Livin' the Good Life.

Married! :)

2010-08-09T20:11:00.002Z

Yes, it's true....one month ago tomorrow, Sam and I tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony in Chicago.

We then had a wonderful honeymoon in Scotland....

followed by a barn dance celebration in England!

Needless to say, our summer was pretty crazy with preparations for all the events and with traveling. However, it was great to see so many people, even in such short a time; thank you to everyone who made time to come and see us! You have no idea how much it means to us!

We have been back in Africa for 2 weeks now, and I have just started my second week of school. The ship is sailing next week, so ever since we got back both of us have been busy busy busy, me getting things ready for school and Sam getting the food stores ready for the impending sail.

This will be my last post on this blog. If you would like to continue following the adventures of the Slennetts in Africa, please feel free to follow our new blog: http://theslennetts.blogspot.com/

This will be the blog that we update on a (hopefully) regular basis.

Have a wonderful week!

Sam & Amy Slennett

The End.

2010-06-13T17:15:00.003Z

Well, teaching year 2 = DONE. And I will happily check it off my to-do list for 2010.

In fact, we were so busy leading up to the last day of school that, well, it just sort of happened and I'm not quite sure I believe it's over. There was just thing after thing to do in the evenings, plus report cards and student profiles and grading and exams and field trips (both attempting to arrange them and then actually doing them) and graduation duties and all sorts of other things, plus I had to be in contact with home more than normal for a bit. So, needless to say, it's now over, and I am gearing up for home. I am leaving the ship Tuesday evening, spending Wednesday night with Sam's family in England, and heading off bright and early Thursday morning to finally be in Sweet Home Chicago on Thursday afternoon - and I am absolutely ecstatic about it!

This past week was quite emotional for several reasons. Saying goodbye to my third graders was hard; even though I'll see them around next year, I am just so thankful for the blessing they were to me this year - it was a very difficult year for everyone during the last few months, and they provided lots of laughs and smiles for me. Plus, they're just so cute :) I will definitely miss them.

It was also very emotional seeing the promotion of the grade 9/10 students. I was their Ancient History teacher this year, and I absolutely loved every minute of it. They all did well during their exam (which was a great relief to me!), and I was amazed at the immense amount of pride that welled up in me when they were promoted on the last morning of school. They have worked very hard, and each of them now have a very special place in my heart. I truly hope that I will still be spending some time with them next year.

The graduation dinner and service for our one graduating student (technically there's two, but one is not onboard at the moment) was really wonderful. A lot of hard work and love was put into it by all the teachers and the graduate's family, and it was a wonderful celebration of all she's accomplished in her lifetime. That was also an emotional night, both during the phone call from her father and younger brother (who had to suddenly return to Germany in May), and also during the reading of a message from her fellow graduate.

And then, of course, there are the inevitable goodbyes. My roommate and fellow teacher Haley left yesterday, and already there is an emptiness in our cabin and a slight ache in my soul without her. I have grown to love and respect Haley a lot over this last year and I am absolutely going to miss her so much next year. My other roommate Natalie, who has been a friend since Gateway in 2008, will be leaving on Tuesday with me and not returning until next January. It's hard to think that these are the last days that we will be spending together for a while. There are also the goodbyes for people that I won't see until the end of July. Yes, I will see them again, but many of these people are like family to me and it saddens me to be parted from them for an extended time. Thankfully, I will see a fair few of them July 10, when they will all be invading my hometown - weird thought!!

And on that note, there are only 27 days until my wedding. WHOA. It blows my mind every time I think about it. On the one hand I absolutely cannot wait to be joined with the man I love; on the other hand, I know it means that alot of my relationships, both at home and onboard the ship, will be inevitably changing, and I dread that. But, I love Samuel very much, and I am quite excited to be his wife :)

Sam and I will be starting a blog together, so this will be one of the last few posts on this blog. More details to come :)

I hope you are all having a great start to summer vacation. See you SOON, Chicago!!!! :) :) :)

Happy Memorial Day.

2010-05-31T12:06:00.001Z

They fell, but o'er their glorious grave
Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.
~Francis Marion Crawford

Espoir Komlan Allabar

2010-05-23T15:59:00.001Z

Espoir Komlan Allabar

FOOTBALL! Just the mention of the word grabs the attention of four-year-old Espoir. A bright and very active little boy, Espoir lives in Togo, West Africa. His mother says that he " jumps everywhere all the time . " He arrived on the Africa Mercy like a bolt of electricity - energizing the entire ward.

Espoir was born with bowed legs that made him the target of teasing from the children in his first-grade class. They said his legs looked like the letter " O ." Espoir always responded, "I'm just like you !" He never let them see how their words hurt him, and he never let them discourage him. He even played a forward position on his football (soccer) team.

When Espoir's mother heard a television announcement about a hospital ship that was coming to Togo to provide free surgeries, she brought Espoir to a screening. Soon he was onboard the Africa Mercy for the life-transforming surgery that would straighten his legs ... and put an end to the cruel ridicule.

Espoir is uncharacteristically still as he lies quietly in bed, recuperating with both legs straight and bandaged. He has found creative ways to keep his mind busy while his body recovers - practicing the alphabet, coloring pictures, and singing all the verses of his repertoire of songs and hymns.

His infectious joy spills out in giggles when the nurses slip the stethoscope into his ears so he can hear his heartbeat. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, he flashes a brilliant smile and quickly responds, " I want to be a pastor!"

But for right now, he is eager to get back to his football team. " I want to go to school quickly ," he asserts. " I want to show them that I am okay now."

Appropriately, Espoir means "hope" in French. His mother says, " I named him that because I have hope for him - hope for him to be a missionary one day and help the poor like he's been helped ."

Written by Elaine B. Winn
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by Debra Bell and Liz Cantu

:)

2010-05-18T10:56:00.003Z

We are getting married!

T-53 days and counting :)

And only 33 long days until I can hold his hand again....

Be Thou My Vision

2010-05-11T08:29:00.000Z

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Dear Mom:

2010-05-09T15:22:00.002Z

Happy Mother's Day!

I love you and I miss you and I hope you have a great day today! See you in just 39 short days!

Love,

Amy

P.S. - Joe and Katie have your present. I didn't forget :)

Box Ship News.

2010-05-04T10:12:00.002Z

For a while now, our high school IT class has been producing a school newspaper fondly known as The Box Ship News. It started out as an actual paper, but this semester has moved to be in blog form. The students do an excellent job reporting about various happenings on the ship, and there is even a running comic strip by two of our grade 9 girls.

Instead of doing a comic strip this week, the girls chose to do a poster based on what they had learned about the Middle Ages. And who teaches their history class? Yours truly! Always exciting when your students apply their knowledge in a different setting.

You really should check it out. It's great, and they work hard on their articles.

Enjoy reading The Box Ship News!

April Showers.

2010-05-03T19:15:00.005Z

...and shower it did! Though not necessarily in the rainy sense (though, there was some of that)...April was just a shower of random things that made it seem like I was hardly making it from day to day.

As you read in my last post, the first weekend of April was spent in Kijabe, Kenya. We returned on Monday, April 5...and were back in school on Tuesday the 6th! The good news: it was standardized testing, which means no lesson plans for the week :) Bad news: the testing was only half-days for my class, which meant I had to find other activities to do in the afternoon. Sounds like it should be easy, right? Wrong! It's much harder to plan activites when the theme is only "Spring"...when you have lessons then at least you have a variety of topics over which you can choose to create a fun activity from! So, it was a good mental break during that week, but still busy nonetheless. That weekend was a lot of lesson planning for the next week of school, and really for the upcoming quarter....since school is almost over, we have to really focus on the "big picture" for each subject rather than what's next in the textbook.

That next week was fairly stressful for a variety of reasons. I spent all of Monday evening (April 12) in my classroom organizing and cleaning and trying to get ready for the upcoming week. Every Tuesday night we have an Academy meeting from 7-9, but since we had cancelled 2 due to our Kenya trip, this time it was 6-9...and then I was back in the classroom for a bit longer. Wednesday 3.30-8 were Parent-Teacher conferences, which are always stressful (though they always turn out fine!). I calculated on Thursday morning that, just counting the hours I'd worked Monday - Wednesday, I had worked 39 hours. Just one short of a 'full' work week in normal life :) Needless to say, once I was finished with my preparations for Friday on Thursday afternoon (about 4pm), I decided I was entailed to the next hour off (we are supposed to work until 5). So, I went down to my cabin to do some reading...only to have the peace disturbed not 7 minutes later by an overhead page for the Emergency Medical Team to report to the cafe. This is always a bit unnerving, because the EMT is called in when someone really needs immediate help, and since it was a call to the cafe, I knew right away it was a fellow crewmember. After saying a quick prayer, I went back to my book...only to have a knock on the door saying that the EMT call was for my fiance, Sam, who had been injured. I ran upstairs and found him on the floor of the cafe, surrounded by the EMT with a trail of blood leading to him from behind the snackbar. As it turned out, he had been getting in the lift (the lone elevator on the ship used to transport goods from deck to deck; as he is the galley storeman, he uses this quite a lot to get food from the deck 2 stores up to the galley on deck 6!), and while shutting the door his finger slipped in and he severed the tip off. Yes, that's right, severed. As in there was bone exposed. So the next few hours were spent down in the hosptial with him as he went through surgery (our orthopaedic surgeon, who happened to be a hand specialist, was still on board for 2 days! Thanks, God!!). Though they had to take a bit more off in order to help it mend, he is doing really well now, though he still has to have dressing changes every day on his hand. I saw it on Saturday and it is looking sooooooo much better than it had been, thanks again God!!

