Shipyard in Durban: good times

It's a little hard to believe that we arrived in Durban, South Africa just over a month ago. Work on the ship started almost immediately upon arrival.  Much has been done!  Bulkheads came down as new plastic piping has been installed.  New walls have been put in.  All sorts of different areas and spaces have been renovated.  It's incredible how very much can be done in such a short amount of time!

An alcove of the dining room becomes the Projects Team's office space during shipyard

the green clamps are on the newly installed plastic piping

One of the only down sides of shipyard is that flip flips are NOT allowed...and we have to wear hard hats when leaving the ship (but that's pretty much just amusing...)(looking around and seeing everyone in hard hats sure helped to keep the mood a little lighter when on the dock for good-byes).

the contents of the main galley had to hang out in mid-ships for a few days during fumigation

bulkheads down

the majority of the ship becomes a construction zone! 

This shipyard time is turning out to be really sweet (we were hoping it would be!).  It’s completely different than life during the field service (as you might would guess).  There is far less structure for the kids since school is not in session (though eli and caroline have been able to “work”  — eli in the dining room and caroline in the laundry room! a blog post about this is coming). There are far less people - which has its pros and cons.  The general rhythm of life is different. 

It's so interesting to us that the ship’s day to day operations are so decidedly different during this time.  There are very few nurses on this hospital ship (and the ones that remain have been reassigned to non-hospital jobs!).  There are no doctors (that we know of).  The tools being used during this season aren't IVs and stethoscopes and scalpels.  The tools in the hands of the workers are grinders and welders, screwdrivers and hammers.  But the reason we're all doing what we're doing is the same - to bring hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor.  

No matter how the inside of the ship looks, there's always a lovely view from Deck 8 (pc: Marina)

Dockyard at sunset (pc: Marina)

This is definitely a time of preparation and “refreshing” for what’s next.  All of the hard work and effort and plans and preparations will make the Africa Mercy better than ever before - better able to carry out her mission.

Please pray for the remainder of this shipyard time - may everything that needs to be accomplished happen - and may it happen in the most peaceful and timely fashion possible.  Please especially pray for the dry dock time (the ship went into dry dock this morning! That's an answer to prayer in and of itself!).  In order for the ship to sail as planned, this dry dock time needs to be successful.  Please pray for those leading - may they be full of strength, energy, patience, hope and endurance!

Surely there will be more to come.

Cash Kids: Questions & Answers

Thought it would be fun to ask the Cash Kids a few questions and share their answers with you.  

We asked.  They talked.  We typed.  

Enjoy!  

What's your favorite thing about the Africa Mercy?

ELI - the easy accessibility to things...like the dining room and friends.

CAROLINE - all the nice people you get to meet.

EMMA - that it's a ship.  because it sails.  and i like the sails.  except for the parts that give me headaches...the part over bumps.

What's your least favorite thing about the Africa Mercy?

ELI - food selections probably.  they only rarely have chicken nuggets.

CAROLINE - the rule about having to be 10 to fix your food and you can't run.

EMMA - we don't get to go to mcdonald's very often.

Where is your favorite place on the Africa Mercy?

ELI - mid-ships - it's a place where I can meet with my friends and play with them.

CAROLINE - our cabin - my stuff is there and if i'm bored there's stuff to do.

EMMA - with God...He's everywhere.  And the dining room because you can eat food there and get food there.

If you could add something to the Africa Mercy, what would it be?

ELI - a target store that could fold up into a box.

CAROLINE - an amusement park with a roller coaster, water park & mcdonald's..things like that - and it can fold up into a box so that we could store it well during the sail.

EMMA - a vanilla icecream machine.

What's your favorite meal here on the Africa Mercy?

ELI - chicken strips.

CAROLINE - well...umm....i like...uh...let's see...um....uh,,,i really like the chicken strips and the hamburgers...and the hotdogs - those are delicious.

EMMA - chicken strips and french fries.

What's one thing you want people back home to know about your life on the Africa Mercy?

ELI - living on the AFM is entirely awesome.

CAROLINE - there's no traffic - so you can get to school in about 10 seconds....unless a bunch of people start crowding the stairs - so then there is technically traffic - human traffic - not car traffic.

