tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39994006718527437532024-02-01T23:16:11.293-08:00Jordan and Katie Stull{from small town to big boat}jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-69414559881372832772016-12-18T04:59:00.000-08:002016-12-18T04:59:24.756-08:00Life Changes<div class="p1">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-size: small;">We would like to share with you some upcoming changes in our lives. As most of you probably know, Stull Woodworks, Jordan’s family’s business, was destroyed by a fire on October 27. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-size: small;">We’re very thankful that Jordan was able to go home the very next day for two weeks to help with the immediate aftermath and decisions that needed to be made. Jordan had a very good and meaningful time in Ohio and found it difficult to leave. Back on the ship he couldn’t shake the feeling that he needs to be at home and desires deeply to be part of the rebuild of Stull Woodworks. In the weeks following Jordan’s return to the ship, we began to feel that God was also saying that it was time to go home. After much thought, much prayer, and seeking the advice of our bosses, friends and family, we felt like God was indeed saying that the Mercy Ships season of our lives is coming to a close.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;">This means that we have decided to leave the Africa Mercy and move back to Ohio in February 2017, 7 months earlier than we were originally planning to move home. Ironically, we had published a blog post just a few hours before the fire happened about how excited we were about this year on the ship. We were looking forward to the Benin field service and having the next 9 months on this ship. It seems like God had other plans though. We feel tremendous peace about this decision and while it’s going to be very difficult to leave this incredible community and all of our friendships, we are also very excited for the next season that God is opening for us.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;">In conclusion, we want to as sincerely as we can express to you our gratitude for the last 3 years. Whether you've been on the ship with us or on land, thank you for caring about us, praying for us, supporting us, and being family to us! </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;">Jordan and Katie Stull</span></span></div>
jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-20777126119773275202016-10-26T10:59:00.001-07:002016-10-26T10:59:17.006-07:00Just Your Basic I-Haven't-Written-Anything-In-Six-Months Update<div class="p1">
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<span class="s1">If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook (OK, let’s be honest … if you follow <i>Katie </i>on Instagram or Facebook) you probably noticed that we were on waaaaaaay too many airplanes over the summer.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">[Side note: never did I ever think that my mind would immediately go to being politically correct when I mentioned the word “summer”. To all my southern hemisphere friends, please forgive me. I mean the months of June—September.] </span></div>
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<span class="s1">We had planned to be back in the States for Luke & Jessica’s wedding and it seemed that things just kept getting added on to our trip! It was a very busy couple of months but we felt so very filled to the brim in our spirits with it all. God answered some prayers that we had asked and a few that we hadn’t asked about as well! More on that later.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Jordan and I hadn’t been back to Guinea since 2013, when we were there for the Mano Conference that Vineyard Fellowship partnered with. I had tried to visit and Mom and Dad had tried to come to the ship but with the Ebola outbreak, our plans kept getting cancelled. So it was a real treat to be able to be there for three whole weeks at the start of our trip. And bonus! My brother was in-between moving countries and was there for most of the time that we were. We even got to take a week’s trip up to the Fouta, where I grew up. A lot of West Africa can look similar—jungles made up of mango and palm trees, red dirt roads, and crazy humidity—but each country is so different and beautiful in its own way. Every time I go back to Guinea, I am hit full force with the realization of how much I love that country. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">It was great to do life with Mom, Dad, and Hannah. The mission field changes all the time with people coming and going, and so even though I knew a few of the people that they work with, there were a lot of new people. It was great to say hi to old friends and be able to put some faces to some names. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Those three weeks flew by way too fast, as time always does when you’re with people you love! BUT … we are so excited to say that we’ll be seeing them soon! They are going to the States for a short furlough in January and will be stopping by Cotonou to see us on the ship!! </span></div>
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<span class="s1">From Guinea we flew to Europe and made another few stops. Our good friends from the ship, Jan, Elisabeth and Bella Tuinier were in Holland for a few weeks before moving on to their next mission in the Dominican Republic. Jan was taking care of his friend’s cargo ship so it was quite fun to live on a ship for a few more days with them. [Except this ship had a few amenities that ours doesn’t, my favorite being a jacuzzi. </span>We had a great time being tourists with them for a few days, after which we took a train to southern Germany to see my dear friend Sarah and her husband Erkai. She is working at Black Forest Academy and her husband is working for an engineering company. They are in a nice little corner of Germany that is about an hour from Switzerland and ten minutes from France. We took a day hike to the Alps—saw snow in June!—and they treated us to brats, sauerkraut, and fondue (at separate meals!). It was SO good to get a glimpse into their lives! </div>
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<span class="s1">We had looked and looked and looked for tickets for this summer and were really happy with the ones that the travel agency Mercy Ships uses was able to get. One sweet selling point was that our itinerary had us arriving into Dayton (20 minutes from home) at 5:30 on Friday evening. Perfect, right?? Well, American Airlines had other plans. Our last flight (90 minutes to home!!) was delayed and that should have warned us but we still happily boarded with thoughts of Mom’s home-cooking dancing through our heads. We had already gotten the safety speech when the Captain came over the intercom: “Attention ladies and gentlemen … we can’t get one of our engines to start, so we’re going to have to ask you all to de-plane while we try to figure this out.” We all got off the plane and waited around for 20 minutes until they told us what we expected: our flight was cancelled and we would all have to re-book. Jordan and I fairly flew down to customer service, followed by at least 100 people. We managed to get to the frontish end of the line and were told that we could either wait on standby for another flight to Dayton in three hours or get tickets on a flight to Cincinnati—also in three hours. Since we’d just heard at least five other people take the standby option, we figured it would be best to just go to Cincinnati. Easy, right? </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Wrong. All ELEVEN of our flights were on one itinerary and since we had booked with SIX different airlines, that meant six different currencies that had to run through some computer program before we could get our two new tickets that would put us home at 2 am. We sat at the counter for no less than a half hour, taking up exactly 50% of the agents available, and avoiding looking behind us at our fellow victims, whose eyes slowly turned into machine guns while we waited. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">But we got on the flight, managed to get some sleep (we were going on about 23 hours of wake time by this point) and landed in Cincinnati, where Jordan’s parents had graciously driven to pick us up. We got home at 2 am, slept until exactly 5:30 am, when jet lag kicked in. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">But I digress. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Despite a bit of a rotten start, our time in the States was <u>absolutely fabulous</u>. We got to meet Jessica, our new sister and be a part of her and Luke's wedding. We traveled a lot, seeing family in the South and Indiana and traveling to Canada to see some friends from the ship. We hung out with friends at home, and it was wonderful to just be able to take an entire Sunday afternoon to do nothing but be with each other. One of the things we really miss when we're on the ship is hanging out in nature--so we took lots of walks at Brukner Nature Center and quite a few motorcycle rides! </span></div>
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<span class="s1">[Disclaimer: There are many photos that I already shared on Instagram, so rather than overwhelm this already long post, I'm leaving some out!] </span></div>
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<span class="s1">We were so blessed and our hearts were filled to the brim!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Last, but certainly not least, it was so good to catch up with many of YOU! Sometimes it’s difficult to know what to share on such a public forum. We really appreciated getting time to share in more detail and we loved catching up on life with all of you. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">[On that note, if me posting on here once a year is not as often as you’d like, feel free to follow us on Instagram (username: kadiatustull) or Facebook (Katie Stull or Jordan Stull). We tend to post more pictures of day-to-day life with some quick updates.]</span></div>
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<span class="s1">When we went back to the States for Christmas two years ago, we were also deciding whether or not we should we extend our time with Mercy Ships. We were really back and forth on the whole thing and couldn’t find a peace either way. God took us on an a very personal journey when we got back to the ship and we decided to extend for another two years, bringing our commitment to November 2017. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Now that a year has come and gone, we had been thinking and praying about what would be next. Over and over again while we were in the States this summer, we were shown that our next thing is to move back to Ohio and for Jordan to join Stull Woodworks again. We could not be more excited! It blows me away that God cares about the peace of our hearts and let us know undoubtedly that this is next. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">That just makes us even more excited to be on the Africa Mercy. We have decided that instead of leaving in November, we will actually leave in August of 2017. This is for a couple of purely logistic reasons: 1) Tickets are cheaper from where the ship will be in August compared to where where the ship will be in November; 2) It makes more sense for me to handover to the next Chief Steward before the field service starts as opposed to in the middle of it and 3) It works best for Stull Woodworks for Jordan to be back in this summer. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">We feel like this year is a year of completion—not necessarily for our time in missions, but for this season. We’re excited to get the most out of every thing we can. We are excited to pour into friendships here and make more memories with these incredible people. We’re excited to be back in West Africa—we love Benin already and can’t wait to explore the country some more! We’re excited to give our jobs the best that we have. In short, we’re excited to live these next few months to the fullest! </span></div>
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-59082856987151008142016-04-25T12:02:00.001-07:002016-04-25T12:02:31.024-07:00Lighten Up<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
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<span class="s1">I need some encouragement for myself—encouragement to bridle my tongue. I am tired of my negative thoughts. I am tired of my demeaning words. I am tired of being somewhere where I feel that I am sliding down that slippery slope of slashing with my words and not having the guts to say <i>enough</i>. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I was frustrated with a situation the other day. Really frustrated. It seemed to be the 1000th time it had come up and I didn’t take my thoughts captive and stop the downpour of aggravation. I thought of this community, where everyone is literally bumping up against each other. I thought of how we are all like little polka dots on a blank white sheet of paper. We think that our little dot isn’t going to affect anyone. But with each action or word, each of our polka dots gets a ring around it. And soon enough, all of those rings start bumping into each other. On that day, all of those rings felt like bumper cars knocking my neck out of joint. <i>I can’t get away from [that person], </i>it’s so easy to think. <i>I know exactly how they will react. Nothing I say or do ever changes anything. We’re just going to keep bumping. And crashing. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1">I even drew out a picture to help me flesh this out in my head (I process by working with my hands; crochet, color, play a mindless game, just something to keep my hands busy). And while I was drawing my picture, I used different colors for the polka dots (because I also like bright colors). And guess what? The final effect was actually quite pretty! </span>It didn't look nearly as frustrating as my day felt. And then I thought—hey!<br />
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It’s OK to bump into each other. But let’s make each bump worthwhile and <i>good</i>. Let’s let each interaction be conducted with the goal of upholding the other person. Let's make that final picture bright and colorful, where the pleasant thing that happened to you lifts me up, even if doesn't affect me personally. Let's make a rainbow of colliding colors, not a hailstorm of dark and stormy clouds clashing. </div>
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<span class="s1">It all starts with not tearing each other down. This saying keeps getting thrown around in my head: “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.” Katie Stull, <b>do not</b> knock anyone down until you have tried being in their shoes. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I LOVE quotes. My office wall is covered with some of my favorites. I love searching for quotes on Pinterest, especially themed quotes. So, in an effort to host my own pep-rally, I present to you a whole bunch of quotes. Some I could think about for hours, some are just cute, and some have shot me through the heart. There's a lot but I think it's OK because I need to make up some good words. If only it were that easy.</span></div>
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I'd like to lighten up. I can't imagine it will have a bad effect on me; I've yet to read a study that says being positive will give you cancer. Will you join me?<br />
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-8016872117231382792016-04-02T05:33:00.000-07:002016-04-02T05:33:11.096-07:00Weekly Scoop (14 March)<h2 style="text-align: center;">
NEWS UPDATES</h2>
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<b>Easter Sunday--Messages of Hope</b></div>
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Andre hadn't been able to lift his right arm since he was six years old! After he was badly burned more than 30 years ago, Andre had almost given up hope of ever moving his arm and neck freely. Then a total stranger paid for Andre to travel to the Mercy Ship to be assessed for surgery. Andre's flickering hope was fulfilled, and his healing is wonderful to behold. With physiotherapist Tracey Merril (USA).</div>
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Each Easter Sunday dawns with the <i>Africa Mercy </i>crew members gathering, reflecting on the immeasurable hope given to us this day. We ponder the transforming power of Christ and thank God for his healing of our patients.</div>
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Nearly all of our goiter patients have returned home after being freed from the deforming growths from their necks. Among the 51 patients that received restorative surgery was Vaviroa, who could not wait to return home and show everyone that her burden had been lifted!</div>
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What's Jocelin thinking about? Maybe he's thinking about what adventures the big white ship has inside? Or perhaps Jocelin is excited for his admissions appointment and his surgery the next day and wonders what he'll look like without the massive cyst on his face and neck.</div>
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See the "Patients Update" section for more information on Jocelin and what he looks like today!</div>
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<i>"When the world says give up, Hope whispers ... try it one more time." </i>-Anonymous</div>
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As we celebrate Easter, we remember the hope offered by a Mercy Ship beginning a new field service as thousands flock to receive much needed medical evaluation and possible specialized surgeries. We look forward to our next field service in Benin beginning August 2016 and the hope and healing that the<i> Africa Mercy</i> will bring to many people there!</div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">PATIENT UPDATES</span></h2>
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<b>Albertine's Finish</b></div>
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Albertine's journey with Mercy Ships began over 14 months ago when she attended a screening in Mahajanga in January 2015. Carrying the burden and pain of a tumor that grew from her jaw, Albertine had desperately searched for a solution that would remove her tumor and allow her to continue supporting and raising her children.</div>
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After successfully removing her tumor last field service, Albertine returned this field service to have a new jaw fashioned for her. We have grown to love her smile and wonderful spirit. Although it is tough to say goodbye to her, we are excited to return her to her husband and two children physically restored and eager to embrace the future.</div>
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<i>Thank you very much to Mercy Ships for the help they are doing in Madagascar by giving free surgeries to people! -Albertine</i></div>
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<b>Jocelin's Joyful Journey</b></div>
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Over the last 18 months Jocelin's father, Jean Paul, struggled to understand the growth emerging from his son's face and neck. It first showed itself as something small just before Jocelin's 11th birthday, but within a few months it was so large that Jocelin began hiding it with a scarf, embarrassed by the deformity. When Jean Paul heard about Mercy Ships he knew it was his only hope for his son.</div>
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In the last week, Jean Paul's hope became reality as volunteer surgeons aboard the Africa Mercy removed the cyst filled with nearly one liter of fluid. No longer will Jocelin be embarrassed by his cyst and hide behind a scarf!</div>
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PRAYER REQUESTS</h2>
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Near the <i>Africa Mercy </i>chain locker, on one of the lower decks near the bow of the ship, an amazing group of people work strategically to support the Mercy Ships hospital from behind the scenes. Please join us in prayer for their vital detailed work, and pray for others to be inspired into action through information and the data they gather.</div>
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Some manage the logistics behind our patients' experiences, others oversee numerous details to assist local health care training, while others track statistics and reporting during each field service. Together they provide information and planning that allows our healthcare and mentoring work to be targeted, accountable, and measurable.</div>
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<b>A New Hope</b></div>
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A new group of OBF patients arrived on the Africa Mercy this past week. Our OBF ward is full of ladies who have recently had their fistulas closed. Soon these ladies will move off site to our OBF clinic to continue their healing. Will you pray with us that these ladies will experience full restorative healing over the coming weeks? </div>
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CREW BIO: Dr. Sherif Emil (USA/Canada)</h2>
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For most people the path to study medicine would not include a trip through engineering school but that's exactly where Dr. Sherif Emil began his career.</div>
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After growing up in a family of doctors, Sherif thought he would like to try something different and carve his own path. He completed an undergraduate engineering degree before coming to the realization that he <i>really </i>did want to pursue medicine.</div>
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"I like the personal aspect [of medicine], I like the interaction and I like the human aspect of it." </div>
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That change in career path would lead him to specializing in pediatric surgical medicine in the United States and Canada and eventually would bring him to Mercy Ships. After accepting a position on the Canadian Mercy Ships board in September 2014, Dr. Sherif began preparations to visit the ship as a volunteer surgeon. Recently those plans came to fruition and he was able to experience the joy of serving in the operating theatre aboard the <i>Africa Mercy. </i></div>
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He shares: "There is such a great sense of fellowship in the OR here. Where I work [in Canada] there is no room for error, which is great, but there is also a very narrow margin for tolerance and I didn't feel that here. We're not here alone, God's here working with us and you fill it in the most profound ways. I've operated in many places in Africa, including university hospitals and the resources there are nowhere near what this ship has to offer in terms of medical care." </div>
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Dr. Sherif was most impacted by a case involving a five month old baby, named Paulinah, who had the largest teratoma he had ever seen growing from her buttocks. Despite the number of obstacles htat stood in the way of the baby's survival, Dr. Sherif was impressed how Paulinah had chosen to live. In addition, Dr. Sherif was amazed by the care she received. </div>
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Photo: Paulinah [Read Dr. Sherif's article on the surgery <a href="http://www.thechildren.com/news-and-events/latest-news/dispatches-africa-mercy-5-it-takes-mercy-ship">here</a>.] </div>
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Paulinah's case was the highlight of Dr. Sherif's visit but he was also touched by the care he saw after the baby's surgery. </div>
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"This is a difficult patient to take care of (because) you have huge incisions that need to heal. (You have to) keep the area clean and to keep the wound from getting infected takes a lot of work. This baby recovered without the infection. It was a testament to the incredible amount of care and compassion the nurses showed this patient and every patient." </div>
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Dr. Sherif was impressed by the unique nature of a hospital ship providing the best specialized surgical care possible in the developing countries in Africa.</div>
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"The Africa Mercy is unique," he says. "There is no other way of providing surgery globally that comes close to what this ship does because of the way it organizes itself, integrates itself and the way it leaves something behind when it's gone."</div>
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"The ship is making a difference in the lives of families and communities. We had a saying when you save a child, you're not just saving a life, you're saving a lifetime and there a lot of children that receive that treatment on the ship."</div>
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-47464977006800762322016-04-02T04:51:00.002-07:002016-04-02T04:53:19.517-07:00Weekly Scoop (7 March)<br />
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NEWS UPDATES</h2>
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We're passed the halfway mark in our OBF program and nearly 200 women have received free surgeries aboard the <i>Africa Mercy</i>. Many have returned home completely restored while others continue to pursue full physical healing. No matter their final result, these women have experienced the power of community and unconditional love at Mercy Ships land-based OBF Clinic. With 10 weeks to go in our surgery schedule, we look forward to many more women receiving their healing!</div>
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PATIENT UPDATES</h2>
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<b>Lalao's Grateful Heart</b></div>
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Losing her job because of her appearance was devastating for Lalao. The goiter made her neck very thick and she wore a scarf to cover the lump at the base. Lalao's hope was fulfilled when she was offered free surgery on the Mercy Ship, but her condition required frequent pre-operative checks and blood tests. This meant travelling for nine hours each way, each time, each month. Without a steady job it was difficult to find transport money and sometimes she had to borrow. When she received news that she was ready for surgery Lalao sold the last of the family chickens to buy a bus ticket to the coast.</div>
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Lalao's beaming grin reflects her grateful heart. "The most important thing is that the goiter is gone and I'm healthy! I look in the mirror and I'm amazed each time! I'll be able to go back to work and pay back what I owe." </div>
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<b>Serafine</b></div>
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Like so many of our patients, arriving to the Mercy Ship was a whole world of new experiences for Serafine. The 54 year-old farmer's wife had been told by her children about the free goiter surgeries being offered after they saw a local Madagascar news programme about the ship's work. </div>
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"I had no money for surgery. I'm really, really happy and thank God for sending Mercy Ships with the free surgery," she says. "I had never heard of a hospital on a ship before. I was not afraid. God gave me this solution. Thank you for coming to Madagascar and taking care of us."</div>
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PRAYER REQUESTS</h2>
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<b>Healing for Plastics Patients</b></div>
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It began with a surgery to release a contracture but two months later some of our plastics patients are still in the middle of their healing. They've endured countless bandage changes, hours of physical therapy and overcome infections. Will you join us in praying for their final steps of their journey towards healing?</div>
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<b>OBF Surgeries Resume</b></div>
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After a brief pause in between surgeons, OBF surgeries resumed this week as we welcomed a new group of ladies for evaluation. This past Tuesday was International Women's Day and as the ladies were seen by the surgeon, they also had the job of a surprise luncheon celebration. We lift these ladies up in prayer as we watch them take their first steps in their journey towards hope and restoration.</div>
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CREW BIO: Elizabeth Harter (USA)</h2>
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Nurse Elizabeth Harter describes being deeply touched mid-shift in the <i>Africa Mercy</i> B Ward. She noticed the room full of patients got up and gathered around a child's bed. She heard one of the patients ask Grandma, the patient's caregiver, if they could pray for the child who had developed medical complications. The group of all ages, sporting a whole range of bandages themselves, joined hands and prayed for the child's recovery.</div>
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"In that moment you know you haven't just helped them physically, you have made an impact spiritually too," reflects Elizabeth.</div>
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Elizabeth heard about Mercy Ships when she was in high school, but she never considered volunteering until her graduation from nursing school. She was looking for mission opportunities that would include a chance to build relationships over a period of time with the people she was serving. When she came across Mercy Ships she thought, "This is it! This is what I wanted!" The more she learned, the more excited she got. </div>
