Flying Things.



The morning sunshine.



It's been far too long since I've updated this blog; faulty connections are my excuse, but for the most part reality remains quite the same around here. Yesterday we crossed over the equator in the four mile deep ocean with sea water as warm as bathwater (29C). Upon crossing the line we all felt the bump and the captain told us that it's all downhill from here. Haha, not really. In fact an incredible atmosphere of anticipation is surfacing as the days pass swiftly by, excitement among the crew is visibly rising. I think we're all ready to appreciate the land again and prayerfully start the mission this ship is all about. Nevertheless, no matter how hard I peer onto the horizon it remains the same, certainly no land anywhere in sight. Occasionally we pass ships, I saw one a few days ago in fact... just a pinpoint on the horizon, so small I lost sight of it a couple times!!! It was so, so far away!! A friendly sight all the same. 

Talking of friendly sights, flying fish. I met one the other week. I was out on the bow watching the waves when a very intriguing spectacle caught my attention. So intriguing in fact that I could barely believe my own eyes!!!!!!... There flying about ten inches above the waves was this tiny bird, looking very much like a hummingbird darting here and there. I immediately found myself in astounded disbelief, wondering how on earth this tiny little bird could be so far out in the ocean and apparently doing quite well. Quite well I thought, until to my horror and shock he flew lower and lower and all at once crashed ungracefully into a very steep and dangerous wave, at once vanishing into a white cloud of salty spray. I was almost ready to jump in for the grand rescue (jk) when thankfully a whole flock of  these curious 'birds' appeared. A few cautious questions later that day and I found to my delight that there really are such things as flying fish!! Now, I absolutely love looking out for them... sometimes one or two at a time and sometimes a fleet of fifty or more. Just incredible. Big ones, tiny ones. They always crash so ungracefully, sometimes the splash can be heard. Unfortunately, capturing on camera one of these fish has been most impossible, but here's a photo I found online that displays exactly what they look like. :)

I have just come in from being outside for the past couple hours. Pondering the beauty of the sun as it settled down and slipped silently from view. Such beauty I cannot begin to describe, and will never tire of. It was also a time spent praising God with music. I tried to join in with the others (I say 'tried' because the wind and I were at disagreeable odds as to who was going to play my flute).  Nevertheless, it was a lovely and blessed evening. As we were filling the air with notes, our attention was drawn to the waves. There in the distance was a large pod of bottlenose dolphins. Swimming south they must have seen us, or perhaps heard our music :) Whatever the case, all at once they changed direction and started flying (not really flying, only fish do that remember) in our direction. Jumping, flipping, gliding, spinning in the air, and racing with the waves. They came so close -- close enough for us to look straight down and see them smile, hear them laugh. Leaning over the railing we watched in fascination as they contented themselves with dancing and playing at the bow of the ship.

"And God said, 'Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.' So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems, and that moves about in it, acording to their kinds - And God saw that it was good!" Genesis 1:20-21

Cape Town.

Though fleetingly brief, our 24 hour stop in Cape Town was an incredible gift! We sailed around the Cape of Good Hope in quiet seas and by daybreak Sunday we could faintly see tiny mountains etched against the blue horizon. The closer we came to land everyone's excitement onboard increased dramatically. The views of Table Mountain and Lion's Head were breathtakingly awesome. Two tugboats came out to meet us and the pilot also came out to board, but by boat this time instead of helicopter. It took some time pulling into port, we backed in. I climbed with many others up to the back of deck 8 and from my vantage point waved furiously at all the people watching us from the dock -- I have no idea who anyone was but it was exciting all the same. We docked right by the downtown waterfront, a very touristy area. Once tied to the dock and told we were aloud off the ship we flooded down the gangway and onto surprisingly "swaying" solid ground. It's a strange thing to feel the ocean beneath when you're obviously on land.

A group of us had our agenda all planned out hours before reaching Cape Town... a hike up Table Mountain. The moment we were allowed off ship, we caught a taxi and rode to the trailhead. Hiking up the mountain of switch-backs took us almost two hours, but it was well worth every painfully treacherous last step!!!

