Restful Saturday

So where to begin???

Today has been a day off from work.  The work we've been hardily doing is cleaning cleaning cleaning (for my hospital friends... this is the cleanest hospital I have ever seen... EVERYTHING is being washed and double bleached!  Yes the bottom and inside of all garbage cans...).  The ship was docked in South Africa for 5 months undergoing extensive engine work.  When the ship sails all the hospital contents are placed in large containers.  I will post pictures so this makes sense.  In fact the ship is now docked at a large container yard, so next to the ship are hundreds of these large metal boxes.  All of the supplies and equipment naturally get dusty and dirty after five months, but there was also some heavy water damage that occurred to much of it.  So imagine a lot of mold and mildew... stinky.  BUT, much got done over the week. 

Monday and Tuesday are called screening days.  There is a large stadium in the city of Freetown.  Monday we will leave at 4:30am and spend over twelve hours at the stadium.  Word of Mercy Ship arrival has spread throughout the city and beyond, those in need will somehow make their way to the stadium.  Each person will be evaluated, if there is a need that we can help with they will then be scheduled for surgery at some point over the next ten months.  Mercy Ship was last in Freetown in 2004... It left an incredible impact when it was last here and will again.  There are murals of the ship painted on walls in the city.  When town folk see white people walking about, they often call out "Mercy Ship?" with large smiles on their faces.  The rest of the week will be our training and orientation and final set up of the hospital.  The first patients will come a week from tomorrow, Sunday March 12th, and the first surgery will be the following day.

So life on the ship... This ship was a train ferry in it's past.  It has been renovated by Mercy Ship to serve it's purpose.  There are various sleeping cabins/bunkers on all levels.  The hospital is on the third which there is just one level below that that we use, has a small work out room and a swap shop where people leave things they don't need/take what they may be looking for.  I sleep on the third level as well.  There bunk beds (yes bunk beds farm boys) in my room, 6 beds in all, but only 2 occupied right now.  Myself and another girl from the US, Sara.  Fourth level is mainly sleeping.  Fifth has the cafeteria... which the food has been great... lots of local vegetable and fruit... mango, pineapple, and banana!  Yum.  There is a coffee shop and small store, bank, post office, laundry, hairdresser and kitchen for all to use.  Sixth has a library... that I really like.  And the seventh is the top of the ship.  It is not a former cruise ship so the top is a pretty industrial deck, but it is warm and sunny and relaxing... another favorite spot.  :)  There is a pool, not working at this time though.

I have been spending a bit of time with two Norwegian friends.  Marianne and Bowie.  Some people are here for a short time like me... Others live here for years.  Bowie has been on the ship eight years.  He is an engineer.  He has been a great help in finding one's way around a large new place and community with it's own culture, lingo, and ways of operating.  The three of us took our second jaunt into town this morning.  And by town I under exaggerate... Freetown is a large, heavily populated city... It's not easy to take pictures while walking about.  First of all it's conspicuous and feels disrespectful, the primary reason.  Second of all, most of the time the walking space is jammed full of vehicles trying to move, honking... people, goats, chickens and most of those people trying to make a days wage by selling anything from bagged water, to made in China/Taiwan trinkets and toiletries, to fresh (or not so fresh) fish or other seafood.  All ages are trying to sell, there is no one to buy.  Lining the streets are shambled homes or shops; women, men, children on the stoop watching the world go by.  Children are the most expressive and excited to see a white person, smiles and greetings and waves.  We did find a bakery, got some fresh baked goods and juice and sat at a table for quite some time.  After four or five hours it's the same over and over and we headed back to the ship...

I am having problems loading pictures, so will post without for now and see what I can do.