The Red Earth of Africa….

In April 2009 on the plane ride from Johannesburg, South Africa to Benin, West Africa we stopped in Brazzaville, Congo to pick up more passengers. It was in this stopover as I sat staring out of the window wondering how I had found myself in West Africa that a lovely South African called Beth approached me to ask if I was heading to Mercy Ships in Benin. She proceeded to sit down and in her lovely friendly way put me at ease instantly as we chatted, I was so grateful for this encounter because as she headed back to her allocated seat the plane began to fill to the brim with African people and culture shock set in. Since that day and throughout my time on Mercy Ships she has been an incredible blessing and on many occasions I believe my angel.

Beth left Benin a week before my time on the ship was finished to come home to Cape Town, South Africa which is why I have had the opportunity to explore more of Africa on my journey home to New Zealand.

I was born in South Africa in the Northern Transvaal so it is very exciting to come and view some of the country that I have grown up hearing about for the first time. The adventure began on the 7^th of November as I arrived in Cape Town to find freezing temperatures, winter at my toes along with the realization that I have actually forgotten what it feels like to be cold! Despite the rainy, freezing conditions of Cape Town I had a wonderful few days discovering the beauty of this city, climbing Lions Head and driving out to Cape Point. The views and sights are spectacular here and it did not take me long to realize why people are drawn to this country.

On the 12^th of November we took a flight from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth where we drove on to Grahamstown, where we were picked up by Beth’s brother and taken to the Kwandwe Game Reserve in which he works as a Ranger. The next afternoon as we began a tour in the Game Reserve vehicle which is specially designed to climb difficult terrain and we were given strict instructions not to stand up as the animals are very used to the vehicles and see them as an unthreatening object; however as soon as you change the shape of the vehicle they no longer recognize it as unthreatening. My eyes were truly opened to the beauty of wildlife as we witnessed two lionesses searching for their four lost cubs, a black rhinocerous (which is very rare), a white rhinocerous and her 3 month year old baby, a cheetah, zebra and lots of buck and warthogs.

It gets very hot on the Game Reserve and the best sightings of animals are usually early in the morning and late afternoon so the next morning we were up at 5am. I loved every minute of the drive and marveled at the stunning landscape and rich red earth of the African soil that covered the 22,000 hectares. The trip started off hot on the trail of two lionesses (different ones from the previous day) and a male Lion. He was magnificent and I now understand why they call him King of the Jungle, I was awestruck. We followed him further down the road until we came across a teenage elephant who was keeping an eye on his herd and thoroughly enjoyed selecting particular plants from the area. He decided he wanted to let the Lion know who was really the boss and after some trumpeting and ear flapping he charged the Lion in full stampede, who ran away with his tail between his legs. Maybe he is not the King of the Jungle after all?

After this excitement the rest of the morning was filled with amazing eagles and many different kinds of birds, monkeys playing in the trees and zebras with their lovely stripes. I was a little disappointed about not seeing any giraffe however as we packed up back at the lodge I prayed that we would see some before we left the Game Reserve; and on our drive out we came across a herd of fourteen-it was a fantastic ending to incredible wildlife.

Our next destination was Barkley East to visit Beth’s family who own a large amount of farmland in the area. Along the way I saw Township’s (African communities) covering the land that lay beneath the towering mountains. I caught only a glimpse of the poverty as we drove past each settlement yet it was enough to stir my heart once again for Africa and I saw many similarities to West Africa flashing before me as I saw their need so clearly evident. It occurred to me that South Africa (in those parts) is more of a third world country than people realize.

The breathtaking sights at Barkley East were mindblowing and it was the combination of the surrounding mountains (one which is a volcano), the lush farmland, valleys and magical sunset that warmed my heart to the place (despite the freezing temperatures). Snow was forecast, regardless that they are heading into summer here and I was slightly nervous we may be stuck there for the remainder of the trip! Meeting Beth’s Afrikaans family over a real Afrikaans braai (where I did not understand a word) was a great treat and an opportunity to witness some true Afrikaans culture.

One lovely night in Barkley saw us on our way to the community of Maclear to visit a University friend of Beth’s who owns ten dogs, the house and noise level was impressive! After a good nights sleep she took us out to a farm which was an hour out of town to meet some friends of hers who encouraged us to go and visit the waterfall on their land. Words cannot describe how lovely it was as we headed through bush and behind the waterfall in caves that had naturally formed-I felt refreshed by the sight and crisp air surrounding us.

Driving down the Garden Route was a special experience as we were able to see Lagoons, the sea and forests all along the way. After one night in Storms River we went for a walk out to the Tsitsikamma Forest National Park across swingbridges and in the sunshine. After 8 hours of driving that day we arrived safely in Cape Town where the journey all began. There were so many moments where I thought life could not get any better than this and then another great blessing would come our way-I feel so rich (no not actually financially) in my life right now but in my heart:)

After an indescribable time….Kenya, Uganda here I come.

Saying Goodbye to West Africa...

I am in disbelief that one week ago I said goodbye to Mercy Ships and a group of people who have become my family over the past 6 months. As I walked down the gangway I was amazed to find the nervous girl who walked up the gangway 6 months earlier is a distant memory. I was given the nicest farewell from everyone and I was filled with saddness to say goodbye to friends who have been there through some very challenging and incredible lifechanging moments.

