CATCH UP with the CAIRNCROSS CLAN

Seasons Greetings

2011-12-23T15:24:00.005Z

THE CLAN IN GHANA 2006

This is our third visit to the beautiful country of Ghana in our Mercy Ships 'career' so far. Our last visit was in 2006 and it is weird to realise that 5 years have passed since then - the children have grown so much and we have experienced so many amazing things, met so many inspirational people and of course visited 4 other West African countries (plus South Africa and Tenerife).

At present we are taking a short break from the ship to get our strength back after a very long and challenging 10 months in Sierra Leone. In January we sail to Togo for a 'short' 6 month stint, and then on to Guinea for a 10 month field service.

We pray that all of you will have a peaceful Christmas and a blessed 2012. None of us know what lies ahead, but it is with confidence that we look to the future knowing that the one who has faithfully guided us this far will continue to do so.

So it only remains for me to wish you lots of Seasons greetings from the whole Clan.

When in Rome

2011-11-19T16:43:00.002Z

OK I'm not in Rome, I'm in Texas. Came over for the Global Leadership Conference and stayed an extra week for follow on meetings etc. Been busy but fun as well. Yesterday I went with two friends to a shooting range where we shot off 400 rounds of 9mm ammo in just over an hour. Awesome!

What a Peach

2011-10-14T10:29:00.002+01:00

A long time since we blogged - but here is Natty with his classmates making models of Giant Peaches as they read the infamous book about James and his fruit associated adventures!

Small Boy Blogger 7

2011-07-24T12:46:00.001+01:00

It is the last week of summer program and we are doing lots of fun things. Today we are eating waffles and playing lots of cool games. I am excited because we go to a different family’s house for a holiday and my mummy’s coming back tomorrow. We have welcome back things for her and she is bringing some stuff for us.

small Boy Blogger 6

2011-07-22T13:47:00.002+01:00

last week we went to the team house. It was great!! When we got there, we swam in the pool. Then we played lots of tennis games. We did those things for a while and then we had lunch. It was delicious! We had kebabs, baked beans, rice krispie treats and Pringles. Then we did lots more fun games and then left. On the way back the road was blocked so we had to take a different route and we got stuck in a very deep ditch and all the Africans were trying to push it out. When they got it out, we got stuck in some terrible traffic all the way back. When we got back to the ship, we were so glad that we went straight to our cabins to rest.

small Boy Blogger 5

2011-07-22T13:43:00.002+01:00

Two weeks ago we went to the chimp sanctuary and Charlotte Falls. The Chimp sanctuary was pretty boring to me because all it was, was a man talking about chimps and occasionally we would go see some chimps getting fed or even throwing rocks at us. I liked the hike a lot more because we had to climb and jump over rocks and when we got there, we each got 4 biscuits and were allowed to play in the water. Then we came back home to the ship.

Small Boy Blogger4

2011-07-22T13:35:00.003+01:00

The weekends here are great! Sometimes we go to the beach and occasionally to restaurants or cafes if it is a special treat. A few weeks ago our chef organised a huge BBQ at Bhura beach. We had hotdogs and hamburgers. They were delicious!! We also swam in the sea, and my friends and I did some football. Then next weekend we went to the Aberdeen womens centre and stayed there for a few days because one of the people running the place went on holiday and offered to let us stay there. The Aberdeen womens centre is a place for women to come and have their babies delivered safely. Jude and Katie are the people who run the place. Jude is from Scotland and Katie is from South Africa. I like living on a ship but sometimes it is nice to stay on land as well.

Next week we are living in a different family’s house. It is a really big and one of the kids living there has a wii and lots of Lego. The weekends are great and really fun.

Natty.

small Boy Blogger 3

2011-07-16T10:04:00.000+01:00

Sometimes in summer program or even when I have some spare time I will go to the ward and play with the patients. We do something called shareable parables. It is where someone reads a story and everyone acts out, even the patients.

Sometimes we make bracelets or necklaces. We also play with balloons and board games. Playing with the patients is a good thing to do so the patients can have fun and we do to.

Small Boy Blogger 2

2011-07-07T07:06:00.003+01:00

We have been doing lots of fun games in summer program. We are learning to make friends and be a good friend to others. A little bit ago we were at the hope centre and we played with the kids there. We played football with some of the boys and we played with bubbles and chalk as well. We also went to the beach the day before that. It was lots of fun, there was a thick layer of seaweed all across the beach by the water. Some days we just stay inside and do crafts and indoor games. We even go down to the ward and play with the patients. I think that summer program is great and lots of fun for all the kids.

"Small boy" blogger

2011-07-05T11:31:00.003+01:00

A few weeks ago school ended and summer program started. Summer program is a place for kids to go and play games and go to beaches and orphanages. Lots of the parents volunteer to help and so do others.

Very recently, lots of people have left the ship including some of our very good friends, which were long termers. A little bit before that the president came to the ship. The whole crew had to dress up nicely and then go to the international lounge and watch him speak. Thank you for reading our blog and being interested in Mercy Ships.

By Nathaniel, aged 8 years

NEW FRIENDS

2011-05-12T16:36:00.000+01:00

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

2011-05-12T14:09:00.000+01:00

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

2011-05-11T10:00:00.000+01:00

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

2011-05-10T21:45:00.007+01:00

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

2011-03-16T11:44:00.003Z

Mercy Ships will debut promotional spots starting this week on the CBS "Super Screen" in Times Square (New York City). We will have 30 seconds of air time each hour from March 14th through April 30th!

Cape Town Capers

2011-02-14T17:02:00.002Z

Here we are sailing into Beautiful Cape Town - see Table Mountain in the background? WOW!! We were last here in 1996 and it is still one of the most amazing places we've ever visited. Nathaniel was busy playing on his skateboard so missed the picture. Typical!

So here's the full family in the Victoria and Albert warf - yes right down on the waterfront where all the shops and restaurants are! All you need is the money and time to enjoy it all. We had just over 24hours to take it all in before heading to Sierra Leone for 10 months. Needless to say my feet ache!

So here are Nathaniel and Rob relaxing in a place called 'Scratch Patch'. A brilliant place where they recreate a cave where all the stones on the floor are polished and beautiful. You buy a small bag (ours were 15rand each - about $2) and fill it with as many as you want. A great (and cheap) souvenier.