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"It's so evident that God is working through this. I wanted to be a part of it!"</div>
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So the orthopaedic trauma nurse from Nashville, TN signed up to serve with the <i>Africa Mercy</i> for the complete ten-month Madagascar II field service. The mission has impacted her so much that she is seriously considering extending her voluntary work for the next field service beginning in August in Benin. </div>
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"I'm an extrovert! I love the constant hum of people and the community," she says. "I love being surrounded by everybody. Being here with the same mind and purpose bonds us in a special way."</div>
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One of the big surprises for Elizabeth was the depth of involvement Mercy Ships has with the host nation. She was aware of the surgical work, the dental and healthcare services that are provided, but the scope of Medical Capacity Building was a new concept. She has grown to appreciate the lasting impact of supporting growth in the healthcare system.</div>
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"It allows the work of Mercy Ships to continue helping people long after the ship has gone," she observes. "What is most impressive to me is that Mercy Ships cares not just about their impact but about the people and the country too." </div>
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As hard as Elizabeth will find it to say goodbye to Madagascar and so many friends at the end of her 10 months serving its people, she is also really excited about heading back to West Africa. "It seems like a different kind of heartbeat." </div>
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-18802211331441848202016-04-02T04:24:00.000-07:002016-04-02T04:53:32.617-07:00Weekly Scoop [29 February]<h2 style="height: 0px; text-align: center;">
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NEWS UPDATES</h2>
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<b>Goiter Program</b></div>
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Goiter operations are an annual feature on the ship's surgical calendar. Already 41 patients have received thyroid treatment and goiter surgery during this field service, with another 10 people scheduled before general surgeries are completed. </div>
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Commonly goiters are prevented by an additive to salt. Processed salt has an important added ingredient--iodine--which our thyroid glands need to function normally. However most Malagasy use a locally sourced salt; they don't buy it processed from a supermarket. Madagascar is historically iodine deficient, and some regions produce an unusually high number of goiter cases. This is guessed to be a combination of environmental and genetic causes.</div>
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<b>Hopital Be Renovations</b></div>
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"Paul Farmer is quoted as saying: 'Surgery is the forgotten stepchild of sustainable development in the developing world.' Mercy Ships provides training on purpose, we call it capacity building. The goal is to increase the level of healthcare delivery in the country so it is far stronger after we leave." </div>
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-Don Stephens, Founder of Mercy Ships</div>
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<b>Hospital Chaplains Encourage Patients</b></div>
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<i>Music speaks what cannot be expressed</i></div>
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<i>Soothes the mind and gives it a rest</i></div>
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<i>Heals the heart and makes it whole</i></div>
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<i>Flows from heaven to the soul</i></div>
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-Author Unknown</div>
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We are so thankful for our hospital chaplaincy team that come and bring our patients hope every morning through songs and words of encouragement!</div>
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<b>Thank You!</b></div>
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Thank you to our donors for your support in bringing hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor!</div>
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<b>Lalao's New Look</b></div>
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Lalao lived for 13 years with a goiter--a developing growth in her thyroid. Eventually she could no longer turn her head or breathe easily lying on her back. But the biggest impact was the loss of her desperately needed job simply because of her appearance. The relatively simple, free, goiter operations she received on the Mercy Ship brought immediate change for Lalao. She can't wait to show her family--and get back to work!</div>
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<b>Serafine's Chance</b></div>
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What began as a small lump in Serafine's neck grew over 34 years until she looked like she had swallowed an orange. People would laugh at her deformity, so she wore a scarf around her neck in public, despite the intense Malagasy heat. Five years ago, the goiter finally prevented Serafine from bending to work in the family's rice fields. Consulting a doctor was too expensive, so she visited a traditional healer. He charged a lot of money for bogus treatments and then left her in the same condition. She was out of options until she heard about Mercy Ships.</div>
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Free from her burden at last, Serafine says, "I had no money for surgery. Thank you for coming to Madagascar to take care of us. I am really, really happy and thank God for sending Mercy Ships."</div>
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PRAYER REQUESTS</h2>
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With just a few months to go there is still quite a bit of healing happening aboard the <i>Africa Mercy</i>. Will you join us in praying for our patients as they reach the final steps of their journey? Also please continue to keep our crew in your prayers that they can continue to stay healthy to finish strong the mission in Madagascar. </div>
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-80685643634730683212016-03-10T06:04:00.000-08:002016-03-10T06:04:30.662-08:00Weekly Scoop (22 February) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-size: x-large;">News Updates</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">International Women's Day</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQT1EvkcETZnAcqdhYHKePRSxWIBZXLB4SPWGhboPXeYV5PuTnzi263OR41QHqsNiV5wAF4tK3wWZMnuzTtERKxuk1pC4zBKgj4o80gV6gB7TIr3e5xXwwkIXIsMXFWTutCsKXey8xwQ/s1600/MGC160122_OBF_DRESS_CEREMONY_KK0002_LO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQT1EvkcETZnAcqdhYHKePRSxWIBZXLB4SPWGhboPXeYV5PuTnzi263OR41QHqsNiV5wAF4tK3wWZMnuzTtERKxuk1pC4zBKgj4o80gV6gB7TIr3e5xXwwkIXIsMXFWTutCsKXey8xwQ/s320/MGC160122_OBF_DRESS_CEREMONY_KK0002_LO.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In recognition of International Women's Day, we celebrate our women's health patients, who have pursued healing despite great obstacles. These ordinary women have shown extraordinary courage after suffering from rejection and loss. We celebrate these beautiful women and their journeys!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Don Stephens Visits the Africa Mercy</span></div>
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"According to the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, 5 billion people on the face of the Earth lack access to safe, secure, and effective surgery. That statement alone explains why Mercy Ships exists." -Don Stephens, founder of Mercy Ships</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fun Deck 7 Time</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSa4wLIVy2XJbqzFQmNvRwqNE6oSN_noB9WZ0tL3ZJ_BYoJP2_yc7uLBB4WJ-Wy9vyANT_ZsgKEvSe3zQv8Yb_x82SAxQ9P8uK4N0A6gVMrmKVe-E_QtNjt2-YSpZjeFhrq_kb0MBNSUU/s1600/MGC160215_DECK_7_RP055_LO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSa4wLIVy2XJbqzFQmNvRwqNE6oSN_noB9WZ0tL3ZJ_BYoJP2_yc7uLBB4WJ-Wy9vyANT_ZsgKEvSe3zQv8Yb_x82SAxQ9P8uK4N0A6gVMrmKVe-E_QtNjt2-YSpZjeFhrq_kb0MBNSUU/s320/MGC160215_DECK_7_RP055_LO.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Four year old Sasimeny is a plastics patient currently recovering from surgery to restore function and mobility to her right arm. About a year ago, Sasimeny fell onto ash causing a severe burn contracture where she lost function of her right hand and her arm was unable to bend. Her playful attitude and wide eyes make her a favorite among nurses and visitors when spending time outside on Deck 7 each day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibP71iIBCiMqZF4JXA7ZAYzvVj_KcJXoLhE0yA_WjEux6Lg4SETV3UKYsAZ40DTX0gqDWBIc84D615WX7gsBnsakXA-mA7eofgYKMdX7eyuG0trW6WtcmjNOs_0536aCea1Obd9uU7gCM/s1600/Don+deck+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibP71iIBCiMqZF4JXA7ZAYzvVj_KcJXoLhE0yA_WjEux6Lg4SETV3UKYsAZ40DTX0gqDWBIc84D615WX7gsBnsakXA-mA7eofgYKMdX7eyuG0trW6WtcmjNOs_0536aCea1Obd9uU7gCM/s320/Don+deck+7.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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"The development and growth of Mercy Ships has one key element: people. The quality of people, their call, their commitment, they share a common vision and purpose, that's the reason for the growth of Mercy Ships." -Don Stephens</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Patient Updates</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWjOfOTiDmfP5O-bL9MxIg_RcH77BDsGqBUhxweNZTk5Mk_KxNsDXdihM-ygw3L8ecqGcwO_NzHD6teqwOawkXWsuTVCKDJfEyhTW8a9RsMRDvIR7oot3P8a5rCKnj5GZ-z3dqllmnFY/s1600/MGC160217_ELINA_PAT07074_DECK_7_KK0001_LO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWjOfOTiDmfP5O-bL9MxIg_RcH77BDsGqBUhxweNZTk5Mk_KxNsDXdihM-ygw3L8ecqGcwO_NzHD6teqwOawkXWsuTVCKDJfEyhTW8a9RsMRDvIR7oot3P8a5rCKnj5GZ-z3dqllmnFY/s320/MGC160217_ELINA_PAT07074_DECK_7_KK0001_LO.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Elina's New Hope:</b> This girl is getting more and more excited with each passing day. Elina's burn grafts have taken nicely and her wounds are hurting less and less. This has given Elina more time to focus on making friends and just being six. Elina's mama now has new hope for her daughter's future! It is thanks to donors and volunteers working together that Elina's future is looking bright!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbE_OR019OOiUco_oYs9X1xGcD42Fr45yW2FBbu5QEaaA3YrYsLO22q7S6Jn-qjBpRU8vn8k44lqiFRzZ06UhpbqgClJO0fAt_yaH3ud41bw17mKpzBNRbppxThha-jXtO1urltTmzJg/s1600/MGC160210_PAT09284_SASILINE_MONICA_CIOLFI_JF0001_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbE_OR019OOiUco_oYs9X1xGcD42Fr45yW2FBbu5QEaaA3YrYsLO22q7S6Jn-qjBpRU8vn8k44lqiFRzZ06UhpbqgClJO0fAt_yaH3ud41bw17mKpzBNRbppxThha-jXtO1urltTmzJg/s320/MGC160210_PAT09284_SASILINE_MONICA_CIOLFI_JF0001_MID.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b>Sasiline's Love: </b>Sasiline loves the patients' daily excursion to Deck 7 for fun and fresh air. A month ago the burn scars that immobilized her elbow and hand were released by surgery. Then last week she received a skin graft from her thigh to restore her arm and hand. Nurse Monica Ciolfi is one of the fabulous nurses helping Sasiline along the challenging raod to complete healing. #followSasiline </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5S_m4L5AIUzNhXHRDUY16pzTXIMxXpOk6KXMBM33ZwFT3_uOB5ulzSs2nkURbVHyKoshUSAZI7uJSHj2dcy402O_nrNtGxAY4Qq1KoQaTlKbL85qsxpRRnD7Bh4665Fe2JB9cdMeZV0/s1600/MGB141105_12339_ELVIA_ADRIANNA_ORTHO_JF0095_LO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5S_m4L5AIUzNhXHRDUY16pzTXIMxXpOk6KXMBM33ZwFT3_uOB5ulzSs2nkURbVHyKoshUSAZI7uJSHj2dcy402O_nrNtGxAY4Qq1KoQaTlKbL85qsxpRRnD7Bh4665Fe2JB9cdMeZV0/s320/MGB141105_12339_ELVIA_ADRIANNA_ORTHO_JF0095_LO.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Elvie Throwback: Before. </b>Elvie was born with a clubbed foot, which made her different from the other children. But despite that difference, Elvie's mothers, family, and village showed her love and support. "Regardless of her clubfoot, she is my daughter and I love her!" said Elvie's mother. But when they heard about Mercy Ships, Elvie's family knew this was her once chance to fix her foot so she could be like the other girls and go to school and get married. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuZ9K5BiNPGa_LcFX8cTUeEXjvQGSwrxjJps6W_yL-DNfuJSqGZtd0kOmESkNZexdCAhcvkBNF3LyZnRh_YlNehZvGrGW_r_wfAUH_6UelqIyk3s5Ww-ytTVvS2fPvHVOcCazL2bpm24/s1600/MGB141124_PT_ORTHO_PAT12339_ELVIE_ADRIANNA_CW-17_LO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuZ9K5BiNPGa_LcFX8cTUeEXjvQGSwrxjJps6W_yL-DNfuJSqGZtd0kOmESkNZexdCAhcvkBNF3LyZnRh_YlNehZvGrGW_r_wfAUH_6UelqIyk3s5Ww-ytTVvS2fPvHVOcCazL2bpm24/s320/MGB141124_PT_ORTHO_PAT12339_ELVIE_ADRIANNA_CW-17_LO.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Elvie's Casting: </b>After a surgery to straighten her foot, Elvie was in a cast for several weeks. Every time Elvie came in for a cast change they were amazed by how perfectly white her cast remained over the previous week. Elvie's mother said she wanted to do everything right so her daughter could be fully healed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrarIBC1llxYGGL3WBeHeT3N3XQkNAr6OGS9JF1Jj2iReauNNXhQjjDRlTiJ1gl4Dt9WpYM_G9HmOZO2pHMfCRF2_Da70PNvCiBOOss5ixmUd2ZHVZVQyXHM0eKXTWYfe94Iopp8bYgdM/s1600/Evie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrarIBC1llxYGGL3WBeHeT3N3XQkNAr6OGS9JF1Jj2iReauNNXhQjjDRlTiJ1gl4Dt9WpYM_G9HmOZO2pHMfCRF2_Da70PNvCiBOOss5ixmUd2ZHVZVQyXHM0eKXTWYfe94Iopp8bYgdM/s320/Evie.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Elvie's Rehab: </b>After weeks of casting, Elvie began physical therapy exercises. Physical therapy was fun work for Elvie who enjoyed the games. And sometimes Elvie's physical therapy sessions ended with a dance party! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYm_AhkafbZj3LZwlxTwikqPy5PnEIWrnMoxcOMlq99BEzM5AS7Do-jzBb90PMJNoausg5hU-pXGiI2pGyTZalVWpRTHSkXa-zFqnLEKCUJ_EjUA1rLXZOt9MqbecU8bDhWJJn0LX7KaA/s1600/Elvie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYm_AhkafbZj3LZwlxTwikqPy5PnEIWrnMoxcOMlq99BEzM5AS7Do-jzBb90PMJNoausg5hU-pXGiI2pGyTZalVWpRTHSkXa-zFqnLEKCUJ_EjUA1rLXZOt9MqbecU8bDhWJJn0LX7KaA/s320/Elvie.JPG" width="280" /></a></div>
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<b>Elvie's Transformation: </b><i>"I am so proud of her beautiful face and smile. We are so happy...happy because my daughter will now be like other children!" -</i>Elvie's mother</div>
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<b>Fifaliana's Prayer: </b>Fifaliana and her mother had mixed emotions this week. While one of Fifaliana's legs is now completely healed and straight, the other leg is not quite whole yet. in characteristic strength of spirit, this tiny ten-year-old resolutely stepped out with a new light-weight fracture brace on one leg, and another glitter-sprinkled cast on the other. A new series of rehab begins as she relearns to walk, and continues to strengthen muscles that her previous disability prevented her from using. </div>
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Will you join us in praying for Fifaliana and our other patients undergoing physiotherapy? They need both patience and determination to learn to move their bodies in new ways after their reconstructive surgeries. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Crew Bio: Laura McDonald (USA)</span></div>
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Nurse Laura McDonald from Missouri USA refuses to let language be a barrier between her and her Malagasy patients on board the Mercy Ship. </div>
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Recently changing the would dressing of one young woman, Laura describes the tears that were rolling down her patient's cheek as she gently worked. Laura looked deep into her patient's eyes and asked through the translator, "Am I hurting you? Is everything OK?" The young woman replied through her tears, "No, no it doesn't hurt. Thank you so much for caring for me--I can see it in your face!" </div>
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Laura says she has learned to become increasingly conscious and comfortable with non-verbal communication in all her role as a Mercy Ships nurse entails.</div>
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Itw as on social media at nursing school that Laura first learned about Mercy Ships. When a friend returned from serving six weeks on board, Laura decided this was definitely something she wanted to do in the future. "It was one of my dreams," she recalls. "I wanted to use my skills as a nurse in some capacity. I really like [the Mercy Ships] vision; going to really poor countries where people would never have opportunity for surgeries, and providing them for free. It lines up with how Jesus helped the poor, and it really stuck with me." </div>
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The nurses in her ward are from a broad mix of nationalities. While English is the professional working language they all hold in common, she says terminology can be a challenge. Despite people being from all over the world, she says they work well together as a team. "We support and encourage each other, which makes a difference when we are working towards a common goal. Also, not being paid pulls us together. We're all determined to make a difference, and to make our time count." </div>
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Cross-cultural communication turned into a significant learning curve for Laura as she goes on to describe the comradery she shares with the Canadian, Dutch, and French women in her six-berth cabin. "It's good to live in community and have close relationships with people. It shows you things about yourself that don't show up when you're living on your own.</div>
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"Being here helps me to see I have a big capacity to love people," Laura reflects. "Even one person makes being here worth it!" </div>
jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-29776950764284350422016-02-27T04:50:00.002-08:002016-02-27T04:50:31.334-08:00Weekly Scoop<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am going to change the name of this blog to www.KatieWillPostOnceinaBlueMoon.blogspot.com. Sorry about that folks. I've opened up to write I don't know how many times but the words just don't come. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My first of only 2 blog posts this field service was a short poem (if you can call it that) called "Stretch". Reading back over it, I can definitely say that everything in that poem has been true at one point or another. It has undoubtedly been a year of growth. I've thought back to it many times. But it's hard to find the appropriate words to unleash into the limitlessness of the internet. I keep coming back to a blog post and I think soon I'll be able to share something personally but until then, I thought I would start taking advantage of this great resource that our communications team gives called <b>The Weekly Scoop</b>. The Weekly Scoop is a weekly collection of news items, patient updates, prayer points and features a crew biography. Photos and captions are both handled by our photographers and writers on board. To be honest, I had this idea back at Christmas time and I just haven't done anything about it yet. My own fault. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I like it because it gives a much better idea of what's going on in the hospital that I could ever hope to do. </span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll be posting these every week but this will be the only time I announce it on Facebook; after this time I will only post to Facebook when I've written something on my own. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So without further ado, here is the weekly scoop from the week of February 15th (they are posted a week after the fact so that Mercy Ships has the opportunity to use it for organization-wide marketing efforts without timing and releases being affected.) </span><br />
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Our reconstructive plastic surgery program is in full swing. Heading into the last week of surgeries, already 60 children and 36 adults had received complex plastic surgeries. Many of these procedures restored joint function for patients whose limbs or neck had been frozen by burn scarring. It is a great joy to see children who arrived fearful and in pain, now rushing around the wards giggling and playing. Although surgeries are nearly done, there are still many more weeks of rehabilitation and recovery ahead for our courageous patients and their supportive nurses and physical therapists! </div>
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Biomedical Graduation</h3>
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These six men represent hope for safer surgeries in Madagascar. This is the first graduating class of professionally trained biomedical technicians in the country after successfully completing an intensive four month course led by Medical Aid International in partnership with Mercy Ships. Biomedical technicians are instrumental in maintaining all hospital equipment functioning properly, particularly operating room equipment, which is vital to conduct safe surgeries. Tim Beacon, founder of Medical Aid International, shared the following words: "Your work over the last few months has been a journey. This is the beginning of a journey for a lot of people. [You] are the seeds that will grow the biomedical program in this country." </div>
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Patient Updates</h2>
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Lantosoa</h3>
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Lantosoa looks like any other Malagasy teenager--until your gaze reaches her feet. The bubbly 14 year-old refuses to be phased by the contrast between her ordinary-sized left foot and her right. She loves to play hop scotch and soccer/football. She skips rope and walks to school each day. But none of these everyday activities are easy as "Lanto" resolutely carries the huge weight of a foot afflicted with gigantism. <br />
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A friend of Lanto's sister told their family about Mercy Ships treating conditions like this, with no charge. So Lanto, along with her sister, bravely travelled to have her foot examined. Now Lanto is on the <i>Africa Mercy</i> on a journey to find hope and healing and potentially wear shoes for the first time!<br />
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Elina </h3>
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A tragic situation led to six-year-old Elina suffering from third degree burns on the right side of her face, neck, and arm. Her mother, Charlotte, came to Mercy Ships to ask for help in restoring her daughter. As a single mother, she could no longer afford to provide the medical care her daughter urgently needed. Mercy Ship donors and volunteers renewed Elina and Charlotte's hope for the future by offering her access to immediate medical care as well as a free surgery to restore Elina's mobility in her neck and arm.</div>
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Prayer Requests</h2>
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Prayer for Albertine</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhyphenhyphenEV7FW8I6mgWvF1k4GqSd0MY1MqMsYX4HFInJQy1DQ7yQueTW-xJCjb9AW8dO3V2Zo6CCV5rhvwQatRCme70KeEyPUR7jsdCcWJ8X0ANyKHNwUWGNdSb10O16ymZucP6_YuBio-WFc/s1600/image2016-2-26+12-27-58.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhyphenhyphenEV7FW8I6mgWvF1k4GqSd0MY1MqMsYX4HFInJQy1DQ7yQueTW-xJCjb9AW8dO3V2Zo6CCV5rhvwQatRCme70KeEyPUR7jsdCcWJ8X0ANyKHNwUWGNdSb10O16ymZucP6_YuBio-WFc/s320/image2016-2-26+12-27-58.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Albertine has had a long healing journey. She first came to Mercy Ships in January 2015. After a free surgery to remove the facial tumor that burdened her for so long, Albertine returned home where she was reunited with her husband and children. She needed time to recover before a second surgery would complete her physical restoration. It's taking Albertine a little longer to heal from her latest surgery. Will you join us in praying and showing lover for this courageous young woman? </div>
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Crew Bio: Elizabeth Lefeber (USA)</h2>
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Nursing on this floating hospital has been a goal of Elizabeth's for half of her life. During her early teens in Wisconsin, Elizabeth was deeply inspired by the novel <i>The Dangerous Voyage </i>Reel Kids Adventures) by Dave Gustaveson. In the story, the teenage characters had an adventure that brought them on board the <i>Anastasis</i>, our first Mercy Ship. Elizabeth's heart was captured by the idea of serving the poor and she set her mind to pursue a career in nursing. "I wanted to be a part of that," she reflects. "Mercy Ships remained in the back of my mind all the way through college. When I made contact regarding opportunities during nursing school, I found I Needed to have to years' experience after graduating. So I talked with a friend on crew, I stalked the website, and I read the blogs of people serving. Then I waited until I had enough experience to apply. Elizabeth gained that experience in working in a surgical rehabilitation center in Illinois. "Everything worked out in God's timing," she says, regarding her five year wait. In late December, she arrived for her two-month voluntary service. "My eyes teared up when I first saw the ship. When our bus pulled up I was shocked and full of joy. I'm so glad to be here!" </div>
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Serving with the admission team in Madagascar has been all Elizabeth hoped it would be. "I love it! I love getting to meet and welcome our patients. Sometimes they are nervous and sometimes they are excited. Their medical problems have completely affected their lives. This is their hope. I especially love to walk the patients (as they embark for their surgery) up the gangway. Professionally I have learned a lot about different conditions; things I hadn't experienced before. My first patient was a little girl with (the flesh eating disease) NOMA. Her whole face was disfigured. We had talked about it as a team a few days earlier. It is surreal that this still exists. Cleft lips and tumors too, on people who are so much older. You would never see that in developed countries. Yet these people have and manage it all their lives. They still work--this is their normal." </div>
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Elizabeth believes she will go home having witnessed surgical work that transforms our patients, transforms their families, and their communities. </div>
