Day 137 or What is it Like to Travel in Africa?

So you want to go somewhere in Africa? Why not take a taxi!

An African taxi isn't like the ones you get in the states. First of all, the American taxi drivers won't appreciate you trying to barter your way to a lower price. A common practice in Africa, but frowned upon in places such as New York.

Then there is the issue of space. You could be enjoying a nice ride with just two or three of your friends. In that case, space isn't a problem. But it's not that uncommon for there to be three people in front and four in the back! Or even five! After all, what's the purpose of laps? And if you have an open trunk, then hey! Why not throw a couple people back there? So far, I believe the record has been ten in a five seater taxi!

Once you've gotten everyone in, the price negotiated, then you're ready to go! And don't bother with the seat belts. If they actually do have them, then there is a good chance that they don't have buckles.

As the car begins to pull out, you begin to have an idea of what you just got yourself into. Truck? Truck? Oh, don't worry. If you go fast enough, I'm sure you can get into a lane before we get HIT!

With congested traffic, zimmy-johns (motorcycle taxis. Twice the craziness, half the protection.), and random people running across the lanes, it is quite a skill to drive. Lanes are just suggested guidelines and it's not uncommon for the taxi to dash across an opposite lane, or no lane at all, simply to get ahead of the car in front.

I have found that it is best not to look out the front window at all. If you do, then you will notice little details, such as the person running right in front of you, the motorcycle just a little to close, or the large semi-truck barreling straight towards you. It's better to just look out the side window at the people on the sidewalks, the buildings, the beaches, the very large and deep ditches that you are much to close too. Things such as that.

But I will say that despite the craziness of an Africa Taxi, they seem pretty tame once you've taken a zimmy-john!

Day 118 or Screening Day

In the past we've done one or two big screening. Because of the elections, we've changed that this time, with many smaller screenings with any where from one to six hundred people.

I signed up for this past Thurday. My time began on Wensday night, when I managed to fall alseep at one, only to wake up at two. Why, I have no idea. All I know is that I layed in bed till four, when I decided that was rediculal. I headed upstairs and talked to Heather, the receptionist and friend, till six. Got ready and at seven, left for my screening!

We drove for about twenty minutes till we reached Ba, the location for our screening. At seven, there was a line as long as the gate. We entered the compartment to find about twenty or so people inside who had been waiting to be seen since the night previous. Despite the fact that they couldn't have been comfertible on the cement ground, I still recived many smiles.

We were all assigned jobs, with mine being one of the three people who excorted the people either to the Data room when they were expected or the exit gate, when we couldn't help them. It amazed me how something as simple as the direction in which I walked affected how I felt. To walk with someone towards Data Entry was wonderful, and I hoped the best. But to walk towards the gate was hard and unfortanty common. It amazed me time and time again how these people would take the news that couldn't be helped. Was it bravery and courage that let them stand tall, or had they just become numb to the pain?

The people stood outside the gate where they were let in, fifteen potental paitents at a time, with fifteen more next to the gate waiting to be seen. In total we screened somewhere around two to three hundred people, with around five hundred people in lines, counting the caregivers.

To see all these people, each dealing with their own struggle. Bow legs, tumors, burns, anything, they wished for help. All dressed in their best, hoping that the doctors from a ship could help them.

People waited on the side of the gate, and as I walked those who were unable to be helped, Dulce would sweep in, like a giver of mercy, asking if they would like prayer. Many excepted, a few did not.

But there were those who's lives might be changed, who we can make a difference for, by the grace of God. And it is those for whom we are here for. The reason this ship is here is for those people who stand outside the gate, who wait all night, for the chance to be healed.

Day 104 or Saying Goodbye...

First of all, may I say that I am always amazed at how fast time flies... It seemed like I updated just yesterday!

This has been a hard week. First, with saying goodbye to Daniel. Daniel is one of the guys who works on my dinning room team. While we're not saying goodbye forever, he is transferring departments, which means that he will no longer be there to make the dining room more fun...

So what did we do to celebrate his last day? Well.. We had a lot of fun!
For those of you who don't know, it a dining room tradition, that when someone is working their last day of work, they are sprayed with the hose. He knew that. We told him. His response? ''It's my last day, so I'm going to spray you!'' Which he did... point blank range. Needless to say, my doubts that he wasn't going to do it were... quenched. Or should I say drenched?

I then decided to get him back. While picking up utensils to wash, I notice one covered in yogurt. Perfect. With great deliberation, I wiped the yogurt on his arm. I was so focused on the yogurt, that I failed to notice what he was doing. With out flinching, he raised the running hose and sprayed me, once again, point blank.