Life continued being fairly hectic throughout the month of April, including dinners with teachers from local schools, fulfilling auction commitments (from our Auction of Dreams), completing course guides/writing curriculum, among other things. I did manage to get away last weekend with some friends to Kpalime, a city a few hours north of Lome. It was my first time really being "out" in Togo, which was exciting, and it was a beautiful city! We spent Saturday afternoon hiking to a waterfall and playing games by candlelight (as the power was out in our hotel - welcome to Africa...we also had no power or running water the next morning either. Typical :) and Sunday morning exploring Kpalime. It was a great weekend away and I am very thankful for it!

This week I am living with 2 of the Academy students as their parents are away for the week...so I guess I'm Mama Handy! Ha. It's been really fun so far (and has also forced me into a bit of relaxation, which has been great!) at least for me - not too sure what the kids think of having to live with their teacher :) - but pray for us this week!

I hope you guys all had a wonderful April and are ready for this month of May :) I leave you with some Kpalime pics for your viewing pleasure!

hiking to the waterfall....through the jungle...over fallen palm trees...

group pic!

exploring Kpalime

Fan Ice..it's nice :)

Natalie giving Sam a "sterile" dressing change...on the porch of our hotel, since the power was out...with the hotel manager watching on!

Kenya.

2010-04-22T10:52:00.006Z

Ephesians 3: 20-21 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Over the Easter weekend, the Mercy Ships Academy staff had the privilege of attending the International Children's Educator Conference held at Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe, Kenya. It was a journey of faith for us to go, and God pulled through in major ways, especially during that last month beforehand.

We disembarked the ship in Lome, Togo, early on Wednesday, March 31. We ended up leaving earlier than planned, because at the last minute the president of Togo decided to visit the ship at the exact time we were planning to leave. For security reasons, we needed to be on our way before he arrived. The American Ambassador was also coming for the president's visit, and I was able to speak with her briefly on my off the gangway (I was very excited that she addressed me first - though really, a group of 12 of us did look quite strange leaving with huge bags and matching shirts! :) We stopped for coffee to kill some time on our way to the Ghanaian border, since it's only about a 30 minute drive from the ship. After spending lots of time filling out paperwork and getting several new stamps in our passports, we walked across the border and were in Ghana.

Our rides picked us up on the Ghanaian side and we made the 4-ish hour trek to Accra, the capital of Ghana. On the way we stopped at a mall - an actual mall, in WEST AFRICA!! amazing - to stretch our legs and change some money. Though it was a shock to see a mall, and to visit an English bookstore, I was really more surprised at how many white people there were. Even though I live on the ship, I still did double-takes at all the pale skin...I'm not used to so many in one place any more! I was amazed at how much better off Ghana appears to be than some of the other countries I've been to. I've always known that Ghana was very westernized, but I wasn't prepared to see an actual Ramada Inn. But, of course, West African culture was still deeply embedded into the whole area we traveled through.

And then, after filling out more papers and getting even more stamps, we were on our way to Kenya :) Our flight was smooth and we arrived in Nairobi around 5am. After getting visas (are you starting to sense that we used up a lot of passport pages on this trip??) and collecting our luggage, we stepped outside into the cool Kenyan air. Remember that we came from the armpit of Africa, where it rarely gets below 90 degrees - and here it was, 7am, and somewhere in the 60s. It was a definite welcome break from the perpetual heat we live in :) And, it was my first time being in the southern hemisphere!

The Rift Valley Academy is located, obviously, on the edge of the Rift Valley. And the view is breathtaking.

Seriously....I'd work there just for the view! The campus is lovely and the staff were extremely friendly.

The conference was wonderful. I was dreading it before we went, because I knew how hectic our schedules were just before we left and again for the few weeks after (one of the main reasons I'm blogging about something that happened over 2 weeks ago! But the events of these past 2 weeks deserve a post of their own.....). However, a weekend away in the beauty of God's creation was exactly what I needed. It was great to meet new people, to learn (I forgot how much I love being a student!), to spend time with my co-workers, and to be reminded of the reason why I teach. We went to workshops on different teaching methods, spiritual warfare in the classroom, curriculum designing, and differentiated assessment, among other things. One of our keynote speakers was Wess Stafford, the head of Compassion International - he is absolutely inspiring and totally revived the passion I had been starting to lose.

On the Saturday of the conference, we had a special presentation by some Masai dancers. It was fun to see some of the Kenyan tribal culture!

After a short night of sleep Sunday night and a full day of travel on Monday, we arrived back to the Africa Mercy about 6.30pm. Though we had spent the past 6 days unable to be apart from each other, I was a bit sad that my time with the 11 other Academy staff members was ending. Though we see each other literally all the time, it was refreshing to get to know some on a deeper level and it was great to feel the unending sense of camaraderie that was evident to the other conference attendees. I am truly, truly blessed to be working with this specific group of people. After all, in what other group of people will you find 2 teachers willing to shave their legs and heads and wear a pink bow in public just to raise funds for a conference? :)

Miracles. (continued)

2010-04-11T19:09:00.001Z

To see Obre's miracle through Natalie's eyes, his nurse that night, please click here.

Miracles.

2010-04-09T07:17:00.003Z

They still happen, you know. Miracles, that is. In big ways and small ways, the power of prayer is enormous. Sometimes our prayers aren't answered for 30 years, and we spend that time thinking that God never heard our prayer...but sometimes they only take 30 seconds. Funny how those ones are written off as coincidence or something that was going to happen anyway.

Down on the ward, a miracle occurred Tuesday night. It was not a coincidence, nor is it medically feasible that this just happened on its own (so I'm told - but I'm not a nurse so I just rely on that :) This was especially needed this week as our nursing staff (the whole ship, really) experienced the loss of two patients recently. My friend and roommate, Natalie, was present not even two weeks ago when baby Ani went to be home with Jesus. And she was present again, in the ICU on Tuesday night, caring for baby Obre when Jesus reappeared, this time just for a visit.

You can read about the miracle on Ali's blog. I hope it gives you the same chills that it gave me to recognize the hand of God intervening after someone interceded in prayer.

He Is Risen!

2010-04-04T09:48:00.002Z

In Christ alone, my hope is found...He is my light, my strength, my song!

As I write to you this Easter Sunday, I sit in a computer lab at Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe, Kenya. While this trip has been absolutely amazing in so many different ways, I will blog about that later when I have some pictures. Today is just a day of reflection.

On days like this, I often like to think about what I've been doing the past few years on this same day. Here is a little history of where I've been on my past Easters...

2010 - Kijabe, Kenya
2009 - Pendjari National Park, Benin
2008 - Chesapeake, Virginia (last spring break trip with the Fantastic Four! :)
2007 - on my way home from New York City with my cousin Carlene
2006 - Greystones, Ireland (this was also the day I discovered that if you play baseball with plastic Easter eggs, watch out, because the jelly beans that will be launched from said plastic eggs will actually leave welts on your skin)
2005 - home in Wheaton

It's hard for me to believe that the last time I had a true Easter Sunday at home with my family was 5 years ago! Has it really been that long since I've feasted on Uncle Jerry's lamb cake?? As I think about myself at that time (a freshman in college...), I can't believe how different I am now. That Easter, I know I was not as thankful for His saving grace as I am today. He has brought me though many trials and tribulations, as well as wonderful times of rejoicing in these past 5 years. And most of the experiences I've had, especially in the past year and a half (actually, since I went to college in 2004) are all because of the fact that He died for us 2000 years ago. Without that fact, I would never have met most of my close friends today, because I've met them through Christian university and missions. In fact, I might not even be here, considering my parents met through a church!

Even though I am again separated from my family during this day of celebration, I know that we are united in spirit - in living in the grace provided by God and resting in His truth and salvation.

I hope you know that your Redeemer lives today.

Happy Easter!

2010-03-30T13:21:00.002Z

...a few days early.

