meg is in Africa

2nd Annual Mardi Gras Jazz Celebration for Mercy Ships

2010-02-09T17:23:00.002Z

Some of my photos will be displayed at a charity event for Mercy Ships in New York City on February 16th. All are welcome.

Learn more here.

The story continues....

2010-02-01T15:46:00.001Z

My current thoughts and adventures are at http://meganpetock.blogspot.com/

Turning a corner.

2010-01-28T18:30:00.004Z

I'm home. I write it as if it were a recent phenomenon. However, the unbelievable truth (time goes by so quickly) is I've been home for more than a month already.

Home is home. Familiar and warm (although considerably colder in temperature then Benin). It's always a wonderful thing to rediscover old haunts and well-studied faces. Returning to Bucks County is always a good thing.

The question I've been repeatedly asked since returning stateside is, "How long are you here for." My answer, "For now." After several years of mobile living, challenging experiences, and meeting all sorts of people, "For good," would be to anti-climatic an answer. I wish I had a more definitive response. But I don't.

Throughout my time with Mercy Ships (which began in June 2007) I have watched God do amazing things. Every need, spiritual and financial, has been graciously provided for. Amazing people and life-long friends have accompanied each step. I've walked through doors I did not know existed. God's evidence in my life has been amazing. He is good. It sounds cliche but there is no need to reinvent truth.

And now I sit here in my kitchen. Sensing I'm turning a corner. Realizing my heart will always be divided among different geographies, professions, and pockets of friends. I am rendered helpless when I realize there aren't enough parts for the many loves of my heart to harmonize in one melodious symphony. New scores require new instraments, leaving others to a collect dust in a corner. A sad but true reality of life.

We must choose what we love. And where our heart is, our treasure will follow. Passion and apathy, risk and security, love and selfishness, cannot walk together. Our hearts have but one throne. Life will always fight for its possession.

The key to unifying a great diversity of common loves is to sacrifice them all on the alter of Divine Love. To lose the world and gain your soul. To side with Jim Elliot when he said, "He is no fool to lose what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

The surrendered heart will never find rest or security on earth but it will always be home.
And one day, the soul will follow to an unshakable eternity. Until that day, we press on, trusting our Gentle Shepherd to safely guide us.

Happy New Year.

2009-12-31T12:22:00.008Z

Oceane at screening day.

Before her surgery.

It's gone.

Last week at 1opm, after 36 hours of delays and travel, I safely arrived home. It's great to be home. A little overwhelming, but I am re-adjusting to the excitements and perils of the first world.

Here is a lingering patient story about baby Oceane to ring in the New Year.

Oceane’s Miracle

While working in the communications office one of our photographers, PJ, grabbed my attention. “You need to have a look at this pre-operative photo.” I spun my chair around and was horrified by the image on his computer screen.

There was one-year-old Oceane. Tears were streaming down her eyes. Her mouth was grimaced in pain. A grotesque mass, larger than her head, hung from the back of her neck. The photo made me uncomfortable. Instinctively, I turned away. “Children aren’t suppose to experience that kind of pain,” I thought.

Oceane had an encephalocele- a rare neural tube defect characterized by sac-like protrusions of neural tissue through openings in the skull. A small gap in the back of her head, only 1.4 cm wide, was the root of her problems. It allowed cerebrospinal fluid to escape from her brain and collect in the ballooning skin in back of her neck, which formed the disturbing second head.

Oceane’s mother, Philomen, had brought to a Mercy Ships medical screening day in February. Upon evaluation, surgeons thought they could help her. They planned on removing the mass and placing a small tube in her brain. The tube, called a shunt, would drain excessive fluid from her head into her abdomen. However, the earliest surgical opening wasn’t until October. Philemon needed to take Oceane home and spend seven months waiting for her to receive surgery.

During that time, Philomen faced great discouragement. As the bulge continued to swell simple things like bathing Oceane began to scare Philomen. “When I gave her a bath, I never washed her head. I was scared the tumor would explode and the baby would die.” Others began to mocked Philomen saying, “Look at the horrible baby she has,” whenever she went outside. “I never replied,” she said. “I felt very ashamed and always stayed in the house.” Friends and family said Mercy Ships was making her wait because they couldn’t perform the surgery.

Despite the discouragements around her, Philomen never lost hope that Oceane could be helped. On Sunday, October 14, she brought her to the Africa Mercy. That evening, I walked down to the hospital to meet them. Oceane was helplessly lying on the bed, unable to sit up from the weight of the mass. “There is no way they are going to be able to remove that,” I thought to myself.

Cautiously, I introduced myself. I knew it was still uncertain she’d receive her surgery. She was scheduled for a neurosurgical procedure that normally required multiple surgeons, expensive equipment, and a follow-up stay in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. It would be high risk even with the boundless resources of Western medicine. We were on a hospital ship with half of those resources. The surgeons weren’t certain the operation would be safe.

Already, I could see high hopes and expectations in Philomen’s eyes. Oceane was wearing a hospital ID band and sleeping on an Africa Mercy bed. This was the moment had dreamed about for seven months.But the odds were still against Oceane. I didn’t want to act to excited for Philomen, not yet. I held the Oceane’s hand, told Philomen it was nice to meet her, and walked away paying, “God, please help that baby.”

The next day, a CT Scan of Oceane’s head was taken. The results spawned further discussions amongst the medical staff on the risks/benefits of her surgery. Finally, the medical team decided Oceane would receive surgery. Her big day was Friday. Thursday afternoon, I walked onto D ward looking for her, but the bed was empty. “Where is Oceane?” I asked one of the nurses. “She’s in the recovery room, she had her surgery today.” Five minutes later, a recovery room nurse walked into the ward holding a small baby with a white-turban of bandages. It was Oceane. Again, I was shocked. The mass was completely gone.

While the nurses listened to her lungs and connected to her to a heart monitor, Philomen came to the bedside. When she realized the mass was gone, she was speechless. All she could do was stand by her bed and hold Oceans tiny hand. For fifteen minutes, she stared at her daughter, oscillating between content smiles and joyful tears. I couldn’t hold back tears myself.

Throughout the next week, I continued to visit D ward. For the first time, Philomen could see the back of Oceane’s neck. Proudly, she tied Oceane to her back like other African mothers, and walked her up and down the hospital corridor. Philomen was glowing. “When I saw the baby in the surgery room, I was laughing. God has done something great in my life that has lifted me. I have to thank God and ask Him to bless Mercy Ships,” she said.

Three weeks after her surgery, Oceane came to the Africa Mercy for her final post-op appointment. I came down to the hospital to say goodbye. Smiling and laughing as she held Oceane in one arm, Philomen greeted me with an enthusiastic, “Merci, Merci, Merci Bocu,” French for, “Thank you, Thank you, Thank you very much.” She handed me Oceane, who stared into my eyes and reached out her small hand to grab my hair. All I could think was, “God has done a miracle.”

Story by Megan Petock

Photos by Megan Petock and PJ Accetturo

We Made It.

2009-12-19T15:39:00.009Z

Sunrise over a choppy sea yesterday morning.

The lights of Tenerife early this morning.

A group shot as we headed for the port. I have been blessed with really outstanding friends during my time here. Can you tell we are all really excited? : )

My first glance of Tenerife.

Sunrise.

Liz and Jess were excited to see land.

THE Trumpet Player. Every time the ship comes or leaves Tenerife this man is faithfully on the dock with his trumpet. He was the ONLY person waiting for us when we arrived this morning. It's a small act, but one I know touches the hearts of the entire crew.

This dog is ready for Christmas.

Another "band" photo.

Cafe Con Leche from a sidewalk cafe. Wonderful.

After ten months of active field service and 12 days of sailing, the Africa Mercy has safely landed in Tenerife at 8:30 AM. The final three days proved to be stormy and left our stomachs a bit unsettled. We are all very excited to be on dry land. Most of the crew has promptly left the ship by 10:30 AM. It's the little things, like clothing stores and blending in that have everyone really excited. It's always a bit strange to be in the western world after being in Benin but it's a nice change. And soon I will be home.

You too can experience the rolling Africa Mercy.

Joy Comes to Suzanna

2009-12-18T10:47:00.002Z

A small team of women are painting Suzanna's face with make-up and crowning her head with brightly colored African fabric. Her two-month-old son, Nicolos, is fast asleep an arm's length away on the bed beside her. Today is Suzanna's day to celebrate. "The sickness" was gone. As the preparations continue, the joy in her smile becomes palpable.

Other women on the Africa Mercy had already celebrated. They danced and sang, wearing beautiful new dresses that symbolized their restored bodies. Suzanna had watched them from her hospital bed, held captive by a catheter.

Six years ago, Suzanna became pregnant with her first child. For nine months, she and her husband had lived in a state of joy as they anticipated the child's arrival. But the joy of a new life was replaced by the sorrow of death's sting. After painfully laboring for days, Suzanna delivered a dead baby.

There was another serious problem. The prolonged pressure from the baby's head during the abnormally long labor left Suzanna with "the sickness" - a vesicovaginal fistula (VVF). VVF leaves women completely incontinent. Approximately 2 million women are living with untreated fistulas. Suzanna had become one of them.

For six years, urine continually poured from her body. Her clothes were always wet, and the foul stench alerted others to her presence. Disgusted and ashamed, her husband left her. Others rejected her as well. Suzanna was alone. She thought her life would always be that way - until she met Nicolos, a man from her village. He knew of her painful story and decided to love her, even with her fistula. They were married, and to Suzanna's delight, she again became pregnant. Two months into the pregnancy, Suzanna went to the hospital for a check up. Upon seeing her fistula, the doctor contacted Mercy Ships. Arrangements were made for her to come to the Africa Mercy after the birth of the baby.

Baby Nicolos was born on July 31 st . In early October, Suzanna, with her husband and son, travelled to the Africa Mercy , where she received a free surgery. Two weeks later, her catheter was removed. She was dry, and it was time to celebrate.

A crowd of onlookers had gathered to rejoice as the women sang and danced. Wearing her beautiful new dress, Suzanna looked like a queen as she testified of God's faithfulness to her. "I am happy, very happy. I never thought the sickness would ever end. But now it is finished."

She closely held baby Nicolos. His little blue hat unintentionally matched the fabric of her new dress. Finally, her sorrow had ended. Her body and spirit were restored. Joy had found her.

Story and Photos by Megan Petock

We are rocking and rolling (literally).

2009-12-17T14:38:00.002Z

Last night was a sleepless nice for the majority of the Africa Mercy crew. Not because we are anticipating our arrival in Tenerife. Not because we are excited for Christmas. Not because we are stressed out about our work.

The ship has encountered swells which have caused a fast and consistent rolling of the ship from side to side. At times, we've puckered up and down.

When you are being tossed from side to side in your bed, your drawers keep flying open, and your roof and walls sound like they are going to bust open, it is cause for a sleepless night. The general consensus is most were up every hour. This morning, the deck crew visited each department, re-securing everything.

A swell takes out my friends and moves my chair. This is why I've had to hold onto my desk for most of the day.

If you look carefully, you can see the water moving in my water bottle.

The rocking boat glides me across the office.

Pascal Gbaglo - Agriculture Knowledge Is a Transforming Power

2009-12-16T21:02:00.003Z

Pascal Gbaglo is a farmer in Hévié, Benin. Life has always been a struggle for him and his family.
For years, Pascal has farmed using traditional West African methods of planting, slashing, and burning the land. His crops have always been minimal, barely enough to feed his family of seven. Sometimes they failed completely. His family did not want to work the land with him because it often produced nothing.

In May, he was standing outside of his home when he saw a line of Mercy Ships vehicles driving through Hévié. He discovered that Mercy Ships and Bethesda, a local NGO (non-governmental organization), were starting an agriculture training program in Hévié. Wanting to learn more about farming, he asked to join the program. Although it was already filled to capacity, Pascal was allowed to stay.

Excited, he began attending every class. The agriculture training program, "Food For Life," teaches biblical organic farming principles, which focus on being a good steward of the land. Pascal began incorporating these principles into his farming practices at home. In a very short time, he noticed something - his crops were growing! And they were growing faster, fuller, and in a much larger quantity. Before long, not only was he producing enough food to feed his family, but he had a surplus of crops to sell at the local market.

"I used to do agriculture the traditional method, but nothing grew," said Pascal. "Now that I have been taught to farm the way God wants me to, my crops are growing well on the same land. Every time we plant, we pray, asking God to bless the work of our hands - and He is."
For the first time, using the money from the surplus crops, Pascal is able to send his eldest four children to school. Already, he is passing down his farming knowledge to the next generation. His entire family is working the land with him - including his 2-year-old son, Gédeon.

Neighboring farmers are coming to Pascal's farm asking, "What are you doing to make your crops grow so fast? What kind of fertilizer are you using? What kind of pesticides?" When he tells them, "nothing," they say, "You have to have a secret; you're not telling us your secret."
Fortunately, Pascal and the "Food For Life" staff are happy to share their "secret" with others.
Ken Winebark, the Agriculture Program Administrator, said, "The principles we are sharing with them are very basic, and they're (the local farmers) grasping it. It's neat because we are having the opportunity to see things start to take shape. Many times, you don't know if you're accomplishing anything. You think and hope things are going well, but you don't really know. To be able to come back four months later and see the difference it's made already is really encouraging. It's great to lead the students through the process of realizing their vision."

The Light of the Setting Sun

2009-12-15T20:42:00.003Z

Other Sailing Activities....

2009-12-14T11:37:00.005Z

This weekend the Africa Mercy hosted a special Texas Hold 'em Tournament. Everyone came dressed for the occasion.

The ships hospitality team has organized a myriad of Christmas activities this month, including a door decorating contest, kids crafts, and a cookie exchange. Saturday night was the Winter Wonderland festival. The midships lounge was decorated and crew members sold crafts and food at various booths. I ran a Christmas photo booth. Below are a few if my favorite photos. Ali and Phil get their photo taken with managing director, Ken Berry.
Lorah and Justin are returnees. They were a part of my first photo booth in Liberia. Before, they were dating. Now, they are married and expecting a baby :)
Christmas hats + great friends + branding = perfect holiday photo.
The "Winter Wonderland Dancers." Aren't they just precious?

Day 7

2009-12-13T21:19:00.003Z

Today is day 7 of a possible 12 days of sailing. We have so far been blessed with a very smooth sail and no unwanted guests. With the exception of tiredness and a craving to eat at all times, most of the crew have not been sick. We are blessed.

After six busy months, I've been enjoying the relaxed ship atmosphere, sunsets on the bow, and Christmas movies at night. Last night, I sat with friends on deck 8 and watched a meteor shower in a clear, moonless sky. Really, it was amazing. I find it hard to believe that in a little more than a week, I'll be home.

Above are a few photos of life at sea :)

The Galley

2009-12-11T06:33:00.003Z

Our Galley Manager, Jesse.

During the sail Jesse, Galley Manager, is cooking his favorite dishes. For example, yesterday we had macaroni and cheese for lunch, and chicken cordon blue for dinner. I'm really liking the "favorites" menu. As you can imagine, cooking for over 400 people everyday is a very challenging task (it's even more challenging now that the ship is moving back and forth). This is a brief look at our wonderful galley.

The Galley On board the Africa Mercy

The Africa Mercy has almost 400 hundred crew members serving on board. The crew is extremely diverse, coming from over 30 countries and ranging in age, profession, and length of service. But they share a commonality - everyone needs to eat. In West Africa, access to food supplies is limited, and most crew members don't have personal space for food storage on board. Various jobs on the ship have immediate and time-consuming needs, which don't allow time for food preparation. Fortunately, the Galley has taken on the challenge of meeting the nutritional needs of the crew. Every day, a staff of 20 prepares 900 hot meals, which are served on board the Africa Mercy. They begin preparing food at 8 AM every morning, including weekends, and continue until 7 PM.

"We feed all crew members living on the ship, the Beninese day workers, and the patients in the hospital," said Galley manager Jesse Mitchell. "It's such a big responsibility because food is such an important part of people's lives. Eating a good meal can really make your day." Professionally trained as a chef, Mitchell is utilizing his culinary skills as Galley Manager on the Africa Mercy. Mitchell is responsible for planning the weekly menu, ordering supplies, and managing the galley staff. As galley manager, he has faced several challenges unique to the Africa Mercy environment. One example is planning menus to accommodate the international crew and their varied taste preferences.

"It is very hard because there is absolutely no way you can please everyone. We have over 30 nationalities living on board, and everyone likes and wants something different. I try to give people options with salads, fruit, and sandwiches. There is enough that I think people can find something," said Mitchell.

Also, while the Africa Mercy is docked in West Africa, access to food supplies is limited. Utilizing available supplies and incorporating local resources to generate appetizing, nutritionally balanced meals requires both careful planning and creativity.

"In West Africa, you can't just say, 'I would like to have this spice or food product' and have it. You can order it, but it may not arrive for three months," said Mitchell. "I have to carefully plan the menus, keeping in mind the quantities of the items available in our storeroom."

Although it can be challenging and sometimes stressful, Mitchell has really enjoyed serving on the Africa Mercy.

"I never thought I could use my culinary skills for missions. I always wanted to serve in Africa, but I didn't see myself in a traditional missionary type of role. When I heard about Mercy Ships, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to go, do my job, and serve God overseas. I'm making a difference in the world, and working here has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life."

The work of the Galley staff often goes unseen. However, without their consistent dedication, the Africa Mercy would be unable to bring hope and healing to the lives of thousands.

"When someone has had a long day, a good meal can mean a lot to them. Sometimes crew come to dinner exhausted and tired from the day. Several times, the OR staff has expressed how grateful they were for a good meal after a long day of surgery. It's an amazing privilege to have such influence on people's lives," said Mitchell.

