Thanksgiving

Today is a Thanksgiving and I am not home. I haven’t really thought so much about it because to be totally honest it doesn’t really feel like Thanksgiving here- which I think is a blessing from the Lord. Today my roommates and I have been emailing each other every hour and saying something that we are thankful for about living on the ship and this experience. It has been really fun to share things that we appreciate with each other… I think it may have saved my day of feeling super sad that my family is all together. PLUS whenever again will I get to celebrate Thanksgiving in Africa… I should embrace this, right?!!

The focus of Mercy Ships is the hospital, but the organization has many other components to aid the people in the countries that we serve. I would say that the biggest off-ship program is the agriculture centers. Agriculture centers are developed in various villages surrounding the port and supplies and training are provided to start small farming communities. In concordance with our unit on plants in science, we were able to go visit the agriculture center on a field trip this week. I am SO glad that I got to go (I am definitely sure I was more excited than the kids!) because it was one of my favorite places that I have visited since I have been here I think. We got a tour from Mohammad, the intern that was trained by Mercy Ships, and all of the people who worked at the center were really excited to show us what they were working on. They explained to us everything that they had growing on a small tour and even gave the kids bananas. I know that my pictures and my descriptions will never be able to compare to what it was like to be there- but I feel like I should try. Look below!

Also… I survived the full-out camping trip last weekend. AND I am happy to say that it was super nice and really fun!! Sleeping in a tent wasn’t as traumatic as I thought it was going to be and the food was good! In the words of someone else… I brought copious snacks and then realized the food wasn’t bad like I thought that it was going to be. The meal was kinda buffet style (meaning that everything was separated) so I did not have to eat the fish… which was GREAT because they still had eyes, which would have totally creeped me out. We stayed at a beach called John Obey with a group of 11 people and it was a a pretty perfect little weekend.

On a logistical, ship note: The ship is beginning to feel like a whole new place! Last week ended surgeries and this week ends Day Workers time on ship as well as the wards closing down. Most of the short-term crew members are going home and the ship is feeling emptier.Within the next few weeks we will be leaving Sierra Leone and sailing to Ghana, which should take about 5 days. This means that the ship is being transformed into “sailing” mode. Everything that is off ship must be moved on ship and stored (duh I guess! This includes all of the vehicles- I am super excited to witness how this takes place). Everything must be secured that is on ship too… I am not really sure exactly what this means, but an update will come as soon as the process begins and I can document it! I feel like it will be quite crazy…

Some crops!

This stream runs in the middle of the site of the agriculture center. The people fetch big jugs of water from it to water their crops.

First: These women work all day in the hot sun with their children on their backs. Second: I wanted to take this child with me! The kids here are so cute and I wish one would fit in my carry-on because I want to keep one!

Some of the women that work at the agriculture center serenaded us before we left!

I slept in that tent!!

This was a big table that we ate at and then a small cooking area and where the food was served behind.

Please note everything that I love about this vehicle… the TWO Tennessee license plates, the British flags behind the tires, and the “Why Worry” advice painted on the back. Our driver might have sped up to catch this poda-poda just to then slow down so I could take a picture 🙂

Umbrella Day

Did you know that you can find just about a holiday for anything if you google “obscure American holidays.” Some people might think that this is a bit ridiculous, but I think it is rather wonderful that Americans want to celebrate every little thing. The reason that I found out this bit of information is because this week marked our second Spirit Day in the Academy.The theme this time was “Holiday Day” and Kayleigh and I had no cute ideas of how to dress up for a traditional holiday… so we decided to work backwards due to our limited wardrobe/supplies on the ship. After much discussion, we decided we would like to wear our rainboots and there must be some holiday that this could go with!! Sure enough… Umbrella Day does exist and it is on February 10th, in case you ever wanted to celebrate it yourselves.

There are always events going on around the ship. Some activities are marketed through emails and on televisions that are around the ships with powerpoint screens constantly scrolling. Last week there was a Fall Festival which consisted of game booths and a costume contest for the crew to participate in. Families on the ship do a great job of trying to organize things that kids would get to do if they lived anywhere else. Miss Kris, Miss Kayleigh, and I had a game called “The Super Toss,” where we organized all kinds of random items (including rubber pigs that squeak because Miss Kris made us use them!) to be tossed into various sized circles. There were lots of prizes and overall it was just a fun night. I felt like we were an extended family spending time together… and it was great. The Fall Festival was an example of an activity that was ship-wide that was “advertised.” Now there are other events that just seem to be… known. One of these great events would be ship-wide, male participation of movember- which by the way is totally gagging and gross. BUT Kayleigh and I also felt a little bit left out of that so we decided to partially participate… as noted below in the picture!

Tomorrow notes the third ship holiday we have had since I arrived and therefore no school!! This weekend I will be spending the night on the beach… in a tent. I am worked up about it because a tent… this sounds like camping and I am pretty sure I am NOT a camper. Stories to come about this experience I am sure! 

Fall Festival/ Movember

Umbrella Day

Charlotte Falls for the 2nd weekend because it was so great the first time!!

Tori said I was a fearless leader… hahaha I think that is definitely an exaggeration- but it kinda looks I am in this photo!

One of my not so favorite things are when meals are all one color… this week this was dinner one day: all yellow! Mac & Cheese, plantains, an apple, rice krispies treats (of course!) and even the napkin and dishware was yellow! ah!!

…what? I work on a hospital ship?