I'm writing this now because on Easter Sunday I will be with the other teachers in KENYA! We leave tomorrow at 10am and will be back on the ship Monday night....ready for school to start again bright and early Tuesday morning :) I am getting more excited as the time passes and I just hope I'm not too grouchy from lack of sleep to enjoy it!

I had a fab birthday, thanks for all who asked and to all who participated in the festivities! I received lots of love from all over the world and I felt very special indeed :) Weird to know that I'm now nearly a quarter of a century old...so you can probably expect my mid-life crisis post next March!

Just a little plug for my students: Last semester, our IT teacher started a Grade 3 blog. You should check it out and see the different things my kids have been doing this year! And see how cute my kiddos are :)

And, on a random note, by the time I get back to the ship, I will officially be in the double digits until my wedding. Yippee!! :) Time is going by so fast....just over 3 months to go!!!!

I hope you all have a very restful Easter season remembering His sacrifice for us. Hard to fathom, still, that He went through all that suffering for you and me...now that is ultimate love. I understand it now so much more through my relationship with Sam, and can't believe that God loves us so much more! We held a Passover Seder meal with the elementary students this morning - it was so cool to see and realize that Jesus was doing the same thing just before He was betrayed. I pray that you all find the joy of this season this week!

Love,
Amy

Random Things.

2010-03-23T14:04:00.003Z

A quick update on the happenings here and around the ship....

1) School. It is crazy! So much to do. High school midterms last week until today, high school work experience Wednesday - Tuesday (I will have a 9th grader shadowing me during that time), report cards, preparing for KENYA (yes, we are going!!) as we leave next Wednesday, Stanford testing directly after Easter, high school retreat the second weekend in April, parent/teacher conferences.... Sometimes it is a wonder to me that any of us find time to sleep! I can not believe that we only have one quarter of school left after Easter... only 10 weeks once we get back! Now is the time I am starting to panic that I might not finish everything by June 10.... but so far, God has been multiplying my time like mad so I can finish my work on time!

2) Togo. We were kept onboard for a while, only having shore leave at limited times, due to the elections happening in Togo. They ended up being fairly peaceful and things have now returned to normal. Due to limited shore leave and just general business, I have only made it out into Togo 3 different times in the 6 or so weeks that we've been here! Shameful. We will be going out at least twice this weekend, and in April we are planning a trip to a village up north with a waterfall. Plus we're hoping to fit in a trip to Ghana in April as well. It will be busy weekends on top of an already busy schedule, but it will be worth it :)

3) Life. Most days, I seriously love this ship and this community and can't ever imagine leaving. Other days, I can't wait to go home :) But we all experience that in our lives at various times. My friends here are amazing...where else can you go to be able to call South Africans, Canadians, Australians, English, Scottish, and fellow Americans friends in the same group of people?? We have a lot of fun playing games (A favorite has always been Carcassonne, but now that we got sent the Catapult Expansion, the play has taken on a whole new level!! And Killer Bunnies is always a blast - thanks for leaving it for me Ryan!), playing Wii on the weekends, watching movies, and in general eating lots of yummy dessert whipped up by someone in the group :) Of course, this outreach is a lot different from the last - we met a lot of fantastic short-term crew in Benin that I miss so, so dearly...but though I dreaded this outreach because of it, God is faithful and has provided more great people to spend time with.

Plus, I'll get to see those missed crew in just over 100 days when Sam and I get married :)

So yes - above all - life is good. It's just a great feeling to be in the grace of God and know that He provides for our every need!

(and if you have time, check out this youtube video...I can't see it, because we can't stream video on the ship, but I'm told I'm in it. Hope that's true now :) It is from the Norwegian film team that came in October and December to follow one of my students: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJlRv-vav2E)

Academy Dream Update.

2010-03-14T20:40:00.004Z

In my last blog post, I explained to you that the teachers are trying to raise about $8,500 to attend a professional development conference in Kenya.

Last night, the Academy held an "Auction of Dreams" to help raise our funds. We knew going into it that, being we were auctioning things off to a crew of volunteers, we probably wouldn't raise much money....but every little bit helps. Different services were donated by the teachers and a few crew members, such as a maid service, 5 nights of babysitting, a manicure/pedicure at a local hotel, a week's vacation in South Africa (the location of our generator project August - January), and a 1-hour photo shoot, among other things.

All in all, we raised just under $5,000 for our trip. Praise the Lord! This dream that we've had, which has seemed almost impossible from the beginning, is finally coming together. This has definitely been an exercise in faith...reserving the flights, paying the conference fees, not making plans for our Easter break, applying for visas....and now it is all finally coming together :) And none too soon! We leave in just over 2 weeks! We are not fully there yet with funds, but after this incredible showing, I am confident that this is what the Lord wants us to do, and He will provide the way.

My item was going to be a tray of baked goods, but for various reasons our crew galley has been closed for almost a week now...ergo, there was no place to bake anything. So, my item was the promise of a batch of brownies on the day of their choice once the crew galley reopens. To be honest, I was a bit nervous about this - I thought for sure no one was going to bid for it and I would be humiliated. Therefore, I managed to convince several people to bid for them if no one seemed to be going for it. I needn't have worried, however; in the end, my batch of brownies sold for an unbelieveable $150! And that is just a glimpse of how incredibly generous the hearts of our fellow crew members are :)

I did, however, say that the amount of brownies provided would increase with the price....so if I'm unresponsive for a while, you can probably bet that I'm going to be baking brownies for the rest of my Mercy Ships career so they can get $150 worth!

The Academy Has a Dream.

2010-03-11T14:24:00.003Z

We are a small school. Our staff is 12 members strong - in a good year (last year we only had 7!). Some of our classes only have 1 or 2 students in them. However, we have never used this as an excuse to not give our students the best possible education that they deserve.

Over Easter break, the teaching staff is desiring to attend an ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) conference in Kenya. There are two reasons: professional development (attending workshops over different areas of education) and networking with other missionary schools. It's hard not having anyone that can relate to teaching in an environment like this - no one to bounce ideas off of, or to seek help to see what they have done in a similar situation. This conference could provide us with those contacts that we need to share our struggles with.

However, the flights alone for us to fly from Togo to Kenya are about $8,500. We're missionaries. Some of us barely make our monthly fees of $325 (and some of the teachers even pay $500 - depending on length of commitment), much less extra money to spend on flights to Kenya.

If you feel led to help us grow as a teaching staff, please click on the flyer below for more information and ways to donate.

(I know some of you are thinking, sheesh! She already asks us for money, and now she's asking for more! I know. It was hard for me to put this up here knowing that many of my readers also faithfully support me financially. But this conference is about more than me - it's about the future of my students. And that is more than enough to cause me to swallow my pride and ask, once again, for people to help me out. But seriously - no pressure. We are also doing several fundraisers to help us along!)

Elections.

2010-03-04T07:18:00.004Z

The Togo government is holding elections today. Please pray for a safe and smooth election for the Togolese people, that the results would be fair, and that the person who becomes president will not take lightly the responsibility his people have given him.

Read about the elections here.

Togo!

2010-02-24T11:01:00.003Z

I apologize for the delay in my blog posts, but I promise, it's not for lack of trying! I have written posts several times and have received an error message each time that I tried to post it. I believe it had to do with the pictures I was trying to put up. So, here's hoping it works this time.

We arrived in Togo on Wednesday, February 10, to a fanfare of celebration by our advance team and a local band they had commissioned to play us into port. We have a nice, big (albeit dirty!) private dock space this year, which is wonderful! The port has created a wall of containers to keep other people and big machines out of our way. This means that the kids can play on the dock and crew members can even have games of football (soccer) against the containers! There is always, of course, a bucket attached to a string available for when the ball inevitably goes into the water :)

Togo is a lovely country so far. It's good to see similar sights, such as the Fan Ice man walking down the street (think American ice cream truck! Except with basically just frozen flavored milk...) and palm trees swaying in the very welcome breeze. It is HOT here, getting over 100 F on Saturday when we were out. However, it is much greener here than in Cotonou - probably because here, we are about a 40 minute walk from the city, whereas in Cotonou we were actually inside the city center.

And it just feels so right to be here in Africa. I've missed it in ways I didn't even realize.

On another note, the hospital opens today. The nurses have spent a lot of time since we arrived stripping and waxing all the floors and sterilizing everything for today. Patients will be admitted, and the first surgeries are tomorrow. Pray with us that all goes well!

Have a great beginning of March! I can hardly believe it's here already!! :)

The Things You Get Used To :)

2010-02-03T09:09:00.004Z

In case you wanted to see some pictures of what happened to various places on the ship during our crazy days of sailing....