Written by Megan Petock

Leaving Benin

2009-12-09T10:41:00.005Z

One final view of Benin as we sail away.

Ali shows off her anti-seasick wrist bands.

Rich films our departure.

The final view of the dock and a few people who were sending us off. There is a rumor that 70 people showed up at the gate to say goodbye, but the port authorities did not grant them passage.

The empty berth which housed the Africa Mercy for the past ten months.

Liz, myself, and Jess watching the ship leave from the eighth deck.

The gangway is lifted.

Yesterday at 11 PM (remarkably on schedule), the Africa Mercy departed Benin. We are currently sailing through the Atlantic towards the Canary Islands. Finishing the outreach and preparing to sail have been a lot of work. I'm excited and hopeful we will have a calm transition back into the Western world. I'm feeling a little seasick and am hoping my body adjust quickly so I can enjoy being on the water. Please pray we have a safe and uneventful sail.

Swimmer Watch

2009-12-07T22:58:00.005Z

My bunk mate was confused when she heard my alarm go off at 3:45 AM.
I apologized for waking her up, and explained myself in four words,

"I have Swimmer Watch."

As we approach our sail the likelihood of "swimmers," wanna-be stow-aways who enter the ship by swimming onto the side and climbing up, greatly increases. To prevent any unauthorized personal from boarding the vessel crew members voluntarily stay up throughout the night watching for "swimmers".

This morning was my turn.

Rich and I took the aft 4 to 6:30 AM shift. I wasn't excited about getting up (and have been pretty tired all day), but to my surprise, swimmer watch was very enjoyable. We watched the schools of fishing boats cut through the port in the morning darkness towards a long day of work. Every half-hour we shined a flashlight along the back of the ship to "scare" off any possible swimmers. We even watched the sunrise.

All while keeping the crew safe :)

The Pediatric Hospital

2009-12-03T21:27:00.002Z

The framework and inter workings at hospital's in West Africa are incredibly different then at home. You pay for every aspect of your treatment up front, which is why Mercy Ships has provided the Burkitt's kids with the needles, tubing, ect. they will need for their treatments over the next few months. Corruption and politics play a huge role in how services are (or are not) provided.

Although clean and decent by West African standards, I think (I'm pretty certain)most people at home would refuse to stay in one of the rooms. Sometimes the hospital has no water. Sometimes it has no power.

Life is a little different here.

saying goodbye.

2009-12-01T22:07:00.004Z

Today I said goodbye to Luc and Rachelle, who are both fighting Burkitts Lymphoma. Yesterday they both received a chemotherapy treatment at Hormel, the local pediatric hospital. We visited them at the hospital and brought the supplies (IV's, fluids, medications- in West Africa you buy supplies individually, bring your own, or simply receive no care) they will need for their treatments after we leave.

I have been following the Burkitts since July, when it was a group of four children. Now there are two.

At first, Luc responded well to the chemo, with the swelling above his eye almost completely subsiding. But the swelling is back. The cyclophosphamide isn't working. Suey, who manages there care, has been able to secure a second line of chemo that prayerfully will beat the cancer. Please pray that it does. His mother, Agilse, has watched Maddie die and is scared for Luc. Pray for her too.

Rachelle is do remarkably well. She travels a far distance (I believe it's four hours) for every treatment. Her family is simple, caring, and supportive. Pray there are no hindrances as she travels to Cotonou to receive her life-sustaining treatments.

Visiting these children and their families has been a highlight of my time here. I will never forget Maddie's sassy personality, Luc's zeal for life, and Rachelle's sweet spirit. It was sad to say goodbye today.

Please continue to pray for Luc and Rachelle. In a country plagued by medical mis-education, politics, and poverty, it's a miracle every time they come to the hospital and receive a chemo treatment.

I'm going to be praying too.

Remember Maomai?

2009-11-30T10:26:00.003Z

I first met Maomai and her mother in July. They were the stars of my first patient story (her before and after photos were incredible). However, the histology reports made it uncertain the tumor was completely eradicated. There was a possibility it was derived from a fast-growing cell that could replicate very quickly. When she left, we all prayed the tumor would not redefine itself.

Six months after surgery, it hasn't.

On Wednesday night I was working in my office after business hours. I was really tired, so when I heard a knock on the door, I wasn't particularly excited.

"There is someone you have to see in the cafe."

I got up, locked the door behind me, and was delighted to find Maomai and her mother, Perlagie, sitting at a table. Dressed in matching outfits, they both looked beautiful. Perlagie is still glowing and Maomai is getting big and fat (like babies should).

As my time here winds down and we prepare to leave Benin, it was wonderful to see the full circle of a patient transformation. I'm really happy they are both doing so well.

And may Maomai continue to grow fatter :)

Saltwater pool.

2009-11-29T22:01:00.003Z

On Saturday, there was a blackout on the ship, which meant no lights or toilets. All crew members were encouraged to leave. I spent the day at the near-by saltwater pool, conveniently located next to the beach. The weather was perfect and the company lovely. It was a really good day.

a very happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T16:35:00.004Z

(Thanks to Murray for the photos, and Liz and Jess for the great invitations/pie/punch/decorations)

On Wednesday an outlined hand decorated as a turkey, was stuck to my door. It read "5:30, be at 'our table', and wear your best." I had almost forgotten it was Thanksgiving (the West African heat isn't the best reminder).

Thursday morning, I woke up exhausted, which is never a good start to the day.
As the field service comes to an end and we prepare to sail, I can speak on behalf of the entire crew in saying we are all very tired.

Remembering that my family and friends had the day off as I dragged myself out of bed didn't exactly help my mood. I was jealous of the day they were having. Everyone would sleep in, watch a Christmas movie or football game, and then eat an unhealthy amount of delicious food.

The thought made me a bit cranky all day.

When 5:30 came around, I headed to the dining room like every other night. I was delighted to see two of the cooks standing at each serving line, carving pieces of fresh Turkey. After preparing food for a reception for 200 people, the galley staff had somehow managed to cook us an amazing Thanksgiving turkey dinner.

When I reached "our table" I found fresh pecan pie and punch amidst some lovely decorations. It was surrounded by some really lovely friends. For a few of them (who were non-Americans), it was there very first Thanksgiving.

I looked around the table and realized how much I had to be thankful for. God is always faithful. When I returned to the ship in July, my biggest concern was finding friends and fellowship. And there I sat, celebrating Thanksgiving with some rather remarkable, talented, and diverse friends that uniquely express His love. God is so good.

Regardless of what part of the world He has lead me too or the season of life I have found myself in, He has never failed me. I can always be thankful because I know He never will.

Frisbee Fridays

2009-11-25T22:04:00.005Z

We always have a crowd of kids watching.
Every Friday evening we fill several vehicles and drive to a near-by field for a game on ultimate Frisbee. After sitting in an office all week, it's really nice to be outside and get some exercise. It's sad to think we only have one or two Fridays left.

Dinner with the President.

2009-11-24T18:36:00.004Z

photos by Debra Bell
Last Tuesday, the entire crew was invited to the President of Benin's palace for dinner. Around 5:30 pm, buses were sent to begin transporting the 400 person crew to the palace. I was very uncertain of what to expect.

I drove to the event in the communications vehicle. We planned on following one of the buses, but somehow it speedily left our sight before we drove off the dock. Richard (who was driving) headed towards what he thought was the palace. When we arrived, the Mercy Ships logo allowed us passage through the gate and after a few minutes of driving in the compound, we found the rest of our group (it was the palace after all).

The Palace was beautiful, the food was great, and the dance troupe who provided the entertainment was amazing. It's not everyday you dine with the president of a country.

The OR on the Africa Mercy

2009-11-22T22:11:00.002Z

The last surgeries of the field service we performed on Friday. This is an article on the OR.

For thousands, the 60-second walk down the long hallway which runs through the Africa Mercy has been the final leg in a long quest for physical, emotional, and spiritual restoration. At the hallway's end is a pair of sealed doors which lead to a state-of-the-art operating suite, filled with teams of nurses and surgeons. Every day patients walk through the sealed doors, crossing a threshold of transformation, to receive life-changing free surgery.Over five thousand surgical procedures have already been performed on the Africa Mercy during the 2009 Field Service in Benin.Surgeries performed onboard include orthopaedics, maxillofacial, plastics, general, vesicovaginal fistula repair (VVF), and cataract removal.

The Africa Mercy has six operating theaters, predominately staffed by short-term crew who come from around the world to share their expertise with the forgotten poor. "Everyone stays for a very short period of time. Our entire operating room team consists of 50 people, and only five of us are long-term staff," said Operating Room Supervisor Alison Brieseman. "We bring in people who know what they are doing, so we can have a higher turnover. Short-term people come in, they scrub up, we point them towards a table, and they are fine. If you can work in the OR in one country, you can work in the OR anywhere else. " The Africa Mercy operating suite is a diverse and dynamic environment which Alison Brieseman thoroughly understands. She has served with Mercy Ships for five years. She first worked as an operating room nurse and has held the position of Operating Room Supervisor since the inauguration of the Africa Mercy in June 2007."Somehow it (the OR) work when it really shouldn't. People come from everywhere, and they all know different things. They speak different languages and do things different ways. The staff is constantly changing; everyone is new all the time. You would think there would be a really high stress level and that people disagree about everything. But it's just not like that. It's a fun place to be. It's a real testimony to the grace of God," said Brieseman.

For most of the 2009 Field Service in Benin, the OR has run at full capacity, utilizing all six operating rooms and maximizing the number of patients served."Recently, I was going over the statistics from this field service.Compared to last year, by week 21, we had doubled the amount of procedures performed. So, many more people have received surgery. It's been a really exciting outreach," said Brieseman. She attributes this increase to better staffing and a more efficient use of resources. A major accomplishment of the OR during this field service has been the successful training of three Benin nurses in operating room procedures. "At the beginning of the year, they were registered nurses but had never worked in the operating room. One of our long-term OR nurses, Glenys Gillingham, has been working with them throughout the field service," said Brieseman."Now, they all scrub, circulate, and inject anesthetic into the eye. They are now teaching the short-term staff what to do. When new staff comes, the Benin nurses are saying, 'This is what you do,' and 'Come here; I'll show you.It's really great to see. We've never trained local nurses, and it's been one of our coolest achievements."

For many years to come, the OR suite on the Africa Mercy will continue to be a place of healing and transformation for thousands of individuals. As the OR staff continues to grow in statistics and achievements, the focus of their work is still to impact the lives of individuals. Brieseman saw a poignant example of this principle earlier this year."During our last round of VVF surgeries there was a debate about whether we should perform surgery on the last patient of the day. It was already 4 p.m. and if we did the case, we knew we wouldn't finish until 7 p.m. or 8 p.m.Everyone had just worked the past three days and three nights and was exhausted. As we stood around discussing it, someone just went, 'All right, that's it; we are doing it. I remember standing at the door, watching this patient waddle down through the hallway holding her gown. I saw her back, and it was all wet. We could have ended on time and had our dinner, but she would have stayed wet in her bed. Instead, her life was going to be transformed. There were three or four of us standing there saying, 'I'm really glad we made that decision.

Written by Megan Petock

To the crew of the Africa Mercy

2009-11-20T13:31:00.002Z

Prince Eddie, one of our patients this outreached, emailed me this poem he wrote for the crew as we prepar to leave Benin. It's really lovely.

FARE WELL MY GREAT WHITE WHALE.

Alas the center’s candle is blown out

Soon the signs that points to the Port are broken

The paths that leads to the shore is blocked

They that make their wage in convoy to Novou are stilled and stopped

The days of the white whale’s rest are o’er

The time of your docking is spent

The season of your breeding is halted

Your coming, to some was heaven sent

To others it was a wish granted

But too soon it is to those who knows your worth and work

So sudden it is to those who wish in you to be healed

Soon the mouth that feeds from you will sing your fare well song

The hand that lend you help will wave you on

The soul that depended on you will wish you back

And the heart that stayed with you, only on your memories will stay and feed

But you, like any farer of the deep, your voyage must continue

Your search for souls to cut and heal lingers on

For many more awaits your coming

Many shores awaits the day of your rest

But now it’s time bid you fare well

It’s time to sing your departing song

It’s yet another time for your sons and daughters to go home

Some, never to be seen again

Some, never to walk the shores of the black pearls

Yet to others, a time to rest and regroup

All the souls you touched and healed

All the souls you cut and mend

Stands along the Novou shores

Visible and invisible

To wave and wish you well

In the still small voice of the shore wave

Hear their voices rise saying THANK YOU

For your time and toil

For your care and cause

For your mind and money

But most of all, for being a tool in the father’s hands

Through which He showed His love and care

To a world so lost and dark

Without love or hope

We those you touched and healed are eternally grateful

Thank you and fare thee well my great white whale.

From: Prince Eddie Daniels

To : The Mercy Ships

Photos from village

2009-11-19T20:28:00.004Z

Photos from the village in Abomey I went to today.

God defends the fatherless and the widow

2009-11-18T16:05:00.001Z

"He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow..." (Deuteronomy 10:18)

In the wake of heartache and tragedy, Abisoye has always remained optimistic and joyful. When I asked Abisoye - who likes to be called "Biso" for short - if she'd ever doubted God's love, she paused. Then she casually replied, "No, not really." Thirteen years ago, shortly after the birth of her first daughter, Biso's difficulties began. She noticed a small swelling on her tooth which slowly grew into a facial tumor. As it became noticeable, she was made an object of ridicule and scorn. "Some people thought I had HIV and that the tumor was contagious. It was hard for me to find employment, and people wouldn't invite me to parties," said Biso. "Even my sisters would not be part of me anymore. Sometimes they could be kind, but they were not proud that I was their sister. They didn't like introducing me to others as their sister."

Five years ago, her husband was shot in the chest while serving in the Nigerian Navy. Surgery to remove the bullet was expensive - more than they could afford. He recovered from his injury, but the bullet was never removed.

A year ago, Biso's husband died suddenly. The bullet had affected his heart, causing him to experience sudden "heart failure." It was a devastating loss - she still cannot talk about him without crying. "I saw him dying, and I couldn't help him. I didn't know he was going to die. I wish I had known," she said.

Today, Biso is the single mother of four children - two boys and two girls, ranging in age from three to thirteen. When her husband died, she and her children were promptly evicted from Navy housing. Surviving in her homeland, Nigeria, has become a daily struggle. Biso and her children are self-described squatters, having no home or property. The oldest daughter lives with an aunt, while Biso and the other children stay with her mother. "We used to live in a nice house, but now we don't have a home. We squat and are living with my mom. The apartment is very small, and it is not very comfortable," said Biso. A college-educated woman, Biso previously held a job as an accountant. However, because of her tumor, no one will hire her. She has started baking and selling bread to support her family.

As she grieved the loss of her husband, Biso became increasingly frightened and worried about the tumor. "When I would feel the tumor in my body, sometimes it was really painful. I read a book that said it could go to your brain, damage it, and kill you. I was so scared when I read that. Who would take care of my children if I died?" At that time, her six-year-old son, Donald, developed a bony lesion on his head. The lesion needed to be surgically removed. They both needed surgeries she could not afford. Biso began to fervently pray, asking God to provide for them. One day, her pastor received news that the Africa Mercy was coming to the neighboring country of Benin. A church member sent photos of Biso and Donald to the ship. After being reviewed by the medical staff, both were scheduled for surgery. "When they said they could help, I was so excited. I thought, 'At last the Lord is doing it!'" said Biso. Soon after, Biso and Donald traveled to the Africa Mercy. They were placed in neighboring beds onboard the hospital ship. The next day, within hours of each other, they received free surgeries. It took Biso more than a week to recover. During that time, she was a great encouragement to those around her.

"Abisoye was a light when you came to the ward," said ward nurse Katelyn Billings. "She always had a positive attitude and was very encouraging. Her faith really impressed me. After all she'd been through in her life, the many struggles and challenges, still the first thing she would say to you was, 'God is so good.' Considering everything she has been through, it is pretty amazing that she can still say that." Wanting to share her experiences on the Africa Mercy with her community in Nigeria, Biso kept pen and paper at her bedside. Whenever she had a "memorable" experience, she wrote it down. Before leaving, she compiled a list more than three pages long. Hoping to gain supporters for Mercy Ships, Biso will use this list to write a story about the Africa Mercy. Biso doesn't have the words to express how grateful she is. "What can I say that will express what I feel? I feel like I have had spiritual heart surgery - everyone has been so kind and loving. This is a special group of people. I have been so inspired by everyone. Keep up the good work." As Biso returns to Nigeria, there are many unknowns. But one thing she is certain of is God's faithfulness to provide for the needs of her family. God has used Mercy Ships to demonstrate this to her. She says with great sincerity, "I am so happy. He has a special place in His heart for the widows and fatherless. He has been taking care of us, and I can see it. God is wonderful."

Story and Photos by Megan Petock

Vision For The Masses

2009-11-17T13:16:00.003Z

In addition to his reputation as an excellent ophthalmic surgeon, Dr. Strauss is known for being a kind and humble person. Friend and colleague Alison Brieseman, Operating Room Supervisor onboard the Africa Mercy, has worked with Dr. Strauss for several years. She describes him as a "team player," who even helps mop the floors after a long day of surgeries in the OR.

Hundreds of people wait outside of a Mercy Ships eye clinic in Benin, West Africa, hoping to be scheduled for cataract surgery. According to the World Health Organization, cataracts are responsible for 48% of world blindness, affecting 18 million people.

This is a story I wrote about Dr. Glenn Strauss and the amazing things he has doen this year in Benin. And at the end of the day, he and his wife, Kim, are two of the kindest, humble people you will ever meet.

