"Sports Day..."

On Friday morning, the Academy Jr. and Sr. High students put on a sports day for all the elementary students.  Originally it was planned to be outside, but the weather decided not to cooperate and it was moved to the gym.  Thankfully we had more than enough space to put all the different sports stations.  There were several different stations ranging from ball toss, high jumping, hurdles, sac races, and many more.  The time ended with the whole Academy putting on an amazing gymnastics routine.  Then after lunch, the Jr. and Sr. High competed in a basketball game.  Fun was had by all!

Alisia and Joshua...#1 kids!!

Bess and Joshua with the sac race...

Alisia showing Andre how to do the boss toss...

Alisia doing a vault/handstand for the gymnastics routine...

Joshua doing a vault jump for the gymnastics routine...

"Flag Animal Farm..."

 One of the fun things that our school kids have been able to do since we are inland, is visit all sorts of interesting places. One outing that we took the preschool and first grade children to was the Flag Animal Farm. Now, for most kids this probably would not be all that interesting. However, for many of our kids any kind of animal is interesting and fascinating...since we are not allowed any on the ship. We had a wonderful day petting the animals, milking a cow, riding a horse, and of course feeding the animals.

Milking a cow...

Petting a calf...

A turkey...just in time for Thanksgiving!...

Holding a rabbit...

This chicken needed a time out!...It kept trying to sit on our chairs while we were eating lunch...so it was placed in a "time out chair"...

Feeding a horse...

Feeding goats...

Riding a horse...

Goats feeding on us...

"Science Fair..."

As part of our Jr. and Sr. High School Program, our science teachers for the last two years, has encouraged the kids to create science projects and then have a science fair.  It is so wonderful to see the creativity of the kids in different projects.  Topics ranged from "Which bird seed do the birds like the best?" to "Which smoke bombs work the best?"  The topics were only limited by imagination...and a few supplies.  Considering what there was to work with...I was thoroughly impressed with the variety and ingenuity of the kids topics.

Alisia tested people on how good their short term memory is...(people in their 20's have the best short term memory.)

Joshua did a taste test between coke, coke lite, and coke zero...can you tell the difference...(not really!)

Different insects that have been found at Appelsbosch.

The skin of a Black Mamba snake!

The kids did an excellent job with their projects and reports!  We were thrilled with all the amazing facts they discovered!

"Thanksgiving..."

We have the most amazing crew members who are with Mercy Ships.  Not only do we leave our families in our home countries, we find ways to create new extended "family memories".  On November 25, we celebrated Thanksgiving.  Yes, it was the day for the American Thanksgiving, but for us at Mercy Ships it is so much more.  It is a time of Thanksgiving for all the God has done for us and through us.  It is a time of Thanksgiving for all the extended family we have grown to know, love and cherish.  It is a time of Thanksgiving for seeing God work in so many ways.  It is a time to remember God's faithfulness...

Alisia, Deb, Joshua...Mike was in Texas

The elementary school kids made the table runners.

Our AMAZING chef Jesse!

Alisia...what more can I say!?!

"Spirit Day..."

 Toward the end of each the month, the Academy has a Spirit Day. We have had Twin Day, Nationality Day, Sports Day, What You Want to be When You Grow Up Day...and many other days.

Today we had our own "Macy's Day Parade" around the Academy. It was not the big floats and balloons like the Macy's Parade. It was more a parade of holidays. You could see Cupid, Mrs. Santa Clause, christmas trees, and Canada Day amongst many others roaming around the Academy campus.

It always amazes me, with how little supplies we have and no store to run to to get supplies, how creative our students and our parents can be...

 Mrs. Clause...

Cupid

Jr. High

Grade 9-12 girls

An Angel

"Dela Aboudou..."

“By God's grace I am alive today,” said Dela, a handsome young man recuperating from surgery in a hospital ward onboard the Africa Mercy .

He grew up in a small village where cooking was done over an open wood fire. One day, the fire was moved into the kitchen for more convenient preparation of the family meal. Five-year-old Dela had wrapped himself in a length of cloth and was busily engaged in imaginative play. Tragically, he got too close to the fire, and a spark landed on the cloth. Very quickly the cloth and Dela were in flames, leaving burns all over his body. His left elbow was immobilized by contractures, the tightening of the skin after a second-degree or third-degree burn.

Dela was not taken to the hospital. In his village, traditional methods were the first course of action used to treat burns. Rabbit fur was mixed with herbs and spread over the skin. But this procedure brought no healing. The following year, he was admitted to a large hospital, where he lay waiting in a hospital bed for twelve months – as procedure after procedure was postponed. Finally, he was sent home after receiving no burn care at all.

Five years later, he met a man visiting in his village who took him to another hospital. Medical personnel tried to move the rigid arm to no avail. Dela decided he would have to learn to live with his left arm useless and frozen like the letter “L.”

He completed his education and became a primary schoolteacher in a village in northern Togo. Then a glimmer of hope appeared. An announcement about Mercy Ships and the free surgeries it offered was sent to the school for distribution to local families. Dela decided this was an opportunity he should not pass up. He came to a screening and received an appointment for plastic surgery onboard the Africa Mercy. He was very hopeful that maybe this time something could be done about his burned and worthless arm.

The volunteer doctors performed surgery to release Dela's arm from 24 years of stiff inactivity. After several weeks in recovery and post-operative therapy, he was ready to return to teaching in that small northern village – this time with two good arms.

“Thank you, Mercy Ships, for what you have done,” said a grateful Dela as he left the ship … waving goodbye with his left arm.
Written by Elaine B. Winn
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by Liz Cantu

"Potje..."

Okay, no I have not lost my ability to spell!  The word in the title is pronounced "poike".  It is a South African way of cooking a meal.  We have been attending a local church in the town of Wartburg (about 35 mins. from Appelsbosch).  The church congregation has been wonderful and welcomed us like family.  For the last few Sunday's different families have welcomed us into their homes and cooked traditional South African meals for the 12 of us who regularly attend the church.

The family today, treated us to "potje".  Which is a traditional /south African way of cooking over a fire.  The meal is cooked over charcoals in a cast iron pot (with three legs).  The meat is cooked first and then the onions.  Then layers of butter squash, potatoes, and cabbage are added.  The a broth is poured over top.  A lid is placed on top and it is simmering/cooking for about 1 hour.  The taste is incredible!