"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.

"Ghana..."

We arrived in Ghana on Thursday afternoon.  It was wonderful to see crew members on the dock waving and singing as the ship pulled into the berth.  We will be in Tema, Ghana for about three weeks.  Then we will have a one day sail to Lome, Togo where we will be till June 2012.

Entering the port in Tema, Ghana

Crew and friends awaiting our arrival.

Akwaaba mean "Welcome".

"Review..."

The Africa Mercy has just completed a 10 month field service in the West African country of Sierra Leone, providing free medical care and humanitarian aid to thousands of the country’s poorest people. Since February, the volunteer medical teams have performed more than 2,700 free surgeries such as tumor removal, cleft lip and palate correction, cataract removal, orthopedics and skin grafts for burns victims. Volunteer dental teams have also carried out more than 28,700 dental procedures, providing essential dental care in a country that has only one dentist for every 1 million people. We are grateful for every volunteer and every donor who enabled us to bring hope and healing to thousands of people in Sierra Leone.

 

"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