A psych visit, a marriage proposal and a true African road trip

Well what a lot of random things can happen in one weekend.

Saturday we visited a Psych institution of sorts. It was lovely to spend time with the patients but a very depressing experience. The centre if you could call it that has one staff member on weekends and about a hundred patients. The majority of patients have been checked in by relatives who pay a nominal fee to keep the people in. Some are schizophrenic or mentally retarded. Others suffer anxiety, depression or drug and alcohol addiction. I wouldn't keep a pig there!!!It is like a giant dirt court yard with cold concrete buildings without windows and electricity. Inside the beds are decayed rotting matresses...some on bed frames, others on the floor everywhere. There is no linen. 10-20 ppl inhabit a room. All the patients belongings..few though they are are piled up in the dark smelly rooms. For some they only own a shirt ...it leaves nothing to the imagination. Others only own trousers. Trucks bring food in 3 times a day and the patients line up with bowls and bottles for water. The food is liquid and the patients have no utensils. Most of the patients are heavily medicated. Some have ear lobes cut off and many broken bones poorly cast. One patient tells us his ear lobes were cut because he refused medication..it could be the truth looking at the state of the place. The patients sort out all their disputes with much yelling and physical abuse- no one stops them so that is how many of the broken bones and other injuries occur.

Today it has been raining. Some of the patients must wade through the flooded area up to thier knees to get to their rooms. There is nothing!!! for them to do but fight and sleep. No one comes to do any activities. When we arrive we walk around the compounds greeting the people and inviting them to join our activity in the community compound. We read a story to them and relate the gospel to the people telling them of God's love....a message of hope to such rejected, neglected people. We have two french translators with us- they are amazing they play the drums and sing local songs which all the patients know and get into clapping to the beat and singing. We tell a childrens story with puppets as that is mostly the level of understanding. Then as language is a barrier we paint the womens (and men as they wish)nails. Just to have someone hold their hand or hug them is foriegn. We play ball and have bubble blowers which they respond to.

The patients open the gate to let us in and out so except that they are too medicated to realise they could probably walk straight out the gate. As we wander around the compund one patient shows us her room...suddenly everyone wants to show us their room and belongings. We oblige navigating our way through flooded areas. One man is highly talented....he weaves bags and sells them in the market. Another has designed his own alphabet which he insists we take to get published. For the most part we are warmly welcomed and end up with a crowd in tow. I don't escape without a marriage proposal (sorry girls at i'm not bringing this one home :)) from a man of about 60. He's persistant. Thankfully I have another man with me who gets the point across as I move on. Most of the people are 30-40years old. There is one child about 12. Everyone treats her terrible....actually they all treat one another pretty badly. We can do nothing but look on...apparently it is acceptable in this culture....we got caught in the middle of one nasty exchange and just had to wait for it to pass. Thankfully our translator is a forceful African women who gives a great sense of safety and control to the visit.

Later in the day we take a visit to the material market. It is amazing.....so much to choose from in the most vibrant colors and patterns. Rows upon rows of color line the muddy pitted street that hums with hundreds of Zimijohns (old motorbikes). The stalls are tiny yet we squeeze in on invite to check out their goods. Out the back of one store we are bailed up again by a persistant suitor declaring undying love for one of the girls with us. He gives his education credentials and procreeds to try and get contact details. Our safety and security meeting gave us all tips on how to say no and be firm as this is a daily ritual. Blondes are a hit so thank goodness for red hair. The African women are so beautiful so it can only be our money and the hope of a better life that attracts them. The general markets today were a demeaning experience were spent 2hrs been blown kisses and been whistled at. Nearly every motor bike that passes us toots cause were white women and 'yovoo yovoo' (meaning white person) is yelled out frequently. It's cute from kids but the men are so rude. It is so nice to get back to our refuge at the ship and to be treated like women not meat by the men on board.

