We Must Go--Benin 2009

My friend Marcin created an amazing slideshow of our Benin outreach, and I would love to share it with all of you!  (Click the arrow in the middle or the play button below to start the slideshow.)

We Must Go--Benin 2009 (created by Marcin Bielan)

Uploaded by HMN80. - Discover videos of people, family and friends.

*Slideshow used with permission from Marcin Bielan.  It is not an official Mercy Ships presentation.

Aventuras en Tenerife (Adventures in Tenerife)

After an eleven day sail, we arrived in the Canary Islands early Saturday morning.  The Canary Islands are geographically a part of Africa but politically a part of Spain, which means that this is the closest 1st world country to Benin, and therefore the best place for our yearly maintenance and inspections.  We will be here through the end of January before moving on to our next outreach in Togo.  I'm looking forward to exploring a new city and experiencing European culture.  We got a good start on that this weekend!

Several of us got up to watch the sunrise as the ship pulled into port.

Jamie and me, bleary-eyed but happy to be here!

Ahhhh, land!

The first thing we did when we were given permission to exit the ship was run on the dock.  The weather was perfect--sunny but much cooler than African heat--and no poo rocks!  Then we quickly took showers and set out to explore this beautiful city by the sea.

A Little Taste of Spanish Culture

It was a bit of a culture shock to be back in the western world even after just four months in Africa (and even more surreal to step back onto the ship afterwards).  No longer walking down dirt roads to the street markets, we were surrounded by shopping malls, expensive cars, nice restaurants, and of course, McDonald's (which, I am ashamed to admit, was one of our first stops).  The clothing in Tenerife is extremely trendy.  It's kind of like when you look at the models in a fashion magazine and think, Who actually wears this?  Well, I can now confirm that real people do in fact wear multiple tones of purple from head to toe (yes, as in shirt to cardigan to scarf to purse to mini-skirt to tights to boots).  

I could definitely grow to love Spanish culture.  I love the fun, upbeat music that makes you want to dance in the middle of the fruit market.  The language is beautiful, and the people are friendly and helpful.  Speaking of language, it's been comically confusing trying to switch from French to Spanish.  I know very little Spanish to begin with, and I think my brain now automatically shifts into French mode when I hear unfamiliar words spoken around me.  Trying to confirm my ice cream cone order in McDonald's, I answered "oui" when the cashier asked me if I only wanted one.  As he was preparing my ice cream, I literally stood there and repeated to myself, Gracias, gracias, gracias, because I knew if I didn't make a conscious effort I would say "merci" when he returned.  The funniest language slip-up was when Jamie thanked someone with the words, "Thankmmmmgracias."  People joke about using Spanglish.  We are definitely using Spafrenglish.  :)

with Christina, Jamie, and Kelly

Conquering El Teide--The First Attempt

By far my favorite adventure this weekend was hiking El Teide (pronounced TEH-theh).  At over 12,188 feet above sea level, Mt. Teide is the third highest volcano in the world.  It's a 5-6 hour hike up to the summit, and we were determined to conquer it.

Out at sunrise and ready to go!

We had a bit of a setback with the rental car company opening late, but we finally piled into Baby Beluga (our nickname for the cheapest-we-could-find GIANT blue minibus we rented) and started the one-hour drive to the volcano.

approaching El Teide (view from the car)

a little closer...Isn't it gorgeous?

When we arrived at the information center, we learned that because of our car rental delays, we wouldn't have time to hike to the summit by our assigned time slot of 3:00-4:00.  In addition, there were 100 kmph winds near the summit, so strong that it was unsafe to run the cable cars up to the top.  We weren't planning to take the cable cars anyway, so we set off from the bottom with the intentions of going as far as we could and turning around in time to make it back to the car before dark.

starting our journey to the top (or at least the middle)

unbelievable surroundings...The pictures just don't do it justice.

approaching the remnants of lava flow from its last eruption in 1909

We made it to the bottom of the lava!

the middle of the lava...Do you notice the cloud BELOW us?

proof that we reached the middle of the lava

the view from our stopping point about 2900 meters up (If you look back at the close-up picture of the volcano, we stopped where the lava connected at the top, where it no longer appeared to be "dripping.")

a crater

almost back to the bottom

Even though it was disappointing not to be able to hike all the way to the summit, we had a great time and were amazed by God's unbelievable creation.  We were already planning a second attempt in January as we walked back.  What a fabulous end to a great weekend!

