Pirates attack tanker off Benin

Please don't worry but this is the breaking news from the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8376715.stm

Pirates attack tanker off Benin

Pirates have attacked an oil tanker off the coast of west Africa, killing a Ukrainian seaman, the commander of Benin's naval forces says.

Cdr Fernand Maxime Ahoyo says the Cancale Star's chief engineer was killed and

one other crewman wounded.

The pirates attacked the vessel some 18 nautical miles (33km) off the coast of Benin, in what correspondents say is the country's first such attack.

One pirate was overpowered by the crew, but the others managed to escape.

Benin-based journalist Esther Tola told the BBC that the pirates were thought to be from Nigeria.

The commander said naval forces had rescued the crew from the tanker and brought them into port.

There were 24 seamen of different nationalities on board the Monrovia-flagged vessel, including Filipinos, Lithuanians and Ukranians, Cdr Ahoyo told AFP news agency.

Western front

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) says piracy in the waters of west Africa is on the rise, with 100 such incidents recorded last year.

The IMB has previously warned of heightened piracy risks along shipping routes in Nigeria and Ghana, to the east and west of Benin.

It said attacks usually took place while ships were at anchor or close to coastal areas, unlike in eastern Africa, where Somali pirates strike ships hundreds of miles out to sea.

More than 10 ships and 200 hostages are currently being held by pirates operating in waters off Somalia.

An international force of about 40 warships has been stationed around the Gulf of Aden, in an effort to clamp down on piracy in some the world's busiest shipping lanes.

Me again..

Ben's blog posts are like buses, you wait ages for one then 3 come along at the same time.

As we work towards te end of our outreach here in Benin I want to share a few stories written by our communications department on patients that have been helped aboard here. Hopefully this will give you an insight into things we, too easily, start to view as normal onboard. It is even good for us to remember that each patient, each story in a miracle.. (more stories to follow)

Veronique’s Sadness Is Gone

Twenty years ago, Veronique went into labor with her first child. Her labor lasted for five days. Finally, she was taken to a doctor who performed a cesarean section. By this time the baby had died, and Veronique had sustained a childbirth injury called vesico-vaginal fistula, in which the trauma of childbirth leaves the woman incontinent.

Like many woman suffering from obstetric fistula, Veronique was abandoned by her husband. She went back to live with her family and has never remarried or had children. She farms to support herself, growing maize and cassava and bringing it to the market to sell. For twenty years, she carried the burden of losing her child and husband and the shame of constantly leaking urine.

Veronique says that people in her village were not cruel to her, and her family allowed her to remain with them. But the problem was still heavy and made her sorrowful.

“My clothes would be wet, and I was cold,” Veronique says. “And though people gave me small things to help me, I could not afford to go to the hospital for a surgery. If I asked others, they would say, ‘No, it is too much.’”

Veronique traveled over ten hours from her village in Togo to the Mercy Ship in Cotonou. She received a free surgery onboard the Africa Mercy and stayed in the hospital with many other women in the same condition. All on their way to hope and healing, the women were a community – supporting each other, laughing and talking together, and knowing they weren’t alone.

“I thank everyone, I thank all the nurses and doctors and everyone on the Mercy Ship,” Veronique says. “I carry this sadness no longer.”

Veronica at dancing at her Dress Ceremony

Written by Carmen Radley

What on earth happened to Bens face !?!

What on earth happened to Ben's face!?!

Here is your chance to win the fantastic prize of knowing you are smarter than everybody else.

Look at the picture below and decide what happened and then leave your answer on comments.

Normal rules and regulations apply, if you have been informed already by BS Calvert on the nature of the accident you are excluded from participation.

A. While teaching Grade 3 one of the boys threw a temper tantrum (and he's one of the small guys in the class.) While holding onto him to calm him down he accidently managed to konk me with the back of his hand right on the bridge of the nose.. Resulting in the above..

B. Working and living on a ship will always be dangerous.. While teaching on deck 8 (top deck) Our engineering department were working on the canopy that covers a large section on the deck. One of the, thankfully, rope ties snapped and the knot at the bottom smacked me on the eyebrow of my right eye.. Resulting in the above..