EMMA - sometimes in the middle of the night I go and sleep on the floor in my mom and dad's room.

There ya go!   A bit of a different perspective on this place we call home.  Let us know if you have any others that you'd like to hear their  answers to!

Surely there will be more to come.

faces & numbers & pie charts & life change

This time of year is a bit tough - it's tough to say good-byes, tough to wrap things up and get ready to sail away (but it happens to be a bit easier this time around since we'll be returning to Madagascar in August).  

But this time of year is also a whole lot of beautiful -- it's a natural time for reflecting back on the field service.  Final statistics are gathered, infographics are created, stories are wrapped up.  

Here are just a few bits and pieces that we want to share with you -- just a taste of what God has been doing...(just a heads up, you may need to take this post a few bites at a time...read a bit, rejoice a bit and then come back for more!).

BANAY had a bilateral cleft lip and palate.  She has lived the majority of her teen years avoiding people. Now with her new lip she says she finally feels beautiful enough to go out into the world. “I was ashamed,” she says. Her first plan now that she’s left the hospital is to take swimming lessons. She’s always been afraid of the water due to her deformity and now she plans to conquer that fear!

JOCELYN had a tumor near his eye that caused his eye to protrude from his face.  With the tumor removed, Jocelyn can now return to a normal life.

MARIA was 2 years old when she fell into a pot of boiling water.  Since Maria’s parents didn’t have the money to seek medical treatment, her arm healed improperly and she was no longer able to raise it away from her side. Her parents said, “The problem was always the money. Always the money. It would have been impossible for us to find the money to do surgery.” The Lord proved faithful and Maria had free surgery and can now lift her arm like she used to when she was 2 years old.

MINETTE had a 9 lb tumor hanging from her back...she would do her best to hide her tumor by wearing oversized t-shirts...now she's 9 lbs lighter and has a changed wardrobe!

ROMINO had bowed legs.  After orthopedic surgery earlier this year his legs are now straight!

SANTA tripped over a pot of boiling water which severely burned her neck.  Due to lack of money and access to healthcare, Santa’s burns weren’t properly treated, leaving her neck immobilized due to skin contractures. The skin on her chin healed poorly, attaching to the burned parts on her neck. She wasn’t able to lift her head.  She can now extend her neck like she never could before and will continue to gain mobility as she heals.

VANYA had “windswept legs.”  Vanya would come home from school and tell her mom that her friends would make fun of her because she couldn’t run. She wouldn’t wear clothes that other girls her age would wear for fear of people seeing her crooked legs. Now, for the first time in 10 years, she can run with the other kids and show off her straight legs!

Dental Numbers At the close of the dental activities here in Madagascar, the Dental Team provided 6,290 dental patient encounters with over 22,000 procedures - that is an average of 3.5 dental procedures per dental patient encounter (5,074 adults and 1,216 children).  That's more than 6,000 smiles that are better and brighter because of the hard work and love of our dental team!

And for those of you who love the numbers and charts and pie graphs and such....here are a few for your enjoyment: (these are just the surgery and health care education numbers)

And where did all of the patients come from?  Thanks to some excellent records kept by our friend Davi Trotti, we know that we registered patients from 20 of the 22 regions in the Republic of Madagascar - only two regions (Amoron'i Mania and Androy) have not had any patients registered.  20 out of 22 regions -- that speaks to the excellence of our screening team - the flights and cross-country car rides and extremely long days were worth it!

Aren't you amazed?!  When you really stop and think about these stories and numbers and graphics and charts...it all adds up to lives forever changed.  AND YOU ARE A PART OF THAT!  With your prayers...with your friendship...with your interest...with your financial support...with your life - you are a part of what God is doing here on the Africa Mercy...not to mention what He's doing through you in your own neighborhood.

Aren't you amazed?! We have the privilege of being earthly representatives of God's love and kindness and grace - right where we are with the tools His given us.

There's a song we sing here on the Africa Mercy that we've come to love.  The words are "Great things He has done.  Greater things He will do.  Unto the Lord be the glory.  Great things He has done."  (click on the words to hear a version of it - it's the first song in the medley).

It's so true.

Great things He has done.
Greater things He will do.
Unto the Lord be the glory.
Great things He has done. 