The past two months have been a blurr-almost an entire new level of life. With the end of the Outreach insight, people are weary and the workload has increased due to the large amount of surgery that still needs to be done. Patients are waiting and hoping they will receive the surgery they lined up for at the beginning of the Outreach...hoping that they will have their disfiguring tumour removed before the "Big White Boat" sails away. We are so blessed to still have the basic medical supplies at our finger tips that so many hospitals in Africa do not possess; however with the end in sight there w

ere a few occasions that arose where certain items that were longer available. Towards the end of my time there were many days that I would walk into the storeroom praying; kno

wing that we did not have anything remaining of what I

required. It is amazing what you can find at the back of the cupboard if you search for long enough though or items that just "turn up":)

It was lovely to hear the familiar New Zealand accent that came with Dr Alastair Yule a month and a half ago, all the way from the deep South. It was wonderful to hear news from Dune

din and talk about Doctors and nurses we both knew. It dawned on me how much easier life is when you speak the same language-he would tell me what he needed and I understood instantly; I know have ten different names for each instrument and prod

uct.

The hardest week of my life and time hit a month ago in a combination of events. On the Mon

day two of my close friends on the Ship were put into the ICU with malaria, it was one of th

ose moments where you are extremely grateful that your temporary home is a hospital

ship with adequate medical equipment, medication an

d skilled staff. Everyday that week was a 12 hour day in the Operating Room with major

operations and I scrubbed for 6 hour cases daily-it still feels like such a priviledge to be

apart of removing massive tumours and incredible reconstructive surgery. There were definately many moments in the operations that week where I felt like my nursing skills were being really challenged. Nights were taken up with visiting the ICU and after leaving the Operating Room at 7pm on Wednesday night I was paged at 9pm for an Emergency Operation. It was a patient who had been operated on that day and had a large thyroid removed which had began to bleed

post-operatively. I was Senior I

ncharge so I had to organise the Operating Room, equipment and staff. There was one p

oint I distinctly remember thinking "I can't do this, I am not experienced enough or skilled to be doing

this" and then all of sudden I realised I was already doi

ng it. After getting to bed rather late that night I decided to not join the running group in th

e morning at 6am. At 7am Thursday morning my pager went off and minutes later as I arriv

ed at the OR I was informed that one of our crew had been hit by a motorbike while they were out with the running group that morning. The bike had come out of nowhere and hit him at full speed, he had a laceration on his face and was already

almost unrecognisable; so as they started to x-ray him I began to prepare the OR for surgery as we were unsure what we would be operating on but we were certain that we would be operating. We are so blessed on the Africa Mercy to have a C-Arm X-ray machine and a CT mach

ine (one of three in West Africa). Everyone on the Ship was praying for him and to our amazement there was no neurological or internal damage and no broken bones. It is still a

mystery to me that he survived but I am so grateful, we all are...I think a miracle occ

ured that scary morning.

For the past four months I have been going out with the Palliative Care Team once e

very two weeks and visiting patients in Cotonou. I have ha

d the pleasure and priviledge of visiting Adele often. A beautiful Woman who has an incredibly disfiguring

tumour which has been growing for years; two days before I left the Ship she passed away. Her death was expected and came with a comforting knowledge that she was ready and

there is peace in knowing she is finally no longer in pain; however I still felt a deep saddness for her daughters and grandchildren. She carried such an incredible presence and so often I left her house inspired and encouraged ,which I know many others agreed they felt.

The Palliative Care Team have also been running the Burkitts programme, which work

s with children who have a particular type of cancer that can be treated successfully (in many cases). One of the struggles can be that as the symptoms of the disease begin to disapear the parents decide to stop bringing the child for treatment and it reoccurs. One small boy called Luc has captured my heart, the treatment has worked incredibly well and the results have been so encouraging and uplifting to my heart. Luke had his first day of scho

ol just before I left the Ship.

I spent another wonderful Saturday at the Exodus Orphanage completing the B

unkbeds project. On our second visit we took more screws to fasten down the planks of wood (so they won't get stolen for firewood like they did last time) and we took 13 new mattresses and bedding for all of the

beds also. The children mobbed us and we had a great time making t

he beds up with

them, they were all very excited. I was filled with a deep sense of relief and joy just knowing they will no longer be sleeping on the cold concrete f

loor at

night.

Once w

e had taken care of the hard work, Sarah and I pulled out the balloons and chalk we had brought with us and had a fantastic time showing them some games we used to play in our childhoods:)

So at the end of my time in West Africa

what have I learnt and how have I changed?

Although I

know there are many more lessons to learn and many will come with reflecting on my time in the future months I have observed that some key perspectives I once held have changed. I have realised lately that I have become more "African", they are such "People focused" people and I can see I place more importance on my relationships with people from being here. My time is often filled more with relationship than "tasks" which I am enjoying.
About a month ago it dawned on me as I stood in an operation that was going longer than we had planned I have come to the place where I no longer count the hours of

work left in the day. I have always enjoyed nursing and working in theatre and I know I ha

ve been incredibly blessed with the exceptional people that have taught me,

looked after me and encouraged me. I feel though that since being in West Africa my enjoyment in my nursing has increased, maybe it is because of the different culture I am serving in...whichever reason it is I know work till the work is done and I love it.


