my SL friends..</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzcif1Xiu9eMEo3gCdxyACkDhCdTnwb5zMrR2u4TQAEKUps5tPssqajHqGYNSgdTnidv9sgaEeQNS_wblCNwhEtrUS-PnVEbmJTSBXcCzM8bDZ6rgiBHv5P7aOboo6HEk8RTq2YTh35U/s1600/PB190728.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzcif1Xiu9eMEo3gCdxyACkDhCdTnwb5zMrR2u4TQAEKUps5tPssqajHqGYNSgdTnidv9sgaEeQNS_wblCNwhEtrUS-PnVEbmJTSBXcCzM8bDZ6rgiBHv5P7aOboo6HEk8RTq2YTh35U/s320/PB190728.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">vicious game of musical chairs at our beach party!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIvJXFJdSJ-pFKD7mxl5hyNJJDsGD_q12lJS10F1q-aDyqIcJkLaeQdsycSZ0jond5xCpFd15-noE4ZFpt1S92gbb3-9mlb71rEb-TqKdW8bLwYSNbiwgMSs1QUfMfayY51ptRGNzicA/s1600/PB190731.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIvJXFJdSJ-pFKD7mxl5hyNJJDsGD_q12lJS10F1q-aDyqIcJkLaeQdsycSZ0jond5xCpFd15-noE4ZFpt1S92gbb3-9mlb71rEb-TqKdW8bLwYSNbiwgMSs1QUfMfayY51ptRGNzicA/s320/PB190731.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do these kiddos look familiar? Look at my blog on Aug. 22- I met these kids at Mama beach, and ran into them 3 months later at a different beach! And they remembered me!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALzojAQQSu_GZEJWTunFVD081GnQu-Wfzf5xHlnNfBSdubIj_tNy4ng0GF_Hcbyvl98TXkligHa3SVjaPPKdA32wS-MKWj1v4MDIIjObDZ3UMGKrTwbEmbETc6FQcUGGQNzP9RiDdQhw/s1600/PB190739.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALzojAQQSu_GZEJWTunFVD081GnQu-Wfzf5xHlnNfBSdubIj_tNy4ng0GF_Hcbyvl98TXkligHa3SVjaPPKdA32wS-MKWj1v4MDIIjObDZ3UMGKrTwbEmbETc6FQcUGGQNzP9RiDdQhw/s320/PB190739.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach football game</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03v89gdyq7TBK848EnWuHlhkxHqV9fV_nz7KNJXlF5gvKw8BQYY7LfYnAw0L3RQ9ao-DiHQTEpOgEnoLMLTgUZLqSEzV7QL6D3uH4n4DMJlCkyoZKRD1mejlynpXKSaR5Xzp8vR6i_Fs/s1600/PB190741.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03v89gdyq7TBK848EnWuHlhkxHqV9fV_nz7KNJXlF5gvKw8BQYY7LfYnAw0L3RQ9ao-DiHQTEpOgEnoLMLTgUZLqSEzV7QL6D3uH4n4DMJlCkyoZKRD1mejlynpXKSaR5Xzp8vR6i_Fs/s320/PB190741.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy provided a nice obstacle for the football game... he is currently crossing the center line.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_AGMki1JEGCl_0byYBceYVVF7WxAuNSaadupPswKTY2bclPJZe1ZxeYPwicnAjtyh_TjbJS8UimdrOQqTFb5QvtDlS0gftdjUH6Wdyz8JrzyZJYvxaQ-S3zT-xzVZ_SGXsW2_Q8W8Po/s1600/PB190754.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_AGMki1JEGCl_0byYBceYVVF7WxAuNSaadupPswKTY2bclPJZe1ZxeYPwicnAjtyh_TjbJS8UimdrOQqTFb5QvtDlS0gftdjUH6Wdyz8JrzyZJYvxaQ-S3zT-xzVZ_SGXsW2_Q8W8Po/s320/PB190754.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joey and I on our 5 mile walk to another beach!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaDWyj8vxwzHpnKyrq2T0FBCqJuiJiit6A1GtAsi7kqpao9rNIpk7_aWLsI-QJUizS-VJS3EV4mxv-yH7oqOMHirJhEmUV4_cQrmCpgDO-bttgxFCrcpDAVeANW_Rsdv3RcBBaxeDCHE/s1600/PB190760.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaDWyj8vxwzHpnKyrq2T0FBCqJuiJiit6A1GtAsi7kqpao9rNIpk7_aWLsI-QJUizS-VJS3EV4mxv-yH7oqOMHirJhEmUV4_cQrmCpgDO-bttgxFCrcpDAVeANW_Rsdv3RcBBaxeDCHE/s320/PB190760.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crab attack!! These little buggers are exceptionally difficult to catch!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIIvyxIAnd-VP7QpR2hgo1JxCK7W_BaWw8zLb8bt0WPn58b7-qm0dJW_-wRlWr11eveVVs0HJobUOVwG8tDZgunchA6nX9rCcJp-JSN-SfFVVc2_cRrJjMwXEI7-WkBwvrlZO3x1JHZs/s1600/PB290830.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIIvyxIAnd-VP7QpR2hgo1JxCK7W_BaWw8zLb8bt0WPn58b7-qm0dJW_-wRlWr11eveVVs0HJobUOVwG8tDZgunchA6nX9rCcJp-JSN-SfFVVc2_cRrJjMwXEI7-WkBwvrlZO3x1JHZs/s320/PB290830.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found some monkeys in the tree! Oo wait, is that Israel and Abdulai??!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsYG7EVUr0hsgf10d-MhHQ72CfrYQNmI6dnu4f-2A2PfKHA06XcbYlM0qjVFXfNSdV1b_ynCP_lT6OGnq2N_G1TmmGuYq5DsZ5mYBFsY6KNvbNhNeffrWQ8VvYyEry5id0sVEpDqKWSE/s1600/PB290840.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsYG7EVUr0hsgf10d-MhHQ72CfrYQNmI6dnu4f-2A2PfKHA06XcbYlM0qjVFXfNSdV1b_ynCP_lT6OGnq2N_G1TmmGuYq5DsZ5mYBFsY6KNvbNhNeffrWQ8VvYyEry5id0sVEpDqKWSE/s320/PB290840.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christian found the best napping spot</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhT4xKJ_BEWfevipai5nG-Yo8VZvfqdKFJY5GkjTf-WQq-LFJAiWbdaU2V0Js561IzsB3U2XoD9j_Rx-JVWiVCWDTGdJ2U9K_hENb_NGc2kwa4qLbqbXDWU9tmShrztMqfeJNFEfKJmDA/s1600/PB290841.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhT4xKJ_BEWfevipai5nG-Yo8VZvfqdKFJY5GkjTf-WQq-LFJAiWbdaU2V0Js561IzsB3U2XoD9j_Rx-JVWiVCWDTGdJ2U9K_hENb_NGc2kwa4qLbqbXDWU9tmShrztMqfeJNFEfKJmDA/s320/PB290841.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crew with Crooksy on her last day :(</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSq8u9eoKMvh171S23pTk2UqvCSRAIGDx9b_48WOdF6fSLi2ybED12cNvI8F4ipcd1bYn5RDiD7ky-x2wjj-WBdYTe-2u2afdc-sLKzwRb_bYqNSZDajiNjBNnJI7Z83NO5hdusoluSQ/s1600/PB240794.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSq8u9eoKMvh171S23pTk2UqvCSRAIGDx9b_48WOdF6fSLi2ybED12cNvI8F4ipcd1bYn5RDiD7ky-x2wjj-WBdYTe-2u2afdc-sLKzwRb_bYqNSZDajiNjBNnJI7Z83NO5hdusoluSQ/s320/PB240794.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Becca and I went to Autie Fatu's (one of the day workers in the ward) and saw her and her husbands farm</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggVOuIbqy_EznkV0BnJF7JmBRSxNX35C0LCKpMuNJphKXF6a5e5vWLgQx68BZK7bDSf7ZJd0EuCRfRPsAIa6bd3SC9dHOW5AO21me8pq29Bi6BkDP7u04ca15wBf8Dny3G5DdYmJxgdE/s1600/PB240802.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggVOuIbqy_EznkV0BnJF7JmBRSxNX35C0LCKpMuNJphKXF6a5e5vWLgQx68BZK7bDSf7ZJd0EuCRfRPsAIa6bd3SC9dHOW5AO21me8pq29Bi6BkDP7u04ca15wBf8Dny3G5DdYmJxgdE/s320/PB240802.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manual labor! No motorized equipment at all!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkW5-ldP6DPR1faSyzARgS6oadu9AldvIx25JTa5lDOjvBIJ4pxI2BzKlVGZCNrj4j5AZ78R3E69ZQon5L_xnYZvb4W9IojWmM-2PhJf4fy8Xz94d3fcX9UG_h2ok9uI7ElgvyXjeSeus/s1600/PB240810.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkW5-ldP6DPR1faSyzARgS6oadu9AldvIx25JTa5lDOjvBIJ4pxI2BzKlVGZCNrj4j5AZ78R3E69ZQon5L_xnYZvb4W9IojWmM-2PhJf4fy8Xz94d3fcX9UG_h2ok9uI7ElgvyXjeSeus/s320/PB240810.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have a photo with a basket of cucumbers on my head.. I will post it later! I need more training.. it's not so easy!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Lep3saQpC-If3lCWMFWnL3LjHUPxZyaFp6_fRUI0Z1GjTQil0V_KqKPimz_v1lYTQY5QrPYWeLUrZKRbre08eM7xiUxC4UfCrptN80dVW15O8BIhJ_14GULyDsLx2cqZSTjbXRoSSCQ/s1600/PB250821.AVI"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fv24.nonxt7.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3D034ce77da2cd7ca2%26itag%3D18%26source%3Dpicasa%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1323743466%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Csource%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D489A2A05C559F2516AAB5390AF7AB7674DDAE446.6348B3F609199AB16A6D523B182A821CAB800435%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fv24.nonxt7.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3D034ce77da2cd7ca2%26itag%3D18%26source%3Dpicasa%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1323743466%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Csource%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D489A2A05C559F2516AAB5390AF7AB7674DDAE446.6348B3F609199AB16A6D523B182A821CAB800435%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Video of the Day worker celebration day on the ship during worship time</div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day worker celebration day</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz779HRiPzlxKyZmdK751-MJsYhvha6L8-tXzZ50K11WHM5lf3zsWjMCzwGEntNhcMzmCxytHSukecgfv_IfKJKfqqKlx3duXJLiMTc0pAadlJKTSuoZUlAg3Ml5DwC0KsDyMrXBuvhxo/s1600/PC070862.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz779HRiPzlxKyZmdK751-MJsYhvha6L8-tXzZ50K11WHM5lf3zsWjMCzwGEntNhcMzmCxytHSukecgfv_IfKJKfqqKlx3duXJLiMTc0pAadlJKTSuoZUlAg3Ml5DwC0KsDyMrXBuvhxo/s320/PC070862.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got to see the baby of 2 of our friends right before we left! It was perfect timing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ql9y7d89TuMq27EBZjqaSb6ZncwUHeNEjk94OO7ZSVp_UxA1PzgEjc3i10QljaU0qU-bgX2jzwqJzwuxwiNuK8eiJFk7pZs6sxRVnPvaBwDDyIpGQ6SQOsoaga3LZ7cmSLs0aXf8dSw/s1600/dock+photo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ql9y7d89TuMq27EBZjqaSb6ZncwUHeNEjk94OO7ZSVp_UxA1PzgEjc3i10QljaU0qU-bgX2jzwqJzwuxwiNuK8eiJFk7pZs6sxRVnPvaBwDDyIpGQ6SQOsoaga3LZ7cmSLs0aXf8dSw/s320/dock+photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My thinking spot! </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">It was a wonderful last few days, but I knew each great adventure was just another day closer to saying goodbye.<span> </span>I was very fortunate to be able to say good-bye in a real West African time-frame: to spend the entire day with a friend before actually hugging goodbye at the end. <span> </span>I didn’t understand why saying goodbye seemed so hard until I sat down and really thought about it.<span> </span>I said goodbye to so many family and friends at home before I came here and none of those goodbyes seemed quite as difficult as the ones I had set before me here.<span> </span>It bothered me at first because I thought, “I have known these people for 4 months… why should it be harder to say goodbye to them than to people I have known for years back home?”<span> </span>Some people suggested it was because I would never see these people again.<span> </span>But I didn’t buy that because I strongly believe I will return to SL someday.<span> </span>I spent some time in my best thinking spot- the end of the dock in Freetown- and I finally realized the answer, and it broke my heart.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I say “goodbye”, or “see you later”, or “until next time” to people in America, I know with about 95% assurance that they will be <i>OK.<span> </span></i>But I can’t say that with any assurance for my SL friends.<span> </span>When I left for Africa and I said goodbye to Mom and Dad, I knew that unless the great depression came back, they would have food in the fridge, lights at night, a safe place to sleep, medical care if they got sick, and they could count on that being true for the next 50 years or so.<span> </span>But the heart breaking part about “goodbye” in SL, was that I wasn’t sure if any of those things would be true for my friends- tomorrow, or any day in the next 50 years.<span> </span>But yet it is so powerful and encouraging to see the hope and faith they have for a safe and healthy future.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have also done a lot of contemplation and theorization on the cultural differences between my American culture and the Sierra Leonian culture I have so enjoyed for the past 4 months.<span> </span>I absolutely loved the culture and way of life here; there are so many beautiful aspects.<span> </span>The people are so welcoming and friendly, they would literally drop everything to help a perfect stranger, and they would give up all of their comforts to make you feel welcomed.<span> </span>My friend Johanna and I were walking to one of our SL friend’s homes when her sandal broke.<span> </span>She tried to fix it but couldn’t, so a woman on the street gave her a new pair of sandals.<span> </span>Then when we got to our friends compound, Johanna asked for some tape to fix the broken sandal, and instead the entire compound came together, examined the shoe, and scurried off with it, only to return 15 minutes later with a perfectly repaired sandal.<span> </span>Not only that, but they reinforced the other sandal just in case it were to break someday too!<span> </span>If I broke my shoe in America and took it to my neighbor’s house, he would tell me to go to Wal-mart and buy a new pair!<span> </span>That’s the kind of community that exists here.<span> </span>If you walk by somebody in the street and don’t say “hello, how is your family?” it is just about the most disrespectful thing you could do.<span> </span>They are a very relational culture that depends on each other for enjoyment, comfort, safety, and survival.<span> </span>I can only imagine that the West African’s who come to America feel very lonely and isolated because of how independent we are.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">SL has an amazing and beautiful culture that I have learned so much from; but with the beauty of any culture also comes the frustrations.<span> </span>I have found trust to be a big struggle for me here.<span> </span>More than once, I have felt betrayed by a West African friend.<span> </span>It hurts and it frustrates me, but I also realize that often it is done to just save face.<span> </span>They change a story or say something false just because they think it is what I would like to hear.<span> </span>Trust is also a struggle in their culture when it comes to male-female relationship and marriages.<span> </span>Complete fidelity to ones partner is all too commonly broken.<span> </span>Many women constantly fear that their men will leave them, and many men constantly fear that their woman will cheat on them.<span> </span>It is a sad reality that many couples have a lack of trust in each other.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To think about these issues, I returned to my best thinking spot: end of the dock in Freetown. <span> </span>A friend of mine gave me the idea that maybe some of these cultural differences, especially with faithfulness and trust, sprout from the roots of how our cultures were founded. <span> </span>If you look at West Africa, the first people groups here and thus the basis for the culture comes from the indigenous tribes which had animistic and tribal beliefs.<span> </span>If you look at America and the original founding father’s beliefs, America was founded on Biblical principles.<span> </span>“In God We Trust” is not just a phrase on the back of a dollar bill.<span> </span>Even though American’s may not practice Christianity so strictly anymore, and much of American culture is far from Biblical, the truth is that the basic morals we teach and attempt to follow are originally Biblical, and it is very evident when you travel to a culture that is not founded off of God’s word.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loading the last Land Rover</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAU65Nc0vRLkjltp7OIhIisMfGEBynq9LC8TYssVp_5gGBzf1EqfCd0u5Vd3E7UplrjtmmS-DiNluNe_eV1FVdBAu73GenB2Hb6WwnAapbPprUV6Bg5s6iLnGwLaqxbRPECipK1d0WDQ/s1600/PC100890.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAU65Nc0vRLkjltp7OIhIisMfGEBynq9LC8TYssVp_5gGBzf1EqfCd0u5Vd3E7UplrjtmmS-DiNluNe_eV1FVdBAu73GenB2Hb6WwnAapbPprUV6Bg5s6iLnGwLaqxbRPECipK1d0WDQ/s320/PC100890.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't drop it!</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span></span>After all the thoughts and theories I developed on SL, it was finally time to depart.<span> </span>All of the goodbye’s aside, there were a lot of fun and exciting things about leaving and leading up to the sail.<span> </span>Some of the locals started to panic about us leaving- with good reason.<span> </span>If we left, that meant they or their family member couldn’t get the surgery that they needed.<span> </span>So there were a lot of attempts to get on the ship at night.<span> </span>Some friends and I were sitting out at our thinking spot at the end of the dock when one of the Ghurkas (security guards) walked up holding a sling shot.<span> </span>I said, “what is that for?!” and he pulled a handful of marbles out of his pocket and said, “that’s how I keep people off the ship!” and OOo my goodness do they have some wicked aim!<span> </span>The night before we sailed out of Freetown, I got to do pirate watch with a friend from midnight to 2 am.<span> </span>The best part was one of our Ghurka friends let us shoot his sling shot!<span> </span>I shot the containers on the dock with expert aim! (Or close to it…)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zkTzaPx-ItoV321fKhvYxqX3LUzGZUqGG88BmT320U6iOrCHY7_U79IQ3lG44-H7f81xWOjruM8Y_P9hAXii47cQGCqIKmBDzcsPoTmi6wgB9qvNqcgQ1us39ZJ5NR6XOqUWezcQLH0/s1600/sail+away.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zkTzaPx-ItoV321fKhvYxqX3LUzGZUqGG88BmT320U6iOrCHY7_U79IQ3lG44-H7f81xWOjruM8Y_P9hAXii47cQGCqIKmBDzcsPoTmi6wgB9qvNqcgQ1us39ZJ5NR6XOqUWezcQLH0/s320/sail+away.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Pulling away from the dock was bitter sweet.<span> </span>There were a few people who slipped past the port security guards to wave us goodbye.<span> </span>Most of the crew was standing out on the top deck to wave goodbye, and the Captain came across the loud speaker and said a beautiful prayer for Sierra Leone, Freetown, and for our travels.<span> </span>It was a great send off to a wonderful outreach.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgD4VQ4sexDMU3p0JtcqYFwYrYXCldggcbP9M9wTkW2GcTHlc5XhVz35J3BJIQncZB1QrO2Crm9FiUoHfMQ8YdquapuilGI7CRcAsybK1uHLVuPfATtEakoCaqbdea6rZuFrwt14ZlkM/s1600/PC100891.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgD4VQ4sexDMU3p0JtcqYFwYrYXCldggcbP9M9wTkW2GcTHlc5XhVz35J3BJIQncZB1QrO2Crm9FiUoHfMQ8YdquapuilGI7CRcAsybK1uHLVuPfATtEakoCaqbdea6rZuFrwt14ZlkM/s320/PC100891.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our small goodbye crew on the dock as we pulled away</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyy73UM5u6lfDUtUjEOdCQb0F7IXq7kACIy0r7OgAaEj1IyGZtzkq_lL7pWxQGPJcMg2piCipbxrkbLWtMND9B2_S93t9fh6ovhVSwpG3F0EnxveUl98QXv7fSMQcIQCAjF0uwBVtcS0Y/s1600/PC100892.