Christmas Break in Ghana

It has been strange to spend Christmas in Ghana, I have gotten used to the weather in Newcastle. It is very strange to wake up and to know the air con is working to keep the ship cool as the temperature outside was about 28^oc. The strangest part is not going for breakfast and seeing Réka for the day. Réka had flown home on Sunday to be with her family, something that was planned before I came on board and we became engaged.

I got to spend the day with a few friends in their cabin and celebrate Christmas with them and their kids. It reminded me of spending Christmas day with Drew and Tammy the other year.

Not a lot has been happening here in Ghana due to the fact we are only here for a rest before we head out to Togo to start a new field service for 2012. I have managed to get out a couple of times to see a few things like the Cedi Beads Factory and just to see a few different things. Then again Ghana is not like Sierra Leone, here is much more like any western city, maintained roads and shops with fixed prices. It is strange to be able to see a price and know what you are paying for something.

Baboon

Some of the country side

The sign at the Bead Factory

The Beads being polished

I found these guys on the roof



The sail

The cool thing about a ship being a hospital ship is that when its the end of a field service instead of having to pack everything down into containers and have them shipped to the next place and the expense of all the staff going home just to come back again, is that the ship can hold all of the staff and equipment and simply move. This week we sailed from Freetown Sierra Leone to Téma Ghana and we made here without any issues.

 First Night of the sail on the bow during sunset

The Cross on the Bow

 Dolphins just off the Bow - How cool???

 A quick (12hours) stop for fuel in the Atlantic Ocean

 Land Ho - Téma Port, Ghana

 The Welcome party from the Advance team

Along the way we had a few interesting things to see like flying fish, whales and dolphins it was also a time of reflection. Along with a time of learning as Réka and I spent a lot of time together both planning the wedding and completing our marriage counselling in preparation of out new life together.

 The best book store front I've seen todate

The first day that we could leave the ship was on Friday so Réka and I went into Accra to sort out some visa stuff that needed to be done for Réka for her return from holiday over christmas and we saw this book store on the drive back, while we were in Accra after sorting the visa stuff we went to look at a few rings for our wedding to get an idea of design and prices. When we saw the ring below we both knew this was the ring that we wanted for our wedding.

The ring has 3 bands of gold, 1 rose gold to represent Réka , 1 white gold to represent God and 1 of yellow gold to represent me. We both have the same ring design to represent unity in our commitment to God and Marriage.

Good Bye Sierra Leone

This was the last week in Sierra Leone for the crew and the Africa Mercy, the week has been a week where we are all very busy with securing for sail.

This small ship with her crew here to provide medical care to the worlds forgotten poor, yet here in free town this ship represented so much more. This was Hope and is hope.

A look back at the part of the field service I became a part of:

Some of the local money (approx £.070p)

Local Language 

The Hope Centre

Friends

Réka my lovely Fiancée

 The Birth

 This is Freetown I promise

To a great place to be and the wonderful people I have had the pleasure to work with over the last few months, as we leave now and head out to Ghana for a break before the next field service in Togo with the help of Papa God.

Last week in November

I know that when I talk to people they think that life for me is just like the above picture but it really not. Life on board the Africa Mercy has had its challenges along with its joys and sorrows.

I have to say that the journey that God has chosen for me has defiantly had it rewards and for it I have grown in areas I never would have done anywhere else on earth. The community of people on the ship are some of the best people I have met although we all have own walks with God we are all here to show the love and compassion of the risen Lord.

This month has had a different feel as the end of the current field service ends and we prepare to sail, the focus has been making things secure so they don't move in the movement of the ship. Cleaning up the server room to make room for the equipment from the field and places where storage is an issue, which is every where. Storage is a big issue on this ship but some how we manage to fit in the crew and staff along with the patients and equipment, without the need to make drastic changes.

This field service and all field services are about the patients without whom this would just be a floating box. With God all things are possibly!