Surely there will be more to come.

End of the School Year Celebration!

School's out for the summer (or winter depending on which hemisphere one finds oneself in).

This past Friday we were able to attend one of our favorite Academy Events of the year - the end of the school year celebration!  

Just as in years past (here are 2 links for your convenience and reading pleasure 2013, 2014 ), all the students, teachers, parents and any other crew who wanted to attend gathered in the International Lounge to celebrate the conclusion of another successful school year.

Each student was honored with a prayerfully chosen “character trait” and scripture to go along with that character trait.  There was also a slideshow of photos (those bring me to tears every time!), some special class performances and beautiful words from our principal.  It was such a delightful way to put a bow on the gift that this school year has been. 

This year Emma's teacher, Miss Jenelle, chose the character trait of "sincerity" for Emma.  Miss Jenelle wrote "Emma demonstrates earnest honesty with pure and loving intention in her interactions with both her classmates and adults."  The verse chosen for Emma was Job 33:3 "My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know."

Emma is now officially a kindergarten student!

 Miss Kayla, Caroline's teacher, chose the character trait of "Passionate" for Caroline.  Kayla wrote "Caroline can be quite competitive and I think that's because she is so passionate.  When she sets out to get something done, she does it whole-heartedly and with such creativity and drive.  She fully invests into the project, game, assignment, or relationship and cares deeply about doing those things well.  I love watching Caroline set her passions towards loving God and loving others.  Caroline's passion reminds me of the relentless work, love and dedication Jesus put out for us when he left His throne to become our Savior.  Caroline, may the passion you have be directing solely towards the Kingdom of God."

Colossians 3:23 is the verse that was chosen for Caroline "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."

Caroline is very excited to be a fourth grader!

And for Eli, Miss Remy chose the character trait of "Dependable."  She wrote "Eli is someone you can count on.  He has the heart of a servant.  He keeps his promises, he says what he does and he does what he says.  He has a deep sense of what is right and true and tries his very best to live his life according to this truth.  He is faithful to his classmates and friends and is alway willing to lend a hand."

Colossians 1:10 is the verse that she chose for him: "So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God."

It's hard to believe that Eli is entering his last year as an elementary student - Grade 5!

It is astounding and incredible - and absolutely beautiful - to watch and listen as every single child is called forward and affirmed.

And...as with all good parties...we were given a parting gift on the way out - the school year book!

We are still confident that we are exactly where we are supposed to be serving here on the Africa Mercy...and the Academy is a tremendous part of what makes our being here possible.  We are beyond grateful for the teachers and administrators that pour their lives into our children.

If we were to assign "character traits" to the Academy staff as a whole, words like "competent, faithful, courageous, steadfast, admirable, lovely, kind, servant-hearted, loving, generous, excellent, devoted, and Jesus-like" would fill the list.

Surely there will be more to come.

Africa Mercy Psalm

For the end of Mada 1 - based on Psalm 136

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good...

His love endures forever.

He opened up an entire new region of Africa unexpectedly...
His love endures forever.

To Him who equipped us for the task…

His love endures forever.

Who brought us through the mist of the unknown and rough seas...
His love endures forever.

And kept us safe in our precarious berth…

 His love endures forever.

To Him who kept us safe from tropical storms…

His love endures forever.

Who provided all of our water...
His love endures forever.

His faithfulness confirmed His promise in ways seen and unseen...
His love endures forever.

Who connected our paths with the right patients…
His love endures forever.

He saw us through every surgery...

His love endures forever.

To him who heals bodies even when surgery or medicines fail..
His love endures forever.

He healed every wound…

His love endures forever.

Who restores movement to contracted joints...
His love endures forever.

Whose presence filled our Hospital causing infections to vanish, new skin to grow and left hearts overflowing with hope...

His love endures forever.

During stress filled times, He answered my every page...

His love endures forever.

To Him who provided our largest HOPE center ever!

His love endures forever.

He saved lives through training! 

His love endures forever.

Who provided a way for us to minister to orphans, the elderly, prisoners, the deaf & disabled...
His love endures forever.

To the ONE who created the colourful richness of harmony in the music of Madagascar and blessed us with a day crew that sings praises while they work..
His love endures forever.

