An African Adventure

Junior's Genius Foresight

2010-08-06T10:29:00.002Z

Junior is one of those one-in-a-million kids. He’s an anomaly. After just six years on this earth he has displayed a remarkable amount of grace, resilience and faith. An unwavering faith that one day, when the time was right, God would send someone to correct his crooked legs.

Around the time Junior learned to walk is when his mother realized he was not like the other children. His legs were not straight—they bowed out at his knees. His two legs were shaped like parentheses, as if they were holding in a secret, or a deep disguised reason why he was made this way.

At the ripe-old-age of three, his condition caused him to struggle while walking. His mother, Akpene, was discouraged at first but tried to be optimistic that this was just a phase. Surely, she thought, he would grow out of this deformity.

Three-year-olds do not have insight into their future. At that young age, all they know is their parents give them love and ensure their survival. They are not wise enough to know any different. They have no control over their health, nor do they have foresight to predict the future.

Junior, however, held all of these gifts. He did not accept his crooked legs as simply the hand he was dealt. He knew he would not be this way forever. At the distinguished age of three, he intelligently and confidently looked at his mother and told her, “I know these legs that you are seeing today will not be like this forever.”

She patted him on his head, acknowledging his insight, but was curious as to how he came up with such an unattainable dream. For she knew that the only way to straighten his bow-legs was to have a medical procedure. A procedure that required money. Money she did not have.

The neighboring kids around Junior’s home would laugh at him. They would chase, tease and ridicule him. Harsh words create scars on young children that effect them years down the road. Not for Junior. He was head-strong and determined not to let mean words alter his faith. With the resolve of a mature adult, he would look at them with peaceful eyes and say, “I know you are laughing at me now, But one day I’ll be healed from this disease. One day.”

About a year down the road, an organization arrived that seemed to be the answer to his prayers. Junior and Akpene visited this international healthcare NGO. The doctors there examined his legs. Unfortunately, Junior and Akpene were turned away after being told that there was nothing that the organization could do.

Akpene returned home with her head low, discouraged and dejected. The neighbohood kids continued their teasing. “Ahhhhh Junior,” they said, “They couldn’t help you? Oh, that is too bad.” But Junior’s head was not bowed in shame like his mother’s. Junior’s graciousness to these crude boys was unimaginable for a four-year-old. “They couldn’t help me because they are not the right people,” Junior preached. “I know that I will be healed, Although they couldn’t do it, I know…I believe…that one day I will be healed from this disease.”

Life for Junior went on. He constantly rose above the teasing. Akpene prayed for help, but succumbed to the fact that maybe Junior will never be helped. She grappled with the looks she received from others. Looks that said “Why don’t you do something to help your son. Look at him, he’s disfigured. You must be a bad mother if you can’t find help.” She saw it in the people’s eyes: the disgust. Those looks cut through her heart. “It is so difficult to be a mother to your disfigured child. It tore me apart to see the way people looked at me: like I didn’t love him enough to fix his bowed legs.”

An announcement on the radio on day changed everything. Junior and Akpene heard it together. They were both at home. Mercy Ships was coming. A big white ship offering free medical care. Help was on the way. Junior hobbled over to his mother, tugged on her dress and looked up into her eyes. “Mama, these are the people who are going to help me.”

Akpene was overwhelmed. Her young son, whom she spent so many nights worrying about wide awake in bed, was becoming the person she looked up to. His composure and resilience was comforting. She hoped and prayed that Junior’s intuition was right…and this ship would offer the help he so desperately needed.

Junior and Akpene walked hand in hand to the Mercy Ships screening sight in Lome. There were masses of people: Long lines and a cloudless sky with only the sun beating down relentlessly.

Akpene was inundated by the throngs of people. She and Junior stepped away from the crowds and bought some food from a street vendor. Akpene contemplated her plan of action. She wondered if they should wait in line or simply giving up. Junior, on the other hand, was filled with excitement. He was strong and steady. He eagerly anticipated the moment he would stand in front of the doctor who would say to him “We can fix your legs.”

Then, an angel appeared from the crowd. A women in blue Mercy Ships scrubs emerged from the crowds and long lines and walked over to the young boy sitting on the side of the road. She took the mother’s hand and said, “Come with me.” In that instant, Junior knew that God was using this nurse to bring him face-to-face with the people who would help him.

The nurse led Junior and his mother into the screening tent. The other children surrounding them were screaming out of fear: Fear of the unknown.

Junior stood silently as he was examined by a Mercy Ships surgeon. His composure was astounding and he was overwhelmed with happiness. “See mama, I told you. These are the people. The right ones,” he said to his mother. The doctor handed him a card with an appointment for surgery.

Today, Junior stands on straight legs. He is six years old and his mother tells the story of Junior’s transformation with pride. As the Mercy Ships Togo Field Service came to a close, Mercy Ships invited hundreds of distinguished guests to attend a Thank You event onboard the Africa Mercy. Government officials, Ambassadors, Doctors and other Togolese dignitaries filled the International Lounge. Hospital Managing Director Bill Martin addressed the crowd, thanking them for allowing Mercy Ships to serve in Togo and affect many lives. Then, Bill invited two very important visitors to come to the front of the room.

Six-year-old Junior, along with another boy, stood up from his seat and walked on his arrow-straight legs to the front of the room. He stood next to a photo of himself taken four months earlier. Bill asked the boys to point to their pictures. Junior pointed to his bow legs projected on the screen. Then he glanced down at the straight legs on his body.
Though one would think it was an unbelievable sight, it wasn’t unbelievable to Junior at all—it was what he always knew would happen.

He knew someone could help him, and he had been praying for Mercy Ships his entire life. Now, they have brought him Hope and he is Healed.

Guide de la Vie

2010-08-04T08:41:00.000Z

On a hot July afternoon, Mercy Ships crew member Alex Williams drove from the Africa Mercy to the Hospitality Center with a special delivery. He had been given a specific and honorable mission to spread the word of God. He couldn’t help but think that he was about to make a difference in many people’s lives. Next to Alex in the passenger seat sat a box of brand new Bibles.

Alex arrived at his destination and unloaded the box, putting the Bibles on the table outside. He met with Hospitality Center Director Barry Wells, and Barry agreed to ask the patients to gather around for a special announcement.

Some patients who were resting inside peeked their heads out of their bedroom doors wondering what the commotion was about. Within minutes, a long line had formed outside under the large canopy tent. Alex and Barry informed the crowd that they had a treat for them: free Bibles for everyone! One by one, people walked through the line and accepted their new Bible. Within minutes nearly all of them had been given out. Recipients included patients, day volunteers, and patient’s family members.

The commotion and noise quickly ceased as, Bible in hand, each person sat on a bench outside and began thumbing through the pages. Instantly, they realized this wasn’t just any Bible. In the front it contained the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs, but toward the back of the book, there was health information. It contained almost fifty pages of basic information about hygiene, malnutrition and diseases like HIV/AIDS.

Emily Odomé, a teenager who resides at the Hospitality Center, had an inquisitive look on her face when she noticed Alex handing out the Bibles. Emily was a plastic surgery patient who came to the ship every-other day for new dressings on her hand where she had surgery. Her curiosity pulled her over to the area where he was distributing them. Happily she got in line and received her very own, shiny new Bible.

“It is nice to have a new Bible,” Emily said, “I used to have one but it was old and torn. This one is very nice. I will definitely use it.”

The Hospitality Center was not the only place that Mercy Ships handed out the Bibles. Mercy Ships was extremely fortunate to receive 1,000 brand new Health for Life (Guide de la Vie) Bibles that were distributed through the Programs office. Programs such as Agriculture, Mercy Ministries, Patient Life, and Mental Health were each given a large amount of Bibles to distribute.

Deb Jacobson, coordinator of the Patient Life Program, distributed Bibles to the patients on the ward. The Patient Life Program is responsible to caring for the emotional, spiritual, and relational needs of the patients. Deb truly appreciated the format of the Life Guide Bibles. “Not only are we providing the Word of God for the patients, we are providing them with materials for education. This is an immensely valuable resource-the combination of Bible and educational material.”

Mercy Ministries distributed Bibles to numerous different schools, churches and organizations in Lome. One teacher at the Ephata School for the Deaf in Lomé was extremely grateful for the Bibles. She said, “This Life Guide Bible is very good especially for teaching our students on hygiene, nutrition and health in general. In addition, they have the Word of God which is also essential for their spiritual growth. Thank you for sending them to us. May God bless you.”

Health for Life is a collaboration between three Dutch organizations: Netherlands International Bible Society in Almere, Ark Mission in Amsterdam, and Mercy Ships Holland in Rotterdam. Health for Life aims to provide people in developing countries with in-depth information for healthy lives, both spiritually and physically. The main goal is to contribute to the reduction of the world-wide HIV/AIDS epidemic. HIV/AIDS has affected at least 40 million people. Eighty percent of the world’s cases of HIV/AIDS are found in Africa. For this reason, Health for Life decided to give basic information about hygiene, malnutrition and other diseases to prevent the physical struggles people go through.

This unique type of health Bible is intended specifically for developing countries where the population has a high AIDS/HIV risk.

Health for Life Bibles have been printed in English, but this is the very first French language health Bible to be published. The first copy was given Mr. J.Hoogendoorn, Honorary Consul of Togo in Holland. Five thousand copies of Guide de la Vie have been printed. Mercy Ships has been given the privilege of being one of the main outlets to disperse the Bibles in Togo. The bible hand out at the Hospitality Center was the first step in getting the Life Guide Bibles into the hands of the Togolese people to jointly improve their spiritual and physical health. Mercy Ships is proud to be a part of Health for Life and will spread the Bibles to Mercy Ships patients, and beyond.

Alex handing a Bible to Afi. She has had multiple surgeries on the ship.

The long line to get Bibles!

A few caregivers browse through their new Bible.

Branching out from health care...

2010-08-03T08:34:00.002Z

When Michiel Van de Visser came to Mercy Ships, he imagined he would be doing technical work that would indirectly change lives. Mercy Ships was in Togo to deliver free health care. Though important, Michiel’s position as an Electronics Technician did not directly influence the patient’s lives. Michiel was very skilled at his job and even became a Christian while serving with Mercy Ships. He loyally performed his duties working on the bridge equipment and the engine room equipment, ensuring that the ship was in tiptop shape for upcoming sail.
It never occurred to Michiel that he would have the opportunity to directly change people’s lives. “I had this thought about a year ago that I was going to come to Africa and teach. But I’m not a teacher at all. It wasn’t until I got here that I realized how that idea would materialize.” Health care may be the main purpose of Mercy Ships, but Michiel is a superb example of how Mercy Ships makes a different in people’s lives outside of the hospital—through capacity building.

Day Volunteers are local men and women who work for Mercy Ships during a field service. In Togo, Mercy Ships hired over 150 Day Volunteers to serve as translators, cooks, maintenance workers, among other things. In the Engineering Department, the day volunteers maintain the air conditioning, plumbing and other vital jobs that allow 350 volunteers to live and work on board.

Michiel was approached by a day volunteer that wanted to learn more about basic electronics. Alfred, the day volunteer, identified Michiel as a skilled worker and he wanted to learn more. Alfred saw Michiel as the right man to teach him. Michiel thought about the man’s request, and debated about how he could help him. Alfred was very curious and eager to learn. Alfred inquired about books or any other resources he could use to absorb knowledge of how to build and operate basic electronics.

Michiel prayed about the situation and realized this was the opportunity to teach that he had previously thought about! God wanted him to impart his electronics knowledge to a group of enthusiastic men who were eager to learn.

He and Alfred prayed for God to give them the wisdom, patience, and resources to follow this idea through. Alfred quickly identified four other day volunteers interested in participating in a course. Michiel researched on how to teach an electronics class. Within a very short time, Michiel found himself teaching an electronics class two nights a week to five zealous students frantically scribbling down his every word.

“I was really teaching myself to teach. If you are a teacher you’ve got to know what you’re talking about. I had a lot of on the job experience that I could offer them, but if I didn’t know something, I’d simply Google it!” Michiel said. For every hour he was in front of the class teaching, he spent at least an hour in preparation outside the classroom.

Getting materials was challenging. Michiel researched and found a good textbook online. He happened to be going Florida for a wedding so he had the books shipped to a friend’s house in Florida. Then he brought them back to Togo with him. All five of the students purchased the book. Luckily, through prayer and people willing to help, the class received all the resources they needed.

“The first three months I dedicated to theoretical teaching. I stood in front of a white board, explaining to them about basic electronic components,” said Michiel.

Oluwafemi, known simply as Femi, was one of the Michiel’s students. He was extremely excited about the new skills he has gained from the class. “I have been able to learn basic electronics. I’ve learned about soldering, and how to recognize printed circuit boards, and the various components that go into a printed circuit boards.”

Michiel felt it was very important for the class to put their theoretical knowledge to the test. They needed a practical application of what they had learned. On a personal trip home to Holland, Michiel purchased five electronic modeling kits. His brother graciously agreed to sponsor the materials. “I brought back the modeling kits, and they served as the ‘final exam’ of the course. Each student put together a different electronic device. It involved soldering and making their own Printed Circuit Boards.”

After months of learning it was time for the class to come to an end. Michiel felt these five men deserved some kind of recognition for the hard work they put into this course. “They all learned so much,” Michiel said, “I was so proud of them—They took their free-time to attend this class. They deserved something to show for their accomplishment.”

Africa Mercy Captain Tim Tretheway was happy to help Michiel honor these hard-working day volunteers. He had official Mercy Ships certificates made and the group held a certificate ceremony and informal graduation. After the ceremony, Femi felt blessed to be given the chance to learn something new. “I am grateful to God and to Michiel for giving me the opportunity to learn these skills.”

“Now these men have a skill,” Michiel reflects, “Something they can put on their resume to prove they have knowledge of electronics. I hope this expertise serves them well in the future.”

Mercy Ships seeks to put knowledge into the heads and hands of as many people in West Africa as possible. That knowledge—whether it is agriculture, mental health, dental hygiene or something else—will continue to spread long after the ship has sailed. Capacity building is a wonderful way to truly transform a group…a city…a nation. Providing aid is helpful, but it is simply a Band-Aid on a severely damaged body. If you give west Africans the knowledge to grow better crops or make better electronics, then that knowledge is a stepping-stone to building a stronger economy. Michiel invested his own time, energy, knowledge and resources in these five men. His efforts will undoubtedly continue to improve their lives many years down the road.

And he thought he wasn’t going to directly change lives…Think again.

Michiel teaching in Crew Mess.

Learning to solder

printed circuit board (PCB)

Practice makes perfect!

Soldering.

The entire class! Teacher & students in Crew Mess where they held class.

The Certificate Party/Graduation dinner

Michiel with an African shirt given to him by his students.

Graduated! Mercy Ships Electronics Class :)

Infant On Board

2010-07-31T12:57:00.000Z

Imagine being born into this world struggling to breathe. It’s been nice and warm inside your mother’s stomach for nine wonderful months and all of a sudden you are thrust into bright lights gasping for air.

Born in Kpalime, Togo at the American Baptist World Evangelist Hospital (ABWE), that was exactly Kossi’s experience. There are many countries across the world where Kossi could have been born, but God chose a primitive African setting to be his home.

Not many Togolese babies are lucky enough to be born in hospitals. It was a blessing that Akoua, Kossi’s mother, was able to give birth to him under the care of a doctor. Akoua struggled during labor and required a c-section. The moment Kossi was brought into this world, there were complications.

There was a cystic lesion on the topside of his tongue that made it twice the size of a normal newborn baby’s tongue. He was unable to get proper nutrition because he was couldn’t suck to breastfeed. If the lesion was not removed Kossi could starve to death. Dr. Russ Ebersole of the ABWE Hospital knew that Kossi needed treatment beyond what he could provide. Dr. Russ picked up the phone and called his friends at Mercy Ships.

Rachel Dix, Mercy Ships Screening Coordinator, picked up the phone. She was precisely the Mercy Ships crew member he needed to speak to! Dr. Russ explained Kossi’s situation to Rachel. She checked with the ward supervisor and asked the surgeons if they could squeeze a newborn baby into their very tight schedule. Dr. Leo Cheng, a maxillo-facial surgeon on the ship from Cambridge, England, agreed to do the surgery. Rachel called Dr. Russ and gave him the go-ahead. Just a few hours after entering this world Kossi and his parents received approval to come to Lomé and be admitted onto the ward of the Africa Mercy for surgery.

Overwhelmed and still recovering from a C-section, Akoua tried to soak in the news. In a span of a few hours the doctor had told her that her newborn needed immediate surgery. In order to get the care he needed, she and her husband, Kodjo, would have to travel three hours to the capital city of Lome to get to the hospital. A hospital which, oddly, was on a ship. That was a lot of information to absorb.

One blessing was that Kodjo was a taxi driver. As soon as Akoua felt strong enough to travel, they loaded up the taxi with the precious new life God had given them, and headed south on the open road.

A few hours later the couple pulled their car onto the dock of the Africa Mercy. They’d never seen anything like it in their lives.

“It was so tall. And bright white. We’ve never even been to a port,” said Kodjo, “We were told the ship was leaving soon, so we arrived as quickly as we could.”

Rachel was notified of their arrival and walked down the gangway to meet the adorable bundle of joy. She greeted the parents, and then took Kossi in her arms. She walked them onto the ship and then down into the Hospital.