Bye Bye Durban

2011-02-14T16:58:00.003Z

As we sailed out of Durban a plane flew over and took some photos. What do you think of the new Logo and bigger web address on the side? Snazzy huh?

This is where the vehicles sit for the sail - snuggled under the swimming pool that was donated last year.

Not the most streamlined - but a VERY welcome site in West Africa :-)

A Big Bug to Bear

2011-02-14T16:53:00.003Z

Thought you might like to see one of the bugs that Nathaniel caught in Appelsbosch. It was definately the biggest Beetle I've ever seen - and I hope never to see bigger!!

Now why are we glad to be back onboard? Hmh?

BACK 2 HOME

2011-02-03T16:15:00.002Z

After 5 months of living at 'The Bosch' as Appelsbosch College affectionately became known, we are back onboard the AFM. PRAISE GOD!

We moved on Saturday 29th and even though there were about 170 of us the move went very smoothly. Mind you I had been working 60+ hours a week for the 5 weeks prior to the move organising and setting things in place!!

We are now settling into a new (old) routine, getting used to small spaces, close community life and all that makes up life onboard the AFM. The children are back in school - but the main classroom got flooded today when a pipe burst ! Unfortunately it was right above the school library so many of the books got soaked. A real pain for the teachers who had just got it all set back up after being in Appelsbosch.

Anyway we are onboard and hoping to sail within a week to Cape Town for a very brief stop and then Sierra Leone. I have a good internet connection and so SHOULD be able to Blog a bit more often.

The generators? Well they are still being commissioned and set up. We had three power cuts today and a total black-out last night whilst pipes were adjusted and systems tweaked. Air con occasionally works as do toilets and water systems. Hey - we're just happy to be back onboard.

Thanks to all who have persevered in keeping in touch with us during my 'silent' period :-)

Blessings

Rob for The Clan.

P.S. I now have a goatee beard - photos (maybe) later.........

Extreme Dentistry

2010-12-22T11:47:00.002Z

Whilst the ship was being pulled apart our Dental team (led by our good friend Dag Tvedt) was out pulling teeth! They visited a number of different clinics to work alongside local dental teams, as well as sending training teams to schools etc to teach oral hygiene.

One of the teams 'specialties' has been termed 'extreme dentistry' in which the team takes a few chairs and basic equipment with them to places where dentists normally don't go (prisons, refugee camps etc).

In Durban the extreme dentistry was aimed at helping some of the cities homeless at a care centre, providing them with free dental care that they may struggle to normally get.

So even without a ship Mercy Ships conmtinues to help the poorest of the poor.

In with the New

2010-12-22T11:38:00.004Z

Once the old genny's were out the new ones were installed. We've replaced four small Frichs and two large B&W generators with four newer machines that run on heavy fuel oil (HFO), which is a LOT cheaper than the light diesel fuel we used to use (and is still used for the main engines).

So not only do we have four new machines with all the pipework and wiring to sort out, but a whole new fuel system with associated tanks, valves, pipes etc to install as well. The pipework has been one of the hardest and most time consuming aspects of the project so far - and the bottom picture gives you a good idea why it is so hard to sort out. Every pipe has to be shaped to fit around the other systems already in place. For those of you who've worked in engine rooms on ships (or submarines) the challenges will be very familiar!! I have many vivid memories of crawling around pipework on boats and ships trying to get pipes in and out during maintenance periods whilst in the Royal Navy.

Makes me glad to be a desk jockey!

Ship shape - or not

2010-12-22T11:00:00.002Z

It's been a long time since I blogged, and a lot has been happening. It's always hard to know where to start when there's a lot to tell, so I thought I'd start near the beginning and show a few pictures of what is happening onboard the AFM whilst we're here in Durban.

Our reason for being here is to get the generators onboard changed to new, quieter more fuel efficient ones. How do you get such a large machine out of a ship? Take it out of the water, cut a big hole in the side and drag it out!

Below are pictures of one of teh big Harbour Generators and one of the smaller Frichs generators being removed back in September / October.

All washed out

2010-09-12T15:51:00.002+01:00

It's all hands on deck here at Appelsbosch as we are short of personnel to do all the daily functions required. Anne and the girls are helping in the dining room this afternoon - looking pretty in their aprons!

Birthday Boy

2010-09-12T15:42:00.003+01:00

The 9th September was Nathaniels 8th Birthday. It was quite a low key day with presents before school and a cake and run about with friends afterwards - but he enjoyed it. What did he get? Some 'Lord of the rings' action figures (thanks Cole family) and a genuine Swiss Army penknife (with 9 functions). AWESOME.

ship in bits

2010-09-12T15:10:00.003+01:00

Well we're in South Africa and living in Appelsbosch. I'll post some more photos later this week so you can see what it's like, but it is a lot more spacious than life onboard and very similar to some of the Youth Hostels that I stayed in as a boy in the lakes. communal toilets and showers, echoing hallways and 'basic' amenities but it is slowly becoming home. One of our guys went to the ship last week and took this photo of one of teh harbour generators that is being removed. As you can see work is progressing and they hope to get into drydock next week to take the remaining pieces out -

Ships that cross in the night

2010-06-25T12:07:00.003+01:00

How do we get supplies to the AFM in Africa? Well we found a 'new' way when one of the cargo ships that regularly visits the port of Lome noticed us and the work we're doing, and offered to bring supplies from Europe for us. The offer came just as our European office received a donation of expensive medical dressings, so we put the two in touch and a few weeks later, voila a free delivery of some much needed specialist supplies. The picture shows me with my colleague Tim and two representatives from our shipping agents who handled all the import paperwork on our behalf. As they say in the RN - The Team Works!!

Reception

2010-06-15T17:14:00.002+01:00

Not sure if it's age, stress or just the business of life but the weeks are flying by so fast that the Blog is really getting neglected. Sorryo. Here are a couple of pics of our beautiful and talented reception team onboard. We try to get out a couple of times a year just to relax together, and this year we went to a Lebanese restaurant. Yum.

Birthday Fun

2010-05-17T16:37:00.003+01:00

We've got some serious blog catch up to do after a couple of weeks of web neglect! Here are pictures from Ionas 12th Birthday party a couple of weeks ago. Yes it was fancy dress with everyone coming as their favourite film or music star. Rachel is recognisable by her cast, Nathaniel by his premature grey hair (Steve Martin). They posed on the red carpet, made short videos advertising household products and then were awarded a personalised front cover from an international celebrity magazine (amazing what you can do on photoshop). Fun.

