Christmas Day

Today is Christmas Day and I decided to visit Joseph, one of our dayworkers', church. Of all the churches I've visited here I think this one was my favourite. I could just sense it as I came in, something in the atmosphere that made it feel like home. I cannot point out what made it different from other churches, maybe it had to do with the way they related to each other; somehow my spirit felt at peace there.

The African people I've met here sometimes remind me of my grandmother in that sense that they like to feed me. Still trying to digest our Christmas brunch I tried to decline food after the service, but as that is not a very polite thing to do around here I changed my mind. I explained to the lady that I was too full and only wanted a small small portion. She said she understood and came back with a double portion; no point in arguing. I ate half of it and started thinking about starting a diet soon. After all, I have been told that my face has become more round, like a mongolian face. Although this was meant as a compliment, I feel I don't want to start looking too Mongolian; if the face becomes round, other parts grow bigger too. Pretty much all of my Christmas presents consisted of cookies and sweets, I reckon this "diet" thing won't be very successful. It never was...

All Love and Merry Christmas

African Beat

Yesterday I was invited to come and listen to my friends as they were playing at a wedding in town. They shared their meals, their tea and even their profits with me, and the fact that I didn't really contribute with anything seemed to be of no importance. They made space for me even though there wasn't really any space, and it warms my little heart. It's fascinating how things that wouldn't fit in two cars back home can be loaded in a single car in Africa without too much hassle. If the load is bigger than the car or if there are three people hanging off the back of the car is a lesser issue. How on earth we managed to drive with 7 drums, two big speakers, an amplifier, personal bags and 8 passengers (driver excluded) on bumpy dirt roads is to me a mystery. Also, I now understand why they created the automatic car; a gear stick takes up a ridiculous amount of space.

Drumming as the ladies were shaking it up

Packing up, safety first (of course)!

Just add a few more drums and bags + 9 people and that's our ride!

Six of my boys

All Love

Seeking Trouble

Sometimes I wonder how I manage to find trouble everywhere I go. Maybe I'm drawn to trouble, or I create trouble... anyway, I kinda like the thrill of it. It's like the pleasure of going off piste, you know there's gonna be a few trees and rocks in your path, but then there's the pleasure of untouched snow and not knowing what's around the next corner. I cannot recall regretting going off piste ever... even if I come out with a slightly scratched board, covered in snow and sweating. So, just as I like going off piste in the snowy mountains, so I enjoy going off piste in the heat of Africa. Do I get myself into trouble? Bet you I am! Will I regret it? There's just one way to find out...

All Love

Language Lessons

I was thinking coming to Guinea would help me catch up on some of my old school french, and slowly but surely it's been coming back to me. Although my grammar is horrible and my phrases extremely simple, it's nice to know enough to get by. Now, in Guinea there are over 40 different languages, and I decided to try and learn some phrases in the most common tribal language in Conakry; Susu. My favourite phrase at the moment is M'balanki diki, which means "What are you wearing/how did you dress?!". Now it turns out Susu and French isn't enough as most of our VVF patients come from the tribe of Fula, and as I appreciate being able to communicate with my patients I've slowly started learning some Fula phrases. One of the most useful ones is "ayanohandu kakabine" which is a polite way to ask someone if they've had a poop. I also learnt that So'sata is a way to say you don't like something. The women say that to me when I tickle their feet. If nothing else, me trying to speak Susu and Fula is a great source of laughter to most of the locals, and I love hearing my patients laugh. And just for the record, I have no idea what the correct spelling of these phrases are.

All Love

How to Reconstruct a Face

Today we had a teaching session by Dr Gary Parker, the surgeon that has been performing max fax surgeries on board for more than 25 years. I don't think I realised how complex our faces are; the nerves, the muscles and the bones and how it's all connected. When we see patients with massive facial tumours sometime's it's easy to forget that it's not just a lump that is to be removed, but the tumour is integrated with the bones and affects blood vessels and muscles, and it doesn't just grow out, but spreads within the skull. So, these patients basically need to have half of their face removed, not just the surface, but once the tumour is out they have a gaping hole in the middle of their face. This is the most fascinating bit; when Dr Parker reconstructs a new face out of titanium and bits and pieces of bones and muscles, trying to make it look as normal as possible and remain fairly functional. Because, as he said, it's not very nice if you try and eat and the food comes out of your eye socket. And even though they'll have some scars and their skin will be a bit saggy, their face slightly uneven and they will lose a few teeth, at least they won't have to suffocate to death as the tumour slowly blocks the airway.

All Love

How the Heck Do I Love You?

Trying to type serious matters whilst having Disney channel on in the background is a challenge. "I'm Mr biscuit and I'm searching for the perfect biscuit". And I just smeared chocolate on my keyboard. Sweet!