Kossi was welcomed and immediately adored by every single nurse on the ship. It was so exciting to have a newborn on the ward. Kossi and his parents settled into in the ward--Akoua and Kossi snuggled up in one bed and dad just next to them.

Surgery day was upon them and the nervousness on Akoua’s face was evident. It is not common that a five-day-old baby has surgery, especially on a ship! But she knew it was necessary for his survival. And she trusted Mercy Ships—they had been so kind to her since she arrived. “Regardless,” she said just before sending her precious baby into the operating room, “This is our last child.” Insinuating that the stress of Kossi’s medical condition was enough for them to handle.

Kossi was carried into the operating room, and Dr. Leo performed the surgery. Everything went great and there were no complications. A few hours later precious little Kossi was back in the ward snuggling with his mother. The only trace of surgery was the handful of blue stitches dotting his flat tongue.

Kossi and his mother stayed in the ward for a week to ensure a complete recovery. On his rounds, Dr. Leo checked in with the infant. Dr. Leo explained Kossi’s situation, “The threat of this lesion was very serious. Because was tongue convex [and not concave like a normal tongue] he couldn’t breast feed at all. That was the first problem. The second problem was that if the lesion grew larger, it could shut off his airway.”

During recovery, the nurses taught Akoua a new method to feed Kossi. Used by babies with cleft lip and/or palate, the cup method is a way to ensure the formula gets into the infant’s body without him/her spitting up the food. By the end of the stay on the ward, Kossi was drinking from a small cup, and even taking a bottle.

The time came for Kossi and his parents to return to their home near Kpalime. Dr. Russ at the American Baptist World Evangelist Hospital had requested that they check in with him when they return from the ship. The collaboration between ABWE and Mercy Ships is a wonderful relationship that has saved many lives. Five-day-old Kossi will not remember his time on Mercy Ships, but his parents will never forget their live-saving visit to the big white Hospital ship.

Reality.

2010-07-31T12:46:00.000Z

Truths:

I’m in Africa. (thank you Claire for stating the obvious)

I’m thousands of miles away from my family.

My best friend back home just got engaged (who happens to be my sister).

I have a wonderful boyfriend in Texas.

I have a Masters Degree.

There are many well-paying jobs that I am qualified for.

I interned last summer at a large company and was able to shop all I wanted off of my lovely paycheck.

Currently:

I live among 350 people in a very small space.

The food gets old.

My bed is uncomfortable.

It’s nearly impossible to have time to yourself on this ship.

I depend on donations to be able to go out and experience the city.

I can’t walk 500 yards from this ship alone because it is not safe.

Reality:

For the first time in my life, I wake up every morning excited to go to work. I LOVE my job. Love it. Everything about it. It’s a dream.

Does this all measure up? How is it possible that when I lived right down the street from my family and had a decent job, I found myself completely unsatisfied? Some would say that life post-college is about the following things: finding a career. Finding a husband. Hanging out with friends who’s company you truly enjoy. Possibly going back to school, furthering your career.

Bottom Line: Discovering who you are, what you want, and how to get it.

What it should not be about: Who has the largest engagement ring. Who went on the coolest vacation. Who is the most successful. How big your house is. Peoples lives should not be measured by the kind of car your drive or the carats in your diamond. (facebook feeds this competition, and I think a facebook boycott is coming soon)

I will never forget the moment I finally admitted to myself, out loud, that I wanted to work for Mercy Ships and come to Africa. It was Christmas day. I was in Santa Fe with my mother and good friends Claire and Jeremy. We were a few glasses of wine in…and discussing career options. Claire said, “You should be a teacher! You are so creative and caring.” And I looked at her and said, You know what I really want to do? I want to work for Mercy Ships. My mom piped up—You do??

Yes, I do.

Well, where did this come from??

I don’t know, I’ve just been thinking about it a lot.

Well…then you should do it!

REALLY?

Sure, why not???

That was all the support I needed.

Now, not everyone is as crazy as me to up and move to Africa for three months, but one thing I’ve learned over here is that it is possible to be happy at your job. Really happy. Excited about the challenges of the day. Hell, some people would be miserable living on this ship! This would not be the right place for them. But you’ve got to find that one thing that does it for you. That clicks. That when the alarm goes off in the morning at some ungodly hour, 9 times out of 10 you say “Today’s gonna be a good day.”

I write and run all over this ship all day long. Down to post ops, out to the dock, back into the office, to starbucks for coffee, then back to the ward. I drag Tom to take photos of my patients who I’m following. But when you put it in perspective, if just one of my stories has made in impact on someone who simply mentions Mercy Ships to a friend over a lunch or a cup of coffee, then I feel like I’ve made a difference. Because the more people who know about Mercy Ships and the wonderful things they are doing, the more likely Mercy Ships will expand and thrive in the years to come.

No, living in Africa on a ship is not for everyone. But, it took me coming all the way over here and working for free to find peace and happiness when the alarm goes off at 7:00am.

And because I have found that peace, it has been well worth the sacrifice of leaving the ones I love and facing an adventure on my own.

Noelie's survival

2010-07-30T17:01:00.000Z

Noelie is not your average 22 –year-old. She has struggled much of her life. Many people go through hardships, especially in Western Africa, but Noelie has endured difficulties in many ways. This is not the first time Mercy Ships has been called upon to lend a hand in her life.

Noelie grew up in Lomé, Togo, a city on the coast of Western Africa. When she was 15, Noelie was experiencing a growth inside her face, near her left eye. At that time, Mercy Ships was in Togo and Noelie had surgery on the Anastasis. Mercy Ships surgeons removed as much of the tumor as they could in a process called de-bulking.

With a regular life restored, Noelie went back to living as usual. She met a man, married him and moved to Benin. She gave birth to two children. Around the time she was pregnant with her second child, the tumor on her face returned. This time, it grew back larger than before. At this point, her husband left her. He saw no need for a wife who was not “normal.” Noelie had no money to go to the doctor, and she had no idea if Mercy Ships would ever come to Benin or Togo.

When the tumor returned the second time, it was much more severe than the first occurrence. The growth was concentrated inside her cheek, jaw, and eye. It began pushing her left eye up, and out. Noelie strained to see out of this eye. Along with the strained vision, her appearance was distorted; one eye much higher than the other.

Five years after her first surgery, and feeling alone and dejected, Noelie moved back to Lomé with her children. That is when her life in hiding began.

“I decided not to go out. I would stay in the house all day. People would ask me why I look that way. ‘What is wrong with you?’ They would say. It hurt me inside.” At this point Noelie was barely past her teenage years with no husband and 2 children. She had hit the lowest point of her life at the tender age of twenty.

She couldn’t wallow in her sorrow forever. Though she was upset and depressed, her children depended on her. She needed desperately needed a change. Her sister stepped in and was able to lift Noelie’s spirits.

“My sister told me: ‘You cannot stay in here like this. You are a human being. You need to be interacting with other people. This is no way to live.’ So, after that, I decided she was right. Living inside is no way to go about life.”

Noelie decided that the best way to get out of the house was to get a job. She had a skill that needed to be put to use. She always loved fixing hair, so she went to school and became a hairdresser. Eventually, she began working as the second hair dresser in a Coiffure (hair salon) in Lomé.

Work helped distract her from the tumor growing inside her face. But it was never too far out of her mind. Noelie lay in bed at night wondering if she would ever have surgery again to fix her eye. Work was helping her gain confidence to be among other people, she still dreamed of a normal face.

Would the Mercy Ship ever return, she wondered?

Then, one day, Noelie was at work when she heard the news she had been waiting to hear for several years. An announcement on the radio revealed that Mercy Ships was coming back to Togo! Noelie was overwhelmed with joy. She walked home from work that day and couldn’t stop smiling.

“I couldn’t believe it. I thought, maybe Mercy Ships would be able to help me the way they did before,” Noelie said.

Noelie attended screening when the time came and was approved for surgery. It had been seven years since her previous surgery, and she was returning to the big white hospital ship once again: with the hope of being healed. This ship was larger than before. It was a new ship. A nurse explained to her that during the time since the last visit to Togo, Mercy Ships had purchased a larger ship—the Africa Mercy.

Once on board, Dr. Leo Cheng, maxillo facial surgeon, took a look at Noelie.

“I was mainly concerned with her eye. The tumor was pushing her eye up and putting a lot of pressure on it. If that part of the tumor was not removed, she could go blind,” said Dr. Leo.

Noelie went into surgery for de-bulking, the same process as before. Dr. Leo removed the majority of the tumor. Noelie was insistent she keep her teeth and her mouth intact. If Dr. Leo attempted to remove the entire tumor, he would have to take out her whole jaw and do an entire facial re-construction requiring multiple surgeries to re-shape her face. This may be a viable option down the road, but de-bulking is the best choice given her age.

“During Noelie’s surgery, I removed the top half of the upper jawbone, right hand side of the cheekbone and put a titanium plate in her face that is now supporting her eye,” Dr. Leo said.

Noelie came out of surgery and was taken to the recovery room. For the first few days after surgery, her face was swollen and tracked with stitches. But her spirits were high. She interacted with the nurses and other patients on the ward. Though her faced was scarred, her eyes were finally evening out.

When she looked in the mirror, she saw a glimpse of her former self.

“I’m so amazed at what the doctors can do here. More than any other patient, I thank Mercy Ships so much—they have helped me not once, but twice,” Noelie says.

Dr. Leo reflects on her transformation, “You cannot do this in any hospitals in West Africa. There are many very capable surgeons here. But they do not have the equipment of the nursing staff to take care of patients after a major surgery. This ship is truly amazing in what we can do.”

Noelie, pre surgery, on the Anastasis in 2003.

Noelie after surgery in 2003.

Pre-op photo of her second surgery in 2010.

Noelie and Joanne

Noelie after surgery--Final Post Op day

And the Blind Shall See

2010-07-22T11:23:00.002Z

Catherine Schwebel with Komlavi in his shop. Komilavi is sportin' his shades after his surgrey.

Inside Komlavi's Market shop---check out all the great stuff he sells/makes!

God watches over those of us who are believers. God was working overtime when it came to Lomé resident and market vendor, Komlavi Djikpo.

Catherine and Marty Schwebel, Chaplains aboard the Africa Mercy, were browsing through an artisan market with their sons when they met a very nice man who sold wooden sculptures. They liked him, and his crafts, so much that they referred all of their Mercy Ships friends to him for purchases! They took his card, and learned his name was Komlavi.

A few days later a few Mercy Ships crew members were out browsing the same artisan market when they began talking to one of the shop owners. He mentioned that he couldn’t see well out of his right eye. Alana Abernathy, a member of the eye team, took a look at Komlavi’s eye.

Alana recalls, “I took him over into the shade where I could see into his pupil better. Sure enough, I saw one of those dense, white cataracts. I was so happy!”

The Sculptor at work.

Seeing the cataract made Alana smile because she knew this was a problem that Mercy Ships could definitely solve. Alana wrote down the location of the eye care screening, and told Komlavi to come to the screening soon because criteria for cataract surgery were changing: he would only make the cut if he made it in the next couple of days.

A few days later Marty & Catherine were exercising in the port in front of the ship. They saw a man walking up to the ship and they recognized him.

“Marty, I think that is the man from the market!” Catherine said. They approached the man, and saw that it was Komlavi. They read the note written by Alana. They realized that he has encountered other Mercy Ship crew members, and it looked like we could help him. Marty and Catherine jumped in a Mercy Ships vehicle and drove Komlavi to the eye screening site and by the end of the day he was cleared for surgery.

Had it not been for 2 separate encounters with Komlavi, he may have never made it to screening. It was fate that put Marty & Catherine on the dock when Komlavi arrived.

“The Schwebels really connected the dots for this man,” said Marketing Director Mila Hightower. “They ensured that he was where he needed to be in order to get the proper screening. God definitely had a hand in this.”

Marty Schwebel comments, “We prayed for him and said, Lord, please make it be cataracts and let Dr. Strauss be able to do surgery on him.” And sure enough, Dr. Strauss was able to help Komlavi.

Now, after surgery, Komlavi is back in his market shop selling intricately carved wood sculptures and trinkets. Surgery is done but he must come back for one last procedure.

Six weeks after his cataract surgery, Komlavi returned to the Hospitality Center for a check-up and to receive his YAG laser procedure. This was a quick process and was performed by Mercy Ships Eye Specialist, Clyde Houston. The YAG laser was a painless shot of light sent into Komlavi’s eye. It is necessary to prevent blurriness or cloudy vision from returning after cataracts surgery.

Komlavi at the Hospitality Center getting his checkup.

Receiving the YAG procedure.

With Dr. Clyde Houston just after the YAG eye procedure.

“Komlavi was one of the best patients I did all day. He was extremely still. Many patients move or blink a lot. Komlavi did great,” said Clyde.

Jut after he received his YAG procedure it was time for the Celebration of Sight. The Celebration of Sight is a ceremony in which all of the cataract patients of Mercy Ships come together in one place, and celebrate their successful surgeries. Before, they all struggled to see clearly. Now, their sight was perfectly clear. Komlavi was no exception.

The ceremony began and there was singing and dancing. Komlavi sat quietly in the second row, assessing the situation. His eyes moved quickly observing the others who began clapping and dancing around him. Many patients felt the rhythm in their bodies, and got out of their seats to dance around. Komlavi was cautious at first. Then, he got up out of his seat, and joined the line of dancing men and women.

He was able to capture a few joyful moments with a small point and shoot camera. The smiles that surrounded him were contagious.

Then, a few patients stood up and to give their testimony. Komlavi, moved by the celebration and his wonderful experience with Mercy Ships, stood in front of the crowd, and told his story:

“My name is Komlavi Djikpo. I am a sculptor and a carpenter. A wood artist. I was having this eye problem for a long time, but I was unable to go to the hospital.
One day, I met some white people coming to my shop. They told me about mercy ships because I told them I was having an eye problem. They promised to help me. And they have helped me.
I came to the ship for the surgery and I have never gone into an operating room in my life. That day I was so scared. And I prayed that God would help me go through the process. I did not even know that they had done the surgery already. I did not feel anything. I just woke up and I found myself on the bed.
The next day when they took the patch off I was so happy because I could see clearly. And I’m very glad for what God has done for me and I’m praying that God helps anyone else who is willing to have such an opportunity. May God bless everybody.”

Komlavi’s testimony encouraged many people. The crowd raised their hands in praise, and clapped in amazement after he told his story.

Marty Schwebel was able to witness Komlavi’s testimony at the Celebration of Sight. It was like seeing this man’s story full-circle. At their initial meeting, Marty simply admired Komlavi’s fine craftsmanship. Now, Marty stood at the Celebration of Sight, witnessing Komlavi’s testimony. Komlavi can now see crystal clear out of both eyes, and Marty helped make that day happen.

“It was so nice seeing Komlavi sit amongst all those who were celebrating their restored vision. Komlavi is a very stoic, serious man but it was great to see him break into a smile as he thanked Mercy Ships and the Lord Jesus for healing him,” Marty said.

After riveting testimonies from three other cataracts patients, the Celebration of Sight came to a close. The patients in attendance thanked the Mercy Ships crew profusely for their patience, their attentiveness, and their caring.

Komlavi was so appreciative of Marty and Catherine, and Alana’s help to get him to Mercy Ships. Because of their patience, their attentiveness, and their caring, Komlavi now had crystal clear vision. His sculpting work for his shop will now greatly improve. He is excited about the opportunity ahead.

“Now that I am healed, and I can see out of my right eye, I think things will get better. Maybe, even, I can learn to make new things to sell in my shop. Thank you Mercy Ships.”

Interviewing Komlavi..."So, tell me how you felt when you came to the ship for surgery?"

He is the sweetest man on earth! I love him.

Catherine and Marty survey my interviewing skills.

Outside with Komlavi---and other eye patients in the background.

Celebration of Sight!

One of the Day Workers in charge of the Ceremony. Thanking the Lord for blessing all these wonderful people.

I gave Komlavi my camera to document the party.

Elaine and I enjoying ourselves :) Komlavi took more pictures of us than the crowd!

Komlavi giving his testamony.

Me telling Komlavi to take pics of other people!! (not me haha)

.....so, he just took pics of Tom instead!

The back of the Eye Team's scrubs.

Photographs mainly by the lovely TOM BRADLEY.....

intwertwined with a few from Catherine Schwebel and Komlavi (via my camera).

Street Photos: Lomé

2010-07-19T20:39:00.000Z

Bar/Restaurant

Fan Milk...Africa's version of the "ice cream man"

Veggie and Fruit stand

Roundabout

Shirts (mainly soccer jerseys) for sale

Shops on the side of the road

Yams...they dont look very appetizing.

Bottles of gasoline, umbrellas each covering different "shops"

Tires, wheels, rims...

Those bottles are gasoline---ready to sell right off the street.

Pics of baby Kossi

2010-07-18T21:12:00.001Z

Kossi with Moma, Akoua

Mom and dad give 5-day-old Kossi a little smooch!

CT scan for baby Kossi!! Ulrich does the work :)

Need to secure that little head :)

In he goes!

Ali, Nurse extraordinaire, and Kossi

Getting measured!

Tiny, tiny...

Baby Kossi

2010-07-16T14:13:00.001Z

We were all in for a treat a few days ago when the Hospital recieved a call from Dr. Russ Ebersol at the Baptist Mission Hospital in Kpalime. Dr. Russ is a good associate of Mercy Ships and sometimes he refers patients to us.