Star and Supporting cast

2010-04-30T11:56:00.005+01:00

Rachel-Elise was the star; with Dr Brian Simms directing the supporting cast. A word of encouragement before the main performance
Scene 1: Curtain up - the show beginsScene 2: Developing the pot all eyes fixed centre stage

Scene 4: Finishing touches make a polished performance

Final Bow - the star, supporting cast and director smile for the camera - a huge success.

Parting is such sweet sorrow

2010-04-30T11:34:00.004+01:00

One of the really hard parts of ship life is having to say goodbye to good friends who leave. This week we said Goodbye to Ken and his dad Udo. Ken was recently diagnosed as being diabetic so needs to return to Germany with his family to get the treatment he needs. Ken and Udo went this week and the rest of the family will follow at the end of the school year.

Nathaniel and Ken have been good friends since 2006 when we joined the Anastasis in Ghana, so it has been particularly hard for Nathaniel to come to terms with. Please pray for Ken's healing and for the whole family as they re-settle in Germany after many years of service onboard the ships.
Nathaniel, Ken and their class mates (and Teacher)

Nathaniel and Ken with Miss Ginni (who was their pre-school teacher on the Anastasis but now works with the dental team)A smile.....

and a (sweaty) hug.

3 Breaks in a row

2010-04-27T17:32:00.003+01:00

If you are superstitious you may think that things happen in threes. If you play baseball you would be used to having three strikes before you're out. Well last week our family had three breaks, but praise God we are not out - though we may be a little down!

First our lap top died. Thankfully the hard drive is OK but we need a new pc to load the data onto (and of course the funds to get one)
Secondly (and most serious) Rachel-Elise broke her wrist! We would post photos of her getting her cast fitted but.......
Thirdly our camera got wet and now doesn't work anymore. Yes it was the nice new camera we got whilst in Tenerife, not the old cranky one we've had for 5 years! Typical

So not a great week last week for the Clan.

Getting Ahead

2010-04-23T12:47:00.003+01:00

Last week two of our teachers kept their commiment to have their heads, chins and legs shaved. They did it to help raise money for an educational trip for all our academy staff to Kenya. There they met with other teachers from International schools and learnt not only how we can improve the educational experience for our children onboard, but also that we were doing most of what we needed to be doing anyway.
How much did they raise? Over $1000 for the shaving and a grand total enough to cover all their expenses. Now that's commitment!

School Retreat

2010-04-13T17:15:00.003+01:00

Last weekend Iona and the rest of year 6-12 went on a 2 day school retreat 'Up North'. They stayed at the local YWAM base, ate african food (yummy) and swam in a waterfall. These are the things that memories are made of.....

Nutella chocolate spread on bread - very african!!

Oh yes - and it's still rainy season here so they got wet as well!!

Skool Piks

2010-04-09T15:52:00.002+01:00

Another year gone and another set of School Pictures for us to look at and wonder how did the kids get so big so quick? Notice the new academy Polo Shirts with Logo! They only have one shirt each so they stay in the drawer waiting for special occasions - so we haven't moved to an official uniform yet (unfortunately).
Here is the whole Academy with teachers (and a Land Rover)

And of course the three munchkins.........

Presidential visit

2010-04-07T18:03:00.003+01:00

Last week the President of Togo came to the M/V Africa Mercy to see what we're doing for himself. It's always an honour to have a head of state visit and an amazing amount of preparation was done by many onboard to make the visit possible with very little notice.
Dr Gary shows Don Stephens and the President of Togo around the hospital, and introduces them to one of our patients who has a large facial tumour.

Don Stephens made a presentation to the President of a limited edition print of the Africa Mercy. You can see Rob in the white shirt (by the man with the green beret).

Easter Munchies

2010-04-06T16:08:00.002+01:00

Easter onboard is always special, with the crew focussing on the risen Christ and the impact that He has on our lives. We had services on Good Friday and two on Easter Sunday (sunrise and morning). We also had a special Easter Brunch on Sunday which was amazing. Not only was there a great selection of fruit to enjoy, but also these rather vicious looking fish as well!

I stuck to the fruit!

Experiencing Work AFM style

2010-04-01T17:47:00.005+01:00

The High and Junior High School pupils have just fiinished a few days of work experience onboard.
Rachel-Elise chose to work in our library which is quite fitting as she's probably read most of the books in there!
Iona chose to help teach the Kindergarten and Grade 1 children and had a great time cutting, sticking and colouring (I thought it was WORK experience?).
We hosted Kim Anna (a year TWELVE student) in our office. She learnt all about Fire Panels, security systems, embarking/disembarking crew members and also how to update the crew database whilst eating M&M's, yoghurt and chocolate bars. Multi-tasking is always a valuable skill:-) (Apologies to Kim Anna whom I demoted to year 9 in my original text - just goes to show how much extra help I really need!!)

Back in the driving seat

2010-03-30T11:34:00.002+01:00

After weeks of being too busy to Blog I'm finally making a concerted effort to get back to blogging.
What's been happening? So much that it would take too long to put it all down! We've had illnesses, exams, art festivals, sunburn, illnesses, days out, days in , elections, illnesses, extra work, Toastmaster meetings, briefings, patients, screenings, parties and some illnesses!

But through it all we are still here, still working hard at what the Lord gives us to do and still enjoying it.

Here's a couple of pics of us taken at the weekend to show we are still alive and kicking.

Adios Tenerife

2010-02-01T09:50:00.002Z

After 6 weeks of enjoying Tenerife and catching up on paperwork from our 10 months in Benin, we're now back at sea and heading for Togo. We got away from Santa Cruz at around 14:00 yesterday amidst a heavy swell and rather cloudy, wet weather. Our sail so far? Bouncy to say the least so there are a lot of bleary eyes and queezy stomaches around the ship today. Am I looking forward to Togo? To be honest there is always a mixture of excitement of going to a new Port and trepidation of what it will be like. There is always so much work to do to get the crew settled in and to get relationships built up with local officials that it can seem VERY overwhelming - without God's Grace, wisdom and strength I know it would not be possible to keep on doing this role:-)

Here's a picture of Nathaniel and me waving goodbye to our friends as we sailed out yesterday.

