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 🙂