Vision for the Masses
By Megan Petock
Photos by Bebra Bell and PJ Accetturo

According to the World Health Organization, cataracts are responsible for 48% of world blindness - affecting 18 million people. Although surgically curable, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness and visual impairment in the developing world, where nine out of ten of the world's blind live. Barriers to surgical care include high cost, inaccessibility due to lack of trained surgeons, and poor visual outcomes. If no action is taken, it's estimated that the number of people blind from cataracts will swell to 40 million by the year 2020.

Having a diameter of only 2.5 cm (1 inch), the human eye is slightly smaller than a ping pong ball. Most of the eye remains hidden and protected within the bony orbits of the skull. Only the cornea - the eye's clear, outer wall - is exposed to the environment.

The optics of the eye are comparable to a camera. The cornea allows light into the eye, which continues through the pupil until reaching the transparent, flexible lens. The lens focuses a precise amount of light onto the retina - a light-sensitive tissue on the eye's inner surface, filled with visual receptor cells. These cells, called rods and cones, generate an electronic impulse which transmits images to the brain. The images are transcribed by the brain, and the result is sight.

A cataract is the clouding or loss of transparency of the lens. The lens cannot focus light onto the retina, which means that a clear image cannot be transmitted to the brain. The affected individual's vision becomes blurred and unfocused. If the cataract is not removed, the clarity of vision continues to deteriorate, eventually causing blindness.

In the Western world, cataracts are removed long before vision is threatened. They are most commonly removed using a technique called phacoemulsification. A small ultra-sound probe breaks the cloudy lens into pieces and suctions them out through a tiny incision. Then a new lens is inserted. However, in the developing world, where resources and personnel are scarce, this technique is not feasible.

Traditionally, the alternative method used in developing countries has been the extra-capsular technique, in which the surgeon makes an incision in the eye and removes the entire cataract in one piece. The procedure takes 20 to 30 minutes and requires stitching the eye, which results in a prolonged recovery.

Dr. Glenn Strauss, an American ophthalmic surgeon, has spent more than a decade performing free eye surgery in developing countries. Serving with the global charity Mercy Ships, he and his wife, Kim, live onboard the world's largest non-governmental hospital ship, the Africa Mercy.

Dr. Strauss received his medical training at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston,Texas. It wasn't until his last year of medical school that he became interested in ophthalmology. "It was the fourth year of medical school when we had a very short rotation through the eye department - only two days," said Dr. Strauss. "It caught my attention, and I really hoped it was something I could do. However, obtaining an ophthalmic residency was very competitive. There were 500 people that applied for four positions. I was given one of the positions. I thank the Lord for opening the door and allowing me to do it."

His first experience performing ophthalmic surgery in the Third World was with Mercy Ships in 1997, when Dr. Charles de Haven, a local ophthalmologist, invited him to work onboard the Caribbean Mercy. "After that experience, I continued coming back, and it became an annual routine," said Dr. Strauss. In January 2005, he left his successful ophthalmic practice in Tyler,Texas, to serve with Mercy Ships full-time.

It was during this time that Dr. Strauss recognized the need for an alternative cataract removal technique.

"The ultrasonic device needed for the phacoemulsification technique is expensive, the cost per use is very high, and maintenance of the machine is very difficult," explained Dr. Strauss. "In underdeveloped countries, the environment can be very harsh. I've seen machines that have been donated just sit there after being used just once or twice. And that's it. We needed to find a solution for people that did not require a lot of technology but produced the same quality. That was the objective," he said.

Over four years, Dr. Strauss developed a high-quality, sutureless cataract-removal technique, that can be performed in only five minutes and requires basic surgical instruments.

"It's been developed out of a concept that was already being used in all areas of ophthalmology for cataract surgery," he explained. "I applied the same principles in making a tunnel in the eye-wall through which you can do all your work. The cataract can be slipped out, and the new lens can be slipped in. When that tunnel is properly constructed, it is self-sealing and doesn't require any sutures."

Dr. Strauss has seen positive results while using the sutureless technique in West Africa. The absence of sutures results in decreased trauma to the eye and an overall increase in recovery rate. "Patients are healing faster. The post-operative reports on our patients show that the day after surgery, the vision is extremely good. Some are even 20/20 or 6/6, which is considered perfect vision," he said. "They are seeing that well the first day, which says a lot about the quality of the procedure."

Because the procedure is inexpensive, faster, and more accessible, Dr. Strauss believes it has the potential to revolutionize ophthalmic care in developing nations and possibly decrease the escalating numbers of cataract blindness.

"Currently, the number [of those blind from cataracts] is not going down. It's my hope that because this technique can be done using local resources, it will start to turn the trend and chip away at that number," he explained. "We've needed the right tool to have that impact. At this point, this procedure looks like a very good option to do just that."

Although he has developed his own methodology, Dr. Strauss is quick to point out that he is not the only surgeon utilizing these principles.

"It was certainly something I developed as an application of these principles to this specific condition that we have here, but developing this technique is not really the same as inventing something. There are several other ways that the same thing is done, and there has been interest in doing this since about 2003. There have been similar techniques developed in Indiaand Nepal, and they have had a parallel development."

This year, Dr. Strauss has taught the technique to five ophthalmic surgeons from Benin. Currently, they are using the technique at their local hospitals and teaching it to other surgeons. "This new method is very quick and less expensive, which has been very helpful," said Dr. Doutetien, a Beninese ophthalmic surgeon who is now performing the technique at her hospital.

In addition to his reputation as an excellent ophthalmic surgeon, Dr. Strauss is known for being a kind and humble person. Friend and colleague Alison Brieseman, Operating Room Supervisor onboard the Africa Mercy, has worked with Dr. Strauss for several years. She describes him as a "team player," who even helps mop the floors after a long day of surgeries in the OR.

Brieseman believes that the work Dr. Strauss is doing and the knowledge he is sharing is revolutionizing ophthalmic care in developing nations around the world. Indeed, the technique Dr. Strauss has developed has the potential to impact millions of lives. "It doesn't replace what is being done in the developed world, but the quality of it is quite comparable," Dr. Strauss said. "Just because someone lives in a poor country doesn't mean they ought to be getting second-best. It's not offering a second-best, and that's what I really like about it. I think it's a terrific step forward," he concluded.

Exodus Orphanage

2009-11-15T21:14:00.004Z

This morning I visisted the Exodus Orphange. Here are a few of the beauitful kids who live there.

Dental Team Prison Outreach

2009-11-13T17:35:00.005Z

Dag, the long-term Dentist works on a patient. Apart from his dentistry skills he is a very good ultimate Frisbee player.
The dental team saw 240 patients in one day. The have seen almost 10,000 patients this outreach. They have worked really hard.
There was an entire community within the prison. This was the music room. These guys were the band, who played over a set of speakers the duration I was there.
One of the guards watches over the prison entrance.
A group of men at the prison. I was surprised at how friendly everyone was. Inside the prison are men, women, and children. During the day, everyone mingles within the community. At night, however, the men and women are separated and locked up. The kids who are there to be with their incarcerated mothers. I'm not sure what happens to them at night, but I imagine they stay with their moms.
A group of prisoners wait to be seen outside of the church where the dental clinic was set up.
A man waits to be seen.
One of the men gazes into the clinic via the wall openings.
The dental team also did oral hygiene teaching and handed out toothbrushes.

The shrine inside a small room which was designated the Catholic church.

Esperance: A lasting transformation

2009-11-12T21:56:00.003Z

Story and photos by Megan Petock (me)

Laura Rawson was standing amidst the hundreds of people in line outside the Hall des Artes stadium in Cotonou,Benin. Mercy Ships was hosting a large-scale screening day to schedule patients for surgery during the 2009 Field Service. Laura was busy triaging potential patients when she heard an excited voice yelling, "Laura! Laura! Laura!"

"I looked over and saw this woman standing at the front of the line, waving her hands and calling out my name," said Rawson. "At first, I didn't recognize her. But then she said, 'It's Esperance.' I have only ever known one Esperance. As soon as she said her name, I went over and gave her a huge hug. I couldn't believe it was her."

Rawson first met Esperance in June 2006, while serving as a ward nurse on the Anastasis during a field service in Ghana. "Esperance had come to our screening day," she said. "I remember she was wearing a small hat and using a lappa to hide herself."

Esperance had been hiding for over a year. In December 2005, while sleeping in her home, she was awakened by her husband in the middle of the night. He was standing over their bed with a cup of acid. He poured the acid all over her body and then drank the rest, killing himself.

The acid burned the skin around her neck, arms, and torso, leaving many of her nerve endings exposed. For weeks, Esperance was in constant, non-relievable pain. When the burns finally began to heal, things only got worse. Severe contractures formed on her arms and neck, leaving them completely immobilized. Esperance was unable to do simple things like cook and bath herself. "At that time I was feeling very bad. All the skin was stuck together, and I could not move my arm or neck. Everything was hurting," she said. Grotesque scars covered her face and made her feel ashamed. People would stare and laugh at her when she went out in public. Wanting to stay hidden, she draped a piece of fabric over her head whenever she left her home.

Deep emotional scarring accompanied her physical wounds. Esperance had been betrayed by the man who had promised to protect and love her. "When my husband poured the acid, he knew what he was doing. He hurt me very badly and has caused me very great pain," said Esperance. "Since that time, it's like men are not men anymore. I have a hard time trusting them."

At the Ghana screening day, Esperance was scheduled for plastic surgery. When she arrived on the Anastasis, she was withdrawn and depressed. "When she first came, she didn't want anyone to touch her and refused to talk to anyone. All day, she lay in bed with a sheet covering her, hiding her face the entire time. It was obvious that she was in a lot of pain - physically and emotionally. She was so hurt from what her husband had done," said Rawson.

A Mercy Ships surgeon performed an operation to release the contractures on her neck and arms. Esperance spent many weeks on the ward while her wounds slowly healed. At that time, a special friendship began growing between Rawson and Esperance. "She was with us for a long time. I wanted her to know she was loved. At some point, I started rubbing cream on her back three times a day. I used to sing, 'It Is Well With My Soul,' when I did this. Later, she told me that small act gave her a real peace," said Rawson.

Slowly, Esperance began to trust the nursing staff. She stopped hiding under her sheets and greeted the nurses by name when they began their shifts. When she finally left the Anastasis, she was a completely different woman.

"When she came, her level of trust for other people was pretty low. The person she should have trusted most did that to her and then killed himself. But she totally transformed on the ward. She went from not talking to anyone or interacting with others, to saying hello and knowing our names. When she left, she seemed to have a lot of confidence in herself and how she looked," said Rawson.

The transformation continued after her discharge. When Esperance came to the February 2009 Benin screening day, instead of hiding under a piece of fabric, she was visible and smiling. Although physical scars remained, the love she'd received on the Anastasis had given her the confidence in herself to be joyful.

In Benin, Esperance received a second surgery to further release her neck and arms. She immediately sought out Rawson. Three year's after their first meeting, Esperance still remembered her kindness. "In Ghana, when I was having my pain and everything was hurting, Laura took really good care of me. She made me feel very comfortable and happy. I was really lonely at home - but on the ship, people loved me and were taking care of me," said Esperance. Their friendship was rekindled, and it has deepened Rawson's appreciation of the impact Mercy Ships has on individual lives.

"Not having any contact for almost three years and still having this level of relationship made me see the impact we can have on people's lives. It has given me more confidence to know that there are many patients like Esperance that have totally changed. It's not just a physical change, but an emotional and spiritual transformation. Esperance still has very ugly burns on her face and body, but she has confidence and values herself as a person because she knows she is loved. God has healed the scars on the inside through our caring for her on the ward. It's an amazing privilege to be a part of that transformation."

Oceane

2009-11-12T10:57:00.003Z

Oceane at screening day in February.

Oceane leaving the Africa Mercy last week.

joy

2009-11-11T18:49:00.002Z

Anicette had her steri strips taken off today. And she started to fall asleep with her head under my neck while I held her. Did I ever mention I love this baby?

Shame

2009-11-11T10:28:00.004Z

Shame:
the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another:

I took this photo last week. This woman recently had surgery to correct her cleft lip. I've seen many patients like her before. Too hurt to allow a glimmer of her soul to escape through her eyes, she doesn't look into the camera. When you speak, she half pays attention, not having the confidence human conversation requires. Insecurity is written on her face. Without words, she communicates a lifetime of rejection. Shame embodied.

It breaks my heart to see someone in that condition. I don't want to imagine the rejection, humiliation, and mockery they must have endured.

But I'm hopeful. I hope, when her stitches and bandages are removed, she can smile. Maybe for the first time in years.

And I'm glad. I'm glad for little Anicette who has received surgery as a baby. I'm glad she won't come to the ship bearing shame in 20 years. She won't even remember anything was ever wrong.

And I'm happy for her.

VVF Ladies

2009-11-07T18:24:00.003Z

Last week I was able to take photos of two VVF Dress Ceremonies. VVF is a birth injury. Basically, a woman has a difficult labor which requires a c-section. However, the woman lives in a country with no medical care and instead labors', often unassisted, for 3 to 5 days. Finally, she delivers a dead baby and is often very close to death herself. The prolonged pressure from the babies head causes necrosis of the internal tissues, leaving the woman with a fistula. The woman will uncontrollably leak (pour is really a better term) urine and sometimes feces. Most husbands leave them completely alone and they are shunned by their communities. Many of them are still teenagers when this occurs.

Thankfully, their are surgeons like Dr. Steve Arrowsmith (our amazing VVF surgeon) who are committed to helping these woman regain their lives, showing them that God has not forsaken them.

After a woman receives surgery, we have a dress ceremony for her. She receives a new dress, sings her own praise song, and gives a testimony of what God has done for her. It's always a beautiful time.

And the women are pretty beautiful themselves.

Sometimes there are tears.

2009-11-06T15:40:00.005Z

Maddie's mother laughs in disbelief because she is smiling.

There was an addition to our office wall-collage today. It's a photo of two-year-old Maddie, smiling on her hospital bed. It's quite possibly the only photo she's ever smiled for.

Maddie was diagnosed with Burkitt's Lymphoma, a childhood cancer found primarily in Africa. A child can die within 6 weeks of exhibiting symptoms. I know because I saw this happen last year in Liberia. Symptoms include gross swelling of the face and abdomen, which can be reversed if treated properly. In fact, when treated with six doses of a basic chemotherapy drugs (which can be purchased here for 7 dollars a dose), Burkitts has a 70% remission rate. Sadly, most parents lack either access of money for treatment. So the children die.

Maddie is memorable. She has more natural sass and personality than any two-year-old I have previously encountered. For example, I was visiting her in the hospital when our group translator was trying (unsuccessfully) to get Maddie to smile. He picked her up and soon after began to nervously laugh. Maddie had peed on him. None of us should have laughed, but we couldn't help ourselves. Maddie wasn't having an accident, and we knew it. And it was funny.

There are many more "Maddie Stories" like that. She just had an attitude. My friend Suey, who coordinates the chemotherapy treatments, has revealed to me an assortment of funny/sassy things she has done.

In my experience's with sick kids, it's good if they have some sass. The sassy ones are the fighters. The sassy ones make it.

I really thought Maddie was going to make it.

Almost two weeks ago, I got a message from Suey in the morning, telling me she'd be available for an interview about the Burkitt's program. I responded, and waited for her to give me a time. She never got back to me. I thought it a bit strange.

Later that afternoon I heard there was a sick kid in the ICU. I assumed it was a patient who had been on the ward.

Around 7:30 I was walking down the stairs to deck three (where the hospital is)on my way to exercise, when I saw Suey coming up the steps. She looked defeated. I asked what was wrong and she answered, "Maddie died today."

I was shocked.

Maddie had gotten a severe infection. In eight hours time she went from sitting up and talking, to being critically ill, to going home to be with Jesus.

It was heartbreaking. For Maddie's parents, for Suey, and for those involved with her care.

I don't think we can ever find an answer to why these things happen. We live in a fallen world; sometimes there are tears.

Wanting to encourage Suey, I began to think back at what encouraged me during times when I watched a child die at home. I remember the first time I came home and sobbed over a patient. He was a 1 1/2-year-old with SMA, a disease that causes kids to progressively lose their ability to breath. Most die before age three. I cared for him three nights in a row. He sat propped up on his bed, unable to move his chest or legs. He'd flinch, wake up, and sometimes cry, when I gave him his chest PT throughout the night (I'd tell him the doctors made me do it). His grandfather would rush to his bedside, pat his head, and talk him back to sleep.

I didn't understand why God would let that happen. I came to His Word demanding an answer.

I found it in Hebrews 2:9-10

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Jesus understands suffering. He became it. Had he not, Maddie, my patient with SMA, and all who have felt the sting of death, would have suffer in this life, and continue to suffer throughout eternity.

That night, it was enough to know that Jesus understood his pain. He understands all pain. And it was by His choice. He Loved my patient more in a way my mind cannot fathom. He has promised to never leave or forsake His children. One day, He will wipe away every tear.

And that is enough.

a walk around Cotonou

2009-11-05T14:33:00.005Z

On Sunday I went for a walk around Cotonou. Here is a quick view.

The difference a day can make.

2009-11-04T10:09:00.005Z

Anicette getting a bath on the ward.

Yesterday, at 9:30 AM, Anicette received surgery on her lip. She was back on the ward by 11:45, new smile intact. Everyone was pretty excited about this baby. All day, I heard murmurs through the halls of the Africa Mercy, "Did you hear Ani got her surgery?"

When you look at her precious little face, it's easy to see why everyone is in love with her.

But who is the most excited? That's easy, her mother.

