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The past two weeks have been over-the-top busy…more work than was almost humanly possible. We had the company IMS from the US here for two weeks sharpening our instruments again…but this year the timing of their arrival was not ideal. The sterilizing department had been extremely busy with the VVF surgeries (for female fistulae). On top of this had been the arrival of the Eye Surgeon Glen Strauss, who can do up to 50 cataract cases per day. Factor in the sharpening guys…and the work was beyond, beyond.

On top of the work load I developed a rather nasty cold, but had to keep going or the work would simply not have been achieved. This included a six day week …10-11 hours per day. Everyone in the department had to work full tilt. When this past Friday arrived, and IMS left, I felt a physical lifting of a huge burden off of my shoulders. The result?? Every surgical tray, OR separate instrument, Ward, Out-Patient, Dental and Physio instrument was sharpened, washed, re-packaged and sterilized.

A highlight of the past two weeks was the arrival of my former bunkmate Anna from the UK. She had been back in Sierra Leone doing training and workshops in the Ponseti treatment method for club feet, and checking up on last year’s patients from Mercy Ships. It seems as if Anna has found her calling, and has chosen her one spot in the world where she can truly work for the betterment of humankind. Sierra Leone has won her heart, and she is busy working to find funding to develop a program to treat what is called neglected club feet.

One in 700 babies is born with club feet in Sub-Saharan Africa. The statistics are only slightly better elsewhere, with even higher reports in India. The actually cause is still a mystery. The Ponseti method of club foot correction involves casting to reposition the foot. It can only be done up to 5 years of age, when the bones of the foot are still malleable. After this point the only treatment is Orthopedic Surgery…an impossibility in Sierra Leone when there are no Ortho surgeons practicing.

While with Mercy Ships and on this most recent trip, Anna was training health care professionals in the Ponseti method. Every time the clinics would advertise for babies to treat, the line ups would also be filled with those over 5 for whom there was no hope. Anna met two Surgeons from Ghana whose hearts became really touched by these neglected club foot patients. At the end of their training these Doctors agreed to volunteer some of their surgical time to help these patients…if Anna could come up with the ways and means to run the program in Sierra Leone.

Anna has been busy connecting to agencies that might help her, and visioning her program in Sierra Leone. In between all of this, we have been able to share many meals and great conversations on board together…and even a movie or two! How I have missed her.

The first week she arrived was the week of her birthday. We celebrated with cupcakes, cookies and African dancing on the dock. It was a lot of fun, and she really enjoyed it.

The first weekend she was here she and my boss Missy went to Ghana for a few days and traveled quite far north. They arrived back Sunday night and by Tuesday evening Missy was having emergency abdominal surgery for a ruptured ovarian cyst, and an appendectomy to boot! There was no better place for Missy to be in West Africa than on the Africa Mercy. One of our General Surgeons performed the surgery and Missy is now recovering nicely.

Now for an update on George and Frank. They have been super busy taking lots of courses beyond the Sterilizing course. They have been taking Word; Excel and Navigator- a platform specific to Mercy Ships. Their computers are used daily for classes and studying…as well as email, Facebook and movies from time-to time! They are meeting lots of people and having many great experiences while on board. One weekend they were able to join a group of kids their age and travel up north in Togo. Exciting for them. Thank you, thank you once more for your generous support of these two great guys.

The Sterilizing course is going well, with our final exam at the end of May. We plan to have a small graduation for the students involved. From that point those that feel prepared will go on in early June to write the on-line certification through IAHCSMM (International Association of Healthcare Central Service Material Management).

A Surgeon was here last month who is planning to build a hospital in either Togo or the Ivory Coast (the location dependent on funding). He approached me to say that he needs to hire 4 sterilizers and wanted to employ the best in Togo…which he described would be in our department! Both Mark and Holaly speak French, and Dr. Andy has taken their info with him. I mentioned that if needs be, George and Frank might be able to access a French emersion course which could make them eligible for this opportunity as well. It is all still a distance away (December 2012), but the chance for this to potentially happen is very exciting.

Both Mark and Holaly have applied to follow the ship as Day Workers. Should they both be selected, our department would remain exactly the same as it is now until I leave in December. At that point Alice (who is also taking the classes) has been scheduled to come into the Sterilizing room from the Galley, and a team member will be selected to replace me as Team Leader.

