NEW FRIENDS

We've made some great connections with patients this year both on the ward and at the Hope Centre (our off ship site where patients stay before and after their surgery. We've enjoyed visiting them in the evenings and weekends. We take games to play with them and the favourite among kids and adults alike is...FRUSTRATION! Connect 4 has also been good for times when we've not had a translator available to explain the rules - sign language has sufficed.

SPOT THE DIVERS

You may have trouble spotting the divers as there is so much garbage in the water! The plastic and other stuff blocks our water inlets for the A/C cooling system. The guys are having to dive every day, often a couple of times to clear it - this on top of their regular jobs. It's a lot of work to try to keep things running smoothly especially for the surgical unit (as well as the rest of the ship).

Anyone fancy coming as a full time diver?

IONA'S WORK EXPERIENCE

This was my second work experience, my first being a pre-school teacher in the academy. We can't choose the same area twice so I chose the sales department this time. Here I am making crepes for the crew at the coffee bar.

I was also able to be a buyer for a day for the ship shop, for items from local vendors. I had a lot of fun.

WORK EXPERIENCE

I recently spent three days working as a writer in the ship's PR office. This was a part of the work experience we were doing in the school on board. I had to do some interviews and produce some written work. It was a great opportunity to get to know the patients better. These pictures are of me with my star patient, Binta and her sister.

Below is one of Mercy Minutes that I wrote, these will be read out by Don Stephens on a number of radio stations.

Clean Clothes for Fatu

Forty-three year old Fatu is crippled from polio and can't take care of herself. She lives at a special community home in Sierra Leone, West Africa.

One day, two women-Herma and Tiffany- from our hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, came to visit. They found Fatu hunched on the floor. She was dressed in only a huge shirt because all of her clothes were dirty. So, Tiffany and Herma got to work doing Fatu's laundry. The other residents were amazed that the women would do such a humble task.

Sometimes very small acts of mercy make a big impact! Now you go, look for a way-even a small way-to show someone mercy today.

This is Don Stephens of MercyShips.org reminding you, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."

Rachel-Elise Cairncross, student in Academy on AFM

Reference: Information from Tiffany Bergman, 17 April 2011: 133 words