Monday I had to be back in the galley by two, we were to leave that evening and of course the eating never stops. Knowing my time onshore was coming to a rapid end I made certain to enjoy a lovely morning wandering around the waterfront, listening to the many talented street musicians and finding myself thoroughly enthralled with all the African art and crafts. When asking what a good thing to do for a day in Cape Town we were told to take a tour out on the sea in a boat... but nah, not this time. 

An hour back into the ocean and we were traveling so fast, only it was side to side fast. Some were on their beds trying to avoid the inevitable, others were picking up the pieces that kept crashing to the floor and the then amid lots of laughter, some of the kids were rolling like logs in the middle of the ship, decks 5 and 6 (the place we call Midships). It was a long and eventful evening.  

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

A Galley Like No Other.

Just said goodbye to my first day in the galley while floating out here somewhere at sea. It was an interesting day to say the least. I think I mentioned already that our galley has no windows and a very low ceiling -- this, combined with the room constantly swaying back and forth, then side to side causes for many interesting situations.

It takes awhile to adjust to a swaying kitchen, and my first moments were cautiously unsure ones. Especially as the tangy smells of cheese combined with those of bread dough, lettuce and dish soap. I found myself facing a rather daunting task of battling my stomach. I had to steel my mind against giving in to the nauseous feelings welling up inside. It didn't take long for my mind to have plenty else to think about though, as we soon were busy preparing the meal. Nevertheless, while I might have warded off sea-sickness this time our the day wasn't without its share of mishap. We had a tray of hot rice come sliding out of the oven and spill all over the floor. And then of course there were the ocassional avalanches of dirty dishes (or clean ones) which would come crashing off a bench, and bang their way across the tiles.

My personal trauma came when trying to place a large tray of freshly cracked eggs into the fridge -- as I pushed the tray into the fridge a big wave pushed us up and those slimy raw eggs started pouring all down the back of the fridge. Horrified, I pulled the tray out quickly only to find that now the room was tipping the other way and a slop of sticky eggs came flying over the other edge of the pan, down the front of the fridge and all the way to the floor.

Let me tell you, all there is to do in a such an intriguing situation like this one I'm finding myself in... is to laugh and keep cleaning up the messes. Carmen assured me not to worry about a thing as today was a fairly calm day after all. Oh yes, we're going to have some fun fun fun in the galley, I can tell that already!!

Of Leaving Port And Finding Sea-legs.

A tug boat getting ready to tug.

One view from deck 8.

Yesterday the M/V Africa Mercy and her crew said goodbye to the port of Durban, SA. Cherishing our last fleeting steps on terra firma, we waved farewell to many friends onshore, and set off into the great big ocean. Our final destination will be Sierra Leone, West Africa. This is where the ship will spend the next ten months of field service providing free surgeries, health screenings and other practical, life-changing ministries that will bring hope and healing to some of the world's poorest people.   


Our long voyage has just begun... 


It was an exciting day. Our galley team was up and about cooking breakfast at five am. one last hot breakfast for the crew. A bit later in the morning, I was thinking of all the day's adventure when I heard a page for the gangway crew to lift the gangway. It dawned on me that our room's rubbish still needed emptying. Grabbing the bags I took off and raced down to the dumpster. All I could hear behind me were anxious shouts of "Run, run, hurry, run, HURRY Bobbi!!" So I ran and I hurried, and made it back just in time. Phew. (Haha, I think my previous garbage-taking-out experiences gave me the needed speed and courage this time). Our transition out of Durban harbor and into the open sea went really well, with the help of two tiny yet strong tug boats. 

The bridge.

Though awakened at times by mysterious crashing items, reminding me of all the things that should have been tied down, I made it through the first night at sea fairly well, just like a baby. Literally; tipping back and forth in my little cradle of a top bunk. So far, seasickness seems to be graciously absent, and for this I am truly truly grateful. 