We are now approaching our last month of surgery here in Togo. The month will be filled with Max Fax, General, Eye and ENT surgeries. We then pack up for the sail to Tenerife and the dry dock period. I will be writing a manual for the department on our sail to Tenerife and will be assigned to another department for our sail to Guinea in late August.

I have applied and have been accepted for a leave of absence to take care of John’s sister and brother-in-law once again in England during the dry dock period. As there are no surgeries during this time period, I am free to return to Reading to help to care for them. David has been placed permanently in a Nursing Home, and Ann is still at home with care givers. My presence there will enable the family (Ann and David’s children) to save some money from the private nursing care, and to take a much needed holiday. They have very kindly paid for my flight to England and back to the ship. I leave the ship June 29th, and return August 12th.

When I first signed up for Mercy Ships, we were supposed to be working in the OR throughout the summer. However, the change of the dry dock period from December to the summer changed that. At first I was annoyed by the change, but now in retrospect it does present a good opportunity to help out John’s family.

Many thanks to each of you for the many ways you have supported me in this journey so far. From emails, cards, parcels, financial support, blog postings …the list goes on and on.

May all that you have given to others, come back to you a thousand fold!

All best wishes,

Jane

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Hello!

Adventure after adventure seems to pile up here in Togo.
Last weekend a group of 15 of us ventured to Ghana to attend the wedding of my cabin mate Annika from Germany, to Idrissa from Sierra Leone. It was a big deal trying to get there. First of all, we all had to get Visas, which included:  colored photos; a trip downtown to take in the visas and a trip to pick them up again. Did you know that Canadians and those from the UK get a cheaper Visa fee than the rest of the world?
We left at 6:30 am on the day of the wedding. First we walked to the local taxi stand…then hailed and negotiated the fee for multiple cabs to take us to the border. There we had two check points to cross, photos taken, passports stamped, room after room to fill out paper work etc. How many times does one need to say “I am going to a wedding in Ghana”?

We then entered two vehicles (one of which had been pre-arranged…how did we get so much luggage?), and the journey really began. In Ghana there is about 50 miles or more with huge speed bumps every ¼ mile. Our driver would go incredibly fast…only to screech to a halt…to progress over the speed bump at a snail’s pace… to drive like a maniac to the next speed bump..to screech to a halt etc. etc. I wanted to scream “Stop that”, but clearly that was not the polite thing to do.

The scenery was not that fantastic, but as we got closer to the city (3 hours later) we encountered an incredible traffic jam. At this point, our driver assumed the role of the chauffeur from a James Bond movie…dodging this way and that…changing lanes…squealing tires…back roads…back lanes..onto the highway again etc. We decided the best way to cope was to simply close our eyes. As the minutes passed, the anxious groom kept calling the cell phone of our driver…adding to the angst.
The wedding was at 12:00 noon at the Registrar’s office. As 11:30 approached, we realized that changing our clothes into wedding attire, was simply not going to happen…we would be lucky to make it at all! As 11:55 came, our van screamed into the parking lot, and a sweaty, dusty bunch fell out of the van and into the wedding chapel. Wait…you must be ‘pinned’ with a piece of cedar complete with ribbons to support the entrepreneur at the wedding facility…don’t forget to pay$!

The room for the ceremony was split in the middle by an aisle. I realized with horror that we were sitting down as someone else’s service was going on. When that one was over, we were directed to move to the other side of the room, and our ceremony began. For a civil service, it was impressive how the magistrate ensured that both parties actually wanted to get married….as “This is a serious thing, don’t you know”.  In the middle of our service, the door flung open and the next candidates strolled in. I am sure they wondered what kind of vagrants this mixed marriage couple had invited. When I say that the Africans were dressed up..well there are just no words to describe their outfits.  The African bride herself was in a very fussy traditional western wedding dress. All of the women sported large and fancy head coverings. The fathers of the bride and groom were wrapped in African cloth, similar to a toga- in tribal style.  And us? Well sandals, running shoes, shorts, and T shirts just about sums it all up! After the ceremony we stood gathered on the grounds for pictures, and were serenaded by yet another creative businessman who played “Here Comes the Bride” on his harmonica!

