"Queen's Day..."

Since we live in a multi-national community, we get to celebrate many different cultural days.  Today we celebrated with the "Dutchies" (as they are fondly known as on the Africa Mercy)  Queen's Day.  Even though I have Dutch ancestory, I had to go onto Ask.com to find out exatly what Queen's Day is. 

On April 30, the Dutch celebrate Koninginnedag ("Queen's Day"), a national holiday to commemorate the birthday of the country's (former) Queen. It is by far the most widely celebrated holiday in the Netherlands. Amsterdam festivities in particular rival those of Mardi Gras in New Orleans or New Year's Eve in New York City. As such, Amsterdam is packed to the gills on April 30, welcoming up to two million party-going visitors. The Dutch have been observing Queen's Day on April 30 since 1949, when the new Queen Juliana ascended the throne. Before then, the holiday fell on August 31, the birthday of Juliana's mother, former Queen Wilhelmina.

The Dining area was decorated in celebration...

The ship was decorated on Deck 5 with all sorts of pictures and balloons in celebration.  In the evening we even had a rummage sale and a Land Rover pull.

"Togo Independence..."

Tuesday April 27 was Togo Independence Day. In 1960 Togo gained its independence from French administration under a UN trusteeship.  In order to honour the country we are in and the Day volunteers that we have working with us, in the afternoon, we threw a celebration party for the Day Volunteers. 

The celebration for our Togolese Day Volunteers was a great time of singing and dancing.

Even the Togolese Navy decorated their ships with colorful flags.

"Creativity..."

When I was at the Hospitality Center last week, I notice a lot of the Orthotics kids had interesting "treads" on their casts.  Someone came up with this brilliant idea to help the kids be able to walk better while their feet and legs we still in casts. 

Cut up tires...that is recycling at it's best!!

"Little Kossi..."

Little Kossi was born with Clubfoot. This condition causes the foot to grow inward, retarding normal growth and leaving the side of the foot where the bottom should be - crippling the child.


In many African cultures, this abnormality is viewed as a curse and makes a child an outcast. But Kossi's mother, Akouwa, took action to prevent that. She brought the 10-month-old baby to a Mercy Ships screening in Togo. He became the first patient in West Africa to take part in the Ponseti Management Program, now being established onboard the Africa Mercy .

The Ponseti technique, developed by Dr. Ignacio Ponseti over fifty years ago, is a series of casts that manipulate the foot gently into a more normal position. It requires only minor surgery to lengthen the Achilles tendon as the child grows. The child may need to wear some type of foot brace. The entire process requires 20 visits over four years. Kossi had both legs cast and manipulated and will be recast in three weeks.

The Mercy Ships Ponseti team, under the direction of Dr. James McDaniel, includes Dr. Frank Haydon and Dr. Gary Douglas. Dr. McDaniel enthusiastically describes the program: " It ' s the gold standard that has been used all over the world. But, unfortunately, all over the world does not include West Africa. So, we are starting this program in Togo - with the hope that one of the other groups will help to keep the program going. We will supply the cast materials and all the supplies for the six months we are here. We hope to manage at least 60 to 70 crippled children on this program. It will be taught, and those can teach it to others. So , we are delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to the children of West Africa."

Ten month old Kossi, the first child to receive the Ponseti Management technique for the correction of Clubfoot introduced in West Africa by Mercy Ships, gets his first casting aboard the Africa Mercy during the Togo field service.

 Akouwa holds her 10 month old son Kossi, as Dr. Gary Douglas, Physical Therapist Joanna Gates and Physician's Assistant Laura Stonestreet apply the first casting in the Ponseti Management Program for the correction of Clubfoot.

Ten month old Kossi enjoys a soak in a pail of water to loosen the plaster castings on his legs before they are removed and the second casting is applied.

Physical Therapist Joanna Gates loosens plaster casting in a tub of water to remove them before the application of a second casting.

