This week has been crazy busy. Lots of people with colds and sinus stuff. Not surprising as it is the time of year that the Harmattan is blowing. Fortunately we don't get it here very bad, but there is a lot of dust in the air and it is dry season as well. Many suffering from allergies as well. My real challenge has been all the other crazy things that have coming through the clinic. It has kept us on our toes to say the least.In the last couple of weeks I have been dealing with many strange things. Wounds that don't want to heal , that seem simple but just don't heal. Infections that are resistant to medications, broken bones from sports injuries, torn muscles in healthy young people,someone who was hit by a motorcycle and stroke like symptoms in a young healthy 30 year old. There have been many other strange things as well. I ask for your healing prayers for all of these and more. I also ask you to pray for me and the Crew Physician Alex as we strive to care for all of these in a challenging environment that sometimes lacks the tools we are accustom to .
On a higher note this week I had a very unique opportunity to go and tour the American Embassy here. Due to our government shut down it was a scaled down version with no parties or frills, but I enjoyed it very much. A group of about 40-50 of us took 1/2 a day off and caravaned to the Embassy. Security was high and impressive as we passed through multiple layers of security to enter the compound. For obvious reasons I will not share the details of that.
Our host we very welcoming and apologized for not being able to host us properly due to the government shut down. We did however get to hear from many of the different people working there, and learn about what they do and why they do it.
We heard from representatives from the Military, CDC, USAID, Security, and others. All in all about 10 different agencies that interact within the embassy. We learned more about the history of Guinea and how young the current government is and how well it is doing in spite of challenging circumstances. It was very encouraging. We learned that the some of the doctors and nurses that were trained by the US and others during the Ebola Crisis here, are now in Democratic Republic of Congo helping and teaching others with the current Ebola Crisis there. It made me proud to know that America has been part of helping there.
It was also nice, if even for a few hours, to feel like I was home. Inside the Embassy it felt like you were in America, with all things familiar. The building itself, the light fixtures, the furnishings, the carpet, all felt familiar and did not look or feel like what you normally see here in Africa. I was also proud to note that it was all done in simple taste, not over done or showy. We were allowed to see the office of the American Ambassador who did not happen to be there, and even His office was very simple and humble. It made me proud in a place where government power and money is often abused and used for ones own interest.
Different things stood out to different people as we chatted about it after our visit. Little things that looked like home. Art on the walls. Marines in uniform standing their posts. carpet on the floors. Pictures of America on a wall in the back of the room. A bathroom sign with a wheelchair and braille on it just like home. Pictures of the president and vice president hanging the wall. And of course, flying high in the center of the courtyard, flapping perfectly in a gentle breeze, the American flag. That was one of my good moments too.
Sadly due to security we were not allowed to take pictures, so you will just have to imagine. But it was a neat trip and I feel honored to have been allowed such a privilege.
Until next time, thanks for your prayers and support. Keep praying. This surgery block will be large head and neck surgeries and plastic surgeries. Pray for the surgeons, the patients and their families.
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Traveling North
Recently I took a trip up North for a weekend away. It was a wonderful trip that allowed me time with friends, a chance to relax, and to see more of what Mercy Ships is involved in.
The trip took 5 hours by car to arrive at our destination. We stayed at a small hotel in Kindia. The drive was filled with lots of traffic, pot holes that could swallow a small car, and the love and laughter of good friends.
As we left the city and the traffic one would expect to be able to drive faster and enjoy the freedom of the open road. However, here in Guinea as you leave the city the roads become peppered with large potholes that make travel slow, bumpy and sometimes dangerous. I was thankful for the skills and caution of our hired driver who skillfully avoided many of the hazards. This often included vehicles traveling towards you on the wrong side of the road as they attempted to avoid potholes on their side of the road. In the end we arrived quite safe and sound and with good stories of the sites along the way.
Suffice to say things are quite different here in Africa. It was not uncommon to see motorcycles driving down the road, weaving in and out of traffic with only inches to spare. Most often the drivers do not have helmets and often carrying multiple passengers. I think the record here is 5 adults on one motorcycle. It is very common to see families travel this way, including mom and dad a several small children. Sometimes even infants in moms arms. Child seats are pretty much non existent here. Like I said quite different.
Another thing you see is animals. Lots of animals. By the road and in the road, and you better not hit them. It is understood that fences do not really happen here and livestock can wander to wherever the next grazing spot might be found. So, the road will often contain goats, sheep, or cattle. They may or may not be accompanied by young shepherds.There is also the occasional chicken or duck in the road. So they become yet another obstacle in the road to be avoided. Most of them seem to know that the cars and motorcycles are dangerous and mostly stay out of the way, mostly.
There are also very few rules for driving. Lane markers are really not there and if they are they are really more of a suggestion. It is not uncommon for cars and motorcycles to be traveling the wrong way and headed at you on your side of the road in an attempt to avoid heavy traffic on their side of the road. All of this together adds up slow driving. So our trip north which is 133 kilometers (82 miles) took 5 hours. This is Africa.