Christmas Show

2009-12-22T11:04:00.004Z

Whilst on the sail the Academy did their Christmas Show 'Bethlehem Express'. It was one of the most entertaining and professional kids shows we have ever seen and a credit to the teachers and students who worked so hard to put it all together in just over 1 week!! Here are a few pics of the fun:-)

Tenerife

2009-12-21T13:56:00.003Z

We're finally in Tenerife. Strange how quickly you get used to being at sea and the ship moving all the time. Now we are tied up safely we still haven't put things back on shelves incase the ship rolls and they fall off!
Anyway it's great to be here and the kids are loving being able to go to the park and run around. They went into their first toy shop for almost 11 months yesterday - talk about excitement!

All at Sea

2009-12-16T15:38:00.002Z

still no kraken - but lots of rolling about on the blue stuff today. Another full day of sea-life with a turtle, dolphins and 'big fish' which could have been whales or Orcas (the Chief Mate didn't want to commit himself). Getting quite excited about the prospect of Tenerife now, but still lots of paperwork to get sorted. Its hard to stay motivated though when the ship is swaying about, the sun is shining on my back and the sea is crying out for me to just sit and stare at it.
Spent a good part of yesterday getting our computer files set up for Togo so all our letter templates etc are now in place and ready to be used. Good job we did as today I have about 80 letters to sign for crew re-joining the vessel in Tenerife:-(

I Spy with my little eye....

2009-12-10T15:19:00.003Z

Well after a couple of days at sea so far we've seen dolphins, whales (just), flying fish and a water 'spout' sort of mini tornado thing - which was a first for me!

Now if only we can find that Kraken .......................

New Mercy Ships Website

2009-12-10T07:24:00.002Z

The new Mercy Ships Web site has been launched. At present only the USA version is rolled out so if you go to the general web page www.mercyships.org and click on the USA flag you'll see all the new stuff. One new feature is that all crew have their own page! So go to http://www.mercyships.org/page/outreach/view/crewmates/Rob and you'll see me. It's just a standard script at present but will be updated as and when I have time to submit something more personal about the clan:-)

All at sea

2009-12-09T12:11:00.004Z

Well after 10 months of BENIN we are back at sea and heading for Tenerife. After a final week full of red tape, paperwork, missed deadlines and false promises we somehow managed (God's goodness) to get everything we needed in place to sail. So yesterday at approc 11:00 we sailed out of the harbour and waved goodbye to a handfull of people on the dock. It wasn't the most memorable departure, but for me at least it was one that I've looked forward to the most. Benin is a great country with lots of nice people who really appreciated the help that Mercy Ships offered - but for the Purser it was very, very hard work. Here are some pics of the ward being cleaned, lifting vehicles onboard, and other stuff.

10,000th dental patient!!

Ward Cleaning

AND AWAY..

No more of this for a while....

Busy Busy

2009-12-02T12:14:00.002Z

No blogging for a while so what were we doing? Well we've had our share of sickness with both girls being on Anti Biotics due to bad stomaches (Shigella?) and Anne on Anti biotics at the same time for a different infection. Then Nathaniel (not wanting to be left out) managed to get 'kissed' by an Acid Bug that left a nasty looking mark on his face.

All this together with packing up the ship, a day of no electric whilst the engineers cleaned the engine cooler again, transferring vehicles to Togo, preparing at sea muster lists etc has kept us a bit busy!

Presidents Dinner photos

2009-11-20T15:17:00.002Z

As promised here are some pics from the Presidential Dinner showing Don Stephens receiving his award, some of the dancers and the beautiful layout of the dining room.

Lots of Lasts

2009-11-20T12:46:00.005Z

Yeah I know it's poor grammar! As we get nearer to sailing we have lots of "This is the last time we'll do this in Benin" moments. Last week we had our last refuelling and last container delivered to us here moments.
The re-fuelling barge came alongside and the whole process went very smoothly thanks to the expertise of our technical crew.

The last container was full of frozen food and true to form it came in the evening. Before I could sign off the paperwork I had to check the temperature guage to see if it had been kept cold. If not then the thousands of dollars worth of food inside would have quickly spoiled. However the guage was at the end of the container that was against the cab of the truck, so I had to try to squeeze into a tiny gap to see it. I tried, failed and had to let the drivers (very skinny and much younger) assistant do it. I'm in the blue T-shirt with the white writing on the back...

The last frozen one,

ITV - TYNE TEES check it out.

2009-11-18T13:07:00.002Z

The film footage of the AFM in Benin should be shown on Tyne Tees television (ITV) each night from 7th – 12th Dec (5 x 5min news reports). The footage will also be on their web site so anyone else shoul dbe able to log on a take a butchers (butchers hook - look). However be warned - it may contain footage of us ..... Aaargh!

Presidential nosh

2009-11-18T12:50:00.002Z

One thing you can always say about Mercy Ships is that it gives you opportunities to meet people and visit places that you would never otherwise experience. Last night was one of those events. The whole crew was invited to the Presidential Palace to have a meal with his Excellency Yayi Boni, the President of Benin. Unfortunately Rachel-Elise was poorly so couldn't go, and Anne volunteered to stay behind and look after her, so it was just me Iona and Nathaniel (and 300+ crew members)

What do you do at a Presidential dinner? Well we waited in a large meeting room for over two hours first, then were allowed into the (very posh) dining room where we sat at tables seating 9 for another 30 minutes or so before the President made his entrance. Then he presented some very prestigious awards to Don Stephens (founder), Deyon Stephens(co-founder), Dr Glen Strauss (eye surgeon and VP of medical stuff), Ken Berry (CEO of AFM) and Daslyn Ouenounou (Mercy Ships Benin Country Representative). Then there were some speeches, then FOOD - YES!! By this time it was after 9pm and Nathaniel and Iona were almost passing out from fatigue and hunger - but they behaved impeccably. Fish, Chicken, Rabbit, Goat (I think), rice, noodles, chips (YES), salad.... yum. Oh and wine and Coca-Cola.

This was accompanied by some local Beninese dancing from about 5 different groups which the kids found particularly interesting. A very colourful, memorable and honouring experience. We weren't allowed to take cameras but if any photos get published by our comms people I'll stick them on here.

British Matelot cements anglo-french relations

2009-11-17T12:56:00.003Z

Last week the French amphibious assault ship 'SIROCO' came into port for a few days. I (Rob) had spent 3 months onboard a similar ship (HMS Intrepid) when I was in the Royal Navy, so i was quite keen to check it out.

