Stomach Flu, Church Service, Scabies... Patient screening begins this week!

Hey everyone,


Today was not a very fun day.  I woke up feeling nauseous thinking it was the Larium (medicine to prevent malaria)  I took the previous night on a mostly empty stomach, only to find out that the 24 hr stomach flu was going around.  I'm just happy that we're all going through it now versus later on this week when the screening begins.  Feeling sick is also a good reminder of how I would want to be treated if I was a patient.  My roomates were all very sweet bringing me water and medicine.  Unfortunately one of my other roomates from Canada also got the stomach flu shortly after I did.

We went to a church service on Sunday about twenty minutes from our ship.  The church was made of concrete with open windows and a door.  The children had their Sunday school outside while the adults had service inside.  


We brought our translator with us who translated everything the Togolese minister said, although their minister did try to say what he could in English.  The main message of his sermon was what ever we find our hands to do with work we should do it with all our might, whether it be cleaning toilets, being a surgeon, being a mother, being a housewife, ect.  It was neat knowing that these people who live on $2 a day and speak a different language were hearing the exact same message as we were and study from the same Bible as us.  Their church service was very much the same as one we would have back at home, but also very different.  The main difference is that their church service lasts for hours.  


They sing and dance and even formed a congo line, while we usually stand and sing.  The kids outside kept trying to sneak inside to dance with the adults.  At one point there were about five or six kids wanting to sit on my lap or just hold my hand.  One of the kids I found out after holding him a bunch had scabies, but thankfully I am still itch free due to the fact that I took a shower and used special anti-parasite soap right when I got back.  Scabies is a very common problem here and its hard to see something so easily fixable go untreated.

Random Photos- "We can not take our camera out much because people do not like to have their pictures taken unless you really know them.  It is also not wise to have jewelry or anything valuable in sight or one could get mugged. 

Lindsey

PS...it is possible to order pizza delivery in the USA all the way from a ship in Africa :) Nice one!  Too bad they don't deliver Donatos in Togo, Africa

PSS

Lindsey did not go running.  She and her friend ran around the armed guards for 20 minutes in a quarter mile fenced in circle.  

Off the Ship and to the Marketplace

Dear friends and family,

Today we finally got to go out and past the gates and security guard! It was a very freeing experience.  We were all starting to get cabin  fever being on the ship for several days in a row.  We took a cab and paid 2,000 ceefas, which is $4 to the artisian market.  


The marketplace was very busy with many of the people carrying baskets on their heads to sell things such as fish, material, shoes, ect.  That way they don't have to pay taxes if they can carry what they are selling on their heads.  


Everyone speaks French and only a few people knew some occasional English words.  We looked up a few french phrases before we left to help us w/ our bargaining skills.  The people were all very nice and respectful so far.  One of the girls, Jill, bought some shoes.  We didn't think they would give her her change back, but he did w/out having to ask.  They all know who Mercy Ships is and some said we give Mercy Ships discount! 


The women are all very pretty and wear the most beautiful clothes with many bright colors.  Most of the women wrap a piece of linen around their back to carry their babies. 

Meeting the people has made me even more excited about having some of them as my patients.  I can't wait to start having conversations w/ them through the translators and I really can't wait to hold their babies.

Today we're helping with security and helping out with a reception that we're having with all the people we work with and are connected with in Togo.  This way they can all see the ship.  I'm not sure who all is invited to this reception, but it should be interesting.  Next week the real fun begins with the screening process, and this weekend we have the weekend off.  


Tomorrow morning I am really excited to go for a run with some of the crew members.  We plan on running a 10 K and hope to get in good enough shape to run to the border of Ghana which would be 20 Kilometers round trip. ("with body guards I hope"...mom)

Lindsey

2 pm Togo time

First Photos in Togo

Lindsey and Jill met four other Mercy Ships volunteers, while waiting for
the first airplane to be fixed in D.C.

Layover in Ethiopia- Long trip but so exciting!

Togolese aid in transporting volunteers

Streets of Togo

Traveling to the Mercy Ship

First Look at the Mercy Ship

Landrovers transport volunteers

Orientation in a hospital room

Lindsey Arrived and On The Ship!

"Hey guys,

So we finally arrived in Togo this afternoon with out any more trouble!

There are quite a bit of dirt roads, palm trees, and many many people

selling things on the streets.  We were picked up in a landrover by a Mercy

Ships day worker. The day workers are all natives of Africa and are paid by

Mercy Ships to do various tasks for us, most importantly being translating

French while we take care of our patients. I'm already getting a little

home sick and am feeling a bit sea sick.  I heard it takes about a week to

get used to everything.