The Peet Family Blog

Haley's Blog (grade 4/5 teacher)

And in the morning, it wasn't anger or frustration when we saw our workspaces. It was just a sigh of relief for the things that weren't broken, and a smile for all of those who pitched in to help us put things back in order.

Glad you don't have to do that several mornings in a row, eh? :)

Sailing....

2010-02-02T10:10:00.003Z

Day 2.

Yesterday was a rocky day, though not terrible. Last night, however, was a completely different story. There were reported 23+ degree rolls by the ship.....if you fully understand how much 23 degrees actually is (in both directions), then you can probably imagine the state of cabins and offices as things came crashing to the ground in the night. You can also probably imagine how hard it is to sleep while thinking you might actually roll out of your bed, or that something falling will hit you while in bed, or, like me, being horrified at what is probably happening to your classroom!

But today we have awoken (if any sleep was had at all) to smooth waters. We are still doing a bit of rocking, but nothing could possibly seem bad after last night. To make us smile, God has provided us with some sealife already :) Today we have already been able to see some whales and a giant pod of dolphins. And it's only 10am! :)

Sorry the pictures aren't the best....

Spouting whales!

All those little splashes are dolphins...

Hope you have a great week! :)

The Past 5 Weeks....

2010-01-24T14:43:00.004Z

December and January have been incredibly busy. In fact, I'm not sure that I'm totally caught up with life yet! We arrived in Tenerife on December 19, spent two days frantically trying to fit in walking on dry land in the glorious sunshine, then flew off on December 21 to England for Christmas with Sam's family in Southend. We traveled all around, to London, Canterbury, Cambridge, Brighton, and multiple stops at Gatwick Airport :) It was a wonderful time in the SNOW and I enjoyed getting to know his family better!

Got to spend some time in Birmingham with Sarah and Miriam :)

Elliot and Julle came for a visit....

And Becca came to visit!!!!!!!!!! I refuse to accept that we did not take any pictures while she was there, but alas I have none on my camera. So here's one from summer 08.

I arrived back on the ship January 11, and my parents came on the 12th! We had a great week of sightseeing and spending time with each other. We did a lot of wedding planning as well :) I was able to see a lot more of the island than I did last year, including trips to Loro Parque, Los Christianos, Mount Teide, and Garachico. They also got to meet Sam and his whole family.

The place I've frequented most this year in Tenerife...the Meter Bar! Most things come by the meter (or half meter). It's fantastic.

All in all, it's been a wonderful break :)

School begins tomorrow, which I am both excited for and dreading. It will be a fun week of field trips and an exciting start to the semester. Soon, we will be sailing to Togo!

I hope you all have had a relaxing Christmas and that 2010 will be your best year yet :) Mine is looking pretty great so far!

Farewell, Benin!

2009-12-12T10:38:00.003Z

Well, it's true....we have officially left Benin! Deck 8 looks strange due to the vehicles that were loaded onto it....

We sailed away from Cotonou, Benin, on Tuesday morning. Here is one of the tugs pulling us away from the dock...

We have had an amazing sail so far...God is so good! But those wonders deserve a post of their own. I admit that I was sad to be leaving Benin, my home for the past 10 months. However, I am now anxiously looking forward to the cool weather and conveniences of Tenerife and England, and of course I am eagerly anticipating Christmas :) During the sail we have been working on our Academy Christmas play, which will be performed next week Thursday. The kids have worked very hard and it's already coming together quite nicely!

Please continue to pray for us as we sail. There are many people working hard around the clock to keep us safe and the ship running smoothly.

Greater Things Have Yet to Come...

2009-12-06T14:31:00.006Z

Our prayer for Cotonou - and all of Benin - as we prepare to leave.

God of This City
by Chris Tomlin

You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are

You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here

Packing.

2009-12-01T07:09:00.002Z

As the date of our sail from Benin draws near (only a week to go!), many people on the ship are busy packing it up. The deck department has worked hard taking things down and making the ship safe to sail. Today, most of our land rovers will be driven to Togo, the location of our next field service. Soon my roommates and I will be securing our cabin for the sail (don't want things falling on us in the night!), and I will have to do the same for my classroom (and help out with the whole Academy) on Monday. On top of it all, this time has been spent spending time with people who won't be back next field service, saying goodbye to others, and trying to do everything one last time before we leave Benin.

It's hard to believe that we've been here for 10 months. It's been a long 10 months, though, and I am very much looking forward to a relaxing sail, the Christmas activities that are beginning, the cooler weather of Tenerife, and Viva Maria, the smoothie place in Santa Cruz :)

Please pray for us as we say goodbye to Benin and people that have been an important part of our lives for the past year. Pray that the ship is ready to go on time, and for energy for our engineers, deckies, and officers that are working very hard and will continue to do so for the next while, keeping us safe and the ship running.

Thanksgiving.

2009-11-26T14:28:00.002Z

Happy Thanksgiving :) It is perhaps my very favorite holiday - break from school, eating all the good food you can hold in your tummy, my grandmother's mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie!, and relaxing with family and friends. I have several great memories of Thanksgiving, from playing games of touch football to the time Erin and I accidentally knocked the turkey out of the pan (though I'm not sure anyone else knows about that....until now) to when I got the flu on Thanksgiving and we had to celebrate it with our friends on Saturday - who suffered for me and went out for Mexican on Thanksgiving Day and saved their meal to be with us.

There are many, many things I'm thankful for today - the support of my friends and family back home, a job that I love, a wonderful fiance(!) that I will soon be marrying, a fantastic group of friends (really, my ship family) here on the Africa Mercy...the list goes on!

It's weird to spend Thanksgiving away from the States. We don't get a Thanksgiving break, but the galley is currently preparing a wonderful Thanksgiving feast for us to enjoy tonight :) I'm hoping that my new English family enjoys it as much as I plan to!

Joy :)

2009-11-21T17:41:00.003Z

Even though it seems hard to believe, living in a 500-foot long space with 350+ other people can really be a blast. Everyone comes from different cultures with different traditions and ideas of fun, and it's great to try out many different things. I love staying up late and playing random games with my friends (Killer Bunnies, Citadels, Scotland Yard....doesn't get much better than that!), eating James's delicious desserts that he whips up at a moments notice, chatting over a cup of tea after dinner with the girls, watching movies in the Queen's Lounge... I have made so many good friends here and I am so grateful for these experiences with them!

However, there is one thing by far that makes me happier than anything else, and that is spending time with Sam. I've mentioned him before a couple of times and each time someone comments on the fact that I referred to him as "my friend Sam", when we've been dating since January. He's from Southend, England, and he is an assistant cook on board the ship.

I met him last July when I was doing my Gateway training in Texas. Sam's sister, Sarah, and her husband Tommy were in my Gateway class, and they needed to bring someone along to watch their two small boys while we were in class. They ended up bringing Sam. We became friends, and while I was attracted to him by the end of the course, I didn't think much of it because I wasn't really sure I'd ever see him again. We kept in touch over the next several months through email, which progressed to instant messaging, which in turn yielded phone calls. During that time, Sam decided that the Lord was calling him to Mercy Ships as well. So, at the end of January 2009, he joined the Africa Mercy for a year.

This year has been absolutely amazing and challenging in so many ways. Through it all, Sam has been by my side, an encouraging and familiar face in the midst of ones that are ever changing. He entertains me when I'm bored, helps me in my classroom when I feel overwhelmed (I even got him to do some coloring for me!), holds me when I'm homesick, and makes me laugh every single day. He has one of the most generous hearts I've ever seen, and he always finds some way to liven up whatever situation he's in.

And on Thursday, he asked me to marry him during our ship-wide fire drill. He had an elaborate plan with the captain. And I, of course, said yes! So as of this coming summer, I will be able to wake up next to Samuel Slennett every day for the rest of my life :)

We haven't yet decided where we will be headed after July. But wherever it is, I know I will be happy and well cared for as long as I'm with Sam :)

Mesdames et Messieurs, le président de la République du Bénin!

2009-11-18T10:39:00.004Z

Last night my group of friends and I got dressed up and went out to dinner. We enjoyed an evening of socializing, African food, and cultural dancing. The best part of it all? The President of Benin, Yaya Boni, joined us. In fact, he hosted it in the Presidential Palace!

Ok, so there were more like 300+ Africa Mercy crew members there. And everyone looked lovely and glamorous. Many people were in African wear, which was fun to see. Even though it wasn't as late a night as I was expecting (my bus got back to the ship just after 11pm), it was an extremely tiring evening! There was a lot of standing, listening to long speeches in French as they honored several management members for their work here in Benin (one was even knighted!), and straining to see the dancers that were all the way at the front of the hall - and of course our table was in the very back row! All in all, it was a fun time, definitely an honor to be invited and an experience to remember.

Here is a large portion of my friends, though some are missing...plus Captain Tim! :)

Football and Friends.

