"Mercy Shippers..."

The following blog was written by a friend of mine on the ship, who is getting ready to Stay in Freetwon to work at the Aberdeen Fistual Centre. click here 

 I wanted to share this blog with you because it gives some insight into the "unique life that we live....

 "Mercy Shippers are an unique breed. Our time on the ship, shapes who we are by the end, I believe. We change in so many ways. When we leave the ship, its hard to explain life to people that have never experienced it. We make it a point to reunite with other Mercy Shippers because we connect in different way than any other friendships. We live life 24 hours, 7 days a week together. We share memories and pick up habits that are unique to those have been on the Africa Mercy. I came up with the list below when I was home stateside hanging out with some of my friends from Mercy Ships. Hope this bring a laugh to those Mercy Shippers that know what I'm talking about! Thanks for the memories everyone! 

• Playing the word "Milch" in scrabble and shuddering thinking about the taste of shelf-life milk. 
• Magnets replace nails in hanging wall decoration.
• Common meal conversations include your GI tract or what noises your toilet is making. 
• We leave messages on sticky tack instead of voicemail.
• Looking for hand sanitizer as you walk into a dining room. Did you also know there was a "hand sanitizer" dance move created by the AFM youth?
• When meeting new people you ask- their name, where they are from, what they do and how long are they here for?
• You use starboard and port when giving directions, even if you're on land. 
• Its too quiet if there no "humming" generator background sound. When the air-conditioner shuts off, you know a blackout will soon follow. 
• You are hungry at 5pm for dinner. 
• In a house- there are cabins and decks not bedrooms or floors. 
• You're the only one dancing or clapping your hands at church. 
• People think you have an European accent because you use holiday, rubbish, cupboard, and lovely in conversation. 
• There is more than one name for a surgical instrument. You learn them all. 
• Starbucks is out of your price range and Walmart is a bit overwhelming. 
• Your work commute is long if its involves more than one staircase.
• Flip flops all year long footwear. 
• You learn different eating habits: using silverware for finger foods (or vice versa), teaching what peanut butter is good on like apples, and grilled cheese sandwiches are always an option for a meal.
• Atorch could be a stick with fire, or just a flashlight.  
• When you watch TV, you usually watch more than one episode at a time. 
• Sayings like "happy as a clam" may not translate well. 
• You're friends are also your dental hygienist, physical therapist, and electrician- and possibly your neighbor. 
• You are aware that there are more holidays to celebrate than you can imagine. 
• Pirate gear is a must, even if you really don't live on a pirate ship, but a hospital one. 

Thanks friends for the all the memories and laughs! "  Written by Allison Green