Ben Abroad: Wrapping up

Blog 24

Today marks two weeks until il be home! I am very much looking forward to returning and being reunited with family and friends once again. The Cape Town spring beckons me. I know that Cape Town is where I want to live and I certainly regard her as the Mother City.

Following my desperate plea for prayer for Tom the ward cook, the dilemma was quickly resolved. I was out in town when he got a call from the Chef asking him to come to the ship for a medical. After Tom passed this he was rehired. That’s answer to prayer!

Last week Monday was the main medical screening for this field service. The screening is a process of ascertaining which patient (in both meanings of the word) hopefuls we can and cannot help. Much planning and organising goes into screening day and most of the crew help in one way or another. From security, escorting, translating, personal info noting to handing out water, cookies and sandwiches.

As in Togo, I helped with security. After finishing work some of us first gathered to make 2000 peanut butter and jam or peanut butter sandwiches. This was very fun and got me energised for the long night ahead. At 2200 we relieved the first security shift at the venue, Palais du Peuple. I spent the next 9 hours guarding a door to the building before leaving at 7. Then there was time for a few hours’ sleep before returning to the screening at 1400 where we remained until the end at 2100.

There were no security issues and all went well on the day. 3500 people came through the gates- many more would have been turned away before then for headaches or referred to dental or eye screenings. About 200 were given appointments and some would be followed up on as we ran out of time. Since we have a ten month field service here I think the word will get out and as we screen further inland, we will fill all possible beds.

Please watch this moving 2 minute film made following the screening day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBf_T7KvHZo

After hearing of the reported 100$ Sierra Leone visas as well as my Ghanaian bunkmate's terrible travels to Freetown a few weeks ago I decided to not try and visit Guinea's southern neighbour. Instead I would spend some of my last free weekend on one of the islands. Roome Island is reportedly the best for tourists possessing a hotel, restaurant and the cleanest beaches. Despite trying to avoid west African travels infuriation aspects- we still encountered many. Leaving the ship an hour late we spent another hour arguing prices with the boatmen and despite their insistence that it was becoming late and that we must hurry, they were the ones causing the delay. Eventually we had more than 20 people standing on the dock who thought we provided good enough entertainment for their Friday night.

We arrived at the island after dark and were led by a local man to a round roofed shelter. We set up our hammocks in here and made a fire on the beach. We roasted marshmallows and put them between biscuits, making s'mores.

Some of our group of eight put up hammocks outside. As is began raining in the early hours, they soon joined us in the shelter. Sam, the only one without a hammock complained of cockroaches as he slept on the floor!

In the morning we were able to see our surroundings for the first time. The beach was beautiful. We could view the other islands nearby and their presence no doubt contributed to the calm water. After a swim I had breakfast and we the packed up so we could relocate to the other beach- one with fewer houses overlooking it. Before leaving, however, Sam, as the only French speaker, had the task of satisfying the eight of us and the man whose shelter it was. Of course the man hadn’t told us the price the night before and we assumed that the inflated drinks he was selling us would cover our simple stay. Poor Sam was talking for one hour and gave up in the end. It certainly made me think how we can be so determined to save 1 or 2 dollars that we will argue and waste the little time we have on the island. The other side of the coin is that as the first Mercy Shippers to camp on the island, we set the cost for the next hundreds of crew members who will visit during the field service. If we pay too much crew will continually be overcharged.

We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming and in a brief spell of rain after which the sun returned as hot as ever. We enjoyed using the life jackets from the boat to ride the waves. We left in the mid afternoon and arrived safely an hour later. The Lord answered our prayer for good weather and safety- as He certainly did on screening day.

Since returning on Saturday night I have not been particularly well and am actually off work today. I have seen the doctor and received the medication and should be back to strength in a few days.

I don't have any major plans before returning home. Just a few last chores.

I leave Guinea on September 22 and arrive home on the 24. My name was on the departures list this morning. I am not sure I will blog again until one last one once home. Could you please pray for safe and smooth travels over my three flights. Also for a peaceful reintegration into life at home.

Thank you for reading over the past 8 months.

Love Ben