2009-11-17T11:51:00.005Z

3 weeks left in Benin...crazy. I cannot believe that our 10 months are almost up! Not only will it be hard to leave Benin, but the hardest part of all is coming....

Christmas.

But why? you may ask. Christmas is supposed to be a joyous time!

It is. And it will be. But Christmas means that 90% of the friends I have made this outreach will be leaving to return to their respective homes all over the world, most of them forever. And I hate that part.

Last week was my friend Sarah Oliver's (ward nurse, UK) birthday. We went to the Marina Hotel for a day of swimming and fun, then out for some Chinese to celebrate. It was also the last weekend we had to spend with our dear friends, Deb & Sarah Louden (ward nurse and lab technician, Australia) and Mel (ward nurse, UK) before they leave later on this week. It was a bittersweet occasion, but it was a great day. Especially the part where we tried to take a group underwater photo of the 15 or so of us! Yay for the US government giving me a tax return, the purchase of that camera has definitely upped the fun level of my pool outings!

This one is my favorite....it's so Deb! :) I will miss you and Sarah loads!!

A few weekends ago, the crew members were challenged to a game of football (read: soccer) by our day volunteers. Our Africa Mercy crew team rose to the challenge and a mighty battle was fought at the Marina Hotel football pitch. The game ended, tied, a 0-0, and went to penalty shots. My friend Sam was the goalie, he did a magnificent job defending that net and the crew won 4-1 after penalties. Please notice the trophy in the middle of the celebratory photo :)

Grade 3.

2009-11-13T10:19:00.006Z

Even though I manage to find time to have lots of fun here on the ship and in Africa, most of my time and energy is dedicated to the reason why I'm here: teaching. Last year I taught 5th grade, and this year I am teaching 3rd grade as well as the grade 9/10 Ancient History class.

I have four 3rd graders, each of a different nationality: American, English, Norwegian, and Dutch/Sri Lankan. They are great and I am blessed every day by them!

We start off our day with silent reading, and then go into Bible class. Our curriculum is called Christ and His Church, and it is all about the life of Jesus. It is a nice change from last year's study of the Old Testament! :) We are currently learning about Jesus' parables. One good thing about the 3rd grade Bible is that there is a craft once a week, which I love! This week's craft was a sheep, since we just learned about the parable of the lost sheep. Here is one of my student's finished work:

After Bible, we go into either Science or Social Studies - the two alternate depending on the day.

So far in Science, we have studied plants, animals, and their interactions with one another, environments, rocks/minerals/fossils, and now we are starting a unit on earth's land. Science is definitely my weak spot. I didn't have to teach it last year, so this is all new to me and is stretching me in many ways! They are doing well, however, so I'm feeling encouraged about it :) We made dioramas of different forests when we studied biomes - below is a deciduous forest in progress.

For Social Studies, we are studying...the world! We started off with maps - reading them, making them, the different types - and moved into studying different countries in Africa. We then looked at communities. Now we have just started Australia, after which we will study Antarctica before Christmas break. To combine maps and our countries together, we created a candy topographical map of Africa!

One thing I have really enjoyed this year is teaching cursive. I like writing in cursive! Though the slanting of the letters is a bit of an issue, I'm quite pleased with how quickly my students have picked up the formation of the letters. I've tried to do some fun things with cursive. We wrote a poem about an owl, so we made paper bag owls (an idea I used while student teaching - thanks Mrs. Yordy!). For the Academy Open House, we wrote a scarecrow poem and made scarecrows to go along with them (see how I'm trying to bring fall to Africa?!?), which turned out really cute. Today, we wrote our initials in cursive, then used our imagination (which is currently our theme) to make them into a picture. One of my girls drew "Crazy Potato Head", using her initials ABP.

Still in an effort to bring fall, we made harvest pictures for fun :)

Earlier this week, the kindergarten invited grades 1-3 to come have a shape party with them. We ate shape snacks, made cone hats, and played different shape games. It was really fun! Here is Danae, the grade 2 teacher from Canada, and I wearing our cone hats :)

We have also had 2 spirit days so far - Twin Day and Formal Day! Here is the Academy staff, all dressed up for the occasion!

Back Row: Ben (PE, Scotland/Holland), Haley (4/5, US), Danae (2, Canada), Christina (Science, US), me, Dara (Nursery, US), Estelle (Kindergarten, South Africa), Kim (HS/JH English, US), Elizabeth (Preschool, US)
Front Row: Carol (Admin Assistant, US), Shelly (1, US), Nikki (Principal, South Africa), Tommy (HS/JH Math/IT, UK)

As you can see, I enjoy what I do...a lot. Our team of teachers is outstanding. My students are great and I'm sad that the year is already almost half over! I truly am blessed to love my job so much!

All For Love

2009-11-09T06:22:00.001Z

All For Love
by Hillsong United

All for love a Father gave
For only love could make a way
All for love the heavens cried
For love was crucified

Oh how many times have I broken Your heart
But still You forgive
If only I ask
And how many times have You heard me pray
Draw near to me

Everything I need is You
My beginning, my forever
Everything I need is You

Let me sing all for love
I will join the angel song
Ever holy is the Lord
King of Glory
King of all

Oh how many times have I broken Your heart
But still You forgive
If only I ask
And how many times have You heard me pray
Draw near to me

Everything I need is You
My beginning, my forever
Everything I need is You

All for a love a Saviour prayed
Abba Father have Your way
Though they know not what they do
Let the Cross draw man to You

Everything I need is You
My beginning, my forever
Everything I need is You

Rest.

2009-11-02T18:55:00.003Z

There are many great things about living in Africa and working with Mercy Ships. I'm doing what I love (teaching), working with a wonderful organization, helping to make a difference in a broken country, and best of all, making lasting friends with people from all over the world.

The downside to living in a 500-foot long space is that it is easy to become a workaholic. My classroom is literally two flights above my cabin. If I ever forget something, it's just a matter of climbing some stairs to get it. I can always say, "Oh, I'll get that done this evening...", and end up spending hours in my classroom. A teacher's day isn't over at 3.20, nor at 5. It takes dedication, hard work, lots of creative energy, and lots and lots of time. And, one thing I have found, is that the work is never done - there is always something else that can be done to improve the next day's lesson. Community life can be tough sometimes - everyone (including your students!) are watching the way you act and react at all hours of the day and night. You are with the same people when you work, eat, sleep, play games, do your laundry, go out to dinner, go to the market, to the pool.....all. the. time. And it can get extremely tiring to not ever be able to truly be alone even when you're by yourself, because then your lack of presence at events is noticed and usually commented on.

I was working so hard at the beginning of the school year that I was literally driving myself crazy. The walls of my classroom seemed smaller every day, and I was missing out on spending time with friends. Yes, it is a sacrifice I have to make with my job, and I willingly make it - but when I realized that the outreach was soon coming to a close (we only have about 6 weeks left here in Benin! Unbelievable....), and that with it would bring the leaving of many of my friends onboard, I knew a change had to be made. I made some serious work boundaries. When time was up, I left my work, no matter how overwhelming it felt to do so, and spend time with my friends.

This past weekend we had a ship holiday on Friday - meaning that the non-essential operations on board take the day off. The hospital, dining room, galley, and reception staff all must still work, but there are no surgeries, no deck work, and best of all, no school :)

So off my friends and I went to spend a weekend off-ship for some much-needed (and deserved!) rest and relaxation! The 13 of us traveled 2 hours to Grand Popo, a beach resort west of Cotonou near the border of Togo. We spent Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday morning playing water volleyball in the pool, walking on the beach, playing with the huge chess/checker boards (Shawna OWNED me at chess - sorry Dad!), reading, laughing, and simply enjoying each other's company. It was a great time, and though I came back on Sunday extremely tired from a weekend of fun in the sun, it was more than worth it :) I now almost feel like I need some rest from my weekend!

My friend Sarah (nurse, UK), who will be leaving in December.

But no matter how much fun we had, there was the constant reminder of the hurt in Benin - the huts of the fishing village directly next to our resort.

My roommate Miriam (pharmacist, UK) and friend James (reception, Canada). James will be leaving before we sail in December.

Playing in the pool! The tower from top to bottom: Mel (nurse, UK), Corrie (nurse, Australia), Shawna (nurse, US), Ben (PE teacher, Scotland/Netherlands). Elliot (deck, Canada) and PJ (photographer, US) are spotting.

Come January, only Elliot and Ben will remain with us.

Wouldn't you love to be sitting in that pool area with all those palm trees?? :)

Those not pictured here were Natalie (nurse, US), Deb (nurse, Australia), and Hannah (nurse, US).

Out of the group of 13, only 5 of us will be sailing back to Africa after the new year, and everyone else will be heading back to their corners of the world to continue their ministries there. These people are my friends, and I will be very sad to see them go, but I am happy we had this weekend away together and will cherish the memories.

