Busy busy

The last week has been very busy. It has been a rush to get in all the things I wanted to do before we leave Guinea, and along with that saying goodbye to local friends and crewmates that I've known for two years now. Here are a few pictures to highlight all that has happened int he last week.

Final Bible study with my small group. The Bergman family will be returning to Cailfornia. Michelle has already left for Maryland and Heather will soon return to Canada.

Went to a service a the Catholic Cathedral. Walking inside is like stepping out of Guinea but once the people started singing you could sense their closeness with God. Even with the service in French I could tell the the service was very African.

Went on a boat ride to Fotoba Island. Here you can see an old prison. I'm not sure of the full history, but it was very impressive to see.

Also on Fotoba Island is the oldest Evangelical church in Guinea, built in 1870.

Last Saturday I went with a group to Racky Teniture. A local place that makes batiks that I sell in the Ship Shop. We got to pick out our own stamps, make a design, dye the fabric and see the whole process.

Thursday we said goodbye to the day-workers. Here's Barry from the Communications Department. He translated for their team. With knowing multiple languages he assisted their team immeasurably. His family has a business selling peanuts. They were a very popular item in the Ship Shop. I'm thankful that I got to know him and see the process of how they make the peanuts.

I made one last visit to see the Toureg guys. They craft some amazing things. Besides creating silver and ebony earrings, stamped bracelets and rings, leather boxes, serving trays and supplying us with amazing soapstone carvings they make some rally good tea. I'll never forget these guys.

After coming back from Fotoba we walked through the fishing market. That was a sight to see and much more than I could describe in a small description.

Got to enjoy some of the first rainy-season storms of 2013. It's nice to see rain after missing it for  five months.

Last but not least said goodbye to Estel Willits. Her and her husband have been in Conakry 25+ years translating the Bible into the local language of the Susu people. In the last few years she has started the ministry of feeding babies that lost their mother. It is very unfortunate the commonality of losing either the mother and/or the baby during childbirth. She's stated having family members of the babies make jewelry to sell so that they can afford to by formula and feed the babies. With over 200 infants on record to feed she is always busy. It has been great to assist them while in Conakry.

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256 Days

A lot of things can happen during 256 days, but for what I'm speaking countless things have happened. Two Hundred Fifty-Six days ago was our mass screening to kick off the Guinea Field Service.

It showed us the immense need of medical assistance that the people here need. Today we will perform our last surgery for the 2012 - 2013 Field Service. The Eye team has removed it's last cataract, the Dental Team will help their last patients today. Next Friday as the day-workers work their last day the hospital will close and things will really wind down as we pack up everything to sail to our maintenance period.

Please keep the final patients in your prayers to that we can send them home next week. All patients that aren't cleared to go home must go to local hospitals till their wounds close and they are healthy.

Next blog I hope to share with you more of what's been going on the last few weeks.

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A Grand Tour

The Staff Development team on the ship has offered Cultural tours the last several months. I had the opportunity to go on half of it yesterday. To be able to understand the culture better and to show the people that we love them we had a tour of the Grand Mosque. Guinea is very Muslim. Sitting somewhere near 85-90% Muslim. 

When we arrived we were introduced to a group of men that study under the Grand Imam. Two of them gave us a tour around the Mosque showing us, the Mausoleum where some of Guinea's warriors and the first President was buried, the process of Ablution which is the cleaning of oneself before entering the mosque, a view from the balcony where the women are allowed to pray, the process they go through when praying, the main area of the mosque, and finally where the Grand Imam leads the prayer times from.

It was very interesting to see all the different things. Many of the rituals are based off of ancient Jewish and early Christian rituals. When we took off our shoes they told us they do it because Moses was told to do it when he approached the burning bush. God said that it was Holy ground, now the continue to do it to this day. 

 

 

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A round of applause.

There is a universal principle of childhood physics that we all remember well: the joy of spinning in circles. Perhaps it was spinning while locking hands with a playmate, in a teacup at Disney World, dancing in pirouettes, or simply turning in place – it was a thrill to send our surroundings into a kaleidoscopic blur. This was followed by a dizzy fit of giggles – at least until our internal compasses caught up, and the world came back into focus. Do you remember?