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyy73UM5u6lfDUtUjEOdCQb0F7IXq7kACIy0r7OgAaEj1IyGZtzkq_lL7pWxQGPJcMg2piCipbxrkbLWtMND9B2_S93t9fh6ovhVSwpG3F0EnxveUl98QXv7fSMQcIQCAjF0uwBVtcS0Y/s320/PC100892.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We had a beautiful first day of sailing with gorgeous weather and smooth waters.<span> </span>Even with smooth waters, the ship rocks a considerable amount!<span> </span>I even fell over in the shower once (probably due to my extremely poor balance early in the morning).<span> </span>It is funny to watch people walk down a straight hallway; they all weave left together, and then right together!<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The water is so incredibly blue, it is amazing!<span> </span>They opened up the bow for us to go out and watch the sunset and watch for animals.<span> </span>So far I have seen a ton of flying fish (they can glide above the water for 100’s of feet, its incredible!), a few large iridescent-looking fish, a lot of dolphins, and a few whales!<span> </span>I haven’t seen a whale close up, just a fin or 2 and a few blow holes, but all the same, it’s neat to see!<span> </span>The dolphins have been the entertainment of the weekend.<span> </span>Once they realize the ship is there, they come jumping from miles away in pods sometimes numbering in the hundreds.<span> </span>They like to swim and jump at the bow of the ship.<span> </span>I swear some of them are straight from Sea World with the shows they put on!<span> </span>I even gave one a high five and scratched his tongue!<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On the 2<sup>nd</sup> night of the sail 3 other girls and I slept outside on the top deck.<span> </span>It was a beautiful night!<span> </span>The moon was full and very bright, so we couldn’t see any stars, but it was still gorgeous.<span> </span>We got up early the next morning and bumped and bounced our way to the bow to watch the sunrise, coffee in hand, and a warm ocean breeze.<span> </span>It was an amazing way for a Wisconsin girl to spend a December morning- watching dolphins jump in the light of the sunrise!<span> </span>The only thing that would have made it better is if I was sitting in my canoe with my fishing pole in hand <span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span>:)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sunrise gang!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goooood morning Atlantic Ocean!</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><u>Prayer requests:</u></i></div><div class="MsoNormal">- For our time in Ghana- that it will be a nice relaxing vacation for crew to rejuvenate and recharge for our Togo outreach!</div><div class="MsoNormal">- For the few patients we left behind that weren’t completely healed.<span> </span>They were transferred to the local hospital with precise directions on care.<span> </span>Pray for a speedy and uncomplicated healing!</div><div class="MsoNormal">- For people left in Sierra Leone who didn’t receive surgery- that they will recognize that God is still all loving and in control and just, despite their discouragement.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">- For the good friends I left behind in Freetown- that they will have health and safety, and the inspiration and motivation to help pull their country out of poverty and devastation.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Miss and love you all, and thank you so much for your prayer s and encouragement!<span> </span>And a very merry Christmas to you all, as I probably won’t write again until after the holidays!<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Stay tuned next time, as I will be revealing my newest and latest crafty hobby!<span> </span>I am recycling water drinking bags into weaved purses! (or attempting to…)<span> </span>I figure I can sell them on the street for some extra cash.<span> </span>Seeing as how I was denied my desire to work as a moto-taxi driver…</div>D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-80386860813566257812011-11-15T17:29:00.000-08:002011-11-15T17:29:30.327-08:00hey, your back boot is open! ..my what??<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikFWD8E2655JJj0l-tWwgPd346vTek3Ef4y4MFHZ7XzWDTVQsy21_V7wllTlrV22QcY9zmgkUxEIRBEmnDoTgXcjoPbESAGap7YksN2p5Kfjslk1XVtVm-tSciGSi4WFwhWCSprivYoY/s1600/P9250623.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikFWD8E2655JJj0l-tWwgPd346vTek3Ef4y4MFHZ7XzWDTVQsy21_V7wllTlrV22QcY9zmgkUxEIRBEmnDoTgXcjoPbESAGap7YksN2p5Kfjslk1XVtVm-tSciGSi4WFwhWCSprivYoY/s320/P9250623.JPG" width="320" /></a>The anxiety is growing as we are about 4 weeks away from leaving Freetown!<span> </span>Who knew 3 months could go so quickly! I thought I would have lots of time to see and do everything in Sierra Leone that I wanted, but time is running short!<span> </span>There are lots of villages, countryside, and beaches I would love to see that I won’t have a chance to, but the more distressing part for me is leaving the friends and patients that I’ve grown so close to.<span> </span>I have been soaking up every opportunity possible to spend time with friends in the city!<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was blessed enough to be able to attend some new local churches the past few weekends.<span> </span>I went to a “Thanksgiving” service at a church where several of my friends attend.<span> </span>They had been talking about it for weeks and were so excited.<span> </span>Because it was a special occasion, I was preparing myself for a long service, especially since the normal African service is 2-3 hours!<span> </span>I was slightly surprised when it turned out to be 6 hours long… but I loved every minute of it.<span> </span>It could have been 12 hours long and I still would have loved it, because my friends were sooo excited and honored that we came.<span> </span>Being there made me realize how important my friendship is to them, and likewise how important their friendship is to me.<span> </span>They all live very busy lives, balancing work, families, schooling, and Mercy Ships—just trying to make ends meet-- or at least come close.<span> </span>But when I saw them in their church community with their friends and family, any of that stress and worry that may have been on their faces before was gone.<span> </span>It was such an honor for me to be there to praise God together with them and to learn from their example of leaving all their stresses and worries at the foot of the cross and giving everything up to Christ.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span></span>As my FOMO grows stronger (FOMO= Fear Of Missing Out, compliments to my friend Emily), I have been trying to do as many things as possible whenever I have free time!<span> </span>This weekend I went on an Island adventure, visited an amazing village, and went to the women’s prison.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMvo_6FSlkJW9z9uCWvKDQoX6_VfSTHfhP9VrTbLyTPy6j-yCYgzpI6lewT6Os9Z1rK02hQbYR9FAtSgWPv705zAPjmsq5PtZON3yvr0J62ObuAhLO4Jk6W4Nfk__qEU3yGGqOPQXmY4/s1600/bunce.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMvo_6FSlkJW9z9uCWvKDQoX6_VfSTHfhP9VrTbLyTPy6j-yCYgzpI6lewT6Os9Z1rK02hQbYR9FAtSgWPv705zAPjmsq5PtZON3yvr0J62ObuAhLO4Jk6W4Nfk__qEU3yGGqOPQXmY4/s320/bunce.jpg" width="240" /></a>I FINALLY fulfilled my dream of riding in one of the sweet wooden fishing boats!<span> </span>These nice guys picked <span> </span>me and group of friends up right off the dock, and we took a 2 hour boat trip to Bunce Island.<span> </span>The boat was complete with 2 buckets for bailing out water every 30 minutes or so, as well as a very kind 10 year old boy who did most of the driving.<span> </span>Bunce Island was the main site where slaves were sold and distributed.<span> </span>It was so interesting yet heart breaking to see the other side of the slave trade.<span> </span>The European traders would go to the tribes along the river, take captive men and women, and take them to a large fortress on Bunce Island, where other European traders would come and trade food, tools, and supplies for the slaves.<span> </span>It was interesting to see the African historical side of slavery after seeing the American side.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">There are only 2 days of surgery left!<span> </span>The last day of surgery is November 17<sup>th</sup>.<span> </span>The hospital will then close a week later.<span> </span>Patients are healing up nicely, but there are still a few patients who we are avidly praying for who have fairly extensive wounds will not be healed by the time we leave, unless by God’s miracle.<span> </span>Arrangements are already being made to send patients to local hospitals, which is not the ideal situation.<span> </span>Luckily there are very few patients who will have to do this, but I definitely ask for your prayers to heal them rapidly before we leave!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Earlier this spring there were a bunch of children here for bowed and windswept legs.<span> </span>There was an amazing surgeon here who placed an implant called an “8 plate” in them.<span> </span>It basically stops the growth of the growth plate on the affected side of the leg so that the other side can catch up and straighten the legs.<span> </span>It’s a fairly uncomplicated procedure with quick recovery. <span> </span>The only concern is that the plates have to stay in for 6 months to 2 years depending on the extent of the deformity, and follow up can be quite unpredictable with the patients here.<span> </span>Last week was the appointed time for all the “8 plate” kids to return. <span> </span>We were praying hard for all of the kids to return, as well as straight legs for all of them, because if we didn’t remove the plates now, when would we remove them?<span> </span>If they didn’t return for their follow up, the kids’ legs would end up over correcting completely the other way and could destroy the growth and function of their legs.<span> </span>After much worry and prayer, ALL of the kids returned!<span> </span>It was such a miracle that they all arrived, especially since many were from hours and hours away.<span> </span>A few of the kids were able to have their plates removed because their legs were straight, praise God!<span> </span>The other children are scheduled to travel to Guinea (a short distance from Sierra Leone) next fall when the ship is there, and it should be the perfect amount of time needed for their legs to grow enough to straighten!<span> </span>It was a great encouragement to see all the kids and see how everything worked out despite our worry and doubt!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Hope Center, where many of the healing patients are staying, is nearing closing time as well!<span> </span>There are very few patients left there, so it has been hard saying goodbye to several patients the past few weeks!<span> </span>One patient that I was very close to, Hassan, left a few weeks back.<span> </span>He is 12 years old, and his mother and baby sister had been here with him the past few months.<span> </span>He had surgery on a burn contracted hand, and had trouble healing, as well as needing extensive therapy to get movement back.<span> </span>If you read back a few blogs when I was talking about making my patients cry, I talked about Hassan!<span> </span>(I enjoyed reading my old writing about him.. “He is a <i>quiet, sweet</i>, boy”.. haha! Ooo how I was wrong!)<span> </span>At that time, his dad was with him, but half way through the stay mom traded places with dad.<span> </span>I grew to really enjoy Hassan and his family, and enjoyed talking with them about God and how he uses blessings and hardships to shape and guide us.<span> </span>I fell in love with Hassan and his family, and it was very difficult to say goodbye.<span> </span>He cried and hugged all of us whenever he thought about leaving.<span> </span>One of my favorite yet hardest experiences was saying goodbye to Hassan and his family.<span> </span>The night before he left, the Hope Center was having a musical worship night around a campfire.<span> </span>I sat with Hassan and held his hand as we sang, and I just prayed and prayed over his hand asking God to use his experience- the pain and torment of the surgery, dressing changes, and therapy, as well as the joy he had in his time on the ship- to turn his heart to Christ and accept Him as his only Savior.<span> </span>It was such a powerful and humbling moment for me to say, “God, you made this hand, you allowed it to be destroyed, and you worked through us to fix it, and you have the power to use this hand to glorify YOU and bring Hassan’s family to you!”<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have had a lot of feedback about my blog and people requesting me to finish my story on Esther!<span> </span>Well I have good news and bad news.<span> </span>The bad news is that we <i>still</i> don’t have the results of the lump that was removed on her other breast.<span> </span>The GOOD news is that I saw her today!<span> </span>I was having a rough day working in the containers moving boxes (since there are less patients, they don’t need as many nurses, so we get reassigned to different positions! Like working in the hot, sweaty containers!) I was walking through the ship, drenched in sweat and all dirty, and I turned a corner and saw the beautiful Esther sitting in the hall talking to the <i>Mercy Ship story-writer</i>!<span> </span>She jumped up and gave me a huge hug and we talked for a while.<span> </span>She is doing great and her smile is as big as ever!<span> </span>She is disappointed not to have the results of her biopsy back yet, but that just gives us more opportunity to pray for her that the results will be non-cancerous!<span> </span>Because I honestly don’t know what the plan would be if it was positive.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfZBxwVtkVV0L5S5eOHKe_pEUc_8ybSFneuxASvA6O7AB036TfmB80UmTRfUTDjrT3xNFUkkZGhmOkLbZXe9UlcDci5dzZkJLIdhM4vLDwd4d1Clxw8xwDtjm8WKkjDP6KZ8-9Sdy4sw/s1600/PB040664.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfZBxwVtkVV0L5S5eOHKe_pEUc_8ybSFneuxASvA6O7AB036TfmB80UmTRfUTDjrT3xNFUkkZGhmOkLbZXe9UlcDci5dzZkJLIdhM4vLDwd4d1Clxw8xwDtjm8WKkjDP6KZ8-9Sdy4sw/s320/PB040664.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my trio at Jonathan's</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">I know many of you were curious to hear about my chicken-slaughtering experience, so here’s the story! <span> </span>3 of us white folk, Crooksy from England, Spiffy from Texas, and myself, went to our good friends compound for the day to cook African with his mom!<span> </span>We had one lucky Chicken to add to the pot, and I had the chance to be the murderer, but unfortunately I just couldn’t bring myself to do it!<span> </span>He was the cutest little chicken, as you can see from the pictures! <span> </span>And cute chickens are hard to come by in Sierra Leone! (Most of them look like they got in a bad fight with the sewer monster and had the worst hair (or feather?) day in history.) <span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span><span> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSY8nFlCNjeXnnxCX-MLwCgJ7HxbKbyBl-Nf-S9xdVSnCu-RAbSHR61Y8kpGGUzUVs-rn5bY3q0fxxA4qPk6lqtEh3C1dJo6eTInSFm8PFfDtwy1QkRVoN5oc2euFXX9hotwFn1vtHvCY/s1600/PB040670.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSY8nFlCNjeXnnxCX-MLwCgJ7HxbKbyBl-Nf-S9xdVSnCu-RAbSHR61Y8kpGGUzUVs-rn5bY3q0fxxA4qPk6lqtEh3C1dJo6eTInSFm8PFfDtwy1QkRVoN5oc2euFXX9hotwFn1vtHvCY/s320/PB040670.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chester! 10 min. prior to his departure from this world..</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">And I named him Chester, which I realize now that naming something you are about to kill and eat is not the brightest idea! Apparently it is not OK for African women to kill a chicken, but they said that because we were white, we could do it!<span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span></span></span> Crooksy was the bravest, and decided to do the honors of killing poor Chester.<span> </span>I have a video of the event, but unfortunately with my internet connection I can’t upload it!<span> </span>Basically, she had all the technique, but after a few girly squeals in an adorable British accent, she held Chester down while Jonathan did the slicing!<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YpmIc39NE6RBb2p3Aroy1iQCjPssQ6qGHjyQ_cYyFehZvAyLwccyfAhhfrRSFy6T5N7OxwkOqz6Sw9djFnC75JLcSJN7bHNTXEOee7tT9GRfP94KrHDcL5Bq1tlg5SJZ-j9Rqx1Q0zk/s1600/PB040676.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YpmIc39NE6RBb2p3Aroy1iQCjPssQ6qGHjyQ_cYyFehZvAyLwccyfAhhfrRSFy6T5N7OxwkOqz6Sw9djFnC75JLcSJN7bHNTXEOee7tT9GRfP94KrHDcL5Bq1tlg5SJZ-j9Rqx1Q0zk/s320/PB040676.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The killing combo-- Jonathan and Crooksy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTz2EvxpL4PnfzrpyRgzoD4k1z-14KIOUPCg67kqYxv_SNvxmggZMQEsk7JSz3Cd0fp7xSUHFCJac9S1DIkuk_72mFDy8SxAf7mKUO3rrSrXbMskWdEZKAGDPvoQT_iDUiOaB7yn0siw/s1600/PB040675.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTz2EvxpL4PnfzrpyRgzoD4k1z-14KIOUPCg67kqYxv_SNvxmggZMQEsk7JSz3Cd0fp7xSUHFCJac9S1DIkuk_72mFDy8SxAf7mKUO3rrSrXbMskWdEZKAGDPvoQT_iDUiOaB7yn0siw/s320/PB040675.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crooksy after the deed was done!