After many frustrating moments, operations and questioning my purpose in Africa I finally realised there comes a time when you just need to Let go and Let God. You want to bring improvement and hope to every person who has a condition that is limiting their quality of life. That desire is naturally there however there comes a point where you have to accept that not every person can be helped and you need to hand them back...this was a hard lesson to learn with a few tears shed along the way.

I did not realise money had began to affect the way I think until I came to Africa. The revelation dawned about 3 weeks after I had arrived and I was standing in the Operating Room-it was 7pm, the operation did not look like it was going to end anytime soon and I automatically caught myself thinking "Oh well at least I am getting paid overtime" and then I realised 'Oh hangon I'm not getting paid anything!'. In horror I recognised how my thinking and value on time and work had become completly focused on how much I was earning. My attitude and perspective towards money has changed a lot since I arrived here, I am still aware of how money is required and necessary in this life however I feel as though a grip has come off my thinking in regards to money. I'm sure my perspective will continue to change throughout my lifetime:)


Many people come to Mercy Ships and Africa thinking they will make and bring a change and are often suprised when they are the ones who change the most. I believe I do fit into that statement, I came here hoping to help and also hoping to become a better person...I have been pleasantly suprised-I think Africa has changed me, I havent changed Africa.

On my last night on Africa Mercy I was sitting with a good friend and expressed my confusion "I don't understand why I was born into such an incredible family, a comfortable lovely home and a wonderful country and there are people at the end of the dock living in rubbish and sheds made out of scraps...It puzzles me why I was chosen to be born into such blessing?". Their response has been resonating in my heart since...they said "Melanie the reason you were not born into that family at the end of the dock is because Africa needs you and the Western world needs Africa...they need you to take their stories back with you". Something awakened deep within me as the truth of 6 months unfolded before my eyes...I need Africa more than Africa needs me. I feel as though I have found the place I am supposed to be at this point in my life...I feel so content.

This journey which has changed me and brought many revelations would not have been possible without many amazing people supporting me throughout this time with kind words, financial support and prayers. I am so grateful to everyone and there are simply no words to express my appreciation and to tell you the truth without your help I know I would not be here...I may be the hands but everyone behind me is the body:)

I thought it only appropriate to end my final blog of West Africa for 2009 with the news...that may not suprise many who have been following my journey...that I plan to return to Mercy Ships next year 2010 in April for 5 months...this will all go ahead if I am able to fundraise the money to come back again. I will continue my blog so if you would like to stay in touch and hear of my future plans I shall keep you updated the best I can:)

Journal Highlights of Africa

I cannot believe that I have not written for so long now...you would think that life in West Africa would be much slower and less busy than life back home, however this does not seem to be the case. After long days in the Operating room there are always so many activities to fill the nights including volleyball, aerobics, bike rides, french lessons, running and salsa dancing as well as birthdays to celebrate, friends to farewell and others to welcome. Some days your biggest challenge can be finding a place to be alone that is quiet however I love living in community with people of all ages from all parts of the world. I have know been here 4 months and I am trying not to think that I only have 2 months left onboard as I become too sad, I miss friends, family and New Zealand a lot however I also love it here and I am really enjoying life in this part of the world. I have decided for this blog to write some of my journal entries from the last two months to give you some of the highlights... I hope you enjoy:)

18th July 2009,

Today I had an amazing day in Port0 Novo (the capital city of Benin) with 8 others, a beautiful city that is very different to Cotonou (where the ship is docked) it is much quieter and the French architecture is lovely and unique. It took us an hour to drive there and we looked at a small market first where I bought some cheap traditional African material, lots of bright colours that the woman here wear. In one part of the market we came across some fetish items such as dead snakes, rats, monkey heads, and even a hippopotomus head (I was shocked to see it!) used for voodoo and other rituals-it was quite disturbing and eye opening. Life is always an adventure when Karl is in the group (a good Australian friend of mine who does not speak a word of French yet seems to communicate incredibly well with the local people here), after driving around looking for a garden to eat our lunch we found ourselves at the stadium and ended up following a crowd around the back where we arrived to find hundreds of people waiting to catch a glimpse of the President of Benin. We waited patiently with them and it paid off as the president flew down in his helicopter, walked through the cheering crowd and then minutes later flew away; the people were all very excited. Immediately after this we were swept along with the crowd into the stadium and once we found a spot on the grandstand we munched on pineapple (which we purchased off a lady who was carrying it on her head) and watched a football game. It was a fantastic outing and the day ended with Karl building a great bonfire on Obama beach (yes they have erected a billboard of President Obama on the beach also). There were about 40 people there and before we settled around the bonfire for the night to toast marshmallows and songs on the guitar we played soccer, frisbee and volleyball-I am having such a good time here.
*photo: Sarah (Australian), Me and Karl enjoying fresh pineapple :)

29 July 2009,

Today I had the greatest day in the Maxofacial theatre with Dr Nasser and Dr MacDonald-I scrubbed and assisted for an 8 hour operation on a young man called Emmanuel to remove a massive tumour from his face. The tumour had eaten away at most of the mandible (jaw bone) on the left side and was very hard to remove. Once it was removed we set to work creating a new jaw line for him and moulded a plate to fit and inserted a left condyle and fixated the mandible plate with screws. It was such a fantastic experience, I was so exhausted after the 8 hours however I was really pleased that I got to be a part of it and Dr Nasser was so encouraging throughout the procedure and kept saying "You know exactly what I need Melanie, I don't even need to ask". I feel like my nursing skills are improving so much, its really exciting. I am sitting here tonight asking myself "How did I get here?" and I know it is through the support and love of those around me. I can feel myself changing and growing, not just in my nursing but in who I am and I know I am becoming a better person through these experiences. I am so blessed.
*Photos: Emmanuel before surgery and after, what a difference!

