"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!

Hope and Healing

That is the goal of Mercy Ships. "Bringing hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor." They seek to  follow the example of Jesus, who healed and loved those who were forgotten...the outcasts of society. The longer that I am here, I see time after time how this is really happening. It's one thing to read a tragic story on a website, and entirely different to meet the person who has been through these hardships. Even once you meet them, it is still hard to grasp what they have endured. 

One sweet boy that I am privileged to know is Osman. I wish you could all come and meet him. He is currently staying at the Hope Center, which is a building used to take care of patients who are recovering from surgery, and to prepare patients for surgery. It is located about 5 minutes walking distance from the ship. I have been a few times now, and I can see that I will be hooked for the remainder of my time here. The kids (mostly boys) just clamor for your attention. I made the mistake a few days ago of sitting on the floor. Pretty soon I had a boy in my lab, one on my legs, and one hanging onto my back. 

This is Osman posing for the picture (he likes soccer). He is 9 years old. 

When I met him, obviously the first thing I noticed was how one of his legs had been amputated. Of course I didn't ask him what had happened, but I later found out. Osman came to the Africa Mercy because of an infection in his right leg from falling out of a tree. A local healer had treated him by placing strips of cloth that were soaked in boiling water on the leg. This resulted in 3rd degree burns that only made things worse. Once he was brought to the ship, several surgeries were done to save the leg and get rid of infection, but his leg continued to worsen. It was either amputate his leg above the knee or he would lose his life. 

I cannot imagine being only 9 years old, and having to face the sort of pain he has been through - both physically and emotionally. Every boy I have ever known loves to run and play...and Osman is no different! He gets around pretty quickly on his crutches, and can even play soccer. But still, even the simple things are now much more complex. The other night we were playing on the floor, and I couldn't help but notice how hard it was for him to move on the floor. Those of us with two legs can easily scoot around, but he had to use his arms mainly to move around. 

Back to the first night I met him. I discovered that Osman has a lovely singing ability. After we hung out for a while, he just began singing out of the blue:

You are my strength when I am weak

You are the treasure that I seek

You are my all in all...

Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is your naaaame (don't forget the inflection on the a!)

Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is your name

It seems that this is one of his favorites. While he sang this, I had to fight tears very hard. Thankfully the tears didn't win. I would have looked like a baby! I joined in with him since I knew the songs. As Osman launched into praise song after praise song (Here I am to Worship, Thank You Lord, etc) I can't tell you what that did to my heart. This boy was praising God, instead of being angry and bitter from all he has lost. 

I have so much to learn from Osman.

Here's a pic with him on the right side. The boy in my lap wouldn't say a word or tell me his name. I guess he's just painfully shy. It appears that he has had a cleft lip surgery...you can barely tell except for the stitches!

This is Evangel Baptist Church. I go there on Sundays that I am not on duty. The building itself isn't much to talk about, but the building is not the church! The people praise God, and that is what matters. In the picture on the right you can see Pastor Daniel. He is ALWAYS there to greet us, even if we're late!

Yesterday, a group of friends and I had the pleasure of walking to the local craft market. Getting there was quite an experience. When walking on the streets here, you have 2 goals: a) to not get run over by a truck or poda-poda (they will hit you) and b) to not fall in the deep gutters where rainwater, trash, and maybe sewage flow. Oh, and make sure you have a good grip on your purse! :)

This was a nice woman at the market. This is authentic Africa dress, and she was happy for me to take a photo. In the local church, this is how everyone is dressed.

The experience of buying at the market was very unique. It is mostly fun because you are bartering, but also stressful. As we walked upstairs to the main market area, there were many small "stalls". Probably 25 of them. As you walked by each stall, there would be a man trying to sell his items. But they don't just passively stand there and wait for you to decide, they try to decide for you! If they see you eyeing something (heaven forbid you touch it) they immediately pick it up and tell you all the reasons you should buy it. "This will look good on you." "I give you good price...you're my first customer today!" (yeah, right.) They REALLY pressure you into buying. If it was something I wanted, I asked what their price was. Whatever number they said was usually about double what they would charge a local person. So I would say "Hmmm..." and frown to show I wasn't happy. Then I would offer about half of what they said. If they only came down a little, I would say "No, I won't buy it then." This worked pretty well. Because we are white and they know we are rich, the prices weren't what the locals would pay. To me they were still very cheap! For example, I bought a beautiful handmade purse for 25,000 Leones, which is about 7.50 US dollars.  Not bad! I bought two necklaces for 10,000 which is 2.50 US dollars. So anyway, it was fun, and I hope my bartering skills will be even better next time!

