I Live in a Gated Community in Africa

I live in a gated community in Africa. To be more accurate, I live in a double gated community. The Africa Mercy ship is nestled in the port in Madagascar. The outer gate to our community is guarded by a combination of local maritime police, port facility security officers, and the Gendarmerie, a military style police force common in French speaking countries. No one enters the port without proper identification. We have a lovely driveway, as I call it. There’s a fair walking distance from our gangway to “actual Africa.”

The roads in this port are very well maintained.  There are huge cargo ships unloading containers for delivery.  Last week there was a massive Roll-On/Roll-Off Ship (Ro-Ro) “parked” behind us. It was from Norway and the port filled up with new vehicles from all over the world. There are tractors driving to and fro. Motorcycles with port workers zipping around, giant semi-trucks with containers of imported supplies headed out for distribution to the country. The activity in the port resembles scenes in books from my childhood by Richard Scarry. Hopefully, everything gets to the correct location, owners, and those needing the delivery. I learned that in other African countries, items the USA sends over from Goodwill and other thrift stores, meant for donation, are often “sold” once they arrive here. It is fascinating how things travel around the world. I recall walking down the busy market street with a friend in Sierra Leone and my friend saw her high school shirt on an African man on the street. Not just her high school shirt, but HER senior shirt with her name on the back from years before! I also bought a brand new scarf from a dirty tarp on the ground, in the middle of the market with the tag still on it from Wal-Mart (see my blog from Saturday, July 14, 2012 titled A Little Piece of Idaho and the Africa Market).

There are a few buildings with wooden scaffolding constructed for upcoming projects. A pile of scaffolding sticks, carefully carved into roughly the same shapes and sizes are wheeled along in a wheelbarrow to be used for more scaffolding. An ambulance sits in front of an official looking building.  Dustin pointed out; the local ambulance has the word ambulance, written incorrectly on the front. I just learned this week that apparently, in the USA, we write “ecnalubma” on the front of our ambulances so when a driver looks in their rearview mirror, the reflection reverses the image again making the word ambulance spelled correctly. I thought Dustin did not pay attention to a lot of details. Boy, I was wrong.

There’s even a pedestrian sidewalk in the port. Many countries do not let pedestrians walk freely through the port for security reasons and safety. This is a busy port, so I am glad we are allowed to walk in the port, some countries do not allow that. I enjoy walking in the port for exercise. No trouble getting in 10,000 steps a day around here. I greet the workers I walk past by saying “Salama” pronounced “sah-LAH-mah.” Dustin is getting good at his greetings as well. There’s a mix between French and Malagasy here for the main languages. So, it’s very common to hear “Bonjour” as well and it takes me off guard when someone says “hello” in English. There is a group of beautiful local women with caramel-cappuccino colored skin, and in my mind, the perfect hair, in matching housekeeping style dresses sweeping the sidewalks to keep the port tidy.

There are a few areas of beautifully manicured grass, tropical flowers, and baby palm trees. Colorful lizards scurry through the grass. I can safely meander on the port sidewalk as a woman in daylight hours without concern for my security. I live in a gated community in Africa.

To approach our ship, one has to pass a second gated area guarded with pedestrian and vehicle boom barrier gates. Our area is secured and only crew, our local interpreter team, and day crew team are allowed past this point. Our area is blocked by a container wall to allow privacy and another level of safety. We have an incredible team of Gurkhas, Nepalese Soldiers, keeping us extra safe and secure before anyone is allowed on board.

My house-ship in this “gated community” has a constant supply of water. Not only water, but clean water, in both hot and cold temperatures. Thank you to the hotel engineering team. I have electricity, most of the time, thanks to the electricians, (Dustin) and the engineering team, who keep the lights on. I have air-conditioning, most of the time, thank you HVAC team, and all technical crews. I have plenty of food, not only food, but nutritious food, clean, free from worms, parasites, and damaging invisible toxins and health risks related to the practice of using “nightsoil” human excrement for fertilizer. Thank you to our incredible galley team and dining room team.  I have access to world renowned medical, ophthalmic, and dental care. I have a pharmacy, medical supply, CT scanner, radiography, lab, and walking blood bank. I have clothing, clean water to wash it in, and soap, not a muddy river with more tropical diseases that is my only option for bathing or washing clothing. I have a roof over my head and shelter. I am extremely blessed.  I live in a gated community in Africa. I am in one of the safest places in all of Madagascar.

If any of you pay attention to global news, you may have heard there is excitement and lots of “parades” and “reunions” of passionate folks in my corner of the world. It is true. This is not uncommon in this part of the world. The first “parade" was on September 25 and initially was triggered by grievances over chronic power and water outages. The “parades” got a little more enthusiastic and spread around the country to include grievances over corruption, poverty, and the cost of living. Some of the “parade” participants and those not liking the “parades” became animated and gas that created tears, along with other methods to stop such “parades” were initiated. The Bible Society building in the capital was engulfed in flames in the process. They donated Bibles in the local language to the ship. The majority of these “parades” and “reunions” of passionate individuals are taking place 12 hours via land from my location in the city with the seat of government. Some people have left the “parades” for alternative activities such as pillaging.