For more than five months they have lived either in the hospital or the hospitality center. She has patiently learned to feed Anicette, watched the worried faces of the nurses when she wasn't gaining weight, and finally seen her baby get the surgery she needed.

Yesterday, after being told she could go into the recovery room to hold Anicette, she nervously paused by the door. When she walked in and saw her new lip, she, very appropriately, began to cry.

Today is the day.

2009-11-03T08:10:00.003Z

July 6th was a Monday. It was my first day of work in the communications office. I took a trip to the Mercy Ships Hospitality Center. There, I first met Anicette.

She was only a few months old and obviously malnourished. She was participating in the baby feeding program, in hopes she's gain enough weight to receive surgery in September.

However, Anicette wasn't gaining weight. Later that month, she was brought to the ward for closer observation. Eventually, she went back to the hospital. However, she didn't gain weight, and missed her September surgery date.

Fortunately, a pediatric dietitian, Kelly, came to the ship. She works in HR but was consulted by the hospital to see Anicette. Kelly was able to contact her hospital back home and have special formula sent to the Africa Mercy for Anicette. Miraculously, it arrived on the ship within weeks. After getting the formula, Anicette finally began gaining weight. As you can see in the photo, she has turned into a robust, healthy little girl.

Her mother, who at first was distant towards her, has blossomed. She is affectionate and quite in love with her baby.

And today, Anicette is finally having her surgery.

Bysou and Donald

2009-10-30T21:42:00.002Z

The first time I saw Bysou she stood out. Something about her countenance was special.

I had been walking through the ward, searching for a patient story, when I noticed her sitting in the corner of the room. I walked past her bed towards my friend Ali thinking, "She might be the patient." When I asked Ali if she had any recommendations for a patient story, without hesitation she replied, "You should talk to Bed 13 (Bysou's bed), she is sweet."

That decided it.

I spent the next two weeks getting to know Bysou and her six-year-old son, Donald. They received surgery on the same day and recovered in neighboring beds. Bysou had a facial tumor removed while Donald had a bony lesion taken off his scalp.

The more I learned about Bysou, the more I appreciated her. She is a mother of four children, ages 3 to 13. Her husband died suddenly a year ago of heart failure. Now she is a squatter, staying in her mother's tiny one-room home (she use to own a house), struggling to support her family. After attending college, she worked the business world in accounting and marketing. However, because of her tumor nobody will hire her. Currently, she bakes and sells bread to make ends meet.

Throughout her stay, she kept a pen and paper at her bedside. Every time she had a memorable experience, she wrote it down. When she returns to Nigeria, she wants to write a story about the work of Mercy Ships, hoping to inspire others to support our work.

One afternoon she asked me about the history of Mercy Ships. Someone mentioned Don Stephens book, Ships of Mercy. I promptly went to the ship shop and bought her a copy. In two days, she'd read the entire book.

One of the chapters tells the story of a young girl whose facial tumor was removed by Dr. Gary Parker (who is amazing for many reasons). The evening she'd read that story, Dr. Gary came to the ward to check on his patients. Mildly starstruck, Bysou took him by the hand and thanked him for the amazing work he was doing. I know, because she carefully recounted the story to me the next day.

The most amazing thing about Bysou is her faith in God. After she broke down in tears telling me about the death of her husband and her current state of financial desperation, I asked her if she ever doubted God's love. She casually paused and nonchalantly replied, "No, not really."

Hebrews 11:36-38
"And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;(Of whom the world was not worthy:)..."

sunset

2009-10-30T21:36:00.002Z

Today is a ship holiday. Tonight some friends and I went out for dinner outside at the hotel Du Lac. The breeze was warm and this was the view. Beautiful.

universal humanity.

2009-10-28T17:32:00.009Z

Today as I drove through the streets at Cotonou, past threadbare shacks and awnings loosely built with sticks and plastic bags, I marveled at how universal human nature is.

Each "house" was filled with playful barefoot children and women wrapped in colorful lappas. Some of the women were cooking in thick metal pots of over fires in the midday heat while others were patiently platting their neighbors hair. A collection of men in non-uniform yellow shirts, which signify them as "official" taxi drivers, stood next to their motorbikes waiting for their next customer.

Life is simpler here. Poverty eliminates the conveniences and complications of the western world from daily living. A part of me is a little jealous.

Obviously, I'm not jealous of anyone's poverty. I realize I've lived a privileged and blessed life. I am thankful for clean water, modern medicine, and the myriad of other things I've daily enjoyed in my American life. But nothing about those things are "it". "It" is much more elusive.

The developed world provides a million distractions to finding "it", even to the point of denying that we are longing for something intangible. This desire is buried under a massive web of complexity, activity, and communication. But it's the same struggle you'll find on the streets of Cotonou. Humanity is universal. Here, there is just less to distract.

The meat of life really is quite simple. We laugh and cry and sing. We have fears and desires and hopes and dreams. We all have the desire to love and be loved. No one likes loneliness or rejection. We all live with the dissatisfaction of earth. We yearn to know and see God in the giant and most minuscule things-even when we don't realize it.

It's important to remember, it the middle of it all, joy can be found. And we are responsible for seeking it. For joy has but one Source.

A few photos I took today of universal parts of our humanity.

Sleeping.

Singing.

Beauty.

Laughter.

Smiling.

My office.

2009-10-26T20:14:00.005Z

We had a costume party Saturday night and this photo was taken. This is my office. PJ is the Sparton on the left, I am an intergalactic space ranger (naturally), and Richard is Charlie Brown on the right. Pj is a photographer and Richard is a writer/videographer. We like think we are a pretty fun group.

This is where I work. My chair is on the right. If you look carefully you may find an assortment of interesting things and characters. The "collage" has grown throughout the months I have been here. There are several fans because our office maintains a temperature of approximately 80 degrees (it's pretty stuffy and warm most of the time).

I have never worked in an office nor have I worked a "regular" schedule. It's been a very nice experience thus far. I'm a big fan of no night shifts. When I stop and think about it really is pretty amazing. I never could have dreamed four years ago that I'd be doing this. I'm glad that's how the Lord works.

cataract baby

2009-10-24T10:50:00.003Z

This a story about 3-month-old Josue', the youngest cataract patient in Mercy Ships history. I took the photos, my friend Richard wrote the story.

Clouds Over Josué Are Lifted

by Richard Brock

For Cécile, a 26-year-old tailor, the birth of her second son, Josué, was a momentous occasion. The tragic memory of the death of her first-born child was slightly alleviated by the arrival of a second, joyful baby boy. Yet, after only six weeks, Josué’s health, too, deteriorated, and Cécile became fearful of losing another child.

A milky layer began to form over both of Josué’s eyes, affecting his vision. Cécile did not understand what was happening to her newborn son. Her husband and family were also baffled. Her in-laws decided that the only possible explanation was that Cécile was cursed. Because this was the second of Cécile’s children to experience health problems, her in-laws were convinced that she had brought evil into their house. So, they told Cécile to leave and return to her own parents.

Distraught and confused, Cécile left the house with Josué. “I became very anxious and felt completely helpless and depressed,” she said. “My in-laws accused me, but never did they question that, if this was a curse, could it possibly come from their own son – my husband?”

But Cécile did not return to the house of her parents. Instead, she remembered an advertisement she had seen on the television about an organization called Mercy Ships. Deep down, she believed that somebody onboard the “big ship” in Cotonou could help her. And she was right.

After a four-hour journey in a taxi to the busy streets of Cotonou, Cécile and Josué ventured onboard the Africa Mercy where Dr. Glenn Strauss, Senior Vice President of Health Care Initiatives and a renowned ophthalmic surgeon, assessed Josué’s tiny, clouded eyes. The conclusion was that Josué had bilateral congenital cataracts and would require surgery in order to save his sight. “The cataracts were not grossly obvious, but they were certainly there from birth,” said Dr. Strauss.

Josué is the youngest patient to receive cataract surgery in the history of Mercy Ships. At only three months old, there were certain risks in attempting the surgery. “Children under one year of age have an increased risk in eye surgery, particularly relating to the cornea and the inflammation of the eye,” Dr. Strauss explained. “It’s a microsurgical procedure, and an eye that is half the size of an adult eye increases the challenge of surgical manipulation.” He continued, “But it’s better to do this surgery sooner rather than later to decrease the chance of amblyopia (lazy eye).”

A few days later, Cécile sat with Josué in her lap as Dr. Strauss examined the results of the delicate procedure he had performed to remove the cataracts. The outcome was extremely positive. “Josué was in very good health, which is important because congenital cataracts are often associated with many other congenital complications – such as heart, lung, and neurological problems,” said Dr. Strauss. “His eyes were properly aligned, and there was no involuntary movement. It looked like he would gain good vision during recovery.”

Now that Josué’s cataracts have been removed, Cécile says the family is happy again, adding, “This situation has surprised them and made them realise that it was not definitely a curse.”

The clouds that covered Josué’s eyes have lifted. The work of Mercy Ships has given a young boy a bright future and has restored his mother’s hope. “My heart is refreshed and calm,” Cécile said with a smile. “I pray that this child will become a great man and care for me in my old age.”

“I’m very thankful for Mercy Ships. What the enemy said about my baby was stopped. God changed things. He used a specialist to help my baby. May God be glorified, and may this work continue and be a blessing to many people. I believe that this ship is the glory of God,” Cécile concluded.

The baby with no name

2009-10-23T07:54:00.005Z

In Tuesday morning I was out with my friend Suey (who is beautiful and lovely), dropping off the Burkitts patients to receive a dose of chemotherapy at a local hospital. Before leaving, one of the nurses approached Suey, asking is we'd stop by the adjacent mother/baby ward to see a newborn with a suspected case of NOMA. NOMA is a flesh-eating infection of the face found in the underdeveloped world where children are subject to poor sanitation and malnutrition. 126,000 children die each year from NOMA with most cases occurring sub-Saharan countries.

We were taken into the building and lead to the surgical suite. Before going in, we were given a cloth gown to wear and a hat for infection control purposes. We were, however, still wearing our shoes and clothes from the ship (any medical personal will see the humor in those two sentences. The gown and hat were definitely not making us fit for a "sterile" environment). We literally walked three feet and there was the baby. A tiny little girl of only 12 days. She was receiving blood through and IV that was placed in her newly cut umbilical chord. It was obvious she was sick; really sick. Her hands and feet were ashen and cold. She was using her entire chest to breath, accompanied by flaring nostrils (both signs of respiratory distress in kids). Her upper lip was grossly swollen and the skin was black and necrotic.

Suey asked the nurse a few questions, looked at the baby's lab work, and took a photo promising to show it to a surgeon. However, as they discussed her condition, it became clear it was very unlikely we'd be able to do anything. The Africa Mercy is a surgical center and not a medical facility. Honestly, even if we had all the resources of modern hospital, I don't think it would have helped this baby. Jesus was calling her home.

Before we left, we gathered around the small crib and Suey prayed for the baby.
"What is her name," Suey asked the nurse. When he didn't respond Suey changed her question. "Does she have a name?"
"No, she doesn't have a name."

While Suey prayed she said,"Lord, You know this child's name." It was a beautiful and moving prayer. And it was true.

It doesn't make any sense to human mind. Why would a baby be brought into the world to spend 12 or 13 days suffering alone, only to return to her Maker? But He does know her name. He knows the hairs on her head. He has a plan for her little life. The world may forget her very quickly, but He has never forgotten or forsaken one of His children.

That thought really comforted me.

Isaiah 43:1

But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

Luc

2009-10-20T16:04:00.005Z

I have been following the treatments of a few patients with Burkitt's lymphoma. Today two of the three kids went to a local hospital to receive their 4th doses of chemotherapy and I tagged along.

This is me with Luc. His dad actually took the photo. There are several remarkable cute things he did today, including:

1. When he saw my friend Suey who runs the program on the dock and he sprinted with his arms wide open towards her, following up with a giant bear hug.

2. He stole everyone's sunglasses and put them on his face.

3. As we drove to the hospital in the Land rover, his dad followed us on his motorbike. Luc turned around in his seat, waved out the window, and yelled, "Papa, Papa," for most of the ride.

4. Before we left, Suey pointed to her cheek and told Luc he hadn't kissed her yet today. He responded with a kiss on the cheek.

Not only is Luc sweet, but his parents are equally lovely. They both made the effort to bring Luc to the hospital and be there for him while he receives his treatment. Non-compliance with treatment is very high in West Africa for many reasons and their faithfulness has been beautiful to see. I've been particularly touched by the gentleness, involvement, and integrity of his father.

As we drove back to the ship today I was reminded how universal human nature is. Parents at home go through the same emotions and stresses when their kids are sick. Please keep little Luc in your prayers.

Alba's Tears.

2009-10-19T15:41:00.004Z

This little girl was lovely. Really lovely. I'm thankful we could help her.

Here is Alba's story:

Alba's Tears

by Megan Petock

Ankosua was outside carefully mixing herbs and water to create a concoction prescribed by a traditional doctor in her village. It was mid-afternoon, and her daughter, eight-year-old Alba, was sitting alone in their home. “She should be at school right now,” she thought. Struggling to hold back tears, she poured boiling water over the crushed herbs and sieved the mixture into a cup.

Two years earlier, an outgoing and vivacious Alba was attending school with her friends. Now, she spent her days hiding in a dark room, too insecure to look people in the eyes.

When the drink had cooled, Ankosua walked inside the home and handed Alba the cup. Taking the cup, Alba tilted her head back, creating a small gap between her cheek and the large tumor that filled her mouth. Slowly, she poured the liquid into the small gap and swallowed in intervals.

While she watched her daughter struggle, Ankosua thought back to the day she first spotted the small bulge on Alba’s gum line. Never could she have imagined the fear and discouragement it would cause her heart.

After Alba had drunk the entire cup, she began crying.

Ankosua couldn’t bear looking into the tear-stained eyes of her daughter. Slowly, she wrapped her arm around Alba, who then buried her head on Ankosua’s chest. As Alba’s tears collected on her shirt, Ankosua did her best to be strong.

But Ankosua was depressed. Alba had performed this routine hundreds of times, but the tumor hadn’t gone away. In fact, it was growing. At times, it felt like it was shooting out of her mouth, causing her great pain. Ankosua realized the traditional herbs were not working. There were no other options. All she could do was keep trying and pray the herbs would begin to work.

***********

“When the tumor first appeared, my husband and I took Alba to the hospital, but we didn’t have money to pay for it, so they wouldn’t treat her. We had to use traditional medicine,” said Ankosua. Alba was taken out of school so her mother could give her the traditional medicine daily.

When asked how the community treated Alba, Ankosua stared at the floor and remained silent. After a 10-second pause, she looked up, her eyes filled with tears, and she painfully replied, “Some people received Alba with good hands. They prayed for her and encouraged me. But others shunned her. They said, ‘Go away, we don’t want to see you.’”

Whenever it was time to eat or drink, Alba hid herself from other people. If she went out in public, she kept the tumor covered with a rag. It served as a disguise and caught the foul-smelling and constant drainage.

After two years of watching her daughter struggle, a woman in her village told Ankosua of a hospital in Benin that was performing free surgery. Finally – a glimmer of hope! They scrounged to get enough money for transportation and traveled to the hospital, which was hours away.

However, Ankosua’s new-found hope quickly morphed into deep disappointment.

“We were there for two days, and nobody attended to us. I asked a woman who worked there why we weren’t being helped. She said, ‘They don’t do surgery for free, you have to deposit money.’ I trembled when she told me that. I had come with nothing,” said Ankosua sadly.

After Ankosua explained that she had no money for treatment, the woman told her about Mercy Ships. “This woman had heard Mercy Ships was in town, helping people and healing people for free. She gave me directions to the Africa Mercy, and I immediately went,” Ankosua added.

****
Still attached to noisy monitors and IV fluids, Alba had been dozing in and out of sleep since returning to the Africa Mercy ward. Finally, a few hours after surgery, she opened her eyes and sat up. Seeing she was awake, Becca, her nurse, came to Alba’s bedside and handed her a small mirror.

Alba looked down, paused in a state of bewilderment, and began touching the empty space on her mouth. The tumor was gone. After 20 seconds of staring, a single tear rolled down her cheek. With great determination, she tried not to cry. But another and then another tear soon followed. Finally, she gave up trying to hold them back and cried freely. Alba’s tears were earned through years of heartache and rejection. They were mature and raw – heavy tears for an eight-year-old to cry.

Ankosua stood next to her bed the entire time, carefully observing her daughter. When Alba began crying, she turned away. Ankosua couldn’t bear looking into her tear-stained eyes. After two hopeless years of discouragement and depression, healing had finally come. The mixture of joy and pain in that moment became her undoing.

When Alba regained her composure, Ankosua returned to the bedside. Carefully, she wrapped her arm around Alba, who then buried her head on Ankosua’s chest. As Alba’s tears collected on her shirt, Ankosua did her best to be strong. But her heart was too overwhelmed with joy. Tears of relief and joy flooded her eyes as well.

They sat and cried together, each tear serving as a testimony to the transforming power of God’s mercy.

smile

2009-10-17T19:17:00.004Z

l

This week I was down in the ward searching for patients stories when I happened upon a flock of beautiful, sweet kids. This little guy might have been my favorite. He is three and recently had an encephlocele removed. The first time I met him, he looked up from his bed and held out his arms, telling me without words to hold him. I very willingly picked him up and he put his head on my shoulder and snuggled.

The next day I was visiting and after a few minutes of kicking a balloon back and forth, he gave me a kiss on the cheek. Apparently, I'm not the only woman he has been kissing, he has won the hearts of several other nurses with the same tactic. My friend Ali and I were discussing how his strategy is somthing you can really only get away with when your three.

Kids really are the best.