C. While joining in with the Benin Olympics I decided o back-flip of a pallet. While taking off the palet tipped changing my angle of take off resulting in me getting round but smashing my nose of my knee while,landing. Lavishing the floor aroun in a spray of blood. Resulting in the above..

D. While walking in town the other weekend I say a young lady being mugged by 10 large guys. Without a thought to my own safety I rushed in and grabbed hold of her. As the men surrounded us I said in a calm and collected voice: 'you may take me down, but you're coming down with me. In a flurry of punches, kicks, scratches, karate chops and Judo rolls I managed to help the girl and myself escape, leaving 8 guys unconcious on the ground and 2 others running in fear of their lives.. I did get hit a few times.. Resulting in the above..

(May not seem probably but was the most fun to type)

E. Water and ships who thought they wouldnt mix.. I slipped on a wet patch on a set of stairs on the outside deck where I teach and hit my nose on the banister while scrambiling for control again.. Resulting in the above..

Whichever one you choose to believe know that I'm fine and look normal again (or as normal as I ever have..)

The big news round-up

I have to start by apoligizing for my lack of Blog entries and email responses. Everybody who knows me will testify to my complete lack of organization. Dont worry though, I will get back to you!

To start with a roundup of the news from the ship. Last weekend was a long weekend so went away for 2 nights with 12 good friends. It was an amazing chance to relax! Even though we all came back more tired than we left the batteries still feel recharged. Benin is a beautiful country by the way. Although we were only 2 hours down the coast the sceneray seemed that of a tropical paradise but returning to Cotonou set our feet all firmly back in the reality of the challenges this country faces.

Being able to spend some time with a good group of friends made me realise how many AMAZING people I am honoured to meet here. People with amazing faith and grace, but with humor, stupidness and fun aswell. As great as that is the thought that out of the 12 on the trip 10 will have left by the end of the year was scary. It is a sad reality of our community here that the majority of the people serve for up to 1 outreach (outreach being the time we are in 1 country). Although this does give you the oppertunity to meet so many amazing people it also means that the turnover is high. As a long term'er I will see a lot of people come and go, as frightening as this is I know that I am making friends for life here, and literally from every continent. This Christianity stuff has really started to spread ;)

Funny note: we had/have (depends when I get round to posting this) the Beninois Navy in the harbour this week. This meant: 2 very rusty definently on the small side Navy vessels with cannons in the front. And 1 small motorboat with 2 oversized engines on the back and 1 oversized submachine gun mounted on the front. Knowing there wasn't any problems (with us at least) or any danger what so ever, it is still slightly unnerving and very sureal to be teaching a lesson and look across and see a motorboat scanning its submachine gun in your general direction. Cool eh!

Last interesting bit of international sportsnews is my brief return from retirement to play in the Africa Mercy Crew vs Africa Mercy Day Volunteer football match. Day volunteers are local people who help us during our stay here and are payed a compensation for their work. GO CREW!

We (the crew) managed to win on penalties after a 0-0 draw. To be honest it was really nice to be back on a pitch (without my knees hurting)... watch this space.. ;)

Hopefully on Monday we will be having dinner at the presidential palace as he has invited the whole crew to thank us for our work here. This could be a major chance for us to minister to the senior officials of the country so please pray for the meeting. this is the 3rd time the dinner has been rescheduled but it is not every day you meet a president so it will be worth the wait.

Newsletter on its way this week!

Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers,

Ben

There's a storm a brewing..

This has been posted on many a Mercy Ships blog before and even made it into my newsletter but wanted to share it one last time..

The following poem was written by Prince Eddie Daniels from Ghana, a patient aboard having skin grafts on his hands. I is a descriptive of how he see’s Mercy Ship’s work here.

Angels Amongst the Sons of Men

The day the Big White Whale landed on the black shores of Africa was a blessed day to the Sons of Men.
It came with Angels to walk amongst the Sons of Men.
Why do I call them Angels? Let me tell you of my time with them.