</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We had a lovely afternoon of cooking, eating, meeting all the members of their compound, and playing some “balance ball”, which is basically monkey-in-the-middle.<span> </span> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFMKlzGV6GbGvZGWNhPov3-9QdstwEhQI3TXmgH2cLcuFlx9HjtacNb23Lr5jU8_BLC4SOuYt3dR4Nm-qLmAtmq70xEHS-dsIXP_LFHAgICW5kcKA6h0_KF0N6lcHEwOEDUxz4uPoSB8/s1600/PB040691.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFMKlzGV6GbGvZGWNhPov3-9QdstwEhQI3TXmgH2cLcuFlx9HjtacNb23Lr5jU8_BLC4SOuYt3dR4Nm-qLmAtmq70xEHS-dsIXP_LFHAgICW5kcKA6h0_KF0N6lcHEwOEDUxz4uPoSB8/s320/PB040691.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The compound- notice the kids creative sled.. a laundry basket!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpROu0GEz9yySHBuKTC_SrTsuwWfUK6laQndOQsEU5qHBAS6ZvgGL3s_tVhDPvNdDC46Momoc_-8nD-6CyZRO7mDhuO7FUqPFXMsJMKosZXxayjVgQUEKVPjEhJfmtKejTERwGtDjl0Lc/s1600/PB040693.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpROu0GEz9yySHBuKTC_SrTsuwWfUK6laQndOQsEU5qHBAS6ZvgGL3s_tVhDPvNdDC46Momoc_-8nD-6CyZRO7mDhuO7FUqPFXMsJMKosZXxayjVgQUEKVPjEhJfmtKejTERwGtDjl0Lc/s320/PB040693.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikve7zIWikX4wx-V4w7EMeY9ZbdGD-u2TadazAI22GN6JuAxZnhKH_ZJKBqlFUiuA4q32F8IoTU0k4ARcPakYi6_dC_PLMDkg1NqdZBYxGGQw7477IXdBWc6_X7X9bVtjUd7UVFklsiU/s1600/PB040702.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikve7zIWikX4wx-V4w7EMeY9ZbdGD-u2TadazAI22GN6JuAxZnhKH_ZJKBqlFUiuA4q32F8IoTU0k4ARcPakYi6_dC_PLMDkg1NqdZBYxGGQw7477IXdBWc6_X7X9bVtjUd7UVFklsiU/s320/PB040702.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My balance-ball partners!</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Of all the great adventures I’ve had in Sierra Leone so far, all of my best memories are spent with my friends at their homes experiencing their everyday life!<span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span></span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7DAXS8XbOczVkCGzI10d-BHsP1FMfdV86USkxGt5W6PS0VmMv_ByyqOr6h7CnxxIKBbhSgLyu2CD2wedPGYYNaGfBZQzwOgVVI-Lg0jcvowb14BfCiyMAoUdDNC0qGIi3wXjxKt_JVg/s1600/PB040667.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7DAXS8XbOczVkCGzI10d-BHsP1FMfdV86USkxGt5W6PS0VmMv_ByyqOr6h7CnxxIKBbhSgLyu2CD2wedPGYYNaGfBZQzwOgVVI-Lg0jcvowb14BfCiyMAoUdDNC0qGIi3wXjxKt_JVg/s320/PB040667.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">preparing the crane-crane leaves (i.e. weeds..)</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBa2T5vi1VSh2_IyuigEXIfJzwW8pAP0jSbOL8PFePlIB6yoygs4j6D8Eoz4qKBwmj7Zvdk5LXwG6EJSXeL3iXpuLJWip-lnKLqjfeOVeYcAni6GYymUw5P-DAKeODZ1L_o_jqlk03CTg/s1600/PB040668.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBa2T5vi1VSh2_IyuigEXIfJzwW8pAP0jSbOL8PFePlIB6yoygs4j6D8Eoz4qKBwmj7Zvdk5LXwG6EJSXeL3iXpuLJWip-lnKLqjfeOVeYcAni6GYymUw5P-DAKeODZ1L_o_jqlk03CTg/s320/PB040668.JPG" width="240" /></a> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXM6aJBQq46vN6FH_0nxNEnGlyh7o1v7ddQLwF6EBNR4wIk1lE9ayeWv1t5qwG_71jaWLkB66lxQQZ0kWYoh-N755sHeFSkFS3z9DfSuxCWIa8laTJwGvvm1YNpmIwztivTg1XTyTWaM/s1600/PB040689.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXM6aJBQq46vN6FH_0nxNEnGlyh7o1v7ddQLwF6EBNR4wIk1lE9ayeWv1t5qwG_71jaWLkB66lxQQZ0kWYoh-N755sHeFSkFS3z9DfSuxCWIa8laTJwGvvm1YNpmIwztivTg1XTyTWaM/s320/PB040689.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spiffy and mama-Abigail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNm9veNg5gq9qdASuBDWUWJO81oyqpPMStNncEfKwDUq5iKutBAojYkf1DHa5UX5aHAizEVHAx6JbikuyZS1oRK2FXIutWJZr63di4Zma8oLFvs71tQqRlHqZpF7QinTxICdw8ZoycKc/s1600/PB040703.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNm9veNg5gq9qdASuBDWUWJO81oyqpPMStNncEfKwDUq5iKutBAojYkf1DHa5UX5aHAizEVHAx6JbikuyZS1oRK2FXIutWJZr63di4Zma8oLFvs71tQqRlHqZpF7QinTxICdw8ZoycKc/s320/PB040703.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jonathan- pretending to cook so he can be in a snap-snap </td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Everyday gets harder as I count down the days until we sail.<span> </span>And each day that passes I make sweeter and sweeter memories with my friends here.<span> </span>I am looking forward to new adventures in Togo, but it has some big shoes to fill after this incredible, incredible country <span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span>:)</span></span></div><br />
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Here's some snaps of the beautiful countryside I stroll through everyday:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I swam to this Island twice! "flip-flop island"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking through one of my friends neighborhoods</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">watching a local futbol match</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoL3wZLnHOgG8Qt5KNmYgFBY-hmJyNhkJwaVsEKo3PBr9zc978zy0SZVhGQ9DhWfkZolqttwaUS0PEKJmT-ZUGtsTxeHMXFOr4Lbt4P798C-p7VfgYUnA09oAlNVAoiSm0JvueVP8xM5Y/s1600/PA120635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoL3wZLnHOgG8Qt5KNmYgFBY-hmJyNhkJwaVsEKo3PBr9zc978zy0SZVhGQ9DhWfkZolqttwaUS0PEKJmT-ZUGtsTxeHMXFOr4Lbt4P798C-p7VfgYUnA09oAlNVAoiSm0JvueVP8xM5Y/s320/PA120635.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 of my besties, Sahr and Israel. went to their university for a tour.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sahr and Arthur, after a long days work of walking me around their village!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><u>Prayer requests this time around:</u></i></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span><span>-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>For the patients who are still left with open wounds and other medical issues, that Christ will heal them FAST and they won’t be left here after we leave.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span><span>-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>For Esther- pray for her test results to come back non-cancerous!</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span><span>-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>For Hassan and his family to come to know the Lord.<span> </span>I hope that they could see something different in the way that the Mercy Ships crew lived and worked, and that they could see Christ lived out through us, and want to be a part of it!</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span><span>-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>For encouragement and positive attitudes for my local friends here who are trying to get into the University but don’t have the funds and resources to do so.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span><span>-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>And please pray for the lives we are going to touch in Togo! Let us have a positive impact on the country, and let them see us as more than just a hospital, but Christianity in action!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Love and miss you all! I send my warmth and sunshine your way!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">**New phrase of the week: “Your back-boot is open”.<span> </span><i>Translation</i>: your plumbers crack is showing!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-3089886589791896582011-10-24T13:23:00.000-07:002011-10-24T13:23:05.237-07:003 months in: And this is what I have learned..1. Milch is growing on me. It's not milk.. hence why it's called "milch". I'm not quite sure what it is... but I can finally drink a nice glass of room-temperature milch and not gag.<br />
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2. A "toastie" is staple food item here. Thank goodness for the george foreman! a nice grilled cheese sandwich is always a good alternative when you just don't feel like eating rice.. again. For the second time. Today.<br />
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3.Africa is the one place that I don't shower <i>before</i> going out. Because I am guaranteed to sweat more than I did in my marathon- in only the first 30 seconds off ship!<br />
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4. The Africa Mercy Starbucks, Aaa-mazing. 75 cent lattes, any size you want!<br />
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5. White-man tea = Hot water, small milch, small honey, steep tea bag for 5 min.<br />
Black-man tea = Hot water, lots of milch, lots of sugar. no tea bag.<br />
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6. When you stay overnight at a hotel, your 2 core questions are: "when does the electricity turn on?" and, "do you have running water and a mosquito net?"<br />
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7. Black babies are waaaaay cuter than white babies. (sorry to all my prego friends) and they don't cry near as much either!<br />
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8. The "fast-fast" is not something you want! But it is going around the ward, and if you don't wash your hands you might just get it! (other common names you may know it as: hershey squirts, hot sloppys, the scoots, etc.)<br />
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9. If you're bored, a fun way to pass the time is to play "I Spy" in the ocean trash that floats by.<br />
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10. If you do your laundry while working night shift, the patients will fold it for you. Just kidding! ..but seriously..<br />
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11. African's are way cleaner than white people. I feel like such a dirty grunge compared to them! They somehow always have sparkly clean shoes even when walking on muddy roads, and they wash EVERYTHING! My dirty old backpack is not a sign of how far I've traveled, but a sign that I'm a dirty white person!<br />
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12. The ship gangway is run by Nepalese Gurkhas. Google it. They are hard core, and can take you down in 1.2 seconds. You want them as your friends, but you don't want to play ninja with them.<br />
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13. If you want to prove that you are invincible, ride an okata (motorcycle-taxi).<br />
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14. When an english person says, "don't forget to bring your swimming costume!", they don't mean your swim suit that looks like cat woman with a cape on the back... they just mean a normal swim suit... my mistake.<br />
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15. If your pale, white, American skin has not seen African sun, it won't matter how much sun screen you put on, you will still get burned. And the African's will wonder why the heck you painted your skin red, and "does it hurt when I touch it". yes, so stop poking me.<br />
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16. If you need new shoes, just go out into Freetown. There are flip flops EVERYWHERE. I don't know how so many people lose their shoes, but you can spot flip flops floating past the ship, in the piles of garbage on the street, just laying around the streets, washed up on the beach, in piles in the woods.. even on a vacant island in the middle of the ocean! and I'm not talking 1 or 2 here or there.. I mean PILES of mismatched flip flops!<br />
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17. Sierra Leonian's like to point out the fact that I am white, as if I didn't know. small kids (or grown men) point at me on the street and yell, "opadoh, opadoh!" (translated: white person!). While I was waiting for a taxi once, a man walked past and said, "wow! a <em>real</em> opadoh!"... I had no idea there were fake ones! I have started responding to these comments with "black man, black man!" which gets a lot of laughs from the locals :)<br />
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18. There are rats the size of cats here. and they like to run across my path at night on the dock when I'm running. and it is possible that I screamed bloody murder once or twice :)<br />
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19. et me describe to you a poda-poda, which is the most commonly used public transportation here:<br />
-picture a 1960's VW van, painted up with ridiculous sayings. The door is about to fall off and is held on with strings. The seats are taken out, and 4 wooden benches are inside. that means, 4 people per bench, plus the driver, plus 2 people in shotgun, plus the "apprentice" who sits by the sliding door and yells out the poda's destination, and collects the money. Do your math: 20 people in a VW van. add in a goat and a few chickens for fun, and you have the usual day-to-day Freetown transport! And at night, it actually becomes a dance club inside-- complete with banging loud music, and black lights. And I can get across town for 50 cents in this amazing party bus, what could be better?!? :)<br />
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20. my new favorite thing is to buy things while I'm in a poda-poda (taxi van). Everytime the poda is stopped (which is very often due to traffic) people come up to the window to sell things-- water, juice, bread, street meat-- are my usual purchases! why go to the store when the store comes to you?!<br />
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21. Don't drink anything when you are out in town! You don't want to have to pee! The usual "bathroom" is a cement slab that you squat on, and wash your goodies off the side with a teapot of water. yumm.<br />
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22. best thing I have learned: I love Sierra Leone :) I am pretty sure that the most gorgeous weather, landscape and beaches are right here! And the most loving and beautiful people as well! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbNA8AMqpfs1BNy5Z_K_fPEiAKf2Pin_rh_45JMwsHDez85HTdKlCj80mq1G67Ginq2hBVVJQHTVihbpSeAlf-eRMx1XxH9J6HUA037E9hX5w-PQrCGE5mybpyCuEYRDIjllUwH7k04Q/s1600/296146_10150408460365786_748405785_10972973_1904492905_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbNA8AMqpfs1BNy5Z_K_fPEiAKf2Pin_rh_45JMwsHDez85HTdKlCj80mq1G67Ginq2hBVVJQHTVihbpSeAlf-eRMx1XxH9J6HUA037E9hX5w-PQrCGE5mybpyCuEYRDIjllUwH7k04Q/s320/296146_10150408460365786_748405785_10972973_1904492905_n.jpg" width="240px" /></a></div>D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-51454970621240125352011-10-24T13:19:00.000-07:002011-10-24T13:19:11.488-07:00My African babies!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just wanted to give you a little taste of what I get to play with and snuggle every day! All of these kids are plastics patients who have had some sort of burned appendage that has been reconstructed, or other congenital deformities such as fingers/toes grown together. They are all healing wonderfully and some have even gone home, much to my saddness!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Enjoy :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vSNTMvQaHL242_kDGoxjav70hvdqBVe5b_UrztdRoOGCU7Cn6G4Ne6h99LUbVseCK6cpkfUKuqjuFBwhH7BGktOXM3tvHLYt-lloHuhLu745R5f50Lfb_jX7OinWSdAoKSecEszD83Y/s1600/314570_10150408471355786_748405785_10972999_206005175_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vSNTMvQaHL242_kDGoxjav70hvdqBVe5b_UrztdRoOGCU7Cn6G4Ne6h99LUbVseCK6cpkfUKuqjuFBwhH7BGktOXM3tvHLYt-lloHuhLu745R5f50Lfb_jX7OinWSdAoKSecEszD83Y/s320/314570_10150408471355786_748405785_10972999_206005175_n.jpg" width="240px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQgNQKwatA6VezJenlAa2yKWwCfA5RQj6Jzm2_AOoEFRempEwb52HqMXLrX9Mb7BDQkssDL87sGI3I5wdgBNeI07cZSaPKNQSQ6iQqqqxJCdMsEdSsJRO7JbkdioTN1fD8B_yIL1pBwY/s1600/IMG_2345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQgNQKwatA6VezJenlAa2yKWwCfA5RQj6Jzm2_AOoEFRempEwb52HqMXLrX9Mb7BDQkssDL87sGI3I5wdgBNeI07cZSaPKNQSQ6iQqqqxJCdMsEdSsJRO7JbkdioTN1fD8B_yIL1pBwY/s320/IMG_2345.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-5446175871004396012011-10-08T11:46:00.000-07:002011-10-08T11:51:29.806-07:00ay no J.C.!"ay no J.C.!" - meaning: "I did not just come!"<br />
<br />
This phrase is useful when bartering for a taxi price, or when buying anything on the street. "I'm from Salone! How dare you charge me that ridiculous price!" This past week I have truly felt like this phrase is becoming true for me. I haven't just been that "white girl" on the street, but I have felt like I belong here. In the last week, I have ran into 3 past patients out on the crazy, chaotic Freetown streets!<br />
My favorite moment was when I ran into Esther, a breast tumor/cancer patient I mentioned last week. It started out as a fantastic afternoon, because I was with some friends of mine, a local married couple who work on the ship, and we were headed to their house for the afternoon. We were walking up the mountain side through the busy residential mountain streets, when I heard my name being called from behind. I was thinking, "surely they do not mean me.. I don't know anyone here!" and I turned around and saw Esther running up the hill calling after us, with half of her hair braided, half in a fro. I was so surprised and excited to see her, I ran down to meet her and gave her a huge hug! I don't know about you fellow acute-care nurses out there, but I have never ran into an old patient on the street and had such a great reception! She was in the process of getting her hair braided when she saw me, and ran out of the hair salon! It meant so much to me to be able to see her again, she is such a special lady! For those of you who have been praying for her- her screening for the other breast is next week, so continue to pray that she won't need another surgery!<br />