Flowers

2009-10-16T13:03:00.002Z

My dear friend Sarah surprised me with these beauitful flowers last week. Aren't they pretty?

Please pray for Chitra

2009-10-15T09:07:00.001Z

This morning Chitra, one of our Gerkas*, was hit by a motorbike during a morning jog. He has been injured and is being treated by our hospital staff. Please pray that God grants the medical staff wisdom in caring for him, and that his body would be supernaturally healed.

Thanks.

Ephesians 6:12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places

*Gerka's are specially trained security officers from Nepal. There are four on board and they monitor and regulate who comes on and off the ship.

Food For Life

2009-10-14T18:55:00.006Z

"Food For Life" is an amazing land-based Mercy Ships program, which teaches local farmers organic technique's. I was able to visit a few weeks ago. Here is the resulting story/photos.

***

"Food For Life” Agriculture Training Program

Jean Claude Mouditou has always loved agriculture. “Agriculture is a part of my life. It’s something that is very precious to me,” he said. Utilizing his education and experience, Jean Claude is spreading this passion to farmers in Benin.

Every day, he leads 30 men and women, equipped with machetes and tall rubber boots, into the fields of the recently constructed Bethesada Community Development Agriculture Training Center in Hévié, Benin. Jean Claude is running a three-month agriculture training program, “Food for Life,” which teaches farmers biblical, organic, agricultural skills in nutrition and crop production.

“We begin the day at 8 a.m. in the morning,” said Mouditou. “First, we learn a lesson in the classroom. Then, we go to the farm to practically apply what we learned. Usually we work in the fields until 5:30 p.m.”

In Benin, many farmers practice misguided agricultural techniques, which decrease crop production. The inability to adequately produce food largely contributes to poverty and diminished health, a problem which has been specifically targeted by the government.

“Our system is very different from the traditional practices of farmers. Farmers think you need to burn the land and use harmful insecticides. But with our system, we are teaching farmers to use the material and principles. These techniques have not been seen before,” explained Mouditou.

Both students and community members have been surprised by the efficiency of Mouditou’s agricultural principles.

“Using local seed and organic farming principles, we grew corn in six weeks. Normally, it takes farmers 3 to 4 months to grow a crop. The corn we grew was much larger than the local farmers. It was a very big surprise to the community. Never before have they seen anything like what we are doing,” said Mouditou.

Both the “Food For Life” program and the training center are the result of a partnership between Mercy Ships and Bethesda, a Benin-based NGO (non-governmental organization). Bethesda will oversee the continued use of the training center for agricultural development when Mercy Ships leaves Benin.

Thirty farmers are currently enrolled. Seven have been training with Jean Claude throughout the past six months, being educated to become agriculture trainers. In conjunction with Bethesda, the trainers will conduct “Food For Life” after Mercy Ships leaves Benin. Already, they have begun taking ownership of the program.

“The seven trainers are doing most of the teaching now. At the moment, everything is going very well. I am here to support and answer any questions they have,” said Mouditou. “I am so excited to see those I trained are able to lead the program and train others.”
Each farmer involved has made a commitment to share their newly acquired knowledge with other farmers, creating a lasting impact on Benin’s agricultural community.

One of the students spoke for the group saying, “Thank you, Mercy Ships, for giving us the opportunity to attend this training for free. We are determined to finish this training, no matter what difficulties we face, to help our country to reduce the problem of poverty.”
Mouditou is excited about the progress of the students. He considers it a great privilege to serve God with his agricultural knowledge.

“The Bible says Apollo planted the seed and Paul watered it, but the Lord grew the seed. We can obey and put the seed in the ground, but the Lord grows it,” said Mouditou. “Through the program, students are discovering the Lord. They can see the beauty of the Lord through agriculture. I am so grateful to be a part of that.”

Benin vs. Ghana

2009-10-13T19:05:00.002Z

Jess and I at the game.

On Sunday, I went to my second Benin football match. It was a really fun day. I won't try to explain it because my friend Richard already has. You can read about our fun day and see a few little video clips at The Light Out There.

precious

2009-10-12T20:03:00.004Z

Today I was on D ward looking for potential patient stories when I happened
upon a small tribe of amazingly cute kids. One of the nurses was holding the
pictured baby, who belonged to one of her patients, and she graciously handed
her over to me for a few minutes. This little baby girl is quite a peanut and,
honestly, far too precious for words.

There were several other equally wonderful kids. One was a two-year-old girl who had a certain sweetness about her. A few weeks ago she had a tumor de-bulked and the surgical site became infected. Now, half her face is completely swollen. She is on the ward receiving doses of antibiotics, which I am told she is responding very well too. She sat in a miniature chair and we threw a ball back and forth to each other for a few minutes. To her delight, whenever I caught the ball, I pretended to explode and she would break out if laughter. It was wonderful.

As I looked into her eyes, catching glimpses of her swollen faces and miniature IV, I remembered what a privilege it was to take care of sick kids. As much as I don't miss the stress, pressure, and frustrations of working in a hospital, I do miss taking care of kids. To be entrusted to the little ones Jesus loves dearly; there really could be no greater honor.

Esperance

2009-10-10T09:01:00.005Z

Esperance at a screening day in Ghana. June 2006.

Esperance leaving the ship on Thursday.

Esperance had her final post-op appointment on Thursday. This is a photo I of her as she left the Africa Mercy.

In December 2005, Esperance was awoken in the middle of the night by her husband. As she sat up, he poured acid all over her body, and then drank the rest, killing himself. The incident left her with deep physical and emotional burns.

She first came in Mercy Ships in 2006. The burns on her neck and armpits were severe. She was unable to move her neck or lift her arms. When she first came to the ward, she was withdrawn and refused to talk to anyone. However, after spending two months being loved and cared for by the nursing staff, Esperance transformed into an outgoing, joyful woman.

And she didn't forget those who cared for her.

This February she arrived at screening day, still smiling, and sought out staff members she remembered. She recently received a second surgery to further release her neck and axilla.

She has free range in both joints and is thrilled to do simple things for herself, like tying her headscarf and bathing herself.

I love these two photos because you can see she is a completely transformed woman. Her smile says everything.

World Sight Day

2009-10-08T15:13:00.003Z

Today is World Sight Day. This is an article I wrote last week about Dr. Glenn Strauss who is currently training several eye surgeons in Benin.

****

Ophthalmic Surgical Training in Benin

In Vision 2020, a global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness, the World Health Organization states, “Reducing the backlog of cataract-blind mainly requires training ophthalmic personnel, strengthening the existing health care infrastructure and the provision of surgical supplies.”

Cataracts, although they can be removed by a 10-minute low-cost operation, are responsible for half of all blindness in Africa. Since February, the Mercy Ships Vision Team has performed more than 2,600 cataract removal surgeries. However, while understanding the value of providing relief to an immediate need, Mercy Ships recognizes the more sustainable impact which can be achieved by strengthening the local health care community. In agreement with the Vision 2020 goals, throughout the 2009 Field Service in Benin, Mercy Ships Senior Vice President of Health Care Initiatives and ophthalmic surgeon, Dr. Glenn Strauss, has been overseeing the training of five Beninese ophthalmic surgeons.

“When we first arrived in Benin, I was offered the opportunity to speak at the Benin Ophthalmology Group,” said Dr. Glenn Strauss. “During that presentation, I suggested they consider selecting some of their members to come for training in a sutureless technique I use to remove cataracts. Dr. Doutetien, one of the local surgeons, was the chairman of the group. Four or five minutes after making the announcement, she raised her hand and said, ‘Yes, we are ready to do this.’ ”

Since March, Dr. Glenn Strauss has been teaching the surgeons an innovative, low-cost, high-quality technique for cataract removal, which he has developed through years of performing cataract surgery in West Africa.

“We are using this opportunity from Mercy Ships to learn new methods for cataract removal,” said Beninese surgeon, Dr. Doutetien. “In Benin, when we operated on cataracts, we had to suture the eye. But Dr. Strauss has taught us a method that requires no suturing. This new method is very quick and less expensive, which has been very helpful.”

Before the Africa Mercy leaves Benin, each surgeon will have performed at least 30 to 40 surgical cases under Dr. Strauss’ mentorship. Trainees work with Dr. Strauss two days per week, both onboard the Africa Mercy and at their local hospitals.

“It’s a very hands-on type of mentoring process. Rather than just explaining things and having the trainees perform the procedure on their own, I sit right next to them, shoulder to shoulder, to accomplish this transfer of skills. I think it really works well in this context,” said Dr. Strauss.
The trainees are already using the new technique at local hospitals and sharing their knowledge with other surgeons.

“Part of the original agreement was that surgeons selected to receive training would share the information with the local ophthalmic community,” said Dr. Strauss. “I did not want to teach people that would keep the information to themselves.”

Dr. Doutetien is eager to share the knowledge she has gained under Dr. Strauss’ mentorship.
“I am going to take what I have learned through Mercy Ships and share it with other doctors. I plan on teaching many doctors; it will become the method we use in Benin. I appreciate that Dr. Strauss took the time to teach us,” said Dr. Doutetien.

The cataract training that surgeons have received has the potential to revolutionize eye care in Benin. Utilizing Dr. Strauss’ sutureless technique, vision will continue to be restored to thousands long after the Africa Mercy leaves Benin.

“The mentoring program we’re doing is intended to leave a lasting footprint in Benin,” said Dr. Strauss. “Already, they are implementing this at local hospitals. They are performing the procedure on their own and running a self-led cataract project here in Benin. It’s great to do cataract surgery, but it’s even more exciting that surgeons who have received this training will be able to carry on the vision of restoring sight. I expect this will make a long-lasting impact.”

******
As part of the Vision 2020 global initiative, October 8th is World Sight Day, an annual day of awareness held to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. Mercy Ships is proud to join with organizations around the world in the battle against preventable blindness.

where the heart is.

2009-10-07T23:10:00.002Z

It's after midnight and I am still awake trying to book a flight home, seeing it was on today's to do list and has not yet been completed. It's hard to believe that my time in Benin is ending in less then 12 weeks. I've crossed the midway threshold.

I feel unsettled.

When arrived in Benin, I came with a well-plotted plan for the next two years. But in the three months I've been here, things have changed. And when I say I have no idea what the future holds, I truly mean it. I'm clueless.

The scary part is that I've already gone home. I know how hard it can be to transition into "normal life" after living on a hospital ship. The scary part is that I'm a trained nurse but I really want to be a writer. I'm not sure how or if I should continue pursing that field. The scary part is I feel called to missions but I don't know where or what. And I hope I'm not called alone. Sometimes everything feels frightening.

But the good part?

Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want."

Joshua 1:5 "...as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

Isaiah 62:11 "Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, they salvation cometh; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work is before Him."

To hold onto His promises, to be assured of His great love, to walk in the confidence of His plan, to take refuge in the security of His strength, and to simply be still and know that He is God.
It is refinement to the heart and the fibers from which faith is forged.

I know that He wants me heart; and He wants all of it. We often sing of surrendering all, but do we stop and ask ourselves, 'What if He wants everything?' I think He does.

But laying ourselves at His feet is never scary. In fact, His perfect love drives out all fear. It is impossible to truly taste His Love and continue hiding under the table. His Love is healing balm to the soul and honey on the tongue.

Let my heart dwell in this Love and I cannot be moved.

Mercy Ships and The Smile Train

2009-10-06T12:35:00.003Z

Oscar before surgery

Serro, another cleft patient.

One of my favorite things about working in communications is getting to meet interesting people. Last week, I interviewed a representative from the Smile Train. The Smile Train is dedicated to the eradication of cleft lips and palates. Through a global network of partners, in ten years they have sponsored more than 500,000 surgeries worldwide. All of this has been accomplished with a staff of only 42 people. It's really impressive.

Clefts have always been my favorite surgeries. It's amazing to see the total transformation which occurs in only a few hours.

Here is the story I wrote about Mercy Ships and the Smile Train.

Smile Train Representative Visits the Africa Mercy

Ten-year-old Oscar didn’t like going to school.

“The other kids teased me because of my lip. When they teased me, I felt very bad,” he said. Living with a cleft lip, he regularly experienced rejection.

Born in a developing country, Oscar had never received corrective surgery. Members of his community believed his cleft was caused by a spiritual curse. “When Oscar was born, some people thought the child was a bad spirit and said I should abandon him,” said his mother, Florentine. Millions of children in the developing world share his stigma.

But today, Oscar is smiling. Through the financial sponsorship of The Smile Train, he received free corrective surgery on the Africa Mercy. His suffering has ended.
The Smile Train is a charity dedicated to the eradication of cleft lips and cleft palates. Through a network of global partnerships, they provide free cleft surgery to millions of children in developing countries. In the past decade, they have sponsored surgeries for more than 500,000 children worldwide. Additionally, they provide free cleft-related training for doctors and medical professionals.

Mercy Ships has partnered with The Smile Train since 2006. “We contacted The Smile Train, letting them know who Mercy Ships is and what we do, and they asked for a grant proposal,” said Director of Resource Development, Grant MacLean. “They then made a pledge of 1.2 million dollars to sponsor the cleft surgeries we perform onboard.” Each time a patient receives a cleft repair surgery on the Africa Mercy, The Smile Train reimburses Mercy Ships 250 dollars.

“Originally, based on cleft lip/palate statistics, we anticipated performing enough surgeries to utilize the entire grant in 8 to 10 years. But we haven’t encountered the number of patients we expected,” said MacLean. “Statistics don’t always take into account the reality of what happens here. Many babies with clefts are discarded at birth. Others have difficulty eating and starve to death. They are widespread and devastating problems,” he concluded.
Sadly, in West Africa it is commonly believed that clefts are caused by spiritual curses. This distorted worldview is a major obstacle children face.

“The culture and worldview play a huge part in why many of these children are not getting treated,” said Remi Adeseun, Regional Director of West Africa for The Smile Train. “In some places, the options are so dire, it’s not about getting treated or not getting treated. It’s about living or dying.”

Remi Adeseun recently visited the Africa Mercy. As Regional Director, he is responsible for building and managing partnerships, as well as increasing the number of children The Smile Train reaches.

During Adeseun’s visit to the Africa Mercy, he strategized with Mercy Ships on ways to increase the number of cleft lip and palate patients brought to the Africa Mercy during future field services. Both Mercy Ships and The Smile Train hope to increase the number of children helped through their partnership in the future.

“We have realized what children with clefts are up against. We want to work with The Smile Train to discover how we can make a bigger impact. It could be through feeding programs that will help babies with cleft survive. Or through support programs that help parents overcome cultural and worldview bias. We’ve also discussed possibly having a nationwide campaign for clefts to find more patients,” said MacLean. In the future, Mercy Ships and the Smile Train will continue partnering together, integrating strengths and resources to bring healing into the lives of children.

“Partnerships are the primary outlet for Smile Train to deliver on its goals,” said Adeseun. “We identify people who share the values of professionalism and compassion for these children, who don’t see them just as numbers or statistics, but as individuals whose lives make a difference. We don’t do anything on our own. Mercy Ships is a valued partner we are grateful to have.”

There are millions of children, like Oscar, who are waiting to smile. Together, Mercy Ships and The Smile Train are committed to making those smiles a reality.

Juge Okechi: God Has Been Faithful

2009-10-03T21:30:00.003Z

Juge.

Juge and Jess.

Juge and her mom.

Her palate before surgery.

A patient story I wrote. This little girl had a whole lot of sass. She absolutely refused to smile for the camera. On purpose.

******

Joyce spent days crying alone in her house. Her newborn baby, Juge, had a cleft lip and palate, and Joyce couldn’t afford corrective surgery. Her friends and family thought the baby was cursed and advised her to abandon the child. But Joyce didn’t want to do that.
One morning, while going for a walk to clear her mind, Joyce heard a voice that said, “My daughter, do not worry. I am the only Creator. This is a miracle baby. Do your best for her, and trust Me.” Joyce looked around, but no one was in sight. She knew God had spoken to her.

In that moment, Joyce made a decision. “Since that day, I knew I could not leave Juge, even with this problem. I had to do my best for her,” she explained.
Taking care of Juge was challenging. Her cleft lip and palate made it very difficult to feed her. “When she was little, she could not suck. When she tried to eat, the milk would go up into her mouth and nose,” said Joyce. But Joyce never gave up. Determined to do her best for the baby, she discovered ways to feed Juge. It was a time-consuming process, but she patiently persisted, believing God would one day bring healing to her baby.

“People said a lot of bad things about Juge, but I knew Almighty God created her, and He knew what He was doing. I trusted that God’s time would be the best. In his timing, she would be healed, and I would rejoice,” she said.

When Juge was a year old, Joyce received a call from a friend in Nigeria who knew a surgeon willing to fix Juge’s cleft lip. However, they wouldn’t be able to correct her cleft palate. Joyce brought Juge to Nigeria, and her lip was surgically corrected.

A year later, Juge’s cleft palate remained uncorrected. The cleft made it impossible for Juge to produce normal sounds. In addition to her feeding difficulties, the little girl struggled to speak.

Joyce heard that the Africa Mercy had come to Benin. Hoping that Mercy Ships could help, she took her daughter to the Mercy Ships Dental Clinic, hoping to be directed to the Africa Mercy. There she met Dental Team Coordinator, Jessica Campbell.

Jessica described the meeting: “They came to the dental clinic the first day of the outreach. There were almost 400 patients standing in line that day, most with problems unrelated to dentistry. I was overwhelmed because I didn’t know who we’d be able to help. I saw Joyce, and she showed me Juge’s cleft palate. I got excited because I knew it was something we could fix.”
Joyce and Juge stood outside the dental clinic all day, while Jessica contacted the Africa Mercy. At the end of the day, Campbell brought them good news – a screening appointment was scheduled for Juge.

