I only get so many minutes...

My list of things I would like to accomplish here is consistently getting longer. Learn French. Read the books on my ever growing list. Blog. Be consistent in my bible study. Build relationships. Explore Congo. Among other things.

When I first arrived, I had no idea how I would fill my days off. And now I find myself wondering when I will have time to do all these things.

Last week, before I was going to head to the gym, I snuck into the ward to snuggle this small before her surgery. She had been admitted Friday to receive antibiotics over the weekend before her surgery Monday, and I made sure she found her way to my arms at every free moment.

I found all the patients crafting away. All the patients we have on the ward, besides Sahira (who was already in surgery) are teenage boys. Colored paper, scissors, glue, stickers, popsicle sticks, water colors, glitter glue, and crayons were all spread over an empty bed. Emmanuel was spelling his name out of popsicle sticks. Andredi was putting gobs of glitter glue on stars. Rouel was coloring. Ghislain was sitting with paper in his hands.

I stood and observed their silent crafting for a few minutes before Emmanuel went and got me a stool to sit and join them. I was handed some scissors and paper and with a few hand motions, instructed to cut. I began to cut strips for a paper chain and soon Ghislain joined me. I taped a few together and that's all he needed to see. Paper chain = done.

I began to make pieces of an intricate paper star, which requires cutting, twisting, and taping individual pieces of paper, then stapling 5 or 6 together to make a star. Rouel picked up the first piece I made, studied it, then grabs his own piece of paper and begins to make his own. With little to no instruction, he made the second, third, fourth, and fifth pieces. We then staple it together and his eyes get big at the finished product. We attach a string, I point to the ceiling and shrug my shoulders, asking where we should hang it. He leads me to his bed and points right above his pillow. Of course :)

As the next shift of nurses arrive and prepare to take the patients to Deck 7, I realize we have been crafting for over an hour. Rouel gathers all the papers, scissors, tape, and stapler. Then he motions for me to come- we are going to craft during our time outside. I tidy up the craft area and follow obediently. We make several more stars and he teaches other patients how to make them while we are upstairs.

 

After I leave the wards later that afternoon, I remember all the things on my to- do list that seemed so important that morning. Momentarily I think of all the other things I could have done during that time. But then I remember their smiles as they hung their paper chains and placed all of their names in order. How these boys sat together, communicating with grunts and pointing, maybe for the first time, with peers their own age. They each had lived with facial deformities which made them different.




Here, they were all the same. Each was in a various stage of recovery, one has his jaw wired shut, one has steri-strips all around his mouth and chin, one has a bandage covering his whole head, and the other wears a jaw support.

They are all seen. Not for their deformity, but for the personality that is revealed a little more each day as they recover. They are all loved, for their creativity, for their jokes, and for the lessons they teach us.

 

"Time is Love" - Josh Turner

You should see the stars tonight, how they shimmer shine so bright

I know it's been quite a while since I have blogged. Life here, day to day, has become 'normal' to me and not quite blog worthy. I was waiting for something remarkable to happen, for us to go on a big adventure, or to have a patient story to tell. And in fact, all of these things have happened. Just not in the way I was expecting.

 

Last weekend we went camping on the beach. 15 of my closest friends here on the ship piled into a mini-bus taxi and headed out of the city to a desolate beach location.

 

The weather was perfect as we hung our hammocks and pitched tents. We spent the afternoon walking the beach, swimming, and laying around discussing life with friends.

  

My bed

View from my hammock

 

The sunset was beyond beautiful. I snapped a few pictures, then set down my camera, not wanting to miss the majesty of the colors and knowing it would never look the same from behind a lens. We made dinner over the fire, played Catch Phrase by light of head lamps, introduced our non-American friends to s'mores, and then spread out on the beach to look at the stars.
 

 

Being in the port, stars are rarely visible from the ship. With rainy season, the skies are often overcast as well. This night was made for us. Though there were clouds, the sky above us cleared and the stars were brilliant.

I lay on my towel thinking that this is not why I came to Africa- to lay on a beach under the most perfect sky; I came to work, to serve. But at the same time, this is exactly why I came to Africa. To experience a glimpse of His glory, while laying in a deserted beach on the coast of Congo, under a blanket of stars, with people who inspire me to be better, day in and day out.

 

At the edge of the water at night, when you ran your foot over the wet sand, the sand began to glow. Our South African friends called this the 'flourescents.' It was amazing.

 

At some point in the middle of the night, rainy season came. We cowered in tents and hammocks under tarps. It cleared for the sunrise and breakfast, and then returned. We played cards, read, laughed, and talked more. We packed up in the rain, hiked through the bush, and hoped our taxi man would return to fetch us. When he did, we piled our sopping selves inside and napped all the way home.

