Dental Clinic

In Ghana, there are 400 dentists for a population of 22 million. Dental Hygenists are few and preventive care doesn't really exist. People here will suffer for years with an aching tooth because there is no dentist available or lack of funds. Mercy Ships sets up a dental clinic at a nearby school for the duration of the outreach. Volunteer Dentists and Dental Assistants from all over the world come here to relieve the pain and suffering that these people have. Dental education is also given while people are waiting to be seen. What a Blessing

Weekend Getaway

Last weekend I went with a group of people to the tallest waterfalls in West Africa. It is in the northeast part of Ghana along the Togo border. After hiking for 6 hours to the upper falls, we enjoyed just standing underneath the falls and getting wet. We then hiked another hour to the lower falls. The following day, we went to a monkey sanctuary and a weaving village where they weave fabrics the traditional way.

African Road Signs

While driving around Ghana you will see interesting road signs along the way. You can get a closer look at what the picture says by double clicking the photo.

Friday the 13th

To some people, Friday the 13th may be a bad luck day or a name of a scary movie. But for me it's a good day because it's my Birthday. Yes, I'm another year older but I still feel like I'm 21. For my birthday, the entire ship sang "Happy Birthday" to me at dinner time. My roommates decorated my room and gave presents of diet coke and candy. That evening, there was a cake bake off fund raiser and I bought a pineapple upside down cake. My three roommates and I went away for the weekend to a beach resort and had a wonderful time.

Interesting week

Living on board a ship and following a routine can get boring after a while. So it makes life a little more interesting when unexpected surprises come our way. Earlier this week, our ship was hit by a cargo ship. Apparently, the tug boat that pulls the cargo ship out of the harbor had let go of the ropes too soon. The cargo ship couldn't get the engine started fast enough and hit the side of our ship. The impact caused a big dent but fortunately it was above the water line. The ship is still safe to live on.

We also got the chance to experience a little bit of American soil. An American Naval ship was docked in our harbor and the Mercy Ship crew was able to take a tour of the naval ship. It's not a battle ship, but a smaller war ship called a Frigate. It mainly does search and rescue operations, but can defend itself in the event of an attack. The ship had two helicopters as well as missiles and torpedoes. The ship is touring the world doing naval training exercises as well as some public relations. Some of the naval crew members toured our ship and joined us for Thursday night worship.

Later in the week, I was curling my hair like I always do but this time the curling iron was too hot and melted my hair. My hair caught on fire and set off the smoke alarms. The next thing I hear overhead is, "Safety Officer Fire On Board". By this time, smoke had filled up the cabin and hallway. The fire team came to my cabin within a minute to see what had happened. My cabin mates who saw the entire thing happen were most impressed by the efficiency of the fire team. Don't worry, I still have a full head of hair it's just a little bit uneven.

Power of Prayer

On Thursday morning we hear an announcement overhead, "Medical Response Team to the promenade deck ASAP". That never sounds good and the mood of the crew was very somber during breakfast time. Five minutes later, our executive director of Mercy Ships made the announcement that the persons'condition was very serious and urgent prayer is needed. The entire ship stopped what they were doing and prayed either alone or with a group of people. Later, we found out what really happened. Ruth, who works in the finance department had collapsed on the promenade deck while reading her devotions. A crew member noticed that she wasn't breathing and had no pulse, CPR was then started. Immediately the medical response team arrived and CPR was continued for 15 minutes. Cardiac drugs were also given during this time. The heart had to be shocked 5 times before a pulse could be felt. Ruth was then transferred to the Operating Room where she could be put on a breathing machine. Prayer continued. By the afternoon, Ruth was taken off of the breathing machine and all cardiac drugs. She was awake and talking. She doesn't remember anything that had happened and was feeling fine. Later that afternoon, Ruth was transferred to a University hospital in the Capitol city Accra to be monitored in the Intensive Care Unit. She will be flying home to California in a few days when she is more stable. If this incident had happened while Ruth was off the ship, she would have died. We thank God for the power of prayer and His ability to perform miracles.

Local Market

About a mile away from the Mercy Ship is the Tema local market. It can be quite a shock for someone who has never been to a third world country before. The sights and smells is something one never forgets. It's difficult to fully explain in detail what one sees at a local market. Meat is butchered right in front of you sparing no parts and there is no refrigeration of the meat. Fabrics, beads and shoes are sold in individual stalls with eager salespeople trying to make a sale. Bargaining is a must in this society. Especially when they see white skin, the asking price is usually doubled. As you can see from the photos, pigs feet are sold along side with beads and fabrics. Women are able to balance a baby and cargo on the top ot their head at the same time. It's definitely a cultural experience as well as an exciting one.