Three days later, Joyce came back the Dental Clinic to thank Campbell for her help. She was holding a green card with a scheduled date for Juge’s surgery. “She came back to the dental clinic, ran through the gate, and waved the green card in the air saying, ‘We got an appointment! We got an appointment!’ She was so excited,” said Campbell.

Juge received a free surgery on the Africa Mercy. Now, she has a corrected palate to match her corrected lip. It is no longer a struggle for her to eat, and she is working with Africa Mercy speech therapist, Sally Peet, to improve her speech. In a few years she will be able to attend school with her sister – a previously impossible dream.

“Because of the cleft, she could not have gone to school. Talking was too difficult for her, and people at the school would not have known how to feed her,” said Joyce.

God has been faithful to Joyce, and she cannot stop rejoicing. She is exceedingly grateful for the blessing Mercy Ships has been to her and to Juge.

“I pray that God will continue to bless and strengthen Mercy Ships. They did a marvelous job, and I am very happy and grateful,” said Joyce. “Almighty God is doing His work. As He has done for me, He can do for anyone.”

work hard. play hard. have fun.

2009-09-30T15:01:00.003Z

On Sunday it was Bowie's birthday. My friends and I celebrated it with him at a local Fun Fair (aka carnival). The Fun Fair consisted of a carousel, bumper cares and spinning swings. Not exactly Six Flags, but amazing when I think of how underdeveloped Liberia was. And I am a firm believer that having fun is never about what your doing, it's about who you are with. I have

some really fun friends and we were determined to have a great time on Bowie's birthday.

After waiting a half hour we all rode the bumper cars to the amusement of the onlooking locals. When our time was over, the man in charge said, "Wait, I have another ride." At that moment, we learned who the impulsive people of the group were (that would be Erik, Jess, and myself). Without asking any questions (like, what is the ride? is it safe? will it be fun?) we jumped into the three chairs on the platform. Our friend Micheal soon joined us (he is probably truly the most adventurous since he actually thought about it before jumping on). As I strapped myself in, my mind was flooded with the realization that I could be making a very bad choice, but it was too late turn back. Watch the last video and you'll understand why "fun night" came to a screeching halt for the four of us, and why we all needed crackers and tea when it was over.

It was a lesson in the merits of thinking before acting. I suppose spontaneity isn't always the best idea.

pre-fun.

more pre-fun.

actual fun.

too much fun.

life in a paper cup

2009-09-28T20:55:00.002Z

"You do not have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." C.S. Lewis

This weekend was a ship holiday and all non-shift workers had Friday off. Some friends and I spent Friday-Saturday at a local pool. On Friday night we played "fax machine," a game from home I've been happy to introduce to my international friends.

At the start of the game, everyone gets a stack of blank papers, according to the number of people playing (for example, six of us played so we each had six papers). Everyone writes a phrase on the top piece of paper and passes it to the person next to them. They read the phrase, put it at the bottom of the pile, and then try to illustrate it. The next person looks at the illustration and writes the phrase they think it is describing. It's sort of like whisper down the lane with paper an pens. It's hysterical to watch the phrases morph and change with each illustration.

The first phrase I was handed was "Life is like a box of chocolates." I used a stick figure to illustrate "life". The stick figure was born, became a child, got married, had a family, and then died. It proved to be a sufficient illustration when the person next to me wrote the correct phrase. At the end of the round, when I looked through all the drawings, I found, without seeing each other's drawings, everyone used the same concept for describing "life". We all drew a person under going a prescribed series of events experienced by most of humanity.

Sitting by the pool on Saturday, I was struck by the significance of our identical illustrations. We had all described "life" as a concept with a concrete beginning point, birth, and ending point, death. "Life" was the in-between, events encapsulated within these two points.

I wondered how we would have illustrated "soul". As I looked over the events and timetable of life, I concluded that bring my soul withing the jurisdiction of these points, however, it is completely separate from them. The soulish part of me is in not defined by events. Yes, I was born, but I would never describe my soul by my birth. Perhaps I will get married one day, but I would not describe my soul by my marriage. Neither of those things define my existence. They may affect my soul, but they will never frame or define it.

Life is a captive of time. It remains between two clearly set points which all of mankind comes under subjection. Our souls exist outside of the framework of time. They are eternal. When our life is gone, our souls will carry on. A truth which carries poignant implications.

I hit my halfway point last week. I've been here three months and will be leaving in three more. I have no plans and no tangible expectation of what God has next for me. I feel called to continue in missions, but am uncertain of where, with who, when, and in what capacity. I felt a bit overwhelmed by it all last week.

Currently, I am reading through Genesis and am currently exploring the life of Abraham. In chapter 12 God calls Abram saying, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee," and Abram leaves everything behind and goes.

24 years and five chapters later, in Genesis 17:5-8, God again speaks to Abram.

"Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

He'd spend the next 75 years of his life, living an unsettled life in tents throughout the dessert, believing that promise. His life on earth never included seeing his descendants become many nations or possessing the land of Canaan. But God kept His promise. We can still see that today.

The journey, the promise, the calling, wasn't really about reaching a physical destination. The journey was becoming Abraham. Abram could have held onto his life and stayed in Ur, where he was settled, cultured, and wealthy. He could have fulfilled all the points between life an death my friends and that could have been it. There was a clear choice. He could not have both. He choose to reach towards eternity, and forsook that which is bound for that which is boundless.

I find this all strangely comforting. My God has not only searched out the great oceans of eternity, but He mysteriously contains them within Himself (John 1:1). I'm swimming in a paper cup of life. I see it for what it is when I hold the cup next to the ocean. It's small, short, and incomparable. Likewise are our lives when held next to eternity. If God contains the eternal sea, surely my paper cup of water is not outside of His watch and guidance. Regardless of what life does or does not hold, whether it be joy or sorrow, one day my soul will be freed and I will swim in those eternal seas.

I think He cares most that my souls makes that journey. It's the journey I want to pursue. My heart echos the words of the the martyred missionary, Jim Elliot, "He is no fool to lose what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

May that be true of us. Let us not be content to only think of our lives. May we be those concerned with eternity, accounting for first our own souls and then standing in the gap for those around us.

Prince Eddie

2009-09-25T08:41:00.003Z

A few weeks ago I was visiting the wards and one of the nurses directed me towards Prince Eddie. Apparently, he had written a poem for the nurses, thanking them for their service.

Nursing has to be one of the toughest jobs there is. Everyday you stretched and challenged emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Often, nurses are taken for granted and not appreciated for what they do.

A little encouragement goes a long way. I know that Prince Eddie really encouraged the nurses with his words. Here the poem and Prince Eddie's story.

Prince Eddie: A Grateful Heart

Walking into the Africa Mercy hospital, I immediately noticed the patient sitting in bed 11. His smile was illuminating the entire room. I knew he had to be Prince Eddie.

Prince Eddie is known on the Africa Mercy for his contagious joy and grateful heart. In the few weeks he has spent in the hospital, his smile has encouraged dozens of patients, nurses, and doctors.

A businessman by vocation, he keeps a black briefcase next to his hospital bed. Inside, amidst stationery and pens, is a carefully stored photograph of his new bride, Millicent, and a wedding ring he can’t wear.

“I have my wedding band, and I want to wear it but can’t because of the burn. Forcing it over the burn is too painful,” said Prince Eddie.

Prince Eddie was born with a condition called syndactyly. On both of his hands, his ring fingers and middle fingers were fused together. When he was an infant, he received a surgery to separate the fingers at a local hospital. The operation was successful on his right hand, but post-surgical complications burned the fingers on his left hand, leaving them fused and contracted.

Every day – for 36 years – Prince Eddie has made subtle modifications to perform common tasks and avoid embarrassment. “For my job, I have to do a lot of computer work. Typing is hard because I can’t freely move my fingers,” said Prince Eddie. “When I am at work, I don’t sit by the computer if there are a lot of people around because I want to hide my hand.”

The injury had prevented him from pursuing many interests. “I really enjoy music and have wanted to learn how to play guitar. But because of my hand, I have not been able to. I cannot grip the strings,” he explained. But it has never stolen his joy. In the face of difficulties and disappointment, he’s never stopped smiling.

Today, Prince Eddie has a lot to smile about.

Four months ago, he married his beautiful bride, Millicent, and is very excited about being a husband. This month, he received a free surgery onboard the Africa Mercy to restore the use of his fingers. In a few weeks, his bandages will be removed, and he will finally be able to wear his wedding ring.

Prince Eddie first encountered Mercy Ships in 2006 when the Anastasis came to his home country of Ghana. Friends from his church, the Yeboah family, were living on the Anastasis and encouraged him to come to the ship. He was examined by a surgeon. The surgical schedule was already full, so he was placed on a waiting list. He was never called back. This year, the Yeboahs informed Prince Eddie that the Africa Mercy was coming to Benin. In March he traveled to Benin, was examined by a surgeon, and again placed on a waiting list.

The always gracious Prince Eddie did not become disheartened or frustrated. “When I was screened, there were a lot of patients in the line. I didn’t feel bad when I was put on the waiting list, because I realized there were a lot of people whose situations were worse than mine,” he said. Fortunately, a space in the surgical scheduled opened, and Prince Eddie was able to receive his free surgery.

Prince Eddie is extremely grateful to the doctors and nurses who have cared for him on the Africa Mercy. He wrote the poem, “Angels Amongst the Sons of Men,” to express his gratitude.

“I see all the nurses here as angels. It’s a touching sight to watch the nurses work. How could I not be grateful?” said Prince Eddie.

Prince Eddie Daniels, patient onboard the Africa Mercy, wrote the following poem:

Angels Amongst the Sons of Men

The day the Big White Whale landed on the black shores of Africa was a blessed day to the Sons of Men.
It came with Angels to walk amongst the Sons of Men.
Why do I call them Angels? Let me tell you of my time with them.

I came onboard the White Whale with rooms filled with
the lame
the maimed
the formed
the deformed
the wrong
and the rough.

And deep into the darkest part of the night, I saw men and brethren,
maidens and ladies, though flesh as us, yet with hearts as Angels.

Sleeplessly and tirelessly they toiled through the night,
through the pains and aches of men;
They, with hands to heal and mend,
bringing from above the Father's love to the Sons of Men.

Some they cut.
Some they tie.
Some they seal, and yet others
they fix with tools untold.

Like messengers of the Most High they came.
Not thinking of their own, they risked their lives
and sailed the seas to lands beyond the endless world,
to shores of Men afflicted and in pain.

Their hearts and lives they came to share,
as Angels walking amongst the Sons of Men.

Some in this life are born to pass,
and some are born in life to live,
Yet these Angels are born to preserve humanity.

Though some may see lives as waste,
yet with speed they move to save.
With words of love and touch of peace,
they endlessly toil to make right the wrong.

You were born as Men to your lands,
and yet as Angels you served the earth.
Gold is digged from earth beneath.
Treasures are hunted on high seas.
But love so pure and true
can only in hearts like yours be found.

Your labor in the Lord shall not be in vain.
For every life you touch and every soul you save,
For every bone you mend and every face you straight,
The Lord of Life and Light will light your path and guide your life.

For you are truly Angels amongst the Sons of Men.

Prince Eddie explained his inspiration:

“I see all the nurses here as angels. Because of the pain in my hand, sometime I can’t sleep at night. Instead, I sit awake and watch the nurses work. They do everything, from cleaning to mopping – taking care of all kinds of things. It takes angels to do that, to render that service.”

“Sometimes you do a lot of things, and you wonder if people really appreciate what you do. Patients come in and out, and many don’t have the opportunity to say ‘Thank you.’ I feel everyone would wish to express their gratitude, but the English background restrains many people from saying what they want to say. I wanted them to know I appreciate them.”

“It was already a touching sight to watch the nurses work, but then I learned they have to pay to work onboard. I asked myself, why are they paying to work? They should be paid to work. I was so touched because I knew they were doing the service of the Lord. You have to have a big heart to do that.”

“I write as a hobby when I am inspired. I don’t keep copies of my writing; if someone inspires me, I write, give it to them. I felt like writing the poem to say, ‘Thank you.’ My motivation is to let everyone know that I am so grateful for what they have done for my fingers. I wanted to thank everyone who helped me. This poem is what I feel; it’s a way of saying, ‘Thank you.’”

Oumar Dolo: A new reality.

2009-09-22T19:10:00.002Z

A patient story I recently wrote....

The average 25-year-old has never thought about dying from a dental infection, but that was almost Oumar Dolo’s reality.

Oumar Dolo, 25, lives in Benin. For two weeks, he had been experiencing pain in his tooth. On a Monday morning, he came to the Mercy Ships Dental Clinic for a free examination. “I was feeling a lot of pain when I went to the dental clinic. I wasn’t scared, because I thought I just had a small problem with my tooth,” said Oumar. He was diagnosed with a tooth abscess, the tooth was extracted, and he went home.

But on Wednesday his mother, Momoun, brought him back to the dental clinic. Oumar had developed Ludwig’s Angina, a bacterial infection of the mouth which can develop after a tooth abscess. In just two days, his face had become distorted from prominent swelling and deposits of puss. The swelling was occluding his airway; he was losing his ability to breath.

Momoun felt scared and helpless. She realized the life of her son was in eminent danger. “I was really scared when Oumar had the infection. I thought my son was going to die,” she said.

Realizing Oumar would die if no intervention was taken, Dental Team coordinator, Jessica Campbell, contacted the hospital staff on board the Africa Mercy.

“When I came to work, I was told one of our patients had returned. When I saw Oumar, I knew he needed help,” said Cambell.

That same morning Oumar was transported to the Africa Mercy, where he received an emergent surgical irrigation and drainage of his face. After surgery, he was transported to the Africa Mercy Intensive Care Unit. The infection was affecting his entire body.
For several days, he remained critically ill. His mother remained by his side, praying God would heal him.

“Although I was scared, I believe in God and I was sure everything would be okay. I knew there were a lot of people praying for him,” said Momoun.

Oumar spent several days in Intensive Care, requiring 24-hour nursing care, artificial ventilation, and large doses of antibiotics.

“They placed three drains in his face and kept the breathing tube in for over a week because of the swelling. It was a life or death situation,” said Intensive Care Unit nurse Cassidy Phillips.

Finally, after more than a week in Intensive Care, Oumar’s condition stabilized and he was transported to the ward. A week later, he walked away from the Africa Mercy completely healthy.

Without Mercy Ships, death at 25 would have been Oumar’s reality. But today, Oumar is alive, healthy, and has a hopeful future. Mercy Ships gave him a new reality.

“I am really happy that Mercy Ships was here to help me. The Lord has done a great miracle for me,” said Oumar.

the color of it all.

2009-09-21T20:36:00.002Z

It's hard to believe, but I have been on the ship for three months and am almost halfway through my time here. The looming question of "What comes next," has been creeping into my head. The honest answer to the question? I really haven't a clue.

While living on ship with the constant mirror of 400 other people can be frustrating at times (i.e. nearly impossible to find a truly quiet-non-interruptable space) and the stress of the environment forces you to uncomfortably embrace your insecurities and get over issues with people you could normally just avoid at home (not necessarily a bad thing). But the truth is, at the end of the day, it's really amazing. God has again faithfully blessed me with an abundance of kindred spirit friends and I've have really been enjoying my time here.

But in three months, I'll say goodbye and head back to Bucks County, to face the perils of "re-entry". As much as I miss/love my home, family, and friends, it's a really tough transition to make. I know because I've already done it. I'm not looking forward to doing it again. The anticipation this week filled my head to the point of complete self-consumption.

En route to Benin I watched "Slum dog Millionaire." There is a scene in the movie when an adult burns the eyes of street children, making them blind, so they can be more efficient beggars and make him more money. Last night, while our Land Rover paused at a traffic light, a blind man came to our window and asked for money. The mans eyes recalled the images of the children in the movie and left me a bit unsettled. I'm sure there are thousands, possible millions, of children around the world who are being exploited right now. Maybe the man at the window had been one of them. Regardless, I could not ignore the reality that the world is a sinful place filled with hurting people.

In light of that fact, in light of what I claim to believe, how I live should be affected. Period. There really is no room or need for self consumption.

When my eyes are focused on myself, my future, my needs, my rights, and my desires, my world gets very small. My mind is made obtuse and my vision narrows. Suddenly, I'm blinded to the needs of those around me. I can't think of myself and my neighbor. One will suffer the loss of my attention.

This morning I read this verse,

Genesis 12:1

"Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee."

I loved the last four words, "I will shew thee." God called Abraham but didn't tell him where he was going. He asked him to leave everything in his life behind and simply promised that he would lead him and be faithful to His promise.

Really, isn't that enough? I want my gaze fixed that reality.

Labi's tears.

2009-09-19T09:46:00.006Z

Last week 8-year-old Labi came to the ship. In the afternoon, someone came to my office and told me about her. Thinking I might want to write a story about her, I went down to the ward Tuesday evening to find her.

I'd seen her pre-op photos before going down to the ward. There was a fist-sized cauliflower shaped tumor, the width of her smile, sprouting four inches out of her mouth. It was pink, fleshy, and dripping in puss. When I entered the ward she was hanging up coloring book pages on her wall, with her nurse Becca. She had the tumor covered with a blue rag. Becca told me she wouldn't let anyone see it. When it was time to eat, she'd crawl under her hospital bed so no one could see her. Eating messy and difficult. She had to tilt her head back, pull her tongue out, place the food on her tongue, put her tongue behind the tumor, and then she could swallow the food. It was quite a process.

When Labi first came to the ward, she wouldn't look anyone in the eye. She was too withdrawn and insecure. She'd experienced a lot of pain for an eight-year-old.

