I live on a ship!

  When I say I live on a ship, people often ask me if I get seasick.  The answer is "No", but in reality the ship I live on is docked for 10 months and is actually at sea only a few weeks of the year.  At the end of the 10 month field service the ship leaves the port of the country where services have been provided and sails to a summer location to have an annual mandatory inspection and renovations completed. Most of the time that summer location has been in the Canary Islands, off the Northwest coast of Africa but actually a part of Spain.  Work teams arrive to complete a vast list of maintenance and repairs that may require being in dry dock (out of the water) for part of the time, as is the case for this summer's renovations.
   Living in a port city is different. To go anywhere in the city you have to leave the port, a 20 minute walk from the gangway to the port gate here in Pointe Noire, Congo. There is heavy equipment moving all the time as well as cars and trucks that must be avoided.  We always are to walk with another person.  On the weekends a shuttle will take us out of the port  gate and then we can walk into town , to the beach or take a taxi to the market.
 It is not a common occurrence for a ship to stay more than a few days in one spot while in the port. We are the exception. Neighbors come and go while our ship stays in one place.  It is fascinating to sit and watch from the windows.  There are so many different kinds of ships but our usual neighbors are RoRo's (Roll on, Roll off) that are vehicle transporters), container ships, logging ships and of course we watch as the fishing boats bring in their catch of the day.  A few weeks ago we were delighted to watch an Italian Naval  Aircraft Carrier, named Cavour, dock across from us and we were invited aboard to see it. It was amazing!

                                                                   The port gate

                                                    Port side view from deck 7

                                                          A container ship

Night view

                                        The Cavour, the Italian Naval Aircraft Carrier

                                                      The escort ships for the carrier

                                            Helicopters on the flight deck of the Cavour

                                                    Harrier jet on the flight deck of the Cavour

The Africa Mercy(home sweet home) as seen from the Cavour

Fishing boat at night

Joyous Return to the ship

   Life has a way of putting some unexpected detours in our path. I spent a wonder filled three months at home in Ohio after the abrupt arrival of Isaac, born at 26 weeks, to my youngest son David and his wife Renae. The ups and downs of a preemie's life have settled into a calmer routine.  He weighed 2 # 8 oz at birth and now weighs over 10 pounds at 5 months. I am now "Koko", as the day crew in Congo call me, which means grandma in Lingala and Kituba.  I am already Grandma Chris to my family and now I am. Koko Chris as well!

The day Isaac was born 09/10 13

Isaac in the NICU

                                                                Isaac on Feb 5, 2013

Those of you interested in more detail about Isaac's first three months can view a video on you tube  titled "Merry Christmas 2013 Isaac David"  or on board the ship in the transfer drive, Public Share, in the folder titled "Baby Isaac. "  His miracle of life is a testimony to the power of prayer.

I missed the ship.  It has become my home (away from home in Ohio). I missed the community of faith on board the ship where living together and praying for each other is a covenant responsibility and a privilege. I missed the daily routine of work in the Admissions tent, of greeting each patient and caregiver and seeing them lose some of their fear and anxiety.  All it takes is a warm smile and friendly touch of the hand as questions are asked and answered.  Some patients with disfiguring growths have not been touched in a very long time. Touch can be healing, a beginning, a change of thought from "I am untouchable" to "I have worth and value".  Such a simple thing that can make all the difference in the world.  Touch. 

As of Feb 1st, 2014  A total of 950 adults and 349 children have had the following surgeries done:

                   570 Eyes

                   146 Plastics

                   78 Orthopedics

                   349 Maxillo Facial

                   284 General surgeries

We are currently in week 28 of 42 in this field service and it has been announced that the ship will return to Guinea in west Africa for the 2014-2015 field service. I will complete my current commitment the end of May but I am already making plans to return to the ship January through May 2015. I can't imagine not spending some time each year on the ship.  To paraphrase John Muir: "Africa is calling and I must go".

Grace

Grace – A Transformation in Progress

You may remember Grace, but you probably won’t recognize her.

Grace was one of our first patients up the gangway in Congo. On September 10th, Mercy Ships surgeons removed the massive tumor from her face. It’s been six weeks since her surgery, but 17-year-old Grace is as sassy as ever – and she’s looking like a whole new young woman.

“God is good because He did a big thing for me. I did not believe that I could be saved, but God has had grace. Mercy Ships arrived in Pointe Noire, they treated me, and I am better today,” Grace says.  

Grace’s journey to the Africa Mercy began with an email. A hospital chaplain from neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo met Grace at a hospital there. The chaplain, Pastor Gregoire, was shocked by Grace’s facial tumor, which weighed 4.9 pounds (2.2 kilos.) Pastor Gregoire came alongside Grace, counseling and praying with her. He says she was often so distraught that she cried all night. Sometimes she refused to eat or drink. “Indeed, she suffered,” he says simply.

Pastor Gregoire took a photo of Grace and published it on his blog. A reader responded to his post, recommending that he visit mercyships.org, an organization that might be able to help. From there, Pastor Gregoire contacted the Mercy Ships Swiss office and exchanged emails with Christophe Baer. Through Christophe, Pastor Gregoire sent Grace’s medical records and reports to the Africa Mercy. The response was positive. Grace and Pastor Gregoire were asked to arrive in Pointe Noire, in the Republic of Congo, on September 2nd.

Grace’s story is a chain of mercy forged by compassionate hearts, and their efforts were rewarded. Grace will have a second surgery on December 17th. Until then, she is recovering in the Mercy Ships Hospital Out Patient Extension Center (HOPE Center), where she has become the champion UNO player. As Mercy Ships nurses will tell you, Grace dominates every hand – and don’t even think about challenging her to Jenga!