30th July 2009

Today I went and visited Emmanuel on the ward and sat with him for a while, his english is quite good because he is from Nigeria. He was visiting Contonou a month ago to try and find medical help and was walking through the marketplace when a woman approached him and told him about Mercy Ships and that they may be able to help remove his tumour. He told me this story and that he prayed that we would have space to his surgery. He was amazed that the operation took 8 hours and was very grateful.

01 August 2009

Today I felt like I could not possibly be any happier than I am right now. We traveled an hour to reach Exodus Orphanage and I was struck firstly by the cold concrete floor the children had been sleeping on every night. It is hard to imagine the weather being cold in Africa however I can now say I have experienced an African winter and suprisingly I can imagine it must be so cold at night on the concrete. So we set to work measuring and sawing pieces of wood for new beds and to repair the bunk beds that were already existing. When we first arrived the children all gathered around the car shyly however in minutes they were climbing all over us hungry for cuddles, love and piggyback rides. They were intrigued by my camera and all wanted a turn to take a photograph of each so I showed them how. After a wonderful day of making new beds and playing with adorable children my heart felt full, we left weary but content knowing they would no longer be sleeping on the dirty concrete floor. I think that is the best way I've ever spent a saturday.
*Photo 1: Carrying the twins who were cuddling me all day.
*Photo 2: The children practising their photography skills.

12 August 2009

My nursing manager is an amazing Lady and has granted me permission to go with the Palliative Care team one day a week if the Operating Rooms are not too busy and we have enough staff. When Mercy Ships screened the patients at the beginning of the year there were many conditions which could not be helped so they got those patient details and a team goes out daily to give pain relief, pray with them and support them. Sadly many of the patients do not have support or family to care for them and can sometimes die alone and in a lot of pain so we do our best to provide any care that may bring them comfort. Today was my first day and we visited a

Lady called Danielle with a dental tumour that is growing. Her house was cramped and dirty however I felt so privileged to be welcome to enter and I really enjoyed spending time with her and discussing with the other nurse other ways we could help make her comfortable and problem solve a few issues she was having. At the end of our visit with her she asked if we could please pray for her children, I could hear the concern in her voice as she expressed how she worried about what would happen to them when her time comes. As we prayed with her I was unable to stop the tears as I began to cry at the injustice of her pain and suffering and her children she will leave.

15 August 2009

What an incredible day-I don't feel like I have the words to even begin to describe the sights I witnessed today. Seventeen of us arrived in Togo (the neighbouring country of Benin) yesterday afternoon, sadly I was sick in the night and felt unwell for a part of the day however everyone was great at looking after me and I would not have missed the trek up the mountain for anything. It began as we walked through a quaint little village at the foot of the mountain-the colours struck me straight away-the rich clay colours with the bright fabric material hanging on the washing lines lightened up the whole environment, children running up to us giggling as I tickled them. We walked up through the lush vibrant green bush, banana trees surrounding us as well as crops of corn, all kinds of fruit and even cocoa trees. At certain points we had to step to the side of the track as barefooted 80 year old woman and small children passed us carrying massive loads of sticks and fruit on their heads. They are such beautiful, humble people and greeted us so warmly. There were many local people farming on the side of the mountain and as we entered a village partway up the mountain I felt as though I was walking across the pages of a National Geographic Magazine-It was unlike anything I have seen before. The entire group of us stood and took it all in, the village around us, the view ahead and the singing flowing out of the church closeby, it was very surreal. An hour later we entered the next village where our guides set up the lunch they had brought along for us, we sat outside a school classroom and enjoyed our lunch as we listened to children yelling out "Yovo, Yovo" from their mud houses nearby. Two little girls came down to investigate us and put on a little show of dancing for us when they realised they had an attentive audience, it was very amusing. One of them climbed onto my back so I carried her through the village. We reached the top to find a fog had rolled in so we did not receive much of a view however we enjoyed it the whole way up so that was good enough for me, it was a long day of walking and we were all exhausted by the end but it was one of those days I'll never forget.

29 August 2009

Recently I have been given to role of 'Theatre Co-ordinator' which involves trying to run the 6 Operating Rooms as efficiently as possible and solving any problems that may arise. With so many new staff arriving all the time (often for 2 weeks) I am often helping nurses and surgeons find equipment they require, organising lunch breaks, changes in the lists and many other challenges. There are moments when you realise that you have run out of a particular item that the surgeon is desperately needing however I am amazed at how often I go hunting and come across just what we require. Today the airconditioning went off and it began to get very warm so as I was ringing the engineer I noticed a leak in the theatre hallway so I had to ring the Plumber; after this I was bombarded by nurses desperately needing a particular type of wound drain. As I was climbing inside containers in the hold of the Ship looking for wound drains amidst the chaos and boxes I somehow managed to find exactly what we needed. These days seem to filled with challenges, triumphs and can be so frustrating but also very rewarding. I have received so much encouragement in this role from my manager, nurses around me and surgeons and I feel as though I have the best of both worlds as some days I am given the Co-ordinating role and other days I assist for incredible operations. There are many days where I stop and I'm amazed at how far my nursing skills and confidence have grown-I feel so blessed to have been supported from the very beginning in NZ, in Australia and now here.