To top off the morning, we then discovered a drain monster! There is a metal grate about the size of a dinner plate under the sink covering a drain and apparently, a drain monster! Daniel was the one to discover it. He drained the above sink, apparently, to the dislike of the monster, who then pro ceded to grumble and growl. Then he attempted to actually come out! Water came out of the drain and the grate rose and fell as he pushed against the tube, wishing to come out. Rachael though, knew what to do, quickly going to reception to write up a work form and alerting the drain monster's worst enemy! The plumber!

The dinner that night proceed much like that morning. We did run out of food, drinks, dishes, cups and silverware, but still managed to keep on running! Stressful, but we manged to get everyone fed and happy! The clean up time involved everyone getting sprayed at one point or another, a major water fight, a butter fight and a marmite tangle. For those of you who don't know what marmite is, it is a British thing, a yeast extract to be exact. And in my opinion, smells like black death. Which means, I then, or more exactly, my arms, smelled like black death.

So in the end, dining room is hard, stressful, rewarding, tiring, difficult, challenging, and sometimes, a whole lot of fun.


Not only did I have to say goodbye to a good worker, but tonight was the going away party of a good roommate. Kaylee will be going back home tommorrow. I'm sad to see her go, but I'm glad that she gets to start in this new chapter of her life, grad school! 4418 will not be the same without her. Her sense of humor that never ceases to amuse all of us. I will also say that I have never seen someone, especially an American, who can dance like an African the way she can! You go, Kaylee!

We celebrated her last night in the crew galley, door closed, music blaring, cake baking and a dozen girls dancing and singing along with the music. Things won't be the same with out her, but I know that she'll be happy. We'll miss you Kaylee, have fun on your new adventure!


Post Note:
For those of you who were courious, yes, Rachael did actually write 'We have a drain monster' on the work sheet.

Day Fifty-Nine or Finally Sunburn Free

This past Friday, I was invited to go with a group that would be climbing the nearby volcano. Excited by the prospect, but not sure that was what I wanted to do that week. Going back and forth, unable to decided, I hung out with friends till two-thirty in the morning. Set my alarm and decided at six the next morning to join them. Sleep? Sleep? Oh, three and a half hours is plenty!

First we had our nice walk down the dock and to the bus station, which was about a fourty, fifty minute walk or so. We caught the bus, rode for an hour, caught the next bus and rode for another two hours. Finally, we reached the point we were going to start hiking from.

As many of you know, I'm from New Hampshire. You say 'mountian' I think 'green', 'trees', 'streams' and an occasional boulder. This, on the other hand, is a volcano in Tenerife. The barren landscape that surrounded us seemed at sometimes to resemble the sand-swept Tattoine of Star Wars and at others, the desolate planet of Mars. Hills and valleys made entierlly of rocks with the texture and firmness of hardened styrofome.

As we got higher, we could see the ocean and the city, so far away. The buildings looked to be no more than white pebbles spread across the ground.

The hike was hard. At first a long up hill walk, which then turned steeper, switch backs up the hill. Despite the look of the area, like on of a desert, it was cold. I wore my sweatshirt and a scarf wrapped around my face, to much amusment of my traveling companions.

The more we continued, the more I fell behind. Deteminded to reach the top, or should I say, what we could reach. In order to reach the very top, you must have a permit, which we did not. We were allowed very near the top, but not the tip. Soon I reached a point where I was the very back. Never out of sight, but the footfalls of my companions could no longer reach me. I stopped and turned to look back. As I looked out, across the sand and rocks and ocean, I was struck by not only the beauty of the land, but also the silence. No cars, planes, trains, voices, music, birds, nothing. I have never heard such a quiet as that. It was the sense of peace, of beauty. After a moment's reflections, the quiet was interupted by the calling voice of Johan, encouraging me to continue on and not give up.

I did make it to the top, or where we were allowed, and back, in time for the bus. When I finally made it back to the ship, hours later, I was greeted in the mirror by my sunburn. If you had placed me next to a fire engine, I would have blended in perfectly. I am happy to report that it is gone and my skin is now back to it's normal paper white.

Day Thirty-One or Adventures in the High Seas

So we're here! We made it safetly! Sailing was defentley an adventure!

Before the sail we had been informided of the great possibility of sea sickness, due to the ship's rocking. Prepared, stuff tied down and sea sick pills at arm's reach, we set off.