Seeing Esther was only the start of a great evening. I spent the day with my 2 friends, just relaxing and chatting in their house, and walking around their neighborhood. I now know how international students feel when they go to school in the US-- it means so much to be invited home with a local! To be able to experience home life in a new culture, and just to feel more like family in a new country, rather than a visitor. <i>Ay no J.C.!</i><br />
<i> </i>I also had another home-life experience this weekend. It was by far my best weekend so far in Sierra Leone! 2 of my friends, (1 Canadian and 1 American) and I went with 3 of our local friends up to the "provinces"- we went to Koidu city in Kono. If you know anything about the Sierra Leonian war, or if you have seen <i>Blood Diamond</i>, then you may have heard of Koidu City. Kono is one of the richest areas in diamonds, and because of that, it was the central location of the war. The rebels basically took of Koidu and used it as their base camp. 2 of the guys, Israel and Abdulai have family in Koidu, which is why we went there. It is a 9 hour bus ride across the country, so we made it a long weekend and traveled on Friday and Sunday, and had Saturday to spend in Koidu. Let me give you a little play by play of the weekend..<br />
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First off, here is the crew I traveled with: <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUhyphenhyphenKcP6kS_6aieqTUzJCbaInXutRuwM47hIQPy4ZmWgq5snxjB7rg3Sf3FtZkI-riQLd6xPxUVIWkDV63wj2QZpcLC_rSC7cEZ-WbfkD-V29_dYASs4rjwBeyZxRxLXgpr4NkJG22Y8/s1600/last+batch+Africa+188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUhyphenhyphenKcP6kS_6aieqTUzJCbaInXutRuwM47hIQPy4ZmWgq5snxjB7rg3Sf3FtZkI-riQLd6xPxUVIWkDV63wj2QZpcLC_rSC7cEZ-WbfkD-V29_dYASs4rjwBeyZxRxLXgpr4NkJG22Y8/s200/last+batch+Africa+188.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Israel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMy02ho8uZj6TT1iF1N2XMsFsigWxqG8_EvSV3J02eagPJhmltPRyQWesNqs2dEL-M1q1aEe0VeDBS0AjhTZcnjGnsh6rYqEu8ucZqp3Eq6Tk-S2DAdJ6Y7YCVg8HBN0KT1zxyDq-B91w/s1600/last+batch+Africa+163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMy02ho8uZj6TT1iF1N2XMsFsigWxqG8_EvSV3J02eagPJhmltPRyQWesNqs2dEL-M1q1aEe0VeDBS0AjhTZcnjGnsh6rYqEu8ucZqp3Eq6Tk-S2DAdJ6Y7YCVg8HBN0KT1zxyDq-B91w/s200/last+batch+Africa+163.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sahr and Abdulai</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johanna, Anjali, and I. notice the zero-sleep look I'm rockin..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdupWDPx77vwKEv6STr9YQ43peAtXquoQRNgLP21gfAxp2WUb9q_87WED58L3yUIzxdwhLKu9yaTIsl7fNejzqyVA31xe3U8PF_hu__JJEufCIuQK_p2kC_XcUaCl2CscWdq26g1JuvQ/s1600/last+batch+Africa+053.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdupWDPx77vwKEv6STr9YQ43peAtXquoQRNgLP21gfAxp2WUb9q_87WED58L3yUIzxdwhLKu9yaTIsl7fNejzqyVA31xe3U8PF_hu__JJEufCIuQK_p2kC_XcUaCl2CscWdq26g1JuvQ/s320/last+batch+Africa+053.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">best way to sleep in the middle of a bus!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So to start off the trip on the right foot, 4 of the 6 of us worked night shift all week. So we were coming straight off night shift, and going to the bus station, where the bus was NOT very patiently waiting for us! At first glance, it looks like a nice spacious coach bus... but no, no, my friend. That was not the case. In classic Sierra Leone fashion, they fill every seat in the bus. twice. and then just when you think there is no way another bread crumb could fit in, they somehow squeeze 50 more people in. We were fortunate enough to get seats.. small rubber stools in the isle way that is. So as you can imagine, my brilliant plan to sleep all the way to Kono was NOT going to happen! Over bumpy jungle-y roads for 9 hours, with zero air conditioning, it was definitely a journey that we won't soon forget! But we of course made the most of it and laughed our way to Kono.. or maybe that was the lack of sleep talking.. not sure!<br />
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After arriving in Kono, we separated from the boys, and us girls went to our hotel and relaxed for the evening! Saturday was our day to live like locals! The guys took us to the market and we bought all of the ingredients we would need to make an amazing Leonian feast! Then we walked to meet Abdulai's mom at her fabric shop and spent some time talking with and praying for her. She insisted that we return later so she could prepare us some food! We respectfully accepted (it is very rude here to refuse anything that is offered to you here!) even though we knew our stomachs would be popping by the end of the night!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKW0_FERu7ypmXS7KqUAKrDwZFDV4qUkITnacj0GH1MijKZi_FBUwP8j4ubp6WpxoifhXG-uKZSTBxZmMG2V1KBpKV54GghxVQlce_XiEFc3nmBp9QJ99kBJVgjKsEO0ijYbnPrmVvAPI/s1600/last+batch+Africa+060.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKW0_FERu7ypmXS7KqUAKrDwZFDV4qUkITnacj0GH1MijKZi_FBUwP8j4ubp6WpxoifhXG-uKZSTBxZmMG2V1KBpKV54GghxVQlce_XiEFc3nmBp9QJ99kBJVgjKsEO0ijYbnPrmVvAPI/s320/last+batch+Africa+060.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">arrived at the hotel.. and I passed out</td></tr>
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We headed to Israel's home, met the whole fam, and then started cooking! I imagine the women of the compound were quite bewildered as 3 Sierra Leonian men taught 3 white girls how to cook :) We made Casava leaf and rice, and fufu with an okra sauce. It was DELICIOUS! I will let the photos describe our experience...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the market shopping for our ingredients!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stinky smoked fish. mountains of it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our kitchen! The lunch making crew, plus a few observers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Center of the market.. filled with fish. stinky stinky fish.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 chickens freshly killed in a bucket! start the plucking!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smashing Okra and peppers for the fufu sauce</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Israel and Anjali roasting the last of the feathers off the chicky's</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I cut off the chicken head! Can you believe it mom?!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"picking" the rice. We were actually just playing in it. don't tell.</td></tr>
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So, funny story.. you never see cats here, only the rare kitten. We made the mistake of asking where all the cats were. Turns out cats are a rather tasty entree. In fact, my friend Israel has eaten 5! Would you care to know how they kill them? Neither did I, but they told me anyway, so I figure I should share with all of you in case you ever need to know this handy skill:<br />
1. place cat in bag.<br />
2. smash bag on ground until it stops moving.<br />
3. remove dead cat from bag.<br />
4. soak cat in carosene.<br />
5. light on fire.<br />
6. easily peel away the skin.<br />
7. cut up meat and cook as desired!<br />
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I'm not even joking.. this is serious.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just doing my best to help! Cooking the rice.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Casava leaf! staple food item in Sierra Leone!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally enjoying our delicious meal! Casava leaf and rice!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying our second entree- Fufu and Okra sauce</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way from Israel's house to Abdulai's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Later we walked back into town, walked around town a bit, and then went to Abdulai's moms house. There we had ANOTHER amazing feast of chicken and fried plantains. Now if you are paying attention, you will see that we ate <b>THREE</b> chickens. This may be no big deal in America, but the fact that 3 chickens were killed for us is so huge. A family will only kill and eat a chicken on very special occasions, as they are not cheap! We were so humbled and honored by their generosity. As an American, my first reaction would be to refuse these gifts of generosity and insist that they don't kill 3 chickens for us! But culturally, it is extremely rude to refuse gifts or hospitality that is offered to you. If someone invites you over for dinner, you better go! Or if someone gives you a live goat, you better accept it! (thank goodness this hasn't happened to me yet!) It has taken some getting use to, because as an American I don't like to receive gifts, especially when I see how big of a sacrifice it is for the other person.<br />
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After an amazing day of walking through town, eating RIDICULOUS amounts of food, and feeling so welcomed by our friends' families.. we headed back to our hotel to catch a few hours of shut eye before getting up at 3 to catch a 4am bus! Lucky for us we actually got real seats on this bus :) All in all it was an amazing trip!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of us with Abdulai's mom</td></tr>
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Lessons learned while in Kono:<br />
- Don't question what part of the chicken you are eating.. just chew.<br />
- Don't eat with your left hand, its rude.<br />
- Don't drink anything if you don't want to squat in the road to pee like the locals<br />
- it IS possible for Sierra Leonians to sleep on the roughest, bumpiest road ever.<br />
- Africa loves Celine Dion. <br />
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<br />
When I got back to the ship, my relaxing weekend was put to an abrupt stop, and I spent the rest of the week torturing small children. It has been a very busy few weeks in the ward, because all of our plastic patients have pretty intense dressing changes. Hands that were melted shut and are now reopened, and feet that were deformed that have been straightened, and arms that were contracted have been released.. etc. There are lots of skin grafts and therefore lots of pain and long dressing changes! This week was a big k-wire removal week as well. I pulled lots of k-wires out of little children's hands and arms. Just youtube it... you will see what I'm talking about. It is sometimes hard to remember that we are actually doing good things for these people when I make them scream and cry as if there leg was being sliced off. It has been very mentally exhausting for me this week to cause so much pain. Luckily I can retreat to the Hope Center- where the plastics-patients who are nearly healed are staying, and I can laugh and play with them and be reminded of the amazing changes we are making in their lives!<br />
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<u><i>Prayer requests:</i></u><br />
<i>- </i>Continued prayer for Esther that she won't need further surgery<br />
- For the small children in the ward who are convinced I'm trying to kill them.. that the pain will be short lived and not remembered!<br />
- For my local friends who are trying to go to school in US-- pray that doors will open and it will be obvious if it is in God's will for them to go or not.<br />
- For my friend Abdulai (I think I called him Andy in an older post)-- He is so eager to learn more typing and computer skills, but I don't have access to any programs unless we are online. Anyone have a CD-ROM version of typing lessons??<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdupWDPx77vwKEv6STr9YQ43peAtXquoQRNgLP21gfAxp2WUb9q_87WED58L3yUIzxdwhLKu9yaTIsl7fNejzqyVA31xe3U8PF_hu__JJEufCIuQK_p2kC_XcUaCl2CscWdq26g1JuvQ/s1600/last+batch+Africa+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>- Some of my friends have left for Togo already to prepare for the ships arrival in January. Pray for their safety in travel and for things to come easily, such as securing a parking spot in the port!<br />
<br />
Love and miss you all! Keep in touch, as always I love to have updates from home! Even if it's just, "I washed my car today, and mowed the lawn. and then I peed." :)<br />
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Love and Hugs all around<br />
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Danelley. D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-53254092095060103262011-09-19T07:31:00.001-07:002011-09-19T11:21:32.524-07:00Ay di com!<div class="MsoNormal"> Half way through week 6 in Sierra Leone… crazy. I have been planning to write this blog for a long time, but my mind has just been all over the place and I couldn’t decide what to write about! I titled this blog “Ay di com!” because that is a very common phrase here, and I find myself saying it a lot! It means, “I’m coming!” or “I will come!” When you are in Africa, and you see someone you know on the street, or when you leave a friend’s house, or when you leave church, or when you see anyone that you wish you had time to have a longer conversation with (which is everyone), you say “ay di com!” This phrase permanently commits you to return and enjoy your friends company again soon! Unlike in America, when we say, “See you soon!”... it doesn’t <i>actually</i> mean <i>see you soon</i>. We just say that to be nice, and then never actually plan on seeing them again, right?! Well not so in Africa my friend! When you say good bye to a friend, and they ask you if you will return tomorrow, they are serious! So don’t just agree and say, “O yes yes ay di com!” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relationships and community are so huge here. They thrive on being inter-dependent, sharing deep conversation, and caring for others. In the ward, it is a struggle to keep the patients off each other’s beds, keep babies with the right mom, and keep them from sharing food, cups, and toothbrushes! As frustrating as it can be sometimes to maintain some reasonable infection control, it is just beautiful to see how much they care for each other! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The more time I spend here in Sierra Leone, the more I WANT to say “ay di com!” because everyone I meet and everywhere I go, I really do want to go back and have more conversations and spend more time with them! I’ve never been a fan of having to say good-bye, and I’m sure getting some practice here! Staff turn-over on the ship is pretty high, and many of the people I arrived with will be leaving soon. As I dread the thought of having to say good-bye to them, I realize that this is going to be a pretty regular thing for me as I will see many people come and go. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The bittersweet good-byes also apply to my patients! There are only 3 patients left out of the 15 or so long-term patients that were here for 2-3 months. One of the ladies, Esther, had a very large breast cancer tumor that was removed and skin-grafted over. She has become such a close friend, and she left today. She was looking for me before she left, and I found out too late, so I ran outside onto the dock and caught her before she left! (it was just like in the office, when Pam ran to catch Michael at the airport!) I had been through a lot with her over the past month of so. I remember when I first got here, her wound was not healing well, and she had a very deep wound that was infected. She was very sad and quiet and didn’t talk much. As the weeks went on, something changed in her, and she started to think more positively, and listened to Gospel music all the time. The ward was like a juke box 24/7! Her wound started to heal amazingly well. I use to love dressing change time with her, because we would go into a separate room, and it gave us time to talk and be real with each other. She had just finished her final nursing exams before she came in for surgery, and she will have to finish up clinicals now that she is out. I am so excited for her to be a nurse- she will be incredible! One of the last dressing changes I did on her, she was very quiet and I didn’t know why. When we got into the dressing change room, she started to cry, and said she was just thinking about everything she had been through the past few months- the surgery, the pain—but then over all of that was the joy of meeting us, and making close friends, and relying on the Lord. I felt so blessed to be able to have that moment of tears and laughter with her as she recalled her experiences the last few months! I am so excited that she is going home, but I have an URGENT prayer need for all of you—Esther is currently having her other breast screened, as we found another lump before she left. She is very scared and frustrated, so PLEASE pray that the screening will come back clear, and she is breast cancer free!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another difficult good-bye was to a patient named Alpha. He had also been here since I first arrived. He started out as a very quiet, shy man, but eventually opened up and laughed and joked, and was the sweetest, most loving man on the ward. I had gone down to the ward one day and saw that his bed was empty. My heart dropped, because I had no idea he was leaving and I hadn't said good-bye. Luckily I found out he had gone to stay at the Hope Center for a while. The Hope Center is a home run by Mercy Ships. Discharged patients who still need outpatient care, but live too far away can stay there as long as they need to. New patients can also stay there before surgery if they live far away, or if they need heavy nutritional support before they are ready for surgery. It is an amazing place, and it is so much fun to go hang out there on off days to visit old patients and get to know new ones. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">So when I found out Alpha was staying there, I stopped over one day to see him. I was sitting out in the court yard with a group of children, when he came running up to me and gave me a big hug with tears in his eyes, so excited to see me! If you had seen this man a few months prior- a quiet mechanic who kept to himself- you wouldn't recognize him! Attempting to separate myself from my work here and not get personally involved with patients is absolutely impossible here. It is moments like this that make me realize just how powerful the work is that we are doing here!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So this past week I have named myself Danielle-the tear-maker. Hopefully my good-bye to Esther will be the last person I will make cry for a while! In total over the past week, I have made 6 people cry! Call me a jerk. So let me explain:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>1st</b> is a friend of mine here on the ship. She is from Africa, and we were talking one night, when I realized I know absolutely nothing about her past. I started asking questions, and she shared a little, but skated around many questions. Finally, she said, "you will make me cry, it is too hard to talk about". I am slowly starting to realize the amount of pain that many African's have gone through. She started to tear, and I didn't press any further. Wars and famines and true suffering have infiltrated this continent, and I don't think we could ever truly realize what pain and suffering is when compared to what most people here have been through. A few of us American's were chatting in the galley one night (while waiting for banana bread to cook, Mmmm!) and we started listing the luxuries that we have in America that would be just insane requests here. It really puts things in perspective. I was ashamed to admit that if a friend of mine from Sierra Leone were to visit me in the US, I would not want to pick them up in my car, or take them to my house because I would be embarrassed of luxuries I have. Here is some of our list:</div><div class="MsoNormal"> - I have crazy electronis- a computer, Ipod, GPS, camera.. and I'm not even technologically intelligent!</div><div class="MsoNormal"> - I can instantly cook food in my house- in a microwave, stove, or oven</div><div class="MsoNormal"> - I have a mattress. not only that I have blankets. AND, I am the only person who sleeps in my twin-size bed. Not my sister, or my cousin, or my grandma. just me.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> - I have the ability to keep food cold, or even frozen</div><div class="MsoNormal"> - I can have a "snack" if I want</div><div class="MsoNormal"> - I can push a lever, and my poo will instantly disappear</div><div class="MsoNormal"> - I can wash my clothes without going to a river. and instantly dry them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> - If I'm cold, I can turn on a heater. If I'm hot, I can turn on an A/C.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> - If it rains, I can shut the rain out of my house.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> - I have electricity..in my house! </div><div class="MsoNormal"> - I own a car.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> - If I burn myself, or get sick, or accidentally cut off my finger, I can go to a hospital and get it fixed.</div><div class="MsoNormal">OK, I think you get the point. Seriously think about these luxuries.. do you take them for granted?! Back to the list of cry-ers..</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>2nd</b> is a patient of mine named Hassan. He is a sweet little 12 year old boy who had 2 hands deformed from a fire. One hand we are unable to repair- his fingers are gone and only has his palm. The other hand was contracted, so we released his fingers and used skin grafts to open up his hand. I did his dressing change yesterday, which you could imagine is pretty painful on fresh, new skin. He is a quiet, sweet, boy, and was shedding some seriously painful tears. (<b>3rd-)</b> His dad started crying because of the pain that his son was in, and unable to avoid the chain reaction, I started tearing up as well! It was not a pretty situation, but at the end, the dad said, "I am so grateful for what you do, I tell God Tenki." </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>4th</b> was another patient, Sally. She is 28 and had a burn to the arm with contractures that we released. I was doing her dressing change the other day and asked her how the burn happened. She started to tear up and said that she was escaping from her village with her mom in a car full of people when the rebels through a bomb at their car. She was able to escape, but her mom did not. She was 13 at the time. Unfortunately, over half of the burn patients here have similar stories. And 15 years later now, they are finally getting treatment. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">and <b>5th</b> was Esther and <b>6th </b>was Alpha, which I already explained to you! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There is a ministry here in Freetown called Missionaries of Charity. I thought I had talked about it before, but I can't find it in any of my old blogs. It is a home that was developed under the tradition of Mother Teresa. It is run by 4 nuns who all trained in Calcutta at Mother Teresa's ministry there. Every Wednesday morning a group of Mercy Ship-ers go there. I have gone quite a few weeks in a row now, and I fall in love with the people more each time! The have a wide range of illnesses, some with TB, HIV, Malaria, malnutrition, etc. And some are just handicapped or developmentally disabled, and have been abandoned their by their families. The sisters are amazing, and the 2 hours we spend there give them a bit of a rest, since they are caring for the people 24/7. There is a girl named Sadimba there who is a bit younger than me, and lost her arm in the war. Every week we play memory, and she kicks my butt every time. Last week she wrote a song about having Hope in God. After all she has been through, her faith is incredible. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 weeks ago, I held a tiny 4 month old baby. You know the little skin-and-bone babies and children that you see on TV? Well it is a much more humbling and heart-breaking experience when you actually hold one. Some of the babies and children here are so malnourished when they get to Missionaries of Charity that they have no energy to laugh, cry, play.. nothing. I could feel every rib in the 4 month old, and I felt like I was going to break him with every move I made. He just laid on my chest with his eyes open, too tired to even sleep. Last week I was holding a 5 year old boy that was about the size of a 2 year old. His arm was the size of my thumb. I was trying to color with him as he sat on my lap, and I would put the crayon in his hand and lift it to the paper. He would scribble for about 10 seconds before he would get too tired, and resort to just staring at the paper. I just want to hold them and take them home and love them! What the sisters are doing is absolutely incredible. Taking hopeless, ill people and giving them life again!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdHTJjXfzSc15IpEJnTOYyigu1GEsSq4jqtsnHe6yEsqIWtQrzUQcv3J8OPnkoqXb0DecJvUXFavmjkmuDTZyZ8SnsSLQarpbvmcPSl5XUHgyZPoG68xGOL0HdnywY9ucQL1j5deqv2Y/s1600/CIMG9650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdHTJjXfzSc15IpEJnTOYyigu1GEsSq4jqtsnHe6yEsqIWtQrzUQcv3J8OPnkoqXb0DecJvUXFavmjkmuDTZyZ8SnsSLQarpbvmcPSl5XUHgyZPoG68xGOL0HdnywY9ucQL1j5deqv2Y/s320/CIMG9650.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This little boy I have plans to steal. His mother had surgery to release on her chest and let for burns. She is in a lot of pain and it is hard for her to care for him, so us nurses have been taking turns! He is a little crabby pants unless he is being carried! Carrying babies on your back is the thing to do in Africa! It is called a Po-Po. It is incredible, and I'm not sure why we don't do it in America! It is super comfortable, the baby is happy, and your hands are free! I can give medications, do charting, check vital signs, etc. with this little monkey on my back! (The only risk is that you have to pray for no diarrhea-explosions, or it could be bad news for you..) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tomorrow I am going to the American Embassy! I am taking some of my Sierra Leonian friends there to get information on studying in the US. I have been helping them find information online, but I think we will find more information at the Embassy. At first, I thought it was cliche and silly for Africans to want to study in the US. They can just get an education in Sierra Leone, why does everyone want to go to America?? But unfortunately, with a degree from a local university, majority of people cannot get a job. Most of these universities have been re-established in the 5 years since the war, and are still growing. Businesses here highly respect education from western countries, so with a degree from the US, a job is pretty much guaranteed. If anyone has any information on scholarships or grants for Africans studying in the US, let me know! They have to take the TOEFL (Test Of English as Foreign Language) before even applying, and the test cost $160 USD, which is basically a lifetime savings over here, so it is quite a decision to make, and they need to have a good idea of a place to study before dishing out that kind of money. So keep them in your prayers!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>My accomplishment of the week:</i> I went on an adventure into town- solo! You may think this is nothing, but trust me, in Freetown, going out alone is huge! I wasn't completely alone, because I met up with one of my local friends, but I had to get to his house by myself, and I succeeded! I took an Okata (motorcycle taxi) and didn't even get ripped off in my price! Some people find Okata transport to be crazy, but I think it's the way to go! You get places so much faster, because the motos drive anywhere they want! Right down the center line in bad traffic, on the sidewalks, anywhere! :) And so far, no wipe-outs!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">More stories and adventures to come! I currently have a dress being made at a local tailor (He is no Suzi George, but I'm excited!) So I will be sure to share a picture when I get my new African-garb!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Love and hugs to all!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><i>Prayer requests for this week:</i></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><i> </i></u>- for Esther- that her scan for more cancer will come back negative</div><div class="MsoNormal">- For the children at Missionaries of charity- to put on weight quickly and get energy to be a real kid!</div><div class="MsoNormal">- For my local friends hoping to study in the US, that they will get promising information at the embassy, and hope for scholarships and grants!</div><div class="MsoNormal">- Post-op day 15 for many patients, and skin grafts are healing well! Continue to pray for ZERO infection!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-57574845497658828882011-09-05T17:16:00.000-07:002011-09-05T17:22:23.783-07:00Night shift to remember! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOYZwewMOJig0jJmsAPDQ3aQDtRbmET4OlOaFEpOEJf8VKIW1ZJF1znsR8GxwIMWEIopyjZUbGHS5JLjnLuQ0V2QgHcaYD8b7yvkZcBAZOmOIvVyaIicDqsVzpaqRRij6HNXg723sjWtU/s1600/P8300576.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOYZwewMOJig0jJmsAPDQ3aQDtRbmET4OlOaFEpOEJf8VKIW1ZJF1znsR8GxwIMWEIopyjZUbGHS5JLjnLuQ0V2QgHcaYD8b7yvkZcBAZOmOIvVyaIicDqsVzpaqRRij6HNXg723sjWtU/s320/P8300576.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Countryside</td></tr>
</tbody></table> I worked night shift this past weekend, which was a lot more thrilling than one could imagine! There is generally not a whole lot to do on night shift apart from treating pain and checking a few vital signs. Some of the day-workers sneak away to hide and sleep, but I can convince some of them to stay and talk with me! This weekend I spent hours talking to one man (we will call him Andy) about his experiences in the war. What a sad and humbling experience to sit and listen to him share his stories with me. He spent a good chunk of his childhood, roughly age 10-20 living in constant fear because of the rebels. He explained to me how the rebels would scout the villages, sneak in, and ambush the town, killing anyone who ran away or refused to give money, or sometimes just killing and torturing people for no reason. <br />
Andy's family was continually picking up and moving to new villages to try to avoid the rebel attacks, and try to find food. Once when a city they were staying in was ambushed, they fled to the bush (jungle) and hid there for 3 months. For 3 months they lived in the jungle eating only wild yam roots, and making small fires at night to cook and give light. (He said at night the animals would stand around them in the jungle watching them- mostly monkeys, baboons, bush cows, etc. The animals got so use to them being in there that the kids started playing little games of tag with the monkeys!) They would sneak into town to find food and to get information on where the rebels were. He also recalled a story of a young boy that he befriended and played football (soccer) with. They became good friends, selling things on the street together and playing soccer in the evenings. After a few weeks, the young boy told Andy in secret that he was a rebel. He was sent to their village as a spy to find out who the wealthy and powerful were in the city. The boy told Andy that the rebels would be attacking in 3 days, and he needed to get his family out of the village. The boy said, "don't tell me where you are going or when you are going, because I will have to lead my people to you and kill you then. Just leave and don't let me see you." God had definitely blessed Andy in this situation and saved his family, because the rebels attacked the village just as the young boy had warned. (Side note: crazy thing is that this boy is now living in Freetown driving Poda-Poda's (public transportation) for a living! I hadn't thought about the fact that people I pass on the street every day, or people who drive my Poda-Poda's..could be past rebels)<br />
I was enthralled by his stories for hours, both heart broken and impressed to see how he has coped. I won't share most of his stories with you, as they are way to horrific and graphic. He is 27, and has seen and experienced things in his life that I could not imagine. His father and brother were both killed by rebels in the war, and he is the sole provider for his 2 sisters here in Freetown. Despite all of this, he has such a positive and encouraging outlook on life. It is a real lesson on learning to depend on Christ for your joy and comfort and not on your feelings and circumstances.<br />
<br />
Working night shift turned out to be more of a blessing than I had expected. (Besides the fact that I slept for only 4 hours combine the whole weekend.. of which some of those hours were spent in a squishy shag-wagon!) My Sierra Leonian friend Andy worked night shift with me again last night- my last of 3 nights in a row. I was considerably tired due to my lack of sleep all weekend. I was afraid he was going to sleep the night away and leave me by myself fighting to keep my eyes open. I couldn't think of any exciting topics to discuss, so I figured I was SOL. At the beginning of the shift I was sending an e-mail, and he sat down next to me, jaw dropped, and started laughing. I looked at him, wondering what I did that was so funny, and he said, "look how fast you type! You're not even looking!" It hadn't even crossed my mind that Sierra Leonians do not have the access to computers that we do.<br />
As Andy and I talked, I quickly learned that he has only been in front of a computer 7 times in his entire life. A friend of his helped him set up an e-mail account 2 weeks before this, but he had no idea how to use it. He went to the internet cafe by himself and took an hour just to login to his e-mail. I decided that to occupy my night, we would do computer lessons! Now I'm no computer wiz-- far from it actually. In the US I would be considered computer illiterate, but to my friend Andy, I was Bill Gates! Now, I thought helping my Mom and Dad on the computer was difficult (sorry Mom and Dad!), but I had to start at ground zero with Andy. For instance- where do you type a web address? What IS a web address?? how to open/close the internet, what is a search engine and how do you use it? It was such a great experience for me to teach him. Andy was so excited to learn, he was more awake that night than I have ever seen him during the day!<br />
7 hours later, He was searching information about his favorite soccer teams online, sending e-mails, and using Facebook! Since it took him 10 minutes just to type a web address in, I decided we needed to do some typing tutorials. I opened a free online tutorial, and he spent 2 hours practicing how to type! 2 hours of, "fjfjfj kd kd lllgh..." etc. I dozed off watching him, but he was thrilled!<br />
