Bienvenudo de Las Palmas

On monkey island, the area above the bridge, watching the tug boat pull us in.

After six days of sailing on the open water of the Atlantic ocean, we arrived to el Puertos de Las Palmos in the Gran Canary Islands! The Canary Islands are a part of Spain even though they are located off of the coast of Morocco. There was a mass exodus off the ship as everyone raced to be on land and start seeing the sights of a Western developed nation.



Our first views of the city of Las Palmas.

Our berth is right near the center of town (I mean a two minute walk to the mall) so it is easy to get around but so strange at the same time. It's so nice to have a change of scenery, to be unnoticed among the local people, and to be allowed to walk somewhere alone. The paved streets, the clean people and the fresh air are almost to much. Luckily this culture shock only has to be endured until we return to Liberia because I'm not ready to re-acclimate myself with everything just yet.

Our berth before we leave for dry dock. We were blessed and allowed to berth with passenger ships and cruise ships instead of with cargo ships in the ugly port area. Look and the pretty parking lot and clean blue water!

Members of the Mercy Ships Spain office hold a "Welcome Africa Mercy" sign while family members of some of the crew look on.

Pre-Christmas?

It doesn't really feel like Christmas time to me or anyone else. Being in dry dock for the two weeks leading up to the holidays is definitely not the way to bring in the holiday spirit. The a/c is off and, unlike the old ship the Anastasis, the most of the Africa Mercy's portholes can not be opened. So down on deck three where I live is miserable! But we are trying to be grateful and remember what the "reason for the season" is (but sweating profusely does not help).

One night we had a Winter Wonderland on board the ship. I think the idea comes from holiday markets that are held in Germany (but it could be another part of Europe). All around the Mid-ship Lounge and in Town Square various crew members decorated booths and sold crafts (such as Christmas cards, jewelry or tree ornaments) and baked goods (like fudge, cookies, banana chips, and donuts). Christmas music played in the background and the cafe handed out popcorn. The best part was that everything was homemade and even the children got involved by selling items to raise spending money for holiday trips and toys.

The saddest part (and it's funny how much this affects everything) is that there are barely any decorations up around the ship. The ship is desperately in need of another deck or more closet areas and to save on space all of the decorations from the Anastasis (trees and garland, lights and ornaments) were left on the old ship which is now in a shipyard in India since it was sold for scraps! So while this saved on space it definitely left a hole for the crew that holiday decorations use to fill. Just poor planning and short sightedness but life goes on and it gave us all a chance to create homemade decorations!

Pirates are Real!

We are currently sailing approximately 100 miles off the coast of West Africa somewhere near Mauritania. After a few days of really beautiful sailing and calm seas we have hit the "rough patch". We are now in North Atlantic waters and as our course turns north we are heading directly into the oncoming currents. So yesterday was the day to see what the ship and crew were made of. As we crashed into the waves I just kept thinking AWESOME! It is just amazing to feel the waves hit the ship and even better if you are standing on the bow (the front tip point of the ship). Don't worry it is closed during really rough seas and at night.

We have also been able to spot some amazing glimpses of nature: I have seen dolphins, a shark and an octopus. It is great! But there are also some very real dangers that we have had to acknowledge including pirates. On Sunday night myself and a few friends did the first two 2hour shifts of pirates watch, from 10pm to 2am. A little before 10pm I went to the bridge to check in, get the radio and the world's largest flashlight (seriously I have to hold it wit two hands). Then we headed to the stern (back end) to watch for pirates.

I'm not talking about Johnny Depp and some Pirates of the Caribbean, but real pirates who would try to come on board, take our belongings, the ship or worse. Since our ship is equipped with plenty of equipment and radars to detect other vessels we scanned the waters for any approaching, usually smaller, vessels that did not have it's lights on. Thankfully it was a quiet night and we were able to enjoy star gazing, we even saw a few shooting stars. This was a relief since earlier that same evening there was an approaching ship without lights on. The officers used "evasive tactics" and altered our course further out to sea.