I hope I don't sound like I am complaining. Just trying to give you a picture of what it is like here. The trip was well worth it . The reward was 2 days in a nice, quiet, inexpensive hotel. It was inside a walled compound so reasonably safe, and had a restaurant on premises. I shared a room with a friend from the ship, which turned out to mean we also shared a bed. We were thankful that it was a King size and we had plenty of room for both of us. Our room was quite spacious and we had a mosquito net so we slept quite soundly without fear of little visitors in the night.
Our meals were quite nice. Very affordable, delicious and I was even able to order my own meal in French. Learning French has proved to be quite difficult for me but I continue to try and am learning a little. I was please when I got my food and it was actually what I thought I had ordered. Success! Dinner was filet de poisson and palm fritte ( fish and chips.)
Breakfast was Cafe' Ole, Pan and omelette. ( Coffee with milk, bread and omelette. All quite delicious.
The next two days were spent exploring the local area. There are several different waterfalls in the area and we were able to visit two of them. The first one had a pool at the bottom that was very shallow, but the falls were quite lovely. We spent several hours there enjoying the sound of the water, the jungle and soaking in some sunshine.
The second waterfall was much larger and had several pools large enough for swimming. The water was quite cool and a bit of shock when you first jumped in. We had a lot of fun swimming and splashing around. It was nice to get away from our responsibilities for a while and just relax. Lunch followed at a little local restaurant nestled in the trees next to the river. We had more fish and cold drinks and great conversation with our driver. He spoke great English and talked to us about his country, his family and we shared about the ship. It was a really great day.
We returned to the ship in the same way traffic, potholes and livestock oh my...This time we made it in four hours which was pretty amazing as we traveled back on New years eve. The traffic in town was really crazy but our driver delivered us safely back. We had one more day to rest as the New Year was wrung in on the ship. We had open mic night in the cafe and a dance party in between acts. The new year came with fireworks in town that could be seen from deck 8. At least that is what I heard, as I was in my bed by 10pm bringing the new year in deep in sleep. :)
We did have a side trip to the agriculture site while in Kindia, but that is a story for another day.....
Happy New Year.
The trip took 5 hours by car to arrive at our destination. We stayed at a small hotel in Kindia. The drive was filled with lots of traffic, pot holes that could swallow a small car, and the love and laughter of good friends.
As we left the city and the traffic one would expect to be able to drive faster and enjoy the freedom of the open road. However, here in Guinea as you leave the city the roads become peppered with large potholes that make travel slow, bumpy and sometimes dangerous. I was thankful for the skills and caution of our hired driver who skillfully avoided many of the hazards. This often included vehicles traveling towards you on the wrong side of the road as they attempted to avoid potholes on their side of the road. In the end we arrived quite safe and sound and with good stories of the sites along the way.
 |
| Main lanes of highway leaving town |
Suffice to say things are quite different here in Africa. It was not uncommon to see motorcycles driving down the road, weaving in and out of traffic with only inches to spare. Most often the drivers do not have helmets and often carrying multiple passengers. I think the record here is 5 adults on one motorcycle. It is very common to see families travel this way, including mom and dad a several small children. Sometimes even infants in moms arms. Child seats are pretty much non existent here. Like I said quite different.
 |
| Photo by Marina Schimd |
 |
| Photo by Marina Schmid |
 |
| Photo by Marina Schmid |
Another thing you see is animals. Lots of animals. By the road and in the road, and you better not hit them. It is understood that fences do not really happen here and livestock can wander to wherever the next grazing spot might be found. So, the road will often contain goats, sheep, or cattle. They may or may not be accompanied by young shepherds.There is also the occasional chicken or duck in the road. So they become yet another obstacle in the road to be avoided. Most of them seem to know that the cars and motorcycles are dangerous and mostly stay out of the way, mostly.
There are also very few rules for driving. Lane markers are really not there and if they are they are really more of a suggestion. It is not uncommon for cars and motorcycles to be traveling the wrong way and headed at you on your side of the road in an attempt to avoid heavy traffic on their side of the road. All of this together adds up slow driving. So our trip north which is 133 kilometers (82 miles) took 5 hours. This is Africa.
I hope I don't sound like I am complaining. Just trying to give you a picture of what it is like here. The trip was well worth it . The reward was 2 days in a nice, quiet, inexpensive hotel. It was inside a walled compound so reasonably safe, and had a restaurant on premises. I shared a room with a friend from the ship, which turned out to mean we also shared a bed. We were thankful that it was a King size and we had plenty of room for both of us. Our room was quite spacious and we had a mosquito net so we slept quite soundly without fear of little visitors in the night.
 |
| comfy sleep |
 |
| roomy bathroom |
 |
| headed to my room |
Our meals were quite nice. Very affordable, delicious and I was even able to order my own meal in French. Learning French has proved to be quite difficult for me but I continue to try and am learning a little. I was please when I got my food and it was actually what I thought I had ordered. Success! Dinner was filet de poisson and palm fritte ( fish and chips.)
