Day 184 or Six Months...

Yesterday was my six month anniversery. It was also the day I said goodbye to Kristin.

There are a lot of great things on the ship. But there are some hard things too.
Saying goodbye is the hardest thing about this ship. People come and people go, a steady stream. After a while, you get used to it. You get used to being sad and letting go. You know that you miss them, but you're okay. You can go on.
Then someone comes along. Someone so special that when they leave, it's like losing the first one all over again.

To all of my friends who ever left; I miss you, and truly hope that you are happy.

Day 179 or Ever Present Darkness

What is voodoo? Well, your opinion varies depending on what culture you live in.

If you've grown up in a western culture, then voodoo is something seldom talked about, and no one believes. It still lives there though, hidden under different, careful names, things such as Ouija boards, horoscopes and other such 'harmless' things. The western world turns a blind eye, claiming it doesn't exist, while gently feeding it in the shadows.

The differences between that and the the world of Africa is stunning. Voodoo is everywhere. A walk down the street and you see it. You see it in the pig, hooves bound till they seize up, thrown in the back alley. You see it in the string, tied around the baby's belly. It's the fear in some one's eyes when you pull out a camera. It's the deep, dark scars carved onto their faces, desperate rituals. It's in the masks that you see in the market. Smooth wood, some calm and peaceful, some leering, horrific and twisted. Their lives are controlled by that which they hate and fear.

When you can, pray for those who's lives are so deeply entwined and pray for us, as we try to reach and heal them.