I came on board the White Whale with rooms filled with
the lame
the maimed
the formed
the deformed
the wrong
and the rough.
And deep into the darkest part of the night, I saw men and brethren,
maidens and ladies, though flesh as us, yet with hearts as Angels.

Sleeplessly and tirelessly they toiled through the night,
through the pains and aches of men;
they with hands to heal and mend,
bringing from above the Father's love to the Sons of Men.

Some they cut. Some they tie.
Some they seal, and yet others
they fix with tools untold.

Like messengers of the Most High they came.
Not thinking of their own, they risked their lives
and sailed the seas to lands beyond the endless world,
to shores of Men afflicted and in pain.
Their hearts and lives they came to share,
as Angels walking amongst the Sons of Men.
Some in this life are born to pass,
and some are born in life to live,
yet these Angels are born to preserve humanity.

Though some may see lives as waste,
yet with speed they move to save.
With words of love and touch of peace,
they endlessly toil to make right the wrong.

You were born as Men to your lands,
and yet as Angels you served the earth.
Gold is digged from earth beneath.
Treasures are hunted on high seas.
But love so pure and true
can only in hearts like yours be found.
Your labor in the Lord shall not be in vain.
For every life you touch and every soul you save,
For every bone you mend and every face you straight,
The Lord of Life and Light will light your path and guide your life.

For you are truly Angels amongst the Sons of Men.

The power of a smile.

(The thoughts of a simple PE teacher..)

This week has been a long and strenuous week. Many a night was spent sitting behind a desk as grades had to be prepared, rapport written, conferences held with parents and meetings participated in. By the time Friday came around I had little more to give.

Saturday being a day off and I walked out to have lunch with a friend. And the end of the dock was a military guard with a Kalashnikov, not a strange occurrence at all and nothing to cause worry. But the fact that he was holding a submachine gun is always a little shock to a simple European.

Later that evening I was down on the ward wearing stupid oversized glasses made from cardboard (why is a story in its own right). A mother called me over to see her baby girl. She had just had surgery on a hydro seal. This is a collection of fluids on the brain that caused a growth on her cranium. The pressure of the build up of fluid had left her with brain damage. She rolled his eyes and stared vacantly up at her mother.


These 3 things bring me to my question: where do we see ‘power’?
Tiredness weighs us down, it pushes us to physical and emotional limits, constricts us in our actions and edges our responses.
Firearms have a too apart a power, too often have these inventions been a tool of suffering and pain.
And what of physical ailments? An innocent girl with an affliction from birth that will burden her through life, leaving her scarred physically and mentally.These are the things that are powerful. These are the things that attack us on every facet of our being. If you were keeping score it truely is fairly simple: we lose.



Then she smiled..

A baby of not 6 months old, coming out of major surgery and still with great struggle ahead; she smiled and shook her head at this stupid man wearing (badly made) oversized cardboard glasses.

I was pondering the question: where do we see ‘power’? There . That is where you see true power; power in hope. Every burden, every pain, every struggle I had felt or had seen in the week before was lifted, cancelled out and put to shame by the smile of a baby and the eternal hope it symbolized.


Do you want to know who God is? God is good .

We all live in a yellow submarine..

(Actually typed this last week but forgot to post.. oops :), read all the 'today''s as 'then''s )

No slow start this time, I'm straight in there: everybody in the Netherlands: I've been praying for you all! (or all y'all depending on your region of heritage).

Its starting to dawn on me (if it hadn't already) that this is not just a ship of people working in Africa but, as we always call it, ' a community' in the most real sense of the word. Life here is intense, everything is as it would be in the real world except from the fact that it happens in a box 200 x 50 x 50 m. Think of sharing your garage with 10 people and that would probably translate scale wise (any mathematicians feel free to correct me).

You spend a lot of time with everybody and it is never quiet. This may sound negative but that is not the intent at all! Communityliving is as amazing as it is exhausting!! I love the way friendships are made and built quickly and with commitment. A little r&r would be nice sometimes though :P

I managed to get away with some friends this weekend and spent the night at a resort just up the coast. The batteries have not felt this recharged in a while. It was just what the doctor/nurse/pharmacist ordered, feeling relaxed!

