Wee Word Wednesday - Incineration...

Ever wonder what happens to medications when they are no good? Ever wanted to know how they are destroyed?

Well...lucky for you, you have to wonder no longer! Now, there are many ways to denature and destroy medication...but, here on the ship, we do it by way of incineration. Tonight, Miriam and I had the opportunity to incinerate LOTS of medication.

First, we had to pack all the medication to be destroyed into brown paper bags. This makes it easier to place in the incinerator, without things melting to it...or something like that. Then, we filled a drum full of those paper bags...which then got lowered down to Deck 2 (the Engine Room) from Deck 3 (in the Hospital).

This is the incinerator. Exciting, no?

You can't see it, but the incinerator is reading about 840 degrees Celcius...which equals about 1544 degrees Fahrenheit for all of you who may operate in that temperature measurement. All in all...HOT!

Refueled...

I have once heard a quote that goes something like this:

“We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth."

Not to say that I am a "touchy" person...but with the friends that I have back home, I have come to enjoy and even look forward to hugs and cuddles. I'm also not saying that there aren't people like that here on the Africa Mercy...but, some times it's just a weird environment to come right out and start randomly hugging people. Then again, not to say that I would do that. I would selectively hug people.

Miriam and I once had a conversation about this in the pharmacy. I guess one day, I was feeling like my love tank was running a little low. I stopped and figured out that I don't get hugged much here. We deduced that it's because, even if you are a person to show affection, you don't necessarily do it right away with people you "just meet" (And you happen to "just meet" lots of people here on the ship.). You usually wait until you know someone well enough to know that they would be okay with and even reciprocate a hug every now and again. And slowly, I am finding people here who like to hug...and I welcome the hugs that come my way...usually (Just a note to explain the usually - I often get hugs when I'm in a bad mood in the pharmacy.).

Yet, inspite of all that...I find that my love tank gets refueled at the orphanage, the Maison Bethel...usually when I'm not so aware that it was low. So much so, that I don't really know who gets loved on more...me or those kids. I always leave there on Saturdays, beaming, so happy that I went...so happy to love and to be loved on.

I have really enjoyed my time with the kids at the orphanage. To me, they're amazing. They share well, they look out for one another, yet they teach one another and toughen up the little ones (In a good way, of course. Two weekends ago, a little 2 (?) year old boy named Jean threw a bit of the fit on the swing with me, because he didn't want Veronica sitting next to me. So, an older boy, Lolo, picked him up, set him on the ground outside of the swing, and let him cry for a bit. When Jean came back to sit on my lap, he didn't fuss one bit more about Veronica being by my side.).

I have become some what of a regular there. And, slowly but surely, I am learning all their names...learning who the quiet ones are, who is a bit naughty, who nurtures, who shares and who needs to learn how to share. As soon as I enter the orphanage and sit down, I usually have Veronica in my lap. She lavishes me endlessly with hugs and follows me around and has me help her with the craft of the week. It's awesome. Yet, I watch her and see that she is willing to share. She gives her snacks to others, will trade coloring pencils with others, and will even let someone else occupy my lap - as I had a sleeping baby there just this past Saturday.

I am hoping, that in the end, when I leave there every Saturday, those kids are left beaming, happy that we came to spend time with them, happy to love and be loved on. And, although there is a language barrier there, and I can't speak freely with them as I would like to...I'm hoping and praying that the language of Love speaks volumes to them, and speaks volumes to their hearts. That it lets them know that they are loved...and that He loves them.

Me and my friend, Veronica

Hannah, with Angela on her back, and Lea beside her

Wee Word Wednesday - AFM Film Festival

This past Saturday, we had a film festival here on the Africa Mercy. It was an opportunity for the crew members to get their creative juices flowing, and show the rest of the crew what they can do. It was also a "black-tie" event...and it was really cool seeing everyone all dressed up! Don't get me wrong, I love living in scrubs and slippers, but I think that we all clean up pretty nice.

Hannah and I just before heading up to partake in the night

The lovely ladies that I went to Ghana with...quite a bit of a difference from our last group photo!

These are my friends...they won Best Film at the Film Festival!

:-)

I Got It From My Mama...

So, this evening, I did something a little different. And, even though I was a bit apprehensive at first - I ended up having a blast...and am more than likely to do it again.

So, a few weeks back, I noticed on our rolling announcements (slides that run continuously on our closed circuit channel) that they were looking for people who can crochet and knit to come and volunteer at the Hospitality Center.

For those of you who are wondering what the hospitality center is...it's a place off the ship where we have patients...both pre- and post-operation patients. These patients usually live far away from the ship and may either need more time to recuperate or have more appointments to make on-ship, but don't need the medical attention of the hospital. I hope that made sense. It sounds a bit jumbled in my head.