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-15502242592640755362015-10-26T11:41:00.000-07:002015-10-26T11:41:06.803-07:00About Face<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Beware: this blog is full of nothing but Katie’s thoughts; a somewhat scary place to be. No pictures or fun stories to be had. You have been warned! </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Like usual, all has been quiet on the blog front. It’s not that there’s nothing going on—on the contrary, life has pretty much been going non-stop. I don’t bother feeling the Monday blues any more because if I just blink it will be Friday again. I just haven’t been too sure what to write about.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">My office shares a wall with the gangway so I have a pretty good view of who comes and goes each day. Today, orthopedic surgeries started and so last week I got to see parades of adorable children making their slow way down to deck 3. Give those kids a few weeks though and they will be tearing around creation on straight legs. Today I went down to the hospital to get the serial number off of a refrigerator (yes, my job is <i>really</i> random sometimes) and a line of patients with tumors—some small, others bigger—walked by on their way back outside; they were getting screened and (hopefully) scheduled for surgery. As I peeked into the ward to see if I had permission to come in, a child that I’ve never laid on eyes on before saw me and started waving frantically at me with the biggest grin on her face.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Those moments are just incredible. When I come face-to-face with a patient’s life that is being drastically changed, the small difficulties of my day melt away. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">But while those patients are ultimately the reason that Jordan and I are here, and for which we feel incredibly privileged, they are not that ones that are in my primary circle of concern. It’s a blessing to get a glimpse into that healing but that’s not what most of my days are made of. I’m here to serve the crew and I feel specifically called<i> </i>to do so. (Aside from knowing that I’m not called to serve on the “front lines” in the hospital, I am perfectly happy up on deck 5, thank you very much. I’ve heard some nurse’s stories and I will take potatoes and mops over blood and guts any day!) </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Like most jobs, the days I tend to remember when it’s time to sit down and write aren’t the ones that did go perfectly but the ones that didn’t. The stressful days where I didn’t feel good enough, didn’t get even half of my to-do list done, had hard conversations and overall felt like a fool. For one reason or another though, it’s not entirely appropriate for me to share those days, both for the content and because it would be impossible to try to get my feelings across accurately. On the flip side though, it doesn’t seem fair to you to just post pictures of sun shine and Presidents visiting and making new friends from all over the world because that’s not an entirely accurate picture either. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">So I’ve been thinking about this long overdue post for several weeks completely stumped on what to write. I wanted to be honest and let you know how I’m really doing but I couldn’t figure out how. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Then last week I had what I like to refer to as a “smack-down” moment with God. You know, a moment where you <i>know</i> that God said “uh-uh”, snapped his fingers in a z-formation and told you to where to get off? I did an about-face earlier this week and it hit me that I’ve had lots of those moments on this crazy ship! I have been changed just as much as some of those patients. I have no doubt that’s part of the reason God brought me here—to work on my heart. So why not share? </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Time for a little vulnerability.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">This ship community life is <i>intense</i>. What often gets quoted is working, playing, and living literally right on top of each other and the challenges that brings. But did you know that it’s incredibly easy to judge in this environment? I can judge how healthy you eat just by the line that you hop into at lunch. I can judge where you go in the evenings just by walking out to the gangway and see where you signed out to. I can walk through the port and see who’s at the bar and make an automatic judgement. I can go to the crew bank to get some cash out and look at the list above me to see who was just in there and make a judgement. I can happen to be walking by the chaplaincy office, see someone duck in and make a judgement about why they’re there. I can get an email from someone and read it while completely missing the spirit in which it was sent—and make a snappy judgement. In my job, there’s a lot of public areas that I officially oversee and it’s hard to shut my judging mind off over the weekend (not that I really should anyways) when I go to do my laundry and I see someone breaking one of the 400 rules in there. Or when I go walk through a hallway and see a mug that someone left on a railing instead of returning it to the dining room. Those things technically do concern me but I’ve been dismayed at how easy it is for me to pass judgement on the action—without even knowing who was behind it. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">As I wrote those examples I could sense the awkwardness of hitting “publish” on this blog and letting those confessions out in the open. But I’m being honest—it’s really that easy for me.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Over the last several weeks, I have been exhausted as I dealt with people that I judged. Once I pass judgement on someone, it is so. very. hard. to give that person a clean slate. And from judgement it’s a slippery slope to gossip, which is even harder to get out of. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Then last week, two things happened that made me step back. The first was when I was praying for a friend, which is generally a good thing, right? I was praying for something specific for this friend, and it was not a “bad thing” that I was praying for. In fact, I can guarantee that God would have no problem with me asking for this particular answer to prayer. But in the middle of my prayer, I was interrupted with the simple command: </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>STOP. It is not your job to ask for that. It is your job to pray that your friend draws closer to Me. I will take care of the rest because I know best in that life. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Yikes. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Then later on in the week, I was involved in an activity where I was interacting with someone that I had formed my own private judgment about. During this activity I was really struggling to concentrate and couldn’t stop the nagging feeling that I was still judging. I prayed silently that God would take those judgements away—basically so I could have peace and enjoy myself—and He replied with: </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>STOP. This is bothering you so much and there is literally nothing you can do to fix it. You don’t have the influence over them that I do; after all, this is my child. It is your job to pray that this person would draw close to me—and then trust me to take care of the rest. Their journey will look different than yours and there is nothing wrong with that. You be confident in the journey that I called </i></span><span class="s2"><i>you</i></span><span class="s1"><i> on and leave </i></span><span class="s2"><i>their</i></span><span class="s1"><i> journey to me, the Map-maker. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Again, this was someone that I felt righteously justified in judging, although as I type that sentence I realize how stupid it sounds. It blew my mind that God could take two separate incidents where no one would have begrudged me for the opinions I had and left me speechless at my own audacity.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">As if I needed any more convincing, the sermon in church on Sunday (delivered by the amazing <a href="http://liketreesplanted.com/"><span class="s2">Nick Cash</span></a>) was about shutting down gossip amongst ourselves.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Allllllrighty then. I get the picture. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>So speak and act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement. -James 2: 12-13</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">A positive bit of homework for myself that I’ve taken away this week: I realized that a lot of judgements that I make come out of seeing things that I don’t agree with because of personal convictions. What is the journey that God has called me on? What are my beliefs/standards and where do the values behind them come from? How can I shine my Light if I’m silent? Is it fair to judge someone who has no idea that I hold a different standard if I’ve never made that clear? Still mulling on what that one means for me … but for now, good night from this side of the International Date Line. </span></div>
jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-35934351927192011532015-08-30T10:11:00.000-07:002015-08-30T10:11:51.199-07:00Stretch<div class="p1">
Mada II</div>
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<span class="s1">I’m ready for this year and I’m not.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I’m excited for it and I’m dreading it.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Whether or not I would make the same choices to get here remains to be seen.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">But whether or not I will look back with gratefulness is entirely up to me. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">There will be moments when I’m overwhelmed</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And there will be moments when I feel made for this.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There will be days when I see God everywhere</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And there will be days when I wonder why He hasn’t shown His face.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There will be painful decisions</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And there will be moments of relief when everything works out.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There will be confusion</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And there will be clarity.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There will be days when I will want to shake everyone’s shoulders with frustration</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And there will be days when I am so grateful for a community that presses in on me.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There will be days that drag</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And there will be days that are over in the blink of an eye</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There will be days when I will want nothing to change</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And there will be days when I just want to get to what’s next</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There will be days when I just want to hop on a plane</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And there will be days when I never want to leave.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There will be days of monsoons (hopefully no cyclones)</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And there will be days of plentiful sunshine.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There will be many hellos</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And too many goodbyes.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There will be days when I am the teacher</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>And there will be days when I am the student. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">The good, the bad, and the ugly?</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>No; the good + the bad = this beautiful life. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">So I will take a deep breath—</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Here we go! </span></div>
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-63844017837718443822015-08-02T09:18:00.000-07:002015-08-02T09:18:01.559-07:00Shipyard Round Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">We are back in shipyard! It seems like we just got through wearing hard hats and closed-toe shoes and seeing our home out of the water. Our time in Madagascar flew by, which seems to be no exception to our time with Mercy Ships! Last year this time found us at the almost very north of the African continent; this year finds us in the almost very south. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcB7gRjGtgOauG_O2NaIIC5CLOz6RdLMlZT2AzTSJW243YTq_5w1Ji5CpxhVi7KCnErCzYMxB-VLxhXM4kAG3kpf6NV4WRTzboasTCMLoN_DSxiGF5FCIsAT2iIQwloR2jKnaqLnMMpY/s1600/thumb_IMG_6754_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcB7gRjGtgOauG_O2NaIIC5CLOz6RdLMlZT2AzTSJW243YTq_5w1Ji5CpxhVi7KCnErCzYMxB-VLxhXM4kAG3kpf6NV4WRTzboasTCMLoN_DSxiGF5FCIsAT2iIQwloR2jKnaqLnMMpY/s320/thumb_IMG_6754_1024.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are the purple dot--Durban! </td></tr>
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<span class="s1">It’s winter in the southern hemisphere, which looks different all over the continent. In Madagascar, it’s still a very tropical country so the “winter” just means that the rainy season and dry season are flipped from the northern hemisphere. South Africa is southern enough that it does get fairly chilly. Durban stays warm during the day though because it is right on an ocean channel that has warm water. The temps are anywhere in 70s during the day to down to the 50s at night. It’s been beautiful and fun to pull out the few sweaters and warm clothes that we brought! </span></div>
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<span class="s1">The sail over here went very well. The first two days were a little rough but the last three days were so smooth that it was hardly noticeable! I actually really enjoyed the sail this time around which was a huge blessing. There were some beautiful sunsets and views. </span><br />
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<span class="s1"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-sKex0sipPsO8oLUNS4H3S4PbS2a-_TTnoWAEKZ6ZpgbbvagvrK-vGd6jR3KDMgnHud7mJKYWDj_-ZPAohGw1jKB4qHIBIYwyiAHVi3i09TYt6dhWOVsTD64QxZGmeQQDsGVQRfliL4/s1600/DSC_0668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-sKex0sipPsO8oLUNS4H3S4PbS2a-_TTnoWAEKZ6ZpgbbvagvrK-vGd6jR3KDMgnHud7mJKYWDj_-ZPAohGw1jKB4qHIBIYwyiAHVi3i09TYt6dhWOVsTD64QxZGmeQQDsGVQRfliL4/s320/DSC_0668.JPG" width="320" /></a> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1esqNjQkAn1biIVlzaJgaU-HKLfBNgKnc7UbFXqUkE4WMFf7bFrMz26yIm_5H768Vnt-2T8qnD_NmS4s8o0lAM9sRiWhrJAFBsZTgcIP1U8xCOwTs17aFD1F8DwIH-d8Zs44X3c5pdU/s1600/DSC_0676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1esqNjQkAn1biIVlzaJgaU-HKLfBNgKnc7UbFXqUkE4WMFf7bFrMz26yIm_5H768Vnt-2T8qnD_NmS4s8o0lAM9sRiWhrJAFBsZTgcIP1U8xCOwTs17aFD1F8DwIH-d8Zs44X3c5pdU/s320/DSC_0676.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos: Sunset over the Indian Ocean; Jordan and our good friend Robert watching the sunset. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Shipyard life started pretty fast once we arrived in Durban and it hasn’t slowed down much since. There has been so much different stuff going on that the whole time has just flown by. We arrived on 15 June and can't believe that it's August already! </span></div>
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<span class="s1">One of the things Jordan got to do was to take an advanced firefighting class. He has been the leader for one of the three fire teams on the ship since last fall so he was glad to get to learn some more about how to lead a team while fighting a fire. We have fire drills every other week on the ship and on the off weeks, the fire teams themselves have training/drills so there is always some sort of training going on. Because Durban is a big port city, there are lots of trainings geared toward ship life. He and four others from the ship got to go to participate in this particular training.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">He has also been made the dive team leader. The dive team goes under the ship every other week to inspect and clean the grates. There are 26 steel intakes about 20 inches in diameter that bring in seawater to cool engines and air conditioning systems. These intakes get plugged with marine growth and garbage so they need cleaned periodically. Here in Durban, he has been working on getting the equipment serviced and ready to go for the new field service. While we are in dry dock, there isn’t much of a need for diving under the ship. :) </span></div>
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<span class="s1">And some days he even gets to be a carpenter! This time of the year is actually busier than normal for him with carpentry work; as the focus changes to maintenance he gets called on a lot. There are lots of improvement projects, big and little, that go on all around. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">One project in particular that Jordan was involved in was the refinishing of the cafe floor. All the tables were taken out and he and a friend, Larry Mast, got to work. The area around the cafe was covered with plastic to keep the dust in but it also served as a cool drop cloth to reveal the finished bit. The whole project took about 9 days.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots and lots of sanding.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMo36NBvs_2UnWmkzd9asLZwtQakOg9SOEA4iYK1KR15Y5g8rWUSIv7SInvvUOgCzYoHJqIK36YGwxKGtYhzekTk7pSyzzlgffhxTRmMUkMC6cgBENfqe9ZwVA16mcy3qHdNUJ4mLPhTs/s1600/DSC_0736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMo36NBvs_2UnWmkzd9asLZwtQakOg9SOEA4iYK1KR15Y5g8rWUSIv7SInvvUOgCzYoHJqIK36YGwxKGtYhzekTk7pSyzzlgffhxTRmMUkMC6cgBENfqe9ZwVA16mcy3qHdNUJ4mLPhTs/s320/DSC_0736.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86nFr70dSGxIufL7darU51e-TbrJwLvX20zJkBITM2nOjcWZSLldr2DDLpIbfgTpk9i0osE5KiZh_secVIwVTWwdLwbhhFz2MCnxH3iwbu650EwCuCXg4wGu2P9rigfnuXVQsZFaW__0/s1600/DSC_0737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86nFr70dSGxIufL7darU51e-TbrJwLvX20zJkBITM2nOjcWZSLldr2DDLpIbfgTpk9i0osE5KiZh_secVIwVTWwdLwbhhFz2MCnxH3iwbu650EwCuCXg4wGu2P9rigfnuXVQsZFaW__0/s320/DSC_0737.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1">The finished product is absolutely beautiful!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gPHOJ2VO3dSbQtx-AjpZk4hNnLB5krEXAvgdyDiSxQjm0wRWG6bCCyOcSc_mQBCCfO6ffSvuufejykViwy895lfebOA9aB0cTOy7O8NMIDdkAco1GbiWdUqkoLqoECwf3b4lBWmVi10/s1600/thumb_IMG_6653_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gPHOJ2VO3dSbQtx-AjpZk4hNnLB5krEXAvgdyDiSxQjm0wRWG6bCCyOcSc_mQBCCfO6ffSvuufejykViwy895lfebOA9aB0cTOy7O8NMIDdkAco1GbiWdUqkoLqoECwf3b4lBWmVi10/s320/thumb_IMG_6653_1024.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry for the major glare! Phone picture.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1">We also had the huge blessing of Luke coming to join as crew for the month of July. It was so good to have some family on the ship! He helped Jordan a lot—they put up handrails all over the ship to make it safer when we sail. They also did some work on the gangway and the gangway doors. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jordan and Luke working on the dry dock gangway.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2dlxJooOXYYq13kMxciARtRxd-d3I-zz8Xor52NbhVZwe50hB47_z__qkZ8v-d1S12HwhD64lHWtXS0SlRpmGwEvY22bDyX2ypnVDDS9XuosTMjesPy0i0ltHFNfUV_RgmcVjuBkt0U/s1600/thumb_IMG_6682_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2dlxJooOXYYq13kMxciARtRxd-d3I-zz8Xor52NbhVZwe50hB47_z__qkZ8v-d1S12HwhD64lHWtXS0SlRpmGwEvY22bDyX2ypnVDDS9XuosTMjesPy0i0ltHFNfUV_RgmcVjuBkt0U/s320/thumb_IMG_6682_1024.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working on the gangway doors.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1">While Luke was here, the ship went into dry dock as well. You may remember that last year we went into dry dock and said that this only happens every other year. That's usually the case but there were some big projects that needed to happen this year that necessitated us going back into dry dock. Last year the whole ship was put onto a huge platform that was then lifted out of the water. This year, we floated into a full bathtub basically (the biggest bathtub in the world I think), the way out was blocked, and then the water was drained. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "door" getting closed by two tug boats. The whole dry dock process took about 8 hours.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-ZGFvZ1Ou-5tmAfBm64EvrqML97mKohcSHIQRHFdTl6y_17qZfUIjSpRduxBzVIWokfV0qmIiBXhbLnW4ZuLIGt1YZHwbzet8gfFIBtCnpuD_2Tl44Nl0B7CmP4SSocx55VBeBCWfHY/s1600/thumb_IMG_6586_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-ZGFvZ1Ou-5tmAfBm64EvrqML97mKohcSHIQRHFdTl6y_17qZfUIjSpRduxBzVIWokfV0qmIiBXhbLnW4ZuLIGt1YZHwbzet8gfFIBtCnpuD_2Tl44Nl0B7CmP4SSocx55VBeBCWfHY/s320/thumb_IMG_6586_1024.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Cement all around us! </td></tr>
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Also while Luke was here we took the opportunity to see a bit of the country. We drove three hours north to Hluhluwe game reserve (it’s pronounced Shushluwe, which took me about 2 weeks to figure out) and spent the day driving through and keeping our eyes peeled for wildlife. The reserve was huge and it was awesome to see the animals in their natural environment—absolutely nothing stopping them from going wherever they pleased! We saw elephants, water buffalo, a wildebeest, rhinos, zebra, giraffes, wart hogs, impala and lions. The next day we went horseback riding and saw crocodiles and hippos. The third day we went shark diving further south. I was pretty animal-ed out by the time we got home. It was a great weekend though and so fun to see the country. Durban is a fun city and beautiful in it’s own way but being in the shipyard is pretty much like living in a construction zone. It was fabulous to get out, breathe the fresh air and enjoy God’s beautiful creation! Just the break we needed. We had spent one night off the ship since Christmas so it was very refreshing to get off for three days. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pumba!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFB1w1oQ_wLBx5bNtyhAv3I8DUdCrf2EIxmZbFxqZKUkciietT2fgVBOshdxPFWuqPWQA6g7ODyGqvoFerJZtF2g5R12cO8i3aZeidi8xBbzBJaJdG5X4qRoo_NTIgYWMZbIYYrOSFQ5U/s1600/DSC_0863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFB1w1oQ_wLBx5bNtyhAv3I8DUdCrf2EIxmZbFxqZKUkciietT2fgVBOshdxPFWuqPWQA6g7ODyGqvoFerJZtF2g5R12cO8i3aZeidi8xBbzBJaJdG5X4qRoo_NTIgYWMZbIYYrOSFQ5U/s320/DSC_0863.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Impala, so numerous they are known as the "McDonalds" of the land--note the "M" on their hind quarters!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFjcGfFKjMUYK0g-D-1wDjd80XRjyMhY_z6Rk5rZ_7PSSqM7KBrUp-h0RoMdgN9uSfYrHYnmqmKc4YmaPEEqcUQE6YjzqhOZBDyDAjpBebFpxgKa9Ll2QIPUJuCmruINR_3CnReu4LgE/s1600/IMG_0115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFjcGfFKjMUYK0g-D-1wDjd80XRjyMhY_z6Rk5rZ_7PSSqM7KBrUp-h0RoMdgN9uSfYrHYnmqmKc4YmaPEEqcUQE6YjzqhOZBDyDAjpBebFpxgKa9Ll2QIPUJuCmruINR_3CnReu4LgE/s320/IMG_0115.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horse riding on the beach was spectacular!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWhsMmzRNf4XZ4zh3ulq4JKr0rQLT41BM-iQMhuAND4pFm-kmBLb3mIAQhjX57Knv3Vq-qLldbReO2__ZHhsmPD59Cizyq0CFq4DEGv_RNjJi9GeuNozHhB6SW5GuMFlpPkFD8nfuPCM/s1600/DSC_0878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWhsMmzRNf4XZ4zh3ulq4JKr0rQLT41BM-iQMhuAND4pFm-kmBLb3mIAQhjX57Knv3Vq-qLldbReO2__ZHhsmPD59Cizyq0CFq4DEGv_RNjJi9GeuNozHhB6SW5GuMFlpPkFD8nfuPCM/s320/DSC_0878.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hippos. They are crazy! Did you know they can run 40 km/hr on land?? <br />
Pretty fast for looking like a bunch of boulders!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Shark diving.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1">From my side, I have changed jobs a bit; in June I accepted the Chief Steward position. Basically I added the Food Services areas to my responsibilities as well as the Crew and Guest Services areas that I was responsible for last year. I was hesitant to accept as I knew the job would be a stressful one and I wasn’t sure I was up for it; I have really enjoyed this last year as the Crew & Guest Services Manager and would have been just fine staying there. After a lot of doubt on my part and some pushing on God's part, I really felt like He was leading me forward. I was absolutely right though; it has been very hectic so far and I have definitely been stretched! Most of the stress has to do with shipyard though and not actual “normal” job stuff. Because we are in shipyard, water and electricity are limited which makes feeding 150—250 crew a little challenging. Thankfully I have FABULOUS team leaders that are much more familiar with the job and have been great in helping me get more familiar with the job. It's getting easier day by day and I <i>am </i>enjoying the challenge. I've seen my relationship with God grow a lot even in these short 6 weeks and I'm excited to see what the next year holds. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">And now forward and onward to Madagascar! We were scheduled to set sail tomorrow (3 August) but there have been a few delays due to some of the maintenance work going on. Since when does fixing something ever go completely according to plan?? :) Please join us in praying that all of the projects can be finished up with good time so we can be on our way. We love Madagascar and its people and are so ready to get back there. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">To God be the glory! </span></div>
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-62322797058618190132015-06-08T12:07:00.000-07:002015-06-08T12:08:25.168-07:00A Long Way Home!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A trip I will never forget!<br />
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By the time you are finished reading this post, you probably are going to have noticed an absence of the beautiful writing style and story telling abilities that you are used to from Kate. If you make that observation, you will be correct. These are the first three sentences I (Jordan) have ever written on this blog. Writing is near the top of the list when it comes to things I dislike. Almost equal to poison ivy or smashing my thumb in the door! Why am I writing then? Mainly to satisfy all the people who say I must finally write a post. Secondly, I guess I would like to share the story of a trip I was honored to be a part of. My goal through this post is to tell a story that has a thread of God’s undeniable goodness to his children woven through it. For those of you like me, who prefer to read a story through pictures, you can read it that way. For those of you who are truly curious and have nothing better to do, I hope you enjoy reading the narrative. I do apologize for the length, but I just didn’t know what to leave out.</div>
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Most of you I’m sure have read the story of, or at least heard of a man named Sambany. If you don’t know about him, you can read the beginning of his story with Mercy Ships <a href="http://www.mercyships.org/blog/sambany/">here</a>.<span class="s1"></span></div>
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<span class="s1">In short, Sambany came to the ship with a 16.45 lb tumor clinging to the left side of his face. While on the ship, he found healing in the form of surgery and lots of love from so many people who cared for him and prayed for him. He spent nearly five months with us until he was fully healed and ready to return to his home in his village. With his permission, Mercy Ships used his story quite a bit to help spread the word about what we do. Because of this, they wanted to honor him by helping him return to his village.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNimrIeujG614VjJx6KLMZQ8JN1WoKHWZgXB7Tv2uZGAjW91ExVPRaFqbI2vgSzVWHnJT25eWCDymjlNTzrZeDHSnaw6i0Bswj1bTOl1J772Ye8LQTaIRasDFFrFkhHnNfa4vkRAL9HM/s1600/MGB150121_SAMBANY_PAT16203_JF0006_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNimrIeujG614VjJx6KLMZQ8JN1WoKHWZgXB7Tv2uZGAjW91ExVPRaFqbI2vgSzVWHnJT25eWCDymjlNTzrZeDHSnaw6i0Bswj1bTOl1J772Ye8LQTaIRasDFFrFkhHnNfa4vkRAL9HM/s400/MGB150121_SAMBANY_PAT16203_JF0006_MID.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Sambany and his grandson Flavy on their first day on the Africa Mercy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9AshgdumMtzgwsPBjoSt2dGSwu9og5x9eJ9Eg9Mr5_RwFx1jka6i3__ndDG6ez-56H7ImOnE2d3_V9bsTcx6bJ0T8I9wFbAitFUt1sZh88oEGBgZl7JHsspF-1UMBYRspI1fkD5HLvHE/s1600/MGB150521_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC0001_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9AshgdumMtzgwsPBjoSt2dGSwu9og5x9eJ9Eg9Mr5_RwFx1jka6i3__ndDG6ez-56H7ImOnE2d3_V9bsTcx6bJ0T8I9wFbAitFUt1sZh88oEGBgZl7JHsspF-1UMBYRspI1fkD5HLvHE/s400/MGB150521_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC0001_MID.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Sambany on the morning we picked him up. Happy and ready to roll!!</td></tr>
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I was asked to be a part of the team commissioned with the task of bringing Sambany home. My primary job in carpentry doesn’t afford me much opportunity to work closely with the patients in the hospital so when I was asked to go along I was incredibly excited!!<span class="s1"></span></div>
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The team consisted of Me, Josh Callow, Eunice Hiew, Laurin Avara, Scott Reed and our translator Tsoa. This is the team that I spent 5 days with, hiked 33 miles and gained 2500 of elevation with and loved every minute of it.<span class="s1"></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVEWSGamQvUbcRuydWINsjgntWCI4-zyCDdA5rPgFurfsRRXaydRfO7WpC1d_95pNrWyeHgzuk4eoAIJv2a2iVp7oX0dHElGKzI8ifvpRSNKdVPkgr8hmx0wXxAuXOobRuDOUBslx8OtQ/s1600/MGB150521_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC0003_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVEWSGamQvUbcRuydWINsjgntWCI4-zyCDdA5rPgFurfsRRXaydRfO7WpC1d_95pNrWyeHgzuk4eoAIJv2a2iVp7oX0dHElGKzI8ifvpRSNKdVPkgr8hmx0wXxAuXOobRuDOUBslx8OtQ/s400/MGB150521_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC0003_MID.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting from the left Laurin Avara, Sambany, Scott Reed, Josh Callow,<br />
Eunice Hiew, Tsoa, Flavy, and Myself.</td></tr>
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I was informed of this trip on a Tuesday afternoon. Having an idea of what we might be getting in to, I started to pray and prepare. We left the ship on Thursday at 6:30 am. Our first stop was at the Hope Center where Sambany and his nephew Flavy had been staying for the last few months while Sambany healed. After picking them up we pointed our two Toyota Landcruisers straight South for about six and a half hours. Just shy of the town of Mahanoro is where we were supposed to turn straight west and hopefully drive as close as we could to his village. We had been told by locals that as soon as we turned off of the pavement, there would be a bridge to cross. We were also told that the bridge was in good shape and that we shouldn’t have any trouble crossing. We spent about two hours trying several different cow paths to find the bridge. Each time we would ask a local which was the right path, we would get a different answer. Now we know that each person we asked knew the bridge was completely washed away and has been for a long time but culturally they have a hard time telling you something that you don’t want to hear. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXagfJn1eI7WMnxXCNYZAZaQDl5dV-R6zX1YIqS7K-waYosNeInjNUZqCt59dmKHxn9k1YTuXeKmyXtYe856-3SFpJF4anP50xZm4RaHtr51VMBdfnG9YgbXOELO_gsJWL-8ZecIECbtk/s1600/MGB150521_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC0185_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXagfJn1eI7WMnxXCNYZAZaQDl5dV-R6zX1YIqS7K-waYosNeInjNUZqCt59dmKHxn9k1YTuXeKmyXtYe856-3SFpJF4anP50xZm4RaHtr51VMBdfnG9YgbXOELO_gsJWL-8ZecIECbtk/s320/MGB150521_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC0185_MID.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the birdge we were supposed to cross.</td></tr>