So many missionaries go overseas and spend so much time teaching computer classes. I never fully understood why that was so important until now. I hate to admit that computers rule our world, but it is true. And when an entire country has virtually no access to or ability to use a computer, it makes it that much harder for them to get out of poverty and catch up to the advancing world. Andy had been through school and graduated college with a degree in finance, and still had no access to computers. Even the education system here looks so different because of the lack of computer access.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> By the end of night shift, I should have been exhausted, but it was hard for me to sleep because I was so excited for Andy. I never realized how much of a blessing a simple computer lesson could be to him. I feel like I just unlocked the world for him.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The rest of my weekend was nothing compared to my experiences with Andy, but I will sum them up quickly:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br />
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjto6i5J95SMVq2TJu-E8j0wD37aC1qHUWeQgZc-DqP3aD-AEMFAIzu1IQgxiYGQ3WkAk73GgE4n47c6hppTf97_KWrxY45lbHuSm-zYukOEkq9mVNthyphenhyphengjg47Cw1tRMBiY5_um9Q0lBM4/s1600/Sierra_LeoneRiver_No._2_BeachFreetown_Peninsular_00_%2528Small%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjto6i5J95SMVq2TJu-E8j0wD37aC1qHUWeQgZc-DqP3aD-AEMFAIzu1IQgxiYGQ3WkAk73GgE4n47c6hppTf97_KWrxY45lbHuSm-zYukOEkq9mVNthyphenhyphengjg47Cw1tRMBiY5_um9Q0lBM4/s320/Sierra_LeoneRiver_No._2_BeachFreetown_Peninsular_00_%2528Small%2529.jpg" width="320px" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg761orFTATF1fcW9dXTl9uz0zezEvMeNT6Qyklb5BQzH6sEWrfzUdTNCWgcf_yyWRdaIdgqGu0Solwewrh-6ehTaxq1h4ephLQkHMtAksi34_9WtMOjBem5dl7SL0WHsIU5i2hYSdClU8/s1600/River+No+2+Beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg761orFTATF1fcW9dXTl9uz0zezEvMeNT6Qyklb5BQzH6sEWrfzUdTNCWgcf_yyWRdaIdgqGu0Solwewrh-6ehTaxq1h4ephLQkHMtAksi34_9WtMOjBem5dl7SL0WHsIU5i2hYSdClU8/s1600/River+No+2+Beach.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River #2 beach- absolutely beautiful! Just like the TV show LOST!</td></tr>
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> - Took a 3 hour journey to the most tropical beach ever, taking Poda-Poda's, taxis, and motorcycles over roads that should not even be passable by pack mules. </div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> - Floated down a real-life lazy river that was warm, clear blue, and lined with the softest white sand in the world.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> - Took an Okata (motorcycle taxi) to church. Got lost and tried to help my driver find the way, and ended up driving through the middle of a soccer game. Motorcycle apparel: skirt, sandles, bicycle helmet. (sorry Mom and Dad)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> - Drank a Sprite out of a glass bottle served to me by the pastor on Sunday-- it was filled with unidentified floaties. Still not sick. fingers crossed.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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- Watched the most spectacular sunset yet from the top deck of the ship with an amazing African breeze cooling the hot air :)<br />
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Sorry for the lack of pictures this time! My stories were all about night shift, where a camera is not exactly appropriate..</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><u><i>Prayer requests:</i></u></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><i> - </i>My patient, Lonny, who I talked about in past blogs went home today! Pray for a welcomed return home for him, and continued wound healing with NO infection!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> - For Andy, that he can continue to mentally/spiritually heal from his war experiences, and that his new computer knowledge will open up a window of opportunity for him!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> - For our new plastics patients who just arrived today! There are some very sweet children that I am excited to work with!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Love and miss you all! Continue to update me on your lives! I love to know what is going on State-side! <br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-27410193822108118562011-09-03T19:43:00.000-07:002011-09-03T19:43:30.975-07:00Seke! (Hello in Temne)<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> I have passed my 3 week mark with Mercy Ships, can you believe it?! It is flying past, and I am already getting sad about having to say good-bye to Sierra Leone in 3 months. But lets skip that subject and talk about my latest African adventures this past week! </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLIAFr4Q3EDLCo2sB_LBhPcusBYYntm7dErAVrTL6hXNPB3eJ6efFH_aOFzcqQAzn61hdb_7MhicgbOKBbnRmyz6s-7X4oduZfzkum6MqQlfnvK7fozRTGMe6uQ8SBgtAWo5c3jC8HGGQ/s1600/pic1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLIAFr4Q3EDLCo2sB_LBhPcusBYYntm7dErAVrTL6hXNPB3eJ6efFH_aOFzcqQAzn61hdb_7MhicgbOKBbnRmyz6s-7X4oduZfzkum6MqQlfnvK7fozRTGMe6uQ8SBgtAWo5c3jC8HGGQ/s320/pic1.jpg" width="320px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> We are slowly dwindling our patient numbers as we prepare for a our new plastics patients to come in next week. Most of our large hernia/hydrocele wounds have been stitched up this week for hopefully the last time! We have an amazing general surgeon here who is doing an amazing job of healing these men and getting them home. Unfortunately he leaves on Monday, so we need URGENT prayers that these last few patients will heal quickly, and no one will return with complications! We will not have a general surgeon for 2 weeks, so our Max Fax surgeon or Plastic surgeon would have to step up to the plate. Please pray for quick healing and no problems!!</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">just a picture of everyday life!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As badly as I want to get these men home, they have become very dear to my heart, especially 2 of them. They have been here since I first arrived, and were my first patients. I have seen their pain and their joy, and I have seen how they have learned to depend on the Lord and on prayer for their comfort. It is such an incredible process to watch. A few days ago I had a very moving day at work, and it started with my dear friend, we will call him Lonny. He was very concerned about being in the hospital because his wife and children had no access to money without him and he had no way to get money for them. A few days before this was the first time he had seen his wife in 5 weeks. He came into the hospital with wound complications, and hadn't talked to or seen his wife because her phone had recently been disconnected. I asked him if I could pray for him and his family, and we sat and prayed for his families safety for a while. Afterward, he said, "last time a women prayed for me because I hadn't heard from my wife, she got a ride to the ship the next day and I finally got to see her! So I know that prayer works, and God will take care of my family because of this prayer." It is so amazing to see how God has been showing himself to these men who have been hospitalized for months!</div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> That same evening we played some worship music at change of shift, and our last little plastics girl, I will call her Annie, sat on my lap while we sang. Annie is a 5 year old girl who was badly burnt in a kitchen fire, and her final wounds are almost healed. She is the worlds best snuggler, and I absolutely love holding a tiny little miracle in my arms as I worship Christ :)</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNU_a6fN8euyI9NevmkpMGMjmoFoYaA0j96K4zHyw7yq7httxj7bGJKIF5yyKyPJRJ8W9j8ca7wAogrqlex0ADybxNqifcXi4s81FBwz938hDl7ITiW1uC1IrF9r9L3ras16ZxjTZ5Uk/s1600/IMG_7217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNU_a6fN8euyI9NevmkpMGMjmoFoYaA0j96K4zHyw7yq7httxj7bGJKIF5yyKyPJRJ8W9j8ca7wAogrqlex0ADybxNqifcXi4s81FBwz938hDl7ITiW1uC1IrF9r9L3ras16ZxjTZ5Uk/s320/IMG_7217.JPG" width="320px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> These adorable characters are some of patients who really touched my heart. The little girl on the left is Annie, always full of smiles! The man in the middle just went home 2 days ago! He had bad foot wounds left over from the war. He had a lot of skin grafting and wound care, and was finally able to leave the ship, but still returns daily for wound care. He is a very sweet man who lost his wife and children during the war, and is still dealing with physical injuries and handicaps, but he is just spilling over with joy, and you can't help but smile when you are around him! It is amazing to see, despite horrible circumstances, how much joy a person can have if they choose to! The little boy on the far right is my little buddy who I played countless hours of tag with before he went home!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> If you recall in my last blog, I was going to attend my friend Frances' church on Sunday, which I did! It was pouring rain but 2 friends and I made our way to the tiny church. It turned out to be an amazing experience! African church is so upbeat and energetic! At the beginning of the service, they have a time for testimonies, where people can go up front and share share how they have experienced God's blessings. Frances went up front and shared the story of how we met him, and how excited he was to see us at church and how much of a blessing we were to him! The entire church came up to greet us and talk with us at the end of the service- they were a very welcoming, devoted, and family-like fellowship. I look forward to going back! </div> One of the common threads I have seen in Sierra Leone churches is their terrible PA systems! They already sing and talk loud enough, I don't know why they even need one! Word of advice for anyone going to an African church: take ear plugs!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrunj6numZGnNkY0vAk_fop8vffKE0aDsnNmisc3TQQAGTidy0njrmTJvD3ryJBrEKZiLW1S6SsInNq9slhSRVHLdUA_G6Jco4WVgCZWpzTa2fyxGO9I4GH3joQXdkPIOgepI6hBFD4E/s1600/P8300566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrunj6numZGnNkY0vAk_fop8vffKE0aDsnNmisc3TQQAGTidy0njrmTJvD3ryJBrEKZiLW1S6SsInNq9slhSRVHLdUA_G6Jco4WVgCZWpzTa2fyxGO9I4GH3joQXdkPIOgepI6hBFD4E/s320/P8300566.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking Sugarloaf!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> My latest adventure this week was a trip to Sugarloaf mountain. 5 other friends and I decided to take a day and hike the mountain! We heard from several others who had hiked it before that it was "primitive"..to say the least. I was thinking, "heck, I hike through the Quetico every year, it certainly can't be <i>that</i> bad!" When we got there, we were simply guessing, based on some sketchy directions given to us by a friend, as to where the trail was. Although we didn't find the correct trail on our first hike.. (or more like our first 4 hikes..) we did have an enjoyable time brush-crushing in a beautiful green jungle! We hiked a few different trails for about 2 hours before we decided to to back-track and start from square one! By the time we were all beaten raw by the jungle bushes, and dripping sweat from the humidity, we found the correct trail! The hike was absolutely gorgeous, but it was very tough! We were basically climbing up a huge pile of rocks that had a layer of vaseline on all of them, just to add to the challenge! By the time we reached the summit (or what I call the summit at least--makes me feel less defeated that we didn't actually get to the top!) a rain cloud came pouring over the backside of the mountain and drenched us! The rain was so refreshing, but it did add to the slippery rocks, and we decided it was too dangerous to go on. Besides, we had a great view set before us already! I felt like I was in the TV show lost as we were hiking through the jungle with a warm rain pouring down on us! When we finally got back to the Land Rover, everyone was bleeding from somewhere, and we looked like we had been out for weeks! I would share a picture of my legs and how cut up they are from the underbrush and rocks, but I think I will spare you the pain! Lets just put it this way-- I convinced one of my day workers that I was attacked by a shark!<br />
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmYBd4Whtr5DA7qEmp8R9FHf-zhPZXKqwgpfSEqDkYfAxBoCQiiyodevn-1f9oyHXGRpt6gIiQNFquLWdD_jag9tNGeZHWwu6KyNH34gaUrlwtGfouoRICfACbYm_TxWlmepnwiEoUmk/s1600/P8300579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmYBd4Whtr5DA7qEmp8R9FHf-zhPZXKqwgpfSEqDkYfAxBoCQiiyodevn-1f9oyHXGRpt6gIiQNFquLWdD_jag9tNGeZHWwu6KyNH34gaUrlwtGfouoRICfACbYm_TxWlmepnwiEoUmk/s320/P8300579.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The hiking crew! From left, Michael from Ghana, James from US, Jes from UK, Rachel from US, Julie from Canada, and me!</div></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> It has been such an amazing past few weeks, and the rain clouds are finally starting to break up and each day there is more and more sunshine! I'm excited for dry season, but at the same time, I' afraid the heat is going to be too intense!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><u><i>Prayer requests this week:</i></u></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><i> - </i>For our general surgery patients- that they will be all stitched up and healed up before our Surgeon leaves on Monday!</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">- We have a load of new nurses coming in next week, so pray for rapid acclimation and comfort!</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">- For little Annie, that her wounds will finish healing and she will be able to go home! (she is currently on bedrest to help heal her wounds more quickly..which you can imagine how easy that is for a 5 year old!)</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">- For my friend Lonny, that his family will be safe, healthy, and have full bellies while he is still in the hopsital!</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> Love and miss you all! Send e-mails and snail mail! I love updates from home :)</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">-Danelley (as the African's call me!) </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div>D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-44217521351005339722011-08-27T11:28:00.000-07:002011-08-27T11:38:31.302-07:00Tell PapaGod Tenki!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TASrgQo6JDWgxxc3_TCtm3g8wgghvXq0uAhEklH2es7SlKeW-8Y2axQrldVXNTgU03xl2aryzSezslaafxBlDutRlfTM_525n8zrxwssuv2vXWrf0SZsjmFE43XfePpr_U-Z5JA5NKM/s1600/P8260528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TASrgQo6JDWgxxc3_TCtm3g8wgghvXq0uAhEklH2es7SlKeW-8Y2axQrldVXNTgU03xl2aryzSezslaafxBlDutRlfTM_525n8zrxwssuv2vXWrf0SZsjmFE43XfePpr_U-Z5JA5NKM/s320/P8260528.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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KUSHE from Sierra Leone!<br />
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The West-African adventures keep getting sweeter and sweeter, and it's only been 2.5 weeks! I am continuing to become more comfortable with ship life, enjoying more excursions off-ship, and building deeper relationships with my patients everyday!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fighting the crowds</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPxAj7PawNgulZJdcEgHgsEsNMIqM4xfnZBqyah2vnU2KbYtElrnK3oq7GtMPFz3G-C-pBd-XRvxP6umqlnZr5VJoH8980jb8VQEFz1XHxnVaDvvhFQaQkkx_v1IOW8P1j3enk4DPQ2Y/s1600/P8230497.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPxAj7PawNgulZJdcEgHgsEsNMIqM4xfnZBqyah2vnU2KbYtElrnK3oq7GtMPFz3G-C-pBd-XRvxP6umqlnZr5VJoH8980jb8VQEFz1XHxnVaDvvhFQaQkkx_v1IOW8P1j3enk4DPQ2Y/s320/P8230497.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cotton tree!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Last week on my day off I went for a walk into town- my 3rd attempt at finding the "cotton tree", and this time I was DETERMINED to find it! Another nurse and I walked through town in an attempt to finally make it to the downtown area. We fought our way through the market, enjoying the wide array of smells that change every step you take, skipping over flowing rivers of festering garbage, turning down marriage proposals at every corner, and attempting to NOT get hit by a shag-wagon full of people!<br />
I literally almost got wonked in the melon by a poda-poda mirror, but was saved by a kind man pushing my head out of the way! After about an hour and a half, we finally saw light at the end of the tunnel and saw the immensely tall and beautiful cotton tree towering over the chaotic city! <br />