Dr. Russ told us that he had a newborn baby who was having complications. The baby was born just 2 days ago and has a lesion on his tounge. The lesion is large, and prohibits the baby froming doing a sucking motion, which is the only way he can get food (from breastfeeding). Dr. Russ knew that the surgeons on board would be able to remove the lesion, and help this baby breath and eat (and most likely save his life).

We gave him the OK to send mom and dad and the newborn to Lomé, and to come on board the Africa Mercy.
So, Wednesday night, a 4 day-old baby arrived on the ship. He didn't even have a name at first, but soon after, the mother decided his name should be Kossi because he was born on Sunday.

Kossi is a precious, adorable little thing. A munchkin you just want to eat up!!! He had surgery this morning, and Dr. Leo Cheng was able to remove the lesion without problems.

I spoke with Dr. Leo after the surgery and he told me that nutrition was the main issue with the lesion on Kossi's tongue. Since he couldnt make a sucking motion, he couldn't breast feed at all. I asked if there were any hospitals in Togo that could perform this type of surgery---Dr. Leo said no.

"So, if we had not been here to remove this lesion, Kossi could have died?" I asked...

"Yes," Dr. Leo said, "The threat of the lesion growing to the point that it blocks the airway is a very real threat. If it continued to grow, Kossi could easily die of suffocation."

The level of care we give on the ship is unrivaled in most places in Western Africa. We use state-of-the-art equipment, with world class surgeons and some of the best nursing care around. Dr. Leo explained to me that even though there are very capable surgeons here in Lomé, the do not have the instruments OR the nursing support needed to sustain a life after a very complicated surgery.

We are so glad that Kossi had the opportunity to come to the Ship for surgery, and we most definitely saved that very precious life today. It really puts a warm feeling in your heart. What a good Friday!! TGIF!!

Pics of cute Kossi coming soon.....

Happy Friday everyone :)

Romeo Touloulou

2010-07-15T10:21:00.000Z

Romeo--when he arrived at the ship...just days old.

He was born with a Cleft Lip.

Baby Romeo Touloulou was born on February 25th, 2010. He came into this world with a cleft lip and palate, a condition seen more often in West Africa than in the developed world.

Romeo’s mother, Badokideou, wanted to know why his lip looked the way it did, and how she could fix it. She was told to go to the hospital in Lomé. A kind stranger at the Lomé, Togo hospital told her about Mercy Ships. This was a place—a ship—where she could go to receive free medical treatment. She was told that they perform cleft lip and palate surgeries.

Romeo arrived on the Africa Mercy when he was 1 week old.

Romeo’s condition was common and it was determined that surgery could be done: but he had to gain weight first. He was enrolled in Mercy Ship’s Infant Feeding Program. Because of the cleft lip and palate, it was difficult for Romeo to get the breast milk he needed to grow. The cleft palate allowed the milk to go into the hole in the roof of his mouth, causing him to spit up. He was not getting the nutrition he needed, and he weighted only 2.61kg.

Infant Feeding Program Nurse Melissa Davey worked with Badokideou, teaching her an alternative method of feeding. The cup method worked best for Romeo. Mercy Ships would give the mother formula and she would feed it to Romeo through a small plastic cup. Since he is not sucking to get his food, there is less spitting up and more of the formula goes into his stomach.

Time passed and sure enough, Romeo gained weight. He began to look healthy and strong. Romeo and Badokideou came to the ship once a week and Romeo would weigh-in and get measured. Then, they were given enough formula to last them the week, until they came back to the ship. He was making progress and Nurse Melissa Davey was confident he would be able to have surgery.

There was a certain weight goal he had to reach in order to be operated on. It was a good day when Romeo reached that goal and Mercy Ships performed surgery, repairing his cleft lip.

Here is Romeo after he had reached the appropriate weight to have surgery.

Even after the surgery, Badokideou has continued feeding Romeo via the cup method, yielding great results. Happily, Romeo has grown to 6.13 kg. Romeo still has a cleft palate that will have to be repaired at another time, but the Infant Feeding Program at Mercy Ships has given him a healthy start to life. If Badokideou had not been taught an alternate method of feeding Romeo, he may have suffered from malnutrition and his health could have declined drastically.

Thanks to Melissa and the rest of the Infant Feeding Program team, Romeo will have a chance at a healthy life. He was lucky to have been born at a time when the Africa Mercy was in port in Lomé, Togo. He had perfect timing, and now he is a healthy and happy 5-month-old boy.

I mean, adorable much?

Melissa and Romeo

Romeo and his beautiful mom.....Badokideou

FAT Romeo!! :)

Saying goodbye to Sassou

2010-07-14T11:29:00.000Z

The cute kid whom I've grown to love........

We had to say goodbye and it was not very fun. Here are pics of Sassou after his last post-op appointment----I wish him the BEST life possible :) He and his father are both such wonderful people. I will never forget them.

L'Envol-Bé

2010-07-14T10:32:00.001Z

A few weeks ago Tom and I were able to go on a day-long Excursion with the Mercy Ministries team. Mercy Ministries is an effort for Mercy Ships crew to be involved with the Community and help out with other organizations in Lome. We have made a connection with a school here called L'Envol-Bé. This is a school for mentally challenged kids. One day a week, Mercy Ships crew members go to their school and hang out with these wonderful kids.

The trip we went on was extra special. They were celebrating the end of the school year, and had a day-long field trip planned! We met the bus-full of kids right by the beach at a Slave Castle. This was my first time hearing about slave castles, but they are all over the coast of West Africa. These houses existed as the last place slaves slept before they were put on a ship and sent to America.

This house blew my mind. It was very run-down, but we found out that they kept the slaves in the "basement." There was a hole in the floor and I crawled down inside the area where the kept the slaves. It was about 3 feet tall---you could not stand at all--you had to either lay on the ground, or squat down. Dark. Scary. Pretty much a terrible place. I can't even imagine what those people went through being stuck down there.

After the slave castle we went to Lake Togo and had a picnic! The kids were having a lot of fun, and enjoyed our company. Tom took a lot of great photos, so I'm going to post many of them here---check them out, and then check out Tom's Blog :)

One of the school kids (left) and a kid selling water.

Mercy Ships crew member with one of the kids.

This is in the Slave Castle...this hole in the floor leading down to where the slaves stayed.

Toooo cool.

Group shot in front of the bus!

Wow, don't I look happy! Johan (in red) is getting attacked by the kids!

Sticking the tongue out is a universal message, I suppose.

At the picnic.

Smiles?

Enjoying the Mercy Ships company :)

Swing time!!

Gafar....what a life he has had.

2010-07-13T12:20:00.001Z

Close your eyes and try to imagine this life:

You are 11 years old. Your father is dead and your mother left you. You live with your uncle and 7 cousins in a cramped two-room home. You are alone. Lost in a world that is not your own. You have a tumor taking over the left side of your face. Each day you feel it growing. It is so large that your eye has been shut for four years and your ear is distorted. Again, you are alone. Thinking—how will I make it through this life?

This is what life is like for Gafar Alassani. Because of his home life and medical problem, he is timid, aloof, and self-conscious. When spoken to, he bows his head and does not answer. When Mercy Ships nurse Ali Chandra jokes with him he doesn’t even break a smile. You can tell he is in desperate need of some TLC: tender loving care.

Gafar has seen several doctors. They sent him home with medicine, but there have been no positive results. After Gafar’s father passed away, he moved in with his uncle. When word of the Mercy Ship’s arrival came to Gafar’s uncle, he realized this was a golden opportunity for Gafar to get the medical help he desperately needed.

Gafar was transported from his village, Sokode, to Lomé, where he stayed with another uncle. They attended Mercy Ships screening together and Gafar was given a surgery date. When that day arrived, Gafar and his uncle, Ouro-Koura, came to the ship and Gafar was prepped for surgery—his uncle by his side.

“Even though Gafar is not my son, I treat him like he is. I realize that sacrifices need to be made in order for Gafar to have a better life. He does not have a good life now—he is sad and his friends laugh at him. I knew it was something that needed to be fixed. So I am here, and I will stay here with him till he is better.” Ouro-Koura says of his time at Mercy Ships.

Assistant Ward Supervisor, Ali Chandra, worked attentively giving Gafar an IV. Nervous, Gafar clung to his uncle and buried his face in his chest. After several attempts the IV was finally in, and Gafar could breath easier. Surgery was the next day. His hopes were high, but the expression on his face was one of worry and concern. His surroundings were unfamiliar and he was hesitant to warm up to the jovial nurses who persistently tried to cheer him up.

During surgery Dr. Mark removed the tumor that was covering Gafar’s eye and distorting his ear. The mass inside his head had caused Gafar’s face to droop down, shifting his eye and ear down several centimeters. While in surgery, Dr. Mark hoped to lift that side of his face so his eyes and ears would be even with the right side.

Gafar was wheeled out of surgery and began his difficult recovery. A few days passed and the pain and soreness slowly began to dissipate. The swelling decreased and finally the day came that Gafar was ready to play and interact with a few other patients. Tani, a young girl recovering from sever burns, and Gafar became the heart and soul of D Ward.

Nurse Ali made a craft corner in the ward where they would string bead necklaces, make books, draw pictures and even oil paint on canvases. Before we knew it, Gafar had come out of his shell and was giggling, teasing and playing with all the nurses and Tani.

His personality transformation was simply one aspect of his makeover. His physical improvements were noticeable, as well. After weeks of recovery on the ward Gafar was crafting, as usual, when Ali took a moment to check out his eye. She lifted the bandage from his bad eye and asked him if he could see her. “Yes,” he said.

“Gafar, how many fingers?” Ali said as she held up her hand with all fingers. “Five.” He responded. Ali determined through talking to Gafar that it was the first time he had seen out of his left eye in four years.

His physical transformation was being able to see out of his left eye for the first time in four years since the tumor enveloped his eye and caused his lid to be permanently closed. His spirits have been flipped and lifted. Gafar is enjoying being a kid—and Mercy Ships was has given him back his childhood. One that, this time, will be filled with joy.

****My stories would never be complete without the brilliant photography of Tom Bradley. We work so well together!!! Check out his blog---he is truly talented.

Gafar sits on the famous bench!

This bench was on the Anastasis (ship prior to Africa Mercy) and every Mercy Ships patient who has ever had surgery with us sat on this very bench and was prayed for before entering surgery. Pretty cool.

Tom scrubbed in for Gafar's surgery! Going under...

Incision #1 has been made. Hang in there Gafar!!

The doctor takes a phone call mid-procedure :)

Gafar in Recovery. Sleeping soundly.

The first of many BIG smiles on his face---here Gafar is welcoming 2 new friends...Christian & Mercy are in for Cataract correction.

Craft Corner? Don't mind if I do! Bead necklace making.

He's a South African supporter!! World Cup mania on board the Africa Mercy.

Jesse Mitchell, Head Chef here on the ship, spends some time with Gafar in the ward.

I love it when he smiles! Pre-surgery we couldn't PAY him for a smile. Now, its a common occurrence.

Who brushed their teeth this morning??

2010-07-12T12:36:00.001Z

Nearly one hundred elementary school children sat very still in a cramped, dim Togolese classroom. Mercy Ships Dental Hygienist, Donna Bartholomew, stood in her blue medical scrubs at the front of the room, smiling at all of the children.

“Raise your hand if you have a toothbrush,” Donna says.

Half of the children’s hands shoot into the air. The other half glanced at their peers, realizing they should probably put their hand up, too. Up they went.

Donna laughed and said, “How many of you brushed your teeth this morning?” Twenty-five, or roughly one-fourth of the kids raised their hands. It is Donna’s hope that after today, all of these kids will know how to take care of their teeth properly, and brush every morning.

The Mercy Ships Dental Team has come to Ecole Primair Publique de Be-Klikame to educate the kids on dental hygiene. This school is a public elementary school in Lomé, Togo. Most of the kids attending this school come from households that struggle to feed and clothe their children. Hygiene, especially dental hygiene, has never been taught to them.

“Dental health is very important. Learning to take care of their teeth now, as children, can prevent large cavities in the future. Our team performs many extractions every day in the dental clinic. We hope education at a young age will help,” said Gini Porter, Mercy Ships Dental Coordinator.

Donna tells the children that there are two things they can do to keep their teeth healthy. First, they need to keep them clean, and second, they need to eat the proper food. She holds up a chart with colourful pictures of fruits and vegetables.

“Bad health will lead to cavities: holes in your teeth that will pain you,” Donna told them. Then Donna held up a large mould of a mouth and teeth, and an oversized red toothbrush. She asked if a volunteer would like to demonstrate how to brush correctly.

Out of the crowd nine-year-old Rodrique was selected. He came to the front and, using the mouth and brush, showed the rest of the class the correct way to brush your teeth. The kids watched, smiled, and nodded their understanding.

Before the lesson came to an end Donna asked the kids to now become teachers—to show their friends and family members how to brush their teeth and maintain good dental hygiene. They all promised to teach one person to pass the knowledge on.

As the kids filed out of the classroom each was given a red toothbrush of their very own. Unlike in more developed parts of the world, receiving a new, free toothbrush is quite a treat for these kids. Judging from the look on their faces, one would think they were given a brand new toy.

Nine-year-old Ange lives just around the corner from the school. Tightly gripping her bright red toothbrush she tells her friend that she doesn’t want a hole in her tooth. “I’m going to go home and tell my brothers about this, so they don’t get holes in their teeth either.”

She has never had a toothbrush of her own.

One classroom at a time, Donna, Gini and the rest of the Mercy Ships Dental team are trying to work themselves out of a job (in a good way). The need is so great that doing so will not be possible. But with every speech and every toothbrush handed out they are getting closer to eradicating poor dental hygiene in Lomé, Togo.

Oh Happy Day.

2010-07-11T13:57:00.000Z

I woke up yesterday after a pretty good night's sleep. It was Saturday. I had no plans and was kind of excited about a day of relaxation---maybe a little reading, a little blogging, a little sun.
Then I looked out the window: torrential rain! Iiick.
I was groggy and in desperate need of the elixir of life: Known to others as coffee.

I changed into decent clothes (i.e. not pajamas) and stumbled up to the dining room. I found a piece of banana bread and filled my coffee mug to the top. I went to my office and checked my email. I had a message from Melissa:
"Hey! We're on for going to Aneho today--leaving at 11:30! Hope you are coming!!"

I look at the clock---its 11am. Well...so much for my lazy day. Excited to have something to do, I ran downstairs, hopped in the shower and got ready. Due to my limited wardrobe, my "get ready" time has been slashed almost in half! Brilliant...I'm ready at 11:30.

Melissa is from Kansas and announced to her Church she would be coming Togo to work for Mercy Ships. Afterwards a couple she is good friends with told her that their daughter lives in Togo outside a town called Aneho. She and her husband have a house on the beach!! Since she's been here, Melissa got in touch with them, and they were gracious enough to invite all of us to their home....what a treat!!!

We head to the round about to catch a taxi to Aneho--approx. 45 minutes East of Lomé. Sometimes this can be tricky, and not many drivers want to drive all the way to Aneho. After more than an hour of waiting for a taxi, a mini-bus pulls up and the door opens. There appears to be room for 2...maybe 3 people. The drivers says 6?? Yes, come on in.

Wait, excuse me, but you want 6 of us to fit in here??

This is Africa people--their motto is "There's always room for one more."
Melissa gets in the way-back with 3 other ladies already sitting on that bench. Dulce, Mel and Louie somehow cram in in the middle row. I sit on the console in between the diver and Liz, who's in the passenger seat. As the sliding door is closing, one more guy hops in and practially sits on Ducle's lap. He slams the door shut and hangs his upper body out the window.

And we're off.

Nice scenery. Good company. A little squished, but minus the driver awkwardly brushing against my leg every time he moves the stick-shift, things are going well :)

We finally get to Aneho and are dropped off. We wander a bit...take some pics of the beach and the lake. We make our way down the beach and find a little bar and table to sit and enjoy the sound of the waves..which is quite heavenly.

Then, we see something amazing. This woman is making sandwiches for the people at the table next to us. We were pretty hungry and needed some sustenance. She us putting some sort of green substance in the loaves of bread. I stare, I think, I process....
That's avocado!!
Ohhhh snap! Avocado sandwich on the beach? Avec un Castel? C'est Magnifique!!
She comes over to us and we how much---"200 ceefa," she says. About 45 cents. I think I can handle that. Louie orders 2, and the lady literally laughs at him, tells him he cant have 2 because he will get fat. She shows us her pregnant belly and tells us that not even she would eat 2, and she's pregnant! ha. She makes each of us a sandwich, and refuses to make a second for Louie. We all got a kick out of this.
A DJ is playing music just behind us and a covered sitting area has turned into a dance floor for several Togolese women who are gettin' down. Comical. Typical. We soak it all in.

Now it's time to head to our new friend's home: Melissa and JJ. We have directions and we are pretty confident we can walk there, so off we go. 45 minutes later, we are still walking. hmmmmm. Eventually we call them, and JJ comes to pick up the lowly travellers that have come to crash in their lovely home.

We pull into the courtyard and all I can think is: If this is missionary living, I think I could handle it! The yard was perfectly manicured with beautiful plants and flowers. The flower pots were painted a joyful shade of pink and all of a sudden we were not in Africa anymore. Melissa walked out and happily welcomed all of us to their house. What a treat...I was almost speechless!!