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<div class="p1">
Instead they happily point you in a direction with a smile and a wave. That's not real helpful when you have somewhere you're trying to go. When we finally found the completely washed out bridge, we went on into the town of Mahanoro and spent the night. The next morning, we set out at 5:30 and drove to a village a little north of the bridge where we thought we would start walking. Someone told us that we could keep driving for another 3 miles on that trail and park at a school. Once parked, we started hiking. Earlier we had bought 110 lbs of rice as a gift for Sambany's village. I was not real keen on adding it to the 35 lbs I was already carrying and nobody else in the team was either so we paid three local musclemen in the first village we came across to carry it for us. Also as we were walking out of that village, we noticed Sambany talking to a woman who seemed elated to see him. Tsoa told us it was Sambany’s wife. Her name is Barazophy and she was beside herself with excitement! We later learned that she and her village had been told that Sambany and Flavy were dead. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that someone who knew the truth passed through her village and corrected that myth. Still the reunion between the two was very heartwarming. Her excitement over Sambany's presence and new face was apparent. We still don’t know what she was doing in that village but she abandoned whatever her purpose was and walked with us.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_KIQ1QQlV6CTurNsgU71-lkDB4WJPz9Kybfdr96tQDSwQ58_Xec9gKl52O5qg95NwRwqmj9iO_lZPovRNkWck-6ONflQ2yFen91GiPHoTjECTSe6RyY87E-mp9Qwq2D7INC0Xzg-Q0s/s1600/MGB150522_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_EH0318_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_KIQ1QQlV6CTurNsgU71-lkDB4WJPz9Kybfdr96tQDSwQ58_Xec9gKl52O5qg95NwRwqmj9iO_lZPovRNkWck-6ONflQ2yFen91GiPHoTjECTSe6RyY87E-mp9Qwq2D7INC0Xzg-Q0s/s400/MGB150522_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_EH0318_MID.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sambany and his wife Barazophy happy to be together again!</td></tr>
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<div class="p1">
About seven and a half hours of walking later, we all agreed that our legs were gonna come unhooked and fall off if we didn’t stop. We spent the night in a village where our team of six shared a one room house with Sambany, his wife, his nephew and our three rice carrier buddies. The house was completely void of any accommodations except a floor and a whole host of Lord of the Rings sized spiders in the ceiling. To our weary bodies though it was a five star resort. After a huge bowl of plain rice with a few noodles on top was safely in our bellies we snuggled down on the wood floor and slept. Our sleep was far from deep though as Sambany in his excitement to get home did not stop talking the entire night!! He had also purchased two radios while here in Tamatave. Somewhere he had gotten his hands on an SD card with about 15 songs on it. This he played on his radio THE ENTIRE WAY to his village at full volume. He also played it all night long. It exercised every single ounce of tolerance our team possessed as we all reviewed in our minds the different ways there would be to silence a radio. Morning came though and we strapped on our packs, shook the fuzzies out of our eyes and headed out.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVgp_ySiZDANLDdYGr9qwTFK74C3d3TjbDyIqRxm1JgasQwQ3oA3xNGdGVwqFTj2vuOVCdB7dbZcyAdeLrCPJjxg9ZbadMO9yQZ6NW9M3efqgIrrcN_2bO2OhxTwWi4J1apMDmQiO3vY/s1600/MGB150523_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_EH0639_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVgp_ySiZDANLDdYGr9qwTFK74C3d3TjbDyIqRxm1JgasQwQ3oA3xNGdGVwqFTj2vuOVCdB7dbZcyAdeLrCPJjxg9ZbadMO9yQZ6NW9M3efqgIrrcN_2bO2OhxTwWi4J1apMDmQiO3vY/s320/MGB150523_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_EH0639_MID.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barazophy with her radio.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-iNlTWMo_Sq5dcRpMXNOt0OPVJRjWUjxQezZp9HlH7XJrUQ91ER6Aq1Q3a1tpONOs_OET8BCRmxKiB21GjdNppSHIseA8PdOOvl0Utf21CKShZcOaBnPBZDfVGE27keCPyARkfn5PmEI/s1600/MGB150522_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC0511_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-iNlTWMo_Sq5dcRpMXNOt0OPVJRjWUjxQezZp9HlH7XJrUQ91ER6Aq1Q3a1tpONOs_OET8BCRmxKiB21GjdNppSHIseA8PdOOvl0Utf21CKShZcOaBnPBZDfVGE27keCPyARkfn5PmEI/s320/MGB150522_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC0511_MID.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuv5V25nF7PbR8xAecieNOI8GP3TIQOJ14H8RvHCnSUkV-qdnAYateWfi6RGvN7CzaosyqMLucIQ6VeZ-xbupJYVXK9dt2hZ7N1gVox8bliIciFBhn5sGfGiDd0wxwIf91TIfZtAAetMI/s1600/MGB150522_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC0468_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuv5V25nF7PbR8xAecieNOI8GP3TIQOJ14H8RvHCnSUkV-qdnAYateWfi6RGvN7CzaosyqMLucIQ6VeZ-xbupJYVXK9dt2hZ7N1gVox8bliIciFBhn5sGfGiDd0wxwIf91TIfZtAAetMI/s320/MGB150522_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC0468_MID.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="p2">
As you can see, the trail was beautiful! It was pretty well solid mud the entire way and very narrow. It took us through rice fields, villages, across streams, one river that we had to wade across and up what felt like about ten Mount Everests. One of the things I meditated on much of the way was the diversity and individuality of our God. No matter where you are in the world, all the diverse beauty that we see around us points us to one place. GOD the creator! Madagascar is no exception! We stood on mountain top after mountain top with breathtaking panoramas. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvXkDoY33XPyVj1_53iYO80JkeyHaOj3uT__ZtYl46V62jPzxew4X-AX_c3lXYWNhWjXjEOh0T5r5V-JlvNGJV7FItdSWcTYHkzhlcrNimKI9tb4ythlgfdN7UTguVxQtTKo7GlsM3Zk/s1600/MGB150522_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC0358_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvXkDoY33XPyVj1_53iYO80JkeyHaOj3uT__ZtYl46V62jPzxew4X-AX_c3lXYWNhWjXjEOh0T5r5V-JlvNGJV7FItdSWcTYHkzhlcrNimKI9tb4ythlgfdN7UTguVxQtTKo7GlsM3Zk/s320/MGB150522_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC0358_MID.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found a buddy!</td></tr>
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<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">As we neared the end of the day, it became clear that we were running out of water. There was no place to buy water out as far as we were and there wouldn’t be until we got almost back to our cars. We passed through a village that had a few coconut palms so we bought 24 of them and came away with 5 liters of coconut milk. The milk didn’t spend much time in the bottle though as we were all pretty thirsty. Finally after about eight hours of walking, Sambany said we would be to his village very soon. This put a little extra wind in our sails and we got to his village at about 4 pm. He was like a little kid on the last day of school! He couldn’t wait to be home! He stopped and put on a long white shirt type thing and we crossed one last stream and entered his village. He went straight to the center of town where they have a flag pole with no flag on it and he stood there and prayed. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">Sambany gives all the credit and glory to God for his healing! I don’t know what his knowledge or belief in God was like when he came to the ship, but through his time on the ship he met God in a real and personal way! As he then proceeded to his house, the village people began to come out of the woodwork and gather around. To them Sambany’s whole identity no doubt had been the huge tumor that he had carried around. Now it was gone and their reactions were very moving. Even though I understand surgery and the healing process to a degree, even I still stared at his face in wonder at the fact that something like that can be removed and healed. So it’s no wonder that these village people who have no idea what surgery on a ship is, stared at him in wonder. One of my favorite parts of the Bible is when Jesus combines physical healing with spiritual and emotional healing. Sambany is proof that Jesus is STILL healing through the hands of Doctors and Nurses and people like you who pray. Now for as long as Sambany lives, he will serve as a testimony in his region to the love of God. Our prayer is that he will be able to communicate that to his village in the days and years to come. One truth that sank a little bit deeper into my heart on this trip was how God loves us all equally! As we got to know Sambany and his wife a little, we learned to love them and enjoy their company. A few times I met someone along the way whose personality would remind me of someone back home. As I watched Sambany and found myself in a place completely different than the world that I live in, I was forced to look into how God transcends all the differences and loves us not for what we have or who we think we are but because of the way HE see us. He made us with such individuality and He knows that thing which makes each of us unique from each other. He loves us equally and deeply. Therefore he sees me and Sambany the SAME. If he didn’t prevent that tumor in Sambany, He wouldn’t necessarily prevent it in me either. That realization of truth for me brings a whole new level of compassion and urgency to the hurting people of this world. God loves every single one and nobody in 2015 should be living with 16lb tumors on their face.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDMInMErQU4PNgeYHZ2BMGVTuPe2ISGFuQwpr4ttItQPP4bsDVdRiCiWPFXKOcakFlOk3_jJgFx-X_Cb1Aot6uHvhlFICjvicgRJI3Uefx_-u3j3YFG4FhnfSEw2kApacz8k2Ow1iQac/s1600/MGB150523_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_EH0751_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDMInMErQU4PNgeYHZ2BMGVTuPe2ISGFuQwpr4ttItQPP4bsDVdRiCiWPFXKOcakFlOk3_jJgFx-X_Cb1Aot6uHvhlFICjvicgRJI3Uefx_-u3j3YFG4FhnfSEw2kApacz8k2Ow1iQac/s640/MGB150523_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_EH0751_MID.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is outside Sambany's house. Some of the people you see here are checking out Sambany and some of them are checking out the weird white people.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinrWrmhgi3aXDKIakvfWO1cTD0WcmD-i9d0Xethe4Gxq4mtCMfC3JpvJXuhb9tXOYDqTjSQSk3xpxHCiMGWJQvS6DpYakhdl8a5zAn5JidcY7pQQhYhuFiodycTbu9Q32etc39pOrYDY/s1600/MGB150523_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_EH0797_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinrWrmhgi3aXDKIakvfWO1cTD0WcmD-i9d0Xethe4Gxq4mtCMfC3JpvJXuhb9tXOYDqTjSQSk3xpxHCiMGWJQvS6DpYakhdl8a5zAn5JidcY7pQQhYhuFiodycTbu9Q32etc39pOrYDY/s640/MGB150523_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_EH0797_MID.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside his house, he told his story to the village elders.</td></tr>
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<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">While Josh and Eunice started interviewing people and capturing the whole reunion on camera, Scott watched all of our bags. Laurin and I set about to solving our water shortage issue. We were completely out and all of us were dealing with early symptoms of dehydration. As some of you reading this know me well, you know that I’m a recovering germaphobe. Acting out of that paradigm, I set myself to make sure the water we were to acquire would be as free of little bugs as possible. We got water from the nearby river and put in on a fire to boil. Four hours later, we had boiled, cooled and UV penned 25 liters of river water. Once we got past the smoky earthy taste and the cloudy, floaty filled texture, it tasted great! The important thing was that it rehydrated us.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">We spent the night in Sambany’s village once again on the floor of a house. We dined on the rice we had brought with us and again some noodles on the top. They also brought us some bananas and a little later on, some chicken which we ate for breakfast the next morning along with some cold rice.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
After saying our goodbyes and receiving a gift from the village of three live chickens and some rice, we took the same trail we had brought and set out for our cars. <span class="s1"></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XJEoAcqOEQ19i6m9zvRiPLLCgAycBlvNp_4HUmyz_CSzs2-rN_oYdyvWdKlhmMP_raNhx1buKGmf4xQMvkBaRfAO15j8cTan15eWNu3C-ensrTmOjrkyARb07-SI_LqtLqSWwThFNdg/s1600/MGB150524_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC0833_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XJEoAcqOEQ19i6m9zvRiPLLCgAycBlvNp_4HUmyz_CSzs2-rN_oYdyvWdKlhmMP_raNhx1buKGmf4xQMvkBaRfAO15j8cTan15eWNu3C-ensrTmOjrkyARb07-SI_LqtLqSWwThFNdg/s640/MGB150524_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC0833_MID.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before we left the whole village got together for a photo.</td></tr>
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The way back had a lot more downhill in it which helped us make better time. Ten hours of grueling hiking later, we were within about four miles of our cars. We decided to stop for the night as it was getting dark and this was the first village we could actually buy water at again. After we ate one of our chickens with some rice, we sat around waiting to collapse on the wood floor. At this point God did something really cool. Eunice wanted to sing a song so we did. This led to about an hours worth of song. We were tired, we stank really bad, we each had sores and blisters but our hearts were bursting with the joy of the Lord!! Any song we could think of, we belted out. When we were pretty sure our cobbled together melodies had driven out all the spiders in the ceiling, we finished with a time of prayer thanking God for taking care of us to that point and trusting Him for the rest of the way. One of things that had me nervous was how remote we were. If someone would have got sick or injured, it would have changed our trip greatly. In the end, no one got sick or injured at all. THANK YOU all for your prayers!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDw7HUmA0HBTxQlBoeaZ_4IvkNwCP-YDj2kvZw7gD2GVOO5aoK7efEr6rjBczwXGov1QZ1I-8X-dfPYHVsJnEs0ZHNpBTKs0M2jTQGpXeIwhwc-qvO_0t-O4SmBY3gfXHMmc0q39UaOYk/s1600/MGB150524_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC1160_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDw7HUmA0HBTxQlBoeaZ_4IvkNwCP-YDj2kvZw7gD2GVOO5aoK7efEr6rjBczwXGov1QZ1I-8X-dfPYHVsJnEs0ZHNpBTKs0M2jTQGpXeIwhwc-qvO_0t-O4SmBY3gfXHMmc0q39UaOYk/s400/MGB150524_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC1160_MID.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner of chicken and rice.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJvyDSR6fIF8BFsq0k07huZLKl4cK9CtU4wli4yl0F3grQ4kZTZb5O3D5wr93SzomrxVoBn94-Ti8kU7DX3i7GvxH9N3lA5jxN44g1QQSyhSzMfWK1_4rsj1UtsqcXEmBpUWpX6TGYGo/s1600/MGB150524_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC1170_MID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJvyDSR6fIF8BFsq0k07huZLKl4cK9CtU4wli4yl0F3grQ4kZTZb5O3D5wr93SzomrxVoBn94-Ti8kU7DX3i7GvxH9N3lA5jxN44g1QQSyhSzMfWK1_4rsj1UtsqcXEmBpUWpX6TGYGo/s400/MGB150524_SAMBANY_PAT16203_GOES_HOME_JC1170_MID.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our singing could be heard through the whole village!</td></tr>
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The next morning, we all put on our wet muddy clothes for the last time and headed to the river where we were delighted to learn that we could take dugout canoes all the way to the cars! All of our blisters joined together in a chorus of thanksgiving that we were DONE hiking! We piled in two canoes and enjoyed the river as yet another part of God’s creation. The canoes had zero stability and we all held our breaths and barely blinked for fear of tipping. Somehow neither canoe tipped and at last the cars came into sight. <br />
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The Toyota symbol has never looked prettier! After changing into clean clothes, we pointed our cars back North, and arrived back to the ship just in time for dinner.<br />
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-81012480445322614912015-05-11T12:08:00.001-07:002015-05-11T12:15:43.203-07:00It's a Pleasure <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One of my favorite things about living with people from all over the world is the different sayings and phrases that are tossed around. Most of them make for a great cultural lesson; the first time I heard a Brit say he was “absolutely knackered” I nearly choked on the water I was sipping. Today a South African came to my office looking for a coworker; when I said she wasn’t there he said, “Oh she was here now-now.” Huh? “Oh I’m sorry; I mean she was here just now.” (Once I heard him properly I decided I <i>really</i> like that phrase.)</div>
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<span class="s1">But I think one of my absolute favorites has to be every time I get off the phone or leave the office of Mr. Henry Gwani, our HR Director on board. He’s from Nigeria. As I was leaving his office after a meeting today I thanked him for his time and he responded with his usual: “Pleasure.” Whereas I was would say, "You're welcome" he says "Pleasure" and it's downright melodious. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">It’s also how I’ve felt for the last month or so. I’ve walked away from so many moments and conversations and thought, “That was a pleasure!” We recently shared <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152897457737108&set=a.10150248025597108.322373.547977107&type=1&theater"><span style="background-color: white; color: #cccccc;">on Facebook</span></a> </b>that we are extending for two more years; through November 2017. That decision was not an easy one to make, because we felt very strongly both ways (staying or leaving) and it seemed like God just would not make it clear what we should do! But he took us on an awesome journey that perfectly wound our personal lives and our marriage tightly together and made HIS plan clear. That's a story for another day but as we've made this decision and gotten used to the idea of being here longer, I have been overawed by the people we serve with--beautiful, called, talented people. No one's perfect which means that Mercy Ships is by no means perfect but it really is a pleasure to serve here alongside these hearts. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">On this floating white box are every kind of social circle: work, friends, church, school, small group, etc. I love the random interaction with people with vastly different jobs and backgrounds than mine. The people on this ship are really something special and I thought I would share some of them with you. I’ve put a picture up with a short caption and that person’s name linked with their blog. There are few stories I wanted to share that are just stories. There are not even 10 links here, which is literally about 2% of this crew. There are so many amazing testimonies out there; these are just the ones that have been swirling around my head the last few days.</span></div>
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<span class="s2"><a href="http://nornespaaskipet.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="color: white;">Marie from Norway</span></b> </a></span><span class="s1">(my former Head Hostess; she has gone home now) plays with Marie from Madagascar down in the ward. Marie (Madagascar) fell into a pot of boiling water when she was 2 years old. Medical care was not available so her arm healed incorrectly, making her lose much of its use. Read her story <b><span style="color: white;"><a href="http://www.mercyships.ca/a-solution-for-marie-sylvie/"><span class="s2" style="color: white;">here</span></a>.</span> </b></span></div>
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<span class="s2" style="color: white;"><a href="https://nhwaechters.wordpress.com/"><b style="background-color: white;">Tom</b></a></span><span class="s1"> plays with Prisca, a little girl he met in the market one day who needed surgery. In case you can’t tell, she has him wrapped around her little finger. :) Tom does the maintenance for all the off-ships sites and his wife Ann-Marie is the crew nurse. We have been attending a couple’s Bible study with them for the past 3 months and have so appreciated their wisdom!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I don’t know what I would do without this team. They are some of the most joyful people I know—even without the cut-out smiles. This week I’ve been meeting with them all individually to discuss our plans for next year and I’ve come out of every single conversation blessed. They sing and pray every morning and evening—the best bookends to a work day that I’ve ever heard. </span><br />
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Last week I had one of the funnest interactions I've had; I played the mimicking game with a patient in the hospital hallway. She was adorable and so full of spunk but I knew what a long way she had come because of <a href="https://heathermorehouse.wordpress.com/2015/03/29/to-the-terror-of-a-5-year-old-in-bed-d9-you-have-changed-my-life/"><b><span style="color: white;">Heather's blog post</span></b></a> (you might want to grab a kleenex) describing this little girl's journey. </div>
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<span class="s1">Our <span class="s2"><a href="http://abeautifulwander.com/about/" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: white;">Sales Manager (KJ).</span> </a></span>I count myself incredibly blessed to call KJ friend; she will rise to any occasion to encourage anyone. We share a love for monster cookies, Jack Bauer, cute dresses, and we recently trained for a 5k together! I stop by her office at least once a day to get some unofficial therapy from her and her bouncy exercise ball and a laugh. She inspires me by keeping a list of gifts and blogging about it. It's so encouraging to see someone purposefully looking for the good in each day. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">This woman with a <span style="color: white;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/catherine-murphy/mercy-ships-obstetric-fistula_b_3749209.html"><span class="s2" style="color: white;"><b>dry skirt</b></span></a> </span>and new life who shines joy. Even with just a snapshot you can tell this woman's got the moves. This was at the Dress Ceremony that Jordan, Tyrel, and I attended just a few weeks ago. </span><br />
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<span class="s1">I have all respect for the moms on board the <i>Africa Mercy</i>; raising children on this floating white box would certainly be unique! <a href="http://fourwallsatsea.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: white;"><b>Tracey</b></span></a> and <a href="http://cashcrewship.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: white;"><b>Dianna</b></span></a> both have blogs that I shamelessly stalked before we arrived! Your blogs were so full of HELPFUL information! :) I love how they share life--this IS their life! It's not a short trip; two minute showers and cafeteria dining 24/7 are how their kids will remember growing up and I <i>love</i> watching them raise their families! It is really special to see kids running around :) </span></div>
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<span class="s2" style="color: white;"><a href="https://medium.com/@marrissmith"><b style="background-color: white;">Marris</b></a></span><span class="s1"> and Yfke, who visit chronically or terminally ill patients every day and offer friendship and hope. Read Marris's farewell blog <a href="https://medium.com/@marrissmith/why-cd7f639889b0" target="_blank">here</a>; it has some really amazing patient stories. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><a href="https://throughaporthole.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/lost-and-useless-a-western-nurse-in-africa/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="color: white;">Amy</span></a> and <b><a href="http://krissyonmercy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: white;">Krissy</span></a>,</b> along with their teams, and the surgeons who provide education for local health professionals, leaving behind a lasting footprint. </span></div>
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<b><a href="http://offtozanzibar.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: white;">Jenny</span></a></b> who made my first blood-donating experience as pleasant as possible. :) </div>
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Jordan loves diving with these guys (and a few others) for ship maintenance every other Friday. From left to right: Derek (electrician), Justin (electrician), Jordan, and <b><a href="http://lightoninafrica.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: white;">Dave (Academy Principal)</span></a></b>. </div>
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There are lots of hellos ... </div>
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... and way too many goodbyes (although I guess technically that number should all be even) ... </div>
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... <b>But it's a pleasure to serve alongside this crew.</b> </div>
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-33332170822920184642015-03-24T02:11:00.000-07:002015-03-24T02:11:09.043-07:00Second FiddleWhen we signed up to join the <i>Africa Mercy</i>, you would not believe how many people asked if I was a nurse or if Jordan was a doctor.<br />
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Um... no.<br />
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I didn't really blame anyone for thinking that though; I grew up knowing about Mercy Ships because their first ship to Africa, the <i>Anastasis,</i> had come to Guinea a few times when I was a kid. But I had never stopped to think about joining up because I wasn't medical. It wasn't until Jordan and I were visiting my parents in N'Zao and an electrician from the ship was there at the same time and told us that support positions are needed. (Now that we're here, that seems so obvious. It's actually split pretty evenly between strictly "medical" and "non-medical" as far as numbers go.) He told us they needed a carpenter and so, long story short, we came!<br />
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I don't really remember what I thought I would apply for at first but at one point I noticed that a hostess was needed and the job description fit exactly into my likes/dislikes so it seemed perfect! In the back of my mind though, I wondered if I would struggle working behind-the-scenes. I'll confess, sometimes I wonder how in the world our friends back home are still interested in what we're doing when I don't post a whole lot about life-changing medical surgeries. My first day on the ship, I remember being spiritually attacked. I was making up a bed for an incoming couple and it hit me that I was BEHIND THE SCENES in every sense of the phrase. Holed up in a cabin making up a bed that no one but that new crew would ever see seemed a bit anti-climatic for my first day on the mission field. Ugly but true thought there.<br />
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Then, I made my way down a few days to make up another bed, this time in a 6-berth. As I was struggling with the top-bunk mattress (the only reason for any upper arm strength I may have gained since arriving) something on the wall caught my eye. It was a quote I'd never seen before and it was one of those moments were God tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me that He cares about what's on my mind. It hit me like a ton of bricks so of course I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture.<br />
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And please don't take this as me trying to somehow brag about being the second fiddle--that's not it at all. But ever since that first day, I really have had no insecurities about the role that I'm in. The fact is that my personal day does often mix with the hospital but for the most part the divine moments I see are of another kind. But this past week, I had an extra special moment that happened to involve the hospital and it gave me a renewed vision for my purpose here. I want to share it with you and I hope you enjoy!<br />
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This is my housekeeping team--or at least, 14 of the 24. They are phenomenal. Each morning as I walk into my office they are either singing, praying, or encouraging each other before they start the day. They check back into the laundry room all throughout the day so we see and greet each other all the time. They are the most friendly and welcoming people I know and I count it a privilege to have met each and every one of them. </div>
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On Thursday, I got a call from the hospital laundry room. It was one of my housekeeping supervisors and he asked me to come down as Sarah (name changed), one of my Malagasy day crew, had fallen down. I quickly went down the three flights of stairs and into the hospital, with all the sights, smells, and sounds that accompany a hospital. Sure enough, Sarah had fallen off of a small step ladder and couldn't put any weight on her foot. I walked down the corridor to the crew clinic and asked if there was any way they could come check her out but unfortunately the crew nurse and doctor were in the middle of seeing another patient and couldn't come--was there any way I could find two men to carry her down? At that suggestion, another crew member who was himself waiting to be seen by the crew nurse jumped up and told me that he could help! So together we went and found a wheel chair, got her in it, and brought her down to the crew clinic. It was lunchtime then so I told the administrative assistant to page me as soon as they knew anything and I would drive her home. Then I turned to explain Sarah in French that as soon as the doctor had finished seeing her, they would call me and I would take her home. I love Sarah; she has spunk. As soon as I said that she goes, "DOCTOR? My foot just hurts, I don't need a <i>doctor!</i>"</div>