So I have had to go to the hospital (which occupies deck 3 of the ship) two times since I have been here… both times were because they needed a blood sample (the crew are the only donors for the patients needing surgery) and I walked as quickly as I could directly to the lab and then scurried myself back upstairs. I know it seems crazy… since I am a part of an organization whose purpose is to provide surgeries and help people with major medical issues… but something about the hospital just totally freaks me out. There are opportunities all week which give crew that have jobs onboard that aren’t associated with the hospital (hmm… example: teachers) time to visit with patients and still, I have never spent any time in the wards. In my heart I know that some people just aren’t cut out for the medical profession and so really I am only telling this story as a celebration of how the Lord helped me take one more step in this journey (and how He sent people to me with LOTS of encouragement… I am so happy that we have a God of details!). BUT bottom line is I went to the hospital!! I played with a few patients… and it wasn’t so bad… I didn’t even cry (which I consider a major success!). My roommate Sarah works in the hospital so she gathered a few of her favorite little patients and we sat in the hallway together so I wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the busyness of the wards. The hospital is organized on both sides of the ship on deck three. On one side are the operating theaters and hospital offices and the other side contains four wards for the patients. Each ward is a big open room with about 16 beds for the patients and then a mattress under hospital bed for a caretaker to have somewhere to stay. There are lots of nurses as well as day workers (from Sierra Leone) that are running all around and doing all sorts of things. Anyways, I feel like it was  a big step… since I am in the comforts and familiarity of being in a school, I like it up here on deck 6 and sometimes when people talk about the hospital, I stop and think… what, I work on a hospital ship? weird.

On another note… the hospitality department on the Africa Mercy has been cleaning carpets on the ship. I think that this is so great because what is better than to know your living space has clean carpet! A notice was placed on our door on Sunday night to inform us that our chosen day was yesterday and that there could be nothing on the floor. Now- at first this seems like it would no big deal- I mean HOW much stuff can even be on the floor anyways because our living space is the SMALLEST. I am here to inform you that it was quite the production the night before to move everything off the floor and it involved stacking things in the hallway and filling the bathroom pretty much from floor to ceiling with… stuff. It also involved movement of a refrigerator from the back little cubby of our room to the front (where the bathroom is) in a hallway that is pretty much the precise width of the appliance- leaving holding it on the sides with a HUGE potential of squished fingers. It was quite the experience. The cleaning has been completed and each item has been returned to its original location successfully and without injury.

So this is where our excess stuff had to be stored. I was walking down the hallway at one point during the day and one of our friends was caught trying to steal it all!!!

The shower is behind/under the fridge, luggage, shoe rack etc. The bathroom was too crammed to even get a pic!

Tori and I walking to the waterfalls last weekend!

Yes… these are my feet on a rickety, bamboo bridge… what do you think of that?

The end result of the falls… At the bottom there are these huge rocks that you can sit on. It was super nice!

46 things to look forward to

In the spirit of being elementary school teachers and having a specific day to look forward to… paper chains are in order for the countdown to Christmas!! Kayleigh and I have been hard at work crafting a chain, one link per day until Christmas complete with one exciting thing to look forward to about home per day. Today marks 46 days until our flight… and thus, 46 things to celebrate!! In an effort to broaden our scope of things to look forward to we are not including friends and family because DUH, we obviously CANNOT wait to be with you all!! PS these are in no particular order!

 

• Ice-skating or building sand castles (some thing must be different merely because we are from different climates!)
  
• Going to the movies
  
• Laying on a couch
  
• Using a normal sized spoon
  
• The cereal aisle at the grocery store
  
• Taking a regular-length shower
  
• Walking around barefoot
  
• Being allowed to wear shorts
  
• And spaghetti straps
  
• American electrical outlets
  
• Driving! (with traffic rules that apply)
  
• New music
• New clothes
  
• Trash cans in public places
  
• Flushing toilets anywhere that you could possibly want to go
  
• Dunkin’ donuts
  
• Chick-Fil-A
  
• Normal temperatures
  
• Regular sized beds that don’t fold up into the wall
  
• New movies
• Windows that open
  
• Not having to wear an ID badge
  
• Fast wifi (we don’t even remember what this is like)
  
• Cell phones!! (We screamed! We want to text each other…. Is that weird?)
  
• Being surrounded by people that like Americans
  
• Measuring cups that are not in grams
  
• Going for a super long walk (aka not 20 times back and forth on the dock)
  
• Sitting around the kitchen table
  
• Weeks without multiple mandatory meetings
  
• Not being forced to used hand sanitizer ever ten steps that we take
  
• Fresh vegetables and fruit
  
• Fire-drill free Thursdays
  
• Sled riding or going to a park
  
• Cold milk
  
• “homey” dishware (it isn’t as weird as it sounds… you just don’t know because you all have your own dishes you use daily!)
  
• Having a living space that you are unable to touch both walls
  
• Listening to the radio
  
• Fire in a fireplace
• Watching televised sports events (not including cricket or rugby)
  
• Target 🙂
  
• Being able to enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean movies without feeling like it might jinx the place where you live
  
• Being able to have alone time
  
• No laundry wars
• Candles
  
• Charmin toilet paper
  
• Fresh flowers
• No time delay when on the phone or time difference between us and our loved ones

  

  Hard at work… this picture was NOT staged…

  
  

  

  A view of a GREAT beach in Sierra Leone… we are going here with the elementary school for a field trip on Friday!

  
  

  

  Although this picture would lead you to think that I have a white tank-top on, not to worry… it is my tan line from the worst sunburn of my life.

  
  

  

  This was the day Princess Anne came to visit the ship!! Miss Angie, Miss Kayleigh, Miss Kris, and I were curtsying in honor of her! Such an exciting day on the ship!