My African Romance

In some ways, moving to another country is like a budding romance. In a relationship, everything feels new and exciting at first. You can't wait to share even the most minute details about the other person with whoever is willing to listen. You feel the need to take pictures of every experience together because you want capture each moment and never forget.

And then one day something changes. You wake up and realize you have nothing better to talk about than coffee creamer and popcorn. (You need to have read my last post to get that.) I joke, but the reality is that at some point all lasting relationships simply become "normal." You can't stay in the sleepless, can't-stop-thinking-about-‘em, butterfly infatuation forever. Hopefully, what replaces the constant butterflies is a comfortable, right-where-I-need-to-be feeling of being at home with the other person.

I'm now at home with Africa. I love it so much more than I did when we first met. But I no longer snap pictures at every corner. I'm no longer awestruck by the minute details, nor do I feel the need to chatter about them to anyone who will listen. I'm in the comfortable, right-where-I-need-to-be place.

As thankful as I am for the contentment of this season, I'm sorry that this normalcy has led to less blogging. I want to get back into the habit of sharing about this love, this life, with you. Starting now…

For my first few months in Benin, I was adjusting to so many things at once just on the ship: being thousands of miles away from family and friends, living with over 400 people from around the world, living on a SHIP, sharing tiny living quarters with strangers, and starting a new job. I never realized it then, but I was so focused on adjusting to ship life that, in many ways, I missed out on knowing Africa.  It was really only at the end of our Benin outreach that I felt a true desire to make Africa my home, not just the ship. 

That has all been different in Togo. From the moment we arrived, I was impatient to build relationships within the local community. Instead of viewing an African church as a place to visit to see how people from another culture worship, I want to call a local body of believers my church family. In Benin, I participated sporadically in a few different off-ship ministries; now I’m committed to tutoring a small group of neighborhood kids every Monday night.  And I absolutely love it.

I can’t wait to share more about my church and the kids I am tutoring. Since this blog post is already turning into a novel, I’ll save that for later. Until then, here are a few pictures from my first three weeks in Togo.

Pictures from Eglise Mission Church of Christ (my new church family)...

the congregation (taken by a friend seated behind the pastor)

women dancing during worship

worship band playing the African drums

After the service, someone from Mercy Ships presented boxes of clothes and toys from a church in Tenerife.

the children holding up their new toys

new toys!

A few pictures of the city (taken from the top of a roof)...

More to come soon...

Containers make me happy.

It has become apparent to me in recent days that I have developed four very odd addictions on the ship:

1. peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
2. cinnamon toast
3. coffee with French vanilla powdered creamer
4. microwave popcorn

Why addictions?  Well, take this past Saturday for instance.  Hot lunches aren't served on Saturdays and Sundays on the ship, so we are responsible for packing a lunch at breakfast.  For me, this typically means PB & J and an apple.  Last Friday though, croissants were served at breakfast, and I had the unprecedented foresight to save one for Saturday lunch with some cheddar cheese and deli sliced roast beef.  As I sat with some friends on Saturday with my "gourmet" lunch, I found myself envying my friend's soft and delicious peanut butter with strawberry jam on wheat. 

Sad, isn't it?

So you can imagine my despair as my stash of French vanilla coffee creamer and microwave popcorn, which accompanied me from the Trussville Walmart all the way to Africa after my time at home for Christmas, began to approach its end.  I considered asking my mom to ship me a package, but it seemed wasteful considering the cost of shipping would turn a less-than-$2 item into around $10.  I decided I could survive on coffee with sugar and milch (the next best thing to milk), and I could just increase my consumption of cinnamon toast to make up for the lack of popcorn (kidding). 

Then something wonderful happened...the container arrived today!  For those of you who haven't experienced the blessing that is a container, the container is a giant, trailer-sized metal box filled with goodies from our international operations center in Texas.  We eagerly await one about every 6 weeks.  Guess what was inside this particular container?  Microwave popcorn AND French vanilla coffee creamer!!! 

It was a happy, happy, HAPPY day.  :)  

Togolese Church

Ok so I guess I'm becoming a blog mooch.  I keep running across blog posts that my friends have written and wanting everyone else to read them too.  I'm going to have to do it again. 