Anyhow, anytime I contemplate doing something new and different (seeing as how I hadn't had time to venture over to the Hospitality Center yet)...I get a bit anxious about things. This time around, I wondered if I knew enough to teach the patients. I worried about how I would communicate how to do the craft to someone else, seeing as how I barely speak any French and can never really remember how to even say "Hello" in Ewe...not to mention the whole host of other local languages and dialects that are spoken. All that aside...I also wondered if they would like me and be receptive to this 'Yovo'.

And of course, when in doubt...try to get others to do it with you! So, I ended up finding 3 other friends to accompany me and help teach knitting and crochet to the people at the Hospitality Center. Hannah and Sarah know how to knit, and Aimee and I crochet.

At 6 pm, we met up and caught a shuttle to the Hospitality Center (There are Mercy Ships vehicles [aka shuttles] that go there often over the course of the day, usually to help bring our discharged patients to their new temporary Mercy Ships home off the ship.). It wasn't too long of a ride, but definitely bumpy...and it was amazing to see what a day of rain did to the roads here in Lomé (Welcome to the rainy season.).

As we drove into the compound, we could see the tent where the patients hang out outside...along with so many familiar faces from the hospital. It was nice to see those faces, and I think that those faces were happy to see ours, too. Stepping out from the back of the Land Rover, I got attacked by little ones, even having little Aissa give me a huge bear hug and then proceed to hang herself off of my body, wrapping her legs around mine (making it near impossible to move or to even bend over and pick her up properly.).

We got ushered into the Hospitality Center by one of our fellow Mercy Shippers there, Ellen. She gave us a quick tour of the place, since it was my first time there...and then showed us the craft room where we gathered supplies, were given a few quick and brief instructions, then sent outside to mingle with the patients.

Each of us set out in search of someone, anyone to teach. Aimee got some quality one-on-one time with a lady sitting off by herself. I didn't get very far into the tent when I sat down with some mamas and pulled out yarn and crochet needles. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by people - mamas, young girls, little kiddos, and even a few males who wanted to see what I was doing and learn a bit of it for themselves. I didn't really know how to tell them what we were doing...but 'the see what I am doing, then do what I am doing' method seemed to work for a bit. Luckily enough, one of our day volunteers at the Hospitality Center came over and started translating for me. It was a bit of a life saver. I was really getting into it and having fun...when we were notified that it was dinner time for everyone.

Resigning that we should probably let them all eat, we gathered the left over yarn and needles, and packed everything back into the Center. Even though my new friends there didn't master the art of crochet yet, I got lots of hugs and thanks for my efforts anyways.

And that to me, my friends...is some time well spent.

Thanks to my mom who taught me how to crochet when I was a little girl. Now, I'm just hoping to pass a little bit of what I know on. You know, pay it forward and all.

Wee Word Wednesday - Weekends

These past two weekends have been amazing...

I've had the chance to return to Ghana during the first weekend of May...only this time do to an all girls hiking trip to Wli Waterfalls, the largest waterfalls in West Africa.

(Right: The upper fall that we hiked to on Saturday;
Left: The lower falls, which is an easy 30 minute walk from the town)

(Right: The girls at the upper falls, after our long, but rewarding hike there;
Left: Us again, but this time on Sunday, in front of our mean green taxi-bus thing, before heading back to the ship.)

This past weekend ended up being a lot more relaxing than anticipated...but it was definitely welcomed. A few friends and I headed east of Togo this time, to the country of Benin. We spent the weekend in a small town called Possotome on Lake Aheme. Here, we just chilled, and spent a morning learning how to fish from the villagers. Needless to say...if we had to fish for our lives, pretty sure that we'd starve...



Now, don't get me wrong...this isn't how I normally spend my weekends here. But, sometimes, it's nice to get away. However...it's always great to be back. :-)

Wee Word Wednesday - Blood Connections

Remember when I told you two months ago about me giving blood?

Now, I'd love to share a few pictures of the patient that received that blood.

Meet Lawson...

This is what Lawson looked like before the surgery. He had a rather large, bilateral ameloblastoma.

Now, this is Lawson a few weeks post recovery.

He will still have a few more surgeries to go to complete his facial reconstruction...

but, the difference initially is still astounding!

(To read more about Lawson's story and a few of our other patient's stories...

check out my friend, Naomi's blog...)

On not so medically related notes...

My parents have been really cute in sending me cards and magnets...

one was featured as my first Wee Word Wednesday...

Here are the latest two to make it to me on the Africa Mercy.