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So you can imagine my surprise when I was paged an hour later and told she was getting her foot x-rayed... </div>
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... and then again another hour later when I was paged and was told that her foot was broken and she was with the rehab team getting it casted. I went down to the outpatient rehab room and watched them finish up putting her cast on. Then she was handed a pair of crutches and she made her slow way down the hall. I signed out a car to take her home and after very carefully making her hobbled way down the gangway, we were on our way. When we got to her house, we sat down in her living room and I addressed the question that I knew she didn't want to ask: missing work. I reassured her to not worry about it; that we would of course compensate for the days she would be missing. Then it occurred to me that she might be worried about hospital bills although that seemed a bit far-fetched since she works in the hospital and knows that all of the surgeries and procedures are done for free. I decided to mention it to her anyways though and at that she burst into tears. </div>
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I hastily asked what in the world was wrong and she simply said, "The doctors here in Madagascar would never treat me like this. I can't believe how I've been treated today. You all have been so kind." Of course that turned on the waterworks in me and I started trying to think of what to say in French and finally managed to blubber out, "It's the love of Jesus. That's how we can treat you that way." To which she grabbed the bottom of her shirt to wipe her eyes and nodded and said, "Today, I've seen that. I know. You have no idea how much this has touched me." </div>
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I really care about Sarah. She brings a quiet but joyful steadiness to the team that I've come to respect. When I saw her hurting I wanted her to be helped and I was so grateful for the hospital staff that jumped to fit in an unexpected patient. To see her reaction was absolutely priceless. To see someone so in awe of a gift that had been given to them--just because it's what we do, not anything calculated--is what this ship is here to do. I thought about her that whole afternoon and then the next day and then all weekend and now today as I'm writing this post it's just hitting me that that's why we do what we do. Yes, we do surgeries because they are needed and the patients just 1 deck below my feet would have no future without surgery. But we also do surgeries for the love of Jesus that act of kindness reveals. It's real, it's genuine, it's the end goal and there's no way this whole ship would work without Him in it. So really, no matter what I do (and the fact is that I actually LOVE my job) it's His love that's doing the work. </div>
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-85975350212688399212015-02-02T01:49:00.000-08:002015-02-02T01:49:39.762-08:00There & Back Again: A Vacation Trip by the Stulls <div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Hello and bonus points to you if got the title reference. :)</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I’m not so good at the beginning or endings of things. I’d really like to avoid awkward introductions and I’d much rather skip saying goodbye and those awful tears and simply head to the airport. But the middle part? I can do that just fine. So here’s me skipping an intro and going right into this long overdue--ahh, who am I kidding? Every update is overdue so I’m right on schedule. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Anyways, how in THE world is it February already?? I guess the holiday season goes pretty fast but it seemed to fly by with extra speed this year. Ever since we were accepted to serve with Mercy Ships, we’ve known that we would go back to Ohio for Christmas so we’ve been looking forward to it for a while. It’s hard to believe that visit has come and gone! We had a fabulous time and saw God’s hand in so many little ways throughout our stay. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Back in October, we sat down and looked at the calendar to decide how long we would like to take for our PTO (Mercy Ships lingo for vacation). We knew that my brother’s graduation was going to be on December 13 and that Jordan’s sister’s wedding was on January 10. We thought it would be nice to have a week on either side of those dates since Katie’s parents were going to also be in the States for Matthew’s graduation and to have a bit of down time after the wedding. Six and a half weeks seemed like a long time but we wrote to the human resources department on board and asked them how many vacation days we had available (we accrue a certain amount of days per month). When the reply came back, it was exactly the number that we thought would be ideal! So we booked our tickets and before we knew it, it was time to start the 10,000 mile journey home. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">We started with a bus that Mercy Ships has hired for the year to take crew from Toamasina (where the ship is docked) to Antananarivo (the capital and where the major airport is; also known as Tana for the obvious reason of 2 syllables versus 6). It’s a 250 mile trip over the windiest roads I’ve ever seen. We got stuck in traffic and rain and were on the bus for 11 hours. The countryside was beautiful though and we really enjoyed getting to see it. </span><br />
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<span class="s1">We enjoyed a day of rest in Tana before getting on our plane at 1:50 am. All of our flights were as perfect as flights can get--we slept over the entire continent of Africa and woke up to the Alps peaking out from under clouds beneath us as we ate breakfast. In Paris we enjoyed the free wifi and used up the remainder of our Euro coins from Gran Canaria, much to the dismay of the cashier who served us our coffee. Then on to Atlanta where we were swooped down upon by that sweet Southern drawl if we looked confused for even 10 seconds. Seriously, I’ve never been in a more friendly airport. My grandparents and aunt with her then-boyfriend (but now fiance!!) even drove two hours to meet us at the airport so we could chat for a bit! We felt so blessed! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Daniel, Esther, Grandma, and Grandpa Albright in Atlanta. </td></tr>
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<span class="s1">Then another 3 hour flight to Dallas where my parents and Hannah picked us up and drove us the last two hours to Longview, Texas.</span><span class="s1">Whew!! </span><br />
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We had a really great week in Longview; it was so fun to be able to watch Matthew graduate. Dad, Mom, and Hannah were there too as they had left Guinea for an undetermined amount of time due to concerns over Ebola possibly shutting down borders with other countries. We were so grateful for the time together as a family, even as we wished that Ebola had never shown up and they never would have had to leave. </div>
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<span class="s1">(Update on Ebola: the numbers are slowly fading; pray that this will be finally done soon! Also be praying for the aftereffects: with thousands dead, it is essentially as if a war just happened.) </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mom’s parents came for the graduation too as well as our good friends the Blackwells. The house that Mom and Dad lived in last year on their home assignment was still empty so their church said they could use it again. How perfect was that?! That house was pretty packed but we had a great time!! </span><br />
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<span class="s1">Matthew will be moving to Segou, Mali, West Africa in May for about 15 months. He'll be working to keep up a fish farm there, covering for another missionary family that is going on home assignment for a year. I'm pretty excited that he gets to come back to the motherland--even if he does have to be on the other side of the continent!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetWCDcTs9HNWz4hOeB8QUagZAI23akzTXz5ROSJknWXoIPdc9H1-dYKxEhqXfR3iiBs7W4oy_QjnmjYzWR_65LkIFNQ2Xn0VgPShCkw18C5jee_7YHb7XIFXCP20605zJKONdwfg08yM/s1600/IMG_1946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetWCDcTs9HNWz4hOeB8QUagZAI23akzTXz5ROSJknWXoIPdc9H1-dYKxEhqXfR3iiBs7W4oy_QjnmjYzWR_65LkIFNQ2Xn0VgPShCkw18C5jee_7YHb7XIFXCP20605zJKONdwfg08yM/s1600/IMG_1946.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So proud of Matthew!! (He's the one in the gown and cap. :))<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrW35RBffnchVZSZyyVcd2QbFGQSIL9qu9GKG_9zTJXipqGiWkM8MNgMiacAZ62D9MVWRqce7MCa1DcHed1Bysg7f8PmeHh9wjJVerCguY7LiGQc30TuxLcGSTsAYf5YCV-lmiZxxyog/s1600/IMG_3828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrW35RBffnchVZSZyyVcd2QbFGQSIL9qu9GKG_9zTJXipqGiWkM8MNgMiacAZ62D9MVWRqce7MCa1DcHed1Bysg7f8PmeHh9wjJVerCguY7LiGQc30TuxLcGSTsAYf5YCV-lmiZxxyog/s1600/IMG_3828.JPG" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Even though we complained about the cold we<br />thoroughly enjoyed the fall leaves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Albright family 2014</td></tr>
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<span class="s1">Then Jordan went to Ohio and I went to Iowa for a week to be in Sarah’s wedding! Sarah and I have known each other all our lives but we were roommates in high school and have been best friends ever since. We both moved to Ohio around the same time and then both decided to move overseas for 2 years in mission at the same time--without telling each other! She met Erkai at Cedarville University and it was an absolute honor (and blast!) to be there before the wedding to help out and be a part of the wedding. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fCBtKF-EgN-KgZ6I52lk6dioiXORvsK6hCeZvJzxh3eLnKprFV4KqK3K7XbGngV3FBljqAJKDiaDEI1W_Fc9YmOe-LLPUoMdtSvcLy9RSe9k7mBxa1CVM9E_R7u5pZXPomMojXE7utE/s1600/IMG_3904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fCBtKF-EgN-KgZ6I52lk6dioiXORvsK6hCeZvJzxh3eLnKprFV4KqK3K7XbGngV3FBljqAJKDiaDEI1W_Fc9YmOe-LLPUoMdtSvcLy9RSe9k7mBxa1CVM9E_R7u5pZXPomMojXE7utE/s1600/IMG_3904.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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<span class="s1">We were in Ohio for the remainder of our time, except for a trip out to Indiana to help move Sara into her new home with Garrett! The time was just perfect. We weren’t super busy but we got to see lots of people and do a lot of things that we missed--the bulk of which was eating, it seemed like! </span></div>
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<span class="s1">We were really touched by how interested people are in what we’re doing. We were able to meet with most of our supporters, which was amazing and honestly kind of unexpected due to the busy holiday season! You all were so encouraging to us; you really have no idea. This ministry has our hearts and the fact is that we’ll talk about it to anyone who will listen, so thanks for listening. :) </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy4ocjhlW48VYzumArhrrxCtBKAfczvSSBbHmCJXFE1NtaHQm2l1LHnk-99gNoVqThQFtX6W3evy6Bv15azZnojp0z_mILiDKhy4GRxxU7vFV_ipgtmHr0rOjkAjB3b9jenaUG5nFGGo/s1600/IMG_4185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy4ocjhlW48VYzumArhrrxCtBKAfczvSSBbHmCJXFE1NtaHQm2l1LHnk-99gNoVqThQFtX6W3evy6Bv15azZnojp0z_mILiDKhy4GRxxU7vFV_ipgtmHr0rOjkAjB3b9jenaUG5nFGGo/s1600/IMG_4185.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing pictures to Grandpa & Grandma Stull</td></tr>
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<span class="s1">And of course there were lots of changes at home for us to catch up on! It was great to tell others about what we’re up to but it was even better to just talk to friends face-to-face and catch up on LIFE. There’s just something about that that is different than a phone call. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kNl0r6FSXuyGnrRQHREgWeF53U9xeI8De1WFSY1ED_47KwFLMhyFEpWXkqDnxul9hTyt36NV-GNv40CcYLmFp5wpc7xdgFHUsXwpiv0ovxe3Ic8WBM0LfAQr2pUT9ex9kC2mIpVYxkI/s1600/IMG_4103_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kNl0r6FSXuyGnrRQHREgWeF53U9xeI8De1WFSY1ED_47KwFLMhyFEpWXkqDnxul9hTyt36NV-GNv40CcYLmFp5wpc7xdgFHUsXwpiv0ovxe3Ic8WBM0LfAQr2pUT9ex9kC2mIpVYxkI/s1600/IMG_4103_2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jordan & Fenner checking out a cool toy. </td></tr>
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<span class="s1">One life change that we’re a little partial to is Ari so of course I have to sneak a picture in. :) Jordan thought it’d be good to show her some hunting videos; it didn’t seem like something Jenni would have time to do. ;) </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij26Tq2UBS42TDliPIsMO8c8c8BJcFvDnrCyXPHfPkJRJnMdF75ETRW0swfTOHbCsFYbR76J6UvmzRyMDv91GmzXUrCLaBBjqTV0hM57vvXTWu8_8NjgNZyArGrTLDHOiMyhP9voam_eA/s1600/IMG_3996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij26Tq2UBS42TDliPIsMO8c8c8BJcFvDnrCyXPHfPkJRJnMdF75ETRW0swfTOHbCsFYbR76J6UvmzRyMDv91GmzXUrCLaBBjqTV0hM57vvXTWu8_8NjgNZyArGrTLDHOiMyhP9voam_eA/s1600/IMG_3996.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were pretty excited to wake up to 4" of snow one morning!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOpo-b-p07al34BnspD4tJlQXIdoP_-WKTVRKTetlzZBatjpLR_5sqqUxpPzv9sk0_4AqYwoVUtiK3BkEPfIR5s6vCAGc1ygXOKFT7P1lQOf6sbcwXd7isJ-GfGXFnMLOedLzUuPQ-20/s1600/IMG_4341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOpo-b-p07al34BnspD4tJlQXIdoP_-WKTVRKTetlzZBatjpLR_5sqqUxpPzv9sk0_4AqYwoVUtiK3BkEPfIR5s6vCAGc1ygXOKFT7P1lQOf6sbcwXd7isJ-GfGXFnMLOedLzUuPQ-20/s1600/IMG_4341.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jordan had a lot of fun helping out at the shop occasionally.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1">It was especially fun to be there for Garret & Sara’s big day! Sara did an amazing job planning a beautiful wedding in 4 short months and we enjoyed being able to help out some for it--although her and Sandy had the whole thing so detailed out that we really didn’t do much! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHVp6vea8Y7sLM-M0e4fG-BZbVM0-aSLwgl70uwave93fb8VycKfT1QfPA6pXvwXF5AZ_mAPzJ123_a9fJcncjQEtPAI_UV4MdLeqv2P5PuDbmfImp9YrSSRxaBwxmzd4bbCfMyCBLf0/s1600/IMG_4254_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHVp6vea8Y7sLM-M0e4fG-BZbVM0-aSLwgl70uwave93fb8VycKfT1QfPA6pXvwXF5AZ_mAPzJ123_a9fJcncjQEtPAI_UV4MdLeqv2P5PuDbmfImp9YrSSRxaBwxmzd4bbCfMyCBLf0/s1600/IMG_4254_2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1">But before we knew it, the six weeks was up and it was time to head back. As not fun as it was to say goodbye, we knew it was time to get back to the ship and back into routine life (you can only eat as much as you want for so long, you know!). The trip back seemed MUCH longer ... but eventually we made it and it was great to be welcomed back! I was so touched; my team held up a welcome sign for me as I walked into the office and I had three huge bouquets of flowers on my desk waiting for me! I felt quite loved. :) </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I will confess though that the first two days back were some of my worst on the ship and I’m not really sure why (aside from jet lag!). I was ready to be back but when I got really into work on Thursday I was overwhelmed with the feeling of <i>“I don’t want to be here.” </i>I was really discouraged and confused and mostly just annoyed--why would I be excited to come back if I didn’t want to be here?? There was no particular reason; I just had a horrible attitude and saw the negative in everything. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Then last Friday I was in my boss’s office, which is right next to the gangway so there’s always a lot of hustle and bustle. Him and I were talking about a project of some sort that we were working on and then a man walked by with a tumor easily twice as big as his face. In fact, I couldn’t even see his face; I’m just taking it for granted that it was there. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">And you know what? That’s why I’m here. From the work that Jordan and I do to the surgeon that delicately removes that tumor is a long chain of absolutely necessary people and by God’s grace, we are part of it. And with that realization Satan’s discouragement (because now I see it for what it was) was blown--no, blasted--away and this last week has been my absolute best on the ship. I’ve had conversations that have left me awe-struck at God’s ability to put together a puzzle full of people from all over the world with only one thing in common: Jesus’ love for the lost. These people are incredible and I hate that one day either they’ll leave or I’ll leave and we’ll have to say goodbye, but for now, I am so, so grateful. </span><br />
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-79674014137028128732014-11-06T01:27:00.000-08:002014-11-06T01:55:13.161-08:00Tamatave<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Didot; letter-spacing: 0px;">Hello from a sailor who is very, very happy to be done sailing. :) And I don’t think I’m the only one. The whole crew is so, so happy to finally be here!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Madagascar was a French colony at one point so all of the cities have two names--a Malagasy name and a French name. Tamatave is the French name and Toamasina is the Malagasy name for where we are at. In the picture above, you can see that the welcome sign driving in to town says "Welcome" in Malagasy and French. So if I refer to both you'll know why. :) </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I really enjoyed the summer but I don’t think I realized how ready I was to be in field service mode. All day long last Monday (the first work day we were here) I kept seeing things and thinking, “Wow, I haven’t seen that in five months!” It’s just pretty awesome to finally see nurses in scrubs and big pieces of equipment not tied up in a corner waiting for the next sail. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After the President’s visit, we still had lots to do! The ship needed to move berths--we arrived to the first berth because it was big enough to host the President’s party. But we’re really exposed in this port and the ship was moving quite a bit so the captain wanted to move as soon as possible. But first the deckies (deck department) had to take some depth readings to make sure the other berth was safe. Jordan got to spend all day in the rescue boat zipping around the port taking depth readings. He came home happy but tired! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Putting the yokohamas in place for the ship to rest against the new dock.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Tamatave so far has been fantastic. It’s the smallest town we’ve been in so far and the small town feel of it really reminds me of Mamou, the town in Guinea that I grew up in. I love it! The port is clean with clearly marked sidewalks all the way to the gate, which is only a 10 minute walk. So nice! There is a GORGEOUS white sand beach that is very inviting--unfortunately, the sharks are the ones doing the inviting! So we are not allowed to swim but hey, it’s beautiful to look at! But every day I look over the edge of our dock and there are sea urchins and brightly colored fish and puffer fish and jelly fish and last week there was an OCTOPUS! It’s like living in an aquarium; so, so cool! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">View from the gangway.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking off the gangway on my way to my cabin from work.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Didot;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Part of life returning to normal was </span>welcoming<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> this year's day crew! Each year, Mercy Ships hires approximately 200 local day crew and we honestly could not do ANYTHING </span>that<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> we do without them. We hire translators, deck hands, </span>housekeeping, galley, and dining room crew, drivers for patients, mechanics--the list goes on and on! Papanie Turay is my housekeeping supervisor and him and I went on Monday, October 27th to pick up our day crew. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Papanie and I going to pick up our day crew. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Didot;">We are loving our day crew in crew services!! Every morning they sing a hymn in Malagasy and pray together before going to work. I'm so looking forward to getting to know each one and learning about Malagasy culture from them. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Prayer in the morning.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hospitality & Housekeeping Crew! I love this team!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Didot;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I will hopefully get some more pictures of around town in a later post; I haven't been off the ship all that much yet as we </span>have<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> been so busy getting ready for patients to come on board! But I will just show one picture of local transportation that is VERY different than West </span>Africa: <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The pousse-pousses and tuk-tuks. I have to say, I love them but my first experience felt a bit surreal! Here's a picture:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Didot;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The pousse-pousse is the </span>bicycle<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> with the carriage on the back. The tuk-tuk is the yellow tricycle looking thing. Picture a motorcycle with a roof and walls. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Pay $1 for a pousse-velo and $1.20 for a tuk-tuk and off you go into town!! There are minivans, taxis, big busses, regular cars, scooters, and motorcycles all going varying speeds and everyone makes way for everyone else! I have only driven in town once but it was quite the experience dodging 6 different forms of transportation! The basic rule is: whoever is the biggest goes first. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Didot;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">And now: the reason we are here! To bring hope and healing </span>through<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> free surgical care! This year we are doing something a little bit </span>different<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">; instead of having one big screening day with lots of smaller follow-up screening days, we are doing medium-sized screenings every Monday--Friday for a month. They started this Monday and things are going well! As of Wednesday, here were the statistics: </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now to explain. :) For the first two days, roughly 2,000 people showed up each day. The line has gone down in the days since then but there are still a lot of people showing up each day. Out of all of the people that have shown up each day, we have pre-screened 1960. Out of those people, 492 were let through the gate into the compound for further screening. Out of those, 355 people have appointments. This process will continue for 3+ more weeks! The first patients will come on board on Monday, November 10 and the first surgery will be the next day! Would you pray for those patients--pray for no anxiety for them and that their recovery will go smoothly. Pray for the screening team that is examining hundreds of people each day--pray that they will have wisdom to know which questions to ask and know who and how we can help! </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We are so excited to bring physical healing, but Tamatave is a city that also <i>really</i> needs Jesus. There are approximately 180,000 people in this town and there’s an estimate that 30,000 of those are sex workers. IN ONE TOWN. Evidently there’s a good number of French military men that get their pensions and retire here--mostly for the prostitutes. Then there is a big mining company that came 5-7 years ago and since they arrived, the numbers of night clubs and brothels have risen drastically. It’s a problem all over the country but especially in this city for some reason. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A missionary from town here came to speak to us about the culture in town and one thing she mentioned was how excited she was to have a ship with 400 volunteers who love Jesus roll into town--there are only 7 missionaries here. She also reminded us that even though we are here to minister to the Malagasy, there are tons and tons of expats that are here fueling this problem of prostitution and to please remember that those people need Jesus too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Didot;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Here’s the ironic/really cool thing: Toamasina & Tamatave means “like salt” or “salty”. Sound familiar?? Satan has </span>worked<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> hard to have a stronghold in this town.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Please join us in praying that we shine for Jesus and let nothing mar his love for these people! </span></span><br />