In a few months, Grace will return home and begin school. She hopes to study medicine one day, she says. Grace wants to be a nurse.

Written by – David Petersen

RECENT POSTS

Grace Walks with a New Pep in her Step!

Posted on November 18, 2013

An Update on Grace (looking as beautiful as ever):

On Sept. 10th Grace had surgery to remove a 2.2 kilogram tumor from her jaw. Since her surgery, she and her mother, Christine, have been waiting patiently as Grace approaches the final stages of her recovery. They are currently staying at the HOPE Center, Mercy Ships off-site care center for patients after their surgeries. Grace’s favorite part? “I can take walks again,” she says. She’s happy that this time, no one is staring or pointing at her. We can only imagine what that must feel like!

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7,354. . . . .

 7,354 is the best estimate of the number of patients who were standing in line for the BIG screening on Wednesday, August 28th.. In all of Mercy Ships history, this is the most patients ever seen on the initial screening of any field service. Of those, 6354 came through the next gate and of those 4236 were sent on through the next gate and were given patient cards to go through the final screening process. Prayer was offered for anyone not chosen for the final screening process.  Some will be seen by the palliative care team.

4236 is further divided into 40% General surgery; 21% Orthopedic surgery, 16% MaxFax surgery, 15% Plastic surgery, 4% Women's Health surgery and 2% VVF or Obstetric Fistula surgery.  Incredible numbers.
We left the ship for the screening site at 05:30 am and returned to the ship at 2030 or 8:30 pm.  It was an exhausting, inspiring, heartbreaking, humbling, hopeful day for the 320+ crew working that day at the screening site.  I  was 1 of 18 people working side by side with a translator in the history taking area and I will see many of the same patients again as they are scheduled for surgery and come back through admissions the day before their surgery.

Standing in line

Panoramic view of the line

                                                               Waiting to see the doctor

                       I am working in the history taking area, taking vital signs after the paperwork is done

                                      These are the kinds of problems we can help. . . . .

          Rare for goiters to ever get this large in a developed country, but very common in Africa

The Africa Mercy crew! I am in a pink shirt 5 rows back from the front just to the right of midline

                                                        The Medical crew for Congo

Goodbye Guinea, Hello Congo

   I wanted to give you an idea of the lives that were impacted by the 10 month outreach in Guinea.
There were 2,642 surgeries with this breakdown;
         Eye                                    1,617
         Orthopedic                           116
         Maxillofacial/cleft lip              625
         VVF                                       63
         General                                 281
There were 57,558 Medical Services with this breakdown;
         Physical Therapy Services   3,058
         Eye Evaluations                 13,500
         Dental Procedures             41,000
There were 119 training opportunities for Africans with this breakdown:
         Surgeons Trained/ Mentored     14
         Nurses Trained/ Mentored        11
         Other Medical Training             76
         Agricultural Trainers                  18
The crew also had the opportunity to participate in off ship ministries and weekly visited a men's and a women's prison, an orphanage, and the showing of the Jesus Film, to name a few of the planned outreaches.
   After the work was completed in the seven weeks at the shipyard in the Canary Islands we arrived in Pointe Noire, Congo after a 14 day sail. We crossed the Equator at the Prime Meridian at 0.00 degrees latitude and 0.00 degrees longitude and became Royal Diamond Shellbacks!  (We had to kiss a fish to receive our certificates.)  What a year of "firsts" this has been for me.
   Arriving in Congo was quite emotional.  Mercy Ships founders Don and Deyon Stephens were waiting on the dock along with the Minister of Health and other dignitaries who welcomed us with speeches and music as we watched the festivities from deck 7. Since our arrival August 10th we have been busy getting the hospital ready. Everything is falling into place.  Tomorrow I will meet the 5 local day crew who will be the translators for Admissions and we will begin the process of scrubbing the tent and getting all our equipment moved into our area.  The big screening takes place August 28 and surgery will begin September 2nd. I can't wait to start seeing patients!

                                                                   Last sunset at sea

 As we round the corner to arrive at our berth we see a container ship being unloaded

                                                 The festive dock awaits our arrival

                                                  Don and Deyon waving and cheering

                                                    Unloading the gangway from deck 8

                       Captain Tim goes down the gangway with the Pilot to music and fanfare

                                            The Minister of Education giving his speech

                                                            Don Stephens speaking

                                             The food didn't last long being served on the dock.

                                               The new floor in the hospital shines brightly

                                                                       Before. . . . .

                                                                       And after!

 Yes, I am scrubbing with a toothbrush.  A rag just couldn't get all the cracks and crevasses clean.

                                                              Assembling charts

                                            The Admissions tent is set up, ready for cleaning.

                                            This tent on the dock will be my workplace

On the high seas

We left the Canary Islands yesterday afternoon and we are on the open sea traveling south to our destination at Pointe Noire, Congo.  We should arrive in about 2 weeks.  This is a time of rest, relaxation, reading, getting to know the new crew that arrived in the last few weeks, working our "summer" job, and meeting to plan for the Congo field service.  It is a special time for when we get to Pointe Noire we will be extremely busy getting everything in place to start the screening process that determines who will be able to have surgery. This year Mercy Ships celebrates 35 years of offering hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor.  Watch the 60 Minutes program on August 4th to learn more about what this amazing organization does.

                                                     Goodbye Tenerife; Sunset at sea