I don't know if you've ever decided to get really into something and invest a lot of time and energy in that one thing. Occasionally I do, but it rarely lasts long. Recently I decided I would invest my time in trying to get closer to God, spend more time in prayer and reading the Bible and stuff like that. I discovered that although my desire was there and my heart was completely engaged, something was missing from the equation. If Jesus said our joy should be abundant, then why did I feel like mine was running on very low levels, especially when I took time to exquisitely seek him? I just felt so serious all the time and from knowing God I knew something just wasn't right.

Then it hit me, as I was ploughing through the gospel of John, that I made the mistake of thinking the more time I spent reading about God, spending time in prayer and reflecting on his nature, the more love for him I would get and the happier I would become. But this is not true. It's true that by getting to know him better I find more reasons to love, but it rarely increases my joy. And then in John 14 and 15 Jesus mentions that we love him by keeping his commands. And we remain in his love by, again, keeping his commands. And what are these commands? Well, there's pretty much just one: love one another. So we love Jesus by loving each other and we remain in his love by, again, loving each other. And then he goes on to saying that when we do this, the joy that Jesus had will also be in us, and it will be complete; complete joy. So, to me it seems like the key to joy is to love the people around us. When I focus only on God and forget to love the people around me I will step out of God's love and I will lose the joy. A bad deal! So back to love, let's look at how it's done by checking out the most quoted wedding passage, 1 Cor 13: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Sometimes I like reflecting too much and I forget that it's not worth much unless I start to live it. So when it comes to application, how do I apply this in my life? Maybe if I choose one person in my surroundings, preferably one that slightly annoys me just to make it a little more challenging. I decide to be patient with this person, and kind. I decide not to speak in a disrespectful way to or about this person. I will not try and make myself look better than them, I won't brag and I choose to see to their interests before my own. When they annoy the crap out of me I decide to let go of the anger and forgive them whatever they've done, however many times they've done it before and will do in the future. I choose to always protect the person, to trust the person and to never give up on him or her. And to persevere in doing this.

Now that I've written this I doubt that I'll ever experience complete joy, because loving people like this is not very easy. Yet this is how God loves us, and maybe at some point at least we will get a little bit closer to loving each other properly...

All Love

The Day I Made New Friends

Today I had the day off and decided to go back to the park where we met a dance group a few weeks earlier. There was rain in the air, and it was a refreshing cool morning. I'd been to the 6 o clock prayer meeting and felt so happy I couldn't help but sing as I walked through the port out to the bus stop. When I arrived to the park I sat down to read and not even the smell of burning trash could spoil the enjoyment of being off the ship.

And it got better!

After making some new acquaintances I ended up in a small room that was currently the home of 7 young musicians. I found myself surrounded by nine guys playing various rhythm instruments, singing and dancing. They insisted on teaching me how to play and I demonstrated how remarkably uncoordinated I am; it was a great time and we shared much laughter. There was a sense of community in that little room, we were all friends breathing in the same smoke, sweating in the heat of the day. Their generosity put me to shame, although they had very little they still offered me drinks and insisted on paying for my taxi fare on returning to the ship. They asked me if I'd come back and I said I would.
I love making friends!

All Love

Wednesday Update

Africans make lots of interesting noises that fascinate me. From the short high pitch eh to the mellow oh, not to forget some of my favourites ah haaa, eh heeee and uh huuu. Because I like them I can't help but throw them into conversations and I probably misuse them terribly.

I don't sleep much here. I remember having a long sleep once, it lasted 8 hours. I normally get 4-6 hours of sleep every night, simply because I don't want to go to bed. Like a stubborn child I'll stay up until I can't keep my eyes open and then drag myself to my cabin and up to my little bunk, only to rise again at 6am. I wonder if the body will get used to little sleep eventually or if I need to do something about my habits...

Today I had my hair re-braided

All Love

Goats and Sheep

Last week someone spoke to us about goats and sheep, how sheep are creatures that need to be led and shepherded. They are unhappy outside the flock and are slow learners that tend to fall into the same pits several times before they learn to avoid them. This is what God is comparing us to: Sheep.

But he never makes the comparison in a way as to disparage or scorn us. What he wants to say is that we need each other, we often make the same mistakes and we do need someone to help us find our way. And He wants to be our shepherd. It is his desire and his heart to help us make wise decisions and to lead around all the potholes in the road and prevent us from falling into the ditches we've found ourselves in far too often. But the shepherd does not only help his flock to stay out of trouble, he also leads them to water, speaks to them and tends to their needs. And not only does he care for all of his sheep, but he has declared several times that he especially cares for the weak sheep, the broken ones and the ones that have been ill-treated and neglected. That is my shepherd, one I am proud to belong to.

Sometimes I behave more like a goat though. I get stubborn and hard to lead. I'll run off to go climbing a rock and I'll gore others who get too close or appear to compete over the same space. When I finally get tired of the climbing and the fighting I can hear the gentle whisper of the shepherd calling me to leave the scene and to come and stay close to him, allowing him to clean up the wounds, feed me and teach me. That is usually when I realise I'm a sheep after all, slow to learn and constantly making foolish mistakes. When you are with someone with a gentle spirit and a loving heart it doesn't take long before you realise that you have a long way to go...

