"A Treat..."

This morning we awoke with a special treat waiting for us on Deck 6.  A sampling of one of the largest personal collections of early Biblical manuscripts and artifacts.  We were in awe!!  Many of the manuscripts were printed on animal skins some writing were carved in stone from the time of Abraham...

A cuneiform tablet dated from the time of Abraham....

A sampling of Genesis from the Dead Sea Scrolls...



This is one of the earliest copies of the KJV 1611 Bible.

A 17C manuscript from Ethiopia

A 13C Ethiopia Gospel.

A 15C Torah scroll from North Africa.

An original page from the 5th earliest Bible in the world.

A sampling of all the scrolls, pages and cuneiform that were brought.

For me this was the best to see...

the earliest page of the 23 Psalm!

"Alberta..."

“Alberta loves dancing and singing gospel songs,” said Mariah of her five-year-old granddaughter. “She helps me shop, and when I do the dishes, she rinses them. She always wants to help.”

Since Alberta was eighteen months old, Mariah has raised her, allowing the child’s young mother to finish her education. Three years ago, Mariah was cooking over an open fire in front of her Liberian home when Alberta awoke from her nap. Still groggy from sleep, the little girl walked too close to the fire, falling near the cooking oil. It splashed over her left arm and leg, up her back and over the back of her head. The fire quickly followed. The little girl’s left arm was terribly burned, immobilizing its position at her side. Her leg, back and the back of her head were also severely burned and scarred.

For the next two years, Mariah searched in vain for someone who could surgically release Alberta’s arm so she could raise it above her head. The frozen arm caused much embarrassment for Alberta at her day care, where the children constantly taunted her and called her names.

Mariah is a member of the Eden Church in Liberia, where she coaches football (soccer) for a group called LACES. This group organizes teams for boys and girls, ages 10 and 11, teaching them about Christ through sports. The team members collected enough funds to send Alberta and Mariah to the Africa Mercy, a hospital ship where the volunteer plastic surgery team released Alberta’s burned arm.

Because burned skin and nerves were cut during the surgery, Alberta spent several weeks in recovery. An infection added more weeks of recovery time. But her bubbly personality helped her to make many friends among the crew, including the physiotherapy team that coached her through new exercises and the medical team that gave her post-operative care. Much of that care was painful, but most of the time she remained very brave, generously sharing her brilliant smile and even singing while the nurses applied new dressings. Such behavior is very rare among West African children.
“Sometimes she would fall asleep while I was changing her dressing,” said Nurse Becca Noland. “I love that girl. She’s amazing!”

“I am HAPPY!” said the five-year-old as she approached the end of her stay. “I can play and go to school!”

“She’s going to remember this. I will remind her repeatedly of everything she has seen here,” said Mariah. “It’s a miracle of God that she can have this surgery.”
Story by Elaine B. Winn
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by Debra Bell and David Peterson
Video by Beau Chevassus

"Shabbat Shalom..."

We had a very special Friday night dinner yesterday.  The chaplaincy aboard the ship has been preparing for this weekend for about a month.  A respite...a time of spiritual renewal/retreat for the crew of the ship.

Last night at dinner, we gathered together in the dining room to begin our "Shabbat Shalom"

We read through the liturgy of the candle lighting and the Shema (taken out of Deuteronomy) and the Lord's prayer.  We sang the doxology and said the priestly blessing from Numbers.  Just before dinner, we had communion....

The bread-Christ's body given for you...

The cup-Christ's blood given for the forgiveness of sins...

We read the Kiddush (the blessing over the wine) and the HaMostzi (the blessing over the bread)

Then as friends and family, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner with great fellowship....

The evening concluded with a journey throughout the ship to read and experience the different elements of entering into the Tabernacle.  All in all it was a very enlightening evening-getting our focus back on Jesus and what His sacrifice for us truly means.

"Friday Night..."

Since we arrived on the ship in Benin 2009, Friday nights, have been Frisbee night.  Joshua and Alisia have enjoyed being exposed to the sport of Ultimate Frisbee.  Every Friday night, the rush to finish dinner and then down the gangway to go to Frisbee.

Mike and I have respected this time as "the kids" time.  Plus, it is a sport for the younger of heart!

As you can see, Ultimate Frisbee even draws a crowd of locals watching the game.  Close to the port there is a school where they have been able to play on Fridays...it is such a wonderful blessing to have this field close to the ship.  In past years, they have played on the beach or whatever open space they can find.

Taking a rest and watching the game...it is rather an exhausting time!

"Strange Day..."

My friend Sharon and I had a rather strange cultural day on Saturday.  As usual, we set out to explore Freetown on foot.  By the end of the day we usually have walked at least 10-12 km.