An African day worker on the ship invited us to church this morning. Due to the language barrier we were uncertain what to expect. It was raining but the picked us up one time (for Africans that is a half hour late). 6 of us cram in the car for a ride to who knew where. We arrived and were glad to see many Mercy Ship vechiles and staff in the car park. It's hard to say what type of church it was. The Africans are so vibrant and energetic in all singing that it is impossible to tell from the singing wheter it is penecostal or not. I suspect not from the tiny part of the sermon given in English. We had understood a translator would be there for the whole service but most of it was in French and Fon so who knows what was said. As guests we were stood up with all the Mercy Ships crew present and a song was sung in English in our honor and a prayer said. Afterwards we were brought soda's and requested to sit on the stage in fancy couches.

On leaving church our drivers took us in the wrong direction to we had come and we were a little worried but we pulled up at a diner and they brought us lunch...a ture African meal. God knows what meat it was...I pretended it was chicken though was told it was goat later...dog and cat are also popular so lets not think about that...no food poisoning yet!! We escaped without proposal but it is on the cards for one girl at least. Except for the lying factor it is very tempting to say i'm married. For the men that doesn't work. I saw a lady tell one of our married crew that men in Benin have many wives so she could marry him. Nothing like been so desparate for a better life that you need to know nothing about the prospective spouse other than that they are white.

I had thought that the shanty town at the end of the wharf was the slum area but traveling all over town I haven't seen any better accommodation except the government officals homes. Shanty towns built from scraps of metal and wood are the norm it seems. They flood terribly. Metal drums are the stove and anything that burns surround the houses as fuel for cooking. Most of our day workers live like this- yet some how they rock up clean to work- perhaps they use of staff showers before work.

Living on ship is very challenging as you eat, sleep, work and socialise with the same people and lots of them. But thats nothing!! when compared to the daily struggle of the Benise people. The enormous bridge between the materialism and wasteful selfish indulgence of the developed world is disgusting and yet we so easily justify it. ...i'm guilty! Why feminism is so focussed on closing the gap between womens and mens rights in the 1st world whilst neglecting the need to attempt to minimise the gap between the living standards of women in the developed world and the 3rd world is beyond me. The experience all in all is challenging, confronting and rewarding. Top deck at night is my refuge...a good book or mp3 and a bit of peace and quite keeps me sane. I hate to think how people who arn't 'people people' survive.

Dinner time....best be off. No piccies today ...sorry.

Love Naomi

A week in the Lab

Dusk in Port Cotonou.

Wow how quickly week one has flown.....and how tired am I!!! The ship has been pretty rocky this week...shaving ones legs in the shower can be a dangerous occupation if you pick the wrong time. The below phot illustrates what taking a photo's from our top deck (of a ship in dock behind us) produces when were moving....it's a little unique. The squigles are port street lights. Not to mention that for the most part you have to wait a couple of minutes until the condensation on the camera lense disappears...gotto love humidity! I think for the most part i'm getting used to moving. Guess what exciting news I have....contrary to first thought I get to sail with the ship...we have to move docks for a weekend and move back after to allow another ship to unload.

The lab has been fun. I think i've missed my calling in life...i'm really loving the microbiology that I don't get to do back in Armidale. Below are some pictures of the lab.

We had a firedrill on Thurs......they just got the couple of hundred of us who work on ship during the day on the dock at our muster stations and down came the rain..gotto love tropical wet seasons! It is still raining today which is a shame as every Friday night we go into a village on present a movie of the gospel in the local dialect. It's quite a crowd drawer.

There are quite a few Aussies on board at present. Here's a pic for those who know some of us.

I had the privilage of attending a VVF (Fistula) dress ceremony for patients who are healed. It's was fantastic and brought many tears of mixed emotions. One lady was fortunate to have had a live baby and a husband who stuck by her (a rare occurance), another had had a fistula for 13yrs and had crawled around but had now learnt to walk and was dancing around the ward. Theybreak into singing praise to God at every chance giving thanks for their healing. In two surgeries the remains of foetal skulls were found...a huge reminder of the suffering and loss these women endure. The hope in the eyes of those healed and the longing yet cheerful celebration of the sucess of others in evident in the women still waiting to become 'dry'.