My plans for the end of the year have altered a little as I will now arrive in New Zealand mid December instead of the beginning of November due to receiving an invitation I felt I could not turn down. Three friends that I have met whilst being aboard Mercy Ships have invited me to join them on a safari trip that begins in Kenya and travels through Uganda, Rwanda and then returns to Nairobi, Kenya. Before joining the safari in Kenya I will firstly travel to Capetown, South Africa to visit family and friends. I am fortunate that my parents are being very supportive and lending me some money for this part of the journey:)

As for next year...well that is yet to be decided...there are many options however I have not made any decisions as of yet...I shall keep you updated.

Disclaimer: I serve with Mercy Ships. Everything here, however, is my personal opinion and is not read or approved before it is posted. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.

Trip of a lifetime to Ghana

The Adventure to Ghana began with 16 of us (including our driver) packing into a van like sardines with all of our gear strapped on to the top of the roof (true African style) at 4:30am Thursday morning. We knew our main obstacle would be the traffic (hence leaving so early) and crossing the border patrols. We smoothly made our way through Togo, stopping many times to sort our visas and passports and then the journey through Togo began. We went a particular route as we were heading towards a village called Wli, known for its amazing waterfalls, located just on the border between Togo and Ghana. I was in my element as we drove across the beautiful lush green countryside through small remote villages where the children screamed with excitement when they saw us and ran after our van to get another glimpse of the "Yovo's".

After 12hours in a warm, cramped rather uncomfortable van we were relieved to arrive in the village of Wli. The motel we stayed at was run by a lovely Ghanian couple who a few of the boys knew quite well from previous trips to Ghana and their hospitality was incredible.

After unpacking our van, we prepared to go camping and as we walked through the village with our packs loaded on our backs we recieved many stares. As we arrived at the start of the track I was very amused to see a crowd of thirty villagers sitting around staring intently at a television they had set up (one of the few in the village I believe).

With our guide Alfonz and his brother (who kindly carried our heavy tent on his head) we started off up into the beautiful hills of Ghana, a steep trek which lead us to the top of a hill that overlooked the village below and the incredible waterfall nearby. We set our tents up as the sun was setting and then gathered around the fire Alfonz had made us, for dinner and marshmallow toasting. My Australian friend, Sarah and I decided to sleep under the stars protected by a mosquito net-it was a warm night and I fell asleep to the faint sound of African drums from the village below, the waterfall and the baboons grunting in the forest (don't worry they didnt come anywhere near us!).

After breakfast in the morning we headed back down to the village passing woman who were washing clothing in the river (a bit different from our washing machines hehe) and were greeted by children wanting me to take their photos and give them piggyback rides; a lot of fun and laughter was had. It was really nice being able to communicate with the people of Ghana since they speak English unlike Benin and Togo who speak French. After a bit of relaxing and lunch we set off to the lower waterfall which took an hour of gentle walking through the bush by which time we were ready for a swim. Due to it being rainy season the falls have a lot of water coming down which made it hilarious and very heavy when you were under them, you could hardly see the person next to you when you were under them and it was a fantastic experience to stand behind the waterfall. As I walked out of the waterfall I looked up to see hundreds of bats circling overhead as they nest on the rockface above, I was glad they were high above us:)


In Africa when someone dies or gets married it is an expensive affair and quite common for the family to spend all of their money on the event therefore leaving them bankrupt. This often means that couples will wait until they have the money to marry and they will freeze the body of the deceased person until they have enough money for the wake; a tradition they are trying to discourage as it costs families so much of their savings and results in more poverty. The weekend we were in Wli they were burying three of the village elders and when Africans have a funeral they party for three days straight; it was amazing and the music never ceased. Although at times it kept us awake and meant less sleep I thoroughly enjoyed the music and the dancing and the vibrancy of the village:)

That night we all sat down to a delicious meal of traditional African food, at first I was not so sure about the food here however I now love it. I was rather adventurous and tried quite a few different meals which were very nice; they eat a lot of chicken, goat and have a lot of great fish here aswell. There is a type of savoury banana that they cook called Plantan which at first I was sure I would never touch and now I request it frequently:)

The next morning Alfonz lead us up over mountains through the African bush for 5 hours along a track (using a macheti to clear parts of the path at certain points) to the top waterfall; I enjoyed every moment of it (even the steep parts!). The top waterfall was powerful and an incredible sight and well worth the walk and hard work to get there. After a swim and some lunch we began the descent down to the lower waterfall which was very steep in parts and most of the way we could hear loud music and commotion going on below. We were all joking about what we would find when we got there but were unprepared for the sight that greeted us as we approached the lower waterfall. There was over a thousand people dancing and swimming and having a wonderful time with the DJ pumping out African music over the speakers that were run by generators, we gladly brought fizzy drinks that were sitting cooling in the water. I was soon dragged into the dancing by one of the local African men who taught me some dance moves, at that moment it really dawned on me what amazing dancers these people are.