Inside, the house was cutely decorated with all sorts of remembrances from home. Yankee candles burned in all the rooms and there was Bath & Body Works soap in the bathroom!!! We got a tour and ended up on the roof-top veranda that overlooked the ocean. I felt like I'd died and gone to Mexico!! :)

We all chatted and got to know one another. We found out that JJ's parents are Missionaries and that JJ grew up in Northern Togo in a town called Kara. He was home- school by his mother. He went to Bible College in Florida with the intent to return to Togo as a missionary. While there, he met Melissa. They got married, and now have been in Aneho for a little over a year.

Their mission here is running sports camps. How wonderful is that?!?! They have been teaching soccer and basketball to kids in Togo. Two things that are very close to my heart: Sports & Camp! I was so impressed with the work that they are doing---2 lovely people serving God and helping many kids who have nothing. They have raised money to purchase some land on Lake Togo. Their plan is to build a camp there--Togo Palms. They will have cabins and facilities to run sports camps and capacity to hold 300 kids. Melissa and JJ will live on site. It's going to be amazing when it is completed, and they are the PERFECT couple to make it happen.

Melissa, a.k.a. Martha Stewart, cooked us the most amazing dinner---Chicken Marsala! Pasta, chicken breast, garclic bread, and the most delicious chocolate fudge cake for dessert. We all had seconds and thirds. By the end we were all thinking, "Ok, how can we move in with you?!"

Afterwards, we all piled in their car and JJ drove us home. We sang the entire way---Beatles, Proud Mary, Fresh Prince theme song...random but great assortment of tunes. Louie also sang us the only Christian song he knew in English. It was a trip.

Around 8:45pm we got back to the round-about by the port. We thanked our lovely hosts profusely, and waved goodbye with grand smiles on our faces.

Yesterday was one of those days where you think: There really are good people in this world...no matter where you are; Togo or Tyler. The world is smaller than you think. So much goes on outside our little bubble that we each live in, and though it takes sacrifice to help others, you can still make a very happy living out of it. Melissa and JJ are wonderful examples of that. I thank God for the work that they are doing, and hope He blesses them with success and happiness throughout their lives :)

J'adore VLISCO

2010-07-09T17:18:00.001Z

Coming from a "fabric" family (or, more precisely a 'fabric' mother), I am very intrigued by different types of fabrics: patterns, colors, textures. Love it all! It is very common here in Africa to buy yards of fabric at the market and then take it to a seamstress and have custom dresses and skirts made.

All over Togo...especially on the way to Benin...there are billboards advertising a store called Vlisco. All of the billboards picture one model standing in an extremely elaborate gown. They look very expensive. There are long trains and intricate bodices with huge chunky jewelry and slick hair. Fantastic shoes.

I have seen these billboards many times and thought to myself, "Those are wonderful dresses, but who here can afford something like that?" Usually the billboards are towering over women sitting in the dirt, grilling corn cobs or selling loaves of bread for 10 cents a piece. Ironic. And it gave me a bit of a weird feeling.

Last weekend we were walking through town, and low and behold--there is a Vlisco store!!! Dulce, Liz, Melissa and I went in and checked it out. There were many bolts of beautiful fabric, but other than the mannequins in the window, there were no pre-made dresses :(

We found out that there is another Vlisco store in Lome, and I think they have dresses there. I would love nothing more than to go and try on tons of these awesome gowns!! THAT would be an adventure. Here is an example of some of the dresses---these pics are from their website and are also on the billboards.

I've talked to Dee Dee on the phone and given her their website and now, not surprisingly, she wants me to go to the store and buy some fabric. Who knows...maybe I'll get my own Vlisco dress made from the fabric when I get home!!

Can't Wait!

High fashion in Togo----who'da thought it?!

Sisters

2010-07-06T11:06:00.005Z

I think there is nothing better in this world than having a sister. Especially one that you are very close to. Gretchen and I weren't ALWAYS BFFs. When I was in middle school my friend Abby would come over, I would lock us in my room so gretchen couldn't come in and play (yes, I had a mean streak for a bit...) But by the time we got to high school and college, we were inseparable.
Basketball, Volleyball, Choir, Tennis, traveling---we did it all together. The 2-year age difference never factored into the equation.

When I went to college I waited for 4 years until we could live together---on our own, in our own apartment---facing this world together. Lucky for us, we chose mid-town Memphis to be the backdrop of where we would stake our independence. What a perfect place! The Schnucks on Poplar was a far cry from the warm greetings at Brookshires. Bums in the parking lot begging for spare change. While pumping gas at the Tiger mart on the corner we would sit in the car, doors locked, as the meter ticked up to "full."

But, what kind of people would we be had we not been through this experience? Real life isn't always full of warm smiles and nice people and safe places. If you dont have thick skin and a sense of awareness you'll get eaten alive in the real world. But Gretch and I were lucky enough to face scary places together. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a sidekick like that.

Last night I was down in the ward hanging out with Josee. She is an 18-year-old girl who has been on the ward for a good 6 weeks--maybe longer. Josee had surgery on her foot to shrink her toes. She had a condition where her toes grew REALLY big for some reason--she had to have specially made shoes just for her right foot.

Josee is very much a typical 18-year-old girl. She sits with a crown on her head that she made from black and red construction paper (very regal). Underneath the crown is a camo bandanna wrapped around her head as well. She loves futbol and likes to sing. Last night we flipped through the Song Book and sang "All in All" together---a tune I havn't thought of in mannnny years. I'm thinkin' Sky Ranch?? LONG time ago.
"You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all."

Then something pretty great happened. This cute, petite girl walked in, dressed in all denim, holding a cell phone and a bag of fruit (clearly a visitor for one of the patients). She walks up to Josee's bed, and they immediately begin talking, somewhat yelling at each other, Josee's grabbing the phone from her hand, asking about food, what did you bring me?! etc. I ask Josee, who is this? Is this your sister?

"Yeah," she says, "my sister Josephine." Well hello josephine! One of the day workers approaches and tells me in english--they are twins. TWINS!! I am instantly jealous.

I always wanted gretchen and I to be twins.

Josephine sits down and she and Josee begin tampering with the cell phone for a while, trying to open it. Finally, the back plate comes off and the sim card pops out. Josee takes it, and puts it inside her wallet.

We sang a bit more and then it was time to play cards. Amy, fellow rockstar crew member who also hangs out with the patients, brought down some spoons and it was officially time to teach Josee and Josephine how to play spoons. We had a great time and they loved the moment where you have to grab the spoons as fast as you can. Josee was really good and kicked our butts.

Watching the sisterly-interaction between these two was delightful. It reminded me of home. It reminded me of gretch! Their casual banter, Josee reveling in the victory against her sister in Spoons---alll too familiar.

So here's to sisters everywhere---In Togo, in the US, and in far corners of the world. May those who do not have a sister find a friend who is relentlessly loyal, endearing, comforting and trustworthy.

Josee, center, with her crown on. Sister Josephine on the left, Amy and I on the right...playing Spoons.

Gretch & me

"Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there."

Life is Precious

2010-07-05T15:20:00.000Z

Here is a story I wrote about a patient in our Palliative Care program. Great pics to go along with it--thanks to Tom :)

Mercy Ships does its best to help every patient that they can. The desperate need for medical care in West Africa, however, far surpasses the capability of Mercy Ships’ resources.
On screening day many patients wait in line for hours to eventually be told that there is nothing that can be done to save them. This is devastating news to someone whose last hope was the free medical care of Mercy Ships.
Ayabavi was one of the individuals to receive that devastating news. For 18 years she watched a tumor grow on the side of her face. She built up the courage to come out of hiding to attend the Mercy Ships screening. Mercy Ships doctors performed a biopsy and gave her a CT scan. It was determined that she had a very advanced malignant disease and the tumor was inoperable.
With her world shattered, Ayabavi had no where to turn. Because of the tumor, several of her children had not talked to her in years. She was literally alone and empty. Cases like this are the reason why Mercy Ships has developed a Palliative Care Program.
Palliative Care, also known as Hospice, is a service that Mercy Ships provides to ease the hardship of having a terminal illness. Harriet Molyneux is the Palliative Care Nurse on the Africa Mercy.
“Our goal with this program is to meet weekly with the patients and be a bright spot in their week. We pray with them, talk to them, and help ease their pain by giving them medication and dietary advice,” Harriet says.
Harriet has been meeting with Ayabavi every week for 3 months at her daughter’s food store in the village Vogan, a 1 hour drive from Lomé.
“We’ve been talking through Bible verses and praying with her. She seems to be a lot more peaceful about [her situation] now. We also give her pain relief and talk through any issues she might be having,” says Harriet.
Harriet takes advantage of as many local resources as she can because at the end of the Togo field service Ayabavi will be on her own without a source for pain medication. The Morenga tree is a natural dietary supplement that is packed with vitamins, protein and carbohydrates. Ayabavi crushes the leaves and drinks the liquid to provide essential nutrients which are lacking in her diet.
Ayabavi’s life has definitely changed since Harriet began visiting. “Without this program,” Ayabavi states, “I would already be dead.”
“I get excited every Wednesday knowing that Mercy Ships is coming. It helps make my life better. Before they started coming I was ashamed and those around me would hold their nose because I smelled bad. Now, their treatment has helped make the smell go away.”
Ayabavi’s daughter, Tante, has seen a visible change in her mother since Palliative Care started coming to see her.
Tante says, “I can tell that she feels more comfortable being around others. Before, she never had the confidence to sit among a group of people. Look at her now, sitting with a group of 10 people talking freely. They have truly transformed my mother’s life.”
Confidence is not the only thing that Ayabavi has gained. She has also started studying the Bible. A friend at her church reads passages to her every week. It is clear that one verse has been imprinted in her mind.

“Read Phillipians 4:6,” Ayabavi says to the translator Silvie, “This is the one I think about during the day when I get sad or feel down.”
Silvie reads to her: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Ayabavi smiles a deep, solid smile for the first time since Harriet & team have arrived. It is obvious that this passage has truly touched her. The mood has lightened and hope has entered the humid air. She asks to read it again, and Silvie does.
The relief Ayabavi has received has transformed her and helped her cope with her tragic situation. Though the day will come when Harriet won’t be making weekly visits, Ayabavi chooses to focus on the assistance she’s been lucky to have.
“I do not think that any hospital, anybody, any other person could do the help that they can do. They have helped me so much.”
Those words are what Harriet and the Palliative Care team work so hard to hear. Life is precious and you don’t appreciate it enough until it is taken away. Harriet knows that the team has made a difference in Ayabavi’s precious life.

Fourth of July

2010-07-03T19:23:00.002Z

Sangria. Innertubes. Grass Island. Lee Greenwood. Koozies. Sunshine. Laughter. Camp Friends. "Fern for the Fourth" Visors. Tank tops. Tan lines. Boat rides. Dance Parties.

These are all things that, the past 4 years, I have enjoyed on the Fourth of July. Fern is such an oasis away from everyday life. Everyone who knows me (and my camp friends) knows that it is not just camp, it is an experience that shapes each and every one of us. I am Lucky to be good friends with the fabulous Smith family who are even MORE lucky to have a brand new, beautiful log home on Fern Lake. As I type, my parents are there enjoying the "Adult" version of Fern on the fourth which is sitting on the screened-in porch--Deeds with her savignon blanc (a switch from the pinot grigio of years past) and dad with a beer. Last year, we played a little Wii tennis and watching Deeds with the controller had me rolling in stitches on the floor. Avid athlete; my mother.
Then the next day we watched an Epic Wimbledon Final between Federer and Nadal. What a match!

Familiar faces at Fern for the Fourth include
Mary An and Rob--whom this year will have a BABY in tow!! Little Amelia Fern will spend her first Fourth of July at the lake and I'm sure will fall in love immediately, just like the rest of us!
The Price family--have their own lakehouse and the Price brothers have been bringing fern friends there for years. Memories of Moose echo in my head.
Walt Gaines and fam--Some of my favorite people on earth.
A whole slew of camp friends ranging in age from older than me, to the youngest campers I remember counseling when at camp. Seeing them at grass island always blows my mind!

I am sad that I won't be partaking in the Fern festivities this weekend. It's difficult to celebrate holidays on a ship when 40 different countries are represented in our crew. We do not get days off for the Fourth of July or Memorial Day. Instead, we get 1 ship holiday every 6 weeks or so to commemorate all the holidays we've missed and had to work during.

There will be no fireworks. No watermelon. No sangria, and no late-night boatrides. However, I will be hanging out with a few fabulous friends and we have vowed to have a good time--despite being far away from family and friends this holiday weekend.

To those who are at Fern--or any lake for that matter--enjoying the weekend, I am jealous! But I will return soon and hope to soak up some rays on a boat, on a float or by the pool with you when I get back :)

P.S. for those lovely overachievers out there--you should have joined Gretchen at the Fourth of July Triathlon she participated in this morning! 6:30am 5K (or 10K) run, then swimming then drinking. Maybe next year, gretch!! :)

Changing Lives

2010-07-02T10:18:00.000Z

On Sunday, the PR team had the opportunity to go into Lome and attend a real African church service. Kossi is a 16-year-old boy who had a facial tumor that disfigured his nose and was slowly affecting his mouth and jaw, also. He came to Mercy Ships to get help. As any 16 year old would be, he didn’t want to hang out with his friends…much less see any girls. He quit school. Most likely he was depressed and wondering why God did this to him.

Kossi’s father is a very inspirational man. He is the preacher at their church and a leader in the community. Kossi stopped going to church when the tumor got worse. No fellowship with his father, or his church community. That can never be a good thing for a child—who, by nature, is desperate for guidance and support from peers and elders.

Today Kossi is tumor free and looking good!! He received his surgery before I got to the ship, but writer Joy Cleary (of New London, Texas!) covered Kossi’s story. Joy is known as his second mother. She even got up at the church service and said so!!

We arrived in force at the small gathering--Video cameras and still shot cameras in hand—I think we scared a few of these people to death!

When we arrived, there was a small circle of chairs and about 15 people in attendance. As the service progressed, more arrived and chairs were brought in for them. There was praying. There was preaching. And God knows there was singing.

A church member was gracious enough to translate for us. When Kossi’s father stood to preach, there was a vivacious spirit in his eyes. He thanked us many times for coming, and said that, because Mercy Ships was here, stories about Kossi would now float all over the world.

I think he said it jokingly, but it is absolutely true.

After the service we went into the small school room adjacent to the open area where we had church. Lewis asked Kossi a few questions. It was clear that Mercy Ships had given Kossi his life back. Also, the bond between Joy and Kossi was evident: His white, “second mother.” It was a wonderful opportunity to see first hand, the difference we are making.

When you live in a world of comfort, with more than enough money and friends and material things than you could ever need----the struggles of people living in Africa seem worlds away. It’s virtually impossible to relate—to imagine what on earth you could do to help. The phrase “make a difference” gets thrown around a lot. But how can you truly make a difference in someone’s life? Someone far away. A positive change. Restore their spirit. Repair a broken mind. Give a person self esteem. Let me tell you--Mercy Ships does this for thousands of West Africans every year. We just did for Kossi. And he is one of MANY:

To date, here are a few Togo numbers. (20 weeks of service) Mercy Ships has performed:

543 surgeries (tumor removal, cleft lip/palate, ortho, plastics, etc.)

1,637 eye surgeries

7,363 dental procedures

Changed Lives—each and every one :)

I am so lucky to be one small part of this mosaic of community members who come together to change people’s lives Every.Day.

Here are a few photos of Kossi’s Church Service.

Kossi :)

Kossi's father preaching.

Kossi with other kids--praying. thinking. praising God.

Intense.

Interviewing Kossi.

I think he has a crush.

Happy.

Very proud father.

Kossi with his second mother, Joy

Kossi before.

Life on a Boat.

2010-07-01T09:50:00.008Z

Community living can sometimes be a challenge. Since we are a Christian-based organization, some people come here with the idea that everything is peaches and sunshine all the time. I had that idea when I first arrived. But, the ship is full of 400 people and we're all human beings, and lets be honest---it's not human nature to be smiling and peachy all the time!!! Ahhhh, the struggles of community living.

I never make it to breakfast. they serve it from 6:30-7:30 and that is just too early for me!! I make it to work at 8 and grab my coffee. Lotssssss of coffee. Life is hard without Nespresso, but I'm makin' it.
On Mondays and Fridays the cafe has fun treats in the morning! Mondays are crepes and Fridays are waffles! For those who don't know, the Africa Mercy has a Starbucks on board and it is the only Starbucks in Africa!

There are "running clubs" that run at un-Godly hours like 5:30 and 6:00am. I got up one bright and shiny Friday morning to run with 2 lovely ladies. Walked up with my ipod and Sally said to me in the sweetest British accent possible "ohhh you cont bring that. They ownly time we've eva been chased by men with machetes is when someone had one of those devices."
"Ahh, yes, of course. Ill put it back in my cabin."

The sun rises here ridiculously early. Other than the above mentioned occurrence, I've never seen a sunrise, so it doesn't affect me much :)

The tough thing about living here is that I can't just walk off the ship and explore the city whenever I want. It is not safe. At first, I was pretty scared to go into town, but as the weeks pass by, I have gained more courage. I am still very aware of my surroundings, but if you go with the right people, you have no problems at all.