But even a slow learner is teachable, and thankfully, this shepherd is a creative teacher with a lot of patience.

All Love

Welcome to Ward B

I work on ward B, an oprthopaedic ward treating kids aged from a few weeks old up til the age of 15. The surgeries and treatments these kids come in for can be very complicated, and I don't think I realised how extensive some of our surgeries can be. At the moment we're treating a lot of kids from Sierra Leone who had their first operation in 2011, now coming back for more surgery. When you're dealing with comlicated untreated conditions, you realise 10 months isn't a very long time. Being a nurse, working with children is quite different from working with adults. Adults are more reasonable when it comes to keeping still during wound care; they rarely kick and scream whenever you try and take a dressing down. Also, for most adults looking away is enough to survive needles, and me having to wipe away tears is a rare occasion. Adults aren't as easily comforted with stickers and balloons though, and it takes a lot longer for their tears to turn into laughter. Holding these kids in my arms, making them laugh at my silly dance moves and knowing I get the honor of helping them through a difficult but significant part of their lives, it leaves me with a warm fuzzy feeling inside... even if it brings the sweat out carrying casted kids up the stairs from deck 3 to deck 7, and sometimes my arms go a bit numb from holding them for a long time (at that point it's a good idea to put them down). Whenever their faces lit up as they see me, I bet my own face shines 10 times brighter. It's my pleasure and a big honor to work with these children and their families.

All Love

The Big Provoker

I don't like cheesy stuff. And I don't mean edible cheese, I love that kind of cheese! I'm talking about cheesy songs, films, sermons etc. The kind that make you cringe inside, full of clichés they try their best to push our emotional buttons, and my response is a bit like a cat's response to being sprayed with water. Another thing I'm not particularly fond of is when people think that the more complicated words they use or the more loud and enthusiastic their speech is, the more we will listen and appreciate whatever message they try to send out. These things can annoy me, and God is very well aware of it.

To my point. 

God is probably the biggest provoker I know. "You don't like cheesy films? I'll use one to speak to you. You don't like this loud preacher? Well suck it up and listen cause I'm gonna use him to tell you something."

I hate it and I love it. I've become more careful not to say "never", because I have a feeling that God's response would be "Really? Let's see, you said you'd do anything for me..?" If it wasn't for God giving me a message I would've never had a rose tattooed to my body, you can trust me on that one. Its way too girly! He made me love challenges, because with each challenge my trust in him grew deeper. I'm looking forward to him provoking me, because if he didn't I think I'd become too proud and judging.

So if I ever provoke you; I'm sorry, I learnt it from my Father...

All Love

Dubreka Waterfalls

Yesterday a few of us had a day off work and decided to make the most of it. I went with 3 other nurses to one of the beautiful waterfalls outside the city. We started off on a bus, then transferred into a taxi, African style where you cram as many people as possible into one vehicle. The taxi wasn't able to bring us all the way to the falls though and we had to get a few boys on motorbikes to drive us there. Health and safety is not as big in Africa as it is in England, and so the only protection we had were the clothes on our bodies and flip flops. I have to admit I was a bit nervous in the beginning, especially since the bike I was on kept breaking down. We had to stop and get some new parts on the way, and by that time the others were long gone. My driver told me not to worry though, the bike had been working fine the previous day, and I decided to follow his advice and just go with the flow. We went on a dirt road, through knee-deep streams, over rocks and through deep pot-holes. It was quite an exhilarating ride! And when we arrived, boy did that waterfall look great! It was a stunning scenery and we all went for a swim despite advice to stay out of fresh water. I thoroughly enjoyed the sun and the water, a bit like being in a natural jacuzzi. And the best thing was that we had the return journey on the bikes to look forward to! A couple of breakdowns, beautiful mountains in the background and a driver trying to impress me by driving with no hands, quite an experience. I also managed to burn my leg on the exhaust during one of the break-down-breaks. I'll take it as a lesson for next time! 

Andrea enjoying the water

The bike in the back was my ride

All in all it was a great day and I really appreciated getting away from the dirty city and the intense life onboard the ship. Now, back to work!

All Love

Screening Day Video

The media team put together a short video from our screening day, this is the result...

All Love

Fishing in the Rain

It is Sunday evening and me and Tori decided to grab our fishing rods and head out fishing. Outside the port a man grabbed hold of my arm and refused to let go. It was quite an awkward situation and so we decided that taking a taxi would be a good way to get rid of our unwanted follower. We quickly found a kind taxi-driver, jumped in and slammed the door shut in the face of our persistant friend and took off toward the pier. When we arrived at our destination the taxi driver asked us what we were up to, and when we said we were going fishing he told us we had chosen a bad spot as there were too many bad boys around that area. So he took us to a safer pier for free and told us to call the police if we got any more trouble. He took off and when we looked around we found ourselves surrounded by fishermen returning from a day at sea. We set our rods up and began dreaming of swordfish and hammerheads whilst the fishermen unloaded their small fishingboats. It was a beautiful evening, but what started off as a lovely sunset soon turned into dark clouds. It wasn't long until the rain came; it came suddenly and it came heavily! There was nothing we could do, there wasn't even time to put on a poncho, and so we decided to embrace the rain - and we enjoyed it thoroughly! After some time when we could no longer see any dry patches on our clothes and we couldn't make out the float in the water unless lit up by lightning, we decided to head back. It was a lovely walk back to the ship; through big puddles with cozy lit up shacks along the roadside, people socialising with friends and neighbours under canopies, lots of small tv's showing football games. When we finally got home, oh how lovely that cup of tea tasted. It was a great evening, but next time we'll try and catch some fish...