Smiles.

2009-10-27T15:02:00.004Z

No matter the trouble, no matter the stress, there is one thing that will without fail bring a smile to any long-term Mercy Shipper's face....

a care package from home :) Or anywhere, really. (hint hint)

I was extremely lucky today, because I got not one but TWO packages!!! One was from my lovely parents, the other from my lovely friend Becca.

She sent me a POLAR POP. Complete with iced tea mix and Sweet n Low. Which means I love her for ever and ever (more than I already did).

My parents sent me some survival supplies for the next few months...Kettle Korn, Multi-Grain Cheerios (the ONLY way to go, and now I have two boxes!!), hot chocolate, caramel (to make a caramel apple pie!), herbal tea....

Of course, the unfortunate part was that I paid almost $70 between the two of them to pick them up from the post office. But, they were more than worth it!

UN HDI Rankings 2009

2009-10-23T10:27:00.003Z

Recently, the UN released its Human Development Report for 2009. The UN ranks 182 countries according to Very High Human Development, High Human Development, Medium Human Development, and Low Human Development.

Ranking at the bottom of the barrel were the countries of Togo (159), Benin (161), and Liberia (169). Liberia is where I was in 2008; Benin is where I've been since February; Togo is directly to the west of Benin and is where we will be February - August 2010. Niger, the country directly north of Benin, is ranked 182 - the very lowest one.

It was quite an interesting ranking for me to see. I knew these were some of the poorest places in the world, but I had no idea just how they ranked. Out of the 24 countries placed in the Low Human Development category, 22 of them are African countries - the only exceptions are Timor-Leste in Indonesia (162 - I had to look it up to see where it was located!) and Afghanistan, second to last (181). In fact, there are zero African countries in Very High, and only 4 in High.

The United States, however, is ranked 13.

Even though I am reminded every day when I look out the window or step off the gangway, it is just one more reason to be thankful for how incredibly blessed I am in my life.

You can see the report here:

http://www.hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/

You Never Let Go

2009-10-22T11:04:00.003Z

Music has always been a very important part of my life...being an active member in both orchestra and choir has ingrained it into my bones.

I have been meditating on these lyrics a lot over the past week or so....always a good reminder :)

You Never Let Go

by Matt Redman

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

Your perfect love is casting out fear

And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life

I won't turn back

I know you are near

And I will fear no evil

For my God is with me

And if my God is with me

Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go

Through the calm and through the storm

Oh no, You never let go

In every high and every low

Oh no, You never let go

Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on

A glorious light beyond all compare

And there will be an end to these troubles

But until that day comes

We'll live to know You here on the earth

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on

And there will be an end to these troubles

But until that day comes

Still I will praise You,

Still I will praise You

Hot Chocolate & Banoffee Pie.

2009-10-20T12:55:00.004Z

When I was living in Ireland, I was introduced to a new favorite dessert by our English hosts: Banoffee Pie.

I know it sounds strange, but it is delicious. A crumb crust, bananas, toffee (boiled sweetened condensed milk), with whipped topping....mmmmmboy!

I have had a taste for some Banoffee Pie for a few days now, but haven't had the chance (or the skill) to make it. My friend Becca and I tried making it once after we got back from Ireland, and if I remember correctly, it didn't end very well...though I am having trouble now remembering what the problem was. So anyway, last night at dinner I asked my English friend Sarah if she'd ever had it. She responded that she was Banoffee Pie making specialist. After a quick collaboration with our Canadian friend Julle as to what ingredients the three of us could scrounge up on such short notice, off we went to the crew galley to whip up this delectable treat.

This is a picture from the internet, but it resembles our finished product fairly well.

Doesn't it look just so tasty??? :)

My cravings were soothed after a few bites. However, we had a heaping mug full of whipped cream left over (who knew that SweetWhip would expand so much?), and would have had more if I had not so carelessly dropped a large spoonful on the counter. The best thing to do with whipped cream? Put it in hot chocolate, of course!

However, I had to go as I was expecting a phone call, so I left the banoffee party early. Sarah, though, was kind enough to bring a steaming mug of hot chocolate, topped with whipped cream, marshmallows, and leftover chocolate shavings, to my cabin for me.

All in all, it was a fairly perfect evening - good friends, baking, eating yummy treats, nice warm hot cocoa (which you don't often always crave when you live in perpetual heat...), and being able to speak to the ones you miss even when they're far away. It's the little things that warm your heart in the midst of an often busy and stressful lifestyle :)

Christianity Today - Australia

2009-10-14T15:06:00.002Z

The following is an article that was published in Christianity Today Australia on October 2. It features one of my friends, Deb, a ward nurse. She is here with her sister Sarah, a lab technician (not mentioned). I am privileged to spend time with people like Deb and Sarah every day! They are definitely going to be missed when they leave in November. It is wonderful to know that the words Deb speaks in this article are true, not just words that sound good for publicity.

Just a little bit more insight into the hearts of the people serving on board the ship :)

Toowoomba nurses in Africa

Friday, 2 October 2009, 9:52 (EST)

“I hope to return to Africa,” says Andrea Bailey.

“There is such a great need here for work that is changing people’s live,” says Deb Louden.

Both are nurses from Toowoomba serving onboard the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship in Benin, West Africa, one of the world’s poorest nations. Andrea has returned from six weeks service as a volunteer working in intensive care, the ward and post-anaesthetic care unit. Deb has been onboard since early April working as a ward nurse and is not due home until November. As with all Mercy Ships volunteers, the two nurses along with more than 400 volunteers onboard at any one time paid their own way to go and also paid crew fees to help offset running costs of the ship.

Andrea heard about Mercy Ships from the family of friends who had served with Mercy Ships, and Deb first read of the work in a brochure she picked up from a Mercy Ship stand at the Toowoomba Easterfest (formerly the Australian Gospel Music Festival). “That was a number of years ago,” she says. “I had to complete my nursing degree first and gain two years of work experience before I was accepted,” Deb says.

“I grew up loving everything medical, after spending a month in hospital as a patient. It was then I decided that nursing was the profession for me. To serve as a volunteer on the hospital ship Africa Mercy with its six operating theatres and 78-bed hospital was something I had wanted to do for so many years.”

“I have been so blessed to have been born in a wealthy country. I was actually born with clubbed feet, a problem that was easily fixed with casts when I was six weeks old. If I had been born in a country like Benin, like so many children here, I could have been walking on the sides of my feet for many years, or even for all of my life. It is such a delight being in the ward with patients as they recover from surgery, getting to know them, doing arts and crafts with them and playing games. We pray for miracles, because sometimes that is all we can do. And sometimes we are blessed with miracles,” says Deb.

Andrea says she wasn’t quite ready to head for West Africa with Mercy Ships as quickly as it all happened. “I had worked in Zambia in a home for street children and assisted on a medical mission to a remote part of that country. I then looked at Mercy Ships as a well known organisation with a good reputation, and had planned to offer myself for service in 2010. But two weeks after I sent my application off, Mercy Ships asked me to consider coming in six weeks time because of a shortage then of nurses. I thought it would be too difficult to organize, but God worked it all out, including my job, finding a replacement housemate, and deferring my university study on international health.”

“In Benin it doesn’t much matter how sick you are or what your needs for surgery are. Or whether you are dying or having a baby. If you don’t have money, you are not able to get medical care. That is why the work being done by Mercy Ships is so important. Volunteers from around the world provide a range of medical and community development services, all aimed at bringing hope and healing to the needy poor.”

“When I started my nursing career, I had a passion for working in the area of women’s health. Now after working with surgeons carrying out repairs on obstetric fistulas resulting from prolonged or difficult childbirth, I really would like to become a midwife. Then I could teach women the importance of seeking assistance with pre-natal care, birthing and post-natal care. There is such a need across Africa among women who have become incontinent, ostracized and shunned by family and community. I hope to be able to return to Africa to help such women,” she says.

It was also working with women following obstetric fistula repair surgery that Deb Louden described as among the highlights of her time onboard. “When the women become ‘dry’ following surgery each is given a new set of clothes to signify a new start to life. They join in a dress ceremony before leaving, and it is wonderful to hear the joyful voices, the banging of drums, and to see the joy on their faces. I feel the joy in their hearts for the healing that has taken place in their bodies and hearts, and to realise they are able to return to normal life and be accepted back into their communities.”

“For some time I have felt that materialism is taking over Australia and the western world. I wish there could be a way to get out of it, or at least to do something about it by not conforming and buying every little thing I want but do not need. In Benin, the people have very few possessions but are happy with what they have. I hope to be able to continue with this way of thinking, and also to share that message when I return to Australia,” Deb concludes.