Homeward Bound
I fly out tomorrow evening to spend 2 1/2 weeks at home for Christmas.  In addition to spending quality time with family and friends, I'm looking forward to real milk, cooler weather, boots, my home church, and Chick-Fil-A.  :)  

I can't wait to see everyone!  If I don't see you while I'm home, have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year!

The second star to the right...

shines in the night for you.

Ok, I promise that's my last Disney reference.  I have never seen the stars like I've seen them from the middle of the ocean this past week.  It's so hard to describe.  I wish I could take a picture, but obviously that wouldn't work.  When I step outside at night, I feel like I'm in a planetarium.  The sky forms a perfect dome over the ocean.  You don't even have to look up to see the stars; they are literally all around you. 

We've seen shooting stars too!  On Sunday night, there was a meteor shower.  I was only outside for five minutes, and I saw five shooting stars.  (I wish I could've stayed longer, but our report card grades were due the next morning.)  Last night, a few of my friends and I slept outside on the top deck of the ship.  It was cold and windy, but I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to fall asleep beneath the shooting stars.  So amazing.

"He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name."  Psalm 147:4

Loving the Sail

I've stared at the screen for the past five minutes, typing and deleting, struggling with how to start this blog.  I give up.  Please excuse my disorganized jumble of random thoughts.

We have been sailing for five days, and I am loving it!   I spent a couple hours on deck this morning, just soaking in the calm.  I've discovered that the open sea smells different from the beach.  It's crisp and wet and sweet.  Standing on the deck reminds me of Disney movies, particularly The Little Mermaid and Peter Pan.  The lines that keep repeating in my head: "Mermaid off the port bow!  Ariel!  How you doin' kid?...Whoa, what a swim!" and of course the most romantic line, "Grimm, I lost her once.  I'm not gonna lose her again!" 

Anyway...

I never doubted I would enjoy sailing because a cruise has been one of my favorite ways to vacation for years.  As much as I've enjoyed cruises in the past, they don't compare to sailing on the Africa Mercy.  Our ship is a renovated rail ferry, much smaller than a cruise liner.  While cruise liners are large enough to provide a very smooth ride, we rock constantly from side to side.  Today at lunch I watched my spoon slide across the table with the salt shaker.  Workout videos are far more interesting than usual.  I go to sleep really easily, but I also wake up in the middle of the night as if my body has suddenly realized it shouldn't be moving so much. 

Another difference between the Africa Mercy and a cruise liner is the entertainment.  On a cruise, there is a packed calendar of events guaranteed to keep you busy from sunrise to well past midnight.  On the Africa Mercy, we have time to notice things like this:

a "water spout," basically a tornado over the water

dolphins

sperm whales (You can only see the spray from his blow hole.)

more whales, possibly Orcas

amazing sunsets

I just love it. :)

*All pictures were pirated from our network transfer drive.  (pun intended shamelessly)

Argh, Mateys!

Last night I took a shift on pirate watch.  Our ship has around-the-clock watches for increased security, and all crew members are encouraged to help out.  On pirate watch, we monitor the aft (rear) side of the ship for any suspicious behavior with passing ships.  While it is highly unlikely that our ship would be attacked by pirates, piracy is real and a growing problem near the African coastline, so our security department takes it very seriously.  However, that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun with it in the process.

our security officer's door, all decorated for Christmas

with Becca...yeah, we might have gone a bit overboard (no pun intended) with dressing the part.

Becca teaching me how to make a pirate face

I'm supposed to have a hook for a hand...not sure what happened there.

taking Kelly captive

No pirates on our watch.  You'd be scared of us too, right?

Sailing!!!

We left port this morning in route to the Canary Islands.  We will be in Tenerife for the rest of December and most of January for our yearly maintenance and inspections.  Everything has been smooth sailing so far!  There is now no land in sight, just deep blue ocean.  It's pretty incredible!

A few pics from the sail this morning...

waiting for the sail

people waving goodbye at the end of the dock

the pilot boat that led us out of the port

Goodbye Benin!  I'll miss you!

me with a few of my kiddos

Later on this evening...

Danae and I went out to the bow to watch the sunset.

the view straight down from the bow

Hey look!  Is that a flying fish?

sunset from the bow

I just love sailing!  :)

Prayer Requests:  Please pray for a safe sail. Please pray for our captain, officers, engineers, security, and deck department as they work long hours to keep us safe.  Please continue to pray for the people of Benin.  Finally, please pray for God's favor with the government of Togo as well we finalize the details for our outreach that begins in February.  Thank you so much!!!