Physical Therapist Joanna Gates wraps Kossi's leg during his second casting as Kossi's mother, Akouwa, looks on.

Written by Elaine Winn

Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by Liz Cantu

"Artwork?..."

 A group of us went to the hospitality center today to visit with some of the patients that had been on the ship.  The Hospitality Center is a place for those patients to stay while they are waiting for surgery or have had surgery but their homes are to far away to be travelling back and forth.  Also, for some of our orthotics patients, who have their casts on for awhile and need check ups it is easier to stay at the center. 

Today when we went to the Center, our purpose was to meet with several patients we need to have follow-up conversations.  After the conversations we finish, I decided to go and read/color with the kids.  I was teaching some of the kids the different colors...in french.  After we were done, we colored some picutres and talked about the different colors we were using.

For this little girl, I become her blank canvas.  She decided I did not have enough color...she set out to remedy the situation.

You can tell she has been on the ship, she is holding the marker like a needle!

The final product was brown marker, yellow and pink highlighter.  One lesson I did learn from this is in the future...use crayola marker and not highlighter!  (They wash off easier.)

"Lome Port..."

One of the interesting things about living on the M/V Africa Mercy is the different ports that we pull into.  We have been able to see so many different types of ships.  Normally our port is a flurry of activity.  The game of the day becomes what do you think is in the colorful bags they off load of the ship accross the way.

The other thing that we notice is the Togolese are extremely hard working.  We watch many of the men work very long hours lifting these heavy bags in very very high temperatures and high humidity.

This ship is one of our favorites.  (It reminded Mike of the Seattle Seahawks colors.)  It pulled in the other night and off loaded some cars and left as quickly as it came in.  It is one of the biggest ships that we have seen pull into our port recently.

Then this is an unusual sight....an empty port.  When we woke up this morning the port was basically empty.  The tugs were in their place and very little activity was happening.  I have to admit it was rather nice to have a time of quietness in the port.

"The Potter..."

I was watching this man work with the clay. It amazes me, out of this shapeless mass of clay, he was able to produce the incredible pots that you see over his shoulder. When he first worked with the clay he was rather rough and hard. Then came a time of working in tender skill and care. All of this reminded me of how God works with us. Sometimes we need the tough love of discipline. While other times we need the gentle guidance of skill and care.

Isaiah 64:8
Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
NIV

"Deb's Team..."

This is the team of the Patient Life Program who work with Deb.  The team is made up of 4 crew members and 6 Togolese Day Volunteers.  It is our job to minister to the patients.  While the doctors meet the physical needs of the patients through surgery, the Patient Life team tries to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of the patients through building relationships.  Some of the stories that the patients have shared with us are absolutely heart breaking.  One lady was telling me about how she found her adopted daughter in the garbage.  Another told me how her husband took another wife and started beating and cholking her so she would leave.  For each person we minister to, we hear a different story and different challenges.  But we know God is the one who can ultimately minister to the depth of the patients needs. In many ways, I feel I am the one being ministered to instead of doing the ministering. 

"School Pics..."

For many years while we lived at home, I had every age picture of the kids posted on our walls from the time they were 6 months old till the most recent school picture.  Well, the pictures of years of changes and growth are now in storage.  So all I have to post is a picture from last May 2009 and this May 2010's school picture.  It amazes me how the kids have changed in just one year!

Alisia (May 2009)

Alisia (May 2010)

Joshua (May 2009)

Joshua (May 2010)

The whole Academy.  What a cool place to go to school!!

My time at the YWAM base in Agu

As I woke up at ten to seven on Thursday the 8th of April, I was getting excited, it was the day the junor high and high school was going to leave for the Togo YWAM base at Agu. The night befrore I had packed a  bag full of clothing, a towel, sheets, sun screen, mosquito spray, a garbage bag for dirty clothing, and a grocery bag for garbage. After getting last minute things put together, I went to the cafe area to meet with everyone else to get final instructions before heding out to the dock to put stuff up on the Land Rovers, and in the back of a Nissan. We all piled in 3 Land Rovers and a Nissan with bags full of snacks and activities to keep us occupied for the 2 1/2 to 3 hour trip.  I was in the Nissan with Lara, Carys, and Linde, along with Mr. and Mrs. Cole who drove us up to Agu and retruned that day.