The majority of the sail was actually very smooth. It was popular at the dining room to watchc people attempt to get from one side of the room to another with arms ladened with drinks and food. Working was an adventure everyday, especially when it came to the trolley. We have a heavy trolley that we use to collect the dirty dishes. I ladened up the trolley and set off. At first the ship is tilting to one direction, making pushing the thing as hard as if I were attempting to push it up a mountain. Pushing as hard as I could, the ship would then tilt, sending me flying across the room, the cart having suddenly become weightless. It's a wonder that I never hit anyone. Even though, we were relieved that the sail should be so smooth and wondered at the reasoning behind such measures as we had gone to.

The sunrises and sunsets were amazing. You would stand and watch as the golden sun turn red as it touched the water. The night sky was like I had never seen. I knew that they were millions upon millions of stars, but to look up at the sky, unhindered by the lights of a city, I was not aware that there were even that many close enough to be seen.

Even that would have been enough for me, but God chose instead to send a metor shower halfway through the journey. On the last night of the shower I slept up on deck eight. To have friends around, laughing and talking, wrapped up warm in a blanket, then to look up and see a star slide across the sky... What could be better?

About three to four days away from Tenerife, the sea began to be more rocky, caused by a far away storm. Stair went from being a challenge to an epic journey. Things in our room, unthought of things, flew across the room. Curtians swished back and forth, unhindered by our attempts till I finally jammed them into my closet door.

Work in the dinning room was the most 'exciting' of all. We had already tied down most things, but certiant items, like the trays that held the bread were simply as stable as they could be. Who ever had the idea to put grip mats under those was a genius. Silverware also, placed momentarly on the table would come to the ground. I made the mistake of putting a tray of sardines on the table while I looked for the mat. The moment I turned around, the ship tilted again and it slide off. Needless to say, that was not fun to clean.

So, now that I'm at port, did I enjoy the sail? And the answer is yes. It was an adventure, beautiful, interesting and at times messy, and I enjoyed every minute of it and am looking forward to the next sail.

Day 20 or Sailing Away

I can't believe it! It seems like it was only yesterday that I was arriving in Benin and already we're leaving! Today we officially set sail for Tenerife. Can you believe that I'm going to spend Christmas in the Canary Islands?

Today I saw my first real life flying fish! They opened the bow and every one in a while you would see a fish skip through the water, like a small stone.
It was the most amazing thing, standing at the tip, the wind pushing against, the waves down below. You look, and as far as you see, there is only blue. So beautiful, but I think I can understand how such a sight for months at a time could drive a man insane. When you look out, you feel somehow like you are the only one. It is the most peaceful and at the same time, lonely feeling, to be the only one.

So I have officially spent my first holiday away from home. Thanksgiving was great, we had a real Thanksgiving meal. It was also my first working holiday.

I enjoy it here, the work is hard, but good. One of the things I really like about the dinning room is that there are two sides to it. There is the 'Lines' as we call it, the job where you make sure there is enough food out, keep the lines clean, and greet people. It's nice because you get to see everyone, ask them how their day was and just make small talk.

There's also the dish washing, which can be done by one, two or three people, depending on how many people are eating. That's also a good job, especially when you don't feel like talking to people. So really, no matter what mood you're in, you can still enjoy work. You aren't forced to talk to everyone, nor are you kept apart.

Day Four or Ahhh.... Weekends....

Today is Sunday, and I am very happy to say, my first day off. What did I do with my free day? While, first I accidently slept in and missed breakfast. (Whoops.) Then I was privilaged enough to attend Ward Church.

Ward Church is the service that they preform in the hospital ward. The room was a mixture of hospital beds and plastic seats, all filled, dispite the fact that we are packing up to leave Benin. Even though some people couldn't even leave their beds, there were still smiles all around. Directly in front of me was a nurse holding the offical last patient of Benin. The patient was a young baby girl, who could not have been a year old. A white bandage crisscrossed her lip where her cleft had been. So young, eyes so brown, she seemed to watch everything with fasination and was calmed by the rapid beats of the drum during worship. I wish I could have know her, but I know, even now, that she is a special girl.

The service was wonderful. The worship was loud and thankful, as a man sang and pounded the drum. Those who could got up and danced for the Lord. How long that lasted, I do not know, but I enjoyed every minute. A lady from the ship gave the messege. She discussed Luke 18 : 9-14, in which is the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee. The Pharisee prayed loudly in the temple, saying ''Thank you God that I am so great! And that I am not like those bad people!'' But the tax collector prayed alone, weeping and saying ''God, I am sorry. I am a sinner.''
God doesn't want us to praise ourselves, to look to ourselves. He made us and He wants us to look to him, to ask him to help us at all times.

The messege was so wonderful to hear. When the last of the words had died away, the music began again. A woman came up and said that she had a song she wished to sing. A song that expressed how she felt. She sang and danced and the rest joined in. So touched by God's amazingness, she began to weep, but continued to sing.