Ships log # 9
What a great week it has been - full on with surgery as we come to the end of this out reach in Guinea where 482 maxillofacial, 162 cleft lip or palate repairs, 99 reconstructive, 116 orthopaedic, 63 gynaecological, 1617 eye, and 297 general operations have been performed over a 10 mth period, along with 51 club foot corrections using a non surgical (Ponseti) method. An unquantifible number of connections have been made with local people and organisations - which include orphanages, churches, schools, womens' and mens' prison as well as local missionaries and their children, who have enjoyed a mutual combined group activity each week with the children on board the Africa Mercy.
I visited the paediatric ward at the local hospital on Tuesday night (this being a weekly occurence from Mercy Ships personnel) and played games with the children and also helped keep the parents (who are required to care for their children on a fulltime basis) entertained. We played Jenga (block stacking game), blowed bubbles, coloured in pictures, threaded some bead necklaces and kicked a balloon around. My basic french (improving all the time) came in useful again and I managed to engage everybody with something I said or did !!
Friday night I accompanied another group of crew after work to set up a projector at an outside community area showing a movie of the classic story of Jesus. We attracted between 200-300 people (I estimated) in an open space adjacent to their meagre dwellings, many of which were quite young childern who insisted on climbing on our knees on a rotational basis - some fell asleep before mothers could locate them in the rapidly dimming light. The movie was a translation in Fula (one of the local dialects) with the local pastor contributing to the meaning of the story in French during the crucification scene which was also translated into Fula. The pastor utilised Mercy Ships personnel to spread the word about the meaning of christianity and to model the love of Jesus. We finally got home a little after 10.30pm after a most enlightening and enjoyable evening.
Today I made yet another trip to the local market but this time with a focus on buying some material to have a top and skirt made - Sundays is less crazy at the market and it is easier to make decisions and keep a clear head for bargaining !! I managed to get some suitable material and even locate the tailor and choose suitable adornements - I don't want to give anymore details at this stage as even I don't know exactly what the finished product may look like - but I hope to attach a photo on the next blog as it will be finished in 2 days. All the women use tailors here to make the gorgeous outfits that they wear and they are all so unique ...and mine will be just that :)
This next week is pack up week in the OR where everything needs to be either bolted to the floor, cling wrapped or fully secured in cupboards in readiness for sailing to the Canary Islands. Following that my final 2 wks will see me employed in crew services (??) .....my duties are yet to be divulged but if it involves cleaning the public toilets then I know where there is a good supply of gloves !!
Since it is my usual laundry slot time the drier awaits - and then a good book on the deck - and am actually starting to miss not cooking my own food but do you see me complaining - No not all :)
What a great week it has been - full on with surgery as we come to the end of this out reach in Guinea where 482 maxillofacial, 162 cleft lip or palate repairs, 99 reconstructive, 116 orthopaedic, 63 gynaecological, 1617 eye, and 297 general operations have been performed over a 10 mth period, along with 51 club foot corrections using a non surgical (Ponseti) method. An unquantifible number of connections have been made with local people and organisations - which include orphanages, churches, schools, womens' and mens' prison as well as local missionaries and their children, who have enjoyed a mutual combined group activity each week with the children on board the Africa Mercy.
I visited the paediatric ward at the local hospital on Tuesday night (this being a weekly occurence from Mercy Ships personnel) and played games with the children and also helped keep the parents (who are required to care for their children on a fulltime basis) entertained. We played Jenga (block stacking game), blowed bubbles, coloured in pictures, threaded some bead necklaces and kicked a balloon around. My basic french (improving all the time) came in useful again and I managed to engage everybody with something I said or did !!
Friday night I accompanied another group of crew after work to set up a projector at an outside community area showing a movie of the classic story of Jesus. We attracted between 200-300 people (I estimated) in an open space adjacent to their meagre dwellings, many of which were quite young childern who insisted on climbing on our knees on a rotational basis - some fell asleep before mothers could locate them in the rapidly dimming light. The movie was a translation in Fula (one of the local dialects) with the local pastor contributing to the meaning of the story in French during the crucification scene which was also translated into Fula. The pastor utilised Mercy Ships personnel to spread the word about the meaning of christianity and to model the love of Jesus. We finally got home a little after 10.30pm after a most enlightening and enjoyable evening.
Today I made yet another trip to the local market but this time with a focus on buying some material to have a top and skirt made - Sundays is less crazy at the market and it is easier to make decisions and keep a clear head for bargaining !! I managed to get some suitable material and even locate the tailor and choose suitable adornements - I don't want to give anymore details at this stage as even I don't know exactly what the finished product may look like - but I hope to attach a photo on the next blog as it will be finished in 2 days. All the women use tailors here to make the gorgeous outfits that they wear and they are all so unique ...and mine will be just that :)
This next week is pack up week in the OR where everything needs to be either bolted to the floor, cling wrapped or fully secured in cupboards in readiness for sailing to the Canary Islands. Following that my final 2 wks will see me employed in crew services (??) .....my duties are yet to be divulged but if it involves cleaning the public toilets then I know where there is a good supply of gloves !!
Since it is my usual laundry slot time the drier awaits - and then a good book on the deck - and am actually starting to miss not cooking my own food but do you see me complaining - No not all :)