All Love

Resting Under His Wings

One of the things that have really struck me lately is how much God emphasises rest, and how good we are at ignoring that call. Lately I've realised my need to take regular time off to be alone with God. Sometimes it's five minutes with a cup of tea in the morning, other days it's lingering at a beautiful sunset. This evening I escaped up to deck after our meeting had finished, falling asleep on a wooden deckchair whilst being covered by a light drizzle. I didn't say much, neither did God. Sometimes words are superfluous and prescense is all that's needed. I was reminded of words already spoken, when God said come to me and find rest. Many times He has invited us to find shelter under his wings, and this evening I felt his wisper calling me to rest whilst he kept watch. Just like a mother swan covers her young with her feathers, so God wants to cover us and keep us safe. I was free to slumber knowing I was safe under his watchful prescense, like a young covered by white feathers. Rest is not another task that we need to fit into our calender, adding even more stress to our lives; it is God's gift to us, a safe haven where we can place all our concerns under his care, allowing him to carry us under his wings. It's a good place to be, esecially in times where worries are many and not far between...

All Love

DOs and DON'Ts

During the last week we've been given quite a few advice about what to do and not do whilst here.

• Do use handsanitisers, Cholera is running wild in Conakry
• Do go out in groups of at least 2 
• Do keep the curfew (be back at 10pm)
• Do not give the police any money unless you actually did something to deserve a fine
• Do not expose signs of wealth when leaving the ship
• Do not take pictures of any government buildings if you want to keep your camera
• Do not eat food that's been lying in the sun surrounded by flies for 4 hours
• Do not show your knees in public

I have also been warned by crew members of white female kind not to socialise too much with the African male crew as this can easily be misinterpreted. I see what they mean, but when I have one room with Europeans/Americans playing boardgames and watching movies and another room with African men having a spontaneous music session, singing and dancing, I know where I'd rather be! Though advice is good, I have a feeling that those who know me are worried about my ability to follow advice, and perceive my risk-assessment to be somewhat skewed. I understand but I don't necessarily agree. They say curiosity killed the cat, but the adventurer in me says "the one who never take any risks risk not living at all". I'd rather live full on for a short time than have a long unsatisfied life! Saying that, I just want to point out that so far I have been keeping the advice about not going out into town solo. Good girl!

All Love

Arrival

This morning we arrived in Conakry, Guinea. All in all it has been a very smooth sail, although the last couple of days have been a bit more rocky. I've seen a few people falling over and getting thrown from wall to wall, which I have to confess was quite amusing! We've seen dolphins and some have seen whales. The last few days have been more overcast as we've been heading into areas with rain season, and we saw Guinea appear through the fog this morning.

Tomorrow is my last day in the galley (kitchen) and I can't wait to get back into nursing. The thought of blood, dressings and IV fluids makes me excited, my 4 month nursing break is over!

Lowering the gangway

View from starboard side (right side)

View from port side (left side)

All Love

On Our Way to Guinea

A few days ago we set sail from Tenerife, heading for Guinea. By now I've grown accustomed to the constant rocking of the ship, it's fascinating how the body adjusts and so I haven't bumped into any walls or fallen over in the stairs. So far it's been a really smooth sail and we've been able to avoid bad weather, for which I'm really grateful (especially as I'm sleeping in the top bunk). I've not suffered from any seasickness either, though I have been taking my tablets, regularly to begin with and today just one. 

Our first night at sea we grabbed some pillows and a guitar and went up on deck to watch the stars. It's amazing how clear the night sky is at sea, we could see the milky way and shooting stars, and we worshiped the creator. It was magical!

The sea is beautiful, and there are definitely times I just wish I could jump in, though I would probably drown and the captain wouldn't be very happy! So far we haven't seen any dolphins or whales, but we've seen a lot of flying fish; it's amazing how they glide over the water! Apparently they move their tail over 70 times a second in order to get the necessary speed. 

This evening we had worship on the bow (see pictures), accompanied by guitars, jambes and the rolling sea. Tomorrow is a full day in the kitchen again and on Wednesday we're scheduled to reach Guinea. Exciting times!

People gathered to sing, dance and play

Worship at sunset

All Love

Left Behind

So for those of you that missed the news: yesterday the ship left without me.