We were able to change after the wedding, and we all cleaned up well for the reception. It was held at a very western hotel. The party was a great mix of western ways combined with African drumming and dancing. There were over 8 countries represented. We stayed overnight at a Baptist Mission house. The next morning the bride’s Aunt prepared a lovely bunch for all of us. It was just so normal to sit in the breakfast area in sunlight and take time over a cup of coffee. To be able to hear the birds singing and not the sound of clacking bowls and loud conversations was heavenly indeed-almost brought me to tears!
We returned to the ship that evening. As we crossed back through the Ghana border, the guard I had seemed very interested in who married whom. When I said it was a German woman that married a man from Sierra Leone, the guard said, “Oh, the man has money now”. I could not resist adding, “More importantly, he has love”.

Since serving on the Africa Mercy is much more than weekend adventures, I share this story of a great re-cycling project here on the ship. It is great to see how many things can be recycled in Togo…not because of environmental concerns, but rather out of need.   Cast away cans are made into crafts, plastic bags into purses and bags, and even tires into shoes.

“Necessity is the Mother of invention”, so the saying goes. Nowhere is it more apparent than in the physiotherapy department onboard the Africa Mercy. When patients’ legs are put in casts, they can’t wear shoes – but they can’t go barefoot, either. The Rehabilitation Team has found a suitable, inexpensive, and easily available way to give each patient the foot protection they need during their recovery. The answer is . . . tire shoes.
Anama Latta, a day-worker in physiotherapy, is responsible for producing shoes from tires in various sizes to accommodate patients. He gathers old tires from motorbikes and begins by removing the wire inside with a knife. Then he measures for sizes – 10″ for large, 6″ for medium, and 4″ for small. Using a box cutter, he cuts incisions to mark where he will use the scissors to cut through. Next, he cuts three holes on each side. Then proper lengths of polypropalene ribbon are used to tie the shoes on. Anama says the tire shoes are stronger than other footgear they might use, and they provide more protection on the sides of the foot. “When I was a child in Togo, I used to wear shoes like these to go to my Daddy’s farm,” said Anama.”They protect better than flip-flops, and the cast doesn’t get wet.”Tire shoes last longer than ordinary shoes, and patients can walk easily in them. Anama says he enjoys making the tire shoes. “This is one way I can help the patients and the Rehabilitation Team, and I’m happy to make them.”
I wonder if Canada’s tire re-cycling tax pays for tire shipments to Togo?

May you always be well dressed for the adventures that await you!
Jane

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Hello from the Africa Mercy! It is hard to believe that our time here is nearly half over. Work in the sterilizing room continues to go well, and weekends have been providing some very interesting experiences.

Last weekend I was asked to join a small group to go hiking just outside of Lomé. We drove for about twenty minutes and hiked a short way to fields which stretched far ahead in the distance. The plan was to hike from this location to Lake Togo…but we stopped short when we discovered a river, surrounded by marshland.

In the river was a huge dugout canoe, filled with people, their wears and even a motorcycle! It was built out of one log from the Balboa tree – a tree which grows incredibly straight, and very large in circumference. We talked to the boat owner about being able to hike through the fields to Lake Togo. This caused an uproar of laughter, as the locals envisioned the white folks trudging through the marshes. A few of our group seemed bent on walking, but the thought was cut short by the word ‘crocodile’.

Negotiations then began to secure seats for nine in the canoe.  I was not sure why we could not wait for the next boat (it turned out there were many) but we all stumbled our way into our seats, and sat four to a bench. The water was shallow at points and we kept hitting bottom. The ‘driver’ had only a long pole to propel us through the water, and seemed quite upset with us – although we paid much more for our ride than the average passenger. He spoke with a very loud and angry voice. His companion told him to be quiet… “After all it is business…you should be thankful”, he stated.

We travelled for 30 minutes up the polluted and meandering river. At one point some passengers farther back must have shifted their weight, and water poured over the side and down into my pants. I tried to sit as far to one side as possible…but …oh well, it will dry!
We landed upriver and began our two hour hike on a completely flat and dusty road (oh for the hikes in BC!). The road led us to a well developed village complete with schools, medical clinic, churches, mosques and cemeteries. Apparently there was a road into this village from the north, but most folks without transport take the water route. We met many children who shouted “Wabo” (Yabo)..meaning white man. People came outside of their huts to see the white people who were dumb enough to walk in the scorching mid day sun….and my, was it hot!

