Friday, June 22, 2012

Togo Birthday to Remember!

To add to my collection of birthdays (and boy, are they growing!), this year we celebrated a bit early.
Why?  Well, my actual birthday falls the day after my brother's wedding this year and he and his new bride deserve to be in the spotlight.
Also, I wanted to celebrate with a few score of my favorite Togolese people and other multi-national Mercy Shippers, so our timetable was limited.  The ship has sailed from Togo already, our family has flown over "the pond" are are back in the States for the first time in more than 16 months, enjoying some down time and connecting with friends and family, so, the birthday celebration was moved up. :)
Earlier this year Mercy Ships hosted two different dock parties.  Normally every Thursday night on the ship, the crew get together for a Community Meeting - worship, message, encouragement, etc.  With a crew of nearly 400 that is continually changing faces, nationalities, ideas, experiences, and enthusiasm, it is important to have regular gatherings that keep us all on the same page.  The plan in Togo was to have these get togethers dockside about every six weeks, in order to have enough space to invite our 200 day workers to join us. 
The first one was awesome.

People everywhere, barbecue, lively music and worship.
 
Six weeks later we did it again, but this time,I hate to say, it was even better..... Our wonderful nurses decided that the patients didn't deserve to be sitting in the ward, when there was dancing taking place on the dock.  So out they marched - up two decks to the reception area, and down the 40 steps of the gangway to join us on the dock for lively, dancing, worship!

When I saw Afi, John, and some other patients from B Ward, I knew the fun was going to really begin.  And I knew that Beaugard couldn't be far behind.  Oh what a happy day that was as we danced and worshiped together.
So, six weeks later would have been around the time of the ship's departure.  I was looking forward expectantly to a third celebration like the first two.  But, was disappointed to learn that due to the rainy season and some other factors, one wouldn't be planned.
Never one to be brought down by external circumstances, I began to plot....  And others started to plot with me.  Hmmmm.  June.  I have a birthday in June.  Greta has a birthday in June.  I bet others have a birthday in June. 
If we have at least one birthday, that is reason for a party right?
So what if we aren't having an official function?  We can have our own celebration. 
And that is just what we did: a June Birthday Bash on the Dock!
Now one thing that is common in big celebrations in Africa is to look the part by wearing coordinating fabric.  In Sierra Leone if they were having a big event at the church, they would announce how much fabric cost and you could purchase the length you wanted and take it to your tailor to get something made.
Side note:  In Africa, this is the most common way to get new clothes: you buy fabric, you bring it to a tailor, they take your measurements, and voila! A custom fit shirt/dress/skirt/suit/etc.  Sounds pricey, but it's the only way to shop unless you want to purchase used clothing out of a pile on the side of the road. 
We wanted to make this as authentic as a couple of white American middle-aged girls could muster, so Greta headed to the fabric market and came back with 24 yards of a fantastic selection.

Crew, day workers, male and female all participated in our fabric project and came back with dresses, skirts, and shirts of unlimited styles and embellishments. 
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The rains in the afternoon scared us a bit, but by the evening the rain had stopped and we prayed hard that the roads wouldn't be complete mud puddles.
7:00 came and the friends started trickling in.
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Actually, it worked well because we weren't the only ones with the idea to have a party on the dock that day.  Tim had a 5:00pm party that included a barbecue, so the crowds were already partially present.  And our friends came - some in their regular clothes, about 12 of us in our new African ware.  A couple of djimbes came out, and then a guitar, and the party was ready to start.
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The guitar passed from hand to hand and the songs went from English to French to Ewe and beyond.  The common thread:  a love for fun, a love for Jesus, and a desire to celebrate together.
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The puddles on the pavement didn't stop us.  The fact that our sense of rhythm is different didn't stop us.  We played our invisible trumpets, flapped our wings, splashed our feet in the puddle remnants and celebrated together. Young. Old. Recovering. Caretaking. Healthy. Togolese. Beninois. Ghanian. Canadian. Dutch. American. Liberian. Sierra Leonean. German. And more.
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And the long-term patients that came out to join us CERTAINLY didn't stop us- that made it all the richer.
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Oh what joy it is, when brothers dwell together in unity.  Ps. 133:1.  I learned this verse some 19 years ago while on my Discipleship Training School (DTS) in El Paso, Texas.  It applied just as sweetly then as it does today.  The beauty of friendship that transcends culture, gender, economic status, and all earthly circumstances but stands firm on the bond of being brothers and sisters in Christ compares to none.
So, as my actual birthday nears, I cherish these memories - dirty feet.  Rats running around us.  Fan ice frozen treats in a little cooler.  Chicken dancing on the dock in Togo.  Unforgettable.
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Nurses make great babysitters,

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…so the mommies can join in the fun too!

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Monday, June 11, 2012

Small Worlds, and Shared Views on Parenting in Africa

Do you ever read something and feel like the author was reading your mind? 

This happened to me today. 

But the better part was the story that brings it all about.

A friend of ours from the ship has been serving with us since our first trip to the Mercy Ships headquarters in September of 2010.  Her name is Jessica.  She has the awesome job on the ship of helping to plump up the teeny tiny babies that need surgery (often cleft lip/palate repair) and getting them big enough to be able to sustain the anesthesia. 

Jess had a childhood friend named Rebekah who is an OR nurse and was able to come out to ship and serve alongside her childhood friend in Africa!
 
Rebekah (left), Jess (right)


We met Rebekah and made friends as well. 

Rebekah emailed me an article she read this past weekend, saying she thought of me when reading it. 

I can completely resonate with this article, but the funny thing about is this:  I went to high school with this author! 

Oh, Lord, you have a funny sense of humor and an amazing way of bringing things together.

So, rather than re-writing this message, I am going to say:
DITTO.

Enjoy:
Desperate, Breathless, Dependent Parenting by Rachel Pieh Jones.
(ps- you have to click on the purple words to get to the article)...

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Reminders from Savannah

I found these writings in Savannah's journal while I was "cleaning her room." :) Graciously she gave me permission to share them here.

27 May 2012 Quartier Libre (65)

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012:

Describing God alphabetically

Awsome

Beloved6 May 2012 - visitor day (1)

Corageous

Determend

Excellent

Faithful

Giving

Helpful

Intelegent

Just

King27 May 2012 Quartier Libre (83)

Lion

Majesty

Neverending

Outrageous

Patient

Quiet

RisenP1010353

Saved

Terrific

Unending

Valuble

Wonderful

eXciting

Yahweh

Zealous

Saturday, March 24th, 2012:

2012-03-24 007

Today I went to the Hope Center.  It is where patients stay before and after they are on the ship.  My patient Lumen was there.  You pronounce it Loumin.  She has a baby brother Jullien, pronunciation: Julien.  We call them LuLu (lou lou) and JuJu (jou jou).

2012-04-09 (26)

Psalms: 71:19-21

"You have done great things. 

There is none like you.

You have given me many trobles and bad times.

But you will give me life again. 

When I am almost dead, you will keep me alive.

You will make me greater then ever. 

And you will comfort me again."

I like this verse because it almost sounds like a patient is saying it.

May God bless you,

Savannah

 

01 June 2012 Fun with Lumen - final visit (1)

Lumen came for her final checkup this Friday- she is looking great- she is running, jumping and hopping on those beautiful toe-less feet.  JuJu is fiesty as always and we had a wonderful time visiting with them.