Life in 4th and 5th Grade

I've been hesitant to share too much about my role on the ship simply because it involves the children onboard. However, I feel like I never write about what I actually do here. I decided to ask the parents if they would mind if I shared some photos from class, and they graciously granted permission. Without further ado, I'd love to introduce you to my fourth and fifth grade class!

Sharing our "My Culture" projects... From left: Noah, Nate, Jan, Jana, Elliot, Josh, and Josie

Acting out our Bible memory verse...
Vocabulary Pictionary

Examining rocks and minerals with magnifying glasses...

Writing an essay...

Sharing our writing...


After all this hard work, sometimes we need to take a silly break!

Aren't they adorable? They definitely keep me on my toes!

I can't end this post without sharing a story that makes me smile every time I think about it. Birthdays are kind of a big deal in our class. Earlier this week, one of my fourth graders began his prayer with, "Dear Lord, I wanna thank you so much for birthdays. I thank you so much that Noah is turning 10--WOW, HALLELUJAH!--and thank you that he will be able to go through the line by himself in the dining hall..."

It's always the little things--WOW, HALLELUJAH! :)

Clouds over Josué are Lifted

The following patient story was written by Richard Brock, writer for Mercy Ships.


For Cécile, a 26-year-old tailor, the birth of her second son, Josué, was a momentous occasion. The tragic memory of the death of her first-born child was slightly alleviated by the arrival of a second joyful baby boy. Yet, after only six weeks, Josué’s health, too, deteriorated, and Cécile became fearful of losing another child.

A milky layer began to form over both of Josué’s eyes, affecting his vision. Cécile did not understand what was happening to her newborn son. Her husband and family were also baffled. Her in-laws decided that the only possible explanation was that Cécile was cursed. Because this was the second of Cécile’s children to experience health problems, her in-laws were convinced that she had brought evil into their house. So, they told Cécile to leave and return to her own parents.


Distraught and confused, Cécile left the house with Josué. “I became very anxious and felt completely helpless and depressed,” she said. “My in-laws accused me, but never did they question that, if this was a curse, could it possibly come from their own son – my husband?”

But Cécile did not return to the house of her parents. Instead, she remembered an advertisement she had seen on the television about an organization called Mercy Ships. Deep down, she believed that somebody onboard the “big ship” in Cotonou could help her. And she was right!

After a four-hour journey in a taxi to the busy streets of Cotonou, Cécile and Josué ventured onboard the Africa Mercy where Dr. Glenn Strauss, Senior Vice President of Health Care Initiatives and a renowned ophthalmic surgeon, assessed Josué’s tiny, clouded eyes. The conclusion was that Josué had bilateral congenital cataracts and would require surgery in order to save his sight. “The cataracts were not grossly obvious, but they were certainly there from birth,” said Dr. Strauss.

Josué is the youngest patient to receive cataract surgery in the history of Mercy Ships. At only three months old, there were certain risks in attempting the surgery. “Children under one year of age have an increased risk in eye surgery, particularly relating to the cornea and the inflammation of the eye,” Dr. Strauss explained. “It’s a microsurgical procedure, and an eye that is half the size of an adult eye increases the challenge of surgical manipulation.” He continued, “But it’s better to do this surgery sooner rather than later to decrease the chance of amblyopia (lazy eye).”

A few days later, Cécile sat with Josué in her lap as Dr. Strauss examined the results of the delicate procedure he had performed to remove the cataracts. The outcome was extremely positive. “Josué was in very good health, which is important because congenital cataracts are often associated with many other congenital complications – such as heart, lung, and neurological problems,” said Dr. Strauss. “His eyes were properly aligned, and there was no involuntary movement. It looked like he would gain good vision during recovery.”

Now that Josué’s cataracts have been removed, Cécile says the family is happy again, adding, “This situation has surprised them and made them realise that it was not definitely a curse.”

The clouds that covered Josué’s eyes have lifted. The work of Mercy Ships has given a young boy a bright future and has restored his mother’s hope. “My heart is refreshed and calm,” Cécile said with a smile. “I pray that this child will become a great man and care for me in my old age.”

“I’m very thankful for Mercy Ships. What the enemy said about my baby was stopped. God changed things. He used a specialist to help my baby. May God be glorified, and may this work continue and be a blessing to many people. I believe that this ship is the glory of God,” Cécile concluded.

Written by Richard Brock
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photographs by PJ Accetturo & Megan Petock

Olympic Gold!

Onboard the Africa Mercy, we are always looking for free ways to entertain ourselves when we aren't working. Two weeks ago, we held our own version of the Olympics. Meet my team, the Average Joe's:

No, we don't normally dress or pose like this. :)

presenting our team chant...

A few of our competitors:

the Tooth Fairies (aka dental team)...

the Lost Boys...second star to the right and straight on 'til morning!

the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything (remember Veggie Tales?)...

the Warriors...

Team TERSH...

the Super Squirrels...

And many more...Let the games begin!

Here I am being lifted through the "ring of fire."

Group Skiing

How long can our whole team balance on a block of wood?

Round Robin Ping Pong

victory picture after setting the new ping pong score-to-beat

blind-folded search

And first place with the highest number of overall points goes to...THE AVERAGE JOE'S!!!

Allez les ecureuils!

Go squirrels!