The library is one of my new favorite places on board. Its quiet and its a nice oasis away from the madness. I've never been an avid reader, but since I've been here I've read The Help, The Glass Castle, A Million little pieces and A long way gone---all of which are wonderful books! I am loving my new obsession with reading and all the time I have to become a true bookwarm. (nerd alert.)
I thought that I would want to read stories about Africa--most of which are heartbreaking--while I'm here, but I've found that it's actually more enjoyable to read about people from home. Reason being that for that time while I'm reading, it takes me back to what's familiar---and I enjoy being in that place.

A few MINOR irritations:
Chocolate. There is no chocolate here. When the snack bar gets it, its gone in 2 days. Depressing.
Shorts. You cant wear shorts around here. For a girl who lives in T-shirts, wind shorts and tennis shoes, it gets a little tough.
Internet. You can't download anything or watch streaming videos. No skype. No downloading the latest songs on iTunes. No watching Real Housewives of NYC on Hulu. Ugggh.

A few things that remind me of HOME!!!
***I was down in the Post-Ops room the other day waiting with Sassou to get his stitches out (yay!). The team started cleaning up down there, throwing away trash bags etc. I noticed that the hazardous hospital material was disposed of in a Brookshire’s Pharmacy bag.... It made me smile realllllly big!
***We have Community meeting twice a week and last week they played a Mercy Ships video highlighting the happenings of this field service. The intro and closing scenes were filmed at Roseland Plantation and in the bottom corner of the screen it said “Ben Wheeler, TX.” Here I was sitting in a room of truly international representation and they were watching scenes from Ben Wheeler!! Loved it. Bonnet Hill in the house!!!
***When I arrived I was talking with my bunkmate who is from Honduras and she says to me “When I lived in Tyler……..” I did a double take. “You lived in Tyler?!”

Well yes, for Gateway (Mercy Ships training class). I quickly realized that MANY of the people living on the ship have lived in Tyler at some point. Bizarre yet comforting.

Alright...I'll keep you waiting...hanging on for the next installment of "Life on a Boat."

Until then, I leave you with today's devotion from God Calling:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Understand Them
Take joy wherever you go. You have been much blessed. You are being much blessed.
Such stories of blessing are awaiting you in the months and years ahead. Pass every blessing on~
Love can and does go around the world, passed on the God-currents from one to the other.
Shed a little sunshine in the hearts of one, that one is cheered to pass it on, and so my vitalizing joy-giving message goes.
Be transmitters these days~ Love & Laugh. Cheer all. Love all.
Always seek to understand others and you cannot fail to love them.
See me in the dull, the uninteresting, the sinful, the critical, the miserable.
See me in the laughter of children, and the sweetness of old age, in the Courage & Youth and the Patience of man and womanhood.

"Wanna drive to Africa?" ....... "Yes."

2010-06-28T11:46:00.000Z

Joel Somerville: Optometrist; World traveller; Northern Irish; Awesome guy. Many people know him very well here on the Africa Mercy. Sadly, he left to return to Ireland this weekend--his time on the ship is over :(
Lucky for me, I was given an assignment to tell his story. And it is one amazing story. So, in honor of Joel's departure, here it is. He's Living the Dream....read about it!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun dips below the horizon and darkness covers the narrow dirt road deep in rural Mali. Gladys, an ’86 Volkswagen Caravelle, is almost out of gas and she has been acting up the last leg of the drive. There is no village in sight. Looks like Joel will be sleeping in the van tonight. Such is life when you’re driving “cross-continent” from Ireland to Togo.

When Joel Somerville won the “Live your Dreams” Scholarship from Glasgow Caledonian University he knew he wanted to do optometry work in third world countries. He heard about Mercy Ships from a friend and applied for an open position. He was accepted and given a start date in mid-March.

“I already told my job that I was leaving in January. I was sitting at work one day, a little bored, and the idea popped into my head to take the weeks before to drive down to Togo. I texted my friend Matthew, ‘Want to drive to Africa?’ and he immediately responded, ‘Yes.’”

Next item of business: a vehicle. There was an additional member of Joel’s family known as Gladys: a rustic blue, 1986 Volkswagon Caravelle. “Her official documents call her grey, but I think she is more a midnight blue,” Joel muses. “My parents got her when I was 3. I have so many wonderful memories in that car.”

Joel asked his parents if he could drive Gladys to Togo. Nonchalantly, his dad said, “Sure.” His mom was a little more concerned. After running a Google search and reading a blog of an elderly couple who successfully made the drive from Ireland to West Africa, Joel’s mom came around. “If this old couple can make it, you can too.”

Preparations were made for the journey: insurance, packing, tools for if Gladys broke down. Then, departure day was upon him. Joel’s entire family was there to say goodbye to Gladys. She had been a part of their family for so long; it was extremely hard to see her go. The plan was that when Joel returned to Ireland in June he would sell Gladys and leave her in Togo.

On the 9th of February Joel and Matthew launched their cross-continent journey. As you would imagine, there was quite a bit of adventure along the way. Joel and Matthew slept inside Gladys in cool countries, and slept outside in warm countries. Dealing with police and driving across borders was always a challenge.

“Policeman seemed to make up reasons to pull us over and ask questions. We had all the paperwork we needed, but it was still a bit scary. One time this policeman wouldn’t give up: asking tons of questions, so I asked him if he liked music. He said yes, so I handed him a CD. He said ‘Thanks!’ and we were on our way!”

Every time they approached a border crossing, Joel and Matthew would stop and say a prayer before driving through. When they reached the border between Burkina Faso and Togo they sailed through just fine. A few seconds later, however, they heard a whistle and commotion behind them. Joel nervously pulled Gladys to the side of the road. A patrolman walked up and knocked on the window.

“Hey!” he said, “Remember me? You gave me a CD a few days back. It’s actually really good. Thanks!!”

It was the policeman from a few days earlier. Joel and Matthew looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed. Thank goodness bartering still works in Africa. They made it through the LAST border!

Five weeks and 11 countries later, Joel drove onto the dock of the Africa Mercy, reporting for duty. He has now served for 4 months as an Eye Specialist, performing the first phase of screening for all Mercy Ships Eye patients.

He has built strong bonds with his field eye team. Four days a week they operated the screening site, seeing hundreds of patients a day. The need in Togo was so immense and sorting through the masses of patients each day was taxing on his emotions. But Joel knew that Mercy Ships could help many of them with a simple, 5 minute surgery. He knew he was making a difference.

Joel’s time with Mercy Ships, and the journey here, are experiences he will never forget. When asked how he will say goodbye to Gladys, Joel transformed into a somber mood. “I can’t. I’ve really struggled to come to terms with it. It’s hard to part with something that carries so many memories. We might have a time where everyone could just come and tell stories and sit in her. Just to remember the good times.”

After a brief trip home to Ireland, Joel will continue “Living his Dreams” in South America in the fall.

Courage & Strength

2010-06-28T11:00:00.000Z

“Hard things are put in our way not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength.”

Akou Kewukpo is a woman of courage. In Western Africa, women do an astounding amount of work. They farm, cook, take care of children, and sell goods. They carry heavy items on their heads extremely far distances. They are worked to the bone. Akou did these things while experiencing great pain.

She is a farmer and has 5 grown children. She looks stunning for her age. When you see Akou smile, these perfectly straight, glistening white teeth stare at you. You think: there is a story behind that smile.

A large mass has been growing on her right shoulder for 5 years. The growth began inching up her neck, and exuded immense pain. Akou didn’t know it at the time, but the tumor was slowly filling her lungs and eventually would kill her.

If Akou lived in a developed nation, she would have had the tumor removed at a very early stage. But because of the lack of health care resources, doctors in Togo suggested that she travel to Europe to have the tumor removed.

Europe? They might as well have given her a death sentence.

“I couldn’t believe it when they told me that. I shook my head, and essentially gave up.” Akou said.

Three years later, Akou waited in line to see a doctor at Mercy Ships’ screening day in Togo. The African sun beat down on the hundreds of hopeful people waiting for medical attention. Akou was checked by several nurses and given an X-ray. It was determined that she was a candidate for surgery and was given a date to return to the ship for her tumor to be removed.

“I was so happy that day. More than small happiness…this was BIG happiness. I was in a hurry to get back home so the time would pass faster, and the day of surgery would be here!” Akou remembers.

Eventually surgery day arrived. Akou went in and Dr. Mark performed a marathon nine-hour operation. In order to remove the entire tumor, Dr. Mark had to cut the nerves running through it. Then, he meticulously stitched each nerve back together.

In recovery Akou had staples running down her neck and shoulder resembling a train track of battle wounds.

But the enemy was gone: All that was left was a beautifully sloped silhouette of her shoulders.

Akou’s struggle, however, was not over. God wanted to test her courage further. When she woke up after surgery she could not lift her arm.

It was explained to Akou that the surgeon had to sever the nerves running through the tumor in order to remove it all. It was a requirement to save her life. Akou understood, but needed time to process the situation. Her livelihood depended on being able to lift things.

Charge Nurse, Ali Chandra, explained, “The doctors are quite confident that over time, and with therapy, Akou will regain all movement in her arm. And every day, I can see she is improving emotionally and responding to therapy.”

Akou’s courage and strength were called upon, and she rose to the occasion. Healing began and eventually, it was time to look at her shoulder for the first time. Akou was handed a small mirror and she carefully cleaned it with her hospital gown, and then held it up.

In a matter of seconds that beaming smile returned to her face. She finally allowed herself to enjoy the hope and healing God brought her through Mercy Ships.

“When my hand gets better,” she exclaims, “I will be jumping up and down—hands raised in the air with celebration. The first thing I will do when I return home is go to church and thank God for what he has done for me. All the nurses who have took care of me—I will thank God for them.”

Mercy Ships thanks God for people like Akou. Her story teaches us that God will only give us what he knows we can handle—to call out our courage and strength.

Akou at screening in February.

love.that.smile.

Post-surgery. happy & healing :)

Claudine---cutest name ever?!

2010-06-24T11:22:00.001Z

Ok, before we get to Claudine, First things first: meet Gafar and Tani.......they are fixtures on D Ward and have developed quite a brother/sister relationship. Bubbles? yes, they blow bubbles together. Crafts? yep..they do that together too. A few days ago they had movie time and watched Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs. Good flick :)

Gafar had a tumor removed from the right side of his face. A few days ago he saw out of his right eye for the first time in 4 years. Hearing about it gave me chills!!

Tani is a very special young girl. She fell into a cooking fire when she was young and had burns to her face and hand...and lost an eye. But let me tell you---this is the most spirited child in all the world. She has received several surgeries, and will come back to the ship in Sierra Leone so doctors can continue to re-structure her face, and give her a glass eye :)

Calling America? "Hi, this is Tani, can you come pick me up?"

There are ALWAYS fun things going on in Ward D. Ali is the Charge Nurse and there is only one word to describe her: freaking awesome. (ok, that's 2 words) .....

But, I like to go down to D ward to hang out with Tani and Gafar and all the other kids coming in and out receiving quick eye surgeries. As a writer, trying to capture a great story about an eye patient on board is very difficult. This is because our rockstar surgeons churn these people in and out in no time...so there is little opportunity to meet the patient, talk to them, gather enough info for a story AND get pictures of them! It's a challenge!!

Well, thanks to Ali's help, I was able to capture a couple good stories, and here is one of them:

Claudine.

I know I stated it in the title, but what a CUTE name?!?! it's going on the short list for sure. Here is Claudine's story, and a some adorable pics to go with it------Ali...I owe you one :)

When Claudine, a precious 2-year-old, was born her eyes did not open. She was lucky enough to be born in a hospital, but the doctors did not know why her eyelids remained closed. Her mother brought her home and waited. Days passed, but the eyes remained closed.

Seven days after she was born, Claudine’s mother took her back to the hospital. The doctor put eyes drops in her eyes, and finally, her lids lifted and she took her first look at the world around her. Her mother was saddened to see that Claudine was cross-eyed.

Being cross eyed means having a condition called Strabismus in which one’s eyes are not aligned correctly. Claudine’s case was congenital, meaning she was born with the condition. As Claudine grew it was a blessing for her mother to realize that the condition only hindered her vision a very small amount.

Her mother, Akouvi, comments, “Whenever she looks to the outside she has limited vision and her right eye goes deep inside toward her nose, limiting what she can see. But she never ran into things when learning to walk. When looking straight ahead she is ok.”

Early treatment of strabismus can help prevent depth perception problems and developing even more serious visual issues. But living in places like Lomé, Togo, Akouvi had trouble finding a doctor that could solve Claudine’s problem. Akouvi took her to doctor after doctor. Hospital after hospital. Every time getting the same answer: “We cannot help her.”

“I became fed up and exhausted,” Akouvi said, “I decided to stop trying. I thought, ‘Maybe it’s only God that can save her. Maybe God made her like this for a reason.’ I had completely given up.”

When God closes a door, he opens a window. Akouvi felt the door had been slammed in her face. Her husband came home one day, however, and said he received a phone call from a friend. The friend, Paul, was a day volunteer with Mercy Ships. “This is a hospital ship,” Paul said, “that performs eye surgeries, and the ship should be able to help Claudine.” God opened a window.

Akouvi took Claudine in her arms and walked to Mercy Ships’ Hospitality Center. The eye tech team informed her she must first go to a field screening, and they would determine if Claudine was a good candidate for surgery. Claudine made it through the first screening and was considered a candidate for strabismus correction surgery.

“Mercy Ships was an answer to my prayers. We tried every way, and couldn’t get a solution. I know God’s hand was involved with Mercy Ships coming into our lives. Through God things become possible—things like curing Claudine’s eyes. I am so grateful.”

Claudine arrived for surgery, and the next day she had corrected eyes and was seeing perfectly out of them.

Claudine before her surgery hanging out with one of the nurses, Jenn Carrol.

Claudine after surgery with her mom, Akouvi.

I mean, are you kidding???

{Uh-door-uh-bull}

Au revoir Claudine and Akouvi!

Food for Life

2010-06-21T18:55:00.000Z

(Serge here receiving his diploma)

Twenty four-year-old Serge Medeho is proud to stand among his classmates at the Food for Life graduation. He displays maturity and determination not seen in men his age. When asked about the ceremony he simply says, “The ceremony was good. Now, I am looking ahead and I am ready to return home and use what I have learned. I hope to get a large plot of land to practice my biological agriculture.”

Mercy Ships has teamed with Bethesda of Benin, a fellow NGO, to create the Food for Life Agriculture Program. The second graduating class boasts nineteen men and one woman. These participants have completed a gruelling 16 week course where they have learned about biological agriculture and how to manage and market a farm. Now they are armed with the knowledge, tools and skills required to become thriving agriculturists, and better yet: teach others the skills as well.

(The Food for Life choir sang beautifully!)

The director for Food for Life Bethesda, Urbain Lontchedji, speaks to the graduates and attendees at the ceremony. “I know our training was very hard and the students got up every morning and worked long days. Thank you to the families for letting your brothers, sons, and husbands leave home and come here to learn. They will be better off because of it.”

The partnership between Bethesda and Mercy Ships was key for program success.

“This program would not exist without Mercy Ships,” says Bethesda director Victor Gbedo. “We had the idea for this program, but not the means to see it through. Mercy Ships stepped in and provided funding. We are so thankful for this partnership, and I know the graduates appreciate it just as much. We are transforming lives.”

Half of the twenty participants were selected by Mercy Ships and half by Bethesda. Each was identified because of their background in agriculture, and attends the program free of charge. They gain in-depth knowledge on organic farming such as composting, using home-made insecticide, and layering crops that thrive when planted together.

The participants live on-site at the Bethesda Food for Life Training Center for the duration of the course. Each student is given a plot of land that is theirs to maintain. The trainees grow fruits and vegetables such as pineapple, tangerines, corn, beans, peanuts, eggplant, tomatoes, and green beans.

(All the graduates with the staff. Brand new Equipment in the foreground.)

The students and teachers live off of the crops they grow at the center, but they cannot possibly eat all the food they grow! The center is a wonderful food source for people living in the surrounding villages.

“We don’t even have to bring the food into town,” says Mercy Ships Agriculture Program Facilitator Jean-Claude Mouditou, “They know it is here and the people come and purchase the food right as it is harvested.”

Providing food for villagers is an added bonus to this amazing program. The students are benefiting the most by receiving skills and knowledge to be successful farmers. But the hope is that they will teach other people their skills, and the knowledge will multiply. It is important to celebrate such an accomplishment.

The ceremony was filled with singing, dancing and laughter. The student choir harmonized to “Oh happy day, when Jesus washed our sins away,” as family members looked on with pride.

Mercy Ships Managing Director, Donovan Palmer, told the graduates how happy Mercy Ships is to be a partner in this program, and he gave them a challenge: “I want you use your faith and ask God to take what you have learned, and grow it into something greater than you can ever imagine.” Donovan paused. “Are you excited?”

The graduates reply with a resounding, “Oui!” (Yes!!)

(Jean Claude presenting the graduates with their wheelbarrow.)

At the end of the ceremony, each participant was presented with a brand new wheelbarrow filled with their own set of supplies: Two watering cans, a shovel, a pitchfork, rubber boots, a bucket, and seeds were among the items. The graduates lit up with excitement as they rolled their new materials out of the building. “This equipment is so wonderful. It will help us truly succeed!” Serge Medeho says.