After two hours, we back tracked to the river bank. There we met Mister Grumpy (now happy that we had returned to his boat for our homeward ride). I was dismayed when we seemed to cut ahead of an elderly gentleman and his wife who were also waiting to take the canoe transport. He looked perfectly resigned to the fact that in Africa, the white man seems to always go first! Despite questions and then protest, one can never seem to negotiate these things…they simply fall out that way.

There seems no better way to convey to you the stories of our work here, than by sharing a patient’s story.

Wapondi’s Circle of Love

There is a wide circle of love surrounding Wapondi Napo. Because Wapondi was born with a cleft lip, her family is very protective of her. However, in Bassar, their home community, there were some who were afraid of Wapondi. They thought she was not good for the village.

Soon after Wapondi was born, her mother and father traveled to the nearest hospital in Socado, hoping to find a way for their daughter’s cleft lip to be repaired. There they waited in admissions for three days. They were given were some liquids and were sent away, being told that there was no treatment for their little girl in Togo.

While this news was difficult to hear, Wapondi’s family accepted the condition. They focused on taking care of their baby and giving her all of the love and care she needed to thrive. One evening, while the family was watching television, they saw an announcement that Mercy Ships was offering a free medical screening for many conditions, including cleft lip. Wapondi’s parents   immediately agreed that they had to take her to Lomé for the screening.

The family made the eight-hour journey to Lomé, and arrived at the screening site with Wapondi at 4:00 in the morning. They joined an already long line, but were seen and accepted for surgery. Once onboard the Africa Mercy, Wapondi’s cleft lip was successfully repaired by Dr. Gary Parker, Mercy Ship’s surgeon and Medical Director. Within a few days, eighteen month old Wapondi was clapping and giggling with her usual energy.

The family can now return home to Bassar ,to a very special celebration in honor of Wapondi’s transformation. The family is thankful to everyone on Mercy Ships who added Wapondi to their own wide circle of love and caring.

May your pole always be long enough…as you ply your rivers of life.

Jane

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Life speeds by on the Africa Mercy.

Our department has been plagued with more equipment failures than we have functioning equipment. Fortunately, the malfunctions are not connected with the way we are operating the machines…but are a result of a lack of a preventative maintenance program. This urgently needs to be addressed. Long ago, I gave up worrying about these things I cannot control. I see that my obligation is to inform the ‘powers that be’ about the problems, and raise the flag about the associated risks. If our one remaining sterilizer or one remaining washer shuts down…we and the work of the African Mercy are out of business here in Togo!

Yesterday 18 of us from the OR went on a day trip to George’s farm. George is Togolese, single and is about 37 years old. He works in the OR as a translator, and spends much of his time with the eye patients. George’s Father purchased land from a tribe many years ago, which George has been developing into a farm.

Our day began with a hike to the bus stop. It turned out that our booked minivan did not show, and we had to find another…not easy when you have 16 passengers (two rode a motorcycle). Poor George was very upset…he felt we would be sad and disappointed. Actually, we expected it…as this is the way it seems to go in Africa. After a 30 minute delay, he was able to find a replacement and off we headed on a two hour drive to George’s farm. The roads were good until the last ten miles, which seemed to have more potholes than drivable road.

When we first arrived, we went to the centre of the village where we met with the Village Chief and the elders- the oldest being 90 years old. It was very interesting. The Chief looked to be about 38 years of age, and all were dressed in western-style clothing. We had a question and answer session, where we introduced ourselves and the countries we lived in. We were able to ask questions concerning life in the village. There are about 900 residents. The Chief described the following, as their greatest challenges:

1. Clean and accessible water- the people must walk a good distance to the river to collect water which is not clean.
2. Healthcare- especially emergency care. A pregnant woman, for example who is in a difficult labour must be loaded onto a motorcycle and taken two hours to Lome …(remember those pot holes?)
3. Transportation – (remember those potholes?)

The village boasted a primary and a secondary school, and medical clinic (for vaccines etc.) a mosque and a church. It even had a soccer field, although I am unsure how well the ball would roll in the long grass. It was extremely peaceful there. We were introduced to the Chief’s Scout, who performed a security role and looked like he was indeed wearing a Boy Scout uniform. The Chief said that the villagers would do whatever the Scout demanded. I looked for a weapon, but saw none. The Chief’s council performed a mediation role in the community, as there is, of course, no police. If trouble arises amongst people, they are commanded to appear before the Chief where the wrongs are made right.

