22 and bubbles

  If you ever want to smile, take a bottle of bubbles into a room full of children.  This past Sunday 22 kids from northern Sierra Leone came to the ship.  Some had bowed legs, twisted legs, and club feet.  One by one they had to see a dr, get x-rays, and have blood drawn.  Usually I'm the bad guy.  On Sunday, however, a few still loved me after having blood work done and I was able to go and play.  You can't have a bad day with 6 children jumping around chasing bubbles while tired parents watch and laugh.  One little boy was kissing my face over and over, and this was cute until a nurse examined him and mouthed the words "conjunctivitis" to me.  I reached for the hand sanitizer and wiped it over my entire face.  Two days later I woke up to a goupy eye and pink eye.  All from the love of a cute little boy.  It was worth it (just in case you were wondering). 
On Monday I met another baby that was 10 months old.  He has a cleft lip, but was full of smiles and love for everyone and that reminded me of Caden (my giant nephew) so I fell in love with him too.  Tuesday he had his surgery, and looked amazing when I saw him.  Surgery has only been happening for a few days and already the blind have been able to see, legs have been straightened, and cleft lips are put back together.  No matter how much I see it, it is still amazing. 

My heart

The scrubs were clean and ready to go.  Bubbles, balloons, stickers were in the bag ready to go.  Flip flops were on my feet, and I was ready to go.  For weeks, months really, the crew on the Africa Mercy had been preparing for screening day in Freetown, Sierra Leone.  Our train of white Land Rovers slowly moving through the streets too early in the morning for my eyes to be open.  Just like two years ago in Benin, my eyes started watering when I saw the line of people waiting for our help.  Many desperate to see a doctor.  The stadium had been set up, the first patients heading our way.  
This screening wasn't going to be the same as the many many screenings that have happened in the past. Thousands had come for help.  Things went wrong.  I don't know what.   13 people were injured and one man died.  It seems like it happened so fast, but also took forever.
My heart is with the people injured, and the families.  They are all recovering.  I still don't know the name of the man who died.  I have so many questions, but realize that I may never know the answers.
That day, my heart broke.

A long week

This week started by scrubbing wax off a floor for 7 hours and then re-waxing the floors.  Then it moved into bleaching hospital equipment, taking photos of bad hospital equipment, and photos of stretcher training.  It also brought on my first drill as part of the emergency medical team.  Today was a final push to get 60 people ready to give blood samples next week, and take 50 blood pressures of potential donors.  By 5pm, I was very very tired but decided to go play ultimate frisbee in a nearby field.  Best decision this week.  A large group of us walked to the field to play and met up with A LOT of children following us.  Two of us took the kids across the field to play frisbee and it was hilarious and fun.  2 hours of running, and playing, and laughing were exactly what I needed.
This weekend is the calm before the storm.  Next monday starts our screening of patients with overflow on Tuesday.  Wednesday is the open house for all the ship crew to see what happens in the hospital.  Thursday I will be drawing blood from atleast 60 crew members to get our blood bank running.  It is going to be craziness.  I'm going to bed soon.  Today I got a new roommate, and I haven't actually met her yet so I'd better go do that. Goodnight.

Freetown, Sierra Leone

Yesterday morning the Africa Mercy sailed into the port in Freetown, Sierra Leone.  There were many people on the dock waving us in and even a marching band playing.  It was so good to see old friends on the dock, but strange to add all those people to the crew.  At dinner last night the lines were very long.  I've added two new roommates to my room and expect the third on friday.  Last night the advance team presented |Sierra Leone to us, and gave us much information about the coutry and the people that we are going to be serving.  Today we start the craziness of getting the hospital unpacked from the sail, and organized and tomorrow I'll be assisting the crew nurse with 175 day volunteers vacinations and paperwork.  It is going to be a busy week heading into the massive screening on the 7th.  Have a good week everyone. 

Catch up

Sorry for the long delay in posting on here.  We have had many many days of sailing and have crossed from the Indian ocean to the Atlantic ocean, crossed the prime maridian into the western hemisphere and then yesterday crossed the equator into the northern hemisphere.  It all sounds rather boring probably but is exciting being on the ship. We have seen the most amazing sunsets, dolphins, flying fish, and whales.  Compared to the stories I've heard of the trip down to South Africa, our seas have been calm.  After the first night where I wanted to never sail again, I have remembered my love for being on this ship, in the middle of the ocean.  Sailing cements friendships, and I've loved getting to know the other crazy people on this ship with me. 
In 48 hours we will be docking in Sierra Leone and our field service there.  For the last 5 months an advance team has been preparing the way for us.  In just the last few weeks they have begun screening potential patients for surgery further up north.  So far they have screened over 7,000 people that are seeking help.  On the 7th of March we will be holding a large screening in Freetown, Sierra Leone.  Two years ago in Benin, I wasn't ready for the amount of people lining the streets waiting, or for the intense need of the people we met.  I'm trying to prepare myself for this year, but no matter what I've seen before, I don't think it comes close to what I will see soon.  With a country so soon out of a massive civil war, where everyones is a victim and noone was left untouched, the need is huge.  I've been learning a little of the history, and can't imagine the next 5 months of my life.  Now that I realize the ship computers will let me blog, I'll stay in better touch.  Thanks for reading this.

The Africa Mercy

This is my ship!!!!!! Notice the GIANT logo on the side so satelites, and possibly galaxy's far far away can look up our website.

Setting sail

 I'm like a little kid some times.(well, most times)  I get really really excited about something and forget all the bad, uncomfortable things that might go with it.  It's amazing what my mind truly blocks out.  Today is the perfect example.  I've been so excited to sail to Sierra Leone.  Even when I found out it was a 3 week trip.  I  thought what a great adventure.  Even when the seas were rough for the crew on the way down to South Africa, I never gave it a thought.  See, I sailed on this ship before.  Two years ago I made the sail from Tenerife to Benin.  A beautiful 9 day sail.  Today we mustered (military speak for meet up) to be counted and declared on board.  Even then when the lines were tossed away and we began to leave the port  I was helping get lunch ready and completely ignoring the memories that began to come back to me.  Then all at once I remembered why last year I met the ship in Togo.  All at once it came back to me as the ship rolled from side to side and the only view out the window of the dining room was water and I thought we are going to tip over.  I love adventure, flying, jumping out of planes, kayaking down whitewater.  Any adventure will do.  However, today I don't like to sail.  I'm sure that it will be better tomorrow, when I can go outside and watch for whales, and dolphins, and enjoy the amazing view.  But for right now..... I'm going back to bed.