(Serge here with his family)

After the ceremony, Serge pauses to reflect on his experience. “I don’t even have the words to say thank you. God passed through this organization and helped each one of us. How did I get so lucky? Being here has added so much to who I am. To what I can do. Truly amazing.”

Serge’s sister, Therese, has seen a change in him. “He loves it here. He behaves so differently now. By God’s grace this is possible, and I know he will be very successful now.”

At the close of the ceremony, Mercy Ships Switzerland Director, Bryce Wagner, stood to say a few words. He spoke about how proud Mercy Ships is of these graduates and how their skills will serve them well. He concluded, “Vous êtes l'avenir d'Afrique,”

You are the future of Africa.

The crowd got on their feet and erupted into claps and cheers. Indeed they are!

Singing.Dancing.Laughing.

Photo of Serge and family--they insisted I jump in, too.

A local musical group came and provided great entertainment!!

The Graduates from Benin.

This is my FAVORITE! So African! Got a new wheelbarrow? sweet, let's strap it to the Zimi to get it home!

Meza and I :)

A few ceremony attendees heading back home on foot.

Jean Claude teaching us about the compost pile!

ALL PHOTOS taken by none other than Tom Bradley, Photographer extraordinaire!!!

Happy. Faces. Yes.

2010-06-20T12:27:00.000Z

Yesterday I went to the Food for Life graduation in Benin....Food for Life is the Agriculture program that Mercy Ships helps facilitate. I watched 20 young men and women graduate from the program which lasted 4 months. During the ceremony there were tons of kids that were playing outside (very uninterested in the actual ceremony...) so I played with them a bit. They were, however, VERY interested in my camera. Here are a few pics I took. One or two were taken by one kid who I taught to use the camera. (hence, the un-centered-ness haha)

Happy Faces for Father's Day!!!

The girl on the right was so adorable. Hair up in a scrunchie!

Gotta get the logo in.

Bradley being cheeky.

In front of the well....I taught them a little thumbs up action.

In front of some of the crops that the students take care of...

Hands up!! dancin.

Bryce, the Director of our Swiss office, taught this kid to use his video camera. He's just getting some footage of the ceremony :)

smile?

me "Yall go stand in front of that wall"

kids "lets pick up a bunch of rocks!" okkkk, whatever you want to do!! haha

Adventure #3: Riding a Zimi

2010-06-17T16:54:00.000Z

In Lomé the main form of transportation is a zimi john (aka, motorcycle). They zoom, zig & zag all over the place, making driving quite difficult. They weave in and out of traffic...pass on the right, pass on the left...simply, they are all over the place!

If you want to go anywhere in the city, you can either hop in a cab OR jump on the back of a zimi. Now, those of you who know me are aware that I am extremely risk averse. I have only ridden a motorcycle back home 1 time, and at the 30 mph mark I think I trembling with fear.

So, when the group I was with suggested we take zimis to the restaurant we were going to, my brow furrowed and I got a very scared look on my face. I'd rather not!!! ...... errrrrrrr

We searched for cabs for 15 minutes, but no luck. I decided I needed to take one for the team, gut it up, put my big girl panties on, and ride a zimi.

We flagged 3 down, the boys negotiated price, and I jumped on a motorcycle behind a Togolese stranger and off we went. I held on for dear life.

At first, we were going very slowly because there was lots of traffic, so we were just passing all the cars slowly. THEN we got to the open road and took off. Now, we were probably only going about 30mph or so, but whew, it felt faster!! Also, my driver and Logan's driver felt like this was some kind of race...so they were speeding it up....

Sooooo, as the time went by I realized that riding on the zimi wasn't as scary as I thought. In fact, it was actually kind of fun! The sun was setting, and we were cruising down the beach road, and I was taking in the scenery and all of a sudden was super excited and happy! Logan was in front of me, so I didn't feel too worried about safety. I decided to make a bold move and take out my camera and start shooting away.

Here are all the pics I took from the back of a Togolese Zimi John. Adventure #3: Success!

Pay Day...

2010-06-16T14:31:00.001Z

Akou is a precious lady with the most brilliant smile I have ever seen. Her teeth are so perfect, she should be on a Crest Whitestrips Commercial!!!!
Mercy Ships first met Akou at screening in February. She had a large tumor on her neck and shoulder. Our writer and photographer, Joy and Debra, interviewed her. Akou told them that she has only had the tumor for 5 years, and it has grown steadily over that time. She had several scars on the tumor, which she said were from "natural remedies"....essentially a witch doctor who attempted to cure her of the tumor. Obviously, his efforts failed, only leaving her badly scarred.

I met Akou for the first time with Tom while doing Pre-Op photographs. She was very downtrodden and had a look of despair on her face---even despite the fact that she was finally getting checked in for surgery!! (which should have been a joyous time!)

After Joy realized I was writing about her, she showed me the screening photos they had taken. This was brilliant, I thought!! We've covered this patient from step one: screening! Below are photos taken from the screening, and my favorite: Her bright smile when she received her Card which indicated her surgery date!!! She's IN!!

Akou Kewukpo at screening--you can see her tumor and scars from the witch doctor attempting to cure her.

Akou getting registered at Screening.

Waiting in line. Lots of waiting...waiting....hoping....wishing...waiting...

Inside the screening tents. Talking with a translator.

BINGO!!! There's that smile!

"Best day of my life" -Akou

Five months later, Akou went in for surgery with our Max Fax surgeon, Dr. Mark. Once he opened her up, he realized that her tumor was more advanced that previously thought. It had wrapped itself around several nerves and blood vessels. In order to remove all of the tumor, Dr. Mark had to cut the nerves that ran through the tumor. He knew this would have other affects on her body, but he spent a marathon 9 hours meticulously reconnecting every single nerve he had severed.

Akou was wheeled into D Ward after surgery. When the anesthesia wore off, she discovered that she could not lift her right arm. The nerve damage prevented her from raising her arm. She was confused and devastated. I thought the smile was gone earlier---but it was ESPECIALLY gone now :(

Meza & I talking with Akou after surgery. Visibly upset, she told that she couldn't move her arm. "I carry things all day long--for a living. What on earth will I do?" She was very shaken by the effect of the nerve damage.

Days passed and Akou began coping with the situation. Her tumor, which was removed completely, looked fantastic. But she told nurse Ali..."I am not ready to look at the tumor yet. I am still mourning over my arm."

Eventually, Akou's spirit came back. She began working with a physical therapist who has taught her exercises to regain motion. She would pick up beads from her bed and put them in a cup. Back and forth, over and over again.

When I knew the time was right I had something to share with Akou. This was sure to cheer her up. I printed out a large color copy of the photo of her beaming with her Surgery date card, and took it down to her. I told her I had a present for her. {Most of the african people rarely see pictures of themselves, so that is always a treat.}

She looked at me skeptically.

I handed her the picture.

She looked, a little flabbergasted. Absolutely speechless.

Then she broke into a smile.

"Do you remember this day?" I asked.

"Of course I remember it!! That was one of the greatest days."

"Do you remember how you felt that day?"

"I was SO happy. Way more than a small happy, BIG happiness! Oh, I wanted to RUN home. Fast Fast. Get there so that the days and weeks would pass quickly so my date would be here! That's all I could think about"

Then she did something amazing. She whipped out her small, red pocket mirror and gently cleaned it off on her hospital gown. Then, she held it up and admired her neck and shoulder: how beautifully sloped it was---and tumorless!! Then looked back at the picture of her 5 months earlier. She was amazed and consumed with JOY.

"When my hand gets better, I will be jumping up and down with my hands in the air in celebration!"

Then I told her that this picture was on the Mercy Ships website (see blog post here) and that anyone throughout the world could go to the site and see a picture of her. "You're famous, Akou!" She died [of excitement!]. She couldnt believe it!!

Witnessing this moment makes what I do worth it. I can say, with 100% certainty, that was the best moment since I've been on this ship. I dont make a dime being here, but THIS was pay day.

We wanted to snap a few pictures of Akou and she was eating. Laughing, and eating :)

Beautiful smile! and NO tumor.

She is discharged from the ward and heading to the Hospitality Center.

It's a good day.

***Doctors believe that if Akou continutes the exercises for her arm, she should regain complete movement after one year. It is a very difficult situation to deal with, but given how advanced the tumor was, it was the only option. If not completely removed, the tumor would have eventually filled her lungs and killed her. We take what we can :)

My Mercy Box

2010-06-15T14:24:00.001Z

This morning at Community Meeting we were shown a pretty amazing video.

There is a family living on the ship from Norway---the Tvedts. Dag, the father, is a dentist and works at the Mercy Ships dental clinic in Lomé. The mother, Jorid, works in Crew Care. They have three very cute kids--Fride, Linde and Bendik, who all attend school at the Academy here in the ship.

I know no one reading this has ever heard of this family, but in Norway they have become pretty famous!!! A Television Producer in Norway has turned the Tvedt's life living on the Africa Mercy into a television show in Norway. It's called My Mercy Box and it follows little Fride Tvedt (a beautful blond 7-year-old girl) around and shows what life is like living on a Hospital Ship in Africa.

From what I hear, it is one of the most popular shows in Norway. 80% of children between the age 5 and 10 know about this show. And, during its time slot, its the most watched tv show. It is a very simple concept and shows Fride going to school, eating with her family in the cafeteria, and spending time in the African towns with her parents.

The episode we watched this morning was on her 7th Birthday and she got to go to work with her dad that day. She watched her dad remove teeth from a few patients, and she even got to help out a little! A small boy came in and had to get a tooth pulled so Fride drew him a picture to cheer him up a bit :) Then, when she got back to the ship, she had a birthday party with all her friends.

The show is called My Mercy Box and its hugely addicting---I want to see the other 10 episodes right now! Rumor has it that they will be selling them on DVD soon. Also, other countries have bought the rights to the show in their country and it will start airing in other languages soon.

Here is a link to a page that has better pictures of Fride and some more info on the show:
My Mercy Box: Info

I think these TV producers have hit the jackpot---and Mercy Shipers are HOPING that the show catches on in countires other than Norway. Who knows, maybe in a few years we'll be watching My Mercy Box on our TVs in Texas :)

What a GREAT idea!! I hope it catches on !!

Here is Dag, the dad, and dentist:

Below is Fride (second from the left) with her 3rd grade class at the Academy on the ship.

2010-06-15T13:23:00.000Z

Akissi gets ready for the dress Ceremony...she's got her pretty gown on!

Time to 'get her make-up did'!!

Donning the Headress! Hers had a fancy fan :)

With the 6 other VVF women who were celebrating being dry!

Nurses and others celebrate as the ladies file in!

At the ceremony...

Afterwards with the entire VVF team.

What a great celebration!!!

Hope Reborn

2010-06-14T13:15:00.000Z

There is one surgical program we specialize in here on the ship that is pretty foreign to people in the states.

{I heard a story that Dr. Steve Arrowsmith (our VVF surgeon from Michigan) got a call one day from New York about a patient they had with an odd case. Turns out, she had a VVF and Dr. Arrowsmith was the only doctor in the US that hospital knew who could perform her surgery! That's how uncommon this is back home....}

VVF (vesico-vaginal fistula) is common in Africa because of the lack of obstetric care. The Mercy Ships program, aptly titled “Hope Reborn,” will give hope to women who have been suffering from an extremely debilitating condition for many years.

VVF is caused by difficulties during childbirth. Because there is no hospital near them, when some women go into labor they writhe in agony for several days before giving birth to a stillborn child. The prolonged labor causes a hole to form between the bladder and the vagina, making it difficult to live a normal life: they are wet constantly from their urine leaking. It is an involuntary discharge of urine, and therefore they carry with them an unpleasant odor.

This condition is a stigma in African society. It is a prevalent problem but discussion of this condition is swept under the rug and dismissed. Women with this condition are usually shunned and separated from everyday life around them. If more doctors knew how to repair the fistula it would stop the suffering of hundreds of women.

We have an entire VVF team on board including 2 surgeons. The surgeons are performing 6 surgeries per day, which is amazing.

Mercy Ships has a grant with the US Government in which our surgeons on board are able to train other surgeons in Africa.The surgeons come to the ship and watch our surgeons, and learn. This is a fairly simple procedure. All it takes is teaching local doctors how to do it. The ship is a wonderful training platform and the hope is that many African doctors will return to their clinics and perform surgeries on women locally----so they don't have to travel so far to the Africa Mercy.

I met Akissi at the Hospitality Center where she was clinging to her friend, Alizma. Elaine and I realized that we had a "double" story---2 friends from the same village (12 hours north of here), were going through this process together!!! (Jackpot!! writer's dream....)

Here is Akissi's story.

Akissi is a spirited teenager. Her gleaming white teeth shine bright each time she breaks into one of her contagious smiles. Some things get lost in translation, but not Akissi’s gregarious behavior. When asked for a photo, she swiftly poses with clenched fists showing off her buff arms, and that award-winning smile to top it off.

Akissi’s life has not always been filled with smiles and laughter. She grew up in a rural village in the northern part of Togo. From a family of farmers, she learned to work long days under the brutal sun at a very young age. Her beauty, however, and her smile were things that set her apart.

At sixteen she moved to Cote d’Ivoire to be married to a man there. When she got there, she became pregnant. When she went into labor, she struggled for several days before finally going to a hospital. She received a cesarian section, but the baby had died during strained labor. Devastated that she had lost her child, Akissi’s bright and bubbly spirit was suppressed.

After the C-section, Akissi noticed that she could no longer hold her bladder when she had to go to the bathroom. Her urine was released without her control and she knew this was very bad. Her condition is called vesico-vaginal fistula, or VVF, and is very common in countries where there is little to no obstetric care. A hole forms between the bladder and the vagina and the woman is no longer able to control her urine.

At this point the man that Akissi was with saw no use in her, and he sent her home.

It was a very long voyage from Cote d’Ivoire back to her village in northern Togo. Akissi tried very hard to cover up her condition. The others on the bus could sense a foul smell coming from her, and she was humiliated.

Once she was back with her family in her village Pkaple, Akissi struggled to endure everyday life. Her vivacious demeanor was stifled and her head remained bowed in shame. There was, however, a small glimmer of hope. Akissi met someone who had a similar problem to hers. Alizma was close to Akissi’s age and they became fast friends because they were going through the same situation.

Akissi and Alizma heard on the radio that doctors from Mercy Ships were coming near their village to see women with a leaking problem like their own. Akissi felt this may be her opportunity to get help. She went to the screening with Alizma, and they were both given a date to make the journey to the hospital ship in Lomé.

This was exciting news for both girls. They were given hope that Mercy Ship doctors could perform surgery to make them dry. Mercy Ships arranged transportation for the women from the Northern territories to get to Lomé. When Akissi arrived she was overwhelmed by the bustle and commercialization of a large city, but she remained focused and hopeful that in a matter of days she would have her life back.

After screening on the ship Akissi was graded a level 1 VVF, meaning she was one of the easiest to repair. VVF surgeon Dr. Steve Arrowsmith performed surgery on Akissi and closed her fistula. When the nurses removed her catheter a few days later it was confirmed that the surgery was a success: she was cured of her problem. For the first time in a year and a half, Akissi was dry.

Akissi was overwhelmed with happiness.
A few days later Akissi took part in a ceremony honoring the women who were blessed with successful surgeries. Drums, clapping and singing echoed through the ward as the women filed into the room in traditional African dress. Akissi wore a cobalt blue gown with touches of golden yellow. Her face was lit up with joy.
Akissi stood up, amongst her peers and a large crowd attending the ceremony, and said, “Thank you to all the doctors and the nurses. Now, I can be among people. I no longer hide at home. Thank you Mercy Ships for all you have done.”
Thanks to the entire Mercy Ships VVF team, Akissi will return to her village and look forward to a normal life: A life free from shame and filled with her jovial and cheerful spirit.

Akissi (middle) with Alizma (right) and another woman from their village in the North.

Women who have been shuttled down by Mery Ships from northern Togo await their surgery date.

Alizma (left) and Akissa (right) in the ward after surgery.

Akissi showing off her guns and that bright smile!

Connect Four: VERY popular game in africa! ;)

Akissi and Alizma play together before they return home to their village after SUCCESSFUL surgeries!!!

**Photos from Akissi's Dress Ceremony coming shortly..........

How does the Mercy Ships process work?

2010-06-12T17:01:00.002Z

Some people have asked me about the process of how patients get to Mercy Ships so I decided to give an explanation of how the process works.

When Mercy Ships decides to go to a country for a field service an advanced team goes and assesses the need before the ship ever arrives. This team meets with the Department of Health and, with our core capabilities in mind, determines what programs we will have in that country.

Mercy Ships advertises through local churches, local hospitals and on the radio. A lot of our patients are also referred from doctors at missionary hospitals throughout Africa. The network of doctors working in Africa is pretty amazing---many of them from the US or Europe have been doing this work for a long time.

When the ship arrives in the country, the first order of business is screening. We hold massive screenings where hundreds, even thousands of people wait in long lines for their chance to see a doctor. Their hearts are filled with hope that they will get chosen for surgery because for many of them, free surgery on the Africa Mercy is the only way they will survive. Also, some have been waiting for years with the hope that the ship will come to their country. I have heard day volunteers talking about people they know in Sierra Leone that have been desperate for the ship to come back there. Lucky for them, we will be there in February 2011!