After we saw the tree, the excitement was gone, and we didn't know where to lead our adventure next, when all of a sudden a kind young gentleman came out of nowhere and started talking to us! (I exaggerate when I say "out of nowhere"..everyone tries to talk to the "white babies"). At first we tried to shake him, but he said he had the day off from school, and would like to show us the government buildings, so instead of fighting it, we decided to see what would come of it!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3fcdQimUEkOc7KEMZEiz7ki-VFRknd8AjDIoki_PKP5emLq4YT1aLt6U0gMu3cnadeNWKlHxmCjBQRler3c2AwRJxka-RADSdP4IzimeEhhnQaR0uzJCoU7H4CA658qHcrssgFBkUG0/s1600/P8230502.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3fcdQimUEkOc7KEMZEiz7ki-VFRknd8AjDIoki_PKP5emLq4YT1aLt6U0gMu3cnadeNWKlHxmCjBQRler3c2AwRJxka-RADSdP4IzimeEhhnQaR0uzJCoU7H4CA658qHcrssgFBkUG0/s200/P8230502.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freetown view from the mountains!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGQNSn90WmixrnK_vZ6AXAWUtzO8pPtyQ26VCRB7AVi8DojTO6k-9SrqYyBKII6qYVNTefPSL28vTHev5GzYQqjTWazauXgFerRqsxCCHveMNhDCAg4dSJpuyaHnK2YKj6cu4mOWN2Nw/s1600/P8230510.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGQNSn90WmixrnK_vZ6AXAWUtzO8pPtyQ26VCRB7AVi8DojTO6k-9SrqYyBKII6qYVNTefPSL28vTHev5GzYQqjTWazauXgFerRqsxCCHveMNhDCAg4dSJpuyaHnK2YKj6cu4mOWN2Nw/s200/P8230510.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sierra Leone's parliament building</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Frances walked us around State Avenue, and showed us all of the government building and explained what they did there. He even payed off a security guard to walk us around the parliament! It was a fun filled afternoon of touring, eating coconuts, meeting his family, and seeing his house. It is so sad to see how they live. Frances was fortunate enough to have a concrete house, even though we had to walk through a dirty, rocky, small alley to get there. A lot of people are living in small shanties made of scrap metal with rocks on the roof to hold it on. <br />
I asked Frances if we could see his church, and he was very excited to take us down the block to meet his pastor and pastor's wife. They were soooo sweet and welcoming and treated me as though I were a long lost daughter. Tomorrow I plan to attend service at their church and I am very excited to get involved in their community! Look for updates later :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CmsyeNf1okW0C2DjDI0EkXswX54GUaKsxsuKpjL-BJEj7u-H07To7mFiUDyW9Mrx9TX0HogpjrOPXO_0yfuIR-w9UOUL3REQcHo7MZIlhymNbICqr-pnj3NxWmU1SrY3JXC8VFIgws8/s1600/P8230511.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CmsyeNf1okW0C2DjDI0EkXswX54GUaKsxsuKpjL-BJEj7u-H07To7mFiUDyW9Mrx9TX0HogpjrOPXO_0yfuIR-w9UOUL3REQcHo7MZIlhymNbICqr-pnj3NxWmU1SrY3JXC8VFIgws8/s320/P8230511.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pastor Amara's church</td></tr>
</tbody></table> This past week was my 2nd week working on the ward, and I am becoming much more comfortable and excited about it. It is hard to even consider it work when I enjoy it so much. But I guess that's what I came here for! The patients are absolutely amazing- they are so kind, and hilarious, and thankful. We haven't been doing as many surgeries lately, and are instead focusing on healing the wounds and infections from the last round of general surgeries. This past month as been filled with hernia and hydrocele surgeries, which many of them unfortunately did not heal well and became infected. It is so heart breaking to see these men sit in the hospital for 40+ days, but at the same time they have become like family to each other, as well as to me. I know that God has a plan for them being here so long, and I just pray that they are able to see that.<br />
Last week I had a sweet lady in her mid 30's who had a huge goiter. I had her all prepared for surgery, and took her down to the OR (or "operating theater" as they call it here!). I was embarassed to realize that I hadn't gotten a pregnancy test on her before surgery, and was about to run get a test kit when she stopped me. She said there is no way that she could be pregnant because after she got this huge goiter (literally the size of her head), her husband left her, which has been over 5 years. The OR nurse and I decided we would trust her rather than make her feel worse and force her to be tested. It was so sad to hear her stories because the life of a single woman is not easy here in West Africa. People are rejected by their families and villages when they have these large deforming tumors, and it is just heart breaking to see what happens to them, but at the same time it is so rewarding to know that we are able to help. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2thmRqfAvv3bhevIyAegvCj0UYNREMBXF_kry0FqgTj4jz5S0lW7rPFN5keoX8gexEVDsr454SFfUVF4EpRpM71AoG5TgMC4hBWSWhNi5rkwlJUaq7zuT71eLyLAp2GdOQ1CcR3I8xoE/s1600/P8260515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2thmRqfAvv3bhevIyAegvCj0UYNREMBXF_kry0FqgTj4jz5S0lW7rPFN5keoX8gexEVDsr454SFfUVF4EpRpM71AoG5TgMC4hBWSWhNi5rkwlJUaq7zuT71eLyLAp2GdOQ1CcR3I8xoE/s320/P8260515.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our private paradise island!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> After a long weekend of work and little time of the ship, I was going stir crazy! It was "ship-holiday" this weekend, so most people had Friday off. 4 other girls and I decided we needed a few days of relaxation, and a night off of the ship! We found a place to stay at one of the local beaches called "Tommy's paradise Island Guesthouse" on Lakka beach. There was one picture online, and no reviews, but we decided to be adventurous and book a room! The whole weekend was very eventful, starting with the taxi ride there! Public transportation of any sort here in Africa is always an experience! Lucky for us we had the assistance of an African friend to hale us a cab and barter a price for us! Unfortunately there are "black prices" and "white prices" here, and as you could imagine the white prices are at least double! After 2 hours of waiting for a cab, we packed 5 girls into a tiny nissan, and headed for the beach! I thought my old car Buttercup was getting a little rickity, but that was nothing compared to what they drive around here! I don't know how they make it over these terrible, rocky and muddy roads! The fact that he had to restart the car every 5 minutes, whenever he took his foot off the gas, would have normally concerned me, but not in Africa! We made our way down through Lakka village, and as we got closer to the water, everyone's nerves began to grow. we were surrounded by small shanties, little civilization, and barely-passable roads. We came to a gate which supposedly lead to "Tommy's" according to the locals, and the gate keeper told us the taxi couldn't go through, that we would have to walk in. 5 white girls in a small village far away from Freetown, walking through a gate that supposedly lead to a "guesthouse"... slightly scary! We told the gatekeeper we wanted to see Tommy first, and we didn't let our new fond friend, Umar the Taxi driver, leave until we saw our lodging! Our worst nightmares were quickly erased when we met Tommy, a very kind Lakka village man, and we walked down to the with the company of Umar, who made sure we were safe before leaving us!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv765lAKLwYdKMUdyHMdEQUWyqp-ZAAas2Z7GZEqjjiQ84_HIbsRhB7a0GL6qJWwF2q3g2qvmCYklKsx6efwH7-2qOFcHrw2NxiopRPqYLupVFOmnfoKPawao7HFJjkjWV43LB_Jppyr4/s1600/P8270561.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv765lAKLwYdKMUdyHMdEQUWyqp-ZAAas2Z7GZEqjjiQ84_HIbsRhB7a0GL6qJWwF2q3g2qvmCYklKsx6efwH7-2qOFcHrw2NxiopRPqYLupVFOmnfoKPawao7HFJjkjWV43LB_Jppyr4/s200/P8270561.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of our room</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Tommy's guesthouse turned out to be the best kept secret of Sierra Leone! There were 6 guesthouses on this tiny little island on Lakka beach that you can walk to when the tide is low. (and wade to when the tide is high!) We had an amazing evening laying on the sunny beach, having our pride damaged by the massive waves that drove us in to the sand (...or maybe that was just me!) It was like a tropical paradise that we had all to ourselves! We were the only people staying on the island, and the staff became like family! (which seems to be a common occurance around here!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfIvVds0wog9ebrb-l8hvMTYLCIwegL_coW5t7fS_u92RiWFaE6iRGMmCnIxkERHQx18QJkEJyeLvQGN_zEdPG7vkuYhqPvHX81aptokU7SRkUOndkrFSe0JVDnddCXbmc3ZZh7S2P8E/s1600/P8270560.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfIvVds0wog9ebrb-l8hvMTYLCIwegL_coW5t7fS_u92RiWFaE6iRGMmCnIxkERHQx18QJkEJyeLvQGN_zEdPG7vkuYhqPvHX81aptokU7SRkUOndkrFSe0JVDnddCXbmc3ZZh7S2P8E/s200/P8270560.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The veranda where we ate</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
They asked us when we wanted dinner, and made us an amazing candle lit dinner on the beach, where we enjoyed freshly caught barracuda and rice! Prepared and served by the cook himself. It was by far the best food I have had in Africa yet. That night we sat and watched the stars, brighter than ever, and to top it off we saw a huge dead whale float into shore! And mark it down, after only 2 weeks, I have crossed the Poop-barrier with my new friends! (for those of you who understand this, I know you feel my joy! and those who don't understand, please erase this strange sentence from your minds) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHr9ZknVqUaoP7Y-Re3HeyGJ7jkapvzys4DtH7cg6Upmt2CSN6APaencd_vqOSpWIymNdqpidaXVwxMGIJpaZDTg3wo8OIBiJc3bdd6bvI7Tn8CCqay-mY3Nb6FQngyXLjmDoDrboFMgc/s1600/P8260536.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHr9ZknVqUaoP7Y-Re3HeyGJ7jkapvzys4DtH7cg6Upmt2CSN6APaencd_vqOSpWIymNdqpidaXVwxMGIJpaZDTg3wo8OIBiJc3bdd6bvI7Tn8CCqay-mY3Nb6FQngyXLjmDoDrboFMgc/s200/P8260536.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My hammock bed :(</td></tr>
</tbody></table> The only thing that would have made the evening better is if I was able to sleep in the hammock on the veranda outside our room! (I won't go into details, but lets just say I was scarred into sleeping in the room when my dear star-gazing friend, the night security guard, told me that "Jesus Christ told his heart that he should marry me"... As sweet as the proposal was, I decided to decline and sleep in the safety of a locked room!<br />
After an incredible weekend of relaxing in paradise, making new friends, and exciting travel, Umar came back to retrieve us and take us back to the ship! More and more each day I am falling in love with Africa, and look forward to my next adventure and the stories I can share with you all! Thank you for your prayers and thoughts!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-W9WyDZbJxBYpIEdy3Amd8-4Q7cNhrW_EYNsDfCTaOuFp62sR0xVBv_fJal3BHVOihJlYsBEDQS_MX9Yn9Z_BjzTbbHcYRgOl9RusSf-S81eFeJRyppzfQL8gOJQlQ01PI2NRCGHaEMs/s1600/P8260556.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-W9WyDZbJxBYpIEdy3Amd8-4Q7cNhrW_EYNsDfCTaOuFp62sR0xVBv_fJal3BHVOihJlYsBEDQS_MX9Yn9Z_BjzTbbHcYRgOl9RusSf-S81eFeJRyppzfQL8gOJQlQ01PI2NRCGHaEMs/s320/P8260556.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christina in our mosquito net bed!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikNvWURUmPKFjTxyZyx5v7zMiRDOAdB7cjOO31YrT1E-CmtDzCxg49oBLOCk9ioEGe_Iqc0o_BoJwb1VmW_OSQ37kLucGwCzLdOkBOwJGnsWtxRyaqGLmpK3qgw6f-lzUaEcilGXl6NU/s1600/P8260517.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikNvWURUmPKFjTxyZyx5v7zMiRDOAdB7cjOO31YrT1E-CmtDzCxg49oBLOCk9ioEGe_Iqc0o_BoJwb1VmW_OSQ37kLucGwCzLdOkBOwJGnsWtxRyaqGLmpK3qgw6f-lzUaEcilGXl6NU/s320/P8260517.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sipping bottled cokes in paradise!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqt3CrGEJg5PeSEuwmoS1uux1SAQNUmJsRRtnoUOq818NiF9GGHJcFl77YsrtxeM16NUFoRHaVAUs-Of4KHSefzARnHf6zJS1_r6SPE21zZjy9CBl25VlO_nKUGyipMYsbD7MSeJfjPxg/s1600/P8260525.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqt3CrGEJg5PeSEuwmoS1uux1SAQNUmJsRRtnoUOq818NiF9GGHJcFl77YsrtxeM16NUFoRHaVAUs-Of4KHSefzARnHf6zJS1_r6SPE21zZjy9CBl25VlO_nKUGyipMYsbD7MSeJfjPxg/s320/P8260525.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our beach entertainment<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjN0U-krKhITIFxeDTkEnWW6TgY-oTvruOpDhg73EdJz98LeeIZ1zE5qXs6Fl_xRBm8cOFkWdCTv0xfdryt1q389HIvfFaB7ZCWj1qlrgsf1xV4NEjSr-OPpcZwCY3fKWtoqqWHmpoP0/s1600/P8260533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjN0U-krKhITIFxeDTkEnWW6TgY-oTvruOpDhg73EdJz98LeeIZ1zE5qXs6Fl_xRBm8cOFkWdCTv0xfdryt1q389HIvfFaB7ZCWj1qlrgsf1xV4NEjSr-OPpcZwCY3fKWtoqqWHmpoP0/s320/P8260533.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"> Another amazing Sierra Leonian sunset</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<i>Prayer requests this week</i>:<br />
-we are starting a new round of plastic surgeries soon. We will be doing a lot of burn repairs, and Noma (flesh eating bacteria) repairs for people who have disfiguring and disabling problems that require extensive surgery and skin grafting. Pray that the surgeries will be successful and free from infection, as we only have 3 months to heal and rehabilitate them.<br />
-For the old hernia and hydrocele infections to miraculously heal!<br />
-For my time at the local church tomorrow, that it will be an amazing community I can become involved in!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bDXw5fqoZNrpHje9HGOkFVQAoPyJ_quVMhcAdEB0s5ys6RptDUNYCae1OPPd02YPK3fhROqO-i1eLSIdCxsCkHKjgXiRMQnQfgsqSYfxdY5Q8Ro4PYGNABCwsbJkmiUOjRgBUOApjM4/s1600/P8270563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bDXw5fqoZNrpHje9HGOkFVQAoPyJ_quVMhcAdEB0s5ys6RptDUNYCae1OPPd02YPK3fhROqO-i1eLSIdCxsCkHKjgXiRMQnQfgsqSYfxdY5Q8Ro4PYGNABCwsbJkmiUOjRgBUOApjM4/s320/P8270563.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign says "Love from Sierra Leone!"</td></tr>
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D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-75883736277335486392011-08-22T06:28:00.000-07:002011-08-22T15:26:33.531-07:00Mi gladi fo mit yu! Freetown, day 11.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5Dv6XrqditgE90q_FJS1CWSI8QZMhbCiwIRmhJEdz_CRPB2Tk69w8z_feDuLGgIbA5NV18hjK2xquoRw1ri3clD9mPSAcMIrXek2yoBMCwBhElrDwUJdH-PMobERo6Ax_550xy8HFa8/s1600/P8110456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5Dv6XrqditgE90q_FJS1CWSI8QZMhbCiwIRmhJEdz_CRPB2Tk69w8z_feDuLGgIbA5NV18hjK2xquoRw1ri3clD9mPSAcMIrXek2yoBMCwBhElrDwUJdH-PMobERo6Ax_550xy8HFa8/s320/P8110456.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first Sierra Leonian sunset! </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table> It's crazy I've been here this long already, but at the same time it feels like I have been here forever. I have really melted in nicely to fun group of people here. My transfer flight in Brussels, I met a few other Mercy Ship-ers and we really bonded and stuck together. (I taught them Farkle and they love it so they are keepers!) It's always intimidating to meet new people, especially when you don't have a safety blanket of friends to fall back on. I have learned that the best place to meet people is at meal time, so I have been diligent about sitting with different people every time and it is working out well! (But note-to-self: look for mostly-full plates before you sit down! It's not good on the ego when they leave 2 minutes after you sit down!)<br />
I was nervous at first to start working, but it has turned out to be the best part of my day. They really rush you into it- with 2 days of "orientation" and then BAM you're on your own! Although, surprisingly, I felt very ready to be on my own, and I have blended into the ward nicely. Other nurses were commenting on how quickly I became comfortable and jumped right in to help. I attribute it all to my 4EF- upbringing! I believe I have proved the motto true, "If you can work on 4EF, you can work anywhere!"<br />
The work here is very different than back home, as expected. Most things are run by protocols and nursing pathways, and there's not much stray from the norm. In contrast from home, where most things were driven by insurance and CMS! All the charting is paper, and I have no CYA charting to take up my day! (CYA= Cover Your A**) For instance, when I get a new admission, my one task is to place an IV. THE END. No asking 1 million questions, no calling the doctor for 5 million orders, etc. It's amazing :) Which in turn, this means that I can spend so much time talking with and getting to know my patients.<br />
I can't take pictures in the ward, but to give you a little picture, imagine 10 beds in a room, with 2ft max between them. No walls. It seems awful in our American mind set, but they actually love it. If we have to put up a curtain to separate somebody who has an infection, they hate it! The African culture is very focused on relationships. In the hospital, they are always talking to each other, helping each other, and they practically cry when someone has to go home!<br />
One of my favorite aspects of the hospital is the "day volunteers". There are day volunteers working all over the ship. They are local Sierra Leonians who are payed to work with Mercy Ships- so it offers locals an income, and it helps us to be more integrated with the culture. In the ward, they serve as translators for us, as housekeepers, patient educators, as well as a whole other list of duties. We don't have nursing assistance so they partly serve in that role. It is fun getting to know them, and they have been teaching me a lot about Freetown! They also love to teach Krio, which has been a true blessing! It is a pretty easy language to learn, as it is based on English. One of my new local friends said, "Krio is a mixture of English, French, and some other language". I asked him what the "other language" was, and he said, "Ahhh.. I don't know". So I have decided the other language is gibberish. For example, the title of my blog is "mi gladi fo mit you!" which means "nice to meet you!" As you can see it's a phonetic version of English that utilizes some gibberish-like words!<br />