After our meeting, we drove to the home of George’s cousin and his family. They lived in a mud brick home, with a thatched roof, along with 4 children and a dog- and another child on the way. There we were each handed a tree – mango, orange or palm. We gathered tools and walked 30 minutes through grasses and forest, in a heat like I had never experienced here. We arrived at what George called his palace – a cement walled two room house, which he had set up quite comfortably…a hammock for sleeping (complete with mosquito net), a small table and chair etc. All I could imagine was, ‘How in the world did you get the bags of cement here…and the water needed to build these walls?”

We walked another 15 minutes until we arrived at George’s farm. I am not sure how many acres he has in cultivation, but there were furrows running in straight lines as far as the eye could see. We asked how George got the furrows there, and he answered by grasping his tool and digging the earth into a line of mounds. No modern farming equipment here! The fields were full of cotton plants. George said they had had a terrible crop due to too much rain. He said he was waiting for the Government to purchase the cotton, but there did not seem to be too much to purchase. Interspersed amongst the cotton plants were a variety of trees of various sizes. From what George said, I gathered that he was hoping that they would grow so that he could then sell them, at a good price.

We then began to plant our trees. I say ‘we’, but was struck by the many folks who seemed overcome by the heat. Many were from the UK, who seem simply unable to cope to with the intense sunshine and high temperatures. Within an hour, we had all of the trees planted using only one large spade and several hand held ones. As a group, we said a prayer asking God for rain…for without it our work would soon be for naught. We walked back to the cousins’ house mostly in silence, where fresh coconuts awaited us.

Never was there a more welcome treat! The coconut water refreshed far better than plain water. We were also given ‘spoons’ made from the top of the coconut to scoop out the thin immature flesh – just like the ‘50/50’ coconuts in Sierra Leone. A meal of Fufu and sauce (resembling polenta, but made from yams) was our next course, complete with palm wine. I nudged my friends sitting near-by and we laughed as we looked at our exhausted and rather pie-eyed companions sitting across from us! Warning: intense heat, dehydration and palm wine don’t mix well.

One was struck by the immense amount of work there was to do at George’s farm. George travels there by Jimmy-Jon (motorcycle taxi) and then has to walk far into his own property. He has lived in Togo so long that he can no longer drink the unclean water- so all of his water needs must be brought as well. His mother used to help him on the farm, but is now in her 70’s and is unwell. His dream is to get into animals, which would take a lot less work and attention than the crops. In the future, he wants to live on his farm full time, as unemployment is high in the city.

We crammed back into our minivan and travelled home to Lome. One could definitely see the poverty as we rode back from the countryside into the city. One is struck by the randomness of the development. Lovely houses and buildings sit side-by-side shacks- perhaps a symptom of the lack of a development plan? On the way we passed a Jimmy-Jon with two men. Each held a live goat with its legs tied, lying across their laps. Perhaps they were Sunday dinner?
Thus ends the story of our travels to George’s farm.

Feeling grateful for clean water, health care and good transportation.
Jane

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Time is flying by at an incredible speed. We are already heading into week four of surgery. During the first three weeks, we had triple Max Fax surgeries going on- with an astounding 64 cases completed. At the same time we had trays from -cataract and general surgeries. Plastic surgery has now begun and one max fax surgeon continues along with the general and cataract surgeries. We are averaging roughly 20 cataracts per day.

George and Frank are doing extremely well on board. They are handling the night duties in the sterilizing room with great accomplishment. I have begun instructing 5 African Crew in the Central Service Sterilization course. We meet every Wednesday for 1.5 hours. There are homework readings and assignments as well as weekly tests. It is an aggressive schedule, but we plan to complete the course by the first week of June. George and Frank plan to write the on-line certification exam in early June.

Life on ship is as varied as ever. This week in our cabin we said ‘good-bye’ to Ann, OR Nurse from Pennsylvania, and tonight our new roommate Yvonne from the UK arrives. I believe she is long-term and will be a hospital Secretary.