Screening days are extremely tough on the crew. Not only because they are very long, tedious days, but the reality is there will be many more ”nos” than “yeses.”

Once a patient makes it to see a doctor, they will assess the severity of the patient’s condition and if they can operate on them. If it is decided that yes, we can operate, they will be given an appointment card that tells them what date to come to the ship for surgery.

For patients who live far away we provide housing for them at the Hospitality Center. This is a government building that has been loaned to Mercy Ships for the field service. Each patient is allowed one caregiver to stay with them at all times—so it’s usually a parent or friend. For adults, sometimes it is their child. The caregiver and the patient are able to stay at the Hospitality Center before surgery if they travel a far distance to get here.

Patients are checked in as Pre Ops the night before surgery. They are given a bed on the hospital ward, and they will sleep here one night before their big day of surgery. The patients are given an IV that night, and for most of them, it’s the first time they have ever had blood drawn or a needle in their body, so they are pretty scared! They try and sleep a little before the next day when the Mercy Ships doctors will change their lives forever J

The next day they have their surgery. Other crewmembers are able to scrub in and watch surgeries if they want to. I hope I get to do this before I come home! They go into recovery until they are stable and feeling good enough to go back into the ward. Usually patients stay on the ship a couple days after surgery. Then, they are discharged from the hospital. If they live close by, they will go home. If not, they can stay at the Hospitality Center. They are given a Post Op appointment for a check up in a few days. Patients will come back routinely for post ops to get their dressings changed, stitches/staples pulled out and given meds to take home. The post op room is truly amazing how many patients they cycle through there each day!!

The post op doctors decide when its time to let the patient go for good. They are always told that they can come back to the ship if they are having any complications, however.

The surgeries will end at the end of July. We don’t perform surgeries up until the day we leave because need time to take care of the patients as they recover. On Aug. 15 the ship will sail to South Africa where it will be for 4 months getting a new generator. Then, in January 2011, the ship will sail to Sierra Leone for a 10-month outreach there.

So, I hope that description helps people understand the process here at Mercy Ships a little better!! Now, I’m off to watch the England/USA football match----GO USA!!!!!

Put to the test

2010-06-10T16:32:00.001Z

Under the shade of a group of Queneen trees sits a pristine elementary school near the rural Togo-Benin border. Thirteen-year-old Sassou walks out of his classroom surrounded by 20 chatty classmates. He breathes a deep sigh of relief. His exam is finally over, and hopefully he has passed the 5th grade.

Sassou’s father, Efoe, is there to greet him. It is time to return to the ship for a post-operative check up. Though he is tired from 4 hours of writing, Sassou looks at his father with his one good eye and a glimmer of excitement. “To the ship?” Sassou asks. “Yes, let’s go to the ship,” his father responds.
When Sassou was born he had a small pimple on the inside of his eye. His father took him one hospital, which referred him to another hospital, and yet another. None of the doctors could do anything to help. Efoe kept spending money, but sadly saw no results. Eventually, he gave up.
By the time Sassou was 10-years-old the problem area had spread to his eye lid and began to push his eye to one side. It was difficult for him to see the chalkboard at school and his classmates would always ask him why he looked that way. Usually, Sassou would just look down and walk away. The answer was he did not know why he looked different than everyone else.
One day, Sassou’s teacher told his father there was a ship coming to Lomé that offers free surgery.
“You should go and take Sassou to the ship,” said the teacher, “And see if they can help him.” Sure enough, the doctors at the Mercy Ships screening were able to help Sassou, and scheduled him for surgery a few months later.
Before they departed their village, Agokpame, to go to Lomé for surgery, Sassou expressed that he was worried he might not be able to take his test at the end of the school year. His father told him they could work it out, but truthfully, he didn’t know what would happen on the ship, so it was hard to say.
The day after arrival on the ship Sassou went into surgery. Afterwards, the doctor explained to Efoe that he, unfortunately, was forced to remove Sassou’s eye in order to take out the entire tumor.
In the western world losing an eye would be a devastating loss. Efoe, however, has a positive outlook in the midst of such tragedy. “It is hard that he will not have both eyes,” Efoe says, “But, this is ok. The area on his eye was getting larger and without Mercy Ships it may have taken over his whole face. He can live with only one eye. I am so grateful. Words do not come to me to express my thankfulness.”
The Chief of Sassou and Efoe’s village is just as thankful for all that Mercy Ships has done. “Here in our village no one has money to see a doctor. Sassou was having a hard time with his eye and we could all see that. When we heard Mercy Ships was coming we were so grateful that you can help. Everyone here knows the wonderful thing you have done for Sassou.”
It was arranged with the post-op doctors that Sassou could go home, take his test, and come back for his check-up afterwards. He was able to take his test after all, and he was very relieved.
Sitting in his classroom in his school uniform Sassou looked just like all the other kids.
Among his friends coming out of his exam, Sassou looked proud. Though it is hard for him to imagine a great life with only one eye, he remembers the encouragement he received from one Mercy Ships volunteer, Caleb Yoda:
“God has big plans for you, Sassou. I know you are disheartened now, but God has given you the chance to have the tumor removed. You have survived that hardship, and now you are off to do great things in life.”

Yes, Sassou thought, great things indeed.

Sassou rocks the test!

2010-06-09T21:09:00.001Z

On Monday morning Tom, Meza and I piled in a land rover and headed East to Aneho, Sassou's village. An hour and a half later we came upon pristine beaches and crystal clear green ocean water. It was breathtaking and beautiful!! We were right along the border between Togo and Benin.

We picked up Sassou's father, Efoe, and he directed us to their actual village which was not Aneho at all. It was a small, proper African village down a long red dirt road lined with Palm trees. The village had round huts with thatched roofs, houses all connected to one another, and absolutely no commercialization. It was truly an amazing place.
We drove past the village and went to Sassou's school. It was VERY impressive. It's a christian school and the students wear uniforms. We talked with the headmaster and he went into Sassou's classroom and said

"There will be a white man with a camera coming in here to photograph the class. You all need to continue with your test, and do not cause a scene."

Then Tom and I had permission to go into the classroom. Sassou was sitting in the middle with a pair of Ray Bans on! It was wicked!!! The entire class was so well behaved and other than a few wandering eyes at the camera, they were wonderful. The question for the test, we learned, was an assessment of knowledge. They were to write in their booklets all the main things they learned that year. They sure had a lot to write!!

Tom snapped a few photos, then we headed back to the village to see Sassou's house while he finished his test.

At his house, Efoe gave us each coconuts. We drank coconut juice and ate the inside. My first coconut experience that wasn't shredded from a package :)

Efoe showed us around the village and we met the Chief. He came and sat with us and we had a lovely chat with he and his family. They told us about 2 other kids in the village that could use help from Mercy Ships. Before we knew it one child with club feet and another child with a hand deformity had walked in. We took pictures of them, but told the Chief that the field service was coming to a close and we probably wouldn't be able to do anything to help. It was so heartbreaking to watch this girl with club feet walk---it hurt me inside!!! The good news is that Mercy Ships can help this girl. The bad news is that she may have to wait for the next field service in Togo for that to happen :(

We said goodbye to the Chief and made one stop at Sassou's great grandmother's house which was phenomenal. She was very old, but extremely coherant and very thankful for Mercy Ships and everything they have done for Sassou.

We said goodbye to her and went back to Sassou's school to pick him up. We were taking Sassou and Efoe back to the ship for thier post-op appointment. We talked with the headmaster and set up a group shot of Sassou and his classmates. Then, we were back on the road to the Africa Mercy. I was so happy that we were able to help Sassou be able to take his test! He said it was hard, but he was glad it was over :)

Sassou's village, Agokpame.

Love this shot of the trees at an angle.

A few people from the village.

The precious girl that has club feet, a deformity where her feet grow backwards.

Sassou in his classroom taking his test.

The entire class!

Sassou with his dad, Efoe, and his principal.

Photos courtesy of awesome photojournalist TOM BRADLEY: http://www.tombradley.wordpress.com/

Adventure #2: KPALIME {pal-ih-may}

2010-06-08T09:59:00.000Z

This weekend was my first getaway since arriving in Togo!! Eight other crew members and I piled in a van with two translators for a 2-day trip to Kpalime---a town about 3 hours north. Kpalime is a popular weekend destination for many Mercy Shipers.
We were well represented on this trip: 2 Brits, 1 German, 1 Swiss, 1 Northern Irish, 1 Canadian, 1 American (from Rhode Island) and a fellow East Texan!!

The group!

It’s a good thing that we left at 6am on Saturday because our bus broke down, leaving us stranded by the side of the road for a few hours. We made it to our lovely hotel in Kpalime by about noon and trekked off to find lunch. I enjoyed an ice cold Castel and it was one of the best things I’ve tasted in a while—nice to be on vacation!!

Logan (from Bullard) and I with verrrry cheap beer :)

This is where we were stranded on the side of the road for a few hours :)

That afternoon we went to see an amazing waterfall. Most of the group jumped in, but I politely declined and took pics instead. It was truly a sight to see---in the depths of a valley amongst plush green trees and bushes. Pretty breathtaking.

That night I stepped out of my comfort zone and had Fufu for dinner. Fufu is a very inexpensive yet popular dish that has the consistency of mashed potatoes. You are supposed to eat it with your hands and dip it in a red sauce and then add some fish. It wasn’t too bad! I wouldn’t eat it everynight, but I’m glad I tried it.

Sunday brought a whole new day of adventure. Fabrice, one of our translators, grew up in a village near Kpalime and his father is the Chief of the village. We went to visit his father and it was quite an experience! We sat on his porch and were served Palm Oil, a native beverage. Fabrice’s sister poured it into our glass from a Diesel Engine Oil container. Classic. Funny thing was is it sorta tasted like engine oil as well. {gulp}

The Chief on the left and Fabrice and Eva on the Right

Toasting with the Palm Oil

After we spoke to the Chief through his “translators” (no one can speak directly to the Chief) we visited a sacred rock in the village. There is an entire legend behind the rock and the tribe believes that is protects them from all enemies in war. Pretty fascinating stuff….

The last excurision was going to the top of Mt. Agou, the highest point in Togo. The initial plan of hiking to the top was nixed after the bus breakdown, so we drove to the top. Inwardly, I was stoked to not have to hike—They say it takes about 5 hours, and anyone who is willing to do that in this African heat is mental.

After snapping a few photos from the top, we headed down the mountain and back to Lomé. I was so ready for a shower and my bed!!! Here are a few pics…we had so many good ones it was hard to narrow down!!

Reading to a super cute child...he wasn't as into The Glass Castle as I was.

Kids who live in the mountains: No cars, all farmers. Thinking about their lives is truly unbelievable.

At the top of Mt. Agou!

My stamp on africa: teaching as many kids as I can the fist dap. Its been bridging the gap between western cultures and 3rd world countries since the early 90's.

Sassou UPDATE!

2010-06-04T16:17:00.001Z

Sassou, the boy I told you about here, WILL be able to take his final exam on Monday, and we will be there to document it! Tom, Meza and I will be driving to Sassou's elementary school in the village of Aneho on Monday morning, and we will take some pictures of him in action. He told me that he didn't need to study too much----he's got it in the bag :)

Here is post-op nurse Jane taking Sassou's staples out yesterday....He's lookin' good!!

Life or Death?

2010-06-04T11:41:00.002Z

I received an email yesterday from a patient whose story I wrote. His name is Nougloze Yao, and he had quite a story. The email was in french, so I pulled out my 5 year old french skills and sharpened them up a bit. The gist of the email was thanking the doctors and the nurses of Mercy Ships for saving his life, and thanking me for being a friend. It touched my heart to receive his email. Here is the story I wrote about Nougloze Yao, with pictures of him below.

Not many people are put in a situation where their fate lies in their own two hands. Nougloze Yao, a 20-year-old builder from Lomé, was put in that exact position. Holding the hands of two Mercy Ships volunteers just minutes before surgery he had a very difficult decision to make: Life or death?
One year and three months ago, Nougloze Yao was in Ghana training to become a builder. A small pimple on his face had grown larger and he realized that what started out as nothing had become a painful growth inside his mouth.
Back in Lomé, his mother longed for the day her son would come home so she could care for him. Finally, he returned. Upon first sight of her son, his mother was dismayed. His condition was much worse that she had expected. Nougloze Yao’s uncle knew of the Mercy Ship that was docked in the port of Lomé. The next day they tried to go to the ship. Disappointed, they were turned away.
“Screening is over,” they were told, “We are not longer taking patients.” Heartbroken, his mother knew she could not give up.
She came to the ship every day. She experienced overwhelming feeling of sadness watching the patients who had cards being escorted onto the big white hospital ship. How can I get my son a card? she thought to herself. She knew Mercy Ships was his only chance.
One day, as she waited on the dock with the other patients, a crewmember approached her and asked her why she looked so distressed. “My son,” she said, “He is in great pain.” The crewmember told her to bring him back to the ship, and she would see what they could do.
Elated, the mother rushed home to relay the joyous news to Nougloze Yao. Neither of them slept well that night: the anticipation and eagerness for a surgery to remove the tumor kept them in constant prayer. The next morning, with a heart filled with hope, Nougloze Yao arrived on the dock of the Africa Mercy surrounded by a support system of 7 family members! Admittance nurses agreed it was a case that Dr. Gary Parker would need to see for final approval.
Once onboard, Nougloze Yao met with Dr. Parker. The doctor assessed the tumor and gave the final authorization: Nougloze Yao was approved for surgery!
The day of surgery arrived, and Nougloze Yao had a very uneasy feeling. As he was escorted onto the Africa Mercy, his surroundings were unfamiliar but he tried to be brave. Just before surgery he was given a form to sign saying that he consented to a blood transfusion in the event of complications. “No,” he said, “it is against my religion to receive blood.”
Deb Jacobson, Patient Life Coordinator onboard the Africa Mercy, learned that he was a Jehovah Witness, and it is against their religion to have a blood transfusion.
After this realization, Deb knew she needed to pray for this man. She asked God to help her reach out to this patient and make him realize the magnitude of this decision. If he did not sign the paper, he would not receive surgery and it is almost certain he will die within the next few months. He is choosing between his own life and his own death.
Deb received a call from Dr. Giles saying he needed the signature in the next 15 minutes. Deb took Nougloze Yao into a private room, and together they prayed. His fists were clenched with fear and stress. He was sweating. He began to cry.
Deb recalls, “We sat there and we prayed quietly and we struggled and cried, and finally he pointed to the papers and said he’d sign them. But even to sign them he was clenching his hand, he was holding the chair, he was fighting everything that he had inside him.”
Nougloze Yao, through silent tears and an intense internal struggle, agreed to sign the form. He chose life.
His surgery went off without a hitch. No transfusion was needed after all. God was smiling down on Nougloze Yao that day, and now he’s living a tumor-free life with a perfect smile to prove it.

Nougloze Yao when he arrived to the Africa Mercy at the beginning of May.

Post-Op photo of Nougloze Yao just 2 weeks after surgery!!

Nougloze and his mother :)

Looking good outside this ship!! Amazing transformation.

Collage of Photos

2010-06-03T14:44:00.000Z

Dinner has arrived.

At the Hospitality Center with fellow writer, Elaine, and two ortho patients.

Giving Komi the fist pump. He loves the fist pump.

Chillin' with super cute kiddos at the hospitality center.

I got a coconut! Just throwing in around.

One thing I love about Komi: He's totally secure with his masculinity. Getting your fingernails painted? No problem. Then we blow them dry :)

All work and no play? I think not. Weekends spent at the pool.

This is Tossedi: Adorableness.

All photos courtesy of my colleague, friend, grammar corrector and wicked photojournalist, Thomas Bradley.

http://www.tombradley.wordpress.com/

Meet SASSOU

2010-06-02T10:27:00.002Z

Sassou is a 13 year old boy from the village Aneho. He is here on the ship with his father. When Sassou got to Mercy Ships, he had a growth on his eye, but it did not cause him any pain. Only evil stares. Also, it prevented him from seeing well out of his right eye.

When Sassou was little, his mother left. As of now, he lives with his brother, sister, father and his dad's new wife. Sassou is in Elementary school in 5th grade. When I asked him if he was going to go back to school in the Fall, he told me about his final exam that he needs to take on this coming Monday (6/7) in order to complete the 5th grade.

"Will you be able to go home and take the test?" I asked.

"I do not know, I need my father to ask the doctors when we come to the ship on Thursday if I can go take it." he told me.

I found out from our translator, Meza, that it's very important that he takes his test on Monday. If he doesn't, he will not be able to go onto the next grade in the Fall.

My heart has definitely gone out to Sassou. He said he has not made friends with the other kids at the Hospitality Center because he is afraid that if he plays with them, he will pull out his stitches or the staples in his head. He is very quiet when we talk, and it is apparent to me that he interacts very little with the other kids who are surrounding us, laughing and playing. I tell him that I want to be his friend, and we can play very carefully as to not hurt his stitches. He gives me a faint, yet visible smile. I sit there a while longer and simply hold his hand.

I needed to talk to his father in more detail about his test to see what we could work out. The wheels are turning in my head, and if we can approach his story with a 'Learning' angle, it would be wicked to go to his school on Monday, and get a photo of him while he is taking his test in full "recouperation mode"...staples and all. Tom, our photographer, is in complete agreeance. We look at each other and can tell this could be an amazing story.

