Wow...where to begin??

I truly cannot believe that I am here. I feel like I'm going to wake up at any moment, but I'm not! I think this all feels so surreal because a lot of time and thought has been spent in preparation. Another reason is because I was very sleep deprived upon arriving here. Thankfully, after 12 hours of sleep in a very comfortable bed, I feel rested!

My journey here was quite interesting. Although I have flown many times, this trip was unique because I was alone. Thankfully I had a new friend for part of the trip. I met Savannah who is a friend of a friend in DC. We had emailed just prior to the trip because we heard that each other was going. It was definitely a God thing that we were going at the same time. In retrospect, I don't see how I could've made it without her companionship. Although we didn't sit together on the planes, it was great just knowing someone who had the same destination as me!
The overnight flight to Belgium was definitely the worst part. We lost 6 hours due to the time changes, and 7 were actual flying, which equaled 13 hours. Sleeping was nearly impossible since you were sitting up...so I had about one hour. Needless to say, when we arrived in Belgium I felt quite groggy. Still, I was able to take in the beautiful scenery in Brussels. While in the Brussels airport, we met up with MANY more Mercy Ships folks. First we met Desleigh, an OR nurse, who is from Australia. I loved getting to talk to her and hear about what led her to Mercy Ships. Then there was Stefan, a student from Germany. Everyone knows him because of his dreadlocks. Kelly Blair "Mr. Potato Head" who is a surgeon and his wife and daughters. The Schwebel Family - the parents are chaplains onboard the ship, and the children have grown up here! There was also Maria from Holland, Andrew from England, and many others. I believe the total arriving last night was 23!

Our last stop on the way was in the Gambia, a small country above Sierra Leone. As we landed, I began to notice a major difference: there are no paved roads. Everywhere you looked there were only dirt roads. And of course there were very few cars. It was also the same in Sierra Leone. This helped me realize how rich America is as a nation. When flying in America, you see endless miles of interstates packed with millions of dollars of vehicles. Here, almost everyone walks, rides a motorcycle, or pays to ride the poda-poda (bus). So anyway, as we prepared to land in Sierra Leone, reality began to sink in. I could see an area along the coast which looked like a large slum, with thousands of shacks built side by side. All the homes were very small, and again, mostly dirt roads. I had only imagined what this would be like, and in many ways I had no idea! Once the plane landed, we walked down a stairway onto the pavement. The airport is really just a small building made of cinder blocks. It was quite hot inside, and the large crowd didn't help.

Once we passed through immigration, we waited about 45 mins. for our luggage...I was very relieve when it arrived! Then leaving the airport was, in my opinion, the scariest part of the whole trip. It's mostly because I'm not used to chaos, and that is the only way to describe it. There was a large crowd gathered outside - some selling things, some asking for money, and some looking for people. We finally got all of our luggage into a van (that had no windows) and squeezed ourselves into a few other vans. What everyone says about the crazy driving on African roads is true. It's basically free-for-all. You zigzag between lanes at whatever speed suits you. It someone (or an animal) is in the road, you beep your horn and don't slow down. I think I heard more horns yesterday in a hour than I hear in a year in the US! haha.

Driving down that dirt road to the ferry (around 5 miles) I just couldn't believe that people live in the homes that I saw. Some were cement, thin metal, or even dry palm branches. Since there is nothing to do inside the house, it seemed like almost everyone was outside either sitting watching cars go by, cooking, or the children were playing. Their homes were tiny, and had no windows. It's one thing to hear that people live in these conditions, but another to see it first hand. No prior reading or studying about Sierra Leone (or any third world country) could have prepared me for actually seeing it first-hand. Once we arrived at the ferry, again you had several locals who would try to sell you something, so I'd politely say no. I really enjoyed the ferry ride, and our group sat on the top deck. The wind was cool and the view was beautiful. From several miles away, we could see the Africa Mercy anchored by the coast.

Lastly, we got in Mercy Ships SUV's to get to the ships. To get there we had to drive through a bit of downtown Freetown. This made what I had seen earlier pale in comparison. The streets were packed with people, and our driver said this was light traffic! Again we wove in and out wherever we could. I can't wait to see the city in the daytime and really experience it. Once we arrived to the ship, we went up the gangway and were received by a sweet lady, Roses, who works in hospitality. After quick paperwork they took our pictures for our Mercy Ships IDs (of course we all looked wonderful after days of traveling)! Then they fed us a late dinner...I was so thankful because I felt famished. Then we were shown to our rooms. Mine is a 10-berth, but there is only 8 of us here currently. There was a sweet card, welcome note, and cookies waiting for me on my bed!

Today I found out that I will be working in the Hospitality department which involves giving tours, welcoming guests and new crew, cleaning guest cabins, cooking and waitressing for special occasions. I am quite excited to fill this role. I know it will take a while to learn everything - I am very confused about the layout of the ships. Everyone assures me that it only takes time. After only one day here, I am impressed and amazed at how the ship runs so smoothly. Everyone works together well even though there are many nationalities represented here. I love having to ask people what country they're from when I meet them! The ship is just buzzing with activity all day long whether it's surgeries taking place in the hospital, small groups in a lounge, or a meal in the dining room. I am proud to call this ship home for the next several months.

Tomorrow I am heading to Burrah Beach with Desleigh, Savannah, and a few other girls. I heard we will ride a poda-poda to get there. I'm so excited to get out in the city and learn more about the culture!

Wow, there is SO much more to tell you, but I'm sure you're already bored! Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. It is only because of those two things and God's grace that I have made it to the ship safely. I am so blessed to even have this opportunity!

God bless you!