Thankfully some crew were invited to attend a cocktail party onboard and I was one of the few who got the chance to go (Anne had work commitments that she couldn't re-arrange). So accompanied by the Captain, Chief Officer, Security Officer, Chief Engineer etc I was able to enjoy some refreshments and also got a tour of the Siroco's Hospital and Bridge. It was a all a bit of a 'flash from the past' and even though the Intrepid was a much older vessel the two were extremely similar in layout and design. It was great to get back onboard our much more comfy ship at the end of the evening though!

Adopt a patient

2009-11-13T08:38:00.003Z

Anne and the children have been spending time getting to know one of our patients. Hervey is 10 years old and had lost the use of his hand due to contractures caused by untreated burns. As the burn had healed the skin had shrunk causing his hand to close up. The surgeons onboard managed to release it and have grafted skin onto the wounds. Please pray that the wound will heal quickly as it has not been responding too well lately, and that he can then lead a full and productive life.

Boys n Bugs

2009-11-12T12:19:00.002Z

West Africa is full of intersting uggly-bugs. Recently the ship was home to dozens of large moths, crickets and dragon flys. Each evening Nathaniel would rush to deck 8 to see how many he could find - yes, he's a boy! Here he is proudly showing off a rather juicy moth and a small crickety, stick thing!

At the going down of the sun

2009-11-11T12:49:00.005Z

'They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.'

Laurence Binyon (1869-1943), is probably most famous for that 4th stanza from his poem 'For the Fallen' written in 1914 (see full poem below). It is read at thousands of memorial services around the world on this day, the 11th of November to help us all remember the horror and futility of war, and the great sacrifices that so many have made to preserve our freedom.

As the sun starts to set on our 2010 field service in Benin I pray we will all remember the thousands here and in other parts of the world who still need to experience hope, healing and the real freedom that comes from faith in Christ.

For The Fallen
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Remember, Remember

2009-11-09T12:42:00.003Z

The 5th November for all the Brits was 'Guy Fawkes Night' or Bonfire Night as it is often called. Some very well organised brits had managed to get three small 'Roman Candle' fireworks and some mini-sparklers, so it was down to the dock and time to party!

Ok it was all over in less than 10 minutes - but another of those rather strange memories that will stick with us for years to com.

Five minutes of fame (x2)

2009-11-05T13:18:00.005Z

A couple of years ago a film crew from Tyne Tees Television filmed us in Liberia. They've now returned to do a follow up on the work the ship is doing, including filming us again. So watch your TV's in late November / early December to see how good our tans are!

As if that wasn't enough media exposure, we saw a copy of a new book today that has a photo of Rachel and Iona (plus some other ships kids) on the front cover and an article inside. It's about different schools around the world and mentions, amongst others, the academy onboard Mercy Ships. You can check it out online at

http://www.boydsmillspress.com/books/nonfiction_with_photos/my_school_in_the_rain_forest.html

Now who wants an autograph?

Too busy to Blog

2009-11-04T11:23:00.008Z

strange thing about all this facebook and blogging stuff is that when I have time to think of doing it that means I'm normally not doing much. However wheniI'm busy and stuff is happening I haven't the time to tell anyone about it! Life's full of coundrums I guess.

Well we're starting to plan our departure from Benin and there is a huge amount to do before we can go - including cleaning!

Daily Duties

2009-10-26T10:09:00.002Z

So what do we do on a daily basis? Well today the Pursers Office has to enter all the details of crew who arrived over th eweekend into our database, remove the ones who left, so that we can update all our crew lists, Articles, emergency lists etc. Then we normally have to take all their passports to the Port Immigration to get them processed and get them shore passes to allow them to go ashore. However today is a national holiday so we'll have to do all that tomorrow.

We've just had two boxes of mail delivered which we've been tracking through Fed Ex - so that's two less to worry about. Typically we get about 3 boxes of mail per week and one shipment of ships parts.

There's also a 40' shipping container of supplies/ spares due to us this week. Not sure when it will get here because we're having trouble tracking its progress. Hopefully by Friday night it will be at the ship.

Visas - many crew are wanting to go to Ghana for a weekend so first they have to get a Benin visa, then a Togo visa before they can apply for a Ghanaian one. 6 people have been in so far today for forms and info on that process.

Lots of other miscellaneous stuff as well now about our visit to Tenerife (who needs visas and who doesn't), stuff about Togo Field Service in 2010 and South Africa in August 2010, so never a dull moment.

Just had a call to say another box of mail needs collecting from the agent in town - so I'm outa here:-)

Fun and Games

2009-10-26T09:51:00.002Z

Just over a week ago we had the 'Africa Mercy Olympics' where a dozen teams of crew competed in various bizzare games - just for the fun of it. Rachel and Iona were part of a team called 'GIRLZ' who finally won the prize for best team mascot (Meg the Alsation). The game on the photo was to get all the team onto a small wooden platform for 10 seconds - quite a task!

MERCY SHIPS NEEDS YOU!!

2009-10-23T10:17:00.002+01:00

Can work be fun?

2009-10-22T16:23:00.005+01:00

In my previous role at Rolls-Royce Aerospace we often had training guru's telling us how we should make the workplace an enjoyable place to be. If you spend 40+ hours per week in an environment that makes you miserable how productive will you be?
Do we work hard onboard? Definately. Do we have fun? We're working on it......

What does poverty look like?

2009-10-21T14:09:00.004+01:00

Because we live onboard a ship, we always see more of the port city than the rest of the country that we are in. That means that it's sometimes easy for us to forget just how much need there is here in West Africa. We see hundreds of people coming to the ship for surgery and medical assistance - but what does poverty look like? A few miles outside the capital of Cotonou people live totally different lives from anything most of us will ever experience. Not just another country, but another time, another world. A place where every day is about struggling to survive. A place where wondering what to wear is due to having nothing to choose from, not from an abundance of choice. A place where a simple skill like weaving or sewing can make the difference between a family starving or surviving. A place that needs everything we can offer - and more.

African Food day

2009-10-16T10:59:00.004+01:00

Each Tuesday we have an african meal onboard. Typically here in Benin this consists of beans, yam, eggplant with potato greens, plantains and of course rice. It tastes great, is very filling and looks like this....