I signed out from the ship in the morning to go looking for guitars, and it turned out to be quite a long walk. Returning to the dock I saw the ship at a distance and noticed that I couldn't see the gangway and there seemed to be lots of action on the bow (the front of the ship) which is unusual. Then it looked as if the ship was starting to pull out from port, which is exactly what happened. So I see the ship suddenly leaving the quay without knowing the reason why. I knew it was not yet time for departure and I was going through possible announcements that I could have forgotten about, but couldn't remember any. I found some Spanish men who told me that the time was "terminado" and that the ship was leaving, but they couldn't give me any specific information. The fact that the ship vehicles were still parked along the dock made me feel a lot better and I assumed the ship wasn't going to move too far. In one of the cars I found a crew member and he told me the ship was just moving up the dock a bit, and so I sat down and waited for it to moor up again. 80 minutes later the gangway was in place and slightly sun burned I could make my way up the stairs to my mobile home. In the unlikely event of being left behind, the biggest issue would have been that my passport was still onboard the ship. Apart from that I would have been fine, I'm sure. I guess that's one of the beauties with God, you're never left on your own.

As a quick notice, yesterday evening I met the Swedish family that lives onboard the ship, and they are lovely! I have a standing invitation to their cabin, and they urged me to come and visit often. I also met one of the anaesthetists onboard, and it turned out she has lived most of her life in Bristol, working at the BRI. Sometimes a dose of familiarity is wonderful!

All Love

Pictures from Ghana

The village Pai Katanga

Fruit tree by the school

Little boy in our courtyard

Dining hall under the sky - not perfect during the rainy season!

After class

Some children have never been told that they are loved
and that they possess great beauty

A young boy after school

Some of the shyer kids

Boys will be boys

Class

Playing games, Africans are fast!

Crowding in front of the camera

Main road going through the village

Distracted from the camera,  a rarity

Gathered for the football game and to have their picture taken

Sunset over Pai Katanga

There were many more pictures taken, but I can't post them all on here. I have a feeling there will be a lot more pictures taken during the next 2 years, and the thought of it puts a smile on my face (as if I wasn't already smiling)

All Love

Village Life in Ghana

So we just got back from our 2 weeks in Ghana, waiting for the connecting flight to the Canary Islands where we will enjoy the pleasures of a real bed, a hot shower and a nice breakfast before we join the ship. I'll try and make a quick summary of 2 extraordinary weeks.

We stayed in Pai Katanka, a village 6 hours outside of Accra, the capital of Ghana. We were constantly surrounded by goats, roosters and kids and silence was pretty much non-existant. It was rainy season and the landscape was beautiful, the village surrounded by green hills and lush vegetation (and our last night all the fire flies came out to dance for us).

The food was... interesting, but not bad. As usual I ate everything set before me, and ended up puking in a bucket last Thursday. They say I shouldn't have eaten the food handed to me by strangers, and probably shouldn't have let my water bottle being passed from mouth to mouth among the kids. How was i to know  ;)

The work we did was to build walls, dig trenches and filling up a foundation for a new school building. Some taught in the school and some helped out in the clinic. We met the chief of the village who came up with the elders to help us dig, quite a sight! We played football (soccer) against the locals and lost! Not sure we can use the goats grazing in the football field as an excuse... We also danced African style in the pouring rain, first time I've seen so much butt shaking in church - maybe something to introduce back home!

Most memorable were the kids and how they approached us wanting us to tell them stories and teach them songs. We were told by Chris, our local contact, that kids in the village are being brought up with insults, harshness and beatings, and it was hard to see so many adorable kids knowing that they were facing this daily. It made me want to hug them all and tell them how amazing and wonderful they were. Cause they were!

Tomorrow we'll be boarding the ship!

All Love

Africa Next

In a few minutes we'll be on the road to Dallas airport, making our way to Ghana. We're gonna be in a village in east Ghana, working with an organisation called Samaritan Strategy, adding walls to the village school building. We've got 2 weeks in Ghana before we join the ship in Tenerife. Until then, have a great time and see ya later!

All Love

God Grew Tired of Us

This week we watched a film called God Grew Tired of Us; a film about the lost boys of Sudan, around 25 000 young boys who were forced to flee Sudan to avoid being murdered during the civil war. When they eventually reached a refugee camp on the border of Kenya more than half of the boys had died from starvation, dehydration or animal attacks. After years in the camp some of the boys were allowed entrance to the USA, and in this film we can follow three of them and their transit into America, trying to adapt to the western culture. It's definitely worth watching.

To watch it in Youtube follow this link:
God Grew Tired of Us

All Love

Dirty Ear Business

So it's been 13 days since I caught an ear infection, the first antibiotic (Augmentin 875-125mg) didn't help and I've been started on another one (Clindamycin 150mg). I'm hoping Tracey will be able to look at my ears this afternoon to see if it's working at all, otherwise I'm in for trouble. We are flying to Ghana in less than a week and flying with already congested ears doesn't sound like a treat to me!

