Third Class Dungeon

The nurses call their rooms by different names... the cave, the hole, the dungeon. Mercy Ships has put all the nurses in one location, at the very bottom and towards the front of the ship. All rooms have six beds, dormitory style and the toilets/showers are upstairs. Fortunately, I only have one other roommate, an American named Shannon. The two of us want to keep it that way as our 10 X 15 foot room can get crowded with 6 people living in it. Already, we have completely occupied our room with our stuff. Some of the nurses have been able to get a free upgrade to a first class cabin. But as long as we don't get another roommate, I'm happy where I am at. As you can see, I prefer the top bunk. Some of you may already know the reason why.

Craft Market

This past weekend I went to the craft market in Accra. People on the ship had warned me that the sales people were pushy. When I arrived, there were dozens of stalls selling artwork, printed fabrics, beadwork and wood carvings. I saw people in the stalls applying shoe polish to unfinished wood carvings. The black shoe polish gives the wood its rich deep color. One sales person was trying to sell me a wood carving stating that the wood was ebony. I replied that it was shoe polish and not ebony. He quickly said that it was indeed shoe polish but still wanted me to buy from him. I took my business elsewhere.

Being in Port

Mercy Ships usually stays docked at a port for 10 months while doing the outreach. Ghana has one of the busiest shipping ports in West Africa. We see shipping containers coming in, unloading and leaving everyday. Mercy Ships does the same thing as we see patients come in, unload their disease, and leave everyday. What a Blessing.

Mother Teresa Orphanage

Today a few of the nurses went to Mother Teresa orphanage to play and interact with the children there. It's a very serene place and you can feel the presence of God as soon as you enter. The grounds and buildings are beautifully kept and the flowers are like what you would see at a botanical garden. We first arrived to the building that had toddlers. They ran up to us with arms stretched out wanting so badly to be picked up and held. They were so content with just being held and loved that it brought tears to your eyes. Some nurses went to the nursery to sing and hold the babies while the rest of us played with the older children. We played kick ball and tag and had a great time. A very moving experience to see how just a little bit of attention can bring so much joy to children who have been without love for so long. Mother Teresa orphanage is indeed a special place for these needy children who can embrace God's love so eagerly.

Starbucks in Ghana?

Did you know that the Board Chairman of Starbucks Coffee is a Christian? Starbucks is a regular supporter of Mercy Ships. In fact, they provide the crew with FREE Starbucks coffee. We have a coffee bar on the ship if we want special flavored coffee. We can then drink our coffee in the coffee lounge while doing emails on our laptops. Just like in the states.

African Beadwork

Last Saturday a group of us went to visit a bead factory where they make jewelry beads out of broken glass bottles. They collect Coke, beer and wine bottles and crush them up into a powder. The powder is then put it into a mold setting and fired up for 5 minutes. It was interesting to see how ingenious they could be with what they had to work with. On the way to the bead factory, we saw a bunch of baboons along the roadside. They quickly ate the food that we gave them and then ran away into the bushes. My first safari encounter.

Life in the Recovery Room

Life in the recovery room has been interesting as you can see by the sign posted above our toilet. Yes, you do need to develop a knack for flushing it.
We usually hold the patients in the recovery room for about an hour and then transfer them down the stairs to the ward. I don't have the kind of interaction with the patients as I do down on the ward. But I see them when they first wake up from the anesthesia. I see the expression on their faces when they know that the surgery is over and they will look normal again. That alone makes my work here all the worth while.