Place two - reception

2009-10-13T16:16:00.003+01:00

Now I know I may be slightly biased but I think we have some of the best people onboard the M/V Africa Mercy working in reception. This picture shows Tim (the Assistant Purser) de-briefing the team after last weeks emergency drill.
Whenever you walk onto or off the vessel you do so through reception, so these people are very familiar to all our crew and day volunteers. Having a bad day? Had an argument with a cabin mate? They still need to be at the desk extending grace and assistance to everyone they meet. Who are they? From L-R Robin (Hospital Admin), Tim (Assist Purser), Heather (Recep), Leah (Recep), James A (Recep), Hannah (Recep), James (Translator), Ryan (Recep). Hiding at the back behind Heather is Dr Craig our crew physician.

Pretty in Pink

2009-10-12T16:37:00.003+01:00

Last Wednesday many crew members on the Africa Mercy wore pink and took time to pray to support Breast Cancer Awareness day. Many of us have family and friends who have had or currently have cancer (in any form) and it was a great way to mobilise the crew to pray for them. Even the Captain sported some rather dashing pink socks!

Hungry Anyone?

2009-10-12T15:49:00.002+01:00

Those observant ones amongst you will have seen the little questionnaire that we had running on the blog last week. A few of you said you wanted to see more photos from around the ship, whilst others want more daily news about what or how we're doing. So in answer to the first part of that, here are a couple of pictures of our dining room, showing the servery etc. They dish out 3 meals a day for 40o crew and 2 meals a day for our 150 day volunteers(they start work after breakfast). Many of the dining room staff are short term, younger crew who want to experience Africa and/or foreign mission work but don't have formal training for other areas on the vessel.

Normal?

2009-10-09T13:59:00.002+01:00

I was just e-mailing a friend and his family who work in Moldova with Operation Mobilisation, and was struck again by what strange lives we lead.
It’s amazing what we accept as normal after a while isn’t it? We’re so used to living onboard a ship that the thought of being in a house without any other people around is almost scary. At nights we prop bedroom doors open to stop them banging as the ship sways on the swell in the harbour, all showers are less than 3 minutes (no baths onboard), food is whatever is prepared for us, is shared with 400 other people and is always at the same time.Go too late and you go hungry. Flushing may or may not work and the water varies in colour from sparkling clear to dark brown depending on which tank/part of the system is being used; and of course our home visits 2 or three different countries each year! All this is normal for us. For our friends in Moldova normal is something totally different, yet for all of us England is more and more a foreign country.

Hope and Healing - Together

2009-10-09T11:43:00.003+01:00

Why did we move away from family and friends in the UK to live on a ship in West Africa?
To help bring Hope to those who without the ships visit would have no hope for a better future

To help return smiles to the faces of those who have known so much pain. Behind each picture is a life that is changed forever because someone cared enough to pray, someone cared enough to give, someone cared enough to come. Together we can all make a difference.

Emergency Drills

2009-10-08T13:31:00.002+01:00

We've mentioned before that we have regular emergency drills onboard to ensure that all crew can be accounted for quickly in the case of a fire etc. Last week Rob was taken out of his usual emergency position to see how his team coped without him (very well actually!) so he managed to get a few rays on the dock for a change, and took a few pictures as well.

Daniel's Story

2009-10-06T13:04:00.004+01:00

During this years summer program Rachel-Elise spent time getting to know one of our patients called Daniel. Here are some highlights of his story......

Daniel stood up for the first time when he was eight years old. He was on the Mercy Ship, with his legs in casts up to his thighs. He pitched forward on a child’s walker as he moved one foot in front of the other. Contracted hamstrings and Achilles’ tendons had prevented him from such independence before.

“When he was six months old, we tried to get him to sit up like other babies, but he couldn’t,” his mother Odette said. “When he was two years old, we wanted to help him stand and walk, but we could see that his legs would not straighten. We went to many hospitals and tried many things, even traditional healers. But nothing helped.”

So all his life, Odette carried him. Everywhere she went, Odette had Daniel on her hip. She carried him to the table to eat, she carried him to the toilet, and she carried him to bed at night. Going to school wasn’t even an option for Daniel.
“I was very worried about it,” Odette explains. “As a human being, I will die. I worried about what would happen when I die because he needed me for everything."

The surgeons successfully released his contracted legs, a condition probably caused by cerebral palsy. A physical therapist from Canada began working with him three times a week just after his surgery.

The last few months have brought healing to Daniel in many forms. He’s had physical healing, gaining the ability to stand and growing stronger each day. He’s had psychological healing, learning to believe in himself and to fight for each step he takes. And he’s had relational healing as well. The bond between Daniel and his mother has blossomed – he looks for her affirmation, and she shows him her approval.

“When he took his first steps, I was overjoyed,” Odette says. “I was saying to myself, ‘Can he really walk?’ I couldn’t believe it.”

“I am so happy about all the things, for the doctors and nurses,” she continues. And Odette has a special blessing for Olivia, who helps Daniel shine: “I pray that God will give Olivia wisdom and blessings, and that God will have his hand in many things that she does because she is taking care of my son.”

Daniel will probably need a crutch or cane to help him along, but he will have a chance to be independent and even to go to school. Daniel works hard to improve each day, and he does it for a simple reason – “Because I want to walk.”

Mango where others daren't

2009-10-06T12:47:00.002+01:00

I mentioned yesterday that we went out at the weekend with friends and had vehicular challenges. The place we went to is called Babs Dock and among other things they have canoes that you can take out to explore the river and the 'mango swamp' that edges it. Nathaniel and Rob took a two person canoe out and had fun watching fishes jump and exploring the little tunnels that have been cut through the trees by local fishermen. Here are some pics of one of the areas we paddled through.

Prayer

2009-10-05T10:50:00.001+01:00

Here's a prayer sent to us by our friends Robert and Ros as part of their weekly newsletter. It just seemed very timely and applicable in many ways so I wanted to share it with you.