Last weekend, I was invited as the token old person on a trip up country to Balime (average age 25 years).  Getting anywhere in Africa seems to be an adventure unto itself- with long waits and price haggling all along the way. First of all we walked with our back packs to a gas station where we tried to flag down taxis for 9. This ride took us to the bus station, where we purchased a ticket for a van ride to Balime. This next leg of the journey was 2.5 hours long…through rather dry and sparse country side. As we approached Balime, the hills and mountains began to appear along with a mixed tropical-type forest.

We got out of our van and then attempted to find another driver who knew where our lodging, called Hotel Nectar was located. We piled into yet another van and drove at least 20 minutes up winding steep roads until we arrived at our destination. Hotel Nectar was very nice for an amazing price of $3.00 US per night (sharing 3 in a room).
We were soon greeted by members of the local tourism association. They basically demanded $18.00 US each to have a guided tour of the local area…waterfalls, butterfly gardens, coffee plantations, sunset etc. We refused to pay, as $162.00 for 9 of us seemed ludicrous when an average wage per day here is $1.35. No negotiation would change the price, so we told them we would find our own way. We were then told that we needed guides and permits to visit any of these places, but we still held our ground.  The guides left very angry with us- although we responded that we were all volunteers and simply did not have that kind of money to spend on their service. By the way, they were right about the permits…all of the natural attractions seemed to be restricted by permits. It would be like having a high wall around Niagara Falls, and charging to go in to see it! We laughed every time we saw (without charge) a butterfly freely flying around!

We headed out on our own later in the afternoon. We saw lovely valleys, many flowers (hence the numerous butterflies) and a small creek. We watched the sunset along our way. We had a delicious dinner at an establishment called Chez Paul, where $6.00 bought us a chicken dinner with couscous…soft drinks and complimentary fresh pineapple. We returned to our hotel and climbed up to the roof top (which was flat) and watched the moon and the stars for most of the night. It was so peaceful and beautiful, as we cannot see the stars at night from the ship due to the many lights in the port.

The next day we arose at 7:00 and hiked for 3 hours in the mountains. It was very beautiful, with towns in deep valleys, and many rolling hills. We returned to have breakfast at Chez Paul’s and were then lucky enough to get a ride directly home to the port…one ride only! An interesting sight on the way home was a local Jimmy -John driver (motorcycle driver) with a large dead rat in the spring of his bike carrier. Dinner anyone?

This past Wednesday the Canadians got together after dinner, for Tim Horton’s coffee and freshly baked donuts. There are currently 48 of us on board…with 37 attending the get-together. It is really amazing…I can almost always guess who the Canadians are amongst the crew. The only mistake I have made so far is thinking that crew members from Connecticut are Canadian.

Last night we had a wonderful event on the dock which involved a BBQ for the crew and all of the Day Workers (120 in number). We sat and visited together, and then had an amazing musical evening filled with drumming, singing and dancing. It was all rather impromptu…which made it all the more terrific. We sat out in warm winds and big skies. The spirit amongst us was very special…and one that I had imagined would be common on board this ship. Perhaps this is the start of some great changes here?

This morning I went with a small group to a near-by grocery store and local market. That was certainly an experience. We started at the grocery store…not unlike a tiny Costco. What shocked us was that if we had the similar tastes and buying patterns here, as we did at home…we could not afford to shop in the store. $10.00 for a small bottle of liquid laundry detergent; $12.00 for a small pail of honey; $200 for a tiny washing machine with a separate spinner (no dryer). Clearly this store was for the wealthy.
Our next stop was the local market. The Humane Society would have had a hay day here. Ducks, Chickens and Guinea fowl had bound wings and feet waiting to be purchased. No worries about them being fresh…they were still alive! Shockingly there was even a live baby deer tied up for sale. Live snails popped in and out of their shells…piles of dried dung sat in baskets to be sold as fuel…an (here they were  again) piles and piles of smoked dead rats spilt open with the tails attached! I guess they make a good meal, as their size is certainly notable!

Well, I guess this is all to report on my time in Togo to date.
Missing you, and the trappings of home.

Jane

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Time is flying by, and we will begin our second week of surgery on Monday. The screening day was successful, and thankfully was completed without incident. 3,500 people queued up with anticipation of receiving their appointment cards. Our 17 week surgery schedule was filled, although many had to be turned away. Little Kodjo, seen here with new roommate Ann from the US, was one of our first patients who received a cleft lip repair.