 Before

After

A look Back

Here on the Africa Mercy it is rapidly approaching to be the end of the outreach and we all start to prepare in our own ways and each department has a procedure that it follows. This when the ship becomes a ship again and we are just passengers (mostly), the hospital deck becomes an emptier place as no patients will be there, some of the staff go home for Christmas and those of us that stay on board take on new roles for a while. This is what I’m told however the department I work in just gets busier as we run around trying to stop computer and printers from moving during the sail, the old rule of duck tape is not used here instead we prefer silicone and Velcro, this way nothing moves...... I’m sure something will.

As I look back on my time here even though I’ve only been here a short period of time I have noticed how much my life has changed, the friends I’ve made and seen leave.

The sights I’ve seen

There is no doubt in my mind that I have been blessed to see such a wonderful place and meet such great people, but it’s not about the place and its scenery but the people we’re here to help;

To steal a quote “Mercy Ships follows the 2000 year old model of Jesus bringing hope and healing to the worlds forgotten poor” its not just a moto for the people on this ship but a way of life.

Week 9 blogg

 Welcome to Freetown

 Riding in a Poda Poda on the way to church

 Class room next to the church building which is about the same size

The end of the week

This week I realised that I'm so blessed to be here even with the day to day struggles and lets be honest this is not as hard as it can get.

I'm so privileged to be here it is hard to understand unless you've been here. I mean I get to serve The Lord Most High here on board a ship where every day real miracle's happen. It becomes so east to forget that it is God that is doing the work and we are just his instrument's that he chooses use.

Here's a person blogg that shows just what I mean:

http://rekaonafricamercy.blogspot.com/2011/11/saving-life-with-camera.html

http://rekaonafricamercy.blogspot.com/2011/11/plot-thickens-sia-chapter-2.html


I even got paid for being here, something about a maritime rule that states you must get paid to be crew. No idea what thats about so for my birthday I got $2 which is 1 years pay. Seriously it is great I can be here but without support from family and friends all this can not happen. I know that it coming up to christmas and most people are thinking on what to get someone, but for me if you really want to give a gift to me then please donate as this helps not only me but the Africa Mercy perform her role in this plan.

Oppps I forgot to post last week

 I Need Coffee!!!!!!!!

What, the month has gone????

Ok, I checked the date today (Friday 28\10\2011) and thought where has the month gone. It was only the other week that I turned up to the ship or as I now call it home. I know I spent so long waiting to be here and actively part of the mission and now I am.

The last few weeks have been such a blast and yet in the midst of this there has been some times of deep soul searching and much time to think. The worst part was see people who I got to know leave the ship to return home to the UK.


I sometimes joke with a few people whom I'm close to here that this missionary life is so hard but in reality its not. The ship is air conditioned and it works well most of the time, we have fresh clean water, good food and even things like Internet. when you look out of the Windows on the starboard side you see what real poverty looks like and wonder if you could really survive here. What people do not realise is that we have to ship in our food because the country's we visit can barley feed there own population never mind the fact 450 westerners 3 times a day. the people who live here eat once a day if they have the money to buy food.

You have to be careful to not fall into the mind set that if the western world can do it why not places like this, the truth is that these places are starting from nothing. The people know they are poor yet it does not define them instead they are the greatest and most fun people you'll ever meet.

The month has been one that is so hard to explain in a single post so please feel free to look back at the previous ones.

I love that I had the chance to give blood to help a patient who needed it and a little sad at the same time, please don't get me wrong it is not the fact I gave blood it was the fact that blood was needed. These patients of ours with such life destroying illnesses and the hope and the healing this ship provides, allows the God of love to be shown to the world in such a small way with such deep and lasting impacts.

While over this last week I have turned another year older, yep that means I'm now 32. This event I never like to celebrate came at the same time as the Princess royals visit to the ship, no I did not get to meet princess Anne but it was nice to see her on board. In the evening I went to Salsa, I'm still learning the steps but it is so much fun and the group I go with are great and patient with me.
This is not the life I would have chosen for myself but I'm so glad that God has changed it and allowed me to be part of this mission. The best thought I have for the last month is; well if that's what God wants to use and show me in a single month what more can living a christian community centred life is he going to do with me.