So often, Lord, when we are feeling insecure,
it is because we are using the wrong set of measuring tools.
Were we to see the weighing scales
You use to value all we do,
we might not recognise them as such,
for You evaluate by entirely different criteria,
seeking less the outcomes that the world considers good
than the love and devotion with which we carry out our tasks –
and the measure of obedience that lies within them.
So realign our heart’s desire
to be more in tune with Yours,
for the more we succeed in doing this
the more joy we will know in our spiritsand the more comfort we will bring to others too

Flat Out

2009-10-05T10:30:00.003+01:00

Yesterday we went out with our Norwegian friends, despite the rain coming down by the bucket load and the road (sandy track) being undriveable in anything but a Land Rover. Thankfully the rain stopped by lunchtime and the kids could enjoy running about and playing whilst us older folks sat and played cards! When it was time to return to the ship we found we had a flat tyre (though it was only flat on the bottom!). Nathaniel thought it was great and set about helping with the wheel brace telling us all how he knew what to do because they'd been shown how to change a tyre at school once. After a bit of sweating and getting covered in sand we were off again, bouncing and weaving round big holes, looking forward to a shower and some dinner when THUNK the high ratio gearbox selector disconnected itself. No worries, a quick pull on a lever and we're off again.THUNK out it pops again. We managed to drive back to the ship with three more THUNKS but instead of being faced with a large garage bill and no vehicle for a few days, we just fill in a form saying what the problem is, and the transport guys take care of it for us. This is one of those times when we really appreciate the car maintenance guys onboard (Olly and Moses) so THANKS guys for all you do. Oh and next time we'll take a newer vehicle ok?

Hitting the Bottle

2009-10-02T11:49:00.003+01:00

Re-fuelling your car or moped here in Benin gives you an interesting choice. Do you pay more money and use one of the modern petrol (gas) stations in the town, or do you buy from a vendor at a road side stall? Even in town there are lots of small stalls with coke bottles full of petrol that the moped drivers buy from. Thank fully not many people smoke here (yet). If you are out and about though you will probably need to buy fuel from one of these stalls, but the service is excellent and you even get it poured into the tank for you. None of that self service nonsense here!

Hurray for the Fan Man

2009-10-01T14:54:00.002+01:00

Whenever we go out somewhere here in West Africa we look out for the 'fan Man'. Fan Milk ice creams are deliciously creamy, cold and very cheap (125CFA - about 25c or 18pence). They're sold from the insulated boxes fitted to the front of old bikes, and if you don't see one you listen out for the 'beep, beep' of their old bulb-type bike horns. The only real problem with them is the litter caused by people throwing the empty polythene tubes on the ground.

Agents

2009-09-29T12:25:00.003+01:00

Not secret agents, but shipping agents. One of the most important relationships that the Pursers Office has in any country is that with the shipping agents that are assigned to represent us. All our paperwork goes through them for customs, Immigration, mail, arrivals, departures etc etc. Here in Benin we are represented by COBENAM a State owned company. We visit their office at least twice a week - often much more frequently, and have spent many hours building up a raport that allows us to work as well together as possible. Here are a couple of photos of their office and some of their staff.

Check out the questionnaire

2009-09-29T12:22:00.002+01:00

LOOK RIGHT! Please take a few seconds to fill in the little questionnaire about what you'd like to see more of on the blog:-)

If you haven't noticed the fish then spend a moment feeding them. They follow your curser and if you left click you can feed them. Cool eh?

Of course I'm busy!!

Twin Day

2009-09-24T12:52:00.004+01:00

Every few weeks the Academy onboard has a fancy dress day. Today was 'Twin Day' where each pupil and teacher had to partner up with someone and dress just like them. Rachel and Iona decided to work together and Nathaniel twinned up with his German friend Ken. Scary likeness huh?

We're having chicken tonight...

2009-09-23T11:42:00.002+01:00

Anyone remember the 'Chicken Tonight' Advert? It had to be one of the most annoying ever to grace the airwaves! Well in Benin if you want fresh chicken you get the real deal at the market. Not sure if our friends in the animal rights sectors would approve of this transportation system though.......

Jesus Film

2009-09-22T14:02:00.004+01:00

With 6 operating rooms the Africa Mercy has enabled Mercy Ships to greatly increase the amount of medical help we can offer to Western Africa. To staff the OR's and ward more and more beds onboard have to be given over to the nurses, doctors, surgeons and support staff who make this amazing work possible. In the early days of Mercy Ships there were teams onboard the ships whose full time job was to evangelise local communities using drama, puppets, music and of course, preaching (anyone remember Crosstide and Lazarus?). Now the focus is slightly different though the emphasis on the 'two hands of the gospel' is still as strong. However some outreach activities such as the 'Jesus Film' have remained. Each week the film is shown from the back of a Land Rover in local communities at the invitation of partnering churches and pastors. Christ is still being preached through our actions, our love and where necessary our technology.

More fishes

2009-09-21T13:56:00.014+01:00

I know we've posted pictures of the fishing village before - but I think these are worth seeing as well!

Catch the fish

Weigh the fish

Clean the fish

This is one reason why we don't swim here!

Dry and sell the fish

to buy food for these kids

Birthday Treat

2009-09-21T11:33:00.003+01:00

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me (etc) Yes Saturday was Rob's 42nd birthday and instead of a party (I can't quite manage musical chairs and the other more physical games anymore) we went out for a meal with some friends. When we got to the Indian restaurant that we'd planned to go to there was a kids party in full swing - and rather than join in with them (for reasons already mentioned) we tried a place we'd not been to before. The food was great and once they realised we were celebrating a birthday they even gave us a free cake. YES FREE! Wonderful. It was slightly amusing that they thought that our friend Sally was Rob's wife because he was sitting next to her - sorry Olly (and Anne). For those in Britain who know us and our liking for the Indian Takeaway around the corner from our house, it wasn't quite up to their standard but it was a lot cheaper.

Facing up to it

2009-09-18T16:30:00.003+01:00

Well we've given into the pressure and have signed up to Facebook for a trial period. Now we'll see what all the fuss is about! So far I have an inbox full of requests from 'friends' who either want to be recognised as such or who have'poked' me?! Maybe there's an idiots guide to facebook somewhere that will help get us started?

Training? It grows on you.

2009-09-18T11:52:00.003+01:00

Throughout our time in Benin Jean-Claude and his team have been training local farmers how to improve their crops and also teaching them why and how things grow. Every day he drives miles to pass on his skills and knowledge and because we are now in a country for 10 months the farmers can see the improvement in their crops using these new skills. Seeing is often believing and the increase in crop growth is testamony to the quality of teaching that is given.

