"Infant Feeding Program..."

One of the programs that Mercy Ships has is the Infant Feeding Program. Babies that are born with a cleft lip and pallette have a difficult time feeding and putting on weight. Before the babies can have surgery to repair their cleft lips, they have to be healthy and thriving.

  This mom was from Benin and her son was born in December just after the ship sailed to Tenerife.  When the ship pulled into Togo, she was on the dock waiting for us with her son...our first patient in Togo. 

A few of our nurses work with the mom's and teach them how to feed their babies.

This mom had twins (Anne and Annie).  They weigh barely two pounds each.

This little one also had casts put on to help her legs.

"Happy Birthday..."

Today was Joshua's 12th Birthday.  One of the things we do on the ship for birthdays is decorate the door of the person in honor them.

Joshua was very anxious this morning to open his presents....but I (Deb) made him wait till noon because of a 7am meeting.

 

Now, Joshua had to wait for Mike...he was finishing up lunch....pure agony for a kid!!

He had a great day and we are thankful for the precious gift that God has given to us in Joshua!

"Netbooks..."

Tonight was an exciting time for the high school students in the Academy.  Eighteen months ago, Nikki, the Academy Principal put in a request for laptops for the student.  Tonight, with much anticipation, the students gathered in the Academy to receive their "netbooks".

The plan for the "netbooks" is for the students to use them just like a textbook.  They will become an integral part of the high school classes.

Alisia and Lara waiting proudly and anxiously for permission to begin to use the "netbooks".

(Thanks Dag for the pictures!)

"Fun Things..."

Here are some fun pictures that I have been able to take in the last few weeks.  Two weekends ago we went to one of the local pools for the day to relax.  There were a group of families from the ship at the pool and the kids came across this frog.  This poor frog tried to escape the clutches of the kids but alas, he was caught.

This is the first frog I have seen in Africa.

One thing we do see a lot of...everywhere...are these lizards.  They are all over.  They are actually quite entertaining to watch...even in church!   The colored ones, like here, are more aggressive toward the smaller sand colored lizards.

He posed so nice for this picture!

Togo has some beautiful beaches.  However, we are told that they are not safe to go to.  It is really very sad.  This sign was posted outside of the pool where we were swimming.

So I stood by the sign and took this picture of the beach. 

Then the sunset.  This is one of the rare sunsets that I have seen.  There is very high humidity at night and a lot of cloud cover.  I just happened to be at the right side (actually port side) of the ship that night with my camera.

Then finally, the family potluck.  We try as families to get together a few times an Outreach to have a Potluck.  It is really a great time of fellowship.   I am always amazed at how creative people are with the limited resources we have for groceries.

"Harsh Reality..."

I read this post on one of our nurses blogs.  I remember seeing this 14 year old girl on the ward the other day....smiling and excited...then she received the news...

This is copied from Ali's blog...

"We couldn't do it.


The discussions went on through the morning, with doctors weighing pros and cons and reviewing x-rays and trying to see their way clear. But at the end of it all, the message was delivered to me in the ward. It's a no. We can't do the spinal, and her condition's not bad enough to risk it under general.

And yet again I'm faced with the reality that where you are born so often determines the course of your life. Because this little girl was born in a village in West Africa, there was nothing that could be done when her parents saw that her leg was twisted. Because Togo has just one doctor for every twenty-five thousand people, there was nowhere to go, no way to have it corrected.

It feels so wrong that we started to show her a way out, allowed her to hope maybe for the first time and then were forced to pull that hope out from under her and pray that she doesn't break when she falls.

I could see the tears in her eyes when she left today, dressed in her Sunday best, the clothes she had picked out to come to the ship for the surgery that she isn't going to get. I watched her walk slowly down the hall, her head weaving side to side with the broken rhythm of her walk, and I wanted to scream. To beat my fists against the walls and rail against the unfairness of it all. But instead I watched her, watched her walk away with her strange, jerky grace, and I prayed that I could learn to hold my head just as high as she did in the face of disappointment and pain.

And as her hand came to rest for a fleeting second on her still-flat belly, I prayed that she would teach her baby to be just as strong as she is."

This week we have faced many harsh realities of life in Togo.  Having to tell people they are HIV positive...a young girl she's pregnany and can't have surgery...crippling fear that sends you home before your surgery...

But when all is said and done, almost to the person that has been rejected for surgery for whatever reason, you ask them:  "How are you, are your okay?"  the reply will be: "tres bien" (very good).  I asked a translator why the answer is always  "very good" when the surgery that was hoped for and seen as a last chance can't happen...how can this be said?  The answer to me was:  "Because God is God and He is still incontrol and they have faith someday they will be healed."  I was humbled and challenged-to say the least!  The bottom line, no matter the situation, is that God is God and in control even in the harsh realities of life.

"Screening Update"

We are still doing screenings for surgery.  In fact, we will do about 30 screenings in total.  Yesterday during one of our meetings, it was reported that we had already had around 6000 people come to our screenings.  The sad fact is, that only a handful of the people we will able to help with surgery.  Many though will benefit from our eye and dental clinics, which we are very thankful for.

"This is a drill..."

About every two weeks, while we are in port, over the PA system you will hear a loud alarm go off followed by the words:  "This is a drill, this is a drill, this is a drill...fire/smoke is reported in...place.  All emergency teams to your stations."  A few moments later seven short alarms followed by one long alarm will be heard over the system, followed by:  "This is a drill, this is a drill, this is a drill all crew report to your muster stations."  At that point every crew member and day volunteer walk off of the ship onto the dock to gather for roll call.  This last Thursday, we practised evacuating the hospital-the middle school and high school students participated as patients.

Alisia is supposed to be a blind patient but had to smile for the camera.

This last picture is of Joshua preteding to be a doctor during the open house.