This is the building that we kept the drinking water (the water was unsafe go drink) and some snacks.

This is the view from the moutain.

This is the last out of three buildings that we stayed in, the little building is the shower, the water was cold because there was no hot water tank.

A little ways from the main camp was this Lily, I thought that it was strange to see a Lily in an African forest.

Also a little way from the camp were some stairs, Mr. Schwebel said that Catholic priests would crawl up the stairs as a symbol for suffereing for Christ.  At the top of the stairs there was this outdoor church.  I thought that it was the most perfect place for a church.

On Friday we hiked up to a waterfall and ate lunch there.

Later we took the three Land Rovers to another waterfall and went swimming.

As you can see my friends had a lot of fun with mud and got really dirty.

We had a lot of fun and I learned in singing "Indescribable" and "I Can Only Imagine"

[Chorus:]
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in honour of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea

Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God

The chorus of "I can only Imagine" and the whole song of "Indescribable" really spoke to me because out of all of the galaxies, all of the people past, present, and future God knows every word I ever said and have yet to say, He also knows the names of the stars and doesn't forget a thing!! How amazing is that??? That hit me pretty hard.

I was sad to see the end of the weekend, but glad at the same time, I hadn't gotten much sleep, but it was fun just spending a weekend with my friends and getting blown away with the realization listed above, and I can't wait until the retreat next year.

"Olly and Vehicle Registration..."

Olly, who is our Transportation Manager, recently tackled the task of  registering all of our vehicles.  This is a copy of his blog and the how to register vehicles Togo style. 

"How to register all 27 Mercy Ship vehicles in Togo:

Step 1: Fill in and submit three identical forms for each vehicle (using carbon paper: photocopies are not acceptable). Registration documents and new registration numbers are generated from these forms.

Step 2: 9.38am. Go to the Department of Transport, and collect the forms from the Chief of the Transport Division (very nice man by the way).

Step 3: 9.41am. This man fills a bit more in on the forms, and signs them:

Step 4: 9.58am. This man fills a bit more in on the forms, and signs them:

Step 5: 10.03. This man fills a bit more in on the forms, and signs them:

Step 6: 10.04am. This man fills a bit more in on the forms, and signs them:

Step 7: 10.07am. This man fills a bit more in on the forms, and signs them:

Step 8: 10.12am. A policeman fills a bit more in on the forms, and signs them:

Step 9: 10.14am. This man photocopies the forms:

Step 10: 10.18am. This man signs the photocopies:

Step 11: 10.21am. The policeman matches the photocopies with some other bits of paper:

Step 12: 10.25am: A man checks the chassis number on the vehicle, and signs the form:

Step 13: 10.33am. Another man confirms the work that the last guy just did:

Step 14: A lady generates another form on a computer:

Step 15: 10.43am. Now we're making progress. Mathieu removes #993's old Liberian licence plate.

Step 16: 11.03am. The new Togolese licence plate arrive, hot off the press:

Step 17: 11.08am. Rivet Man rivets the new plates to the vehicle. Nice:

Step 18: 11.14am. Awaiting an inspection of road worthiness:

Step 19: 11.16am. The vehicles go into a big shed for a high-tech inspection:

Step 20: 11.27am. Peter, Mathieu and Edam waiting nervously for the results:

Step 21: 11.51am. The examiner sticks the "pass" sticker in the window:

Step 22: 11.54am. We're done. Thumbs up all round:

Interestingly, all of our vehicles have passed the inspection so far, despite failing to reach the required standard by not having things like a First Aid Kit, or a defective reverse light. I wonder what it would take to actually fail the inspection.

A great morning out. You should try it some time. Honest. Olly"