Even the Poo Rocks

The countdown to the sail has begun.  While I'm so excited about sailing, the closer we get to the actual departure date, the more I realize I'm going to miss Benin.  It's amazing to me that in just three short months, God has changed my heart from seeing this city as foreign and unpleasant, to calling it home.  For evidence of this, just look back on my blog entry from September 15th, in which I wrote about my concern that I didn't have a "heart for Africa."  God has taught me that having "a heart for Africa" (or any other place) isn't necessarily some emotion that just appears out of nowhere.  Although I'm sure God can and does give some people a special compassion for a particular people group without a personal connection, often He gives us a love for a place and its people as we experience life there. 

For me, it began with a 4-year-old girl named Danielle, whom I met at a prison here in Cotonou.  It grew with a camping trip, where I started to contemplate what Jesus meant when He said He came to give us abundant life.  It continued with a football game, where I discovered that some things are the same no matter where you are.  And it was made permanent by an orphanage, where little smiles showed me that joy and contentment don't have to be dependent on your circumstances.

It's funny.  The other day I was running with my friend Jamie, and we neared the area of the dock that we have affectionately named the "poo rocks."  As their name suggests, the poo rocks are where local fishermen stop to relieve themselves.  The stench around this area is similar to that of the elephant pen at the zoo.  At first, I could barely pass the poo rocks without gagging.  Now, as we pass them on our morning runs, I no longer notice the smell.  I notice the sunrise.

And that's how I know I will miss Benin, even the poo rocks.

Movin' on Up!

Tuesday was moving day!  I had been looking forward to this day for a long time because my new cabin means air conditioning, twice the closet space, and a bathroom shared only by my roommates instead of the entire deck.  This post will probably be pretty boring for most people, so my apologies to those of you who couldn't care less what a ship bathroom looks like.  :)

 my bed (The quilt was made by Sidney, one of my sweet dance team girls from HTMS...Thanks, Sid.  It reminds me of dance team every time I look at it.  Miss you girls lots!!!)

my new double-sided closet (I only had one door in my old cabin, and my roommate had the other side.  I'm not sure how I crammed all of my stuff into one side, but my clothes will certainly be less wrinkled now.) 

A bathroom of my very own (well, with just three other people)!  No more walking down a hallway in the middle of the night.  No more toting a storage caddy of shower supplies back and forth every morning--I can actually leave my shampoo IN the shower.  Never would I have imagined that could be so exciting!  And for those of you who are wondering, it's like a bathroom in a cruise ship.  The shower and toilet are separated only by a thin metal bar and a shower curtain.  We have to be really careful to turn the water on and off...to save water and to avoid a flood!

We have a little community area in the back with a some chairs, a refrigerator, microwave, and storage space for food. 

 

And...we have a porthole!  So fun! 

    

It's also the perfect place to house a Christmas tree!

 

So, there you have it--my new home for the next two years. Isn't it great? :)

Exodus House Friends

Last Sunday we returned to Exodus House Orphanage to visit the kids.  We attended their church service and ate lunch with them afterwards.  Two girls, I would guess around 11 or 12 years old, led worship.  Several children came to the front to give a testimony or sing a song to God.  It's amazing how children who have so little can have such joy.  While my mind wrestled with why these children must live without parents and a home to call their own, they were worshiping their Father.  They understand that He has not abandoned them, even if people do.

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling."  Psalm 68:5


"He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing."  Deuteronomy 10:18

Danae and friends

Christina and friends

Hannah and friends

My favorite friend Jonathan

This little guy just broke my heart.  He let me hold him for almost the entire time we were there (several hours), but I couldn't get him to crack a smile.  A couple of other girls thought to bring stickers, and all of the kids just went crazy for them.  Towards the end, one of the children gave me a sticker, and I placed it on little Jonathan's hand.  Although he still didn't smile, he treasured that sticker.  A few minutes later, one of the older children tried to take it as he walked by.  I stopped the child, asked for the sticker, and stuck it back on Jonathan's hand.  He leaned up and kissed my cheek.  Sweet baby!

That was our last opportunity to visit the orphanage before the sail.  Goodbye, sweet friends!  I will miss you!