That night I was also allowed to plot the position of the ship on the map and in the log book. So our position on Sunday, December 2, 2008 at 22:00 was 15.28 degrees latitude and 17.88 degrees longitude ("spoken like a true sailor" as our Security Officer Jan stated). At our current speed (almost 11 knots) we should arrive in Gran Canaria on Thursday around 2pm.

I am now a SAILOR!

So after living in Liberia for months we have actually left the country. This includes leaving dry ground! We are sailing! It was a beautiful day and at approximately 12:15pm we, with the help of a tug boat, pulled away from the dock that has been our yard for 10 months and left the port of Liberia. It didn't take long to discover who had sea legs and who had sea sickness (I have sea legs and love sailing). And it has been a real laugh watching everyone walk from side to side instead of in a straight line.

The ship has a lower balance which determines how quickly a ship will straighten itself up. The Africa Mercy will straighten out in about 9 seconds, where the old ship, the Anastasis, had a 15 second balance. All of this means that you feel the ship rock more because it straightens itself up faster. This is one of the effects of living on a ship that was built to be a train and car ferry.

But the coolest part so far was this morning when the captain announced over the pa system that dolphins were seen from the bow (front). So we all ran to the nearest window and watched the schools of dolphins swim next to and under the ship. They were smaller than I expected but still amazing to watch.

Home Is Where?

Today was a rough day. Everyone seems to be dragging a bit and a lot more edgy. And over the last week the one conversation that has not gone away has involved loneliness. We are all missing home; that is a universal feeling and does not seem to be affected by age or nationality. Now that is November there are little reminders of what is happening in the rest of the world: pictures are posted everywhere from Halloween or Fall Festivals. And Thanksgiving is on everyone's mind. The Canadians recently celebrated theirs and Liberia's Thanksgiving was last Friday. As a crew we do not celebrate any national holidays to avoid leaving people out. So whenever there is a national holiday that group often gets together for some food and fun. But it's also a sad reminder that we are not spending that time with people we love.

This Thursday we are celebrating International Thanksgiving Day. It is a way for everyone to give thanks but it is just not the same. We Americans are planning to celebrate this fourth Thursday in November. Since we make up the largest percentage of the crew and Community Meetings are on Thursdays we will be having dessert afterwards - apple and pumpkin pies! But as I said it is just not the same.

Being lonely is something you never really get use to and have to constantly battle. It can suck you into a funk and really make you depressed. But it is also a normal part of being away from friends and family. So as the holiday season begins I will cling closer to those around me, who are also feeling lonely. We will create our own little odd family to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. But know that I love and miss you all...

A Lesson on Frog Etiquette

So I had a very interesting adventure this weekend! We were driving to Fatima Orphanage and Vern asked me to video tape for him since he was driving and I was sitting in the front seat. So here I am behind the camera giving a tour of Liberia and narrating as much as possible. There is one part of our drive that goes over a bridge and at the end of the bridge there is a man who has frogs and sometimes fish tied to a pole. The frogs dangle upside down from a string tied to their leg and every once in awhile the man will throw water on them and they all bounce around. (It really is crazy to see but we all look forward to seeing the frog man).

Well this day we decided to slow down once we crossed the bridge so I could get a nice shot of the frog man. We end up having to stop because of traffic so I am videoing the frogs bouncing around and then insanity breaks out! The frog guy jumps in front of his pole and starts screaming "no pictures, no video". And one of the guys next to him stands up and starts screaming the same thing. This guy actually starts shooing at us as he continues to scream. By now I am screaming at Vern to keep driving, he is screaming that he can't because traffic has not cleared and everyone else in the truck are either joining in with their own shouts or laughing at the craziness. Then the unthinkable happens - the guy who was shooing at us has actually approached the car, still shooing and screaming, and by now I am slightly panicked and am trying to lean away from the open window. And this man reaches into the truck and hits me! He actually hit me...I was hit by a Liberian man!