I have an adopted patient . She is 28yo from Porto Novo, Benin. She is in for a fistula repair. At the moment her recovery to become dry is taking longer than hoped and she is feeling a bit sad about it. She had been in hospital for 2wks and speaks Fon (a local dialect) with a little English...thank goodness for translators.

Benin is the origin of the Voodoo religion. Evil spirits feature on the local currency the CFA. Voodoo teaches that having your photo taken steels your soul so i'm really unsure about when I can and can't use a camera. I've taken to asking if it's ok in my broken French as I have heard some interesting stories of what happens when you don't ask....getting chased down the street etc.

Tomorrow I am going to do ministry in a Psyciatric home. Many of these patients are abandoned by family and as such have no visitors. I don't know exactly what we will be doing yet but will fill you in later.

A trip to a true African church with one of our day workers is scheduled as well as a trip to the material markets weather permiting.

Sleep is calling so until next time....

Working away

Well the real work has begun...and I think the jet lag has caught up.

It's great to be down in the hospital. The lab is quite different to at home. We get to see some interesting disease such as sickle cell disease and some malaria on a daily basis. There are plenty of new tests to learn. The staff are so friendly to work with.

Patients roam the corridor. The kids are adorable and so friendly- just wish I knew more french.

At the moment there are a large number of fistula patients as the orthopedic surgeries have finished and some fistula surgeons are on board. The childrens ward is also pretty busy with bowel and bladder ops at present. Basically the operations are scheduled in batches subject to what specialists are on board when. The ward rings with song and dance and the sound of drums whenever the fistula patients are dry- that is healed. At the end of their stay they are given a new dress and a farewell.

I am still amazed how many kids are on board. 60 missionary kids attend the school on board and live on the ship with their parents who work in various depts.

Below is the hospitality centre where the patients are screened. Patients stay here before and after surgery once released from the hospital so that they don't need to travel home before their follow up appointments. The opthalmology team works in the Iglos or tents inside.

Tonight we had a dinner for all the aussies on board- about 15 people at the moment. We were up on deck 8 the top deck- i've included some pictures from the deck of the port.

I'm oh so tired so apologies for the boring blog i'm oh so tired...but heres some pictures that may tell a thousand words.

A day at the Beach

Yesterday was Sunday. We had a church service on the fistula ward sitting on the bed with the patients. It was a very moving experience. Despite thier troubles these women are so passionate about worshiping God and learning more about Him.

The women in hospital gowns have gone to the trouble of wrapping thier colorful skirts around over the top of the gown. Many have breastfed infants who also stay in the hospital. One lady had a tiny baby who had palstered legs after a club feet repair and she herself had a catheter bag in one hand after a fistula operation and baby in the other.

Another women just operated on had 2 babies both under 18mths both getting fed simulateously. The children meander around the beds climbing into the laps of staff.

After church we attempted a very long walk to the light house. We had to get past 3 sets of guards- the say you talk your way around them- but apparently we weren't that sucessful as we were sent to the police station to get permission which was also unsucessful. We went to the beach instead. It was a lovely beach though you had to cross to areas of stagnant water with who knows what in them. The trip home was an adventure- we got a ride with some africans- no one knew them but we had a African guy with us who negotiated. 7 people in a car is standard here.

Staff church was on at night and then I was domesticated and did the washing. Work starts today.

My first day exploring

I have arrived safe and sound and i'm having a great time getting orientated with the ship (or should I say getting lost on the ship all the time and finding new places didnt know existed). God has been so good to me in that my flights and connections couldn't have been an easier process. I met a heap of Mercy shippers on my flight from Paris which made the hot craziness of Cotonou airport less daunting. Wow it took 2 hrs to get out of the airport car park...and the Africans are the madest drivers on earth!!!!!!!