New Wheels

2009-09-16T09:58:00.002+01:00

We received a new land rover last night( here's a picture of it before it was shipped). It had a smooth sail over from Holland and a rather long wait in Benin customs whilst the paperwork was sorted and registration, insurance etc sorted. I can guarantee that it wont look this shiny in a few days time. Our vehicles have a very hard life here and it is a testamony to the build quality of Land Rover vehicles and the diligence of our hard working mechanics that our fleet keeps working all day every day.

What's new?

2009-09-16T09:41:00.002+01:00

Here's a picture of the opening of the new accommodation that Mercy Ship shelped to build at the Hevie Agriculture training Centre. Now students will be able to come from all over to learn new agricultural skills and have somewhere to sleep.

Amazing Transport Solutions.

2009-09-15T09:49:00.008+01:00

Do you ever complain about public transport? Ever get stuck behind a slow moving truck? Ever wish your car was bigger so you could fit all the families stuff in it for that beach/camping holiday? Here are some solutions from Cotonou..... and yes that is a fridge on the back of the moped!

Moving House

2009-09-14T09:33:00.004+01:00

Whilst Anne was lying in a hospital bed yesterday the dockyard made us all move house. Or at least move our house (ship). A dredger has been busy for the last couple of weeks clearing silt from the harbour to ensure that the ships can get in and out safely, and yesterday they wanted to dredge the piece of dock where we've been berthed for 7 months. So we started engines, lifted gangways, cast off lines and (with the help of a couple of tugs) moved the M/V Africa Mercy a couple of hundred metres towards the harbour mouth. Then after a few hours we moved back again. Now how many of you have ever moved house twice in one day?

Tough Weekend

2009-09-14T09:04:00.002+01:00

Anne was poorly yesterday (Sunday) with some strange sickness / dilerium. The doctor thinks it may have been due to the chicken she had at the local Beninese restaurant Saturday night, but whatever it was it made her poorly enough to spend the day in ICU onboard, hooked up to drips and machines that go Bleep. I did take some photos but she wont allow me to post them (spoilsport)! She's back in our cabin now and doing better though obviously not fully well again yet. I guess that if you're going to get ill in Africa then the Mercy Ship is the place to do it!

Memories

2009-09-11T13:59:00.003+01:00

I recently found these old pics of the AFM whilst it was in the North East of England getting converted. The sunrise picture was taken from deck 8 whilst the ship was being pulled out of the dry dock in Wallsend to be towed back over to the Hebburn dockyard. Rob had arrived at the dockyard after the gangway had been lifted and had to be hoisted onboard the vessel using a dockyard crane and 'cage' along with Mark and Chris. Oh happy days!!

Pool? What Pool?

2009-09-11T13:04:00.003+01:00

I mentioned yesterday that Nathaniel will enjoy playing in the pool with some friends during his party on Saturday. At present the pool we have onboard is on of those big circular vinyl things that can be emptied and folded down when we sail. The original plan of the Africa Mercy showed her with a pool fitted- but this was one of the things that was abandoned during the conversion project due to lack of money . However whilst in Tenerife this year we hope to have a permanent steel pool fitted to the top deck of the ship which has been paid for by an anonymous donor. This will be a major blessing to the crew for years to come, not just for recreation but for fitness and as a place for the crew to gather outside of work hours. God is good.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2009-09-10T14:31:00.002+01:00

Yesterday Nathaniel achieved the grand old age of 7! The day started with a pancake breakfast (after opening his present - a car transporter), and then after dinner (Burger and chips) he had his cake. His party will be on Saturday afternoon when four of his friends will be coming round for games, more cake and a swim in the ships pool. Simple but fun!

Our Back Yard

2009-09-09T14:45:00.010+01:00

What do we see when we look out of the windows at the dock here in Benin? Well the dock here is much busier than Liberia. Whenever a ship berths behind us there is a constant stream of trucks squeezing between our landrovers and the safety fence. This means that at times it is very noisy and dusty and you have to be very careful when walking out of the dockyard to avoid the vehicles and workers. However it has been our home for the last 7 months and it is amazing how quickly you get used to your surroundings - whatever they are like. The dock in Togo should be a bit more spacious next year, but we'll have to see exactly how it turns out!

View from the dockyard gate towards the Africa

Mercy

Looking aft towards the mouth of the Harbour

Looking forward towards the dockyard gate

The Africa Mercy viewed from the 'Fishing Village' in the port.

Market Trading

2009-09-08T16:47:00.002+01:00

If you want to buy something in Africa then 9 times out of 10 you have to go to the market. Whenever you visit your senses are bombarded with sights, sounds and smells that can leave you totally over-whelmed, but it is an experience that most are more than happy to repeat and plenty of our crew enjoy popping out to see what they can find.

Meet the Ancestors

2009-09-08T16:25:00.005+01:00

Here are some photos of Rob's Great Grandad. He lived (and died) in South Africa. Rob used the pictures last week in one of our community meetings onboard. James Richard Cairncross died in 1903 at the age of 43 (Rob's Grandad was only 1 year old at the time) of Black Water fever
Great Grandma with Rob's Grandad

How british can you get.

2009-08-31T09:33:00.003+01:00

Rachel-Elise proving that even when swimming there is nothing a Brit likes better than a good cup of tea!

Dirty Jobs

2009-08-28T14:22:00.003+01:00

Dirty job Every week two divers clean garbage and marine growth from the screens that cover the cooling water intakes on the Africa Mercy, so that the cooling water continues to pass, so that the engines and generators don't overheat. The visibility is usually very low, which makes their job extremely hard... Pictured: Olly

Nice Pic

2009-08-27T15:57:00.002+01:00

Here's a nice picture of Anne. Why? Why not - it's our blog :-)

All aboard the merry-go-round

2009-08-27T15:41:00.002+01:00

One of the hardest things about life onboard for those of us who stay for a while is constantly having to say goodbye to people who have become friends. Every week some crew members leave and more arrive, and with each turn of this emotional merry-go-round it can become harder to enjoy the ride. It's always nice therefore when someone who has been here before comes back to serve onboard again (Like Christine pictured with Rob and Tim). But of course it's then doubly hard when they leave again (Like Christine pictured with Rob and Tim)!

Feeding Program.

2009-08-27T15:33:00.002+01:00

When a child is born with a cleft lip and/or a cleft pallet they have trouble feeding and so are often malnourished and weak when we see them. That's where our feeding program comes into play, making sure that the babies get a diet that will make them strong enough to have the surgeries. How could anyone not want to do all they can to help?