And opened the floodgates of the internet!
His love endures forever.

For the everlasting supplies of fruit & veg…
His love endures forever.

For the day when the cheese came…
His love endures forever.

To Him alone who created all the lemurs…
His love endures forever.

Who provided a close friend at just the right time…

 His love endures forever.

He kept us safe in 3 different countries...

His love endures forever.

To him who alone does great wonders...

His love endures forever.

Let us give thanks to the God of heaven.

His love endures forever.

Glimpses into the Beautiful Ordinary Bits

Sometimes it seems like a blog post should be full of significance...life change, big events, lofty thoughts. And while there are certainly plenty of stories of life change in this place (and big events and lofty thoughts!), there's something sacred about realizing that it's the familiar and the mundane that can often hold the most significance and beauty.  

These are just a few pictures that were taken on an early morning run...views and places and markers that are a part of our daily lives...

View from the top of the gangway

My (dianna) favorite roof in all of Tamatave

Street side shops - as the day goes on they fill with people and goods

The white building is the church closest to the ship

Home sweet Home. 

Early morning football matches 

Coconut carts - this is one of probably 25 that we pass as we're running

A side street

 A bike repairman's ledger

Incredible plant life

The road back home

The "yellows" that mean we're almost back.

It's amazing when we can recognize the significance of the everyday - we want to do that more and more!  It's in the everyday that the bits and pieces of beautiful come together to create our lives.

What ordinary thing is a part of your daily life that is actually rather extraordinary when you really look at it? What do you need to take the time to recognize in order to capture all the beauty God wants to give you?

Surely there will be more to come.

Thursday Night Icecream

Fun fact: every Thursday night (pretty much) we have a Community Meeting at 7:30...and every Thursday night (pretty much) we have icecream after the previously mentioned Community Meeting.  Honestly, we're not sure how long this tradition has been going on...maybe we should ask. (and have we really never written a blog post about icecream on Thursday nights?!?!)

For a while we didn't let our kids go down and get icecream.  It just made the evening too complicated and prolonged bedtime farther than we were willing to go.  But before you start thinking anything about us depriving our children of icecream (how dare we?!), you must know that we would very often go get their icecream for them, put it in the freezer and then let them have it for breakfast on Friday morning.  (score one for the parents - and the kids!!)

Lately we've been letting them have their icecream on Thursday nights (IF their behavior warrants it)(nothing like dangling icecream in front of a kid...it's quite the incentive).   

Emma's favorite spot to enjoy her icecream seems to be on the steps - right in the middle of everything.  The other night the stars aligned just right - she was on the steps looking cute in her pajamas (and freshly washed hair!) - and the camera was present (because of the Academy Health Fair that was going on during icecream)(just slightly ironic).  Thus, a few pictures for your viewing enjoyment.  She's too cute not to share.  

 Emma's friend, Isabella - aka Izzy! - joined her for a while.

Fun Thursday Night Icecream Facts: 

• the icecream serving responsibilities rotate among the departments (there are about 35 departments...so you really only get to serve once every 6 months or so...)
• sometimes the departments "dress up" to serve (in their uniforms or some part of their work garb) or put their own twist on the icecream toppings/accessories). 
• there are generally 4 flavors to choose from:  vanilla, strawberry, chocolate & coffee
• chocolate syrup, caramel syrup & sprinkles are offered as toppings
• the containers that the icecream comes in fit perfectly into the cabinets in the cabins - 2 fit side by side and are perfect for socks, undies, small toys, craft supplies, etc. (we currently don't have any in our cabin...but it's nice to know we could get them if we needed them!!)

Icecream on Thursday nights: just one of the many AFM traditions that help to make this community what it is -- this special...unique...beautiful...challenging...refreshing...rewarding...frustrating...lovely community.  We're glad to be a part of it...and glad to have the chance to enjoy icecream each week! (whether we take the chance or not, it's nice to know we could if we wanted to!)

Maybe sometime we'll take some snapshots of the lines (there are 2 usually very long - but quick moving! - icecream lines) and the fellowship that happens in the cafe and mid-ships as the vast majority of the crew connect over icecream.  It's a delightful picture of the body of Christ coming together over a super sweet treat.  

Surely there will be more to come.