So the plan from here on out will be this week orientation and next week we

start screening the patients!  They will then be given a date for surgery,

while others may need care immediately to help prepare them for surgery.

This may include tube feeds to treat their malnutrition.  This process I

heard can get pretty intense seeing that there are many many people who

need and want medical care.  Luckily this organization has been doing this

for quite awhile so hopefully there won't be too many issues.  I'm reeally

really wishing I was fluent in French right about now lol.

Then in the beginning of February we will start doing surgeries.  I'm

assigned to work in the ICU ward.  This unit includes taking care of

patients who need extra monitoring, mostly from maxillofacial surgeries.

These surgeries can provide amazing facial transformations for these

people.  Some patients will stay in our hospital for months since they need

frequent dressing changes and would almost guaranteed get infected if we

just sent them home.

I haven't really met many of the people of Togo yet, but have met many many

crew members from all over the world.  Pretty much everyone has some sort

of accent and it is fun trying to guess where they're from.  I'm usually

wrong though w/ my lack of travel experience.  My roomates are from Canada,

the UK, and Louisiana, USA( my bunkmate).  My bunkmate still hasn't arrived

yet.  She is the one who's flight got really messed up and was originally

supposed to sleep in Dakar so I'm hoping she'll be here soon!

Love,

Lindsey"

No News Yet!

We assume she arrived this morning but has not been able to check in. Last night she sent an email from Ethiopia.

  "So surprisingly the internet works in the Ethiopian airport.. we were all really excited.  Jill and I stepped foot for the first time on African soil and it is gorgeous! We all watched the sunrise right when we got off the airport.  There are mountains and grassy plains w/ a pretty dense city right outside.  They speak Italian and Ethiopian here b/c apparently Italy took over Ethiopia right after World War II, but were playing English Christmas music as we got off the plane, which made us feel at home" 
                There are now four of us b/c one of the girls had a different flight rerouted for some odd reason and was supposed to stay the night in Dakar.. so one of the other nurses went with her.. however they were able to spend the night Brussels instead after much coaxing.  The other two girls are long term volunteers so we feel much more informed about everything.  We met them while we were waiting for our airplane to be fixed in D.C. so its almost a blessing that that happened.. and actually after we got on a different airplane in D.C. we were about to take off.. when they informed us that the hydraulics weren't working on the new plane.. we all initially thought it was a joke that two planes had issues.. but then found out that we had to wait another couple of hours.. hence why we went to Italy and are now in Ethiopia:) but everything happens for a reason and so far none of us have lost our baggage or passports..

So we have about 6 more hours left of flying time.. almost 40 hrs of travel time so we're very ready to be in Togo, but at least now we're in the right continent.

But I love you all and I'll email you when I get to Togo! Its a very weird feeling knowing I'm so far away..

Love and miss you,

Lindsey"

Still Traveling!

Lindsey has had an exciting trip so far.  Her flight was delayed in D.C. so they took a late flight to Brussels.  Sometime this morning she sent me a text with her flight plans from a friend's phone and said they would not get into Lome until tomorrow.  She is taking a trip to Italy, Ethiopia and then to Togo.  Check out the route.  


She did say they may get hotel somewhere with the 5 others she met who are traveling to the Mercy Ship.  Two of them are returning to the ship and have experience traveling in these countries. Lindsey said she would not be able to contact us until she gets to the ship sometime on Tuesday.  They are about 12 hours ahead so it could be the wee hours of Tuesday.    

Lindsey On Her Way!

Bag checked at 49.5 pounds! Off to Brussels then Lome by tomorrow afternoon...Maybe... flight is grounded in Washington, DC.(9:30pm) Four more people headed for Mercy Ships met Lindsey and Jill while in line and working out a new flight together tonight or tomorrow.  The adventure begins...

Lindsey met up with another nurse, Jill, from Indianapolis.  What are the chances of meeting and serving with one of the 40 nurses scheduled to work on the Mercy Ship in Topo, Africa? What are the chances of having the same flight and sitting next to each other? They just met a few weeks ago.
God's providence relieved  parents knowing the girls would be traveling together.

My Grandma, former nurse

Grandma supervised the last minute packing and visits from
friends.

 

Photo from Jan 21, 2012

Dave helped in the last minute updating of her computer. Lindsey learned how to post  pictures to her blog. Computer use may be limited on the ship. Dad did manage to load over 1,000 of our 45,000 family photos to keep her company.

Packing... 50 pounds!

Getting Ready to Go!

Lindsey spent Friday packing and repacking her bag using the scale to measure each pound. How does one pack for 5 months in a 3rd world country living in tight quarters on a ship?