The day volunteers are also teaching me some cultural norms and helping me to blend in. For example, I was whistling a little ditty the other day, and one of my local friends looked at me and laughed. I said, "what's so funny?" and he said, "o nothing, I'm just surprised to see a girl whistling". Uh oh! this is not a good sign! I asked, "is it a bad thing?"--"no it's not bad. but girls don't whistle here, it's only for men to do. we think she is a man if she whistles". NOTE TO SELF: don't whistle! Which is very very depressing, as most of you know I just recently learned to whistle, and enjoy doing it ALL THE TIME!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLFPjVVPThlUutCq70j-WgQ22eHxh_-9CZfVwgcWT55OodSvT1FGMKsoHyMDIpJAfP2ankxWm7O6MwGSbuZb2zcsQc58KzpfOPansVqMkC6dySQLY5XIqMFOGRAOR21Tn1rXDenO87xI/s1600/P8130459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLFPjVVPThlUutCq70j-WgQ22eHxh_-9CZfVwgcWT55OodSvT1FGMKsoHyMDIpJAfP2ankxWm7O6MwGSbuZb2zcsQc58KzpfOPansVqMkC6dySQLY5XIqMFOGRAOR21Tn1rXDenO87xI/s320/P8130459.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fishing! Freetown style!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> My first weekend here, I went with a group to a beach called Mama beach. It is a local village beach that not many people go to. It is a big fishing beach, and the local village was pulling in their nets when we got there, so we helped! Unfortunately all they caught were thousands of 3in long fish and a few jellies. Don't know if the Jellies were stingers, but I wasn't about to find out!<br />
The beach was all locals, so we stuck out like a sore thumb. All the African kids just love white people for some reason- they all wave excitedly and say "hello!" and want to shake your hand- apparently white hands feel cool, not sure. They kept running in front of my camera saying, "snap me! snap me!" which means, "take my picture!". So I have about a million pictures of these cuties!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ARcjOeap-BO7M24bY5EXlu8VyeYlyCqJMMe8PEVajVlEJ7luoiAD9Y3B4G53XtuG-gSjE3tTwtKv6utNVzQnUj5nyePtx0veqT1DcT5Kd75BfIZyxlXTTTIihHYVL7CuFfF0px_mcNQ/s1600/P8130464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ARcjOeap-BO7M24bY5EXlu8VyeYlyCqJMMe8PEVajVlEJ7luoiAD9Y3B4G53XtuG-gSjE3tTwtKv6utNVzQnUj5nyePtx0veqT1DcT5Kd75BfIZyxlXTTTIihHYVL7CuFfF0px_mcNQ/s200/P8130464.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the kids that wanted to be "snapped"</td></tr>
</tbody></table> The fishing boats are wooden, hand carved! I asked one of the guys how they build it, and they carve and chisel it all out. One of my goals "which probably won't come true" is to buy a boat so I can go canoeing on the bay! They are all painted with their family names. If they are lucky enough, they have a little outboard motor to tote them around. If not, which the people from the Mama beach village were not, then they paddle their huge nets out about 1km, and then the people on the beach pull them in.<br />
I also made some pretty good friends on the beach. I spent most of the afternoon playing with these 2 boys, Allie and Abdul. They knew English fairly well and loved walking up and down the beach with me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVeROzrGXugCaEnSleUIyN-o-FtYR4uwO9axOZ8ns8GcacJQEWN0YJzTjfd6B5ZpD1NOHdDWIYXYRN6IgLZ3LzMPEydszuPTC77Y-NoPm0w2bExPbPkOXreddzfD90002GVRcX042dLKY/s1600/P8130467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVeROzrGXugCaEnSleUIyN-o-FtYR4uwO9axOZ8ns8GcacJQEWN0YJzTjfd6B5ZpD1NOHdDWIYXYRN6IgLZ3LzMPEydszuPTC77Y-NoPm0w2bExPbPkOXreddzfD90002GVRcX042dLKY/s200/P8130467.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hand-carved canoe I intend to buy ;)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIO8DVJt9NAdG5ayRQUdWf5BBgt1vvY7KZDP8hQJLBTR9z0ROlARLIvbsHTP4H7yybB2AnHRcW9ycXZ5KauUeVxi1xbTBa2ibms-jPhB5g-nIdM0b5h3ZU2Xn95os13w0PvYhlLntEPo/s1600/P8130473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIO8DVJt9NAdG5ayRQUdWf5BBgt1vvY7KZDP8hQJLBTR9z0ROlARLIvbsHTP4H7yybB2AnHRcW9ycXZ5KauUeVxi1xbTBa2ibms-jPhB5g-nIdM0b5h3ZU2Xn95os13w0PvYhlLntEPo/s320/P8130473.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my 2 buddies, Allie and Abdul</td></tr>
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My first Sunday here, I went to a local church with a group of Mercy Ship-ers who have been attending this church regularly since they arrived. It was awesome to experience an African service. It was about 2 hours long (which was apparently exceptionally fast!) They sing and dance and have a lot of energy, similar to the Mexican churches I have experienced. It's awesome to see how excited they are worship the Lord, especially when they have so little. It was really humbling for me to see how strong their faith was compared to mine, when I have so many abundant blessings to be thankful for.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7kwp9T4-aR2ktkLoSL6PQhEYWTufKmj4Mpe5xGoH89KgVNXaozxcnA5leBaY08JF1nnaXGFiHpNjXtqXhWcm3uoo3iy7wF0_tcZB07rprtn8yCiZ0vG4-IhyphenhyphengWtb6yP0hF9PJv8BWaw/s1600/P8140494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7kwp9T4-aR2ktkLoSL6PQhEYWTufKmj4Mpe5xGoH89KgVNXaozxcnA5leBaY08JF1nnaXGFiHpNjXtqXhWcm3uoo3iy7wF0_tcZB07rprtn8yCiZ0vG4-IhyphenhyphengWtb6yP0hF9PJv8BWaw/s320/P8140494.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> This past Sunday I was working so I attended the ward church service. Every Sunday morning they have a church service held in the hospital for all the patients and family members. This was again very humbling to see a lot of the patients, all wrapped with gauze bandages, stitches, NG tubes, crutches, etc. smiling and praising the Lord for the surgeries they have had. Many of the patients are Muslims, but they are experiencing Christ during their stay on the Ship. Lord willing, they will be able to see the incredible Grace and Peace that Christ gives and will surrender their life to Him as a result of Mercy Ships ministry.<br />
My favorite little buddy from the ward sat on my lap during the service and belted out all of the songs. It was so heart-warming. He is a 7 year-old boy who was badly burnt in a fire. There are many burnt children here, mostly from cooking fires at home. His hand was melted shut for many years, and the doctors here were able to open up his hand and give him most of his hand dexterity back. It's amazing how much that can change a little boys life. He is part of the family here, and it will be so sad to see him leave, although I know it will be such a blessing for him and his family to be back home!<br />
It has been such a blessing (but at times struggle) to live with so many nationalities on the Ship. Last time they announced it, their were 37 countries represented here. Most seem to be US, UK, Australian, or Netherlands, but still their are so many different cultures and languages here. I didn't realize how different we can be in the way we think, speak, and act. It has been a wonderful learning experience! Last night I hung out with a friend from Ghana who works as a night watchman. I did "rounds" with him which was awesome! I got to see all the inner-workings of the ship, as well as the bridge (where they drive the ship- I held the steering wheel!), and the "control room" as I call it. I don't know what it does, but there are lots of knobs and buttons and screens, and there are people up all night working down in the belly of the ship! What a commitment! As exciting as it was, it was still a challenge to work through our language barrier, as well as thought and humor barriers! (I still haven't decided if the poo-conversations are acceptable here..)<br />
I have gone on a few excursions into town, just walking through the streets and the markets. I think I would be fully satisfied if I never did any tourist attractions, but just walked through town everyday. The streets are crowded, dirty, and noisy, and at times dangerous! (I almost lost my head to a Poda-Poda mirror the other day! A Poda-Poda is a ghetto taxi-van that can shove incredible amounts of people in it!..as well as goats and chickens at times.) The other day I went on a hunt for ice cream- knowing full well that I wouldn't find any. And lo-and-behold I found a guy selling frozen-yogurt soft-serve out of a little machine! It was the best frozen yogurt ever, and much to everyone's surprise, it has been 20 hours and I'm still not ill with the squirts! <br />
unfortunately I am not able to take as many pictures as I had hoped. Many people don't want to be "snapped", and it's safest not to take my camera out in public, because it will make me an even bigger target for pick-pocketing. (as if my ghost-like skin doesn't already make me stick out!). As soon as I develop a sneaky sunglass-camera I will post more!<br />
This is a pretty incredibly long blog, and I thank anyone who makes it all the way through! I love sharing my stories with all of you at home, and thank you so much for your prayers and support!<br />
My prayer requests for this week:<br />
- To learn more Krio so I can communicate with my patients better!<br />
- For hernia and hydrocele patients who have been here for 60+ days due to infections and<br />
complications. Pray that they will heal quickly and be able to return home.<br />
- For the burn-victim children who had surgery and skin grafts several weeks ago and are starting to go<br />
through therapy to get movement back! <br />
- For me to continue making good relationships with fellow crew on the ship!<br />
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Love and miss you all- please write and e-mail to keep me in the loop!<br />
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D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-37981997756387389022011-08-12T14:07:00.000-07:002011-08-12T14:12:20.867-07:00I'M HERE!!! After only 23 hours of travel, I arrived dirty, hot, tired, hungry, and overwhelmed in Freetown, Sierra Leone! But safely! The last 24 hours have been filled with an overload of information that has left me in a daze. The internet connection here is poor, and I don't have pictures loaded yet, so this first entry could be a bit sketchy, but I'm giving it a shot! I decided to give a shout out to the lovely Lauren Slattery, and copy her blogging technique with a list of things I have learned in these first 24 hours:<br />
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1. If I don't get hit by a car or motorcycle on the streets of Freetown, it will be a miracle.<br />
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2. The internet speed on the ship is just about as fast as travel in West Africa. (AKA slower than dial-up from the 1990's)<br />
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3. Leonians are multitaskers- they double the ocean as their garbage dump. saves on realty, what thinkers.<br />
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4. Leonian street laws that I have picked up on: blinkers don't exist, that's what the horn is for. Half the cars have stearing wheels on the right, half on the left-- which also coincides with the side of the street they drive on. It's OK to set up a table in the middle of the busy street to play cards. <br />
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5. Just because a ship is in port doesn't mean you won't get sea sick! I watched my water bottle roll back and forth across my bedroom floor today..<br />
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6. The ship toilets will literally suck you in when you flush. so close the lid.<br />
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7. "port side" is on the left. even though the port is on the right.<br />
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8. There are no cows in Sierra Leone. = no milk!<br />
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9. The sun sets at 8pm on the equator :(<br />
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10. A mission hospital must reuse as many things as possible.. including bedpans and suction canisters. <br />
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Pictures and stories to come later!D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572954095684252989.post-47325938659655591072011-06-06T11:31:00.000-07:002011-06-06T11:31:56.469-07:00Why the heck are you going to Africa, Danielle?!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkrrpsin1y5QNvoPWKWrFEXHi7dulZPGsMuoq9u-2f8B6y5ShQlZWlaIx1E0YxO2UvtLt5b5_hyIP_S2V4Oh4pFYYeeflefgQdwpZe1IAWs6Ubk2rLpVkzlePUZQCOuiO6dJOubv2duo/s1600/mercy-ships-logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkrrpsin1y5QNvoPWKWrFEXHi7dulZPGsMuoq9u-2f8B6y5ShQlZWlaIx1E0YxO2UvtLt5b5_hyIP_S2V4Oh4pFYYeeflefgQdwpZe1IAWs6Ubk2rLpVkzlePUZQCOuiO6dJOubv2duo/s200/mercy-ships-logo.gif" width="200" /></a><br />
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Dear friends and family, </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"> As many of you know, I will be traveling to Sierra Leone, Africa this summer to work with a ministry called Mercy Ships. I will be there from early August through April of 2012. This opportunity has been a long time coming, as I have been seeking opportunities to serve overseas for the past 2 years, and finally God has opened this door for me! I’m so excited about where I’m going and what I will be doing, I hope that you will all share in my excitement and stay in touch while I’m gone! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"> Mercy Ships is a global charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978. They follow the two-thousand year-old model of Jesus Christ, by bringing hope and healing to the forgotten poor, and by seeking to be the face of love in action, serving people without regard to race, gender, or religion. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"> In February, 2011, Mercy Ships docked in Freetown, Sierra Leone and will be there until December. The first month was spent evaluating thousands of patients who traveled near and far in need of medical care, which is offered to them free of charge through Mercy Ships. Personally, I will be working as a ward nurse on the ship, working with post-surgical patients. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDqY8xi3X3XEn0zy2Cl5NeJMbXi1uq9W-lnUDFCi24wJEiub2mjfZivA6JVqKkAVh5Rx79_QbY_-CBLQSk-aE89PZeQbX8wHyKOrNxHqpdme9a_pk1rQA7ALaa-jpAIzMllzgVRzPmW4/s1600/AFM2007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDqY8xi3X3XEn0zy2Cl5NeJMbXi1uq9W-lnUDFCi24wJEiub2mjfZivA6JVqKkAVh5Rx79_QbY_-CBLQSk-aE89PZeQbX8wHyKOrNxHqpdme9a_pk1rQA7ALaa-jpAIzMllzgVRzPmW4/s200/AFM2007.jpg" width="200" /></a> God gave me a burden a few years ago for his people around the world who are lost and hurting, both physically and spiritually. When I traveled to Mexico City in 2008 the Lord solidified His call on my life to share his love with the nations. God’s desire has been for the whole world to know Him from the beginning of time, to the end when every tribe, tongue, and nation will be standing before Him worshiping Him (Rev 7:9). And I want to be a part of that!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"> I have been working at St. Luke’s Hospital in Milwaukee for the past two years, and I attended New Tribes Bible Institute this past year to help prepare me for my work with Mercy Ships and beyond. Now that classes are finished I am spending my last two months planning and preparing!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"> I would love for you all to be a part of this with me by praying for me as I prepare and GO! Some things you can pray for include:</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><i> - For all paper work, logistics, and finances to come together </i></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><i> - For the people I will be serving in Sierra Leone, that they will be able to see Christ lived out through me</i></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><i> - For Mercy Ships to have a large impact on the overall physical/spiritual wellbeing of Sierra Leone, and not just a temporary relief</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">I will be doing my best to keep a blog while I’m away so you can all stay updated and keep in touch! If you would like to learn more about Mercy Ships, and specifically the ship I will be serving on, the <i>Africa Mercy, </i>you can visit their website at <a href="http://www.mercyships.org/">www.mercyships.org</a>. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFZINorf_bzPzEY_nqswTrt6w0tiMNwdPVAEGSIj9G2fSi7DUrKUbxTNHsfKiKTlqOXsj9rT9wLCx5rEGkt5o7OkZCRn_Eoz25itHs9uJP4rAdKNlte0q067H7r2_MkazILZ3TpdZJl4/s1600/100_5186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFZINorf_bzPzEY_nqswTrt6w0tiMNwdPVAEGSIj9G2fSi7DUrKUbxTNHsfKiKTlqOXsj9rT9wLCx5rEGkt5o7OkZCRn_Eoz25itHs9uJP4rAdKNlte0q067H7r2_MkazILZ3TpdZJl4/s200/100_5186.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>I’m so thankful to have you all partnering with me in prayer! My work with Mercy Ships is volunteer and I will be providing my own finances for room, board, and travel. However, if any of you would like to financially support me, you can do so by going to <a href="http://www.mercyships.org/">www.mercyships.org</a>, choose “make a gift”, then “crewmates”, and then enter my name. Financial gifts through Mercy Ships are tax deductible. You can also make checks out to me if preferred. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Thank you all for your support and encouragement! I look forward to sharing my stories and pictures with you!</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; text-indent: 0.5in;">Sincerely,</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; text-indent: 0.5in;">Danielle Mode</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="mailto:daniellecmode@gmail.com">daniellecmode@gmail.com</a></div>D-Modehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08099748917910257702noreply@blogger.com1