"A Day of Rest..."

Today we partnered with another family, in doing that we get the Land Rovers for 8 hours instead of 4 hours, and went to a place called "Bab's Dock". Mercy Ships Crew loves to go to Bab's Dock. Today there were 8 Land Rovers of us that went. Now, just so you know, each Land Rover can hold 9-10 people. But being on the conservative side, I figure there were probably 65-70 of us there. The best way to describe Bab's Dock is as an Oasis. When you are there you forget you are in poverty stricken Africa, you forget your a "Yovo", you forget you don't speak french, you forget your responsibilites aboard ship, and you just sit and relax while the kids play. No Worries.To get to Bab's Dock, you have to take a 5 minute board ride through this channel to an open lagoon. Today it took a bit longer because we had to turn back for a hat that flew into the water...I'm not totally convinced the child didn't throw the hat in the water! Kids are kids... Then you are dropped of at a pontoon dock, greeted warmly by the owner and released to play (for the kids) or relax (for the adults).You walk up the pontoon dock and find a place to sit and rest. There is a restaurant there and you can order basic food-french fries, BBQ chicken, vegetables and drinks. The water is only shoulder high, in the middle, so the kids have a blast playing in the kyacks, canoes, sailboat, volleyball net or just sitting in a hammock with a friend chatting. One thing I have learned about Africa is to see the beauty in simple things and in the unusual. I am just amazed at the bright flowers that grew out of this spindley tree (You don't often see flowers either.)When our time is up, we head back to the ship. For me it is always a sobering ride home. While I have just relaxed and am heading back to the ship...comfort...I am always confronted with many people's reality on the way home. Often we see scenes like this. People sleeping in the sand, just outside their hut of a home. When the person wakes up the area will also become the kitchen and bath area.Or our senses are assaulted by the smell of burning garbage along the side of the road. Just behind the piles of garbage are people's shacks. The "western" looking home to the right is most likely empty. People cannot afford the rent.These are just simple reminders of why we are here. To bring hope and healing to the poorest of the poor.