Having bunged up ears have made me realise how fantastic the body is. I can hear my own heartbeat and the sound of my own blood flowing through the arteries is so loud I sometimes find it hard to concentrate on what people are trying to say to me. I can hear every crack of the spine and every step creates a thumping echo in my head. If you'd put in earplugs and start talking, that's what I hear every time I open my mouth, just a bit more resounding. I'm slowly getting more used to it, the hardest thing is not being able to follow conversations very well. My team has been lovely though and have been patient enough to repeat every other sentence for me.

All Love

Gateway

This is the crazy group I'm hanging out with in Texas, heading for Africa in less than 2 weeks. It's a good thing I like them, cause I'll be spending the next two years around most of them  :)

All Love

Can't Hear Ya

Texas is a hot place, temperatures ranging between 30 and 40 degrees, usually closer to 40. Despite this I've managed to catch a cold, which has spread and caused an ear infection in both ears. I've been walking around with impaired hearing for 5 days now, feeling slightly isolated from the rest of the world. As stated by one of the other nurses here, I've done what any other good nurse would have done in my shoes - carried on and ignored the need to go to the doctor. Tracey, bless her soul, checked my ears for me and there's now antibiotics waiting to be picked up tomorrow. Having a multi-medical team isn't without benefits. Once we get to the ship our nice dentist Mark is going to fix my chipped tooth as well. (Seems I started falling apart since I entered the States!)

As an addition, some much appreciated mail arrived last week; so many of the girls have asked me where I got my new dress from, and it is with pride that I say my sister made it for me!

All Love

Basic Safety Training

So last week was basic safety training where we were taught how to handle emergency situations onboard the ship; we were taught how to fight fires, how to set life rafts, CPR and first aid, and how to survive if ending up having to abandon the ship. It was hard work and lots of fun. There will be fire drills with proper simulations on the ship every other week, so by the 2 years I shall be well trained!

This week is filled with Bible studies, looking at the organisation's and our personal view of God and the nature of man. We're also looking at culture differences and how our culture influences our way of being and thinking. Interesting stuff!

I'm in there (looking as normal as usual)

Immersion suits and life rafting 

All Love

Texas Baby

After a magical week in Orlando, Florida, and an interesting bus journey through the southern regions of the states (accompanied by loud white Bible citing Southerners) I finally reached my destination: Tyler in Texas, where I'll be doing a 5 week long training program to prepare me for my service with Mercy Ships.

The weather here is HOT. At 8pm I found it pretty comfortable; you could go for a walk without too much of a sweat and enjoy a beautiful sunset at the same time. The days here will be packed with class and other events so there will be very little time for excursions and lazing around. Tomorrow is the start of our week of Basic Safety Training, which means we'll be playing fire fighters and go playing in deep pools. Sounds like fun to me! 

People here are really nice, there are over 30 of us and we're staying on a massive property, part of which is a farm.  As I was out on a walk I accidentally went into the animal pens and couldn't find the way out. Some of the girls that saw me must have wondered what on earth I was doing walking around among the cows. 

All Love

Feeling Hot Hot Hot

There's a heatwave hitting Sweden at the moment, and I'm not complaining. Summer has finally arrived and the Swedes are happy, though panting. There's a smell of BBQ everywhere and the kids are splashing about in the lakes.

I got a card from Tony yesterday and I got a lovely card and photos from Maria today. Kramar i massor to you too!

Memories and good friends!

All Love

Clearing Out The Attic

Prayer cards

I was sent up to the attic today to get rid of old stuff that were just lying around. As always I ended up looking through old books and pictures, and some of it was from my time with YWAM in Denver. It was really inspiring reading all the notes and old journals. I found two prayer cards I had made during my time there; one for a man we met in the park; he had just lost everything and was absolutely devastated, and the other for GUSCO, and organisation working with rehabilitation for child soldiers escaping from the LRA in Uganda. 7 years doesn't seem that long ago...

I also found stuff from when I left high school; a letter where I said I thought one of the reasons people get depressed is that they "get bogged down in themselves" and that we need to develop to thrive. Not bad for 16! And an anonymous note from a class mate saying I was the best when it came to chatting up boys... not all innocent so it seems  :)

All Love

Psalm 139

O Lord you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I'm

far away.

You see me when I travel

and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, Lord.

You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my

head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to understand!

All Love

Sweden

Samples of things I appreciate about Sweden:

- The ice hockey championships

- Going inside, warm clothes are not a necessity for survival

- Shower with power

- Swedish sayings

- Fika

I've been back home for about a week and a half now, and it's lovely to see family and friends again. If you'd ask me how I'm feeling I fear I couldn't give you a good answer; there's just too many feelings and thoughts going through my mind to be able to sort it out. I spent most of yesterday working on our Hobie Cat and it was nice to do some hard work, giving my mind some peace whilst the body was working.

