How to Save a Life

I GET TO DO BST! Whoo hoo! BST is Basic Safety Training and is something that usually gets done when long term Africa Mercy crew go to On Boarding in Texas. However, due to some scheduling issues, many people in my On Boarding group did not get to participate. Lucky me... a training was arranged for several people here in South Africa and I get to join in. We started last Monday with Personal Safety and Social Responsibility then moved to Personal Survival Techniques where we got to do a practical in a swimming pool! Yes, a swimming pool! Dreams do come true. The pool was incredibly cold (no exaggeration) but after 45 minutes I could feel my extremities again and I didn't want to get out. We had to flip a life raft, jump in from a height with a lifejacket on, stay afloat without a lifejacket and tow another person. It was quite fun, except for the part where one person freaked out and pushed someone under the water to keep himself afloat. I'm not sure if he just wasn't a strong swimmer, or he was just so very cold that he panicked, but it really showed how easily people can change when their state of mind changes to survival mode. Anyway, everyone was fine in the end, but it was a bit scary for the guy who got pushed under. Then we started firefighting on Wednesday and had to do a search and rescue exercise in the dark with full SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) gear. I was so worried about it because there was this big ladder that you had to descend and I was convinced that I was going the plummet to my death. Clearly my fear was unfounded because I am still alive. Then on Friday we went to a sugar cane field and got to use the fire hoses and fire extinguishers on real fires (well the flames were real but they were contained). They had a shipping container and we had to enter the space and put out the fire and them back out. It was a little anti-climactic but still a great experience. Funny thing about the sugar cane field: right next to where we were doing our practical was a coffin manufacturing company (just in case anything went wrong).

The best part of this whole week is that I got hurt. Well, that isn't the good part, it is the way that I got hurt that is just ridiculous. I didn't injury myself doing any of the activities but rather, just walking across the street. Perhaps I need to started wearing my PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) everywhere I go. 

Next week we have security awareness and first aid and we are done! 

South Africa is full of beautiful landscapes, wonderful people, and great opportunities. That being said,  when you live in a country (albeit temporarily) that has food options galore, it is pretty exciting. South Africans have these things called rusks. They are akin to a biscotti and they just warm my dunking loving heart! Sure, you would break your teeth if you tried to eat them dry, but that is what makes them great! It's the simple things.

Crash and Dazzle

I got to spend Sunday through Tuesday on one of the most fantastic trips I have ever experienced. Not only did I have great company, the sights were incredible, and I was spoiled the whole time. Three others ladies and I set off early Sunday morning for our safari adventure. We were lucky enough to have the best guide ever (that is not an exaggeration). When I say we were lucky, it was a fluke that we ended up with Brett. We booked with another tour company but they didn't have the man power to take us, and they have a great working relationship with Brett, who manages his own tour company, so we got kicked over to him. If you have an inkling to do a safari in any country in the Southern part of the African continent I would HIGHLY recommend you use Brett. This is his website: http://www.mangalekaafrica.co.za/. He is knowledgeable about the wildlife, he knows a ton of languages, he is a great cook, takes amazing photos, has a serious amount of patience, and seems to love what he does. We spent our time in Hluhulwe iMfolozi Game Reserve, which is about a 3 hour drive outside of Durban. Before we got to the game reserve we stopped at a cat rehabilitation centre. The animals at the centre are there for a variety of reasons: some are disabled and wouldn't be able to survive in the wild, and some were purchased as pets and then their owners got to a point where they couldn't take care of them anymore. We saw serval, caracal, african wild cats (which look like house cats), and cheetahs.

Look at those long legs!

After the rehab centre we headed for the park and got to work looking for animals. It is a good thing I can buy my food at the grocery store because if I had to hunt I'd die really quickly. I was not very good at spotting animals but there were others in my group who had a knack for it, so we got to see many different animals. We had some incredible sightings and I think the pictures really speak for themselves.

Nyala

Warthogs

Vultures

Did you know a group of zebra is called a dazzle? And a group of giraffe is called a tower or a journey? And a group of rhino is called a crash? After learning these things we named ourselves team crash and dazzle. 

On Tuesday we were headed back to Durban but first, we made a stop in St. Lucia to take a boat cruise on the St. Lucia Estuary. An estuary is meeting point where a river or a stream meets a body of salt water. This is where we saw many hippos and crocodiles. 