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<br />jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-50040090719307889482014-10-26T10:40:00.000-07:002014-10-26T10:42:08.706-07:00Madahooha? Madagascar! <div style="font-family: Didot; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We have arrived safely in Tamatave, Madagascar and are absolutely THRILLED to be here! But before I talk about Madagascar I must talk about our journey to get here... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Didot;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We left Cape Town on the 17th and after 8 days of some of the roughest waters this ship has ever seen, we made it safely! The Cape of Good Hope (where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet) is notorious for big swells but we were just behind a storm as well which made the waves even more interesting. A roll is when the ship rocks from side to side and a pitch is when it rocks from front to back. I use those terms because we got to experience both motions extensively! For the first few days we were heading into the waves and so we bounced on them. The best way I can describe that is to imagine about three days of heavy airplane turbulence. Then Captain Tim had to adjust our course so that the waves were hitting us broadside and for three days we enjoyed 10--20 degree rolls fairly steadily all day and all night. I chose to not write about the sail until it was over in the hopes that I would be able to look back with </span></span><i style="font-family: Didot; letter-spacing: 0px;">some</i><span style="font-family: Didot;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> sort of fondness but I guess that fondness hasn’t hit yet. All I will say about those three days is a description of trying to shower. Have you ever stood on the fulcrum of a teeter-totter (see-saw) and tried to balance </span>…<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> it was being used? Imagine trying to shower at the same time. Two minutes of shower time was no problem during the sail; I was in and out of there as fast as hygienically possible. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Land in sight!! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jordan and Brandon (fellow carpenter) are on the side party; they let down the gangway whenever we arrive at a new dock space--which has been quite a few times recently.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But now we are here and all is well. Part of the trickiness of the sail was that we had to get here by Saturday, October 25th. Before Mercy Ships even made the decision to come to Madagascar, the government here had decided to name 2015 the Year of the Volunteer as a way to honor and promote volunteer service and the whole year was going to kick off on October 25th and a big part of the show would be the arrival of the <i>Africa Mercy</i>. We were docked up by 9:00 and as soon as immigration cleared the deck hands to go off the ship, they were on the dock cleaning and doing touch-up painting in preparation for the festivities. Inside the ship, my team and I were transforming the ship from looking like a battleground (things tend to not stay put when subjected to a 28 degree roll, which was our highest!) into something fit for a Head of State! Meanwhile there was a party being set up on the dock as well. Two big tents with seating for dignitaries was set up and the red carpet was literally rolled out. While we waited for the president to arrive, we got to watch some really cool street performers do their thing! It was quite the experience and I was overcome with excitement to be in this country and see what God is going to do! It’s so obvious that he has worked out our timing perfectly--albeit in a roundabout way! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our entertainment while we waited for Mr. President to arrive. </td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Side story here but I just had to share this picture. Our Managing Director, Roland Decorvet, is Swiss and his wife is Malagasy. They have four beautiful daughters. Whenever we arrive at a new country, we have an arrival ceremony and one of the Academy kids presents the welcoming dignitary with the nation’s flag. Whenever a President comes on board, one of the Academy kids presents him with flowers and typically present him with some sort of gift later. Yesterday we we were arriving AND hosting a President so the Decorvet girls got to present the President with the flag, gifts, and flowers with their parents behind them to meet the President. It was so fun to watch and I think the whole ship was smitten. :) </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2YMZ1-ul_VAv-IcUDEkCehsrPKBtDCbKNDgUz8L8H-zW6vfAjv1nkScxuzgTtR7bdwZaecBp0lIAji4sKnD0VcvOJZ0hU1ZDhuB-LFb1DEIA7JPYTIQPea8zLQG4QKxQcaLw_QBTuyg/s1600/Image+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2YMZ1-ul_VAv-IcUDEkCehsrPKBtDCbKNDgUz8L8H-zW6vfAjv1nkScxuzgTtR7bdwZaecBp0lIAji4sKnD0VcvOJZ0hU1ZDhuB-LFb1DEIA7JPYTIQPea8zLQG4QKxQcaLw_QBTuyg/s1600/Image+3.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Decorvets.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The communications department on board (to whom I owe the marvelous photos in this post!) created what we have begun to call “the hospital experience” while we were in Cape Town and opened the ship up for tours. It takes the tourist through the hospital and allows you to experience the miracles that happen there even when there are no patients to physically see. Nurses tell stories of patients that have overcome incredible odds and you can walk into an OR room that Lucrech received his life-changing surgery in and watch a video of his story (click <a href="http://vimeo.com/90361768"><span style="color: #021eaa; letter-spacing: 0px;">here</span></a> to see it). The coolest part though is that you are given a before picture of a patient with their name, age, and condition at the very beginning of the tour. At the end, there is a wall with all the after photos and you have to match your before photo to the after photo. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The President, Prime Minister, and a party of other dignitaries boarded the ship and were able to experience the hospital experience, thanks to the hospital staff who quickly set it up after the sail. Then he and his party made their way to Midships where they were able to watch the Congo field service overview video (watch it <a href="http://vimeo.com/103365600"><span style="color: #021eaa; letter-spacing: 0px;">here</span></a>) and chat with the Managing Director and Dr. Gary Parker while my team and I served them refreshments. Then back to the dock they went went to continue speeches to start off the Year of the Volunteer! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roland shaking hands with Hery Rajaonarimampianina, or as I like to call him, the President.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We were so honored to be a part of it and I thoroughly enjoyed the day. I have to say that setting up and serving for a Head of State after being crashed around at sea for 8 days was not something I ever expected to do. As soon as it was over I unpacked my cabin--never to be packed up again for 8 more months, when we sail again! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And today is our first full day in Madagascar. We actually haven’t been off ship yet as Jordan is on duty and deck department is busy today. I honestly don’t mind yet though, I’m just happy to be sitting <i>still</i>. There will be more to come soon but we just wanted to let you guys know that WE MADE IT and we are EXCITED! There is something in my spirit that I just can’t describe; God is at work and I love being a part of it! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Until next time then. :) </span></div>
jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-47327648228223984512014-09-18T07:26:00.004-07:002014-09-18T07:26:51.226-07:00Country Next (Third Time's the Charm)<div style="text-align: left;">
Hello from the OTHER side of the Atlantic Ocean! Thanks to social media, it is pretty well known that I (Katie) have been in the States for the past two weeks. Waaaay back in February, my best friend Jessica got engaged. I had known for a while that this would happen and also knew that I wouldn't be able to come to the wedding; we're planning on coming home at Christmas and had not budgeted for another ticket. However, Jessica's dad wrote me right when she got engaged and asked if he could fly me back for the wedding--as a surprise!!</div>
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Of course there was only one answer to that question: UNEQUIVOCALLY (and with many, many thanks)!! But I have to admit that was a long secret to keep! There were definitely moments when I wondered how I could possibly not give it away but we pulled it off! On August 31, I walked into Jessica's living room and said "Surprise!"</div>
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Jessica and I have been friends for 5 years; we met as roommates in college in Arkansas. We've spent 4 years and 11 months of that time living in separate states/continents but we remain best of friends, thanks to unlimited texting. I had so much fun and felt incredibly blessed to be there for her day (and yes, I did cry a lot on the big day). It was a truly fantastic week spent with her preparing for her wedding and I even got to be a bridesmaid--talk about the most laid back bride ever! :) </div>
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Enter: crazy time in Mercy Ships. We've written about some of the delays and changed plans that have been happening. "Country Next" has really been an on-going decision for several weeks/months now! I realize that our news can sometimes sound a little scattered and there's a couple of reasons for that. Mostly, it's because this summer things were changing every day and we barely had time to get information out! Because of that and the heightened media attention that West Africa has been getting because of Ebola, we were asked to not share certain things before the time was right, to ensure that only correct information was being posted. Now that it's been officially announced that we are going to Madagascar, I'd like to give a really basic timeline of what's happened but I promise it won't be too long. :)</div>
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The first major change was not going to Guinea and making the decision to go to Benin instead--I think that happened late April (I blogged about it <a href="http://jordankatiestull.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-good-bad-but-hopefully-nothing-ugly.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) That was a hard decision that had to be made quickly because the Advance team was due to fly for Conakry early May to prepare for the ship's arrival. Even though they weren't in Guinea yet, they had done a lot of work already and had to start over to get ready for Benin. The Advance team left for Benin May 9. </div>
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We arrived in the Canary Islands on June 14th and went into dry dock a few days later. We were supposed to sail for Benin on August 15. At the beginning of August though, a problem with the engine surfaced (you'll have to ask Jordan to write a post on that because I don't understand it!). Right around the same time, the news broke out that Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American, had died in Lagos, Nigeria from Ebola (he had just been in Liberia). Even though Lagos is a country away it is less than 100 miles from Cotonou, where we were going to dock in Benin and the traffic between the two cities is very high. It was announced that our sail date was postponed until August 29th because of the engine trouble and this would also give us time to see what would happen in Nigeria. </div>
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Throughout the next couple of weeks, the same thing kept happening. Something else would go wrong that caused a few days delay and we would also hear news about Ebola that made the way forward unclear. Unfortunately, it did become clear that we could not go to Benin. Nigeria is not in as bad a state as Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia are/were, but there are still new cases of Ebola popping up every few days. We just couldn't take the chance of being a magnet with a disease so contagious and dangerous and unintentionally making the situation worse. </div>
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The Africa Mercy was a ship without a country! We didn't know where we were headed next. A few countries were looked at but for one reason or another, were not viable options. But here's a cool part of the story! :) Our new managing director's wife is from Madagascar! So our MD (his name is Roland Decorvet) was able go through the necessary "red tape" incredibly quickly because of relationships that he has sigh officials in Madagascar. How cool is that? So about two weeks ago, we were told that the plan was to go to Madagascar but that nothing was set in stone just yet. It was official a few days later but we were asked to not say anything until everything was in order, which was Monday! </div>
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SO. The Africa Mercy set sail from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria on Saturday, August 13th, with a course set for Cape Town, South Africa--an 18 day sail! I believe it's the longest sail the ship has ever done. It will spend some time in South Africa (we're not sure how much time yet) to refuel and some other things. We will arrive in Madagascar mid to late October. </div>
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That brings me up to where Jordan and I are at now, which is on separate continents. Although it occurs to me that technically Jordan isn't on a continent since he's sailing. When I left the ship (August 30) I wasn't sure which country where we were going to or where the ship was going to be when or even what day I would be returning. And since I was in the States already, I really wanted to get up to Ohio (mostly to meet my niece but also to see the rest of you guys up there ;)). </div>
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So I decided to take a round trip but returning from Dayton instead of Kansas City. I flew to Dayton from Kansas on September 7th (Sunday). On Tuesday, we found out that the ship would be sailing on the 13th (Saturday). I could either fly back in time to join the ship OR fly to Cape Town, South Africa. Two of my friends are there right now preparing for the ship's arrival and working on some different plans for what we'll be doing once the ship arrives. They asked if I would join them to help out but understood that if I wanted to be back on board since I've been away for 2 weeks. I decided to join them for a couple of reasons--I could get more time in Ohio, be of help in Cape Town (I'm not much use when I'm bed-stricken on the high seas) and SKIP THE DREADED SAIL. </div>
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I'm fairly excited about that last point. </div>
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So, I'm in Washington, D.C. right now, about to board my insanely long flight, but I probably won't be able to post this until I get to Cape Town (as in fact, I am. I've been here for two days.) Jordan is somewhere off the west coast of Africa, hopefully making quick time. :) </div>
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Whew. Confused yet?</div>
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Couple of prayer points:</div>
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<li>Please pray for the Advance Team. They were pretty much completely prepared for our arrival in Benin, which was 4 months of crazy hard work. Now they are flying to Madagascar to start all over again--for the 3rd time. We are SO proud of them but know that they are mentally and physically tired. Please pray that they will have energy and optimism and that God will open doors quickly for them in a brand new country!</li>
<li>Pray in general for this next field service. We've never been on the east side of Africa so Mercy Ships is not known very well (if at all). Pray for smooth port/immigration/shipping procedures, good relationships with the partners that we'll be working with, and that we'll be able to help lots of people and leave a positive impact on Madagascar!</li>
<li>Continue to pray for West Africa--nothing more needs to be said; just that Ebola needs to be stopped and West Africa needs prayer!</li>
<li>Last (but not least :)) please pray for Jordan and I--we'll be separated for the month of September, so I guess we're real sailors now? Not quite, probably. :) </li>
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Thank you to everyone in Ohio for being such an encouragement while I was there. I had so much fun catching up with you--or just saying hi and seeing you really quickly if that's all that time allowed. I had a fabulous time and know that God was behind all those conversations and activities that I got to be a part of. :) It was so fun to see an engagement ring on Sara's finger, meet the man who put it there, and get to help out with some wedding stuff! Ari is without a doubt the cutest little girl I've ever seen and I definitely fell prey to snapping pictures of her constantly! :) It was a really great week and I'll see you all again at Christmas!! </div>
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-53312575218052119132014-08-10T10:08:00.001-07:002014-08-10T13:31:54.575-07:00The Canaries, Dry Dock, and Ebola <div style="font-family: Didot; font-size: 14px;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Well hello there and good day to you! I wanted to wait until we were nearly finished with our maintenance period before I posted anything but it turns out that wasn’t so wise; now I can hardly remember what happened at the beginning of the summer! It has been crazy busy with a lot of crazy fun mixed in. So as usual, this is a bit long; feel free to skip over as much as you like. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’ve never made a three point speech or anything but it seems like you should write about the points in the same order as the title, <i> ja? </i>(I’ve been reading Bodie Thoene’s series of pre-WWII Europe and <i>ja</i> seems way funner to say; much like the Spanish <i>hola</i> to our English hello. I like happy sounding words.) </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So, to begin with: the Canaries. I had never heard of the Canaries until we came to Mercy Ships. In case you also don’t know much about them, here’s a picture so you know where we’re at. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The Canary Islands belong to Spain and are about 100 km off the coast of Morocco (see the bottom right corner of the picture). We sailed straight to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria from the Congo--the round island right in the middle. The shipyard there has done maintenance for the AFM for years, so any work that has to be done by a shipyard (and not ourselves) is done there. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then the remainder of the maintenance period is spent in Santa Cruz on the island of Tenerife, which is the big island to the east. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’ve now decided that I’d like to retire and live here, if only for the fruit. And the ocean. And the mountains. And the weather. OK all of it. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Really, it seems a little unfair that we get to work in such a beautiful location but it’s been really refreshing. It’s a good place to stock up on items that are hard to get in Africa--for instance, we were able to purchase new sheets for the ship and some other needed things. And in Africa, it’s unheard of for the sun to go to bed at any time other than 6:00 pm, but here it’s light until 9 or 9:30 so we get plenty of time exploring the island(s) after work is done for the day. It’s been a fantastic mixture of hard work and fun. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I already posted about going up into dry dock--I’m so glad we got to experience that! It was really neat to see the ship out of the water. Some of you may wonder why all this hard work needs to be done on a ship that sits in port for 10 months out of the year. I heard someone make a great analogy for that--it’s the same thing as getting back into shape after you haven’t exercised in a few months! Your body has to work harder to get into good condition; being still doesn’t just keep it in shape (although I think we all wish that were the case!) </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Here’s some progressive pictures of work being done on the OUTSIDE:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Unfortunately, I don’t have lots of pictures of inside projects being done because I was busy doing my own thing most of the time. But I’ll try to explain a few of the projects here (with some technical lingo help from Jordan): </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">One of the projects was fumigating the galley (kitchen) to clean out any critters that had made it their home. A lot of people pitched in to take EVERYTHING possible out of the galley and then wipe all the cupboards, walls, ceilings, down to move everything back in 24 hours later. Because the galley was shut down for a full day, we had food brought to us--I had to laugh when I saw “AFM fumigation pizza party” on the menu! </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">My department has a fairly good-sized pantry off the end of the galley and it got fumigated as well. All of our dishes were moved out into the International Lounge for the evening--it looked like a massive kitchen goods garage sale! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Some other big projects that were done:</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">New flooring in the OR section of the hospital</span></li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Lots of new water piping</span></li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">New flooring for some family cabins </span></li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Old vents cleaned </span></li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Prop shafts removed and serviced (pictured below) </span></li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Bow thrusters removed and serviced</span></li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Freshwater tanks sandblasted and repainted </span></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out to be serviced … </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And back in! </td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">There were lots of other smaller projects done as well. I absolutely loved seeing all of the work being done and the camaraderie of the crew throughout the whole 6 weeks. We were down to a much smaller crew--from 400ish to 120ish. So when there was something that needed to be done, anyone that was available pitched in to help. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There are also people that come every year just for this part of the field service--when there’s no air conditioning and the water gets cut off and we have to go down 3 flights of stairs and up the street to shower or use the bathroom. It’s amazing to me to see all sorts of professional people who selflessly use their talents to serve the God they love! </span></div>
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My department got to know Ikea very well. We were tasked with beginning a life-cycle replacement for some tables & chairs for family cabins along with some other things. Our first order came out in a few more boxes than we expected. <span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">But we managed to fit it all in to the car and make it back to the ship. From there it all had to be loaded on to the ship via crane because our gangway was taken out and replaced with a scaffolding stairway. I think we made 5 or 6 total trips and were loaded to the hilt every time.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">We also went shopping for a hundred sets of sheets and towels and I decided as we were in the check out line for the second time in a half hour with three completely full carts that I would never ever again give anyone’s purchase a weird look. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Didot; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">Jordan’s big highlight of the summer was going to dive school for a week with his buddy Derek. All of the coolant water for the air conditioning coils and the generators comes in through intakes on the bottom of the ship. Because of that suction, they also suck up dirt and bags and trash in the Arican ports. Usually that would all get washed off by sailing but since we sit in Port for so long the divers have to go down periodically and clean all the trash away. Also, because we sit in port so long, stuff starts to grow on the bow thruster blades </span><span style="font-family: Didot; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">and the main propellers and sometimes those have to be scraped off and cleaned. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Didot;"><span style="font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;">Jordan and Derek were sent to dive school by Mercy Ships so that they can be divers for the ship during our next field service. They both really enjoyed it and actually got to dive under the ship last Saturday to help with some testing on the main </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">propellers.</span><span style="font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> Because the ship owns the diving equipment, they’ve also been able to go out and do some diving for fun around the Island.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Didot; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;">Last but not least: Ebola. </b></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I have many jumbled up thoughts about that word lately so I hope the following paragraphs make sense. The news is such a wonderful and terrible thing, isn’t it? On the ship, we hear about Ebola much differently than I imagine you might. Or do you? It has affected the <i>Africa Mercy</i> and it’s crew so deeply that it’s hard to imagine not talking about it daily. But is it making headlines where you are? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">First of all, Don Stephens, founder and president of Mercy Ships, released this public statement about the Ebola situation:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As its hospital ship, the <i>Africa Mercy</i>, prepares to leave for its ten-month mission to perform life-changing surgeries and train local healthcare professionals in Benin, West Africa, Mercy Ships continues to be acutely aware of the Ebola situation in the region. The organization is taking appropriate steps to protect its volunteers and staff. In April, Mercy Ships redirected its upcoming mission from Guinea to Benin out of caution for the safety of its crew. Benin has no reported cases of Ebola. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The </span><span style="letter-spacing: 1.0px;"><i>Africa Mercy</i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> is the world's largest civilian hospital ship, designed to operate as a surgical specialty hospital. It is not configured to provide the type of treatment required by Ebola patients. In addition to having changed its itinerary, Mercy Ships has also implemented strict travel restrictions to the affected areas and will continue to monitor the situation closely, making programmatic adjustments as needed.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Founder Don Stephens commented, “The well-being of our patients and dedicated crew is our greatest priority. It is fundamental to our continued service to the forgotten poor in Africa. Our prayers go out for the countries impacted by Ebola. These are places and people we know well because we have served them in multiple visits over more than two decades.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ebola is a terrible way to die. Can you imagine being contaminated and knowing that you had to spend your last few days absolutely alone or your loved ones would die in the same painful way you are going to? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Yes, it is awful. But Ebola in any 1st world country would be blotted out almost as soon as it was discovered. In countries where there is health care training and adequate resources it would not even be an issue. West Africa, however, is another story. Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone are three of the poorest countries in the world. Mercy Ships has spent a good deal of time in all of those countries for precisely that reason. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ebola is yet another disease that affects the poor the most. Mercy Ships’ mission statement is: “We follows the 2000-year-old model of Jesus, bringing hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor.” It’s hard to watch suffering and want to do something--anything--and know that there is physically nothing we can do. However, this is ultimately why we do what we do: in addition to providing surgeries, we are actively providing more and more health care education so that we can leave behind trained professionals in the countries we serve. We hope and pray for a day when Ebola will be just as quickly snuffed out in West Africa as it would in Europe or North America. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Please do not quit praying for West Africa--for help, for resources, for understanding, and most of all, for God to be glorified no matter what! Please also pray for us--Mercy Ships has a long history with those three nations in particular and we have many friends in them! We also work alongside West African crew members, of which a majority come from Liberia and Sierra Leone. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My (Katie’s) family has deep roots in West Africa--my great-grandparents were missionaries there and each generation since (on both sides of the family) has spent years and years there. Hope Clinic, where Jordan and I have many dear friends, was just last week brought directly into the news with their first Ebola case. Our hearts are grieving with our friends and their countries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Didot;"><span style="font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;">The bottom line is that we are perfectly safe--Mercy Ships first priority in this situation is the care and safety of its crew. We have a team of medical professionals who are constantly reviewing the situation and we get updates very regularly. We changed field service locations from Guinea to Benin in order to take no risks at all for the crew. There have been travel restrictions to those countries as well. We are in no danger but there are three (now, four) very special countries that are and we ask </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">that</span><span style="font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> you join us in prayer! </span></span></div>
jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-11205879985396264612014-06-21T15:23:00.001-07:002014-06-22T08:04:34.959-07:00Dry Dock<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We have just completed our first week in dry dock. It has been an incredibly different, busy week and I do believe I’ve loved every minute of it. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One of the reasons I'm glad to finally be here is so that I can figure out what all the fuss is about--it's been a bit confusing at times to just hear "oh we'll do that in dry dock". Why do we do dry dock? Here is video that was produced by our communications team to show you what goes on. It will probably help the rest of this post make sense. :) It's just a couple of minutes long; I hope you enjoy it!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">(I am definitely taking advantage of our "fast" internet here--up from 2.4MB to 8!!!)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We are down from around 380 to 80 crew. Part of that is lots and lots of goodbyes--this year quite a few long-term families left; either to move on to other things or to continue working for Mercy Ships in Texas. There were also a lot of nurses who served in the Congo but their 10-month commitment is up now and they’re heading home. But there’s quite a few people who are just taking their vacation time during the summer so it’s nice to know that we’ll some familiar faces come August. :) AND, anyone under 18 is not allowed on board while the ship is in dry dock so all of the families are staying elsewhere on the island until the middle of July. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I didn’t know this until we’d been on board for a couple of months, but the ship does not go into dry dock every year; only every other year or so. The process itself was pretty fun and took alllllll day. The power was shut off which meant no one had access to computers and every cabin was dark so pretty much everyone was up on deck watching all day. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">[Disclaimer: the following order of events were written solely by Katie and any false information is completely accidental because I didn’t know any better. Also, anytime I refer to an ambiguous “they” it’s because I am not a sailor and I don’t know who did what. :)] </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The process started around 8:00 Wednesday morning with the pilot coming on board. Every port has a pilot(s) that guides each ship in and out. The pilot maneuvered us out of the space that we had been docked in since last Friday. Our power was cut and two big black balls went up on the mast to signal to other ships that we unable to control our movement so that they would stay out of the way. A couple of tugboats helped this whole process. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The lifeboats had to come down because they are too heavy. So they took the opportunity to test them out and went zooming around the harbor for a while. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Very cool but I hope that’s the last time I see those things in the water. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We eventually made it over to the “parking place”. I couldn’t get a good spot for this picture but you can see where we are headed into. Can you make out the edge of the platform just underneath the water? </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Our ship was hooked up to essentially a huge pulley system and we were cranked into place. This tug boat held his nose against us to make sure we stayed straight. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Once we were in place, divers went underneath the ship to make sure everything was good to go and then the platform was slowly raised up. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">SLOWLY. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So slow that most people went inside (myself included) for lunch and when we came back out--WHOA! We’re not in the water anymore! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We were pulled backwards into the parking spot--I suppose so that when it’s time to leave we can just head out. Here you can see where we came from and the platform. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">When I moved to Ohio, two things about midwestern culture absolutely baffled me: hunting for mushrooms and tractor pulls. About the former, I honestly thought Jordan was joking when he mentioned it once and then was shocked when, come spring time, we actually hunted mushrooms. (I couldn’t resist a Hobbit reference once I’d figured out he was serious.) </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">About the latter, I remember thinking, “Aaaannd... we just watch tractors?” </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: left;">Well I now know that mushrooms are delicious (although anything wrapped in flour and fried in butter stands a good chance of being edible) and I think I can understand the fascination with tractor pulls. It was hard to not be impressed with this one: </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">There’s another big tractor behind the three “little” ones that you can’t see in this picture. These guys pulled us out of the parking area completely and then they switched configurations to pull us to our permanent parking spot. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The ship is in on train rails; that’s how the tractors are pulling us.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">There was some problem so it took us a while to get going but once we did it was pretty sweet--felt like we were driving an enormous vehicle at a snail’s pace.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This is a video I took of us on the last stretch. It took nearly ten minutes but I sped up the playback by 8x. If I do say so myself, it’s kind of fun to watch. :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Didot; letter-spacing: 0px;">Once we were in place, it took about an hour to set up the gangway--no longer one staircase. Our temporary gangway is actually scaffolding that drops off at the hospital since we are higher up now. It’s a little scary being three stories up with very little between you and the ground but I’m slowly getting used to it. Here you can just barely see the scaffolding being set up. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Aren’t the blues incredible?? I just can’t get enough of the sky and water!! </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">These guys work for the shipyard and couldn’t be bothered to wait for the scaffolding to be put up so they hopped off in the man box.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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The ship does look pretty cool out of the water and it will be fun to see the various projects getting done--the drive shaft (are there two? I dunno) are coming out to be inspected, the barnacles will be cleaned off, and I think it will be repainted.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We couldn't resist some photo opportunities. :) These are my good friends Hannah and Tegan that I work with--I am so grateful for the chance to meet them! They are wonderful women of God and we get along so well; we can make any day fun. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Didot; letter-spacing: 0px;">Dry dock has been different inside the ship too. We are running on less power so not as many lights are on and the background hum of the engines is gone. It’s actually kind of eery. Less power also means no air conditioning. Thankfully every door that can be opened up to let the outside air in has been and some of it filters it’s way down to our cabins (where we have a window that doesn’t open--helpful at sea but not at the moment!). Outside though is beautiful; Gran Canaria is a small island (only 31 miles across) so the temperature is fabulous with all the ocean breezes. It kind of feels like a sunny late September. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of projects in the hospital! </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Didot; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: left;">The Canary Islands are Spanish islands but are autonomous. They are just 100 miles off the coast of Morocco. They were the last outpost for Spanish ships before sailing west and south; in fact, Christopher Columbus stayed here in 1492 before he (unintentionally) found North America. The islands are now a big tourist attraction; kind of like the Cancun resort destination for Europe. As a result there are people everywhere. I enjoy it since I don’t know who’s a native and who’s a tourist and it’s just fun to see people walking out and about. The city is made for outdoor activity--there are huge boulevards to walk down, tiny streets with shops, a boardwalk facing the sunset and beach with mountains in the distance, biking trails, and parks. It’s really beautiful and we are enjoying the late summer evenings--it’s wonderful to get a full day’s work in and still have time to take a walk before dark and see the sun set! In Africa the sun only ever goes down at 6:00 so once the work day is done, that’s all she wrote. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flowers and trees have been a welcome surprise! So much beauty. </td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">And that’s about it! Jordan and I are both really busy. There is a lot of work being done in cabins--including LOTS of flooring and furniture improvements/repairs. As Crew and Guest Services Manager, I’m in charge of furniture in the cabins and guess who’s in charge of fixing cabinets in the cabins?? The carpenter! So we have both been quite busy. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s a lot of fun though and the difference in work has been good--sometimes it’s just nice to switch things up a bit. :) </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I don’t usually do this but here are some prayer points:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Pray for safety for everyone involved--safety for the crews at work, for the families away, and for the people traveling for the summer. Pray we get our projects done in good time--changing field service locations from Guinea to Benin at the last minute has put us into a bit of a time crunch. Pray for west Africa as we heard this week that the Ebola situation is getting worse--it has now spread from Guinea to Sierra Leone and Liberia which makes an end seem nowhere near in sight. Pray for energy for the crew; this is not a vacation, no matter how beautiful the beaches are and there is a lot of hard work to be done. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Thanks for sticking with me here. :) </span></div>
jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-50920330436099095102014-06-08T12:41:00.000-07:002014-06-08T12:41:37.931-07:00Sailing <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Didot; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;">We are about halfway through our sail from Pointe Noire, Congo to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. Let me tell you, it is one of the weirdest and disconcerting things I’ve ever done. Nothing has changed in our cabin--except that everything is off the shelves and glass items are packed away carefully so it looks like we’re in the middle of moving. My office is still 30 seconds away and there is still work to do but my route to get there is a little comical; everybody I meet is ricocheting off the walls and walking down stairs is a little bit dangerous if you’re not careful! Inside this big metal box that we’ve come to call home is exactly the same but outside there is absolutely zero to see except deep, blue sea. It’s truly beautiful and also scary; you realize just how big this wide world is and how much of it is purely under God’s will--namely, all of it. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before but the<i> Africa Mercy</i> used to be the <i>Dronning Ingrid</i>, which means “Queen Ingrid” in Danish. It is one of a set of triplet ships that ferried passenger trains across channels in Denmark. Because it wasn’t built primarily for the open seas, its bottom is flat, as a that makes it much more stable wehn docked, which was the majority of the time in its former and present lives. That’s not to say that it won’t do fine in the open seas, it just makes for a bit rougher of a ride than a v-shaped hull would make. A flat-bottomed boat rides on <i>top</i> of the waves where as a v-shaped boat rides <i>through</i> the waves. Jordan says to just picture a shoebox floating on on waves and you’ve pretty much got an idea of what it does. Every wave around us has an impact. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">[FYI, I got all that from Jordan and the next best thing: Wikipedia. *gasp*] </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Needless to say, I have been dreading the sail. I can’t even swing on swing set without feeling a little queasy so I figured I would be in trouble once we got out of the harbor and I was right. :( I spent the first 5 days of the sail in bed and on Thursday I finally got an injection that took away the nausea and that combined with several other medicines has gotten me back to normal. Now I’m not minding the sail too much but I will be very grateful to see some land.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Jordan has been loving the sail as it’s given him the chance to do some new things. Just before we left, a huge storm came in and sent some pretty massive waves crashing along the coast--so badly that even in the harbor the water got really rough and several of our mooring lines snapped. The entire deck department was out on the mooring decks all Friday afternoon and it was pretty stressful for them but thankfully it all got under control. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It’s weird to have everything around you stay the same but look outside the window and it’s different. Since we’re sailing north, the weather is changing too--below the equator, where we were, the rainy season was pretty much over. Now we’re above the equator and we’re getting a lot of rainy/cloudy days. It’s also staying light longer into the evenings. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Anyways, that’s about it but I thought I would post some pictures. :)</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the tail lights poking out from that container? All of the cars got loaded up to deck 8 for the sail. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Last but not least: the gangway was loaded up (that's Jordan in the blue).<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DNPsf7xkVR4zQtpaZxY6_9fhTeIFhnD3YqrlIiI0X2_z7o0XsWdT0Q9WJU2-nu88vPPmcedNuQsLHWAwdQJbp38OFKFzAJvv15-FyP_3DFaNhw3Wq-2aKGqzSO1Sur44mMaMpL9eRMQ/s1600/DSC_0244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DNPsf7xkVR4zQtpaZxY6_9fhTeIFhnD3YqrlIiI0X2_z7o0XsWdT0Q9WJU2-nu88vPPmcedNuQsLHWAwdQJbp38OFKFzAJvv15-FyP_3DFaNhw3Wq-2aKGqzSO1Sur44mMaMpL9eRMQ/s1600/DSC_0244.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Every port has pilots that guides each ship in and out of the harbor. When it's time <br />for them to leave, they hop from one boat to the other!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfD_N79L2ziSTGKRHFm7ye8h_5lYHjNzHD9BN_yZhl6M3ZAjeRWxq7jpiKchxA_aQGEhsBvuZPa8RW80Ayrz9KXuibrqLwRkGfV4C3kL1PvSbKNWfrf6k2GDbAHFf4W669kLHnbMmX_E/s1600/DSC_0187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfD_N79L2ziSTGKRHFm7ye8h_5lYHjNzHD9BN_yZhl6M3ZAjeRWxq7jpiKchxA_aQGEhsBvuZPa8RW80Ayrz9KXuibrqLwRkGfV4C3kL1PvSbKNWfrf6k2GDbAHFf4W669kLHnbMmX_E/s1600/DSC_0187.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Goodbye to our dock space--look at that lovely water!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjscUBkvFX-fKd7_zf43ZfAalm_rE6rIgc5-KtWch9M9R5kCQmINI4Y2UzeGaQnl90Xfm0p3r_uZQjvxKSx-SORbzJGCqJMos6xx3S90O9qwi9wNVwd9pN200vyGp6qVi4nVNyUp0bV8/s1600/DSC_0314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjscUBkvFX-fKd7_zf43ZfAalm_rE6rIgc5-KtWch9M9R5kCQmINI4Y2UzeGaQnl90Xfm0p3r_uZQjvxKSx-SORbzJGCqJMos6xx3S90O9qwi9wNVwd9pN200vyGp6qVi4nVNyUp0bV8/s1600/DSC_0314.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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The bow is only open during the sail but it gets plenty of use when it is!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlq1mcBBvw-u9pN_9nTQbOTEBSlaIxyrqMLeZQPm29Eemofuuwf0BBo9KFPDRY5HgV1lkiFqSJgXgHjlcl7jr7_7lFMkSMEN31QU9yMqxtPQ6U9Ba0pCqfyww6buGv1hqkkB6micD2gw/s1600/DSC_0280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlq1mcBBvw-u9pN_9nTQbOTEBSlaIxyrqMLeZQPm29Eemofuuwf0BBo9KFPDRY5HgV1lkiFqSJgXgHjlcl7jr7_7lFMkSMEN31QU9yMqxtPQ6U9Ba0pCqfyww6buGv1hqkkB6micD2gw/s1600/DSC_0280.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a><br />This sail introduced me to flying fish--so cool! They've got little wings<br />and will pop out to fly for a few seconds before they go under the water again.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZ5ch6FOxFZR-gW3Sef5XQRWK6sqPfMd6_cC44_gG0TLqgA5oicJnzEPsNBA_epJNaA_3WutG7e1hJMHltilZM2R00n8aECzm7ZN3xWFzCHydSir1gqVRxD7sjcJkgjALvKu8TmqHALU/s1600/DSC_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZ5ch6FOxFZR-gW3Sef5XQRWK6sqPfMd6_cC44_gG0TLqgA5oicJnzEPsNBA_epJNaA_3WutG7e1hJMHltilZM2R00n8aECzm7ZN3xWFzCHydSir1gqVRxD7sjcJkgjALvKu8TmqHALU/s1600/DSC_0318.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a><br />Today we finally saw dolphins--just a few and not for very long but it was<br />long enough for me to see why they are a favorite animal for many people. They were beautiful!!<br /><br />And the water is that blue all the time too--breathtaking.<br /></td></tr>
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-83038374995872696302014-05-25T12:58:00.002-07:002014-05-28T06:57:49.033-07:00The Good, the Bad--But Hopefully Nothing Ugly <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Well, here we are again. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">First of all, I have to say a big THANK YOU to Vineyard Fellowship for sending us that video of greetings. You will never know how much that meant to us! Branton, thanks for acting on an idea </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">and</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> doing it so professionally! We get these moments of “OK we know we’re supposed to be here” and watching that video was definitely one of those moments. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This post will be a little bit all over the place--some pieces of news and some updates on Mercy Ships life and our own lives. It’s been trickier than I thought it would be to write a well-balanced view of life--not all rosy, but definitely not all bad: just real. I hope that this post reflects real life to you. That’s the reason for the title: The Good and the Bad, but hopefully you don’t find it ugly. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We just finished our time with Brian, Sandy [Mom and Dad:)], Luke, and Sara. I don’t think we realized ahead of time just how much that visit would mean to us. It was incredibly surreal to see them walking around the ship! There were lots of highlights but I think the coolest thing for all of us was them getting to see our life with their own eyes. I am ever so grateful for internet and phone lines but there is just nothing quite like seeing something for yourself, is there? It was fun to introduce them to our friends and people really opened up to get to know them--the friendliness of crew who say hellos and goodbyes daily will never cease to amaze me! I felt like they got a good mix of what life is like--they helped us around the ship (Jordan more than me as my department is a bit slow this month with lots of people leaving), visited one of the Mercy Ministries (handicapped tailors), observed surgeries, participated in a fire drill, went to the beach one day, attended a community meeting, watched ships come in and out of the port, and sat in the dining room chatting waaaay after dinner was done each evening. Oh, and I should probably mention: sweated buckets! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The flip side (hearing about their lives) was just as important. A lot has happened in eight months and it’s way easier to relay news when you have 9 days to do so. :) As fun as it is to get to know people of different cultures and backgrounds, it was refreshing to be in familiar company. We laughed a <i>lot. </i>:) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Even more than that, it was a huge encouragement on a personal level to have them here. Another facet of real life: we have days where we don’t feel good enough and we compare ourselves to those around us. This still doesn’t quite make sense to me, but for some reason having them around helped me to put things in perspective--why we’re here and why we do what we do. Sorry if that sounds ambiguous because I know it does, but it was just really cool to have people that we respect and whose opinions we value affirm us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was wonderful and went way too quickly but to be fair, we knew it would. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Next: I assume that most of you have heard that we are no longer going to Guinea for the 2014-2015 field service. I’m sorry for not posting anything about that on my own but that announcement touched very close to home and I didn’t want to just say anything without thinking it through. In March, we received news of an Ebola outbreak in the southern region of Guinea--very close to Hope Clinic. We followed the situation, assuming it would clear up soon but also aware of the fact that even though the ship itself wouldn’t arrive in Conakry until August, there were other preparations that had to be considered--probably the two most important being that containers carrying supplies needed to be sent ahead and also the Advance team of about 10 people that would be living in Conakry from May to August to prepare for the ship’s arrival--arranging for visa waivers, negotiating with government and port authorities, finding a screening site for the first mass screening day, setting up the Hope Center, as well as finding sites for the dental and eye clinics, among lots more. There is more to this mission than just a floating hospital and I am constantly becoming more and more aware of that. The time came closer and closer for the Advance team to fly out and there was no word that the situation was completely contained. Finally about a month ago, the Managing Director for Mercy Ships sent out out the following email:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Mercy Ships International Management Team has closely followed the Ebola outbreak in Guinea and Liberia since it came to light in March. The IMT has consulted with a broad range of outside experts and internal stakeholders. While the international response to the outbreak has been strong and decisive, and we believe it will be effectively extinguished in due course, the uncertainty it poses at this time compromises our ability to plan and execute the anticipated Guinea field service. Our operational requirements to function include supply and personnel logistics that do not give us the ability to further wait on prospective outcomes of the Ebola situation over the coming weeks and months. As such, we have chosen to postpone going to Guinea and will instead return to Cotonou, Benin, where the Africa Mercy last served in 2009. We remain committed to a long term relationship with the nation of Guinea, and look forward to a successful field service to the people of Benin. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I want to preface this next part by saying that I do not in any way want this to come across as selfish. And I also realize that in the grand scheme of things, it is really not a big deal. But needless to say, that email hit like a blow. I am honestly excited about going to Benin but to think that we would be going to Guinea when we didn’t expect to go there in the first place (since the ship just completed a field service in Guinea) seemed like a cruel trick. I hadn’t even realized all of the little things that I was excited for in Guinea until I found out we wouldn’t be going. Going to Guinea just seemed perfect on so many levels, both personally and professionally. I kept saying that it was such a God thing, especially since Mom, Dad, and Hannah would be living in Conakry for the first time and that’s where the ship would be docked! I haven’t lived in the same city as my parents for more than two months since I was 15. My new job will involve working with local day crew and it just seemed </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">perfect</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> that I could work with a culture and languages that I grew up in. Trust me, I was excited and it seemed like God’s plan was a pretty perfect one. :) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Picking up the phone to tell my parents and sister was <i>not</i> fun at all. The first words that both my parents told me were: “We have to trust that God has a plan in this.” I thought about that for several days and sort of came to two conclusions (neither of which are very deep but hey, they’re still conclusions):</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">First of all, I don’t think I have ever been more grateful for parents that live out the faith they teach. I’ve gained more respect for the hard things my parents have done while we’ve been on this journey: saying goodbye to their own parents and siblings and convenience (not very spiritual but still true), being away for the hard stuff (Pat Kaufman’s death and funeral), and good stuff (not being around for Ari’s introduction into the family). To already have all of that rolling around in my mind and then to give them news that I didn’t have any control over but would hurt regardless and hear them trust first and hurt later really meant the world to me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">[And let’s not forget that they’ve put up with slow internet for a really long time. Insert funny story here: I have a kindle and that thing is truly wonderful, especially for long trips and having access to the Troy public library all the way out here. But last night it took me 45 minutes to download a book.<i> 45 minutes.</i> I found it ironic that I didn’t even want to use the internet to “face chat” or “snap flap” as Jordan refers to social media--I JUST WANTED TO READ A BOOK!!] </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Back to seriousness. Second of all, it forced me to come to the conclusion that just because the first plan seemed perfect, the plan to go to Benin must be even more perfect, despite it not lining up with my ideal. I have to trust that God has a reason for this, and to take that even further, He <i>even</i> has a reason for letting me think we’d be going to Guinea. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And I guess I’ll wrap up with what’s going on right now on the ship. We are getting ready to leave Pointe Noire--it’s so strange to think that the field service is nearly over. We weren’t here for the whole thing but it still feels like a long time! I think Pointe Noire will always be a special place for us, since it’s where we started with Mercy Ships. It’s bizarre to think that we’ll be living in the exact same place and a totally different place at the same time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">From here we sail to Las Palmas, which is in the Canary Islands, and the ship will go into a maintenance period until mid August. We’ve heard that the islands are beautiful so we’re looking forward to doing some exploring there. We’ll both be working hard too--Jordan is involved in a lot of the maintenance and I will be busy getting ready for the new field service in my new position, which will involve a lot of changing procedures (maybe more on that another time). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It will be fun to have a change of scenery and also to SAIL! We’ll be sailing through 0’0’ (the intersection of the Prime Meridian and the Equator) which I think is pretty cool! Apparently when any sailor sails through the 0’0’ intersection they become known as an emerald shellback. We’re not sure what advantage becoming emerald shellbacks is going to be for us but I guess we’ll find out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Time to bring this post to a close. I don’t think there is a better group of supporters anywhere--you guys are fantastic! We receive emails, letters and packages, pictures, etc so often from you and each one is so special! We will definitely be watching that video of greetings over and over again as well. :) </span></div>