There are two things that I need to get sorted before I leave in June. The first thing is a visa for Ghana, and I'm hoping to have everything I need to send off the application later today. The second thing is a bit more tricky; I need to buy clothes for the trip. The dress code on the ship and today's fashion don't go hand in hand, hence causing a bit of a nightmare for someone who strongly dislikes shopping even under normal circumstances. I sense a challenge...

 Hobie Cat finally got the name on

All Love

Goodbyes

I'll miss ya

Things are starting to get tough around here, I've got 3 days left in Bristol and the farewells are starting to sting. I was never good at saying goodbye and I'm getting to the point where I just want to hide under my duvet until it's time to catch my flights. I have been told that I have lovely friends and I know that very well, I'm thankful for each one cause they're golden! Just thinking about them makes my heart warm, a bit like having a cup of hot chocolate after being out on a rough winter's day - but better!

I feel like I should have a lot to say with everything being organised and the adventures ahead, but at the moment that's the main thing on my mind. With that said, all my love and my warmest thoughts to the loveliest bunch in Bristol!

All Love

Canal Life

My time in Bristol is getting shorter and shorter by every hour, and on Friday I will only have a week left. The thought of leaving is not all happy despite the adventures that linger on the horizon, for I have gained friends here that I will miss greatly. I take it won't be a final goodbye but more like going away on a long journey, only to return with a bag full of stories. And I will probably need at least 2 years to improve my storytelling skills. Anyway, we can only be thankful for the time we've been allowed to have with the amazing people we meet. 

I spent last weekend on the Kennet and Avon canal, cruising down the still waters from Bradford on Avon towards Bath. Me and Susanna started the journey; we were given a quick run-through about how the boat worked and were left to learn by experience. Our first mooring experience was quite a panicky one, but our skills improved greatly during the next few days. We shared the canal with 'canal people' (those who actually live on their boats all year round) and various groups of stag do's. Saturday we picked up Rachel and cruised along to Bath. The sun was shining, we were singing and playing around with the swing bridges and locks. We were all very excited, but I think Susanna was the maddest, running back and forth, jumping around like a happy dog. 

Susanna being excited

In Bath a group of stags invited us to moor up outside their boat, which we did. A Welsh lad called Jay challenged me to take a shot from a mysterious bottle, and how could I not take up a challenge starting with the phrase "how strong are you?" So I downed the double shot of 63% Rum and had a bit of a sore throat for an hour or two afterwards. In Bath we picked up NayNay (Naomi), nipped into the pub and then ended up watching Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs until we fell asleep.

Tranquility 

Sunday morning the 4 of us started the journey back. I think we all fell in love with the peaceful life on water and the slow cruise along the beautiful English landscapes. The people were all friendly and the challenges were enough to keep us alert. And the weekend was completed with cream tea in Bradford on Avon, all whilst the rain was pouring down outside.

All Love

Happy Easter

Today is Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate the greatest victory throughout time (and no, it's not the Welsh Grand Slam). It was when the most inspiring man ever to walk this earth chose to die for those he so much loved, and when this love transpired into victory as the true identity of him came forth. The King of all universe let himself be slain by those he had created so that they could become whole, and just as his death was complete and brought the whole creation into darkness, so his resurrection made a way for the creation to enter into his light.

This is the true meaning of Easter; it is the big story. Another not as important but still enjoyable part of Easter is the egg-bit. Susanna surprised us this morning with an Easter egg hunt. She had hidden eggs in our house and made me and NayNay run around like mad chickens in pursuit of them. And in the fridge there are left-overs from yesterdays pancake-cake waiting to be devoured. Yum yum!
Happy Easter y'all!

All Love

Slowness

Spring has arrived in England and we're having some beautiful warm sunny days. The trees are starting to blossom and people are starting to work on their tan. Spring is a good time for reflection, especially while resting in the grass under a flowering tree.

The Nobel prize winner Szent-Györyi said that discovery consists of seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one has thought. Many times we don't give enough time and space for reflection, we hurry through life with all our tasks and errands and rarely take time to ponder why we do what we do and what controls our behaviour and our priorities. We have so much, yet rarely know how to enjoy what we have. Would it perhaps be better to have less and enjoy what little we've got? And would it perhaps be better to do less, slowing down and being present in each moment? Maybe then we would be able to see what the world around us really looks like.

I fear that this stress we live in is the archenemy of discovering the true meaning of life. We were not made to rush around always following trends and trying to fill our life with as many experiences and as many gadgets as possible. What if we decided to only do one thing each day and be fully present and focused on that one thing; take time to reflect and find time to rest. Maybe if we slowed down we would learn to appreciate the small things in life, and maybe we would see what treasures we already possess. This may be practically impossible for most people, but isn't it a nice thought to reflect on...

All Love

The Ferry to Ireland

So I decided to go to Ireland anyway. Wednesday I booked the tickets and early Thursday morning I set off. It was a long journey, but I quite enjoyed it, finding time to read and write and drink tea. I had way too many moments of bad timing and getting lost to mention them all, but it all turned out good in the end.