Again, I am VERY safe; I live in a gated community in Africa. Mercy Ships takes extra layers of precaution to keep me safe. When necessary, the captain of our ship advises us if it’s better for us all to spend time bonding in our gated community rather than wandering to the grocery store, tailor, or beach for a little R&R. Life in my gated community continues with minimal interruption. We are extremely blessed. Concern has come from countries servicing our location with incoming flights and airlines not wanting to land their planes with animated “parades” and “gatherings” of people. This has created unique opportunities for prayer for our crew and those we are here to serve. Hearts and hope have been set on anticipated surgery dates.  We have had surgery delays, a return of flow of crew arrivals and departures, and now more surgery delays. This is devastating for those waiting for intervention, especially for those near suffocation from tumors encroaching on their airway. Please join us in prayer. Please pray for this area. Pray for the “parades” and those participating and those who are not fans of the themes of the “parades.” Those participating in the “parades” have been carrying signs requesting the leader of the country to take an “early retirement.” He already gave an “early retirement” to many in his leadership team a few weeks ago. Yet, the “parades” continue with “reunions” as well. Life has been lost at these “parades” by a clash with those not appreciating the “parades.” Tragic.  I am safe and unafraid (Matthew 10:28 is my inspiration for being unafraid). I told Dustin, I only fear “irrational” things. Ha! Thanks OCD, anxiety, and my extra, overactive mind. Please pray for my friends and those really struggling that live just outside my gated community in Africa.  

Third Edition of "5 Thoughts from Dustin-9 Pictures from Dustin"

 

The Africa Mercy Electrical Team Nationalities represented left to right: Philippines, United Kingdom, America, and Romania Dustin noted that the "office-breakroom" for the electricians in 88% humidity and 80 degree weather on the dock is cooler than their actual workroom near the engine room on the ship. The boys posed for a picture after I insisted. Missing their fellow electrician, a rockstar gal from Switzerland, who departed a few days prior to this photo. I told the boys to smile so I could send this picture to Dustin's mom as she would appreciate it. Then the chief electrician from Romania, said, his mom would actually appreciate a photo too. The other guys chimed in that their families would actually love a photo of them as well.  Will need to get an updated photo as we now have a new Chief Electrician serving on board and he is from the Ukraine.

My handsome electrician headed down toward the engine room and his workroom. Although Dustin sometimes feels "unimportant" Mercy Ships could not complete it's work with out every crew member aboard.	Dustin and the chief electrician- his supervisor during a fire drill on the dock.  We have mandatory fire drills every week.
I know Dustin has given up a lot of his personal comforts to be here. I asked for a fellow crew member coming from the USA to bring him some comfort from home. It'd been 48 days since Dustin had a Reese's or Hershey's Bar. It's been 48 days since he's had a Pepsi from the USA. He called his wife "a little blesser" for arranging for these comforts from home to travel here. Thanks Mom K & Scout Master Kent, my "adopted family "from Vermont for sending the treasures.	Related to shift work, Dustin and I do not always get days off together. I wander into town with friends when able. I found a little bakery that looked lovely, clean, and safe the other day. I brought Dustin back a donut. He was excited and ate it as an "appetizer" for dinner.
Our friend Sonja left on Sunday to start her journey home to Switzerland. She was an ICU nurse and member of the dive team. She invited us to visit her sometime. She lives very near a town called "Suhr" Switzerland.	Dustin and I were able to join 11 other friends for a birthday dinner/good-bye party a few days ago. Dustin was surprised when his fish came out with the skin still on and a full head and tail. I just told him to smile and thank the waitress. He did, then gave me this expression for a photo.
Another Pepsi Miracle for Dustin! We found regular Pepsi in a tiny store here that does not have the fake sugar additives! It appears to be from Pakistan. It says "Stronger Fizzier Tastier" at the top of the bottle in tiny letters. That's the only way we were able to tell it was different from the other "regular" Pepsi. After Dustin's disappointment with the fake sugar additives in the other "regular" Pepsi Dustin asked if we could adventure back to the little store to see if the other Pepsi was different. It was! It apparently is sorta "flat" tasting, but Dustin is mighty thankful. On my days off, I find a friend to walk to the 3 plus miles with me to the store for Dustin. I load my backpack up and trek it back for him. Last time the store only had 2 bottles total left. We bought them out!	All rights to whoever made this meme. It is not mine. Dustin sent me this picture the other day and I cracked up laughing. He was hinting that his hair is WAY longer than he wants and we need to find a solution. I keep rooting for a "man bun." Dustin will not comply. In an odd way, this lion sorta resembles Dustin. Hahah! He's REALLY wanting a haircut soon. I am working on solutions.