An Australian, 2 Americans, and a Canadian with some hippo teeth

Another Stop on the Journey

We are in Durban! What I have seen of the city leads me to believe it is like many large coastal cities; there is beautiful waterfront, skyscrapers that mark the presence of large businesses, commercial centres (big malls!), and a noticeable divide between rich and poor.

The area around the ship yard is unsafe and so the way our lives work are very different than they were in Madagascar. Instead of being able to walk out of the port and catch a ride (or just walk) you have to put on your hardhat and walk 2 minutes or less to get into a taxi. Don't worry, we don't tote around the hard hats like off duty construction workers, there is a bin to drop them off before exiting the ship yard. Once you get in the taxi you can go wherever your heart desires (within your financial restrictions). Thankfully there are lots of people who like to run so a shuttle has been arranged for anyone who wants to run in the morning. On Friday we drove about 15 minutes and got to what looked like a good place to run. On our route we found an even better place; hopefully we can start there next time. There was even a hill involved! I got particularly excited about the hill because, while Madagascar is quite hilly, there are no hills in the immediate vicinity of the port. 

The repairs have started so there are people working all the time (even on the weekend) and the ship is a little messy with all the insulation being taken out of the ceiling and set on the floor to give the workers access. 

While the inside of the ship is a mess, the view from deck 8 is just beautiful day and night.

Another nice thing about being in Durban is the food! I am getting my fill of green salads. I even got to dine at one of the nicest hotels in Durban. A few friends were staying the night and so I tagged along to have dinner. It was gorgeous! The rooms were beautiful and the view was amazing.

I felt so lucky to have been included in that excursion because it was just such a treat that I would never have indulged in if it were just me.

Apart from that, work is busier than I expect but it helps me stay out of trouble! I am done with my cleaning for today so I am off to try and make sure I don't revert back to my extreme whiteness that happens during winter. Oh yeah, "winter" in Durban is not winter at all. It is more like fall at home, and I LOVE fall, so I am thoroughly enjoying myself.

As an extremely random aside: I was especially pleased with the piping job that  can come from a plain old plastic bag! 

Have a wonderful week!

Oops, I Did It Again!

We are back on the open ocean. Since everyone is all cooped up there are some activities planned to help people stay out of trouble (it doesn't always work).

Last night I helped organized a round of sock golf. Nick, one of our chaplains on board, was particularly excited about his outfit...

Clearly he had good reason to be excited, because that is just classy. 

The past few days have been a bit gloomy but today is just gorgeous. The sunshine was just what I needed for my Saturday after I realized I hadn't been outside for a couple of days (oops). So after the fire drill I got myself out to the bow and saw this...

The immensity of it all got me thinking (which often gets me into trouble). I was thinking about a mistake I made today. It was more a moment of curiosity killed the cat. There was just something I really wanted to know. To be clear, there was no NEED for me to know but I was being stubborn and I HAD TO KNOW! Well... once I knew I didn't want to know anymore. I can't make amends and I can't take it back so now I really have to live with it... Forever.

I make a ton of mistakes everyday; bad choices, poor decisions, unintentionally hurting someone, forgetting to do something, completing a task inadequately, saying things that are awful, offending people, thinking the wrong way, showing up late, and the list goes on. So how is it that sometimes I can just pick up and move on after I make a blunder and other times I can't move past it? I genuinely don't know, so if you have an explanation I would love to hear it.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Written from somewhere on the Indian Ocean

It's the most "insert adjective" time of the year!

You know when Staples starts playing the back to school commercial at the beginning of August and you are just thinking it is completely unnecessary? Well, my dad LOVED that commercial and took great joy in singing it to us (his kids) to remind us that we would be back to school very soon. Although this is the most backwards time of year to be thinking of that song (as everyone is getting ready for school to finish), this is a special time of year on the ship. Orange lifejackets, and at sea drills mean we are gearing up to set sail!