We returned to our motel to find more lovely African food awaiting us for dinner and ready for bed after a long day of hiking through the bush. Sunday it was back through the borders, across Togo and we arrived back in Benin 12 hours later. It was an awesome adventure, the best I have had so far. It was so much fun to spend the weekend away with 14 other people from all over the world-everyone here has a story and I love hearing how people have got here. It is also an honor to share about how I have arrived in West Africa and all of the people who have helped to get me here, I know that without the financial support and everyones kind words of encouragment I could not be here.

Hope this finds you all well wherever you are, you are with me often in my thoughts and prayers :)

Disclaimer: I serve with Mercy Ships. Everything here, however, is my personal opinion and is not read or approved before it is posted. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.

The Rain Season

The rain season has arrived in Benin-it only takes a few downpours and the streets and houses quickly become flooded, I am still in disbelief that the people here can live in these conditions.
Last week I went running with friend in the afternoon-we were dodging puddles the whole time, making the run a lot more fun and interesting:) However we soon came to a street where a lake had formed and a few people on the side of the road began to laugh at us (we joined them in doing so) and began to turn back. One of the men then motioned that we could get across and before I realised what was happening he had rolled up his trousers, taken off his shoes and the next thing you know I was being carried across on his back!There was a lot of laughter all around-especially from the small children who thought it was a great joke! The African people really dislike the rain and the streets are very quiet during this time, it is not uncommon to see people who are out wearing shower caps...I'm not joking:) there is a use for everything here, which is why we have to be very careful with our rubbish-especially the hospital waste-I have heard of the drapes we use to cover the patients in operations being used as tablecloths therefore you can understand the importance of making sure anything with blood on is disposed of correctly...

Recently I spent the day with friends adventuring to a nearby village called Ouidah. Ouidah was one the most important slave trade ports from the 17th to 19th centuries where millions of African people were sold into slavery. The main religion here in Benin is Voodoo which stemmed from these times and its roots are found in the Dahomey Kingdom. In the center of the town of Ouidah there is a tree, which we were told is where the African people were made to walk around in a Voodoo ritual with the belief that this practice would wipe their memory of their past before being sold into slavery. We walked along a beach that was the single most highly-trafficked embarkation point for West African slaves headed over the Atlantic to the Americas, many were transported to Haiti and Brazil. This photo is a monument just before the beach called "The Gate Of No Return" where millions of African people were taken and sent as slaves throughout the world. Nearby was the Temple of Pythons where they have hundreds of snakes, which they let out at night and collect in the morning-I did not venture near the place!It was an interesting experience and also very moving.

Last week had its challenges, we did some major Paediatric general surgery with the Spanish Surgeon (who I have been working with for the last four weeks) and they were long days. On the Thursday a baby that we had performed two operations on died post-operatively and I felt a sense of discouragement to say the least. Sunday morning I attended the Ward church service and the music, the patients dancing and rejoicing was lovely. I felt my spirits lift when I looked around me and realised I was surrounded by children and small babies that we had operated on throughout the week. It was such a special moment when each of the mothers placed their babies in my arms to carry to theatre-it dawned on me how hard it must be to place your child into the arms of someone you have never met before and trust that you will look after their baby-afterall we are "The Yovo's in the Big white boat".

One of the hard aspects of living in community with 450 other people is that there are always people departing; it can be very hard to watch friends leave. However there are a lot of people who are here long term and I just have to remember there are always people arriving who will no doubt soon become good friends:) Have I mentioned how delicious the food here is?Many of you joked that I would not be eating very well, however we are very fortunate to have fantastic chefs who keep the menu fresh and with a lot of variety. Of course there are days where you wish you could make exactly what you feel like however I am very grateful for the lovely food that we are served daily:)

I am missing you all a lot,
You are in my thoughts often,
Take care& until next time
Auf Wiedersehen....

Disclaimer: I serve with Mercy Ships. Everything here, however, is my personal opinion and is not read or approved before it is posted. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.

Fishing, Dancing and Reality...

I am in disbelief that I have now been in West Africa for 5 weeks-I still have days where I have to remind myself of where I am-a dream come true-I am still soaking it all in and loving being here.

A few weekends ago I went away with 15 other girls to a rural village an hour and a half away called Possatome , which is one of 45 villages situated around a lake there. We went fishing with local fishermen-who taught us how to throw nets out to catch the fish-the graceful way they throw the nets makes it look so easy, however this is not the case I promise you!Townsville, Australia prepared me for the weather here, the heat and humidity is incredible-when it got too much we all jumped overboard to cool off:) The village people were so friendly, it was a nice change as the people of Contonou (where the ship is docked) are slightly more reserved. On the Sunday I went with two friends for a walk along the road to the nearby villages-meeting people all the way along-the kids are adorable and yell out "Yovo Yovo" which means "white person" in French, I am learning quite a bit of French already and my weekly French lessons are also helping!In the third village we met some children walking home from church carrying drums and instruments-I asked them to play for us&soon we had a big crowd and I managed to get everyone dancing-only afterwards did I realise that the entire village was watching!By the time we returned to our village we were very hungry so we attempted to ask a lady at a small mud hut (her shop) where we could find somewhere to eat food. She called her sons and they walked us through the village to a place where they joined us for lunch, they ordered us some African food which took an hour to arrive (African time) it was well worth the wait though. We had some hilarious conversations with our guides with the little english they knew; we had so much fun and a great day!

