"This is Africa!"

This is a phrase that is used very often here in Africa. Sometimes it's shortened to "TIA." It is said to remind us that we are no longer back home...and things are very different here. Unpredictable. This past Saturday I had quite an adventure. It was a TIA day. :)

I set out with a group of about 14 people early in the morning. Our destination was Bunce Island, which is about 2 1/2 hours driving from Freetown, and the last leg of that was to be a canoe ride across the river. Bunce Island is famous because it was one of 40 slave castles built along the west coast of Africa during the period of the Atlantic slave trade. British slave traders stationed on Bunce Island shipped thousands of slaves to southern US colonies during the mid and late 1700's. Colin Powell visited Bunce Island in 1991 and said, "I am an American...But today, I am something more...

I am an African too...I feel my roots here in this continent." I was so excited to have the opportunity to visit this historic island.

We were in high spirits, and it was a beautiful, sunny day. We met our poda-poda driver and three translators who wanted to join us outside the gate. Once many of us had already loaded into the van, we realized that the price for the day of driving was still being decided. This negotiating took over a half hour. Meanwhile we got out of the van and stood around. That was the first TIA moment. 

Once we hit the road, things were going well for the first two hours of driving (minus the fact that we were sitting on hard, metal benches). I really enjoyed getting to talk with several ladies sitting near me. Our driver suddenly stopped on the side of the road when someone spoke up to say we were going the wrong way. We pulled out a map, and showed our driver where Bunce Island was. Our translators told us that the driver thought we were going to a different island...Boathes Island. Apparently they sounded a lot alike...we had never heard of it before! Second TIA moment.

Our poda-poda. The man on the right is Pastor Samuel, who helped translate, and the man in the middle is Pastor Joel.

We turned around and headed what we thought was the right direction for another hour and a half. Again, the country was absolutely stunning. I have never seen vegetation this green and lush in my entire life! However, just like in the city, there is much poverty out in the rural areas. We soon realized that we were not going in the right direction. Instead of heading north of Freetown, we were very far south. Soon, our driver told us we were near Banana Island. We couldn't believe it...he had seemed to know where to take us. We were not going to see Bunce Island that day. TIA number three. By this point were were tired of bouncing around in the poda-poda, so we decided to spend a few hours at the beach that we were near. My butt couldn't take any more time in the poda-poda. :)

We really enjoyed our time at the beach, but I am still hoping to see Bunce Island. There is usually a trip every month, so I will try the next one!

Here are a few sights on the way. This is a mosque in Freetown - Islam is the number one religion in Sierra Leone.

The beautiful landscape!

We passed many homes like this one...and this one is considered nice in comparison to many others I have seen. Many homes simply have a roof made of palm branches because tin is too expensive.

Majestic mountains around Freetown.

An abandoned schoolhouse we passed while walking toward the beach. The man giving us a "tour" said that slaves were kept under this building before being shipped off. We weren't sure if this building was old enough for that though?

In God We Trust :)

One of our translators, Florence, and my friend Anne who is from Virginia!

The beaches here are amazing. It seems that at one point, this veranda area was a nice restaurant. We guessed that since the war it has been abandoned. This is where we ate our lunches.

A shot from Bad Boy Lane, the road we walk down to reach the ship. The homes are literally falling apart, and they are crammed together so tightly. 

My roommate, Sandra wearing her African dress. This was given to her by a friend of ours who works on the ship but lives in Freetown. Sandra is heading home to the Netherlands in one week, and I will really miss her! :(

I want to share with you a scripture that I read today. I just happened to open my Bible to Psalm and read this passage:

 ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. ⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea, ¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast. ¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,” ¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.

Psalm 139: 7-12

This was so comforting to me to realize that God is with me, no matter if I'm in the US or Sierra Leone or anywhere else, He is there! While living here, there are times when I have doubted His presence with me. The culture is so different, and can even be scary at times. However, I will not give in to Satan's lies that say God is not with me. Also, this verse brings comfort for my future decisions. Whether I go into full-time missions in a foreign country, or stay close to home, God will still be with me. 

Thank you for reading. God bless!

Osman part 2

If you read my post titled "Hope and Healing," then you will remember Osman. He is a sweet boy at the Hope Center that I visit once or twice a week. Usually we play catch, take pictures, or sing together. The last time I was there, I asked him if he knew "Jesus Loves Me," and he didn't. So I taught it to him! He was so cute trying to sing the English words. :)

I received a request for a video of Osman singing. So the other day when I visited, I asked him if I could record him. The boys were all so energetic...several were singing together. Finally I was able to film him singing, but I was sure to take snaps of the other boys so they wouldn't be jealous!

I'm sorry I can't post videos very often, because they take a long time to load. I hope you enjoyed this!

Dental Screening

Well, I was hoping to post once a week, but I can see that may not happen. The past 2 weeks have been very busy, both on and off the ship. Also I have sat down several times to start a new post, and I lose my patience. This is mainly because there are so many different things I could tell you about that I don't know where to start! I'll just give you a summary of recent happenings.