 

 

But we smiled. Because this is life. No matter your circumstances, there is joy to be found. Here, every day I am finding more and more, that it is the people I am surrounded with.

To be continued...

"Stars"- David Crowder

Photo Credit: Dr. Van Dorssen, Karyn, and me

I once was blind, but now I see

Every week, we get to be a part of life changing surgeries for the patients on our wards. Sometimes the healing for them can be a long slow process.

But every once in a while, we slip out to the dock at 1:15 in the afternoon to experience these moments. To hear the beat of the African drum, the pounding of their dancing feet, and see the joy in their faces.

 

  

 

These are our cataract patients. Their recovery time is quickest and their joy immediately evident. 

I've thought about joy these past few weeks. Sometimes it's evident in life, easily flowing out of my heart. And other times I have to search for it. To choose each day to have joy.  

I want joy like this to flow from my heart each day. Even when I have to work a day shift (evenings are my favorite around here!) Or am working when all my friends have the day off. Or am just missing home. I choose to remember the joy that I have been given, just like these cataract patients, I once was blind, but now I see. 

A few weeks ago a media team from France came and did a documentary on the ship. We took care of Natasha, a patient featured here, on our ward. 

http://www.france24.com/en/20131024-down-earth-hospital-vessel-health-mercy-ships-africa-training 


"Amazing Grace" - Hullabahoos

No doubt in my mind where you belong

This week, love has been an overwhelming theme in daily life here. Wednesday was Jasmine's birthday.

Jasmine is the hairdresser on the ship. People go into the salon, aka 'her magic little room,' and come out looking, but more importantly feeling, beautiful.

Wednesday was all about making her feel loved. The hallway around her room was decorated. We did a flash mob for her at lunch (see Facebook!). We had a picnic dinner on the deck. And ended the day with girls' night- encouraging each other, watching movies, eating popcorn and coke floats.

I volunteered to make some desserts for our picnic. Adding to the normal challenge that cooking/baking is here, Jasmine is gluten-free. She loves anything pumpkin and it took some internet/Pinterest searching, but I found a pumpkin trifle to make. Essentially, it is the inside of a pumpkin pie layered in a trifle.

Pumpkin Trifle- GF

- 1/2 C sugar

- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 2 eggs
- 1 can pumpkin
- 1 can evaporated milk


1. Thoroughly mix all ingredients and pour into a greased pie plate. Or cake pan, if that is what you have.

 

2. Bake at 425* for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350* and bake for another 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

 

3. Let cool completely, then break up into small pieces with a fork. Layer into a glass bowl with cream cheese frosting. (Cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon- all whipped together with a mixer)

 

 

I didn't know how many people would be at the picnic, or if they all liked pumpkin, so I found a second chocolate dessert to make as well. Or I just selfishly decided to make two because I like to bake.

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Espresso Icing

- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 mashed ripe banana
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 C cocoa powder
- 1/2 C sugar
- 1/2 C hot/boiling water
- 2 tsp instant espresso


1. Warm water over high heat on the stove. In a large bowl, mash banana and mix with egg yolks (set aside egg whites for later!) and vanilla.



























2. In a small bowl, combine chocolate and espresso. Add 1/3 C hot water (doesn't have to be boiling, just really hot). This mixture will be fairly thick.

 

3. Add chocolate/espresso mixture to banana and eggs. Stir to mix. Add more hot water slowly to loosen the consistency. It should still be a thick mixture.

4. Add sugar.

5. With an electric mixer, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly fold into batter, one scoop at a time, until just combined.

 

5. Pour into a springform pan, or any greased round pan you have available :) Fill another cake pan with water and place in oven with the cake.

















6. Bake at 350* for 40 minutes. The cake will have risen in the oven, but collapse as it cools.

At this point, the chocolate cake is quite bitter because of the cocoa. It is probably best not to serve this without any icing. I was a little worried that it would not be good to serve at all. But I did try to fix it with icing.

Icing is not my specialty. So we took some premade icing and added espresso and a little vanilla to thin out the consistency and add more flavor. We just continued this until it was thin enough to spread and tasted like espresso. And it worked! We topped the cake with these chocolate cookie things from the local pastry shop, and it was quite delicious.

 

Even though this day was about Jasmine, I was reminded so many times that day that this is what it means to live in community. We sat outside after dinner for 2 hours, being in the presence of people we serve alongside. All have unique stories, but all our stories have brought us here. 

"One of the most tangible blessings God gives us is his people. If you neglect your relationships to his people, you neglect one of the most powerful ways God wants to bless you now. You neglect one of the most powerful ways he shows you grace now." - Crossroad 2011

'Make You Feel My Love' - Adele