Mercy Ships is a global charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978. Following the example of Jesus, Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the poor, mobilizing people and resources worldwide. The emphasis is on the needs of the world’s poorest nations in West Africa, where the hospital ship Africa Mercy provides the platform for services extending up to ten months at a time. Mercy Ships works on land-based projects in Sierra Leone in partnership with other organisations, while teams also work in several nations of Central America and the Caribbean. Mercy Ships Australia, one of 14 international support offices is based on the Queensland Sunshine Coast. www.mercyships.org.au

Today I am thankful for.....

2009-10-12T19:48:00.003Z

Canada!

Yes, it's true. Today is Canadian Thanksgiving, and since we are an international crew (and our head chef is, in fact, Canadian), we of course celebrated with a feast of Beninois turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and PUMPKIN PIE!!!! It was very delicious, though odd to know that while I was enjoying my fall treats, it was at least 90 degrees outside. And that it was recently snowing in Minnesota. Oh well, such is the strange life I lead.

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends!

I am also very thankful for my health. Within the last few days, at least 3 crew members have been diagnosed with malaria, one an Academy staff member. Please keep them in your prayers for a swift recovery!

Ancient History

2009-10-11T12:03:00.004Z

Along with teaching the grade 3 class, I have also had the opportunity to teach the grade 9/10 Ancient History class. At first, I was a bit nervous about this. I have never taught a high-school level course before, I didn't particularly know any of the 5 students that would be in my class, and really, I knew I would have to do a lot of preparation each day for the course. However, it has turned out to be something that I look forward to each day. It's nice to have some "adult" interaction throughout my day. And, it is my last class of the day, so at least I always finish out on a positive note :)

Our year opened with talking about history and how we find out about history, which included a lot of archaeology. How do you fully experience that? You do a mini archaeology dig, of course!

We then moved into our ancient civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China. I have been trying to incorporate at least one 'fun' thing into each unit. For Mesopotamia, we created comic strips of the Epic of Gilgamesh (the world's first superhero surely deserves his own comic strip!). For Egypt, we mummified pharaohs (potatoes and oranges)...

India was harder. We ended up doing a play of the Ramayana. And as for China....well, I struggled to fit that unit into the time allotted as it was, so there was no truly 'fun' activity.

Now we have moved into Classical Greece. So yesterday, we did the Olympics! Dressed in a full Greek chiton, of course! We had time for a discus toss (frisbee on deck 8), chariot races (using wiggle cars), and boxing (using the Wii, since I didn't want to actually let them box).

Now, I'm not sure if my students have really been enjoying this class, but I surely have! I like that they allow me to be an elementary teacher even though it is a high school class. And, even better, they are still making good grades with high-school approved tests and quizzes despite the activity-style teaching :)

I am currently in the process of creating a large ancient history timeline on one of the Academy walls to display their class work....and to help all of us keep the timing of the civilizations straight. Pictures to come!

Who Knew?

2009-10-10T17:23:00.004Z

On the weekends, I try to do something that meets the following criteria:

a) inexpensive
b) relaxing
c) non-work related
d) fun. or at least with people that are fun.

There are a few options when it comes to doing things on the weekend. Staying on ship is always an option, along with going to the craft market or fabric market here in Cotonou. I've been to Porto Novo, the capital, twice and Bab's Dock, a pier in the middle of a lagoon, several times. However, the most popular weekend activity is generally going swimming. Hotel du Lac has diving boards, but gets rather crowded, and Hotel du Port requires the men to wear speedos. Neither are really appealing options.

On many weekends, we end up choosing option number 3: Hotel Marina.

The Marina is absolutely lovely. It is a very picturesque setting...the pools are clean, with coconut palm trees lining the edges, a beautiful view of the beach....and, to top it all off, they make the most delicious crepes!

Today at the Marina started off like many other Saturdays. I went with the Farrell family (Tommy [a fellow teacher], Sarah, and their two boys, Tom [5] and Joshua [nearly 3]) and my friend Sam (assistant cook, and Sarah's brother). They're all from England, which means one thing: Tommy and Sam are very, very much into football. And by that, fellow Americans, I mean soccer :)

When we arrived at the Marina, one thing immediately stuck out - the hotel lobby was incredibly busy. There were people milling about and sitting in the reception area, which is generally unusual, even for Benin's nicest hotel. When we went through to the pool area, it was quickly clear as to why...

if you look realllllly closely (click on the picture to enlarge it), you will see men with yellow shirts sitting back towards the palm trees. And that, my friends, is the Ghanaian national football team. They are in town to play a World Cup qualifying match against Benin tomorrow.

Sam and Tommy were quite excited at the prospect of meeting them, and after making several comments about how they should go and talk to them (without actually going over to talk to them....), one by one the players began to head inside. Eventually, they were all gone. However, it wasn't long until two more players came out, one of which rendered Sam actually speechless. I've never seen anyone more distracted or awestruck in someone else's presence. After some teasing, he finally felt pressured enough to go and introduce himself.

And being the good friend that I am, I followed suit to document this historic moment.

The man on the left is Michael Essien. Though it was clear by the way his name was said that I should of course be impressed, I had no clue what that meant. So, for those of you like me...

He is a player on the Ghana football team (as you probably guessed), and also plays for Chelsea in England. Apparently, he is considered one of the top football players in the world and is worth about a third of the cost of our ship. Samuel was on cloud nine for the rest of the day and is very excited to attend the game tomorrow to see his new friend play in person.

It's not every day you think you will meet someone famous in a third world country :)

The Mercy Ships Academy

2009-10-08T17:35:00.003Z

Here is a story that was written about the Academy just after school began this year. Pictured is half of the Academy Big Room - our "multi-purpose" room that serves as a science lab (pictured), computer lab, library, classroom, and meeting room.

The Mercy Ships Academy

Every morning, high school senior Emma Cole gets to school by taking a short walk down the hallways of the Africa Mercy. “It takes me two minutes to walk to school. My cabin is literally thirty yards away from the Academy,” she said.

For three years, Emma has attended the Mercy Ships Academy, a distinct educational experience provided for children living on the Africa Mercy. The Mercy Ships Academy was established over 25 years ago in response to the educational needs of children living onboard the Mercy Ships fleet of hospital ships. Educating children from pre-school to grade 12, there are currently 47 students from 18 countries enrolled in Academy classes.

“It’s quite a vast spread of nationalities, which can be challenging, but it’s something I love about the Academy,” said Principal Nikki Aldum. “There are differences amongst the students, but they’re accepted. As a staff, we look for the strengths of each nation and try to celebrate and incorporate them into our curriculum every year.”

On the Africa Mercy, a typical school day begins at 8:00 AM and ends at 3:20 PM. Parents of students in elementary school pick up their children at noon for lunch and return them to their teachers an hour later for afternoon classes. Classes on the Africa Mercy average 4 to 8 students, allowing more time for individualized attention.

“The Academy is very different than traditional school,” said Emma Cole. “One of the biggest differences is being in a class with only two or three students, in comparison to twenty or thirty. I believe having the one-on-one time with teachers really enhances our learning,” she concluded.

The diversity among the student body and the limitations of living on a ship create a unique and exciting set of challenges. Daily, teachers must utilize their creativity in the classroom. Flexibility is necessary for students, parents, and teachers. Ben Calvert, the physical education specialist, has enjoyed the challenge.

“Running a Physical Education Program on the ship is very unique. You have to be creative because there are very small spaces and small classes. But the captain and deck officers have been very helpful with finding spaces and equipment. It’s fun because it’s not ‘run of the mill,’” explained Calvert.

Academy Principal Nikki Aldum, previously a teacher on the Africa Mercy, understands this distinct dynamic. “It’s very different teaching onboard here, versus teaching at home. The smaller classes add a different dynamic, and it’s not necessarily a comparable dynamic. You have to be a little bit on the adventurous side to work here,” she said.

Teacher Christina Orman, who joined the Africa Mercy in August, was drawn to the varied educational environment. “I was looking to teach in a Christian environment that was diverse and different. When I heard about Mercy Ships, I knew I wanted to teach on the Africa Mercy,” said Orman.

Today, the Academy has a staff of 15 teachers, who come from five countries. With the start of the new school year, the staff is looking toward the future, continuing to find ways to improve the educational experience of the students. Currently, the Academy is being accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International and the Middle State Schools. Aldum hopes the accreditation process will be completed by April 2011.

“Being accredited validates the courses we offer, making it easier for students to transition in and out of the school. Accountability all over the world is increasing in the field of education. Through this process, we are proving that we measure up to international standards,” explained Aldum. With the start of the new school year, Aldum has challenged the teachers and students with a specific goal for the Academy: “My heart’s desire is that God is glorified in all we do. It’s a part of our vision and mission statement and our goal for the year,” she said.