Earlier this month, Benin played Ghana in the World Cup Preliminaries. Although this is not the type of football I am used to (football to the rest of the world is soccer to Americans), I haven't been able to support my Auburn Tigers very well, so I figured the Benin Squirrels would be a close second. :) It's funny how with everything I do in Africa, the world gets a little bit smaller. A sporting event looks pretty much the same here as it does in the States.

From the flags flying en route to the big game...

to the game day traffic...

to the crazy fans...

to the crowded stadium...

to the pre-game celebration...

to the singing of the national anthem...

to the friends...

to the gameday shirts (This one says "Go Squirrels of Benin!")...

to the star players...

to the victory celebration...

to the connection with strangers simply because you are cheering for the same team.

Allez les ecureuils!

Ever miss a deadline?

Our principal sent us this cartoon recently, and I thought it was hilarious. We have just finished our first quarter of school, and it's been a crazy couple weeks. Between grading, finalizing report cards, and getting ready for parent conferences, I haven't had much time for blogging. Sorry about that! I promise I'll post a real update in the next few days. Until then, I hope you laugh as hard at this cartoon as I did. :)

Maomai Dangbenon: Salvation Has Come

The following patient story was written by Megan Petock, writer for Mercy Ships.

It was the middle of the night, and Perlagie couldn’t sleep. The image of Maomai, her three-month-old baby girl, flashed through her mind every time she closed her eyes. A huge tumor the size of the baby’s head was jutting out of Maomai’s neck. Perlagie looked over at her daughter, peacefully sleeping in her hospital bed, and began to cry.

For over a week, Perlagie had stayed in the hospital, waiting and praying for a doctor to help Maomai – but no one came. In the morning, they were being sent home. Perlagie didn’t know what to do.

When Perlagie finally fell asleep, she had a dream.

“In that dream, I saw a person, who told me I should be quiet and pray – that salvation shall come.”

The next morning, Perlagie felt confident and peaceful. She didn’t know where help would come from, but she knew God was going to take care of her baby.

***

Maomai was born with a teratoma, which means monstrous tumor. It started out as a small, golf-ball sized lump on her neck, but within three months, the tumor had grown to the size of her head.

Everyone in Perlagie’s village was afraid of Maomai. The grotesque tumor was difficult to look at, and the villagers thought they could be contaminated by it. No one would touch or play with the small baby.

“One time I was in the bathroom, and the baby was crying. People were around the baby, but they would not touch her because of the tumor. They left her crying, alone. Even the members of my family,” said Perlagie.
Perlagie was alone. Maomai was a precious, beautiful baby girl, and she could see that, but others simply couldn’t see past the monstrous tumor. In a country where perceived physical differences mark people as outcasts, Maomai was treated like a monster instead of a baby girl.

“I was very, very, sad. I was not able to sleep,” said Perlagie. “Every day, I was crying. Also, I was not eating. I had no appetite because of the condition of my baby.”

Perlagie and her husband wanted to get Maomia help. They took her to a local hospital, but there was no surgeon to perform her surgery. Perlagie didn’t become anxious or fearful. She confidently left the hospital, trusting God to bring healing and deliverance from the tumor.

When Perlagie returned to her village, her sister-in-law told her about the Africa Mercy, a hospital ship filled with doctors and nurses, which had come to Cotonou. She had just returned from the ship after being treated for an eye problem and thought they could help Maomai.

Perlagie brought her daughter to the Africa Mercy and was screened by the medical team. It was obvious that she needed immediate surgery. But the tumor had made it difficult for her to feed, and Maomai was very underweight – too underweight for surgery. The Mercy Ships medical team placed her on a feeding program and scheduled her for surgery in one month. Mercy was on its way. The salvation Perlagie had dreamed of was becoming a reality.

A month passed, and it was time for Maomai’s surgery. The morning of surgery, Peralgie worried it would not be successful.

“I started crying. Some nurses and translators told me the operation was possible with God. The doctor will be successful with surgery, the tumor will be removed, and the baby will be healed. They gave me that hope,” said Perlagie.

After six hours of surgery, Maomai’s tumor was removed. It weighed 375 grams, 15% of her body weight. The monstrous tumor was gone, and the beautiful baby girl remained.
Maomai spent over a month recovering in the hospital. Still struggling to maintain her weight, she had to be fed through a surgically placed feeding tube.

The nursing staff encouraged Perlagie to use the feeding tube. At first, she was hesitant. Perlagie distanced herself from Maomai. But as she grew more comfortable in the hospital, things changed. The nursing staff taught Perlagie how to use the feeding tube. As she took ownership of Maomai’s care, their relationship thrived.

“Initially, we were worried about her,” said pediatric nurse Ali Chandra. “But now she’s been here for over a month, and she’s blossomed. Perlagie has completely bonded with Maomai in the time they’ve been here. And it happened as we started teaching her [to use the feeding tube]. She’s doing really well,” says Chandra.

Maomai has continued to grow stronger since her surgery. Not only has she gained weight, she’s gained vibrancy.

“Maomai used to be this kind of listless baby, and now she’s bright. She’s doing more age-appropriate things than before,” says Chandra.

Psalm 13:5 says, “I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation” (NKJV).

Perlagie knows this to be true. She trusted God to take care of her baby, and He brought her salvation. Perlagie is rejoicing in His mercy.

“I thank God, and I thank each of you, for all you have done for me. God is healing and still working. I have seen my salvation in this child,” she concluded.
Written by Megan Petock
Edited by IOC Editing Team
Photography by Debra Bell and Megan Petock