I say that you can insert your own adjective to describe this time of year because it is not the same for everybody. Depending who you are, and your role on the sail, it could be the most wonderful time of the year or, if you are working really hard to get the ship to Durban, it could be the most stressful time of year. If it is your first sail it could be the most nerve racking time of the year because you don't know if you are going to be standing on deck 8 marvelling at the open ocean, or if you will be staying close to a toilet ready to toss your cookies at any moment. It could also be the most beautiful time of year if you get to see some marine life swimming along side the ship, or get to look at the crazy amount of stars on a clear night. Regardless of your adjective, the sail is certainly a unique experience for everyone. I am hoping that I will maintain my status as a good sailor (and get to keep my name), but I have half a dozen cans of ginger ale, just in case. 

If all goes well, the ship should almost be in Durban, South Africa this time next week. Keep us on your mind throughout the week, especially the technical crew who have to work extra hard to make sure we get there safely. 

This field service in Madagascar has been immensely successful, and part of me is surprised that a year has already gone by since I began my Mercy Ships journey in Texas. I have learned so much this year, about myself and about others, but I will save those insights for another post. Thank you to everyone who has supported me in getting to this place, and being able to staying here. Despite the challenges, I wouldn't change any of it. I am looking forward to a quiet time in Durban to gear up for coming back to Madagascar for another field service in August.

What is your word for this time of year (sailing or not)?

¡Adiós Amigos!

In the wake of a substantial amount of crew members coming to the end of their commitments, there have been lots of sad faces around. Really, these last two weeks have been a platform for 80+ crew departures. Among the tears, and goodbyes, I would say there are a whole lot of excited, thankful, and joyful faces around as well. I have often found that it is incredibly easy to find something that hurts, or doesn't make sense, and let it take hold of me and be at the centre of my life. Today I have too many things to be happy about to not let them own the day (and hopefully the week/month/year). I hope that you can see past the hardship, trials and tribulations, and know that there are lots of things that are going right in your life. This isn't because you're better off than someone else, but because you are where you are right now, being who you are, and living the best way you can, for you. I'd like to point out that I am often comparing myself to others; my successes, my failures, my burdens, my dreams, the way I look, the way I feel, and almost everything else. I am thankful for the following things without comparison to anyone else's circumstances, better or worse.

1. Unexpected notes that remind you that someone sees the good in you
2. People who bring you a wonderful sense of calm and peace just by being who they are
3. A long awaited software update for my computer (now my ipod and my laptop can understand each other - this is HUGE) and the fabulous people who brought it to me!
4. Welcoming back wonderful AFM alumni
5. New life and growing families
6. Dance parties on deck 7
7. Being told I dance like an African (by an African)
8. Discovering new music and listening to it all weekend on repeat
9. Farewell parties that are full of laughter, dancing, and incredible amounts of food
10. Space to search for what makes sense (or doesn't)
11. Possibilities for the future

A very good friend of mine started a 215 day count of gratitude and random acts of kindness as a part of one of her ministries. You can check it out here: http://www.liftedhandsministries.org/ or on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/liftedhandsministries.

"Don't be dismayed by good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends." - Richard Bach

Family Vacation

Last weekend I got to go on a family vacation! This was especially exciting for me because my biological family didn't take very many vacations together when I was growing up.
When I went to Texas last year, to start my Mercy Ships journey, I spent those first few months with the same people everyday, getting a crash course in areas that would get us ready for long-term life on the Africa Mercy. We got to know each other quite a bit more than you would if you had just rolled up to the ship and dove in to the community. As this year has passed, a whole lot of things have changed and that means that we are saying goodbye to A LOT of the people. That is okay, because they are going on to other, fantastic things, but that doesn't take away the sadness that comes with your family breaking up. Yes, we are a family. I was thinking and we really are a family for many reasons:

1. You don't talk to everyone in your family all the time, but you know that if you need them they are there for you
2. You know that they are a familiar face in a new situation, and that is terribly comforting when you feel like everything is changing/falling apart around you
3. We are often dysfunctional
4. We have jokes that other people don't understand
5. We get together to celebrate birthdays 
6. We have shared traumatizing (and not so traumatizing) experiences
7. We support each other
8. Each person contributes something different
9. We annoy, upset, and frustrate one another (on occasion)
10. It is hard to say goodbye

All that to say, we had a nice weekend, with lots of love, some tears, and a few group hugs...

Photo credits go to the always wonderful, Walter Pretorius.