Preparing to Sail!

This week we will sail to Ghana. We don't know which day for sure...but very soon. This is creating a flurry of activity onboard the ship, because EVERYTHING has to be secured for sailing. On previous voyages, this ship has been know to tilt at a 45 degree angle, causing lots of damage to items that weren't properly fastened down. So part of our job in hospitality is to go around to empty cabins and secure everything using zip-ties, pillows, sheets, towels, and whatever else is necessary. In preparation for sailing, we have also had multiple "at sea" fire drills. This is quite fun because it's a break from the normal routine of "in port" fire drills. We get to go up to deck 7, put on our life jackets, and prepare to get in the lifeboats in the case of a real emergency. We have already had two of these, and I've heard we'll have one more on the morning that we set sail!

This week is a bit sad for me because I'm not ready to leave Sierra Leone. This country and especially it's people have found their way into my heart. I have to admit that my first month or so here was hard because of the culture shock. I am SO glad that I came for a longer stay, because this has given me such a different perspective. If I had left after the first month, I would have said this was a good experience, but wouldn't have wanted to come back to Africa. It seemed too scary, smelly, hot and humid. I had no idea of how to interact with the local people. I didn't know how to react to the intense poverty that is everywhere. However, the more that I made an effort to get to know locals, visit the Hope Center, and see more of the country, my perspective began to change. I have gotten used to the heat, and the gross amount of sweat that it produces. ;) I love the way that the people here are so friendly, and time never seems to be an issue. After being in Sierra Leone for over 4 months, I can say that I have only scratched the surface of understanding the culture here. It is so complex, and many things just seem bizarre to me and my Western worldview. I think it would take actually living in the country for a while to have a better grasp of its culture. A woman on the ship said to me "Don't set your heart on one country until you've seen more of Africa." I definitely want to see more, but I know this place will always be special to me.

I was able to give blood this week! On Monday, a team came to the ship from the Aberdeen Women's Center to take as many pints of blood as we could give them. This center performs many free surgeries for women who have fistulas as a result of a prolonged birth. This blood will be used to save many lives. I heard around 65 people signed up to donate. I was really nervous, because the only time I had donated blood was several years ago, and I nearly passed out twice from it. I went in the afternoon instead of the morning this time, which I think made a big difference. It went very quickly and painlessly, and I left without feeling lightheaded at all! I was so happy I could've danced...well I ended up doing aerobics class that night because I felt so good! :)

This is the Ola During Children's Hospital.

Today was bittersweet because it might have been my last time off the ship in Sierra Leone. We won't find out until tomorrow if we are allowed to leave the ship. Yesterday and today I visited the Ola During Children's Hospital with two friends, and it was such an eye-opening experience. I was not prepared for what I saw. When I have visited the Hope Center or the wards on the ship, it was always a very positive experience because you know that all of the patients are doing well, and you can literally watch their conditions improve. This was not the case at the local hospital. Sierra Leone has one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the world. This became so obvious when I visited the hospital. Many of the children seem to be thriving, but there were several who barely seemed to be alive. I've never seen children that are so skinny, yet have such bloated tummies from malnutrition. The children that I have seen out in villages don't compare to many of these in the hospital. Still, the attitudes of the mothers is astonishing. Most of them seem at-peace with what is happening. Tonight we sat with several mothers, and pretty soon we were all singing praise songs and dancing! I am amazed by these women. Despite all they have been through, they do not seem bitter or angry.

 Yesterday we took nail polish so we could pamper the mothers there. And they loved it! None of these women had any signs of polish on their nails. For some I know it was their first time because they only wanted me to paint one hand. They told me that they didn't want it on the other hand, because they had to eat with that hand! I explained that the polish dries and becomes hard, so they can still eat. Pretty soon I was painting lots of toenails also. Today we took a sack of clothes to hand out because several women yesterday asked if we could bring anything. They were very grateful for whatever we chose to give them.

 "Pikin" is Krio for child. :)

There is a 10 year old girl named Isata who was the first child I met. She is in a wheel chair, and it is obvious that her condition is chronic. My guess is that she has AIDS. She is all skin and bones, her face is sunken in, and you can hardly tell that she has legs underneath the blanket draped over her. I talked to her mother, who explained that they are from a village in Kono, and had never been to Freetown before now. They have been at the hospital for several months, and Isata's condition is only becoming worse. Her and Isata's grandmother have been staying there because they have nowhere else to go, so they usually sleep one on the bed and one on the floor. That is what most of the mothers do.

It is so hot and humid on the ward, and I saw a few cockroaches and even a rat scurrying around. Isata's mother read to me from a bible story book and said she is teaching it to her daughter. She read the story of the angel appearing to Mary to say that Jesus was coming. She ended with the scripture that says "All things are possible with God." It was amazing to hear this from a woman who may soon lose her only daughter. She told me that she trusts in Jesus, and that she is teaching Isata all that she can. As we handed out various things, Isata's grandmother came over to me and proudly showed off a brown towel that she was given - my old towel! She had it wrapped around her waist like a skirt, and told me how happy she was to have it. "Tenki Tenki!" Seeing my old things being put to use by these women was such a blessing. We blew bubbles for some of the kids, and Isata loved it. Anytime the bubbles headed her way, she would let out a frail giggle. Seeing her smile for the first time was priceless.

After we left the hospital, we went for one last (crazy) motorcycle ride thru town to the market to buy a few things. Then we hailed a taxi back to the ship since it was dark. Today has been so memorable, and a great way to end my time in Sierra Leone.