Last Monday I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Dental Screening. I was considered "Security," but all I did was wear a walkie-talkie and help the nurses who were screening the people. This takes place at the Hope Center which is less than a half mile from the ship. Sierra Leone has, on average, one dentist per 100,000 people. And the rare dental services available cost an astronomical amount to the average citizen. Being able to help at the screening was a very eye-opening experience. When we arrived at 8 am that morning, there was already two long lines - men on the left and women on the right. As we waited 30 minutes for the Dental Team to arrive, the lines grew longer until they went into the forest. There was at least 600 people lined up. And you need to know that these screenings take place twice a week! I know that people often come repeatedly if they are turned down, hoping for a chance. 

At one point a woman walked up to us with a small child in her arms. The baby boy had a cleft lip. The man who was leading our security team asked me if I would take her down to the ship so the child could be screened for possible surgery. I was a bit intimidated by this. I had never walked down Bad Boy Lane (the road between the ship and the Hope Center) alone, but in broad daylight I felt more safe. Plus I had the walkie talkie and could let them know if anything was wrong. So I led the lady down the road. I was worried that a crowd of people would follow trying to get to the ship. The lady's sister was with her, and she spoke a fair amount of English. I asked what the baby's name was, and the sister told me his name was Ebraim Sissi, and he was one year old. On our walk toward the ship, a man walked with us, and I assumed he was with the other two ladies. However, he wasn't. He kept asking me how he could get a card, an appointment card. It was very hard to understand his English, but I realized that he had a friend who had something physically wrong. All I could say to him was to bring his friend to a screening if it was a dental issue or to an eye screening if it was an eye issue. Otherwise, we can't help. After repeating myself, he understood. 

After I took the lady and her son to the screening tent beside the ship, I headed back to the Hope Center. Again, there was a man waiting by the gate, looking for someone who could help. It is hard for me to describe the condition he had. It was almost as though he had no jawbone, or at least no chin at all. When he spoke his mouth didn't move, and his teeth were permanently exposed. As soon as he saw me heading up the rode, he walked beside me asking if I could get him to the ship for help. All I could tell him was to come to the dental screening. Once we reached the Hope Center, I told him to go stand in line, but he refused. He just stood off to the side with other people who didn't have dental problems. This most likely means he has already been refused for some reason. I felt so bad for him. Having to look people in the eye and say "I can't help you"or "come to a screening" when you know they've been refused multiple times before is heart-rending. However, if you act as though you can help them, they take that to mean that you WILL help them. I'm not used to being blunt, but you really have to be here.

The screening went well...but I have to face my fears of large crowds. Once the nurse began handing out appointment cards to those who needed them the most, it didn't take long for a huge crowd to gather around us. Even though they saw I wasn't a nurse, people would show me their tumor or their dental problem. I basically had to ignore them since I couldn't do anything. When the crowd became too much, we would walk to a different part of the line so we weren't surrounded anymore. Many people became angry if they didn't get seen by the nurse, especially if someone further down the line was seen while they were not. It was so sad to have to turn away many people.

After this experience (and many others), I am beginning to realize just how incredibly blessed I have been all of my life and continue to be. Why wasn't I born in war-torn Sierra Leone? Why wasn't I one of the many people desperately seeking medical help? I know that I have done nothing to deserve the life I've been given. I feel such a tremendous responsibility now that I'm beginning to realize the state that much of the world is in. I think it took leaving the US to realize that all of the world does NOT live with the same comforts that I do. Along those same lines, all of the world does not have the same access to knowing Christ that I have had. So what is my role in all of this? I feel that if I return to my comfortable life back home permanently, I will be turning a blind eye to what I KNOW is going on. I keep asking God what he wants me to do with this new understanding. And I don't have the answer yet.

Once the screening was over, the dental team headed inside, and Sandra and I went into the dental clinic.  We had not been inside it yet. The Hope Center takes up one half of the building and the Dental Clinic takes up the other half. Once inside, Sieh who is the coordinator of the clinic gave us a nice tour and told how everything works. It is quite organized and efficient. While patients are waiting to be seen, they are given dental hygiene information, and I've heard they sometimes watch the Jesus Film. I am excited to go back soon as an assistant to one of the dentists. I've heard it can be pretty gross, but I can't wait to see it first-hand!

Here is a quote from an article written by Claire Ross:

"The dental procedures are highly professional and enviably efficient. It is an impressive operation. The majority of procedures are routine extractions of multiple decayed and broken teeth which create much pain for the patient. In fact, many of the patients have been suffering for months, if not years. The dental screening also provides an opportunity to diagnose other types of oral lesions such as benign tumors, which can be referred to the hospital ship for further investigation and treatment – often a life-saving intervention.

Dental health care services are rarely found in Sierra Leone. There are currently five dental officers serving the four regions of Sierra Leone with a total population of approximately 6.5 million. Basic dental problems such as decaying teeth and gum disorders can escalate into oral infections that threaten the lives of the sufferers. So, the provision of dental treatment is vitally important to the Freetown communities."

This is what our dental clinic looks like. It is usually staffed with 4 dentists, 1 hygienist, and 4  dental nurses. 

This is a photo of the dental screening that takes place twice per week.

Wow... I didn't realize that just telling about the screening would take so long! I will have to do another post soon about our weekend adventures and one of Osman singing. :)

If you can, please keep not only me, but the entire crew of the Africa Mercy in your prayers. We need grace when working with each other and the local people. Also, I believe that spiritual warfare is very real, and we need strength to stand against Satan. Thanks for your prayers!