Boston Represent!

Thrilled to the gills to be rockin' out the nursing care with some of Mass General's finest!

We love that dirty water!

Boston, you're our home!



Becca (center) representing Ellison 18 and Rachel (right) from the Emergency Department

I'd like to give a shout out to Bigelow 13 and Blake 6!

A Meal Fit for a King

One of the great joys of returning to the Africa Mercy Ship was reuniting with my Nepalese friends, Lok, Krishna, Ganesh and Chitra. The Gurkahs, known for their bravery and strength (and now their amazing culinary skills), are soldiers who serve in the British and Indian armies. They also serve around the world providing security for ships in foreign ports. They are away from their families in Nepal for 9 months a year to serve aboard the Africa Mercy Ship. Their friendship is a gift and I am delighted that we are now neighbors, living in cabins down the hall from each other. I have already enjoyed ice cream and an authentic Nepalese meal in their cabin. When we learned that they would be cooking dinner for the entire crew on Saturday, we asked if we could join them in the galley to learn their culinary ways. My Gurkha friends are truly the bravest of the brave and most generous of the generous. We are overwhelmed by their generosity, hospitality and humility. I am so grateful for their service to keep us all safe and their presence in the ship community.

Lok and Krishna preparing the curried cauliflower

Ginger preparing to shell hundreds of hard boiled eggs

Chitra prepares a mountain of chicken the size of Everest

Chitra boxes with the bread dough for puri, a fried Nepalese bread

Ganesh rolls out the puri

Sharon and I give it a try

into the hot oil

and there is always time for dancing!

The meal was a delicious and tremendous success!

Life at Sea

"Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink."
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Amazing the vastness of the ocean, to be at sea for 10 days with no sight of land.

The ocean is teeming with life, including dolphins, whales, flying fish and crew members enjoying sunsets on the bow.

Mighty Ships!

A film crew from the Discovery Channel Canada has joined us on our voyage to Togo, documenting the sail, the screening of patients and the first surgery aboard the Africa Mercy Ship, to be featured as one of the "Mighty Ships" on their television program sometime this summer. Stay tuned for further details!

Rockin' and a Reelin'

Oh What a Night! The ship was rockin' and reelin' as we hit some rough waves. Clocks were falling off walls, cabinets were flinging open with the contents flying out and sleeping was quite challenging. Depending upon which way your bed was positioned, you were at risk of rolling out or on a wild see-saw ride with your head rising and falling. Many crew members were seasick. These verses accurately describe the events of our journey:

They saw the works of the Lord,

His wonderful deeds in the deep.
For He spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves.
They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;

in their peril their courage melted away.
They reeled and staggered like drunken men;

They were at their wits' end.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

and He brought them out of their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper;

the waves of the sea were hushed.
They were glad when it grew calm,

and He guided them to their desired haven.

Psalm 107:24-30

Setting Sail

Today we set sail for Togo, leaving Tenerife behind.

All that surrounds us now is the deep blue Atlantic Ocean, land is no longer in sight.

The final rope is released

Theodoro bids us farewell to the hymn "How Great Thou Art"

Departing from the dock

Our last view of the volcanic mountains of Tenerife

Heading out into the ocean deep

καιρός

Kairos:
an ancient Greek word meaning "the right moment" or "the opportune".









I had the amazing opportunity to meet Theodoro, the Greek Argentinian trumpeter who lives on the island of Tenerife and plays his trumpet from the dock as the ship sets sail for Africa.

One year ago, I heard him play as the ship set sail for Benin. This year he came aboard and shared his life story with the Mercy Ships community. We hit it off right away over ice cream and then coffee where he shared more stories and his photographs with me. Never did I imagine I would meet the trumpeter who bid us farewell one year ago to the tune of "Amazing Grace". It was quite a moving experience, as we set out to sea. This year will be different, now knowing the man who plays his trumpet to send the ship out to sea from the dock every year.