Once I arrived in Rosslare, the port town in Ireland, I ended up in a hotel with wonderful staff and charming Irishmen. It was a good start of the journey! The next morning I made a move down to the ferry terminal to catch a coach to Tipperary, a small town apparently known from an old song I'd never heard of. I had to wait for the bus and spent the time well, going for a long walk on the beach watching out for the waves rolling in and then settling down at a cafe for more reading and more tea.

I arrived to Tipperary just as the Friday kettle market was finishing and the streets were full of trucks and trailers waiting for the day's bargains to be shipped over to the farms. People looked at me in a funny way as I was walking down the streets, in that kind of way that makes you wonder if you've got something weird stuck to your face or if you forgot to do your zipper up. I guess I just looked different. I was on the hunt for a B&B, but every place I went into seemed to be just an old bar. I entered one place and it looked suspiciously dodgy, even by my standards. I went in, quickly changed my mind, had a look around to see if anyone had noticed me entering and then made a run for the door. Oh the bravery. Eventually my tummy made itself known and I had to stop in a pub for food. I asked the bartender if he knew any B&Bs and he directed me to one just down the street. An old man called Gerry welcomed me in and I was provided with a lovely warm room with a heavily trafficked road running just outside my window.

As I sat down to do some more reading I suddenly got extremely homesick. I felt really lonely and I just longed for my own bed and some good company, and my mind battled with the desire to catch the first bus to get me back home the next day. I came to my senses though and thought about what I was missing from back home that I didn't have where I was in Tipperary, and I realised there wasn't that much. It also made me contemplate what makes something a home and I was reminded of how a few years ago I had discovered that God was my home, that wherever God is, if I am with Him, there I will find peace. I then decided I wanted a cup of tea and I went down to ask Gerry for a cuppa and found him and two other guests chatting in the kitchen. I was given a pot of tea and some chocolate biscuits which made me feel a lot better. Then Gerry went to let their little energetic dog in, and she ran into the kitchen and flew up onto my lap, and there she stayed for the next two hours. It's amazing what a hot drink and a pet can do for your nerves, and when I went to bed that night I went to bed with a smile. God is good.

Saturday morning started with a full Irish breakfast, a moment of contemplation and a nice stroll around town. As I was walking past the supermarket I recognised one of the ladies from the B&B and she invited me to sit down for a coffee. So I bought myself a black coffee and sat down for a chat. Her name was Katherine and she had not long ago come out of a messy divorce and was now homeless and quite damaged. We ended up talking about outlooks on life, psychology, philosophy and sharing life stories. I talked to her about the faithfulness of God and it brought a smile to her face, making her dentures move slightly. At the end of our two hour long chat our coffee had turned cold and so had we. There we were in the end, a 70 year old Catholic and a 27 year old Protestant, holding hands and praying for each other. At that point she was not an acquaintance or a friend, she was my sister. And later she turned into a granny, prompting to buy me food for the journey. Sometimes you don't accept a gift because you need it, truth is you might not even want it. Sometimes you accept a gift to give a person the opportunity to show gratitude and appreciation. We exchanged contact details and we parted with a warm hug.

The journey back to Rosslare was painful. Imagine a rickety bus travelling on small crooked roads a little bit too fast. After a couple of hours I could not take my eyes of the road in fear of my stomach turning a little bit too much. The smell of fresh sea air and the sound of the waves came as a beautiful relief and I took my time strolling back up to the hotel, singing gladly along the shore as I was walking up the road. Back in the hotel the staff recognised me and the bartender gave me free Whiskey as it had become known that I was heading over to work in Africa in not too long. It got later than planned and I was half asleep when I finally hit the pillow. The next morning, suffering from losing one hour of sleep as the clocks went forward I stressed down to the ferry and made it down, a good 3 minutes before take off. It was a beautiful sunny day and I spent almost 14 hours travelling. The last part of my journey I skipped the train and took a taxi straight home, best spent £14 this week!

All in all a lot of busing and training, but it was good getting a bit of distance to life in Bristol.
I met up with Tony today and he said I was the happiest he'd ever seen me. Amazing what some holiday, spring and sunshine can do. But then, after going through some tough times I realised again why I love that man. Despite all our obvious differences we're quite alike, not taking ourselves too serious, strong but soft-hearted. He's my mate and I'm his little mucker.

All Love

Holiday In Brecon Beacons

Yesterday morning I got picked up by Rachel and Charlie and we went over the border to Wales to spend a couple of days in Rachel's parents barn. It was so nice to leave the city and be surrounded by fields, mountains and sheep. Rachel's dad made us help out in the garden, we went for hikes and we made a sparkling bonfire. The barn (although surprisingly comfortable) was a very cold building and I think we wore more clothes inside than outside. I had planned to go to Ireland for a couple of days, but I'm not sure I need it now. I've got a few more days of holiday and no firm plans.

Some pictures to sum up the last two days...

Working for dinner

Evening hike

Before sunset

The Barn

A windy day

Bonfire time

All Love