Now I am screaming for a whole new reason! Vern and everyone in our truck is screaming in shock and traffic finally clears. We drive away from frog man and his hitting friend and I announce that I do not want to video tape any more. It was a very wild start to my Saturday morning but we all learned a lesson from it: Do not videotape frog man's frogs! Now I am on the hunt to find out why.

Our Many (Secret) Lives

So I have had a couple of very interesting days, both over the weekend and at work. Every department is working overtime as we prepare to sail from Liberia to dry dock (more on that later).

One of the things that has been bouncing around my brain for the past few weeks has been a question I asked myself "how well do we know the people around us?". I started thinking about this as I realized how often we call people our friends - why do we do this? I catch myself calling people I've only known for a few weeks or a couple of months my friends. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing - it's just interesting to think about.

And living here makes it even more interesting. I live with 380 people who I really do not know outside of this ship. We have never seen each other "in our natural habitat". Sometimes I look around and wonder if they are the same way back home. It's amazing how many lives we live each day: at home, at work, at church, with our family, with our friends, and with our real friends. Living here each of these separate lives are seen by everyone because we live with our coworkers and eat with our neighbors and go to church with our boss, etc. We really get to see behind the scenes to how people act all the time - like being in a real world case study.

I had a surprise view into one person's "past life" this weekend. Mama Young is an 80 year old Liberian woman who founded and still runs Fatima Orphanage, which we visit every weekend. She loves her children and maintains a well run very nice orphanage (for a non-government supported African orphanage). She is fun and sassy and we all love her. At the end of every visit she gives us prophetic advice, which is always a little funny, a little serious, a little awkward but always filled with truth. She will point at one person and say you need to forgive and then point at the next person and say they are beautiful and need to be happy (in case you are waiting I am not going into what she told me). And then she'll go on a tangent about her younger days and how we are to young to want to get married or be in a serious relationship.

Mama Young truly is amazing! But this weekend I found out that Mama Young was once an advisor to Charles Taylor. The same Charles Taylor who became the president of Liberia after beginning the 14 year Liberian civil war that ripped this country apart and still has it crippled. She actually advised this man as he formed his infamous rebel army, led a coup against the government and set up his own government. She explained to me that he even would come to the orphanage to tape many of his messages to the Liberian people. It is amazing and scary to think how the same person, in this case Mama Young, can influence so many lives through good and through evil. So, how different are you between your many lives? And how are you influencing the lives around you?

Jesse

So there was a new four months old baby at Fatima Orphanage this weekend named Jesse. But, thank God, he was not there to stay! Jesse was only visiting his dad at work; his father is one of a group of Liberian men who are working with us to remodel a few of the buildings within the orphanage.

Sidebar: Mercy Ships works to partner with local groups for projects. We would like to work with the people and, often, educate them on better ways of doing things (whether it is construction, agriculture or medical) rather than just coming in and doing everything for them.

So I watched Jesse for the day while his father worked. It was so much fun playing with a little baby again. And it really made me miss Khotso, who was the baby at the orphanage that I "adopted" while in Lesotho. As my friend Jay stated over dinner "you really love children". Which is true...I love children! But while it was fun watching Jesse for the day it was also a reminder of how blessed we all are simply because of where we live, the medical treatment that is available and all the other blesssings that are easy to take for granted.


Jesse's story: Jesse is actually the only surviving baby out of the triplets that his parents had; there was a second baby boy and a baby girl. The mother had a very difficult delivery and the baby girl died at the hospital. The mother and both boys were very sick and after a month the baby boy died. Sadly, the mother never recovered from childbirth complications and she died a week after the little boy. Hearing this made me ask myself "when was the last time I heard of a woman dying from childbirth complications?". Children are delivered so often that, I know for myself anyway, I forget how amazing and dangerous childbirth is. But I also forget how much is available through Western medicine in case there are complications, which were not available to this little family in Liberia.

Jesse and his father are doing fine. Jesse is a beautiful, healthy baby boy with plenty to say! And I hope to see him again over our last few weekends in Liberia.

Laughing at some of the ladies who say I look "comfortable" with Jesse. I love children and Africa but am not ready to become a Liberian wife and mother!