Breakfast was Cafe' Ole, Pan and omelette. ( Coffee with milk, bread and omelette. All quite delicious.
 |
| a nice place to eat at the end of the day |
The next two days were spent exploring the local area. There are several different waterfalls in the area and we were able to visit two of them. The first one had a pool at the bottom that was very shallow, but the falls were quite lovely. We spent several hours there enjoying the sound of the water, the jungle and soaking in some sunshine.
 |
| Bride's veil falls Kindia |
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| Bride's Veil Falls |
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| Me at Bride's Veil falls |
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| Shallow enough to walk all the way across |
The second waterfall was much larger and had several pools large enough for swimming. The water was quite cool and a bit of shock when you first jumped in. We had a lot of fun swimming and splashing around. It was nice to get away from our responsibilities for a while and just relax. Lunch followed at a little local restaurant nestled in the trees next to the river. We had more fish and cold drinks and great conversation with our driver. He spoke great English and talked to us about his country, his family and we shared about the ship. It was a really great day.
 | |
| My onboarding buddies and me in the pools |
 |
| a little lunch in the trees? |
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| A peaceful lunch next to the river |
 |
| He leads me beside still waters |
We returned to the ship in the same way traffic, potholes and livestock oh my...This time we made it in four hours which was pretty amazing as we traveled back on New years eve. The traffic in town was really crazy but our driver delivered us safely back. We had one more day to rest as the New Year was wrung in on the ship. We had open mic night in the cafe and a dance party in between acts. The new year came with fireworks in town that could be seen from deck 8. At least that is what I heard, as I was in my bed by 10pm bringing the new year in deep in sleep. :)
We did have a side trip to the agriculture site while in Kindia, but that is a story for another day.....
Happy New Year.
Saturday, January 5, 2019
January 2019
I always wonder what to blog about. Does anyone even read these? It often seems like vanity to think anyone is even interested in what I may have to say. This time of year everyone else is blogging about what they did in 2018. Reflecting. I guess it is only natural. As I think back I am truly amazed at the faithfulness of God. I can see his hand at work in my life and in the lives around me.
I am thankful for the amazing friendships he has brought into my life. And for the existing friendships he has help me maintain despite thousands of miles of distance between us. I am in awe and how he has faithfully provided for my safety, my health, and my finances. I have also seen his faithfully provide for others too. For jobs at just the right time, friendships to fill lonely moments, finances when all seemed lost, new homes and new babies. For church families to stand with those in difficult times and let them know they are not alone. Love poured out on those around them, so they might know there is one in heaven that loves them more.
It is still a mystery to me that out of everyone in the world he has chosen me to be a part of what occurs here on this ship. His faithfulness is on display daily as we see one life after another transformed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is a work that we can assist in as he allows, but ultimately work only He can accomplish. Only he can heal bodies, hearts and broken spirits.
Over the year he has allowed me to learn new skills in my jobs , while being exposed to things I have never seen. He has stretched my physical endurance, and taught me to trust him more each day. I have had the blessing of diving deeper into God's word and learning more about his character and His plans for me and those around me. I have laughed, cried, celebrated and mourned. It has been an amazing year. I have felt love from distant lands and distant friends, many of whom I have not seen in years, and yet they have come along side me in spirit and love and helped me through this year.
The year ahead is unknown. Yet I know I can trust in the One who holds it all. Nothing will be a surprise to Him.
I am thankful for the amazing friendships he has brought into my life. And for the existing friendships he has help me maintain despite thousands of miles of distance between us. I am in awe and how he has faithfully provided for my safety, my health, and my finances. I have also seen his faithfully provide for others too. For jobs at just the right time, friendships to fill lonely moments, finances when all seemed lost, new homes and new babies. For church families to stand with those in difficult times and let them know they are not alone. Love poured out on those around them, so they might know there is one in heaven that loves them more.
It is still a mystery to me that out of everyone in the world he has chosen me to be a part of what occurs here on this ship. His faithfulness is on display daily as we see one life after another transformed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is a work that we can assist in as he allows, but ultimately work only He can accomplish. Only he can heal bodies, hearts and broken spirits.
Over the year he has allowed me to learn new skills in my jobs , while being exposed to things I have never seen. He has stretched my physical endurance, and taught me to trust him more each day. I have had the blessing of diving deeper into God's word and learning more about his character and His plans for me and those around me. I have laughed, cried, celebrated and mourned. It has been an amazing year. I have felt love from distant lands and distant friends, many of whom I have not seen in years, and yet they have come along side me in spirit and love and helped me through this year.
The year ahead is unknown. Yet I know I can trust in the One who holds it all. Nothing will be a surprise to Him.
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