As a side note, the realisation I had today is that I miss my motorbike :P

I borrowed the Vespa of a friend on the ship for the day and it was wonderful!

The main transportation vehicle in West Africa is the Zemi Jaine (which means: 'get me there fast'), these are small motorbikes that also function as taxi's. Everything and anyone (or amount of people) can be transported on a Zemi jaine.

I decided after riding today I need to start saving to buy one. It will make not only a good hobby in the upkeep and driving but give me cheap transport (not that the land rovers are too expensive to use) and, as I'm sure my Mother is worrying enough about me, another thing to add to her list ;)

Bit of a strange blog now I read it, seems almost 'dear Diary'-ish, even a bit rant'n'rave-ish, but it is what it is and that it shall be.

God bless!

Ben

Few example's from the 'Zemi Jaine hall of fame':

Will you come and follow me..

I have this songtext hanging beside my bed, torn from an order of service from the Scot International Church Rotterdam. It is a great reminder for me why on earth I am half way across (or down) the world.

Ben

Will you come and follow me John Bell

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let My love be shown, will you let My name be known?
Will you let My life be grown in you and you in Me?

Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare, should your life attract or scare?
Will you let Me answer prayer in you and you in Me?

Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen?
And admit to what I mean in you and you in Me?

Will you love the 'you' you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you found to reshape the world around?
Through My sight and touch and sound in you and you in Me?

Lord, Your summons echoes true when You but call my name.
Let me turn and follow You and never be the same.
In your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in You and You in me.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling down the river..

Just a little comical interlude.. I do love it here but the contrast is always fun :)

You know your living on the Africa Mercy when:

- Your messages get blue tacked to your door
- Your house moves a couple hundred meters and back again in a weekend
- When you have the same curfew time you had in high school
- You wake up thinking your alarms going off, only to discover it was 3 cabins down.
- You talk about ‘amounts of cabins down’
- You have to choose between: breakfast and lunch or sleep in at weekends
- 2 minutes is considered a normal shower time
- You finish the teaching day with: “see you at dinner”
- You share your living room with 400 people- You are privileged because you are a driver.

- Flashing your knees is exciting
- You don’t answer to Mum or Dad but to the captain and the security officer...
- Your commute lasts less than 30 seconds
- The toilet flushing is a luxury
- The comment ‘hit the deck’ can actually be taken literally...
- You discover The English language is not universal as you thought
- Your phone number consists out of 4 digits
- You meet someone for the first time and start with asking: “how long have you commited for?”
- You live with a chaplain

- Your don’t have a kitchen but a galley
- You can hold a full school assembly in a single classroom

- milk is spelt with a CH

Wonderfully unique..

Patient Story

This is a patient story that was publshed by our communications office. Hopefully gives an idea of the work that is happing here.

Ben

Maomai Dangbenon: Salvation Has Come

Maomai Dangbenon: Salvation Has Come

It was the middle of the night, and Perlagie couldn’t sleep. The image of Maomai, her three-month-old baby girl, flashed through her mind every time she closed her eyes. A huge tumor the size of the baby’s head was jutting out of Maomai’s neck. Perlagie looked over at her daughter, peacefully sleeping in her hospital bed, and began to cry.

For over a week, Perlagie had stayed in the hospital, waiting and praying for a doctor to help Maomai – but no one came. In the morning, they were being sent home. Perlagie didn’t know what to do.

When Perlagie finally fell asleep she had a dream.

“In that dream, I saw a person, who told me I should be quiet and pray – that salvation shall come.”

The next morning, Perlagie felt confident and peaceful. She didn’t know where help would come from, but she knew God was going to take care of her baby.

***

Maomai was born with a teratoma, which means monstrous tumor. It started out as a small, golf-ball sized lump on her neck, but within three months, the tumor had grown to the size of her head.

Everyone in Perlagie’s village was afraid of Maomai. The grotesque tumor was difficult to look at, and the villagers thought they could be contaminated by it. No one would touch or play with the small baby.