Getting some help from Josephine (one of the orphans) and Vern (a fellow crew member) as Jesse spits up on me!

And They Call This Place a Mine!

At the Bong Mine town lake

So I took a trip to an old mine city called Bong Mines and the adventure there was more fun than the actual town! It is approximately 2 hours "up country" so instead of driving a Rover (land rover that is) and wasting gas we road the train. But since you do need a vehicle once you get to the end of the track (quite literally) we tied the truck onto one of the "flat bed" cars of the train! It was awesome to say the least.


Our truck strapped to the train

First, we left the ship and drove to the train tracks, which are filled with run down, rusty train cars. Finally, after almost 2 hours of waiting, the train arrives on schedule (African time is something I will never be able to explain or get use to). We are the first truck in line to load onto the train and once we secure the vehicle we wait for all the other passengers to load. The train yard is full of Liberians, selling their food and items, but most are not going to ride the train. Instead, they load the rice, wood and gas that they are sending to people in villages along the way. Once the train is ready we are off.

On top of our truck, which is on top of a train, with some of the gang!

The country is so green and every couple of miles a little village comes to life yelling at the passing train. Instead of riding in a passenger car, which was occupied with UN soldiers, we rotate between standing and walking around our truck and riding on top of it. It is something that would never happen in a Western country: passengers responsible for securing their vehicle to a train! And we were completely free to walk around the moving train with no guard rails or rules other than the obvious one: do not fall off! This rule was almost broken a few times by members of my group, including myself, once it began to rain. I know it was dangerous but how many times in a person's life will they get to ride in the rain, on top of a Land Rover, that is strapped to a moving train! So minus the scary moments, when I almost dropped my camera and slipped trying to get something out of the truck, it was perfectly safe and so much fun.

Don't worry, I held on tightly!

Our train also made a few stops, some planned, along the way. We had food and goods to deliver and the children would attempt to talk to the "white man", which is a common phrase they continually screamed. After saying hello to me they quickly recognized me as a "black American", which was surprisingly more interesting than the 20+ white people. The best was at one stop when 7 children came running naked from their communal bath. We all enjoyed a good laugh at that stop: them because everything we said was pronounced funny and us because there were 7 naked children running at the train and their moms shouting at them to come back.

Bong Mine Town's train depot

By noon we reached the Bong Mines which was a booming mine town up until the 1980's. Now it is full of dilapidated buildings and rusted equipment that the miners and foreign managers left behind since they were evacuated so quickly at the start of the war. We have to be careful and stay together as we travel towards the lake because this is one of the towns where rebel forces fled to once peace keepers took over 4 years ago. Throughout the day I thought about the war and how much of Liberia was affected by it. The mine, which along with the port, made Liberia the richest African country in its prime and is now run down town full of ex-soldiers and poor villagers. I imagined the forest as our train rode through it and thought of how terrifying it must have been for the hundreds of Liberians who fled there to hide from the rebel forces for years. And I know that there is so much that still needs to be done within this, and so many other African countries, but I will continue to press on.

Make an update already!

So I am finally making an update - sorry for the delay. I have been staying pretty busy but it's funny how I don't feel like I have done much. Monday through Friday I am at work (for those of you still in school enjoy it! Even working in different countries does not change it from still being work). What I live for is the weekends: those magical two days when I get to fully decide what I will do and where I will go. Which is also funny because I pretty much go to the same places (after all it is Monrovia, Liberia, so there aren't to many options available).

So the next few blog updates will be dedicated to updating you all on what I have been busy doing. Hope you enjoy!

The Hunt For a Church

These last two weeks have been full of adventures and I hope to be able to share them with everyone. I have been "church shopping" these last few weeks and the church services are as diverse as the people who attend them. There is a book in the Mid-Ship Lounge that list churches that crew members attend. They give a description of each church: local meaning Liberian, Western, or African meaning you will probably not know what is happening. The book also tells the means of transportation used to get there: foot, taxi or Mercy Ship vehicle. And it tells the length of service, which ranges from one and a half hours to four hours. Then you can sign up on the list of people who will attend for the week.