They meant what they said about this ship not being a smooth ride!! It isn't! But while our sailing might not be smooth, the lack thereof sure provides for some interesting situations!! Almost weightless we float down the narrow hallways and up/down stairs, stumbling from side to side like a boatload of tipsy sailors. I was told to expect walking into walls. Well, I don't merely walk into the walls, I run into them with unplanned, unreserved vigor. 

A snapshot of a quieter time in harbor.

These are the two tug boats that pulled us out to sea.

I was absently drinking a cup of water in my cabin this morning when the ship keeled to one side and I received a face-load of cold water and a messy wet floor to clean up (Certainly provides one way to wake up in the morning). 


This is the calm sea too... hmm, I do wonder what the next few weeks have in store. But so far, I'm just enjoying the ride while continually being in awe over the impressiveness of the ocean, the rippling rainbows in the ocean spray and all the happy dolphins which love to swim at the bow of our ship!! 


"Who is like You, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and Your faithfulness surrounds You. You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them." ~ Ps 89.8-9 

Ushaka Beach, Durban

With the days of shore access fast diminishing (nonexistent), a few of us took the opportunity to enjoy the beach one last time a couple afternoons ago, and of course we had a brilliant time.

The vehicles are all loaded up so we phoned for a taxi to drive us to Ushaka beach which sits right below downtown Durban, South Africa.  

Found this fishhook lying in the sand and fortunately not with my bare feet.

A group of lifeguards in training.

Beautiful sunny day, a great day for the beach!!

I can barely remember the last time I swam in the waves!! 

A cruise ship leaving port... this ship is WAY bigger than the Mercy Ship!!  This one, though huge compared to ours, was many times smaller than the Queen Mary 2 (the largest cruise ship in the world!!), which by random events is in port here as of a few days ago!! ...and just so you know, the view above is right where we'll head out of too!! :]

This morning another load of food stores arrived on the dock, and so I joined a long human chain spanning all the way down to deck two. I can't believe we'll go through so many pounds of cheese!! Incredible thought!!

A Day's Work.

Storing up for the sail.

We all work together. 

I am so glad to be here in Africa and am really pleased with the steward position I have in the ship's galley. Great people to work with, a busy atmosphere, numerous smells and many tiny tastes of food all throughout the day. But, with the preparing of so much food also comes the cleanup. And cleaning up, wherever you find it, can be a tedious task -- this ship is no exception. Nevertheless, we all pitch in, and surprisingly it's amazing how fast the galley can transform from disaster to spotlessness. 


When it came time to clean up after a long day of work I piled my arms high with smashed boxes. In hindsight, I should have made multiple smaller trips rather than those few horrific ones. But I was intent to finish as soon as possible. Any thought of calmness, or sense seemed far, far away from my mind. Confidently I set off down the first flight of stairs, nudging away the growing fear that my load was continuously "gaining weight". By the time I arrived at the gangway my courage and strength had waned drastically.
                                                                                                           All I had left was determination and pride, and so of course, I struggled onwards. It certainly didn't help having that large group of crew standing just outside the door, all curiously observing my plight as I made my way towards them. One of them kindly opened the door for me. Nevertheless, it was still quite a challenge getting both myself and my boxes out the door without mishap. A few of the most rebellious pieces escaped. Once outside, and with growing concern, I navigated past the crowd, gripped my armload of boxes tightly and started down the ever-lengthening gangway. 

It was a windy day. Very windy!! Recognizing this fact instantly the boxes billowed themselves out from my arms like giant sails. The resulting situation was me propelling down the gangway with great velocity, desperately clinging to my newfangled "sails". Nevertheless, though somewhat terrifying, the speed of descent was a blessing in disguise -- my arms were about ready to let both me and my load down, so, the faster I made it to the dumpster the better. 

