"Retrospect..."

As I have been thinking back through this last year, I thought I would try to capture a glimpse of the year in pictures.  At first I thought: "What a great idea!"  Now as I am on my second day of sorting through the files of pictures on my computer, I am thinking:  "Whatever possessed me to do this idea?" 

So much has happened in the year, it is hard to capture.  The pictures certainly do not capture the highs and lows of the year, the good-byes of dearly loved crew members, the missing of family and friends at home, the thousands of people Mercy Ships has touch in Sierra Leone, or the vast number of friendships that were formed. 

What the pictures do capture is God's continual faithfulness, grace, and miracles He has blessed us with.  Many are not obvious miracles, but certainly the movement of God's mighty hand in our lives as a family and as a ship community....

January found us still in the port of Durban South Africa.  Finishing up the ship yard period and preparing to go to Sierra Leone.

After a brief 24 hour stop in Capetown South Africa, before we head to Sierra Leone.

February-Freetown Sierra Leone.

March-the beginning of a ten month field service meeting the needs of many people in Freetown and surrounding areas-the Dental screenings...

The Eye Screenings...

First patients to enter the ship...

March also brought us to our new church home in Lumpa Waterloo

One of the many MaxFax patients...

whose life is transformed...

April brought us Easter...a celebration of Jesus death and resurrection.

May-wheelchair races in the wards...

Getting to know Freetown markets...

June-the first fundraising event in West Africa aboard the ship.

July-summer program for the Academy kids

Graduation of the Agriculture program Students...

August...still in rainy season...

September-Deb continues to work in the wards loving the orthopaedic patients...

October-a visit from the Princess Royal to the ship.

Eating lunch and dinner daily, watching the fishing and transport boats out the window...

November brought us into a time of having to say good-bye-to local friends we made (our tailor friends-Foday, Omar, and Osman)

Our day worker friends who help us in the hospital...

Also, a time of preparing the ship to sail to Ghana...

December-time to sail to Ghana...

Our arrival in Ghana for Christmas break...

Celebrating Christmas as a family...

A year in pictures...captures so much but yet so little.  It is our prayer next year will be a year of God's blessing, protection, and revelation.  As we grow closer to Him and closer to each other....

"Christmas Day..."

Christmas aboard the Africa Mercy is always a special time.  We are very aware of the preciousness and lack of family and friends in far away countries.  But at the same time, we gain a deeper appreciation for the crew of the ship who has become like family. 

Thinking about this Christmas aboard the ship, I have become very aware of the lack of commercialism.  Yes, we get glimpses of it on the TV, but we are not bombarded with it in the malls, on the streets, radio, or even in the newspaper.   It is easier, in some ways, to keep our focus on the birth of our Saviour.  There is a much appreciate simplicity.  This simplicity is seen in many ways throughout the ship...

We still have a tree with presents under, or should I say, around it...

Shoes are placed outside the door for crew to bless each other with small tokens of love...

Creativity abounds in wrapping-a simple Christmas napkin is known as "ship wrapping"...

The mess after opening gifts is still the same...

Simple blessings are appreciated.  One of the crew did a marvelous job making the Africa Mercy out of gingerbread...

Fruit is a precious gifts...grapes and yellow bananas.  One of the young children asked his mother if the yellow banana is okay to eat-since most of the bananas we see are green and brown...

Dinner with friends who have become like family...

But most of all spending time together as family rejoicing over the birth of our Saviour Jesus is what I have treasured the most.

May you find the wonder, awe, and joy of His birth this Christmas season.

"Merry Christmas..."

It is with hearts full of love and joy we want to take this moment to wish you a blessed Christmas.  It is because of a baby born in a manger 2000 years ago that we celebrate this special day.  He was not an ordinary baby- He was the Messiah, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords.  May you find His peace and love this coming year. 

 ^{Isaiah 9:6} For unto us a Child is born,
      Unto us a Son is given;
      And the government will be upon His shoulder.
      And His name will be called
      Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

"Chris-Myth Busters..."

Every year the Academy on the ship does a wonderful job with their Christmas program.  This year was no exception!  The kids spent the week, while we were enroute to Ghana from Sierra Leone, memorizing, learning dance steps, and practising for their Friday night show.

This year, the Christmas program was entitled "Chris-Myth Busters".  The play set out to "bust" some of the myths we believe at Christmas time.  Where there three or more wise men?  Was there an Inn Keeper?  Did the angels sing or speak?  Is there a significance in the Christmas Tree? These were some of the myths they tackled during the play.

Alisia singing during the opening scene.

 

Joshua  playing "Ethan" and his two friends"Lily and Abby" who tackle the "myths" of Christmas.

Were there three or more wise men?

The manger scene...

Alisia and Grace doing the "angel wrap"...

"Ethan Lily, and Abby" discussing another "myth"...

Alisia singing her solo...

Finale...

"The Cedi Bead Factory..."

A group of us on Saturday went on a day trip to see the Cedi Bead Factory.  Beads in the African culture play an important role.  They are used for symbols of family status or special occasions like puberty rights.

Mr. Cedi comes from a family who generationally has been making beads.  He made his first bead when he was seven years old.  Today he still makes that original pattern of bead, but also many other designs.  Mr. Cedi explained to us there are five different types of beads.  He then demonstrated to us how to make some of the different types of beads.

There are a variety of molds and tools he uses to make beads.

The traditional Krobo beads are made out of glass from bottles.

They are pounded and broken into bits and even into a fine powder depending upon the type of bead that is being made.

  These beads are made from recycled old beads.

Glass beads

Beads that are painted and then fired again for the decoration to show.

Larger beads for village chiefs made from a powder of glass (above) with the decoration set into the bead (below).

The circular molds with the small holes (above top) are the templates for the smaller round beads. (below)

Smaller beads that women and children wear around their waist.

Some of the different molds and templates he uses.

After the beads are designed and put into their molds, the beads are then put into an 800-900 degree fire for around a half and hour.

After the beads are cooled, they are then polished on a wet stone and with water.

Ladies then take the time to string them into necklaces and bracelets.  The beads can be bought individually, in bulk, or as ready made jewelry.

Alisia making her own beads.