Last weekend I went along and spent the morning playing with children in an orphanage that Mercy Ships supports and visits every week. Our time there started off with dancing and singing followed by storytime and finishing with playdough-I felt like a kid again, it was alot of fun!There were 20 children there who are looked after by one lady and they are all so beautiful, for the entire 3 hours I had a little boy called Terri attached to me who was not happy if any of the other children tried to sit on my lap!I am looking forward to spending alot more time there in the next 5 months:)

Much to my dissapointment the Orthopaedic surgery for this year has come to an end due to some of the surgeons cancelling their trips-it makes me so sad to think that so many operations and club feet will not be operated on, however there are still other operations that are also equally important that will be done so I just have to remember that:) I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Orthopaedic theatre, the nurses I worked with were a lot of fun and the surgeons were very supportive. It was amazing to see patients hobbling into the Operating theatre on their severely deformed legs and the re-alignment happening before our eyes as the surgeons set to work, such a privilege to be apart of it all.

This month we have a theatre for Vesico Vaginal Fistual surgery; which is for woman who have had complications in childbirth. As a result of these complications and prolonged labour a hole in the bladder and vaginal wall is formed and they constantly leak urine. Sadly because of this condition they are left childless (due to the baby dying at childbirth) and they are often abandoned by their husbands, friends and family. Most of these woman travelled from the neighbouring country of Togo, they have the most amazing stories and some have suffered with leaking urine constantly for fifteen years or longer.

This week I witnessed a surgeon removing a tumour from a three month year baby's neck, which was the same size as the baby's head, it was very intense surgery and action packed however the tumour was removed successfully and the child is recovering well. Everyone on the ship is rejoicing as the baby was going to die without the operation and it was a very high risk procedure. It is moments like those that I realise this is all worth it, especially on the days when I am really tired:)

Of the 450 crew onboard there are many who are off the ship daily braving the heat (which I am sure I could not handle) involved in many different projects with the primary focus to mobilise the people of Benin and encouraging them to improve their own standards of living. We regularly have Doctors visiting from the local hospitals (and from all parts of Benin) who are being taught different procedures and nurses who come daily to work onboard. After the patients are well enough to leave the wards and go back into their community they go daily to a Hospitality centre (an old Warehouse that has being restored by Mercy Ships) where they have checkups and their wound dressings attended to. There is a Eye Specialist team and a Dental team that goes out daily to a clinic located in town. Over the 10 months that the ship is in Benin there are many programmes that are currently running which have been set up to help and equip the people of Benin in different areas; such as Agricultural, Adminstration in the Hospital, Biomedical Training and many more. There are weekly ministries that any of the crew can participate and join that include visiting the Orphanages, the Mental Hospital, and the Prison; a great opportunity to connect with the local people. I am really impressed and inspired by all the projects and ministries I have found out about lately and relieved to know that we are not just here to simply try and put a band-aid over the poverty here, but also hopefully help equip the people so they can help themselves in the future when the ship has left.

Today was a heartbreaking day as a second screening day which was scheduled to take place sadly was unable to go ahead. Due to surgeons cancelling their trips and there not being enough surgery space just over 1000 people had to be turned away, Mercy Ships tried to get the message out however the people did not believe the news and came from all over Benin (and neighbouring countries) in hope of having surgery. There was a very somber mood onboard, it was hard day for all of those who had to go and give the news to the hundreds who lined up for hours in the hot sun; there is so much need here and the reality of it is very sad.

The Port the ship is residing in is the 5th busiest in Africa so depending on how many boats are entering each day results in how much rocking we endure...it has been a rocky week I feel and there have been moments I have had to hold onto my sterile table so it does not end up across the room... don't worry we have brakes on the tables also:) Usually it is not that bad...anyway I hope this finds you all well, sorry it was quite a long blog...but until next time....Thanks for reading:)


Disclaimer: I serve with Mercy Ships. Everything here, however, is my personal opinion and is not read or approved before it is posted. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.

Luggage and Languages :)

Time for another Benin update:)
Well the good news is that my luggage finally arrived 5days after I got here!After being shown to a big room filled with lost luggage and claiming it-I had to go through the security check (which consisted of two men dressed up in Army costumes, they looked rather amusing-especially when they put their surgical masks and gloves on:) usually they poke at your bag however I must have looked suspicious since they asked me to open mine up so they could have a look inside. Unfortunately I had forgotten my padlock combination!They looked very unimpressed when I motioned that I could not open it-I managed to get the lady who was with me to come in and talk to them; she rattled off in French that I was a Mercy Ships volunteer, thankfully their very stern faces soon broke into smiles&I was so relieved when they let me take my bag:) It was like Christmas to have all of my own gear again!

The 6 theatres are amazing and have been really well organised-the equipment is all first world which makes it a lot easier for me as I already know how to work alot of it:) So far I have been in the Maxofacial theatre working with a lovely surgeon who has been here for 23 years, he came for 3 weeks originally and never left!Last week I worked in the General theatre with a Spanish Surgeon, I am learning both Spanish and French rather quickly as he asks for instruments and attempts to communicate with me in both languages! I am seeing amazing operations in theatre and learning alot, I asked one woman who was having a Throidectomy (a very disfiguring growth on the front of her neck) how she was feeling and she responded with a big smile "excited", it left me a bit speechless since I am so used to people saying "nervous"!The communication barrier is hard at times, however I have found it amazing how a smile and a hug can go so far!we also have translators to help us with the pre-operation check and when we pray with each patient before they go into the Operating room, it is really nice:)