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-35420218086217303082014-04-25T11:27:00.000-07:002014-04-25T11:27:29.472-07:00Nothing important but lots of stories. :) <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Remember that Nothing Important Part 1 post waaaaaay back in October? Here’s part 2. Just a bunch of random stories, some maybe a little bit important than others but mostly just what’s been going on with us, with some "life in Africa" bits mixed in. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">{I hope you don’t feel too let down that I haven’t written since February (gasp) because I do post a lot of pictures on Facebook and Instagram so none of this should be too new.}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What can I say? We absolutely love it here. I never expected our experience to be like this. I remember one of my first posts after we boarded the ship about how excited I was to not feel any fear, just this incredible peace and satisfaction in being totally where God has called us. That “feeling” still hasn’t left. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">I do tend to write better with pictures so here goes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Pretty much from November through March, my department (Hospitality) was incredibly busy. For the beginning of that period, I was new to the ship and just figuring out my way around the department. In mid-December, I took the Head Hostess position and was busy figuring out how to be a manager. January, February, and March were crazy busy for the team; we seemed to have events every week plus a lot of guests. There are four different types of guests that typically stay on board: personal guests, Mercy Ships staff from other locations, business guests, and Vision Teams. Vision Teams are groups that are interested in seeing what Mercy Ships is doing. We set up and greet/embark guests but for Vision Teams, we typically also set up and serve them a luncheon while they meet with our senior management team. Believe it or not, a luncheon can pretty much take up the whole day! Plus we also had the President of Congo visit. I was incredibly nervous about it, since I’d never been a part of a presidential visit before. The Hospitality team is responsible for decorating and preparing the “hang out” area for the President and his entourage, and then serving hors d’oeuvres to the entourage when they arrive. A lot of hours go into that one sentence but (I've said it before and I’ll say it again) I was so proud of my team! Hard work is really all about the attitude you put into it and they were joyful right down to their closed-toed black flats. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">But the last two weeks have been a bit slow for us--we typically have a changeover rate of about 4 crew members a day, which equates to around 30 beds to make up and 30 new crew members to embark and 30 current crew members to check out each week. The last two weeks though have been super slow--one week we only had 7 new people arrive! So since work has been slow, we decided to take a morning off and visit one of the ministries that Mercy Ships has been a part of. These are called Mercy Ministries; they are local organizations that we come along-side with for the ten months that we’re here. I think there are at least 9--four orphanages, including a baby orphanage; a senior center; handy-capped tailors; deaf school; Jesus film (shown twice a week in different locations around town); and a ministry that teaches young women how to sew to support themselves. We went to the baby orphanage for the morning. It’s one of the favorites for new people to sign up for--all that is “planned” is to hold and love on babies for two hours. But everyone I've talked to about it has come away affected. These babies have either been orphaned or abandoned and brought to the Baby Creche (literally: Baby Manger) to be taken care of. They are all malnourished. Of course the women of the center care for them but it’s a lot of work for babies that don’t have a lot of energy because of how underdeveloped they are. And when one of them gets sick, they all get sick. Most of the time when we go, they are laying on the floor because it’s cooler. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s really heartbreaking and it’s even more heartbreaking to leave--you can pretty much guarantee that they will all start crying when we head for the door. It’s really a perfect example of how hard it is to help sometimes: if you can’t give it all, how beneficial is it to give just a little? I'm not trying to be a downer; just writing down the question I wrestle with every afternoon after visiting these precious ones.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">One of the other ministries is to a boys’ orphanage. Jordan was asked to coordinate showing the Lion King for them one Saturday evening on the big screen. (Jordan helps out with the Jesus film showing every Friday night so he knew how to set up the screen.) It’s really pretty neat what somebody (I don’t know who) came up with to show films on a projector in the middle of nowhere. Anyways, Jordan set up for the Lion King and then we got to enjoy! It was super fun and I was surprised how many of the boys had seen it before. I also noticed (again) how different culture is in unexpected ways. We were watching the movie in French but with English subtitles. Of course all of the crew members had seen it before so even though we were listening in another language, we laughed at all our favorite parts--which turned out to be totally different from when the Congolese would laugh. Not once we did we laugh at the same part. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the Lion King--it never gets old! </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Another weekend I went on a riverboat “adventure” with some ladies to be the French speaker for the group. We left the ship around 8:45 and walked the mile to the port gate and then past that to get a taxi. Our taxi had an extra row of seats so we crammed in and were on our way.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">There was a sort of flyer for this activity on the ship and it said that up to 8 people were allowed to come. I had called the guide on Friday and told him we would be a party of 6. On Saturday night, two girls asked if they could join and since the maximum group size was 8 people we said sure. We got to the river and as we all start piling out of the taxi our guide just watched and counted us ... and then his face started falling. He said, "You have eight people." I said, "Yes! That's how many we're allowed!" "But you told me six," he says. When we got down to the river I saw his predicament: he has three boats to take these trips on--two of them are big and one of them was small. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">He had gotten the small one ready for us complete with chairs and everything. We apologized profusely and told him we would do whatever since it was our fault but he said (and I kid you not): "Well let's just all get in really carefully and see how low the boat gets." So we all got in super slowly and gingerly sat down and him and his brother (our other guide) perched on two pieces of wood in the back of the boat and declared that we were safe. Then they popped a beer each, and we were on our way. I later found out that the small boat we were on was the only one with a motor--the other two were rowed by hand so I think they had a bit of motivation to get us all seated in there. We were really low so he told us we would go slower than normal. About 5 minutes into our "sail" he stopped the boat and explained to me that the motor was too low in the water and he needed to raise it. It was just definitely one of those African moments. I was sitting in the back of the boat so I tried to get a picture of him adjusting our motor and his beer all in one but I only succeeded in snapping a photo of his back end. Bummer. (No pun intended.)</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Heather, a fellow hostess. :)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">We sailed up the river to a big lake, where our guide pointed out the Angolan border (we are very close and often reminded not to wander too close as the border police don't like that too much) and Pointe Noire in the distance. Then he pointed out a big baobab tree over on the shore and said it was 150 years old and we were going to see it. Around the tree is a fishing village. I think it must have been only men in this village because as soon as 8 white girls rowed up about 20 strapping young men popped into view. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sailing into the village.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">We took pictures around the tree and then he led us through the village where a young boy had climbed a grapefruit tree to pick grapefruits for us. It was so random that we all looked at each other and said, "I hope this isn't some sort of marriage agreement ritual". But it wasn't so we all took our grapefruits and got back in our boat and downriver we went. The river truly was beautiful--green all around, perfectly serene, and ducks and egrets flying and floating beside us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Typically the group goes to his farm which is quite impressive and his wife makes a meal. But on this day, there were some other family events going on so he took us to a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant instead where we ate "lunch". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The bread was good, the salad was good, the drinks were good … the meal though required some more bravery than we had to offer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">It was good to see our home at the end of a hot day. :) I expected my bag to get lighter as I drank all my water but adding a grapefruit to the mix didn't help with the weight!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Meanwhile, Jordan had taken the day to go visit a friend in town and was treated to a delicacy: ngoo moko, otherwise known as bush hog boiled with bananas. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Next story. I enjoyed this food a little bit more: my friend KJ and I both got promotions so we went out for dessert to celebrate! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">KJ will be going on the Advance team to Guinea--a team of about 8 people that leaves months in advance for country next and does most of the groundwork for the ship’s arrival (a BIG job!). She will also be the sales manager next year in Guinea--I’m super proud of her and know that she will do a great job!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I will be the Crew and Guest Services Manager starting July 1. Right now I am the manager for the hospitality team; next year I will be managing hospitality, hospital housekeeping, regular housekeeping, as well as being responsible for the hair salon, social activities, and library. I've actually enjoyed the managing side a lot more than I thought I would so I’m pretty excited about next year! The Crew & Guest Services Manger position is a new one and part of it will be starting to combine hospital housekeeping and regular housekeeping, which up until this point have been separate. It will be a lot of groundwork and new things to figure out but I am looking forward and would appreciate your prayers!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Next story. :) Last weekend we took a train to Dolisie, a town about 4 hours northeast. The train ride was by far one of my favorite experiences so far and incredibly surreal. Inside we sat in a very nice train, only about 4 years old with air conditioning and a food car and everything! Outside was lush JUNGLE for 4 straight hours. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went with Derek (who Jordan works with) and Elisabeth, a nurse who happens to be dating Derek. :) It was a super fun day; most of it was spent in a train or a bus but that was just fine as we loved every bit of scenery! I like Pointe Noire but as everyone knows, port cities aren't just famous for their beauty so it was super fun to get out of the city and see some of the country. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The party of four. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our bus for the ride home (the train continued on to Brazzaville, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">And that about brings us up to this past weekend! The whole of last week was full of Easter activities. The International Lounge was completely stripped of chairs and transformed into the Garden of Gethsemane where crew could come and pray all night on Friday. On Sunday we woke up early to go to the sunrise service on deck 8, the top deck. We started singing in the dark and just as we were finishing up the service, the sun burst through the clouds! It was really beautiful. After the sunrise service, we met in the Starbucks cafe, where the dining room crew had laid out all some snacks to tide us over until brunch. I got to experience a hot cross bun for the first time and it was delicious! :) At 8:30 we had our Easter service and afterwards there was a big brunch in the dining room. The galley and dining room crews really outdid themselves this weekend; some of them were up at 3:00 to start cooking! I couldn't believe their level of service! </span><br />
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Jordan and I went to the beach with some other families that afternoon and enjoyed a peaceful afternoon chatting, reading, napping, and playing in the waves. :) It was a gorgeous beach away from town so super peaceful and basically just perfect.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not every day that I watch the sunrise AND the sunset. :) </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">And that is just a fraction of the stuff that happened last week to celebrate Easter. I love that there has been such an emphasis on Easter--it IS so much more than just a Friday night and Sunday morning! The Chaplaincy really outdid themselves in providing an environment for Jesus’ sacrifice to be remembered. I can definitely say this has been a favorite year! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last night we finished out the holiday weekend with an open cabin night. We made cinnamon rolls and (attempted to make) Red Lobster biscuits (you know, the real reason people go to Red Lobster), Chai, and iced tea. I love open cabin; you just open up your door and lots of people come by to chat and hang out! It was a perfect end to a perfect weekend. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a little less than three weeks, we are getting some visitors!! Brian, Sandy, Luke, and Sara are coming to see us! We can barely contain our excitement--actually, we can't!! I don't think a day goes by that we don't mention it. :) So tag along if you'd like! We would love to host you all! :) </span></div>
jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-2480391257295046782014-02-16T07:59:00.000-08:002014-02-16T07:59:33.739-08:00A Tour: Decks 5 & 6 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I thought I would post some pictures of what the ship looks like from the inside! One of Hospitality’s main jobs is to make sure that everyone who has not been on board in the last twelve months receives a tour of the ship. This is maritime law and it’s to ensure that new crew know how to get out and off in case of an emergency. But since the <i>Africa Mercy</i> is really a unique ship, it’s also a cool opportunity for crew to see what all is available to them! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">May I be your tour guide? :) </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">{Beware: Lots to follow!} </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Today I’m just going to show you decks 5 and 6 since they have most of the public areas of the ship on them. These decks definitely take the longest on the tour. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Obviously you have to get on the ship before you can start the tour--climb up the gangway!</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">When you walk up the gangway, the first thing you see is a guard! Our guards are all Gurkas, out of Nepal. You can read about them <b><a href="http://www.gwt.org.uk/about-gurkhas/what-are-gurkhas/" target="_blank">here</a></b>; suffice it to say, they are perfectly capable of protecting us! They are the nicest guys you’ll ever meet though and know <i>everyone’s</i> names. They always have a friendly hello and hug to give. This is Tek; he has a family in Nepal--as do the others! They are here for 9 months and then go home for a 3 month vacation; the day they leave, another arrives to take their place. I can’t imagine how hard that must be for them and I’m so grateful that they come to serve! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Once you walk in the doors, you’ll see reception (which I don’t have a picture of and I’m not sure why). Reception has all the embarkation paperwork for new crew and we work with them to embark new crew. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Turn to the right and you’ll head straight into the dining room, where we eat all of our meals. The kitchen crew prepares the meals and the dining room crew puts it all out and makes sure the dining room is well stocked and cleaned. I am constantly amazed at how hard both of these teams work--cooking and serving for 450+ people is no easy feat! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Back to reception. If you had turned left instead of right, you would find yourself at the area known as the cafe. Obviously it’s called that because Starbucks is right there but there is a lot more that goes on than just drinking coffee. On Monday mornings the cafe serves crepes and on Fridays they serve waffles. (This has successfully made Mondays one of my favorite days of the week.) There is also a big open staircase in the cafe which leads up to deck six, known as Midships. That whole section is kind of a big hang out section. Downstairs there is Starbucks and the Ship Shop, where you can buy cooking/baking supplies, phone cards to call home, T-shirts, mugs, toiletries, cleaning supplies, laundry soap, magnets, etc. There’s also a table with lots and lots of binders full of things to sign up for and lots of little round tables to meet a friend at for a coffee date. Upstairs there are three TVs which have come in handy for the winter Olympics! There’s also an internet cafe. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">{Lots of pictures of the Cafe & Midships to follow.}</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom is the Cafe; Top is Midships.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ibrahim making me a double shot hazelnut latte. :) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5vtnYs4MH4E67vStgfVj01l-dL8WEbZjHxNpMiwietVL6L0WKT8WyenqTmMeXf7uvWj47lAXs2fWW7uVFyBlN-vlHn7qQcHLHJE7rIjc1ja0XM-BVOtFWPZftG8CBjyLH6lcXl_rBro/s1600/DSC_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5vtnYs4MH4E67vStgfVj01l-dL8WEbZjHxNpMiwietVL6L0WKT8WyenqTmMeXf7uvWj47lAXs2fWW7uVFyBlN-vlHn7qQcHLHJE7rIjc1ja0XM-BVOtFWPZftG8CBjyLH6lcXl_rBro/s1600/DSC_0055.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cafe recently acquired a popcorn maker! What's so fun<br />about the cafe is that anyone can volunteer to serve in it.<br />One of these days I am going to learn how to make coffee. In<br />the background is Mary, from our gateway, and one of the Academy<br />students volunteering to make popcorn for the night. On Friday night <br />the whole cafe was run by Academy students! It was so cool!<br /> Beautiful Serenety is currently pricing my butter for French toast in the morning. :) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHMwHw7HoQwmtHZdeexYtxoslhMGk1bG8RMoynSW1-DiA87ZKyylR5Xs1oostZUvAVKhzxPmTCJWTBkRVii7R3Y7P4l6f2YpkPJSEj_MbPOJUg6Gvbsb5yALTvtHZX0Z7mSRYlX9nC2g/s1600/DSC_0071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHMwHw7HoQwmtHZdeexYtxoslhMGk1bG8RMoynSW1-DiA87ZKyylR5Xs1oostZUvAVKhzxPmTCJWTBkRVii7R3Y7P4l6f2YpkPJSEj_MbPOJUg6Gvbsb5yALTvtHZX0Z7mSRYlX9nC2g/s1600/DSC_0071.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">CREPES!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RgAGWL4Bay73FjUG-bfPQ-R2RW6fSLgqV8i_Ren5ONqE7IfJq5UXqIeRZ5-flZOnEPdtAyWwREqpykQJOeANdpO7D702lcOQ4fP_CpgIkMgBN4GxfE3Phfj41-2IdUpBNKWhwmRrxoU/s1600/DSC_0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RgAGWL4Bay73FjUG-bfPQ-R2RW6fSLgqV8i_Ren5ONqE7IfJq5UXqIeRZ5-flZOnEPdtAyWwREqpykQJOeANdpO7D702lcOQ4fP_CpgIkMgBN4GxfE3Phfj41-2IdUpBNKWhwmRrxoU/s1600/DSC_0054.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ship Shop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzL0m0klkZBceRkSEeJSiWk87u4-h2CuiFTk5FQlT7ZAYO4wRGjvJGQqx6BkF4IYmteYUKw-O1_bPQYUIydVei1INjDcFVGSEIh-GLwOg0bV_MRar_lpL5OjClr2hXJh9UOdTWDCTf90/s1600/DSC_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzL0m0klkZBceRkSEeJSiWk87u4-h2CuiFTk5FQlT7ZAYO4wRGjvJGQqx6BkF4IYmteYUKw-O1_bPQYUIydVei1INjDcFVGSEIh-GLwOg0bV_MRar_lpL5OjClr2hXJh9UOdTWDCTf90/s1600/DSC_0041.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The information table--lots of opportunities to sign up: help<br />out with the dental or eye screenings, be a blood donor, observe<br />a surgery, befriend a patient on the ward, or serve at any of the Mercy<br />Ministries (boys' orphanages, deaf school, baby orphanage, etc.}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq81Hw95YkdLM2-vSPFkRIZx5jczfamAx_SqiGtpHbUEXbdZRjyBCmqMGgEWCZ-1Mkilx1HBwZf6dKpRKS3OyknOr_rMLUDFfTV7B9WnYQsFYTFI_9CmWFI_VJawl8nGTx96EJOMRIVfU/s1600/IMG_8528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq81Hw95YkdLM2-vSPFkRIZx5jczfamAx_SqiGtpHbUEXbdZRjyBCmqMGgEWCZ-1Mkilx1HBwZf6dKpRKS3OyknOr_rMLUDFfTV7B9WnYQsFYTFI_9CmWFI_VJawl8nGTx96EJOMRIVfU/s1600/IMG_8528.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olympics time has been fun with so many different nationalities<br />on board--33 different nations represented this week! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9l71KCRB1CivHMmB7EN_wRjSQs6xVzym0LwonqSQtriUSZgFDCOTXlQ4xPOGaVshdzrOArRLJ1GIstCeZMxUvNMKMSbBZVotNSQClKMM4ShDlF8TzoqhIPGcrzIpKRwql5Ghjn70Iyn8/s1600/IMG_8549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9l71KCRB1CivHMmB7EN_wRjSQs6xVzym0LwonqSQtriUSZgFDCOTXlQ4xPOGaVshdzrOArRLJ1GIstCeZMxUvNMKMSbBZVotNSQClKMM4ShDlF8TzoqhIPGcrzIpKRwql5Ghjn70Iyn8/s1600/IMG_8549.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching a movie in Midships. I was pretty<br />ecstatic that my crochet got here on the container. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Internet cafe</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Because midships and the cafe are pretty big open spaces, they are home to a lot of events--most notably, Thursday night ice cream. We have a community gathering every Thursday and afterwards, each department takes turn serving ice cream to the crew. Last week it was deck’s turn so most of them showed up in their coveralls. :) </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The library is on deck 5 too! It’s full of books that people have bought in airports or brought from home and left behind. There’s actually quite a few good ones to be found and it’s quite a cozy spot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Didot;">Crew can also volunteer to read to kids every Tuesday at 4:00, which is what my good friend KJ is doing. :)</span><span style="font-family: Didot;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Also on deck 5 is the Hospitality office. That will change next year but for this year, it’s where we all meet at during the day. Here’s one side: </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">.... and my desk.... </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The other side of the room is used mainly for storage but we do also use it to prepare for events. Here’s Cecily getting napkins ready for a luncheon. :)</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">{Side note: I’m fairly certain I have the best team on the ship. These women are amazing--each with a servant heart, content to be where they can be of the most use! They make me smile and laugh every day and I love how they affirm and encourage each other. It hit me on Friday that we must all really like each other because technically only two of us were working and the other two had the day off--but they came and hung out in the office with us anyway! :) Almost every evening when Jordan and I compare notes about our days I always have good things to say about my day--and these ladies are most of the reason!} </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And now to finish up deck 6: the laundry room and the crew galley--two pretty important places. :) The crew galley is stocked with pots and pans, two blenders, two Kitchenaids, a panini press, a microwave, toasters, ovens, and lots more. It’s all there for crew to use, provided it’s taken care of. :) The kitchen picture I have is actually one of Jordan!! He learned how to make spicy popcorn with a bunch of other guys. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And it pays to be in the kitchen while the Gurkhas are cooking Nepalese food or making Chai--they’re bound to offer you some! :) </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The laundry room is last. :) Obviously with so many people on board, the laundry room has to have pretty set rules to make sure that chaos doesn’t ensue (or at least, not too often). Hence, the Laundry Room Bible: </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Not-So-Holy Land of Laundry: </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It’s really not all that hard. There are ten sets of washers and dryers.. Each washer gets a page in the book for the week--Sunday through Saturday. Each person on board gets one laundry slot per week. You sign up for which hour you want the washer and that automatically gives you the next hour for the dryer. That means there’s a constant cycle of washing going on--the person that signed up before me is drying their clothes while I’m washing mine and the person after me is washing their clothes while I’m drying mine. So timeliness is VERY important. If you are more than ten minutes late, your slot is fair game to anyone who is in the room. If you are late but no one has taken your washer, you have to be careful what cycle you use to make sure that the washer is empty again in time for the next slot. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Well, I hope you enjoyed this little tour! Other posts about areas on the ship probably won’t be as long but there’s still a lot left! I didn’t even cover everything on these two decks--there’s also a hair salon, prayer room, the Academy (school), and International Lounge (where have our community gatherings)! </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sorry for the huge long gap in posts. But thank YOU for continuing to write even when we don’t get to it! We still get such encouraging notes with email or Facebook and we’re STILL getting pictures in the mail! It’s truly a joy to hear from you and know that you care! We love you guys--wish we could be giving you a tour in person! :) </span><br />
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999400671852743753.post-73319767699197300442014-01-24T12:51:00.002-08:002014-01-24T12:51:43.233-08:00Some Changes<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">Ahhh... finally sitting down to write. Believe it or not, writing--on our blog, an email update, a task list for tomorrow, or pretty much anything--is one of my favorite ways of relaxing. I process when I write things out and I think that’s why I like writing; it serves as a bit of a debrief for the day. {I also debrief/process when I’m cleaning. But it takes about five minutes flat to clean up our cabin and I haven’t figured out how to process the day that fast.} </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: white;">So I have really been missing writing on the blog. {<i>The</i> blog? <i>Our</i> blog? I think it’s safe to call it <i>my</i> blog--maybe a bit of selfish ownership will convince Jordan that he can’t claim it until he adds to the mix! I’m a little doubtful though.} Enough with the rabbit trails.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: white;">I <i>have</i> really been missing writing on here but there has been a good reason for the silence. I was asked to take a new job and I said yes! I’m still in hospitality, but my boss had to go home very unexpectedly due to some health issues her mother was having. She was already planning to return home in June and so made the decision to bump up her departure date. I was asked to take her place and I accepted! I’m very thankful that she was able to give me some training before she left and the changeover started during the Christmas holidays when we weren’t bus so I had some time to catch my breath. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: white;">My official title is now Head Hostess/Hospitality Manager and I am absolutely <i>loving</i> it! There is so much about this job that lines up with my interests and skills and I am so grateful for the chance to be put in a position that I honestly look forward to every day. I feel a bit vain saying that--but I firmly believe that God has put talents in each of us and we find joy and refreshment most readily when we do what He made us to like doing! </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: white;">Most of my job is making sure that the things I wrote about in my job post (here) get done. That involves a lot of <b>scheduling</b> {Thing I Love To Do #1}. I get an email about each new crew member that arrives. We figure out what day their bunk space will be empty by checking our arrivals list against the departures list--on average, four people arrive each day to replace the four people that left the day before and sometimes the hour before! We notify that cabin that there is a new crew mate coming in and what day we’ll be in to make the bed up. We also give disembarkation paperwork to departing crew members. A lot of that is just scheduling when to do to what--which I really enjoy. I am TERRIBLE with remembering names; something Jordan just does not understand. But dates just interest me and I remember them--something Jordan is not good at at all! So we work well together. But the fact that scheduling is a big part of my job makes me happy. :) I also make a monthly schedule for the five hostesses that work with me. Each day there is an Duty Hostess, as well as each weekend. The Duty Hostess is responsible for processing arrivals (a lot of time is involved in those two words) and giving tours, among lots of other random things. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: white;">There’s also a new side of the job--<b>computer work</b>! {Thing I Love To Do #2.} There’s lots of little things that have to be done on the computer, but the big thing is the guest calendar. I’m in charge of the guest calendar, as well as processing guests into our system. I reserve cabins and get information from arriving guests to get to the purser so that they can help with immigration. Guests can be personal guests of crew members, business guests, visiting staff, VIPs, media teams, etc. That boils down to lots and lots of emails between lots and lots of different people who have lots and lots of patience with me as I learn how this all works. :) <br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: white;">There’s other little things too but those are the big things that I’ve been getting the hang of for the past month. I knew when I started that I would love it -- but also that I would love it even more when the first month was done. That was definitely the case. There was {and is still} a lot to learn but I feel like I’m finally getting the hang of it and my desk isn’t such a crazy mess at the end of each day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">I can’t say enough good about the other hostesses that are with me. The pictures in this post are already “old”--one of the girls is gone and there are two more now! But ALL of the ladies I’ve worked with have been just fabulous. They are so patient with me as I learn how to do this and are willing to do whatever--help me learn or work out scheduling or give ideas or whatever! They have also been incredibly encouraging when I’ve been doubting myself. I’ve been blessed to work with them! In fact, I’ve gotten tons of encouragement from all over the ship. It’s been a great community to take a {potentially} scary step in. :) </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Lovely ladies. :) </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">By this point the wind was blowing<br />our hair every which way! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Arguably my favorite accidental photo.<br /><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">At your service. :) </span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: white;">So there you have it! Thank you for your prayers--we do feel them every day. And please do pray as I continue to settle into this position. I want His Joy to radiate. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">Katie </span></span></div>
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jordankatiestullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311031641235620986noreply@blogger.com0