The next day, Wednesday, Labi went in for surgery. Dr. Gary (max/fax surgeon) thought he'd have to remove part of her jaw to take out the tumor. But thankfully, the tumor wasn't affecting the bone like he's thought, and was removed with the jawbone intact.

That evening went back to the ward to see how she was doing. The tumor was completely gone. Labi looked like a totally different little girl.

She was hooked up to a monitor and an IV, dozing in and out of sleep. I didn't want to bother, so I just stood in the corner and watched her for a few minutes. She woke up and Becca, still her nurse, wanted to show her what her face looked like. Labi hadn't seen herself since surgery.

Becca handed her a small mirror. Labi looked down, paused with a look of bewilderment, and began touching her mouth (where the tumor use to be). After about 20 seconds, a tear rolled down her cheek. You could see her trying to hold them back, but another soon followed. Then another. Then another. Finally, she stopped fighting them and freely cired. Becca left her bedside to get her tissues.

Her mother had been standing next to her, watching the entire time. When Labi started crying, she backed away from her bed. You could see in her eyes and body language the mixture of joy and pain. The two years of discouragement and depression over her daughter condition had finally ended. Relief had finally come. But watching the emotion of her small daughter was too much for her mother's heart. It took her a few minutes before she was able to wipe Labi's tears.

I was moved by Labi's tears. They were mature and raw. Painful and joyful. Heavy tears for an eight-year-old to cry.

I am certain that she has shed many tears over the past two years when she was alone. She is strong and I don't think she'd want people to see her cry.

I am thankful she came to the Africa Mercy and no longer needs to hide.

True Conversations

2009-09-17T20:50:00.003Z

In May, I completed the Unbranded Beauty Project, in which I photographed and interviewed women about beauty. I sent it to the True Campaign, which, "Exists to end the crisis of distorted self image by challenging cultural ideals about identity and beauty, so we can be free to impact our world as God intended."

Before leaving for Benin, Constance Rhodes, co-founder of the campaign, interviewed myself and three of the women I interviewed/photographed. The interview is now available online as a free podcast here.

Since we are unable to download things here, I haven't been able to listen to it. Someone will have to let me know if I sound all right :)

Story on Nursing Advance website

2009-09-17T13:36:00.001Z

A patient story was posted this week on the Nursing Advance (a magazine for nurses) website.

You can read it at the link below.

http://nursing.advanceweb.com/Editorial/Content/Editorial.aspx?CC=205199

Dance this mess around.

2009-09-16T20:38:00.003Z

I've always loved theme parties. I love attending them. I love planning them. I love finding the perfect costume. I love dancing.

I've brought my theme party love to Benin. On Saturday night, some friends and I threw an 80's dance party on deck 8 of the Africa Mercy. When I woke up Sunday morning, completely exhausted and in need of Ibuprofen for a sore neck, I knew it had been a smashing success (coincidentally several other woke up feeling the same way).

I was amazed at the caliber of the costumes everyone showed up in and even happier about how crazy/silly/fun everyone was while dancing. There was no need to be cool. Just the way it ought to be.

At one point, I estimate there was 50 people on the dance floor, of all ages, from all different departments on the ship. It was a great community building experience.

I couldn't help but just feel blessed to be here. How many opportunities do you get in life to throw an 80's dance party on the top of a hospital ship with dear friends from all over the world.

There can't be many.

80's dance party photos

Speech Therapy Program

2009-09-15T07:52:00.003Z

A story I wrote about speech therapy on the ship.

Speech Therapy on the Africa Mercy

“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

The ability to communicate is powerful, allowing us to share ideas and engage in relationships. There are many mediums through which we communicate, including imagery, touch, and the written word. But our most frequent, and arguably most powerful, channel of communication is speech. Speech allows us to quickly articulate emotions, opinions, and thoughts. It’s a powerful ability.

Some patients onboard the Africa Mercy are discovering this power for the first time.

Maxillofacial operations are an integral part of the surgical schedule during Mercy Ships 2009 Field Service in Benin. Many maxillofacial patients, particularly those with cleft lips/palates, have spent their lives communicating with impeded speech. Facial malformations of the oral and nasal passages, in conjunction with weakened lip muscles, make it impossible to articulate normal sounds. Impediments can range in severity from difficulty producing a few sounds to a complete inability to form understandable words.

Living with a speech impediment is embarrassing and frustrating. Often children are not sent to school because they can’t properly communicate. This lack of education stagnates their mental and relational development, causing problems that will follow them into their adult years. Restoring speech to a child can spare him or her from a lifetime of anguish.

Surgically correcting the facial anatomy is the first step to restoring speech. However, even after the facial anatomy is corrected, many still have difficulties speaking. Post-operative speech therapy is needed to retrain the mouth and throat to correctly form sounds.

“Even though the surgery is complete and successful, and they look more normal, it’s the therapy that’s going to make them sound better,” said speech therapist Sally Peet. “Just because the anatomy is corrected doesn’t mean they are able to use it to speak properly. Therapy is a huge part of making the surgery a success.”

Sally Peet of the United Kingdom has been a licensed speech therapist since 1994. Since 2004, she and her family have served with Mercy Ships. Currently, she provides speech therapy for patients onboard the Africa Mercy.

Peet described her work: “I work with the maxillofacial patients, mainly the cleft lips and the cleft palates. However, any surgery that’s interrupted the facial muscles may have a need for therapy. For example, when a patient has a large facial tumor removed, their skin and lips become flaccid, affecting their speech and their ability to control saliva. I work with them, as well as the cleft lip patients, to make sure their lips are strong.”

Patients with speech difficulties are referred to Peet post-operatively by the Africa Mercy nursing staff. She works individually with each patient, evaluating their needs and providing exercises to strengthen weakened muscles. Also, she encourages the proper usage of restored facial anatomy.

“Many patients have found a way of ineffectively talking around huge malformations and have spoken incorrectly for years. The initial goal is to ensure the anatomy where the surgery has taken place will now be functional,” said Peet.

Peet works with patients throughout their time on the ward. When they leave the hospital, they come back to the Africa Mercy for outpatient appointments – sometimes for several months after their surgery.

“I can achieve more with the ones who live closer, because I can see them for a longer period of time,” said Peet.

Peet describes a memorable patient she worked with for over three months during the 2008 Field Service in Liberia: “There was a beautiful little girl with a cleft lip and palate. She spoke without using any constants sounds, and you could not understand her when she talked. She and her mom worked incredibly hard in therapy. By the time we finished, she was totally intelligible and making every sound correctly. Her mother said all her aunties in her village were dancing because now, not only does she look beautiful, she sounds beautiful.”

Providing speech therapy is just one example of Mercy Ships commitment to holistic care for patients through the partnership of various professional skills. Sally Peet is thrilled to be partnering with the Africa Mercy’s surgical and nursing staff to provide hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor. “I love providing speech therapy. It’s great to be working in my profession onboard the Africa Mercy,” she concluded.

West African Worship.

2009-09-10T15:58:00.002Z

Today I was at the opening of a building Mercy Ships recently completed, which will be used as an agriculture training center. At the ceremony, these women sang and danced. I thought the viewing audience might enjoy seeing what is a daily occurrence here.

Burkitt's patients

2009-09-09T21:42:00.007Z

Rochelle is super sweet. We gave her pen and paper to draw with and she started drawing ships.

Maddie, 2, is extremely sassy. She refuses to smile whenever the "Yovo's" (white people) are around but today, for a moment, she actually smiled. I was able to catch the moment as well as her mom's shock that she smiled.

Today, Maddie was giving our translator a hard time when he attempted to be her friend. After five minutes of attempting to befriend her, he picked her up. Maddie then proceeded to pee all over him and I am certain it was intentional. She's that smart and has the much attitude. At the age of 2.

Luc's mother. It's difficult for parents to watch their children battle cancer wherever you come from.

Luc and his mother sit on their hospital bed.

Luc is 3-years-old, snuggly, and sweet. He has a fetish with sunglasses and three pairs on his head throughout our visit. He has a crush on Suey. Today she was standing outside the room door, talking to some nurses, and he kept coming out of the room to give her hugs and kisses.

It doesn't get much better then that.

*****

Burkitt's lymphoma is an aggressive form of cancer, responsible for 50% of cancer deaths in children in Uganda and Central Africa. It is characterized by an enlarged jaw, loose teeth, and protruding eyeballs. Symptoms develop very quickly. A healthy child can be have an large tumor within four to six weeks of the initial symptoms.

Last year I cared for Sadie, a Burkitt's patient who died within six weeks of displaying symptoms. I'll never forget looking at his small flip-flops carefully placed at the end of his ICU bed, as I took care of him during his last days on earth. It was hard. It's always hard to watch a child die.

But the saddest part is that Burkitt's is 70% curable when timely medical interventions are taken (aka you give the patient a series of 6 doses of chemotherapy) and the remission rate is 80%.

But in West Africa, chemotherapy most often isn't available. If it is, it's often unaffordable or given ineffectively.

The Mercy Ships palliative care program has several Burkitt's patients they are helping receive chemotherapy. Three of them, all children, are currently staying at a local hospital, receiving their chemotherapy. I was able to visit them Monday and today.

Originally it was a group of four but sadly, one of the children died last week. Thankfully, the other three are responding positively to the chemo treatments, and look like they will have a positive outcome.

The three kids are Maddie, Luc, and Rochelle. Please keep them in your prayers.

Check out my dear friend Suey's blog (she works in palliative care) to learn more.

Kids on the ward

2009-09-09T06:43:00.005Z

This little girl is on the ward right now. She is sassy and adorable.

The cleft lip boy Iwas looking for.

Last night I went down onto the ward looking for a cleft lip patient I want to write a story on. I was stopped when I came to the bottom of the steps that lead me into the ward. A boy, about 13, was standing in the hallway with his arms and legs spread out so they touched each wall. He was making a face similar to Gandolf's in Lord of the Rings when he shouted, "You shall not pass". I was not allowed through.

He held his ground for about 20 seconds, and then, with a playful laugh, agreed to let me into the ward. He had obviously just had a max-fax surgery, as an NG tube was dangling out of his nose and a large bandage was wrapped around his chin. But that couldn't stop him from being silly.

When I went into the ward, I didn't find my cleft patient, but I did meet another little girl. She is six and has a tumor, the size of both my fists, climbing out of her mouth. She keeps it covered by a rag so no one can see it (which is still completely noticeable). Becca, her nurse, told me she sits under the bed when she eats. Eating is a difficult procedure and she is far to embarrassed to allow anyone to see.

I sat on her bed while Becca played with her. Earlier, she had colored what could have been an entire coloring book, and Becca was helping her tape her masterpieces to the wall. She was very particular in where they were placed, pointing to the spot she wanted and nodding her head in approval when they were securely attached.

Before I left, we all went for a "march" down the hallway. As we marched, I looked to my right and saw a male patient my age marching with us. His was moving his arms and legs up and down with such seriousness and purpose, I had to laugh inside. Only here will you ever see that happen. It's pretty awesome.

Benin football game (it's soccer to Americans).

2009-09-07T16:04:00.005Z

Sarah has a ticket to get in.

The stadium.

Waiting for the gate to open for the 5,000 CFA seats we had tickets for. The gate, however, never opended and we ended up sitting in 1,000 CFA seats. Things work differently in West Africa. We were quite happy to make it into the stadium.

For the record, we bought our jersey's first :)

These guys were into it. Really into it.

The game begins.

A stadium vendor. West African style.

Group shot. It was a really fun group.

The wave went around the stadium several times.

Yesterday, some friends and I went to a Benin football match. Our group of 11 was almost completely clad in Yellow Benin jersey's and holding accompanying yellow, green, and red flags. The game was a world cup qualifier so the excitement/tension was high in the stadium. Whenever Benin missed a shot you could hear a universal groan throughout the stadium. Sadly for the Benin fans, the game ended in a draw. We had a great time and I can't wait until October when Benin plays Ghana.

This is moments after Benin scored it's only goals. Everyone was pretty excited.

abundantly more.

2009-09-04T20:17:00.003Z

Almost exactly 4 years ago, I was walking around a lake with my friend Julie in the mountains of Pennsylvania. I had just started working as a nurse, I believe she was finishing grad school. I told her my pipe-dream plan to go live on a hospital ship in West Africa. She told me about her pipe-dream plan to teach in Hungary.

Two years later, we were both living our pipe-dream.

Yesterday, I received an email about some amazing opportunities God is giving her to continue her involvement there. And here I sit working in a communications department on a hospital ship in West Africa.

Four years ago, neither of us would have even dared to dream that we'd be where we are, doing what we're doing. It would have sounded crazy.

And that's why I love following Christ. The verse is true. He does exceedingly abundantly more than we could ask or think. Which makes the future, as uncertain and unplanned as it might be, safe, secure, and completely exciting.

Juge

2009-09-03T21:47:00.003Z

This is 2 year-old Juge who recently had her cleft palate repaired. Before her surgery, she struggled to eat and speak. Now, her eating has improved and she is working with Sally Peet, our speech therapist. In a few years, she will be able to go to school and will never have to face the rejection that a cleft causes.

Cleft repairs are my favorite surgery because of how quickly we can change someones life (and they normally involve children :).

she's getting so fat :)

2009-09-02T18:54:00.005Z

Maomai before surgery.

Maomai and her mother yesterday. Isn't that amazing?

Maomai came to the ship yesterday for a post-op appointment and my friend (and photographer) took a few photos of her. It brought my heart a great amount of joy when I viewed them in our office this morning. She's getting so big and fat and I love it.

finding joy.

2009-08-30T20:35:00.003Z

This past week wasn't my favorite. When you live on the ship it sometimes feels as a thousands little fingers which are constantly pressing into you. Individually they are light touches (and often very small things) that aren't very noticeable. But collectively, they can feel like an iron fist punching you in the gut.

I felt like I got punched this week. My gut still hurts a bit.

On the Africa Mercy, in the daily routine of meeting deadlines and staring at my computer, I can forget I am a missionary. It's easy to lose the vision of the work we are doing, and think this is just a job. Or just an organization. And things just have to get done. I get tunneled into thinking that's what matters.

I'm reading through Daniel and it's blowing my mind. Daniel 4:34-35 is a monologue by Nebuchadnezzar, a very wicked king of Babylon,

"And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom [is] from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and [among] the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?"

I love this prayer. It reaffirms that God is Sovereign and He will have His way. He is in control. His vision is eternal and His plans reach far beyond the scope of what our minds can begin to grasp. He will accomplish His plans. He doesn't need us to do it. He is Who matters. All else fails in comparison.

It's good to be reminded of that. It lifts my head out of the cloud and chaos of all the important things in life and resets my eyes on the eternal. It's a much nicer view.

On Thursday night, in the midst of an iron-fist-to-the-gut week, I went down to the ward to see a few patients. As I walked around and saw the patients neatly tucked into their beds, heard the laughter of a four-year-old with a burnt hand (who thought everything was funny), and snuggled with a baby with a fixed cleft lip, I saw joy. I was reminded of the privilege we have on board the Africa Mercy of loving people in the name of Jesus. I was reminded that eternities are being altered.

It was a revelation that rose above a thousand little pressures and brought me back to just Jesus. A place I'd like to remain.

Liberian Children receive echocardiograms

2009-08-28T20:30:00.005Z

This is a storyI recently wrote. Today Bill Martin, the hospital manager, told me the president of Liberia actaully read it (which I thought was pretty cool :).

Liberian children receive echocardiograms

Emmanuel, 14, can’t play sports with his friends.

“Sometimes if I run with a friend, I’d get behind. When I stop, I am always breathing very fast,” said Emmanuel.

He was born with a congenital heart defect that has gone uncorrected for fourteen years. Currently, Emmanuel is experiencing several signs of congestive heart failure, including shortness of breath and swelling.

Born in Liberia, Emmanuel has not had access to the medical care needed to correct his heart condition. If he doesn’t have a surgical intervention, his symptoms will continue to worsen, ultimately leading to his death.

However, Emmanuel was recently referred to Dr. James Tomarken, a Yale-Clinton Foundation Senior Fellow in International Healthcare Management, at JFK Hospital in Monrovia, Liberia. Working with Mercy Ships and the Israeli-based international humanitarian project, Save a Child’s Heart, Dr. Tomarken and his associates have been able to help Liberian children with heart defects receive corrective surgery.

“Save a Child’s Heart will do the surgery if we raise the needed funds,” said Dr. Tomarken. “It’s very inexpensive; much of it is donated. There’s just a small amount to pay for,” said Dr. Tomarken. But before a patient can become a surgical candidate, the defect must be properly diagnosed. This requires an echocardiogram, a diagnostic ultrasound of the heart, which Liberia currently does not have the capacity to provide.

The Africa Mercy has both an echocardiogram machine and a physician trained to operate it. Taking advantage of a previously established partnership with Mercy Ships, Dr. Tomarken contacted the Africa Mercy’s Hospital Manager, William E. Martin, for assistance.

“Dr. Tomarken contacted me when I was in Liberia in July. He had several patients he wanted to be screened because there was a possibility they could receive open heart surgery in Israel,” said Martin.

Dr. Tomarken first partnered with Mercy Ships during the 2008 Field Service in Liberia. Mercy Ships physician, Dr. Wolfgang Edele, performed free echocardiograms for five children. “I saw five children in Liberia with the echo machine. Two of the children had successful open heart surgery,” said Dr. Edele.

This year, Dr. Tomarken had seven children in need of echocardiograms. Mercy Ships agreed to perform the tests, and the children recently came to Benin. They were accompanied by Dr. Tomarken and Liberian social worker, Chadesetta Williams. Mercy Ships provided the group with accommodations, food, and some transportation.

All seven children received echocardiograms, and the results have been sent to surgeons working with Save a Child’s Heart.

