Hangin' with the translators

It's been great getting to know and work with our translators...without them our job wouldn't be possible! We've been honored to be invited into their homes and to hang out with them off ship. Such great fun people with big hearts!

Acovir's Engagement Party

Esther (RN from Holland) & I were invited to Acovir's engagement party. Very interesting to see the formalities and traditions in preparation for marriage. Acovir's boyfriend and his family set a date to meet Acovir's family requesting their daughter in marriage. They bring suitcases of gifts containing a ring, clothes, food, drinks, etc. Because Acovir's father died a few years back, her uncle stood in the position of her father negotiating with the family regarding gifts and the price for the bride. The price is dependent on the families income, not the worth of the bride. Acovir's family preparing food
Family discussion

Acovir & her fiance - the families agreed for them to marry

Coco Beach with the 'Dream Team'

The 'Dream Team' invited us out to Coco Beach and cooked some great African food for us.

Koffi, Adama, Eric, & Franck
Christina & Ruth

Crazy Franck!

Acumae & fish with sauce

African Mama :)

Eric & Christina..vi vi

Playing some soccer on the beach

I can piggy back people taller then me...

Ooops, we weren't planning a swim...but always worth it :)

Oliver's house

Oliver, his wife Kakaylee, and sweet daughter Christabella invited us over for Sunday lunch, so nice to see his home and family. Great lunch they cooked for us!

Mmmm! Fish...and yes, Christina and I even tried a piece of fish head :)

Amele's house

Amele, one of the day volunteer housekeepers on the ship had us over to her house and cooked us an amazing lunch!

Crab with sauce...mmm

Amele's apartment complex. This is community living...you share laundry, kitchen, everything except your bedroom.

Tomato crusher...a rock and cement board - used by everyone.

Myself, Esther, Amele, Sharon and Becca

Walking through Lome

A man selling a cat...how appetizing...I guess it's better then rat (seen that one too- disgusting!)

Christina (one of our ward translators) church - to hear her choir.

A card game bet lost on a slow day on the ward...dinner repay.

The game is not finished yet :)

Missions of Charity

Mercy Ministries on the ship is a department that works with different mission organizations in the visiting country - orphanages, hospital, prisons, youth centers, blind/deaf centers, etc. The sisters from Missions of Charity have a HIV/AIDS hospice/respite home in Kpalime for poor people diagnosed with AIDS without the means to provide for their health care & other needs. I have been working with the group involved with the Sisters. We visit them once or twice a month sharing Bible stories, discussions, singing, crafts, etc. The patients are mostly women, some men, & some children (approx 30-40 people).

The sisters are amazing women who commit their whole lives to serving Christ through ministering to the poor. The sisters, 5 present at this mission now, are great women who have such a heart for the ministry they're called to do. It's interesting to learn about the life of a sister. It takes 11 years for a sister to be trained/discipled/mentored. During this time period they can decide whether or not to marry. Before the 11 years are up, it's okay to decide to marry. If a sister decides to marry after 11 years, she is considered married to Christ and is then divorcing Him.

The sisters are assigned to a ministry and can stay many years. The only possesions the sisters have is contained to one bag...so when moving from to the next there is no need for shipping containers. They follow a very precise schedule of getting up early in the AM for prayers, eating, working, resting, and more prayers - how sacrificial! I can't wrap my mind around that lifestyle, it's such a different world! One sister was talking about the earthquake in Haiti...all the buildings around the Sisters mission were destroyed, but the mission building was the only building unharmed - how neat to hear of God's protection over them!

In discussion with the patients at the hospice, it's so interesting to hear their stories. Many times the HIV/AIDS and VVF patients are viewed as the modern day leper and deserted by their family members after hearing of the illness. One lady said when her family learned that she was ill from AIDS, they built her a coffin, but after she came to the hospice and started on medication her condition improved greatly, so the family burned the coffin.

'Charity begins today. Today somebody is suffering, today somebody is in the street, today somebody is hungry. Our work is for today, yesturday has gone, tomorrow has not yet come. We see a need, we go to meet it; at least, we do something about it.' Mother Teresa

Politics...

This entry is a few months overdue...nonetheless thought I'd throw it in, not like everyday you get a visit from the President. President Faure Gnassingbe was re-elected as president March 6th. He came for a visit to the ship March 31st. It was an honor for him to visit the ship. Security was present with many soldiers around the whole port area, every area surrounding our ship -tops of buildings and shipping containers, and navy ships covering the waters around the ship...felt like the movies.

The founder/president of Mercy Ships Don Stephens & his wife Dion welcoming President Gnassingbe to the ship.

The presidents main interest in visiting the ship was to see the hospital. He was given a tour by Don Stephens and Dr Gary Parker (our chief medical officer and surgeon) to see the ward, OR, etc. He also got to meet some of the patients, below is one of our maxillofacial tumor patients. Alot of Togolese people are unaware of these health conditions existing in their country. Most people in these conditions have been ridiculed and shunned by their community and go into hiding, not associating with the outside world. The ministry of Mercy Ships is to reach the forgotten poor. Many do not have the money or accessibility to receive these services in the country, or these specialties don't exist.

Don Stephens addressing all the dignitaries and Mercy Ship crowd. He was explaining what we do and why - because we love Christ. His boldness was admirable.

President Gnassingbe giving his response. He spoke of how he felt blessed by being on the ship and felt humbled because of how politics has it's limitations.

A USA congressman Louie Gohmert from Texas, also visiting the ship at the time & our Captain Tim.

Kathy (Louis' wife) and Louis greeting the American Ambassador.

Togo elections

During elections security was upgraded on the ship for like a month with a no shore leave at one point. Demonstrator groups were out in town with the army needing to assist the police. During the previous election there were many deaths in Lome from demonstrators (300-500, depending on who you talk to). Because the same family has been in power for over 40 years there was alot of controversy regarding the ligitity of the vote count, etc.
Talking to the locals, there's not many jobs available, which they blame the government for. It's funny because on the way to Kpalime, where the president's Mother lives the roads are good...even paved right up to her house for when the president visits her, even though he usually flies in.

Random conversations with honorary people
It's amazing the people you meet here. Over Easter, we had not only Louis, a US congressman, but also a former vice president of Congo. I was up on one of the decks after our sunrise Easter morning service and I ran into this gentleman wearing a suit & tie, and a visitors badge. He was asking me where our International Lounge is, and I was thinking...why is there a dressed up visitor on the ship at 7AM looking for the international lounge when church only starts at 10AM? I found out later, it was the former vice president of Congo I was talking to. Who'd of thought? How random.
Later in the day, while standing in the buffet line at brunch I got to have a conversation with the former vice president, as well as Don Stephens, the founder of Mercy Ships. Amazing the people you meet here! It's so encouraging to see men of God in these leadership roles.

Happy 50th Birthday Togo!
April 27th, 2010 marked 50 years of Togo's independence from France. Large celebrations were held around Lome. I was working that day, but we made some flags with the patients, our little celebration on the ward. The day volunteers had a big party in our dining room with African drumming, singing, and dancing.


Today Ghana won their first soccer game in the world cup. All the patients, translators, and locals of course couldn't be any happier. The soccer spirit is strong...and it's only begun - I love it!