It wasn't just the boxes causing trouble -- looking back, things were clearly headed downhill when my trusty apron started to turn on me, thrashing angrily for escape the moment I stepped outside. And then to end with, I knew I'd lost the plot completely when my faithful hat took flight. It went with all swiftness, sailing right off my head and speeding away towards the ocean... A sudden dash in the right direction, combined with a couple urgent grasps, and the hat was retrieved...  but, I knew the time had come to call it a day. :) 


"Seize life! Eat bread with gusto... Each day is God's gift. It's all you get in exchange For the hard work of staying alive. Make the most of each one! Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!" Ecclesiastes 9.  

Bunkering day.

A LITTLE TERRIFYING TO SEE A SHIP HEADED STRAIGHT THROUGH THE WATER TOWARDS YOU BUT COME TO FIND OUT THIS IS PART OF THE BUNKERING PROCESS. REFUELING THE SHIP'S OIL SUPPLY.

A REALLY NEAT SHIP. METICULOUSLY CLEAN AND PAINTED IN BRILLIANT COLOURS.

BUNKERING TOOK MANY HOURS!!

LARGE TIRES WERE ATTACHED TO THE SHIP'S SIDE. IT WAS LIKE A GIANT GAME OF BUMPER BOATS ALL DAY LONG. 

CARGO SHIP. ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS. LOTS OF THESE SHIPS IN PORT.

DOWNTOWN DURBAN ACROSS THE HARBOR.

HUGE ROPES IN THE SHIPYARD. I SAW ONE OF THESE STRETCHING PAST MY ROOM'S PORTHOLE AND UPON INVESTIGATION FOUND  IT CONNECTING THE BUNKERING SHIP TO OUR SHIP... I THINK. ;) 

LIFEBOAT TESTING.

THIS WAS BEFORE ALL THE LAND-ROVERS WERE LIFTED ONBOARD BY CRANE A COUPLE DAYS AGO.

The Drill

 

Bright and early this morning the ship alarms all started, followed by the captain's commanding voice declaring, 

"This is a drill, this is a drill, this is a drill -- This is an 'at sea' fire drill. Emergency crews report to your stations immediately!" 

Off stomped the Name Callers, The Muster Takers, The Lifejacket Crews, The Stairwell Helpers, The Cabin Checkers, The Medical Teams, and many others. Some went upstairs, some went down. 

Putting on my socks and sneakers and savoring the flavours of my one last sour plum, I waited impatiently to hear the second alarm signaling the rest of the crew to evacuate to deck seven. Before long there it was -- loud and long, piercing the muggy air with its urgency. 

Flying from my top bunk I took off out the door, slid round the corners and zoomed up the stairs. A few days ago I was told to map out two escape routes. Well, today I found my first plan of escape had been blocked fast by a huge watertight door. Spinning around I reverted to plan B... and escape I did!! There are many routes to deck seven. Relief was sudden and pleasant as the blast of stinky dock fumes flooded over me as I emerged onto the open upper deck. :) I found my muster station with no trouble and scrambled into the enormous yet snug life jacket. I was just preparing to dive of the railing into the brown waters below when I decided a lifeboat might be the better option. 

... Alright, alright, that was exaggerating slightly, sorry people. ;) Fact is, I waited calmly until the drill was over. 

Another day in Durban

With each passing hour this ship is getting smaller and smaller. No doubt this has a lot to do with me not getting lost quite as much. ;) Nah... seriously though, I'm discovering that the ship really isn't that big. While quite sufficient for the purpose of a hospital, I've been told that it appears dwarfed when docked beside cruise ships.

So, this morning I was on deck 6 in the galley, today both galley crews worked together. We were all cleaning up for an inspection that should take place quite soon. I'm very well acquainted with the floor drains now and what they like to collect. yuck. Also got some great exercise going down tiny, steep, staircases and all the way down the gangway taking loads of stuff out to the dumpsters.