This morning I found my new church home for my time here in Togo.  I could expound upon the vibrant worship, grace-filled message, and open-armed welcome we received from our Togolese brothers and sisters, but I just don't think I could say it as well as my friend Jenn already has.  So, please don't stop reading as I close this post.  Please click here to read her humorous and insightful thoughts on our worship time this morning.  If you're anything like me, you won't want to read just that post; you'll want to read the rest of her thoughts at When I grow up I want to be a nurse in Africa...or a ballerina.

I needed that.

My friend Megan wrote a very insightful blog post today, and I was so thankful to run across it tonight because it was just what I needed to hear.  (I love it when God does that!)  My guess is that there are probably others out there who might need to hear it too.  Check it out by clicking here.  (You can read all of Megan's posts on her blog, Finding Joy.)

Togo!

We’re here!!! I’m so excited to finally be in Togo!  Praise the Lord for a safe sail and arrival!  We saw our first glimpse of land this morning and pulled into port around 10:30 a.m.

Danae and I waiting to dock

five of my students with their Togolese flags

Togolese people welcoming us to the dock

They were playing an African worship song, "You Are the Most High God."

Becca, Leah, and me...so glad to be here!

  

Because this is a new country, I thought I’d give you a bit of an overview. Togo is located in West Africa between Ghana and Benin. It’s the tiny yellow country in the map below.

Capital: Lomé
Population: 6,031,808
Language: French
Religion: African traditional religions (mainly voodoo) 70%, Christian 20%, Muslim 10%

If you want to learn more, check out Togo on the CIA World Factbook at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/to.html

Our Purpose for Being Here
Just like in Benin, our primary ministry in Togo will be the hospital. We hope to begin screening patients next week, and the first surgery is scheduled for the 26th. An off-ship eye clinic and dental clinic will soon be up and running as well. During the six months we will be in Togo, the doctors will provide care for the following: cleft lip and palate, cataract removal, maxillofacial tumors, orthopedics, and VVF repair, as well as general surgery, dental, and eye care.

Another goal for this outreach is to focus more attention on training local professionals. Local doctors will work alongside Mercy Ships doctors to learn the skills necessary to perform the surgeries themselves. Outside of the hospital, Mercy Ships crew will train local workers in agriculture and construction. Our goal is to invest in the people of Togo in such a way that they can continue to provide healing and change for their own country long after our ship is gone.

Of course, the overall purpose of our mission is to be the hands and feet of Jesus for the people of Togo.  Please pray that our actions will be a witness that will create opportunities to share the gospel. 

An Important Prayer Request
On February 28th, Togo will hold a presidential election.  Please pray that the 2010 election will be fair and peaceful for the people of Togo. Please pray that no problems arise that could delay or slow our outreach here. Thank you so much for your prayers!

Ok, I'm done.  Goodnight from Togo!  :) 

Westerly Swells

This is my classroom.

This is my classroom after a rough night at sea.

It's a good thing child labor laws don't apply on the Africa Mercy.

My students' reaction to skipping the first lesson to clean...

My classroom was nothing.  You should've seen the galley!  I barely peeked in the door, but I could smell the souring milk (oh 'xcuse me, milch) from the hallway.  Rumor had it there was a giant "pancake potential" covering the floor.

Ah, life on a ship.  Sometimes you've just gotta go with the flow.  Literally.

Sailing again!

"This is what the LORD says—

He who made a way through the sea,

a path through the mighty waters... 

Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the desert

and streams in the wasteland."

Isaiah 43: 16, 18-19 

These verses spoke volumes to my heart today as we began our sail to Togo. As I read through some old journal entries this morning, I began to see how much God has changed me in the last few months, and I wasn't even aware of it.  I am not the person I was just one year ago.  My desires are different.  My perspective is different.  My faith is different.  See, He is doing a new thing! Little by little, He is carving streams in places that were once wastelands. :)

leaving the port in Tenerife

Biking to the Beach

One of my favorite memories in Tenerife (tied with hiking Mt. Teide) was biking to a local beach.  Europe is apparently very biker/walker friendly as there is a wide sidewalk that stretches for miles along not only local roads but the busy highway as well.  Kelly, Leah, and I loaded our backpacks and biked about 6 1/2 miles along the highway to the beach.  The ride was breathtaking--the cliffs of the mountain to our left and crystal blue ocean to our right. 

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.