To take our angle full cirlce, when I ask Sassou how he found out about Mercy Ships, he reveals to me that his teacher told his father about the big white hospital ship coming to Lomé. Bingo.

By the time we leave the Hospitality Center, Sassu's dad hasn't returned yet. I tell Sassou that I will see him when he comes to the Ship on Thursday for post-ops, and we will work on getting him to school Monday for his test.

The wheels are in motion...all I have to do is talk to a few people to see if we can pull this off!

UPDATE...here is a photo of Abel (the boy with the intensely crooked legs from the previous post) at the Hospitality center yesterday. He is walking without crutches OR casts and here he is holding another boy up! Simply amazing---makes your heart smile.

Abel is on the left..

What does Mercy Ships do?

2010-05-31T17:22:00.002Z

The simple concept is that Mercy Ships provides free medical care to the forgotten poor of Western Africa. But we can’t possibly help everyone. There are specific programs onboard that serve specific needs, so here are a few more details on the services Mercy Ships offers:

Orthopedic Care: Helping straighten crooked legs, arms and other deformities

Tumor Removal: Most tumors seen in Africa are not removed early, and therefore can grow to massive proportions before patients have them removed. We call them Max Fax patients here on the ship.

Eye Care: Blindness, cataracts---Dr. Glenn Strauss from Tyler does an amazing job with the eye team here---patients are in and out in no time!

Dental Care: We have a fabulous off-sight clinic where they screen and perform extractions and other procedures.

Plastic Surgery: Skin grafts and other surgical repairs needed for burn victims or other patients who have been involved in accidents.

VVF, or childbirth injuries: The VVF ladies are here now, and I will go in more depth on this in a later post. The VVF women will truly melt your heart.

Cleft lip and palate: These children require a quick and easy surgery to make them look normal again.

There are many Off-Ship programs where we send teams into the towns and villages to educate the people on various initiatives. Clinics are held and programs are set up to spread knowledge among the people so that when the Africa Mercy leaves Togo, the good deeds will continue on. Things like Medical training and mentoring, Community Health Education, the Food for Life program (agriculture) and Clean water and sanitation programs.

Here are a few pictures taken by the wonderful PR team photographers to show Mercy Ships in action!

Kids at the hospitality center who are healing from having Ortho surgery---getting some straight legs!!

This is Aissa, quite the celebrity patient around the ship. She had many surgeries to get her to this point, but she has a brand new face :)

This is Abel. Though his legs were crooked as can be, he was the goalie of his soccer team! Now his legs are straight as an arrow, and he can't wait to ride a bike for the first time.

Lawson makes an amazing transformation when the tumor in his mouth is removed.

Komi's Story

2010-05-28T14:17:00.004Z

Not many children growing up in Togo have big plans for themselves. Some may want to be a farmer like their parents. Some may want to become a builder or a seamstress. But it is pretty rare that a child growing up in Togo aspires to be a doctor.

Twelve year old Komi is appreciative of the medical care he has received with Mercy Ships. “Because of the way that they took care of me here,” he says, “I want to take care of others in that way. I am the lucky one. I want to be a doctor like them.”

Komi arrived to the screening in Togo with a large growth on his neck. It was a thyroid tumor that had been growing in size for 5 years.

“When I first noticed it,” his mother remembers, “I wondered what it was. I did everything in my power to stop it, but I had no money to go to the hospital.”

Maulowé, Komi’s mother, was busy taking care of her four children and was cooking and selling food on the side of the road to provide shelter and clothing for her family. Komi, a triplet, has 2 sisters his same age and a younger brother.

Regarding her pregnancy with triplets, Maulowé comments, “I did not know I had 3 babies inside me. When I went into labor, I still did not know. Then, when they were born, I had three mouths to feed and I was overwhelmed.”

Sever years passed and Maulowé’s husband died, Komi’s tumor grew larger, and then she got malaria. Life for her family was extremely difficult.

Maulowé received a call from her brother that lived in Lomé. He told her about a hospital ship that was docked at the port, and they could help Komi. Because the mother was sick, Komi went to the screening accompanied by his uncle. Komi was approved for surgery and given a date to return to the ship.

In the meantime, Maulowé recovered from malaria and was able to come to the Africa Mercy with her son. Their stay has been short, but life changing. Dr. Gary Parker performed the surgery on Komi’s thyroid tumor and now it is completely gone.

Komi informed his nurse that the one thing he is looking forward to when he gets home is going back to school. “I want to play soccer with my friends,” he says. “They will no longer be scared of me.”

Maulowé sits next to Komi beaming. She was forced to take Komi out of school because the other children were afraid of him. They thought the devil was inside him and that is why he looked so different. Now she knows that he will be able to attend school and be a normal kid.

“I am so grateful for the nurses and doctors at Mercy Ships. May God bless you all.”

With smiles on their faces, Maulowé and Komi walk hand-in-hand out of the port and into the city. Mercy Ships has touched a life, and given him a dream of becoming a doctor. We can only hope and pray that his dream comes true.

Adventure #1: Getting to Togo

2010-05-27T12:32:00.000Z

On May 14, 2010 I boarded a plane for Paris and that’s when the REAL adventure started…

That day in DFW there were terrible storms. Rain pouring so hard I had to pull off I-20 because I couldn’t see the road! I was gripping the steering wheel hard because I was running late, and I couldn’t miss my flight to Africa!! I’d been waiting so long for this!!

By the time I got to Terminal D they informed me the flight was delayed 2 hours [bummer #1 of the trip]. Thank the Lord, I could breathe again. I had one last drink with Deeds at the DFW Hyatt….here you can see me remembering to take my malaria pill

(note from Danny Bolger: don’t get malaria, that would be a trip downer).

On to Paris I go!! I arrive with 40 minutes to get to my next plane. Not exactly the 5 hour layover I was expecting.
I RUN through Charles de Gaulle to get to the shuttle to take me to my terminal. “Every 20 minutes,” it says the shuttle comes. 35 minutes later, I watch my departure time tick away on my watch. Bummer #2.

I work with an Air France agent for an entire hour before she tells me that she cannot rebook me, and it looks as though I have to purchase another plane ticket. Excuse me?! I’m a missionary, ma’am. Missionaries can’t afford another ticket. Bummer #3

Two hours drag by as the baggage department searches for my lost luggage. Finally, it is located. I have all my belongings; I just need a ticket to Lomé. Sigh.
I talk to a very nice agent who rebooks me through Casablanca, arriving in Lomé at 5am Monday morning. I’m ecstatic, and he even tells me its FREE! Praise the Lord.

Into the city I go!! Its about 5pm now, and I have a full 24 hours to enjoy Paris. Booked a quaint little hotel in the 6th arr. and got out to explore the city! Below are a few pics from my brief stay in the City of Lights.

St. Germain des Pres Church

Pond at Luxembourg Gardens

Luxembourg Palace

Inviting little outdoor shop, a pop of color along the sidewalk

Photograph exhibition on the outer gate of Luxembourg Gardens

The River Seine

I decide it’s necessary to get to the airport 4 hours early, just in case any complications arise. I take the metro to CDG and begin the waiting game. I FINALLY board the plane bound for Casablanca. My layover there is about 1.5 hours. But before we take off we sit on the runway for 45 minutes. Are you kidding me?? This cannot be happening. bummer #4
The stewardesses let me move up to first class for the last 15 minutes of the flight so I can, once again, run to my gate. We land in Casablanca and when I get to my gate, there is not a soul there. I was 5 minutes late, and it was gone :(

Reality Check: I am the only white girl in this airport, its midnight, I’ve missed my second plane, I don’t even know what language they speak here and my father has told me not to leave the airport under any circumstances. Options: sleep on the floor in the airport, or go find a hotel.

I don’t think I’m cut out for this.

Defeated, and on the verge of tears, I go to rebook my ticket. When I finally reach the front of the line, the agent looks at me like I’m crazy. “Your flight leaves in 20 minutes,” he says. What?? So. Confused. Then I get it---turns out there was a TIME CHANGE I was unaware of and I didn’t miss my flight after all!!

I ran to my gate, and they were boarding the plane! I have never been so excited to board a plane with 100 Africans who don’t smell so good for a 5 hour trip to arrive in a third world country. God knew I wouldn’t survive if I had to stay in Casablanca for the night, so he helped me out on that one!!

At 5am, 3 days and 5 time zones later, I walk off the plane in Lomé feeling exhausted, sweaty and mentally drained but so relieved to finally be here. My bag didn’t make it [bummer #5], but I didn’t care. I walk through the door and see Lewis Swann standing on the other side and I simply look at him and say, “I need a hug."

From a world traveller whom I know well:
“Your plane debacle will be something you remember forever. You have officially stepped into the big leagues of 'shit country' travel!! No more Ritz for my little Claire.”
Well said, Woodward.

Claire, Why are you in Africa?

2010-05-26T09:28:00.000Z

It dawned on me that I should probably inform my readers (all 5 of them) why am I in Africa.

When I went to get my MBA I had 2 goals:
1) To learn more about business and open some doors, and
2) To figure out what I want to do with my life.

I can say with 100% certainty that I achieved both of those goals. While at TCU I worked with Catholic Charities Diocese of Fort Worth and it is an amazing organization. That experience really inspired me to work for a non-profit.

Also, while at TCU, I was able to go on 2 wicked study abroad trips, one of which was in Cape Town, South Africa with Dr. Garry Bruton. That trip truly changed my life. After I returned home, I knew I wanted to work for a non-profit organization with an international aspect—particularly in Africa. (below are a few pics from the trip...)

The South Africa crew about to head to seal island.

Sunset at Camps bay, 12 Apostles (name of the mountains) in the background.

Safari Time!

From the over-look in Khyaelitsha, a township outside of Cape Town.

Enter Mercy Ships. I heard about Mercy Ships growing up in Tyler, but I didn’t know much about it. I visited their International Operations Center (or, the IOC) and was blown away at how many nationalities were represented on this beautiful campus in Van, TX [of all places!]. I met with the marketing director, and told her I wanted to work on the ship. Initially, she said that there were no marketing positions until Jan. 2011. Bummed out, I continued to search for jobs as graduation quickly approached.

The first week of April I received a call from Mercy Ships saying that they have a position for me on the ship as a writer! I was blown away. The catch? It’s for 3 months, and we need you May 1!

Shocked and speechless I was running through the list of things I had to do before I could leave, and GRADUATION was at the top of that list!! I worked things out so that I could leave a week after my graduation. The next 4 weeks was filled with wrapping up school, packing my apartment, preparing for Africa, getting immunizations, plane ticket, brushing up on my French, graduating and then moving all my belongings to Tyler.

On May 14 I boarded a plane for Paris and that’s when the real adventure started…..

10 things I've learned in the first week

2010-05-25T21:56:00.000Z

I have officially been in Togo for 7 days now. Adjustment has been a bit difficult, but I'm finally getting the hang of community living!

A few things to note regarding living on a Hospital Ship in Togo:

1) The A.C. on the ship works extremely well on deck 4 only. Lucky for me that is where I sleep. Everywhere else, I sweat constantly.
2) African food night is on Tuesdays. Tried it tonight---I'll grab a PB&J next week.
3) Wash your hands a gazillion times a day. Sicknesses spread here like a Lady Gaga song on the radio.
3b) When you get sick, you are confined to your cabin and that can get boring.
4) Never trust Air Moroc with your luggage.
5) Incorporate the work 'wicked' into your vocabulary. Such as, "I heard there's a movie playing in the Queen's Lounge tonight." "Wicked, I'll be there."
6) Togo is a warm country. Not as in climate, but as in they are accepting of others and always including them in conversations and such. USA is a cold country. There, it's all about me me me. Warm countries are refreshing.
7) There are children on the hospital ward on deck 3 that will make your heart melt. If ever I feel icky or tired or need a boost, onto deck 3 I go. Their laughter will make any troubles you have fade away.
8) I was running last night in front of the ship and I saw a rat the size of an armadillo. I thought I was at camp fern walking behind the kitchen at midnight. Scared the ever loving daylights out of me.
9) My favorite patient, Komi, had surgery yesterday to remove his thyroid tumor. We played Jenga together tonight and talked about soccer. Kids are kids no matter where they are in this world.
10) I was in ward a few days ago talking with some nurses and I looked up at the TV and low and behold the MAVS were playing. An old game, yes, but it made me realize: It really is a small world afterall.

I just spent 2 years getting my MBA to figure out that I wanted to work in a job that doesn't require an MBA. There is palpable irony there. However, I have never been so excited about a job in my life. I'm a writer on the ship, but I'm not a writer in real life! Yet, I have found something I love to do and pray that I will be able to continue it for a very long time :)

It's all about serving others. Think of someone other than yourself---you will have a satisfaction within that you cannot find anywhere else!! :)

3 graduations in 4 days

2010-05-11T22:14:00.000Z

The weekend started off with a bang with my Neeley MBA graduation at TCU on Friday night at 6pm. Reception, then dinner, then out on the town to say goodbye to my classmates and friends whom I've come to love and adore the past 2 years.

Saturday morning came all too soon, and by 9 we were in the car headed to Tyler for graduation number 2. At 1pm we watched Gretchen walk across the stage at UTTyler, receiving her diploma for Masters in Educational Administration. After lunch, and a 30 minute power nap we were back on the road to Dallas, where we had a fabulous dinner at Nonna to celebrate GOB's accomplishments.

Sunday morning the 5am wake-up call was answered with a seriously disgruntled face. We made our 7:40am flight to Atlanta, but not without a hitch---Gretchen left her ID in Tyler. It took about 1 hour, but they finally let her through security. ATL here we come! Checked into the hotel, ate a great lunch, and then it was NAP TIME. Had to rally for the next great meal at Haven.

Monday morning we had another early wake-up call---6am to be exact. 15,000 attendees were estimated at the Emory Graduation and the Terminator (otherwise known as the Governor of California, Arnold Schwartzenegger) was the commencement speaker. Miraculously, we made it to the Graduation and even got a seat! It was cold, but the brunch at the B-School had coffee and mimosas...perfect! Then, we made it to the FINAL event---Cason's diploma ceremony.

Whew, what a weekend! Now its time to pack up my home, and move it onto Gretch's new house in Tyler. Never a dull moment.

OH, and I leave for Togo in 3 days!!!!

Luck is on my side

2010-05-03T05:45:00.000Z

Tomorrow starts a serious countdown:

5 days 'till graduation

12 days 'till departure for Lomé, Togo.

Things have been pretty busy athe past few days, but I've managed to pack many boxes and figure out all the things I need to take to Africa. I've gotten all my prescriptions filled, and necessities taken care of. The plane ticket has been purchased, and now I just have to make if through the next 2 crazy weeks.

I was able to go to Mercy Ships last week for a 4 hour session to listen to Don Stephens, founder and CEO of Mercy Ships, record his famous "Mercy Minutes." Part of my job on the ship will be to write a certain amount of Mercy Minutes per month, and by listening to the recording sessions, I was able to get a good grasp on what the scripts entail. Above all, the session made me realize how incredibly lucky I am to be involved with such an amazing and truly international organization. My hope is to work for, or be involved with, Mercy Ships for a very long time. Hopefully for the rest of my life.

And I'd like to end this post with a moment of Awesome. I read the blog "1000 Awesome Things" almost daily. Its a great message that has now been made into a book! Every weekday they author writes about a small yet significant event that can happen that is truly awesome. Today, I had one of those moments. I washed an old pair of pants that I want to take to Africa and when I reached in the washing machine to transfer them to the dryer I saw a soggy $20 bill in the bottom of the washer!

.....and now I can eat for the rest of the week.

Awesome.

Checking things off the list

2010-04-23T00:03:00.000Z

I officially have 3 days left of class, and 1 week of exams until I graduate. Which is a little mind boggling to say the least!

Today was a productive day despite the rain...

Malaria Pills {check}
Yellow Fever shot {check}
French for Idiots book {check}

Still working on the plane ticket, but hopefully that can be finalized tomorrow! Things seem to be falling in line....scary but true.

I wanted to share a pretty amazing poem written by a 12-year-old crew member of the Africa Mercy, Grace Koontz:

The sun burning my skin tomato-bright
the humidity weighing down my shoulders
the insects and rodents plentiful
the space little and tight
is worth

The community tight-knit like woven crochet
the constant comfort of people to turn to
the people met and the people to meet
the time spent with friends every day
and more

The renewed lives in the ward
the smiles caused by my love
the forgotten poor becoming known
the righteousness and hope being restored
Africa Mercy.

Blogging is so clichéd

2010-04-21T14:08:00.000Z

Everyone has a blog, right? People blog about their kids, their husbands, cooking, eating, socializing, pets, shopping, decorating....none of that sounds too interesting to me.

However, living on a boat in a room with 5 people for 3 months in a 3rd world country?...THAT sounds like something to blog about.

On May 15 I will depart DFW headed to Lomé, Togo---

I will be a volunteer for Mercy Ships, and my position is in the marketing department as a writer. I will meet many of the patients who are receiving medical treatment on the hospital ship: The Africa Mercy. I will tell their stories in articles that Mercy Ships will distribute to donors around the world.

Adventure: yes.

Am I scared? not a chance.

new friends? absolutely

Miss home? probably

will there be coffee? THANK GOD yes. Starbucks onboard.

Blog post #1: Success.