As Emma Cole begins her last year of high school, she is grateful for the positive impact the Academy has had on her life.

“Attending the Academy changes the lives of the students onboard,” said Cole. “If I had stayed in a mainstream school in England, I would not have the solid foundations of Christianity that I do now. The opportunities I’ve been given here have given me a great groundwork for the future. It’s been an amazing experience.”

Written by Megan Petock
Photo by PJ Accetturo

Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

2009-10-04T15:58:00.007Z

One of the questions I hear most often is, "What do you do for fun?" That question is easier to answer when asked by my friends from Taylor, because they know what it's like to be stuck in one place with limited options, and it's easier to answer in regards to the weekend, when we can go off-ship for the day. But during the weekdays, the answer pretty much is...we make our own fun!

Many nights, usually between the hours of 9pm and 1am (usually have to wait for someone to finish an evening shift of nursing or at reception!) we will play a game of sorts (Citadels, Risk, Perudo, Killer Bunnies, Munchkin, Sequence, and recently, Shadows Over Camelot), watch a movie, or just sit around talking. Some evenings we just go and play Wii. Occasionally there will be a game of Ultimate Frisbee up on Deck 8 (which is quite a feat, if you know that we are playing with open sides - which means the frisbee can get lost in the water at any given moment - and with the children's climbing frame in the middle of our 'field'!) or some other action.

Lately I have been craving a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. Now, last year it was the lack of gingerbread lattes (my ultimate fav Sbux drink) that was causing some homesickness...so my sister-in-law was kind enough to send me a bottle of the coveted syrup! :)

Notice how much is left in there. And trust me, that is after a LOT of gingerbread lattes. At least I will be able to drink plenty more this year!

Anyway, since it costs me some money to receive packages, and it would take me about 2 weeks to get it anyway (and since I've been told the pumpkin syrup wouldn't survive the trip over), I decided to be adventerous and make my own. When you are without, you must do what you can.

I began to research recipes online. And what do you think you make a pumpkin spice latte out of? Well, pumpkin, of course! Introduce can of Trader Joe's organic pumpkin - yet another small taste of home!

Yes, I made a coffee drink, on the stove, with real pumpkin. And doesn't it look delicious?

Unfortunately, it was probably not the best latte I've ever had. The cinnamon didn't really mix into the drink and honestly, I chose the recipe with the least amount of ingredients. I still have almost a whole can of pumpkin though, so I may experiment more :)

And then, of course, I went to play games. Some things never change :)

Bernadette Hounssa: The Story in Her Eyes

2009-09-30T11:30:00.000Z

story by Mercy Ships communications writer Megan Petock

Broken red vessels in Bernadette’s yellowed eyes made her look tired and worn. Her eyes told the story of years of emotional and physical pain – a story of desperation.

It began when Bernadette noticed a small nodule on her neck. As time passed, the nodule grew. It became a lump, then grew to be fist-sized, and finally, after ten years of growth, was larger than a grapefruit.

Bernadette had a goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland which resembles a tumor in appearance. Left untreated, goiters can cause compression of the airway and esophagus, making breathing and eating difficult.

But the goiter wasn’t Bernadette’s only problem. Five years after it began growing, a second nodule appeared on the back of her right shoulder. It was a lipoma, a type of benign tumor, which quickly grew larger than her goiter.

When Bernadette arrived on the Africa Mercy, she had been suffering for 10 years.

“I constantly had severe headaches. The tumor on my back made me feel bad and caused pain in my body,” said Bernadette.

In addition to physical pain, she experienced tremendous emotional pain caused by continual rejection and insults from her community.

“People used to insult me. If I had a small problem with someone, they would not settle it with me. It made me feel very sad,” said Bernadette.

Desperate for help, she turned to the traditional medicine of her village for healing.

“People said it (traditional medicine) would remove the tumor and goiter. But it did nothing. I was depressed when the medicine would not work,” she explained. Bernadette felt hopeless. She didn’t believe healing would ever come to her. But God was directing the Africa Mercy to Benin. Mercy was already on its way.

One day, while walking through her village, Bernadette saw a familiar face. It was a woman who also had a goiter. But something had changed; her goiter was gone.

Bernadette inquired where the woman had received help. She learned that a hospital ship had come to Cotonou, filled with doctors and nurses who were performing free surgeries. Bernadette’s tired eyes brightened with a glimmer of hope.

Bernadette travelled to the Africa Mercy in Cotonou. After being examined by a medical team, she was scheduled for surgery. She was very excited when she came onboard the Africa Mercy. “The ship was nice to see, and I was very excited,” said Bernadette. “I saw so many people going to the surgery room and coming back safely. They were healed. I was just waiting for my turn.”

After 10 years of suffering, Bernadette’s turn had finally come.

When she awoke from her anaesthesia, Bernadette cautiously touched her neck and shoulder, feeling for her growths. But she found only bandages; the tumor and goiter were gone. Finally, she was relieved of stress and tension that had plagued her for years. Peacefully, she went back to sleep.

A few days later, Bernadette left the Africa Mercy, excited to return to her village.
“I am very excited to go and show the people in my village,” said Bernadette. “No one is going to insult me again. It’s a very good thing,” she said confidently.

The tension and tiredness in Bernadette’s eyes have been replaced by hope and
confidence. Love has begotten an un-ignorable physical and emotional healing. Her eyes tell a new story – the story of God’s mercy.

Happy 1st Anniversary!!!

2009-09-27T11:37:00.003Z

....to my wonderful big brother Joe and his beautiful wife Katie :)

It's hard to believe that just a year ago I was making a weekend trip home (yes, from Africa!) to attend their wedding. It was an absolutely perfect day for a wedding and a perfect beginning to their lives together.

Joe and Katie, I miss you guys so much! You both have done an excellent job of making me feel loved and supported while I am here in Africa. I really couldn't do it without you guys. Even though I was only a part of your first year of marriage distantly, I know it was great...and I hope that this next year is even better! The challenges that you guys have worked through over the past 6 years is an inspiration and an encouragement to me to keep going even when the times are rough. Katie, you truly are a part of our family and have been for quite some time...I'm glad it's official :)

Happy 1st Anniversary!!!

Angels Amongst the Sons of Men

2009-09-27T11:33:00.002Z

Prince Eddie Daniels, a patient from Ghana, wrote this poem after he received surgery to fix two fingers that had been fused together. Just a glimpse into the healing work we are doing here in Benin :)

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.

Mi Casa

2009-09-26T17:24:00.007Z

This......

is my cabin. It takes approximately 12 steps to get from the door (where I am standing to take this picture) to the back wall. My berth (that I share with my bunkmate) is the first one you come to, the second curtained area is where our other 2 roommates live, and the final area is a small sitting area with 2 chairs, a fridge, a microwave, and - best of all - a porthole :)

Here are the pictures of my bitty berth. It takes about 3 steps to get from the curtain to the wall. My wardrobe is the one closest to the camera, and my bunk is the bottom one with the dinosaur blanket. And yes, I made my bed specifically for this picture :)

And these lovely ladies are my roommates! Natalie (ward nurse, Texas), Tayler (eye team, Texas), me, and Miriam (pharmacist, UK).

Or, as you are more likely to see us....

:) You gotta find interesting ways to amuse yourselves when you live on a ship.....

Where to Begin?

2009-09-11T13:03:00.001Z

Start at the very beginning, it's a very good place to start.... :)

However, the beginning was a very long time ago...so let's just start big and go small.

Here is Africa.

See that skinny dark blue country? That's Benin, where I've been living for the past 8 months. And the peachy one next to it? That's Togo, where the ship is going in 2010.

Here is the ship. My lovely home :) This picture was taken by John Rolland while in Liberia.

Here's my classroom this year. And yes, it is as small as it looks. Good thing I only have 4 students!

Today, however, it does not look as nice as that. It looks like a real classroom, with glitter scattered all over the floor and glue stuck to the desks. It's going to be a fun evening of cleaning for me!

And here is our wonderful teaching staff! (minus the grade 4/5 teacher) We are from 5 different countries. Having a full staff of 12 (10 teachers, 1 principal, 1 secretary) is MUCH less stress than last year, when we had a staff of 7...and the principal was teaching full time!

Okey doke. There's a start for you. Have a great weekend :)

Yeah, Yeah....

2009-09-10T15:33:00.001Z

Ok, ok, I know I've been on the ship for over a year...seems kind of ridiculous to be starting a blog now, right? I agree. However, I am continually frustrated by the fact that my newsletters don't always allow me the space to say everything I want to say, and many times my pictures don't attach. So, as a solution to this, here will be a glimpse of my day-to-day life that I will (try to) update more often than I send out newsletters. Hopefully you will be better able to understand my life here in Africa!

Have a wonderful day! :)