Four years ago, a little girl named Jaka was spinning around in circles with some other children while her mother was at the market. Around and around, arms out, chin up, her face full of smiles. Tragically, when Jaka lost her balance, she plummeted into her aunt’s cooking fire. Jaka landed in the burning coals on her left side with her arm up. The pot of boiling water her aunt had prepared for rice spilled over the little girl’s shoulders, arms and back.

Fanta, Jaka’s mother, ran home from the market and took her daughter to a local hospital in Conakry. In order to be seen by doctors, the hospital required a payment of 1.5 million Guinea Francs at the gate – just over $200. The family could not afford admission.  Fanta returned home with Jaka, unable to ease her daughter’s agony. For the next eight months, Jaka laid on her little stomach, tethered to the ground by unimaginable pain. Each day, her mother fanned her, trying to offer Jaka whatever relief she could from the inescapable African heat.

As Jaka’s burns healed without medical care or rehabilitation, her left shoulder and arm contracted. Jaka’s skin began to grow back in such a way that her arm became stuck to her side from her armpit to elbow.  Fanta feared that Jaka would lose the ability to move her arm. Still unable to afford any medical treatment, Fanta tried to treat the problem herself.

Fanta forced Jaka’s arm away from her side three times, trying to prevent the contracture. Fanta described each attempt, saying that she and Jaka both cried themselves to exhaustion. On the fourth try, Jaka begged her mother to stop because the pain was so unbearable. “If you try to pull it open again, I will die. The pain will kill me,” Jaka said to her mother. With that, Fanta resigned herself to allowing Jaka’s arm to heal on its own, stuck to her side.

Today, 9-year-old Jaka is a patient on the Africa Mercy hospital ship, recovering from a free plastic surgery that released her arm and grafted skin. Deep burn marks cover her entire upper body – her head, neck, shoulders, back and arms – but no one notices because they are entranced by the little girl’s adorable gap-toothed smile.

Sweeping, washing and fighting – these are the activities Jaka says she will get to do with her restored arm. Laundry might not be appealing to many, but participating in household chores is a normalcy Jaka has never known. “I am so happy,” Jaka says. “When I go home, I will work all the time because I can.” (Fanta admits she is glad for this enthusiasm.) Free of her deformity, Jaka will also now be able to go to school for the first time.

As for fighting, Jaka is one of ten children, and she happens to be very ticklish. With her new arm, she will be able to hold her own the next time she is picked on by one of her older brothers or sisters. She was ashamed to go among her siblings and friends when her arm was stuck to her side because they would tease her. “Now they will see me and say, ‘Jaka has become well!’” she declares. Then they will invite her to sit with them and watch the cars go by their house.

From her hospital bed, Jaka is all giggles – she can hardly contain her excitement for her now-bright future of playing, going to school and watching cars. But Jaka’s favorite part about her restorative surgery and rehabilitation is even simpler than that: “Clapping!” she exclaims. With her arm free, Jaka can finally clap with both hands.

Now there’s a happy ending worthy of applause.

Written by Catherine Clarke Murphy

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Prayers for Guinea

Please keep Guinea in your prayers. The development levels in this country are much lower than the countries that the Africa Mercy has been in the last few years.

Outside aid has not come to this country because the government hasn't had a lot of stability. Over the years there have been different situations and take-overs preventing two good election cycles to occur in a row.

The last few months there have been a few protests because some believe that the President has not acted properly to have elections this spring. As of right now there are things in progress to have the elections. Pray that things will continue to be safe as they move towards an election day and that this election will open up the doors of aid to the country of Guinea.

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Χριστός Ανέστη!

Today is the third time that I've been away from home on Easter. Once in Boston and once in New York while I was in college, but today I traveled all over the world. At the end of the service this morning they had every language present proclaim "Christ is Risen!" It was amazing to hear it in 23 different languages. Here are a few to give you a gimps.

Kristus er opstanden!

Christus is verrezen!

Le Christ est ressuscité!

Christus ist auferstanden!

Χριστός Ανέστη!

Críost ardaigh!

Kristus er oppstanden!

Cristo Ressuscitou!

¡Cristo ha resucitado!

Kristus är uppstånden!

After the service for the crew I went down to the Ward Service that they have for the hospital. You can take a listen while seeing a picture from the Sunrise Service.

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