“Trying to get a diagnosis was almost impossible in Monrovia,” said Chadesetta Williams. “I thank God for Mercy Ships, and I pray they will continue to receive funding to continue with the services they are giving. It’s a very worthy cause.”
***********************************************************************************
“Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) is an Israeli-based international humanitarian project, whose mission is to improve the quality of pediatric cardiac care for children from developing countries who suffer from heart disease and to create centers of competence in these countries. SACH is totally dedicated to the idea that every child deserves the best medical treatment available, regardless of the child's nationality, religion, color, gender or financial situation.” [from the Save a Child’s Heart website]

goodbye to you.

2009-08-27T15:55:00.005Z

The before shot.

It was so long.

My ponytails and I.

The cut.

The after shot.

Last week, several of my closest friends and I cut off all our hair, donating it to two organizations that make wigs for cancer patients. Over a foot of hair was removed from my head, resulting in three large, donatable ponytails. Our friend, Lorah, cut our hair for us and did a fabulous job.

For me, it was a bit of an impulsive choice, largely made in support of my friends who had shed their hair before me. I'm glad I did it, although it does take some getting use too. I've had short hair before, but I've never done such an extreme change.

Hair will always grow back.

The feeding program

2009-08-25T15:45:00.001Z

A story I wrote last month....

Baby Feeding Program

Amitatau was extremely underweight when she came to the Africa Mercy. At four weeks old, she weighed only 2.3 kg, just half the average weight of babies her age. Amitatau’s uncorrected cleft lip and palate had made nursing difficult for her. As a result, she was starving.

Babies with clefts often have trouble feeding. The malformation of the mouth makes it difficult to forcefully suck, making it difficult for the baby to get enough milk. “It can be very difficult to feed babies with clefts,” said volunteer nurse Debora Saur. “Because of the hole they have in the mouth, the milk can come out of the nose. Mothers particularly have trouble breastfeeding because it’s hard for the babies to create suction. The moms and babies can really struggle.”

Breastfeeding mothers can also lose their ability to produce milk if the baby isn’t nursing properly. If this happens, some moms will attempt to feed with formula. However, many can’t afford to buy the amount of formula necessary to ensure proper nutrition. Often, the formula is watered down, and the baby does not receive the nutrition needed to develop and grow. Without intervention, these babies can die.

Amitatau’s mother felt helpless and alone when she brought her daughter to the Africa Mercy. After the baby was examined, it was determined that her clefts were correctable. However, she could not safely receive surgery until she gained weight.

Fortunately for Amitatau, Mercy Ships runs a feeding program specifically designed to help babies with clefts gain weight. It is operated by Debora Saur, who is from Germany. This is the second field service during which Saur has run the program.

The feeding program gives mothers the educational and physical resources needed to ensure their babies maintain an adequate nutritional intake. Babies typically stay on the program for three to eight months before surgery.

Initially, an appointment is scheduled on the Africa Mercy with Saur, and the needs of mother and baby are assessed. “They come, I weigh them, and I teach them how to feed the baby. I also explain why it is important for the baby to eat regularly,” said Saur.

If the mother is still lactating, Debra will encourage her to continue breastfeeding by teaching her techniques to improve the baby’s suckling ability. However, in cases where breastfeeding is not an option, Mercy Ships supplies the mother with formula. “If breastfeeding is not enough, I give them formula and carefully explain how to make it,” said Saur.

Every two weeks, mothers come to the Africa Mercy to receive formula. During every visit, the baby is weighed, and the weight is documented on a growth chart. Additionally, Saur provides emotional support to the moms. In many West African communities, babies with clefts are often viewed as cursed, and mothers are encouraged to abandon them. This worldview can further compound nursing difficulties and leave mothers feeling very alone.

“Often the community will think the baby is cursed because it is born with something that is not normal. It can be very difficult to for a mom to live in her community with that pressure,” said Saur. “I think it’s important for them to know that someone cares, and there is a place that they can always come to – they are not alone. I think it makes a difference.”

Already, Debora has seen several babies successfully gain weight and receive free surgery. “Last year I had a baby in Liberia who came at the beginning of the outreach. She was really small when she came. After going through the feeding program, she was able to have cleft lip/palate surgically corrected. It was really exciting,” said Saur.

The feeding program will continue throughout the duration of the 2009 Benin Field Service.

Togonese Refugee Camp

2009-08-24T21:52:00.008Z

Richard and I walking through the refugee camp. We look like journalists :)

Last weekend my friend Jess, who is the Dental Team Coordinator, told me about a special clinic the dental team was holding in a refugee camp. I was able to visit the camp on Friday.

I was surprised and a bit confused to learn their was a Togonese refugee camp in Benin. Togo is a bordering country and the location of the next field service. To my knowledge, things were relatively stable. It wasn't unstable like Liberia, which had just ended a 14 year civil war.

At the camp, I learned the full story. Four years ago the president of Togo died. He had served as president for 38 years. After his death, his son commandeered the presidency. The refugees were a part of the political party that opposed the son, seeing it as an undemocratic election. Initially, there was over 12,000 refugees living in the camp. Today, four years later, 3,000 still live there. Many still have not received papers from the Red Cross that officially declare them refugees, which has bound them to the camp. They can't leave or work without that status.

The camp possessed a certain beauty, despite being what the developed word would consider extremely poor living conditions. It was very clean, flowers were planted on people's "patios", and their was even a few art displays. Everyone took pride in what had become their home. You could see it.

My friend Richard and I were given a tour by a women who lives in the camp with her family. She took us to her "house" and we sat and talked with her and her husband. Richard asked if they had any plans to leave the camp and return to Togo. They told us the answer depended upon the outcome of the Presidential election taking place in Togo in February. If the elections were democratic, they would return. If not, on principle, they would stay in the camp.

I was amazed by their conviction. They believed what was happening in their government was wrong, and they were willing to risk their lives for it. I was also quite humbled. I waste so much time worrying about the future, who I am going to be and what I am going to accomplish. They don't even get to have those dreams. They have a glimmer of hope that they will return to their country in February. If not, they will be stuck in the camp. There are no other dreams to be had.

A line in a Cross Movement song says, "Are you ready to do in the name of Truth, what the world might do for a lie."

I look at the sacrifice of that family for a political belief. Something far less superior to an eternal destiny. And I wonder, would I make that sacrifice for the sake of Truth?

Photos of the camp here

Article on the True Campaign

2009-08-22T08:35:00.003Z

In the past, I have some very definitive struggles with body image. I've been unable to believe that I am beautiful. I've wrestled with trying to be perfect. I've wrestled with the holistic pressure (even among Christians) to be a sexy, aggressive female. I've gone to over 30 weddings and wondered why they got picked and I didn't. I've thought maybe I've been doing things all wrong. Maybe I should change who I am for the sake of everyone else. For the sake of what I "should"be.

But last year, for the first time, I finally began to grasp something: I am precious. Precious to God, precious to others. Those three words, a very simple revelation, have (and still are) changing the way I think about myself, God, and others.

In response to this revelation and accompanying new found courage, I created the Unbranded Beauty Project, which highlights women who I KNOW are beautiful. They are as unique and different as the facets of their Creator.

I emailed the True Campaign the blog and they put it on their website. There is a podcast coming of a few of the women I photographed/interviewed and I discussing what real beauty is.

I recently wrote a story about Edith and I have to admit I had them in mind while writing it. Yesterday they posted it on their blog.

I so appreciate what they are doing and I feel really blessed to be a part of it. As I daily learn and at times struggle to believe I am precious to God, I think it would be beautiful to help other women believe the same thing about themselves.

the wind in my hair.

2009-08-21T21:03:00.005Z

Team waterfall.

Soccer in the mist.

The beautiful misty mountains.

My first zimmiejohn ride :)

Mountain Meg.

Clay villages.

The first waterfall.

Last weekend I was part of a group of 17 that took a 7 hour bus ride to Togo, a country bordering Benin, for the weekend.

My life is an adventure and I like it that way.

We left at 3:45 Friday morning (which obviously wasn't my idea) and arrived at our "hotel" around 12 pm. It was the typical cram-a-bunch-of-people-into-a-small-mini-bus arrangement. Never comfortable, but what makes it a good story. I might mention that traveling in West Africa isn't for high maintenance personalities.

On Saturday we climbed Mount Agou, the highest mountain in Togo. The hike was tough but the scenery was so beautiful, it was completely worth it. The red clay villages nestled into the deep green mountains, which where covered in a dream-like fog, ought to be experienced rather than described. As we hiked through the greenery, we were surrounded by children with beautiful smiles and an unbelievable number of baby goats. About five minutes into the hike, my entire body was covered in sweat and mud. I adopted the title of "Mountain Meg" as I really looked like a ridiculous mountain woman.

That evening, a small group of us went to an amazing waterfall. It was the first time I ever stood under a waterfall, and I've decided, it's impossible to do so without letting out a girlish shriek. There is just something about the rush of the cold current that forces it out of you.

Sunday morning, half the group went home and the rest were tired, which left only six of us ready and able for hike #2 (also know as Team Waterfall). Because our vehicle had left with the group of returnees, we could only reach the base of the trail by riding on zimmiejohns (aka motorbikes) up the mountain. I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't nervous. In fact, I clung to my driver for the entire 20 minutes. But it was an amazing experience. The morning light magnificently illuminated the green mountains which were scattered with red-clay villages and winding yellow-dirt roads. The wind ferociously whipped through my hair giving me a sense of tremendous freedom. Everything about the experience was beautiful (although maybe not completely safe :) .

The hike was hard, but the friends I was with made it amazingly fun (my friends Kristian and Bowie marched along playing a recorder and harmonica..brilliant :). We walked through mountain villages, found plants that turn into paint (I was given a red butterfly tattoo), and stopped at a mist covered feild to play soccer with a half-inflated ball and some local boys. When in life do you ever get to do those things? Really?

The waterfall was our goal and we were not disappointed. It was perfectly nestled in a cove of green leaves and tiny purple flowers. The sun peaked through the dense shrubbery onto the powerful, white waters. We were able to climb up underneath the falls onto a rock and watch the water spill over our faces. It was amazing.

We decided not to hike back to the start of the trail, but instead, hired zimmiejohns to take us all the way down the mountain. The ride was about 30 minutes and beautiful in every way. We had to stop an wait for two of our friends at the halfway point. My friends Liz, Jess, Richard, and I, sat on a bench on the side of the mountain amazed at the adventure our lives had become. We were climbing mountains, playing in waterfalls, and riding motor bikes on dirt roads. Our bodies were covered in sweat and dirt, our legs sore, and our feet blistered, but no one would have chosen any other way. We were really living.

Our lives looked very different from the 9 to 5 pace of normal. No one was married. No one owned a home. Our banks account are growing more depleted with every month we live on the ship. None of us are certain what we are doing in January. But we would not have changed a thing.

As much as I love a good pair of heels and a fun dress, going out to dinner will never beat out playing in a waterfall with a few lovely friends.

I love feeling the wind in my hair. I love living with a sense of expectancy and adventure. I love that God has called me to be here and to have these moments. A good friend once told me that being a Christian is an adventure. She was right. It's the best adventure I've ever been on. I can't wait to see what happens next.

more photos here

my heart is happiest when...

2009-08-20T14:58:00.003Z

....I am holding a beautiful sweet baby like this one. I'm certain you can see it in my face.

I posted Maomai's rather amazing story last week. I can happily say she is doing really well. Today, she had her G tube removed and her cheeks have grown very plump. I was able to see her today and she was screaming through the hallway. I enjoyed hearing her cry because it was the hearty, solid cry of a healthy baby. A noise she couldn't make two months ago.

It's amazing to see a transformation like that occur and a huge blessing to in some way take part. But the best part for me is simply that I got to sooth her when she cried :)

I'm online

2009-08-20T09:25:00.002Z

Last time I was on the Africa Mercy, I wrote monthly for the Advance for Nurses magazine about my experiences. My editor, Gail, is absolutely lovely, and I was blessed to acquire a friend in her.

Every year, the magazine highlights nurses from around the area for a special "Essence of Nursing" edition. I was really honored when Gail asked to interview and include me in the issue.

It was posted today and you can click the link to read it below.

Advance for Nurses: Africa Calls

A weekend in Togo

2009-08-18T23:10:00.006Z

Team waterfall. My favorite photo of the weekend. This waterfall was unrealistically beautiful.

My first zimmijohn ride. Notice how tight I am clutching the driver :)

I was on this zimmijohn...riding through the mountains was AMAZING!!

The water on our shirts is all sweat. All things considered, I think we look pretty cute :)

I was so happy they brought their instruments.

me pretending to fall off the mountain.

Ali and I...fellow northeastern PICU nurses.

Bowie borrowed a man's Fanmilk bike. And it was amazing.

Isn't she cute?

We stumbled upon some boys playing soccer on our hike to the waterfall and Kristian and Richard joined in.

Bowie.

Friends.

Me actually falling (and quite hard I might add).

One of the beautiful villages.

I loved these flowers.

The views were breathtaking.

The start of the mountain hike.

I spent the past weekend climbing mountains and swimming in waterfalls, in the beautiful country of Togo. It's after midnight and I need to go to bed, so I won't go into details right now. The short version: Fellowship and friendship are precious gifts, simple things are the most beautiful, the wind always feels nice in your hair, and being a Christian is a wonderful adventure.

I leave you with a few of my favorite photos....

you can view the rest here.

Maomai Dangbenon: Salvation Has Come

2009-08-13T15:40:00.005Z

Another patient story I recently finished....I love this baby : )

Maomai Dangbenon: Salvation Has Come

It was the middle of the night, and Perlagie couldn’t sleep. The image of Maomai, her three-month-old baby girl, flashed through her mind every time she closed her eyes. A huge tumor the size of the baby’s head was jutting out of Maomai’s neck. Perlagie looked over at her daughter, peacefully sleeping in her hospital bed, and began to cry.

For over a week, Perlagie had stayed in the hospital, waiting and praying for a doctor to help Maomai – but no one came. In the morning, they were being sent home. Perlagie didn’t know what to do.

When Perlagie finally fell asleep, she had a dream.

“In that dream, I saw a person, who told me I should be quiet and pray – that salvation shall come.”

The next morning, Perlagie felt confident and peaceful. She didn’t know where help would come from, but she knew God was going to take care of her baby.

***

Maomai was born with a teratoma, which means monstrous tumor. It started out as a small, golf-ball sized lump on her neck, but within three months, the tumor had grown to the size of her head.

Everyone in Perlagie’s village was afraid of Maomai. The grotesque tumor was difficult to look at, and the villagers thought they could be contaminated by it. No one would touch or play with the small baby.

“One time I was in the bathroom, and the baby was crying. People were around the baby, but they would not touch her because of the tumor. They left her crying, alone. Even the members of my family,” said Perlagie.

Perlagie was alone. Maomai was a precious, beautiful baby girl, and she could see that, but others simply couldn’t see past the monstrous tumor. In a country where perceived physical differences mark people as outcasts, Maomai was treated like a monster instead of a baby girl.

“I was very, very, sad. I was not able to sleep,” said Perlagie. “Every day, I was crying. Also, I was not eating. I had no appetite because of the condition of my baby.”

Perlagie and her husband wanted to get Maomia help. They took her to a local hospital, but there was no surgeon to perform her surgery. Perlagie didn’t become anxious or fearful. She confidently left the hospital, trusting God to bring healing and deliverance from the tumor.

When Perlagie returned to her village, her sister-in-law told her about the Africa Mercy, a hospital ship filled with doctors and nurses, which had come to Cotonou. She had just returned from the ship after being treated for an eye problem and thought they could help Maomai.

Perlagie brought her daughter to the Africa Mercy and was screened by the medical team. It was obvious that she needed immediate surgery. But the tumor had made it difficult for her to feed, and Maomai was very underweight – too underweight for surgery. The Mercy Ships medical team placed her on a feeding program and scheduled her for surgery in one month. Mercy was on its way. The salvation Perlagie had dreamed of was becoming a reality.

A month passed, and it was time for Maomai’s surgery. The morning of surgery, Peralgie worried it would not be successful.

“I started crying. Some nurses and translators told me the operation was possible with God. The doctor will be successful with surgery, the tumor will be removed, and the baby will be healed. They gave me that hope,” said Perlagie.

After six hours of surgery, Maomai’s tumor was removed. It weighed 375 grams, 15% of her body weight. The monstrous tumor was gone, and the beautiful baby girl remained.

Maomai spent over a month recovering in the hospital. Still struggling to maintain her weight, she had to be fed through a surgically placed feeding tube.

The nursing staff encouraged Perlagie to use the feeding tube. At first, she was hesitant. Perlagie distanced herself from Maomai. But as she grew more comfortable in the hospital, things changed. The nursing staff taught Perlagie how to use the feeding tube. As she took ownership of Maomai’s care, their relationship thrived.

“Initially, we were worried about her,” said pediatric nurse Ali Chandra. “But now she’s been here for over a month, and she’s blossomed. Perlagie has completely bonded with Maomai in the time they’ve been here. And it happened as we started teaching her [to use the feeding tube]. She’s doing really well,” says Chandra.

Maomai has continued to grow stronger since her surgery. Not only has she gained weight, she’s gained vibrancy.

“Maomai used to be this kind of listless baby, and now she’s bright. She’s doing more age-appropriate things than before,” says Chandra.

Psalm 13:5 says, “I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation” (NKJV).

Perlagie knows this to be true. She trusted God to take care of her baby, and He brought her salvation. Perlagie is rejoicing in His mercy.

“I thank God, and I thank each of you, for all you have done for me. God is healing and still working. I have seen my salvation in this child,” she concluded.