The poverty here is still shocking me, the conditions that the people live in is quite devastating and also so humbling- it all makes me realise how very blessed I am to have grown up in New Zealand:) The housing here is a combination of basic huts made out of anything from tin, concrete and palm tree leaves. Most of the people dress in bright colours and outfits though which brightens up the place a lot!Five minutes out of Contonou (the capital) the roads are covered with potholes and their petrol stations consist of bottles filled up on the side of the road with funnels coming out of them, quite a site! This weekend I went with a group of people on a boat out to Stilt Village, it is a village of 20,000 people who live in houses that are propped up on stilts and their transportation are wooden canoes. It was amazing to see their market which consisted of women sitting in their boats with all of their produce around them that they were selling!The waterstation (where they were filling up their drums with safe water) was also a very busy spot:) The village was a 18kl boat ride from Contonou.

I am oncall a few times a week and you have to stay onboard all day. On sunday I was oncall so I attended the church service on the ward, what an experience!There was so much passion, the drums were going and the patients that could stand were up dancing with joy during the worship, their voices are beautiful-I did a lot of laughing, it was a very fun morning:)

You will understand how pleased I am that there are many people who are keen on running so I get to go out most mornings with a group of people-the warm Australian climate was great preparation for running here-even at 6am it is HOT!:) I look forward to the day I will run in fresh air again...the smells here are quite strong at times&I cannot believe some of the conditions people live in, I guess it doesn't always come down to choice though. We are often looked at with much interest and I hear the word "Yovo" being called out often, which means "white person" :)

I hope this finds you all well....
Missing everyone...
Will update you again soon on my West African Adventures :)

Disclaimer: I serve with Mercy Ships. Everything here, however, is my personal opinion and is not read or approved before it is posted. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.

The Beginning of West Africa :)

Well after 28 hours of flying I arrived in West Africa, sadly my luggage did not...um temporarily lost, however for some reason I was not suprised to hear it&was almost expecting I would not find it when I got there...silly I know...I am hoping it will arrive tomorrow when the next flight comes in. The beginning of the culture shock began in Brazzaville, Congo where we stopped on the way to Benin-the plane was very empty and a few people got off and within seconds it filled to the brim with African people-I was one of the 5 white people onboard&it was so strange to be in the minority but also very refreshing:) I spent the next 3 hours with my personal space being invaded by the lady next to me, who was actually a man...the beard was a slight give-a-way despite his/her layers of makeup!

Everyone onboard this ship is so lovely&friendly, I have made a good friend already called Beth who is South African&a real laugh-we ventured into town on saturday-it was very hot&overwhelming!The people of Benin are lovely&friendly-they are drawn to my hair I think-haha-we went to a phone shop to try and get a SIM card&the security guard took us in and treated us like royalty taking us to the front of the queue, it was very embarassing!I was a little nervous as there were people approaching us constantly but it was fine-I recieved my first marriage proposal from an old Benin man at the markets, told him I would consider it-think I'm going to wait for a better offer-see if they are willing to throw in some goats or furniture:)

The orientation of the ship has been really great&I am so humbled to see people who have flown across the world to come onboard to serve food, cook, clean toilets etc-there are so many roles yet they are all so important.

The ship has 8 levels& is quite amazing!They have everything here it seems-an internet cafe, library,a small gym, a Starbucks (the Americans cannot live without it!),a pool on the top deck!There are SO many activities!!!running groups (hooray!), french classes (which i have signed up for), and there always seems to be a party going on or a celebration for someones Birthday. There are 5 other people in my cabin-it is fine- people are leaving and arriving all the time its crazy!!!Getting used to the ships rocking...its is only slight but the higher up the ship you go the more you notice it!Great for sleeping:) 450 People from all over the world here...American, Canadia, Dutch, German, Sweddish, Australia, Nz the list goes on!

I will be starting in the Operating Theatres tomorrow-the OR Manager is lovely&they are so blown away that i am staying for 6months, most theatre nurses only stay for 2 weeks!

This morning I went to a local church-it was absolutely AMAZING!!!even the drive there was mindblowing-everyone here rides scooters&you don't need a license so you can imagine the chaos!They don't have to wear helmets either&there is no limit to how many people you can carry-the most I've seen is 5 people on one, an entire family:) Do not worry, I would not hop on one if you paid me!The church we attended took about 15 minutes to drive too from the ship-Mercy Ships has about 10 4wheel drives with their name on it so as soon as people recognise it they greet you instantly-they are so grateful for the work being done here&even in town they look out for you&make sure no-one is bothering you!The poverty here is astounding-the church was down a backroad&I am not joking when I tell you that to get to the building we had to cross stepping stones through a river that was running through the street!The church was basically a roof& the seats were planks on bricks-we were given deck chairs though to sit on at the front of the church!I think this was because we were visitors but also because the section where we would normally sit had a pool of water in it...haha yes there was a small pond in the middle of the church, the floor was dirt. Their worship was breathtaking, I've never seen such passion before in church-they were dancing and when the drums got going the atmosphere was electric! The woman were all dressed up in bright vibrant dresses with headgear-the children were my favourite-they kept falling asleep throughout the service:)

Well this is the beginning and I shall keep you updated:)

Disclaimer: I serve with Mercy Ships. Everything here, however, is my personal opinion and is not read or approved before it is posted. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.