The cotton tree in Freetown! I was so glad to finally see it for myself. And yes, it is BIG. Legend says that the tree is 300 years old. 

We ate lunch at the Crown Bakery in the city. It is so weird to go to a modern, Americanized restaurant in the middle of all the poverty that makes up 90% of Freetown.

From the left is Sandra, Savanna, Jillian, and I. Jillian is the hairdresser on the ship (don't get on her bad side)!

My new roommate, Sandra, and I. You can tell we got some sun!

My home for 4 1/2 months. :)

The sun finally making an appearance.

I know this post is quite long, but to be honest, I have barely scratched the surface of all I am seeing and experiencing here. I'm sure I will post again soon...there is so much more to say!

Keep me in your prayers!

"Snap snap!"

Hi everyone! This past week has been great, but also challenging because of all the new things I am learning. Since I work in the Hospitality department I am learning how to make beds properly, fold towels fancily, orient new crew to the ship, and give tours to new crew. It's a pretty fun position, and I'm working with a great team of ladies!

This Wednesday I had quite an adventure going into town. My friend Emily wanted to do some final shopping because it was her last full day here, so she took me and another friend Susan (who is from Nigeria) into town with her. Our walk to town was pleasant, but after about 30 minutes the streets became very crowded. We were heading to a market that's in the heart of Freetown. I was already feeling a bit uneasy about the crowdedness when a woman came up beside me and said "You need to be careful! This is a dangerous place!"I told her I would be careful, and we kept going. Then she came beside us again and was even more upset. Pretty soon she had corralled us to a corner of the street, when a large group of women including her began to shout very angrily. There were at least 50 women around us upset and yelling. At this point I was so frightened because I didn't know what they were upset about.   All I heard was "Get in the shop! Get in there now!" At the moment I had no idea why they wanted to get us off of the street. Susan who is from Nigeria speaks Krio, so she understood what was going on. Once I saw her agree and head toward the shop, I knew it must be ok. Once the woman had us off the street,  she very angrily explained that there had been several men following behind us who had knives. We are pretty sure that they were only going to use them to get our purses/money, but it was still quite scary. One lady grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled it out and stuffed my small purse down so that the men who were following us couldn't reach it. 

From that point, we headed back toward the ship. However, we knew that those men could very well still be following us, so we needed to either get someone from the ship to come pick us up, or take motorcycles. We opted for the bikes, since it was quicker. We quickly hailed three drivers to take us back. Let me just say that riding the motorcycle was much scarier than finding out we had men behind us with knives! My driver went very fast whether there were large potholes ahead or whether there was another driving coming straight towards us. Around here, the bikes weave in and out wherever they can fit. Needless to say, it was quite an adventure, and I was so relieved when we made it back to the dock. Once I stepped off the bike, my driver reached toward me, and I thought he was trying to hug me. At that point I was so glad to be alive that I hugged him. I was quite embarrassed when I realized he was just trying to get his helmet back! We had a good laugh about my mistake.

This past Friday night I had the opportunity to go out and show the Jesus Film to a nearby village. This was a great experience! As soon as we arrived, the locals began to sing for us, and didn't stop until everything was set up for the film. By the time the movie started, I believe there was around 300 people watching. More and more continued to come because they could hear it from quite a distance. Most of the people ended up standing (we did too), but didn't seem to care at all. I can't wait to do this again soon! Here's a photo I took during praise and worship.

On Saturday I went with a group to Mama Beach, which was a lovely place! Driving down to the beach we passed through this community, where this boy and girl lived. The little boy just loved striking poses for the camera! :)

The next photo is several kids on the beach. They just loved us taking their pictures (or snap snap as they say).