I'm in an 8 berth cabin with some great girls. It's cosy and comfortable. Its a very multicultural berth as is the rest of the ship.

My day started with an orientation tour of the ship. It has 7 decks- all huge with corridors off everywhere. Mostl of the decks are hospital or staff sleeping quarters. There are stacks of families on the ship so theres school and preschool- with crazy play equipment in between ship control towers and cargo. The staff decks are buzzing with people and social activities- many impromptu such as sock golf tonight. Yes thats golf played by throwing a pair of socks at a designated hole- be it the stair well or the port hole. The food is great- I could get used to someone cooking for me.

I've done more exercise this weekend than in the past yr. Unbeknowns to me friends of mine from Oz emailed an aussie guy on the ship (who knows Scott and Caz Hazelton for those who know them-small world) to let him know I was coming. Hence I got a great tour guide who took me through the main streets, the slum and to the land base hospital. What can i say- two cultures and two classes of society collide in this city. BMW's drive by and crazy motor bikes (in there thousands) and in the same block absolute poverty and shanty towns. The people are so friendly and the kids are gorgeous- always reaching out to hold your hand or touching us and giggling, yelling out white person and then running away-so cute! It is so ironic how happy, friendly and seemingly contented the people are despite their poverty and difficult circumstances- very humbling.

The entire town looks like a market to me and people hassle none stop.This afternoon was more exploring the town and market place. They have the most amazing materials and the wood work people do with such limited tools is stunning. Every step you take is in faith as there are people and motobikes ready to run you over at every move. I'm learning that crossing the road is a game of chicken :O.

The main street Cotonou, Benin.

I got to go to the hospitality centre which is where the patients stay before and after surgery for follow up. It was full of kids who are so full of love they are all over you in moments. They sleep in small refridgerated rooms like shipping containers (that hold about 20 bed) which are in a warehouse shed which mercy ships rents. To them it is heaven. 3 meals a day and a bed to sleep in. The family members sleep on the floor under the patients bed on mats or out in the dining area.

I don't start work until Monday so I haven't really seen a lot of the hospital decks. Although church tomorrow is in the ward- no chairs we all pile on the beds with the patients- should be a great experience. I here the emergency calls for blood and the emergency medical team across the PA and realise that will be me soon enough...ahhh. I havent got jet lag yet....yay. Tomorrow is a walk out to a light house...a skeleton staff work the weekend so most ppl have the weekend off so their is no end of people to go out with. The hard yards start soon. I'm told the lab is so short staffed that the got a kitchen staff member to help out......everyone is a jack of all trades.

The Port viewed from our wharf.

Wow the ship is on the move today.......What was I saying about not getting sea sick. Off the church now!!

The Adventure begins soon

Dear Friends, Family and People who stumble across the page randomly,

I'm about to leave for the Mercy Ship :)- (Finally they sigh :). I will fly out on the 18th June at 11am from Brisbane to Cotonou, Benin, Via Hong Kong and Paris. I land at 7pm on the 19th June where a Mercy Ship worker will meet me for transport to the ship. While I travel I would love your prayers for safety and for God's peace to calm my nerves. As I arrive may you pray that I settle in easily and become an effective worker and instrument for God's glory with the emotional strength to face the oft confronting realities of poverty.

Home from 19th June 09- 16th August 09.

I look forward to updating you on my arrival and filling this page with stories of this time and God's work with the people of Benin. A little geography for those who like me had no idea where Benin was:

As I go it is an old favourite song of our Sunday school that gives much encouragement (along with the bible that has all Gods promise to us)- heres a few verses for you:

God is Everywhere- Colin Buchanan

If Riley was a spaceman

Blasted off to Mars

Flew his super spaceship

To the far away stars

God will be there!

God is everywhere!

He sees you and He knows you

You cannot run away

Every second, Every minute,

Every hour, Every day,
God will be there!

God is EVERYWHERE.

Until I write from Benin God Bless.

Au revoir

Naomi