Last week I attended a local church that a number of Mercy Shippers regularly attend called the Mount Sinai Temple Pillar of Fire Mission. The congregation meet in an abandoned building that the government lets them use until they build a church. The people were very warm and welcoming and the congregation has grown over the last few months. Pastor Sam speaks English understandably well (a description of how well the English is understood is often included in church descriptions). He and his congregation are eager to grow in their relationship with the Lord and it was an amazing experience. One of the main things I noticed was the very traditional Western service structure. From the reading of the opening scripture to the benediction you could see how Liberia's roots are non-African. Yet the music was definitely African influenced and one of my favorite songs right now is a West African song "There is no one like you, Papa".

Here are a few crew members with Pastor Sam (middle Liberian) and some youth members. You can see the building where they meet in the background.

Pastor Sam and the congregation saying goodbye to Kristin.

The church I attended today was Monrovia Christian Fellowship. It is the most popular Western church in Monrovia and is attended by a number of people from Mercy Ships and other organizations, including the UN, World Vision, and Samaritan's Purse. The congregation meets in a large, beautiful building that was able to withstand damage throughout the war. The pastor spoke very clear English and the people sang songs that you and I would sing at church back in the States. They even have an overhead projector to show song lyrics! I was amazed at the differences of these two churches. At the local church I often felt like I was watching a performance because of all the singing and dancing that I am not use to. And today's church made me feel like I was actually back home, minus the fact that the people were Liberian and dressed in traditional African clothes. After church ice cream vendors gathered on the street and sold small cones for 10 Liberian dollars (approximately 16 cents). The conversion rate is $1 US for every 60 Liberian dollars! Everything is priced in US dollars, but you can also use Liberian bills which is always interesting when someone pulls out a humongous wad of money to pay a bill at a restaurant. These ice cream cones are oddly inexpensive, even to the Liberians, and we greatly appreciate this cheap treat.

Oh, I forgot to mention the drive to church. The rainy season has made getting around a very interesting adventure to say the least. The above picture is one of the main roads that we drive to get to church. This taxi that we were following eventually had to pull over because it could not handle the mud and trenches that have developed everywhere. Not only do we have to avoid splashing mud onto pedestrians but we also have to not stall in the mud and not bottom out in the ditches and pot holes. It is definitely a bouncy ride!

Working Girl

Just so you all don't think that I came to Liberia to enjoy the beach, I will tell you what I do Monday-Friday 08:30-17:00. I work in the Human Resources Dept which is divided between general crew and medical. I work as one of the two HR healthcare services volunteer coordinators (very long job title). We are responsible for bringing all medical crew onto the ship. Specifically, I handle nurses (ICU/ PACU and ward), the dental team, and the eye team. I have to process the applications, which include a lot of paper pushing, organize staffing to fill every position, handle housing, embarking new crew and disembarking a crew member when they leave.

I did not realize how much goes into HR until I began training. Go hug everyone who works in your human resources department (they deserve a hug). To add to the fun of this job is the fact that the average doctor/ nurse is only on the ship for 4-6 weeks. So the turnover rate is crazy! From now until the end of September we have 38 medical people arriving. But I feel prepared for the responsibility I have been given and have been trained by some amazing ladies. Come Wednesday of next week, Kristin (who is training me and whom I am replacing) will have returned home to California and I will be officially over that position (which is almost humorous to me).

It truly is amazing when I think about what I do: I arrange it and prepare the way for hundreds of nurses to assist in thousands of surgeries. Staffing the dental and eye teams to operate here in Monrovia. The fact that God has placed me here, in this time, to assist in this way is wonderful. I was just told that the dental team has just performed its 4,957 procedure for 2,887 patients! That makes the work worth it - knowing that people are being changed physically as well as spiritually.

The HR Dept. outside of the Africa Mercy ship

In my office with Kristin (holding our mascot dog Hope) and Patti, along with a few of the medical crew.