The Blame Game or Be a Door

 Pain and Suffering are everywhere around us. No one is immune to the reach of pain and suffering. We experience pain in our personal lives, family units, extended families, friendships, churches, villages, communities, provinces, states, and countries. We turn on the TVs and watch more pain and suffering. Someone once told me the world news is “what’s wrong in the world” and the local news is “what’s wrong near you!”

 Pain and suffering are HUGE philosophical topics. The reality of pain and suffering make many even question the very existence of God. Then people move to determine IF God exists, He is not a kind and loving God, or there would not be pain and suffering.

 I’ve had life VERY easy compared to many in the world. When I went to Liberia for the first time in 2008, I saw suffering unlike anything I had ever seen before in the poverty stricken, post-civil war-torn, country. It rocked my world and beliefs. (See a brief snippet of some of my thoughts in my blog post from Friday, May 2, 2008 titled Reality.)

I remember going to the Chaplaincy-Counseling office on the ship full of questions related to the inner turmoil my heart and soul were experiencing related to all the agony, sorrow, grief, hurting that was tangible in the air around me. The stories of the utter torture my patients had been through, the fact that many of them were literally suffocating behind tumors the size of basketballs. Or mamas telling how they bravely choose the life of their child born with a cleft lip and lost their village, food, marriage, and a hut home because of the belief that cleft lip babies were demon babies and should be left to die.

 A World Health Organization report in 2008 noted Liberia had a population of 3.5 million and “only 3 Liberian surgeons and no Liberian anesthesia providers” (Google and WHO report from 30 September-3 October, 2008- all my professors forgive me for not including a proper citation, I can’t even remember how to right now, nor do I want to be bothered, but know that is not my personal knowledge).  Then the fact that I toured the JFK Memorial Hospital in 2008 and it was an empty shell of a building. I met 1-2 nurses that were loyally going to work every day, but had not been paid in years. There were no supplies in the hospital. These nurses went in hopes that one day they would be paid to work again and have supplies to provide care. There was no running water and no electricity. The nurses showed up to give what they had to anyone who might show up in need. So if people had the chance to accesses a surgeon, there might not be anesthesia, or supplies, and most do not have the money to afford care. (See my blog titled The Neurosurgeon and One Single Light bulb from July 3, 2012 to understand the desperate situation a little more).  Let’s not even approach the topic of 26 year old me learning what child soldiers are and the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Project, a commission that was formed to investigate more than 20 years of civil conflict in Liberia and the human rights violations and war crimes. A former child soldier even spoke at one of our community meetings.  

Mind blowing, earth shaking, matters of the heart and I thought it was a big deal to share an air-conditioned cabin in tight quarters with 5 other girls. To be restricted to 2 minute showers, with not only running water, but clean water, and not cold water, but hot water if I desired. The chaplaincy-counseling office on the ship gave me a number of resources and welcomed my questions.  I was connected with a copy of The Problem of Pain written by C.S. Lewis and published in 1940. I also borrowed a book called The Gift of Pain by Philip Yancey and coauthored by Dr. Paul Brand, a famous British surgeon published in 1997. I took the books to a quiet corner on the ship and started to thumb through the book by C.S. Lewis. I quickly realized I was in over my head and with my poor attention span, I set that book aside. Then I picked up the book by Philip Yancey and Dr. Paul Brand. I read the back cover:

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“A World Without Pain?

Can such as place exist? It not only can-it does. But it’s no utopia. It’s a colony for leprosy patients: a world where people literally feel no pain and reap horrifying consequences. 

His work with leprosy patients in India and the United States convinced Dr. Paul Brand that pain truly is one of God’s great gifts to us. In this inspiring story of his fifty-year career as a healer, Dr. Brand probes the mystery of pain and reveals its importance. As an indicator that lets us know something is wrong, pain has value that becomes clearest in its absence. 

The Gift of Pain looks at what pain is and why we need it. Together, the renowned surgeon and award-wining writer Philip Yancey shed fresh light on a gift that none of us want and none of us can do without.”

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Being a nurse, this resonated with me. I dug into the pathophysiology of leprosy and all of sudden, the intellectual waves that were battering against my worldview and causing soul upheaval calmed. Pain was not the enemy. In this soul searching someone gave me one of the most influential quotes of my life. I cannot even remember who, or if I read it in one of the above mentioned books, but it has stuck with me for 17 years…

“You ask, God why is there ALL this suffering in the world and WHY have YOU NOT done ANYTHING about it! Well, what if God asked YOU the same question? WHY have YOU not done ANYTHING about ALL the pain and suffering in the world.”

As I finish writing this post at 2:52am because I just came off night shifts and apparently my body wants to be awake, the words to a song by Jason Grey titled With Every Act of Love run through my mind. “God put a million, million doors in the world for His love to walk through. One of those doors is you. I said, God put a million, million doors in the world for His love to walk through. One of those doors is you…”   

The choice is yours. Point a finger at God and blame him for all the problems. Or be a door for His love to walk through.