This is Abraham. He loved taking "snap snaps" of us and of himself! This was one of his self-portraits. :) Him and his sister, Alli hung out with us before we left the beach; they were both very sweet. Just look at his big brown eyes!

I hope you enjoy the photos. Everything is going well...it just takes time to adjust to being in such a different culture. Please keep me in your prayers! God bless!

Picture time!

I'm sorry it took so long to get pictures up! The internet here is quite slow. :)

This is during the flight to Belgium. I loved watching the sun come up over Europe!

Getting ready to land in Brussels, Belgium.

Inside the airport.

Airplane food! This meal was MUCH better than the one on the previous flight.

 Flying over northern Africa. You can tell we're not in the US anymore.

Getting ready to land in the Gambia.

The very cool-looking airport in the Gambia.

Flying over Sierra Leone! You can tell it's very cloudy because it's the rainy season.

Landing! Quite glad I wasn't on that plane...

The big bird we came in on.

Really, really tired...but glad to be on the ground!

My lovely new friend, Savanna. I'm so glad we traveled together.

Welcome! You can see how old the airport is.

This was the van that picked up our luggage. Who needs windows? You can tell there was a lot going on outside the airport.

These next few are a bit blurry. Palm trees! 

There was a big soccer game going on...looked like fun!

A small home.

A small church we passed by.

This was the ferry that took us across the waterway to get to the ship. 

The sunsets over the ocean are quite beautiful (when the clouds aren't in the way).

Lots of canoes...I believe these are used by fishermen.

A packed ferry that came into the port.

Need sleeeeeep. ;)

I had quite a nice welcome when I arrived to my cabin!

This is written by the window in our cabin. Such a great reminder!

This is the currency here - Leones. 10,000 is equal to about $2.5 US currency.

Haha...made me laugh.

My bed area. Sleeps very comfortably.

Closet area. 

The bathroom. Thankfully we have two because our cabin is a 10-berth.

These three are my view from the top deck of the ship. I love going out at night to take in the sights.

You can see how very old most of the structures are in Freetown.

This is along the bay. So many tiny houses crammed together.

I hope you enjoyed the photos! I am enjoying ship life, although it does take a little adjusting (the constant rocking for one thing). Yesterday two friends and I ventured into the city for a little while. The sights and smells were quite alot to take in. Many women and children make their living by selling produce and other goods on the roadside. This ranges from peppers, mangoes, onions, rice, and beans, to jewelry, diapers, and flip-flops. It is especially hard to see children who look 5 or 6 years old selling things. It is so hard to look them in the eye and say that no, you cannot help them. Our adventure into town was cut short once the rains started up, and we were drenched! It was a good first outing.

Then today, I went with several friends and attended Evangel Baptist Church in the Waterloo area. Not only was church an adventure, but the trip there! It took well over an hour, and you often found yourself hanging on to the handles built for such rough travel. We went for a ways up a dirt road where water drains down in the rainy season. So it was quite a bumpy ride! The worship was African style, and I really enjoyed it. We were packed like sardines in the building, which was hot, and we sat on wood benches. I am so amazed at how these people praise God, despite the many hardships I know they have gone through. I cannot imagine the difficult things they have faced. And yet they still worship God, and haven't become angry or bitter. By the time church was over, I had been greeted by nearly every person in the church. They go to great lengths to make visitors feel welcome! The sweetest thing was when children would line up to be greeted by us. They would shake our hands, and we would talk to them a bit. I have to say that Sierra Leoneans are the most beautiful people I have ever seen. Today at church I couldn't help but but notice that every woman and child there was lovely. I felt so much respect for these women today. As I greeted some of them, you can't help but notice the graceful way they carry themselves, and the pride that keeps them standing tall. I truly admire them.

There are so many humorous things I could tell you! For instance, I have seen Obama's face on several T shirts being worn, or I have seen Madonna's face on the back of taxi's. Today I saw at least 23 people step out of one small van (poda poda). I couldn't stop laughing as they just kept coming! (I won't be laughing when I ride in a poda poda.) :D

Please keep me in your prayers. I begin this coming week working in the Hospitality Department!

God bless you!
Elizabeth