"Dry" Rainy Season and the Market

I am in Monrovia, Liberia! These two weeks have gone by quickly and smoothly and the Africa Mercy ship has become home. I quickly made my presence known (as I always do) and on my second day here I assisted with a tour for a group of Auburn University students. Liberia is different from Lesotho in so many ways: Living on a ship in port, I am near the beach and the mountains are very far away. The land is more tropical here in West Africa and palm and banana trees grow everywhere. But the difference that I am most aware of is the rain. It rains all the time! We are in the middle of the rainy season so from the time you wake up until you go to bed it is raining - all day, all night. Days have gone by where I haven't seen the sun and the crazy part is this has been a "dry" rainy season. People are praying that the rain picks up because there may not be enough water to last through the dry season. This has made all of our prayers difficult as we pray for Liberia to prosper, which includes rain for the crops, but also pray for sunshine so we can enjoy adventures off ship. To welcome me on board, the Human Resources Dept. went to dinner at the Golden Beach Restaurant. Since it is located on the water, we braved the elements while waiting for our meals to take some pictures.

My first trip to the beach! I took refuge from the wind in this little hut on the sand.

The wind and waves reminded me of Florida's shores before a hurricane.

Today, I made a trip to one of the markets with some of my new friends. As always it was an adventure that I will try to describe to those of you who have never been shopping like this: First, let me mention that I am not Liberian, Basotho, or South African. I am not Nigerian, Ethiopian, or Kenyan. I am not from any African country but that will forever be one of the big discussion points when I go to a market. I have the interesting opportunity of looking like the locals (or a member of any of the above named countries) so my experience is always a little different from that of my white friends. I am shouted at to bring my friends to a certain booth, have to play security when vendors get to eager, and am often used as the interpreter (which is the most fun since I rarely know what is being said). Today, we were shopping for fabric to make skirts. Not only did we have to choose from 20 vendors all selling the same colors and designs, but we also had to bargain with the vendors for the best price. I learned that 3 laapas (the amount of fabric used to make an average outfit) is worth $5, but without fail we were originally told the price was $10.

Even with the rain I look forward to seeing and exploring all that I can while in Liberia. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!

Leaving On A Jet Plane

The time has finally come again for me to say goodbye to America and hello to Africa. I will be leaving on Tuesday, July 24th for Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa. I will be joining the staff of Mercy Ships on the Africa Mercy for one year. On the ship I will serve as the Human Resources Facilitator.
Since my return from Lesotho in January I have prayed to go back to Africa because it captured my heart. I look forward to working with an international staff (I was told that as an American I would be in the minority) of 200-400 people at anytime.
I am also excited to visit the West Coast of Africa where Liberia is located. Quick history 101 lesson: Liberia began as a settlement of freed slaves from the US in 1822. This independently founded nation (with the support of the American government) started with both free-born and formerly enslaved Blacks. Liberia and Ethiopia are the only two nations in Africa that did not fall under European domination. So Liberia is a very unique African country; its official language is English!
I hope to hear from everyone as my journey unfolds. Please send me e-mails full of updates and crazy stories because I want to hear about your life as I share my own story. I will send reminder e-mails with a link to my blog as I update it with pictures and stories. Cheers and I'll see you again in July 2008!

Let's Get Going!

I am so happy to announce that the time has come for me to return to Africa. I will be joining Mercy Ships, on the ship the Africa Mercy, in Monrovia, Liberia in May and will remain with the organization for one year. This trip out will be my first time in the field as a long-term “career” missionary. I look forward to the experiences and memories I will make, the lives I will touch and be touched by and the chance to have God use my life overseas.

I would like to thank all of the people and families who have supported me and joined me in this ministry to Africa. I would not be able to live and work abroad without the encouragement and giving of others. Please remember that you are as much a part of this and every trip as I am. Thank you now and forever!

For now I will continue to do all the horrible prep work: unpacking and repacking all of my stuff until I decide what stays and goes and making sure it all fits away nicely. And getting shots...those stink the most, but are worth it (getting sick or quarantined would not be fun!).