George and Frank returned from their DDTS training in Ghana. Their experience far exceeded their hopes, and I believe it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them. They look great and are happy to be back on the ship. They have had a very heavy week, and worked the evening closing shift for five days.

They were thrilled with their new lap tops and have been busy downloading programs and setting them up. Their picture on my last posting tells the story! Many thanks for all of your support for George and Frank.

The three of us went to church last Sunday. There we had 3 languages on the go…Ewe…French and English (provided by our in-pew translators). Tylenol anyone? The church choir made the trip well worthwhile. They were simply amazing, singing most songs in 3 part harmony accompanied by African rhythms. If a CD had been cut that very day…I guarantee it would have been a best seller.

Our Day Workers began this week. Holaly from Togo, and Mark from Liberia. Holaly was an OR Sterilizer when the African Mercy was in Togo in 2010, and Mark was a Day Worker last year in Sierra Leone. Both will be joining George and Frank in the sterilization classes I will be teaching. George and Frank plan to take the certification exam before we leave Lome.

With Holaly, Mark, George, Frank and Juan…I am the token white female in the sterilizing room. So far the testosterone levels have been manageable 

I almost made my first horrible mistake in the sterilizing room, when I got a cleaning brush jammed in a band new $20,000.00 endoscope. Unbeknown to me, I was using the wrong brush. It fit down the channel the first two times…but on number three??? I ran to the anesthetic Nurse Ali, who visibly paled on the spot. We had just received the scope a few days earlier. She tried a number of solutions, without success. Suddenly, I remembered that when we get the cleaning brushes stuck in the lumens (open tubes such as in a suction device) we turn the brushes in the opposite direction to release them. Ali turned and turned the long brush handle and …POP…it came free. Phew!

Went with bunkmate Polly and another friend Joanne to the Seaman’s centre. Polly was on call, so we could not venture far away. There we met a sailor from Georgia (by the Black Sea..not the one in the USA). He told us he was missing his wife, and then began to recite love poems to us in his language. Something about moonlit nights and love songs. Wow!

Friday was Frank’s 26th birthday. I planned a small party in the OR office at noon, and baked a cake on Thursday evening. This involved cooking in the dreaded Crew Galley. Although it is great to have the facilities to cook when you wish to….it is always a challenge. First of all the room has a very high ceiling, and is filled with stainless steel countertops, fridges etc. This creates a very loud echo, and an extremely high noise level…laughing, yelling crew members…banging pots and pans. Add 8-10 people at once and the ‘fun’ begins.

It seems that everyone needs to know what you are baking….and looks at and comments on the results. Most often this would not cause embarrassment…except when (as on Thursday evening) I could not find two cake pans that would match. At this point it would have been wiser to opt for making cupcakes….but as I had the image of a cake planted firmly in my brain, I simply refused to give it up. The anti was upped by the fact that I had baked a beautiful cake for Johanna’s birthday in November (if I do say so myself). I wanted to make one for Frank that was equally impressive.

I ended up with one round pan and one square one. I thought it would be simple enough to just put the round on top of the square. I did not heed the fact that the square was a little too big, and also had this awkward ridge in the bottom of it. I paid little attention to the fact that the bottom layer took too much batter, leaving a small amount for the top.

To make a long story short, the cake looked like a chocolate-iced deflated flying saucer. Female crew members commented on the fact that it was “not THAT bad”…and “after all…we ARE in Africa”… “it’s the THOUGHT that counts”. I tried to cover my mistakes with small colored cake decorating balls…some improvement, but simply not acceptable. It was in this moment of despair that I remembered that the ship shop sold those candy coated colored rounds called, Skittles. Two bags later, a rather funky polka dot cake emerged. Frank’s present was a folded Canadian flag sealed into an expired sterilizing pouch. He was thrilled.

I came to realize a new truth in life… if Skittles are available…life will always be good!

May your Skittles always arrive exactly when you need them.

Missing you,

Jane

P.S. I previously neglected to report that yes, indeed I did get the lower bunk! Thanks Polly!

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Greetings from Lome Togo!

I arrived back to the ship safely, after what was a wonderful holiday. The time in England was sad, but good. I was so glad that I visited John’s sister and brother-in-law and their children in England, and was able to lend a hand where I could. It was difficult to leave Ann, as she certainly could use the companionship and assistance at this point.

