Vitalis Chronicles, White Shores

Sometimes there are things that you don't picture yourself doing in Africa (besides living in a big white ship).  Last Wednesday I attended a launch for a book written by one of my friends.  Every land rover was booked out in anticipation for this event and the crew were all clean and polished as we made our way through surprisingly not to bad Freetown traffic.  Earlier that day I had purchased the book from Amazon.com (shameless plug) and had read the first few chapters before having to leave.  I was already hooked.  Listening to the live reading and finding out that more excitement was to come had me hurrying back to the ship to read the rest.  During lunch breaks and late into the past two nights I've been reading White Shores and just finished it.  My head is full of vivid images of the characters and I can not wait to read the next two books in the trilogy.  If you know me, or have ever seen my room, you know that I love books and this is one that I'm going to read again.  Anyone that is interested can purchase the book on e-reader/kindle or paperback from Amazon.com and also Barnes and noble.com

Next

Since my replacement phlebotomist came to the ship today, I guess my time here is almost finished.  So I've made a list of the things that come next. 
1)decide where to live
2)decide where to work
3)learn how to scuba dive
Well, there are a few things jumping around in my head that I've decided not to share with anyone just yet, but this should prove that the future is very undecided. 
However, in one year this giant white ship will be sailing towards Guinea and I think I'd like to be on it.  My goal is to finish an outreach.  All the way through from begining to the end.  Until then maybe have a few adventures :)

I need Africa more than Africa needs me

 

  I borrowed this from Mocha club website, but it says so much that is in my heart. 

                                      

   I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me

When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child soldiers. Genocide. Sex slaves. Orphans. From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. "I am needed here," I think. "They have so little, and I have so much." It's true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday. There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe. But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in those same people. It's a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day.
The images spilling out of my television showed circumstances that could seemingly only equal misery, and I was fooled. I bought into the lie that circumstance defines happiness. The truth is, in Africa I find hearts full of victory, indomitable spirits. In places where despair should thrive, instead I find adults dancing and singing, and children playing soccer with a ball crafted of tied up trash. Instead of payback, I find grace. Here, weekend getaways are not options to provide relief from the pains of daily life. Relationships and faith provide joy. Love is sovereign.
My new reality… I know now that my joy should have no regard for my circumstances. I'm ashamed by my lack of faith, but at the very same moment I am excited by my new pursuit. I'm forced to redefine the meaning of having much or having little. I'm uneasy with the prospect of change and of letting go, but just the thought of freedom is liberating. I want what I have learned to trickle down from my head into my heart - I no longer want to need the "next thing" to have joy.
I'm not saying that Africa does not need our efforts. It absolutely does need our partnership. But for me, I've come to understand that I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME. Why? Because it is Africa that has taught me that possessions in my hands will never be as valuable as peace in my heart. I've learned that I don't need what I have and that I have what I need. These are just a few of this continent's many lessons. I came here to serve and yet I've found that I have so much to learn, and Africa, with all its need, has much to teach me.

Photos of a Great Weekend

Chimpanzees at the sactuary

                                          

Sharon, Alex, Sarah, and me hiking to the falls

Charlotte Falls

The best trivia team! 

Word of Life Church where two of my translators attend

Helga and Florence

                                 It was an amazing weekend with good friends and adventure!

15 minutes

Every day I go to the admissions tent at 1pm.  During the day the patients have had vitals taken, seen the dr, and answered a thousand questions before being admitted for surgery.  My translators and I have a good system and the patients flow right through.  Of course every once in awhile something random happens.  Yesterday was strange because I had 12 patients and 11 were children.  While drawing blood not one of them cried.  Today two of the patients were gone when we went to draw the blood.  This is kind of strange and several of us went to investigate.  The two men were tired of sitting and left to go get sweets.  Grown men.  The children were still there.  Sitting exactly where they were supposed to be, but the men took off.  It was strange then but seems kind of funny now.  I was irritated that they were wasting my time and stood under the tent fuming.  Then a tiny little hand grabbed mine.  The little girl was one of the patients being admitted for surgery tomorrow.  Even though I had drawn her blood earlier she still wanted a hug from me and that is kind of unusual.  We spent the next 15 minutes skipping around the dock, throwing rocks into the giant rain puddle, and playing ring around the rosy with another boy.  The little boy had surgery months ago and comes back for therapy in the tent next to admissions.  He walked up to me and pointed to his arm and said "you juk me"  in krio that is basically that I stabbed him.  It amazes me that months later he remembers that I drew his blood.  We tested out his improved legs as he begged me to run faster around the dock.  If all had gone to plan,  I wouldn't have stopped outside to play.  I would have done my job and missed out on the best 15 minutes of my day. 

Taking a walk

Sometimes doing very little is the most fun.  Once again, I have found myself wandering the market of Freetown.  Walking the cracked streets and dodging trucks, taxi's, and motorcycles.  However, not so successful on the last one.  My elbow met some handlebars on Saturday but seems to be fine now.  My friend Sarah told me that I obey no traffic laws, but I think I have turned into a local while walking down the street.  The rules are easy.  Go fast.  Swerve anyway you need to to get through congested areas and squeeze into tight places you would never imagine you could get through.  All the while watch where you are walking so you don't fall into the ditch of sewage off to the side.  Oh yeah, smile at all the children who call out "hello how are you".  If the crazy does happen and you walk into a mud puddle and your flip flop decided to stay in the mud while your foot travels on, that is ok.  Just stand there and look like an idiot until some nice lady reaches into the mud and puts your shoe back on your foot.  It seems to help if you look very surprised and just keep saying "my shoe, my shoe". 
It is rainy season here.  When it rains it really rains.  If you are at a bakery with friends and just ate a lot of pizza (really, really good pizza) and it is pouring outside, the walk home seems very far.  Therefore you should all pile into a taxi and don't try to negotiate a price.  There is a rain price and a sunny price. 

The market street is by far my favorite here.  There is so much stuff to see and every time many new things.  Today a lady tried to sell me some fish.  When I told her that I don't cook, she said "how do you eat?" a very good question.  It would have been hard to explain that if I cooked I'd only ever eat grilled cheese so I just said that other people cook on the ship and she laughed at me.  How different our lives are.  I'll include pictures of some of the things we saw on our walk through the market.  The walk ended taking a short cut through a churches property.  There is a burned building that I've wanted to take pictures but i didn't expect to meet lots of children and moms down that road.  We had a lot of fun, just talking and taking snaps (pictures).  It was a very relaxing weekend spent with friends.