Anyhow, it's been a really good day. The air conditioning on a few decks, our cabin included, is back on -- a long-awaited blessing for the crew that never moved off the ship -- For the past months they've been trying not to sink the ship with their sweat... but now, well it looks like we're making up for all that time. The system works VERY WELL while the blankets on the other hand aren't keeping up with the A/C's efficiency!! My cabin is cold. Right now I'm on a deck that is hot hot hot... so, it all depends where you are. :)

This evening I attended the mandatory safety orientation to the ship... I know now exactly what I'm to do if someone falls overboard and how to try not to fall off myself.

For interest's sake -- the following is a bit of info about what type of a vessel this is...

Built differently than a regular passenger ship, the m/v Africa Mercy was first used as a rail ferry to transport train cars in Denmark. Since purchasing this ship there have been many vast renovations done in order to transform the old ferry into this incredible hospital community. Nevertheless, the basic shape of the ship remains the same. So, what's the shape? Well, in order to float as best as possibly with such heavy cargo the ship was built with a very flat base. I'm told this is unlike what you'd find underneath a passenger/cruise ship, whose primary goal is stability and calmness. Therefore the result of a having a flat base is a ship that sits sort of low in the water and won't tip over very easy. That being said, it also is a ship that "goes" with the waves, as opposed to "slicing" through them -- I'm sure it'll be an interesting ride to Sierra Leone. In such a small place, it is surprising how many things other than a hospital this ship includes... we have a library, laundry, bank, computer cafe, swimming pool, lounge, crew kitchen in addition to the galley kitchen, dining room, ship shop, academy and 126 cabins. I wish you could see it!! I'd take you for a tour... we might even not get lost this time!!

Moving Onboard!!

It has been quite awhile since my last post and for that I do apologize. I'm sure you've all been waiting with bated breath right??... haha, or not. Actually the reason for my absence stems from the other week when lightning struck some important internet connection somewhere at Appelsbosch, downing the system... since that day a lot has changed. The biggest change has been moving onboard the Africa Mercy. A huge process that came to an end in one big finale yesterday as we drove away for one last time from Appelsbosch. I am very happy to be onboard finally and looking forward to the hope of leaving port soon. But honestly, in some respects I'll miss the peace, spaciousness and all the intriguing nature that was found at Appelsbosch too. Here's a bit of what our moving day looked like...

The days leading up to leaving Appelsbosch were filled with lots of eating. We were very busy in the galley diving into the food storage and cooking it up. A vitally tasty and important task as we needed to use up the fresh food -- much of the fresh stuff wouldn't make the hot, long drive back down through the mountains.

When I heard that a truck was taking the luggage I did not have this in mind, as it turned out though, by the time everything was loaded the truck was full!! We have a lot of stuff!! 

The landrovers were driven back the ship by the families while the rest of us rode in two buses.  

Much excitement filled the buses as everyone was really happy to be moving back onboard. By the time we arrived at the shipyard our excitement had wilted somewhat -- the afternoon sun flooded through the windows as the bus desperately climbed over and down the hills. Even though the landrovers left almost an hour after us many of them caught up and passed us.    

Almost "home" ;)

Absolutely everything had to be lugged up this gangway!!! Certainly brought a bit of meaning to the saying "Many hands make light work" ... but even so... yeah, it was still heavy!!

The view outside has changed quite drastically from that at Appelsbosch.

And now to find my white duvet amongst all the other white duvets... this took awhile. 

The cafe area was jam packed with our stuff. Amazing how quickly a tidy location can become such a disaster. But within a few hours it was back to normal, surprisingly. 

So, this is it -- my home sweet home, the one and only ten-berth cabin, I'll be here for the remainder of my stay. It's actually quite nice and has two portholes to see out of, whereas many cabins have none... so I'm really happy!




...But that was all yesterday. Today is Sunday and I've just spent the whole afternoon acquainting myself with the ship's galley and trying to make myself useful in the process -- probably appearing quite bewildered and lost looking to be honest. The galley here is quite different actually than the one we just left. Though drastically smaller it is very functional. A long, hot, low-ceilinged room filled to the brim all sorts of kitchen stuff. It's going to take some time to get used to the layout, but I'm sure the time to do so will be found in abundance.