Florida was an amazing break. First my sister Judy arrived for a week, then I spent time with my Dad and Step Mom …then my three children and one son-law arrived for Christmas. After Christmas, I spent my last week with a wonderful friend from Ontario. By the time it was all over, I felt rested, and ready to return to the ship.

Ready that was, until I discovered that Anna’s lower bunk that was supposed to be mine this year…was being slept in by someone else! At 11:30 pm, I ended up moving all of my things out of my berth, and into the one next to it. By the time I put all of that away, and all the contents of my suitcases, I fell into bed at 3:00 am! I am still in the same cabin- just in a different berth. Currently I am in the lower bunk. Francis has moved out to a three berth, so it will be Polly from USA/Brazil and Annika from Germany and myself at this point. Polly and I will share a berth. She returns tomorrow, and that’s when the negotiation starts for the lower bunk! I have included a photo of the view from our cabin porthole…not much, as you can see!

From the minute we landed in Togo, I knew that this country was very different from that of Sierra Leone. Cleaner, wider streets, not a ton of people out and about…more numerous types of trees and generally less chaos and mayhem. There were even lit Christmas lights on the way from the airport! I am very glad that if funds were going to be raised for Day Workers to come on board, we did it for George and Frank from Sierra Leone. Although it is hard to accurately judge the circumstances here after just a few days, there feels like there is an atmosphere of hope and opportunity in Togo.

I purchased two laptops while I was in Florida, which were shipped to Texas and will be packed in the next available container being sent to Togo. George and Frank’s insurance and DTS training fees have all been paid, and there is funding for a year’s worth of crew fees, along with a small growing account for their on-line studies. Many thanks to each of you who have generously sent in donations to support George and Frank.

I was delighted to realize that I did not have to start back at square one, regarding getting used to the ship and those awful claustrophobic feelings I experienced last year. I did not suffer much at all from jet lag…and started work the next morning, unpacking the sterilizing rooms (which in my absence had all been packed up for the sail).The week was filled with cleaning, sorting and organizing. It was amazing how dirty everything had become during the sail. Everything has to be re-sterilized in time for the start of surgery the first week of February. I am trying to ‘borrow’ someone to help me, as George and Frank are in Ghana for training, and Juan is not returning from holidays until surgery begins.

I went out with a few fellow Gateway members on Thursday night after the Community meeting. We went to the near-by Seamen’s Centre. It is run by a Christian mission, and was created to provide sailors with an option from that of seedy bars and prostitutes. It is a nice place, with a swimming pool, food, drinks, internet access and open and covered places to sit and talk. They charge a nominal fee for each of the services. They run a shuttle bus which picks up folks from the ships (including ours) at 6:00 and 6:30 pm, and there is also a return shuttle.

Saturday, was Dan’s birthday (from Gateway). Many of us gathered at a near-by German Restaurant for dinner. It was an amazingly beautiful place…I found it hard to believe I was in Togo!

Currently the dust storms from the Sahara are hitting Togo -called the Harmattan sand storms. It is a slightly spooky feeling as the sun is out, but is seen only through the clouds of dust and sand. The quality of light is also affected. Although the air is filled with this debris, it does not seem to lie on everything…although certainly you can see it covering the plants and trees nearby. I believe these storms can come and go for the next several months. If I had realized these storms were arriving, I would have taken some pictures on my first few days here- when the sun was out, showing the landscape in all of its beauty.

So far there are about 150 people on board out of the expected 450. A large number are due back the next two weeks…that’s when I will start hiding out in my cabin.

I received an invitation to re-join the Women’s Prison Outreach in Togo this year. I decided to decline, as I would like to get involved in something different this time around. I shall see what the options are, and how they fit in with my work schedule.
I have emailed and spoken to Anna, my former bunk mate. She is staying at her Dad’s in the U.K. and is grappling with living back in the Western world. She will do a short stint back in Oxford as a Physio, and then plans to travel in Africa …with a stop arranged at the ship in Togo. She feels lonely, so it was great to be able to speak with her. I do miss her!

Well, I guess that is all for now. I will brush up on the history and culture of Togo, and include it in my next posting.

Hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas season, and that the New Year will bring health and happiness to each of you.

Many thanks for your wonderful support and encouragement. I couldn’t be here, if I didn’t have you!

Much love, Jane

PS The love boat has struck again… Reika (from Gateway) is now engaged to Darryl from the UK!

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