As we meandered through the streets and crowds, we knew of a Chinese restaurant that Sharon had seen the other night...that was our initial destination.  While walking along the way, Sharon spied a Christian Book Store.  I said:  "Where?" looking up and down the streets and the street vendors.  She pointed across the street at an actual store.

 As we entered into the store, we were in shock.  It looked like a "real" western bookshop.  This was the beginning of our cultural shocking day....

Albert, the owner of the CLC bookshop, was so pleased that we came into his shop.  The prices were a fraction of the price, we see in the west.  I was impressed with the quality of the books he has and the variety.  Many of the top Christian authors were respresented in his shop.  Many of his books he said he buys on sale in the US and Europe. 

After purchasing a book and some guitar picks, we continued on down the street.  As we round the corner head to the restaurant, we notice how empty the streets are...which is EXTREMELY unusual for Freetown.  After about five minutes, we notice the police band marching down the street.  (no picture)...they were marching proud and playing traditional marching music.

After listening to the band, we round the corner to and spied the sign for the restaurant.

We are really unsure what the "Electrical Beer" means...but that did not deter us from  going to try the food.

We ordered sesame shrimp, spring rolls, hot and sour soup and chicken chow mein...and two cokes. (all for about $10 each) We were thoroughly impressed with the food and the speed of the food being delivered.  (Usually when we go to a restaurant it takes at least an hour for the food to be prepared.)

With full tummies, we then head down the street where Sharon spots another unique place.  When we entered, we thought we were going into an upscale boutique.  This young man had displayed a lot of the African gifts you can find in the market in an attractive manner.  He was very proud of his shop and his prices.  (They were about 50%-75%higher than the market prices.)

We wandered around his shop, talked with the gentleman, and then proceeded down the street....to the supermarket....

 Inside the supermarket, you can buy many of western items, but at twice the western price. 

Then we decided to head back to the ship.  As we are walking through the streets, I notice this man's shirt in front of us...."Mercy Ships Academy". 

Could this day have become any stranger?....

"Another Job..."

I have done many different blogs on the variety of jobs that I have seen people working at  in Sierra Leone.  They have not been easy jobs...I have watched the tailor sew for hours straight, without a break, to get an outfit done...I have seen women strain under the loads they carry on their heads through the market with a child on their back...I have also seen men put every once of energy into pushing a cart filled with onions, peppers, or any variety items through the potholed streets of Freetown...or pulling for hours on a fishing net...  Whatever the jobs is, they all require a tremendous amount of strength and fortitude.

While I was at church on Sunday, I was yet confronted with another job that is extreme manual labour...making sand blocks for a building.  Now for those of us who live in the west with a "Home Depot", a job like this is absolutely foreign.  I watched these men take turns mixing the sand, filling the mold, letting it set, turning the mold over and doing the job over again in the heat of the day.

 You can see from the amount of blocks that are done, they are not idol in their job.  They work steady...alternating turns.

It will be interesting when we return next week for church, to see what these blocks have been used to build.

Mosquito Nets

In West Africa, over 3,000 children die of malaria every day¹; 1 out of every 5 childhood deaths is due to malaria.²  Malaria kills a child every 30 seconds in West Africa. ²  The disease can cause anemia and jaundice and, if not promptly treated, can cause coma, kidney failure, or death.

To make matters worse, the West African rainy season that begins in June will cause flooding that will aggravate the problem, since standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes that carry the disease – according to Robert Agyarko, UN Children’s Fund Specialist on Malaria for West Africa.  In Freetown, Sierra Leone, it is estimated that between 60% and 70% of mosquitoes are malaria carriers.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that malaria can be controlled, and even prevented, using anti-malarial drugs, insect repellent, or mosquito nets in sleeping areas.  UN Special Envoy for Malaria, Ray Chambers, reports, “Mosquito nets are still the most effective tool for preventing malaria in West Africa.”

Mosquito nets are infused with Permethrin, a long-lasting insecticide that acts as a barrier to prevent mosquitoes from penetrating the nets.  It drives away the mosquitoes and kills the ones that land.  Unfortunately, only 40% of households in Sierra Leone have an insecticide-treated mosquito net (ITN). ²

St. Mary’s Church in Olveston, Bristol, United Kingdom, is taking a stand against this deadly killer.  They have donated £5,000 to Mercy Ships for the distribution of mosquito nets at the HOPE Center in Freetown.  This land-based facility houses patients who are awaiting surgery and those recovering from surgery onboard the hospital ship, the Africa Mercy.

When the patients are discharged from the HOPE Center, they will each be given a mosquito net and told how to use it properly.  They will also receive additional information on how to prevent malaria.  This promising strategy will make a difference in fighting this deadly disease.
¹ WHO 2003 Africa Malaria Report     ² WHO 2010 Africa Malaria Report
Story by Elaine B. Winn
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by Debra Bell