“One time I was in the bathroom, and the baby was crying. People were around the baby, but they would not touch her because of the tumor. They left her crying, alone. Even the members of my family,” said Perlagie.

Perlagie was alone. Maomai was a precious, beautiful baby girl, and she could see that, but others simply couldn’t see past the monstrous tumor. In a country where perceived physical differences mark people as outcasts, Maomai was treated like a monster instead of a baby girl.

“I was very, very, sad. I was not able to sleep,” said Perlagie. “Every day, I was crying. Also, I was not eating. I had no appetite because of the condition of my baby.”

Perlagie and her husband wanted to get Maomia help. They took her to a local hospital, but there was no surgeon to perform her surgery. Perlagie didn’t become anxious or fearful. She confidently left the hospital, trusting God to bring healing and deliverance from the tumor.



When Perlagie returned to her village, her sister-in-law told her about the Africa Mercy, a hospital ship filled with doctors and nurses, which had come to Cotonou. She had just returned from the ship after being treated for an eye problem and thought they could help Maomai.

Perlagie brought her daughter to the Africa Mercy and was screened by the medical team. It was obvious that she needed immediate surgery. But the tumor had made it difficult for her to feed, and Maomai was very underweight – too underweight for surgery. The Mercy Ships medical team placed her on a feeding program and scheduled her for surgery in one month. Mercy was on its way. The salvation Perlagie had dreamed of was becoming a reality.

A month passed, and it was time for Maomai’s surgery. The morning of surgery, Peralgie worried it would not be successful.

“I started crying. Some nurses and translators told me the operation was possible with God. The doctor will be successful with surgery, the tumor will be removed, and the baby will be healed. They gave me that hope,” said Perlagie.

After six hours of surgery, Maomai’s tumor was removed. It weighed 375 grams, 15% of her body weight. The monstrous tumor was gone, and the beautiful baby girl remained.

Maomai spent over a month recovering in the hospital. Still struggling to maintain her weight, she had to be fed through a surgically placed feeding tube.

The nursing staff encouraged Perlagie to use the feeding tube. At first, she was hesitant. Perlagie distanced herself from Maomai. But as she grew more comfortable in the hospital, things changed. The nursing staff taught Perlagie how to use the feeding tube. As she took ownership of Maomai’s care, their relationship thrived.

“Initially, we were worried about her,” said pediatric nurse Ali Chandra. “But now she’s been here for over a month, and she’s blossomed. Perlagie has completely bonded with Maomai in the time they’ve been here. And it happened as we started teaching her [to use the feeding tube]. She’s doing really well,” says Chandra.

Maomai has continued to grow stronger since her surgery. Not only has she gained weight, she’s gained vibrancy.

“Maomai used to be this kind of listless baby, and now she’s bright. She’s doing more age-appropriate things than before,” says Chandra.

Psalm 13:5 says, “I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation” (NKJV).

Perlagie knows this to be true. She trusted God to take care of her baby, and He brought her salvation. Perlagie is rejoicing in His mercy.

“I thank God, and I thank each of you, for all you have done for me. God is healing and still working. I have seen my salvation in this child,” she concluded.

Written by Megan Petock
Edited by IOC Editing Team
Photography by Debra Bell and Megan Petock

Row, row, row your boat..

It’s been a little bit of a quiet period since my last post. On Sunday I visited Ganvie, a ‘stilt village’ built on the large lake in Benin. Really cool place by the way! The local town had grown into the lake and a whole community lives on the water! No footpaths, just boats. Suddenly living at a marina isnt so posh :P

To get there we had to take a small boat about 45min up the river. This is the first time it truly hit me the conditions that some people live in here, but also a realization I had never had before; I’ll explain. The riverbanks in Cotonou are where all the rubbish, waste etc collects; also it is where the poorest of the city live.. Passing in the boat the poverty hit my like a heavyweight champs right hook. Literally there are people living in lean too shanties on top of rubbish tips adjacent to the river, that by the way is also the largest open sewer you can imagine. Seeing this I realize why we are here, if in some small w

ay we can contribute to the bettering of the quality of life of these people then every minute spent here will have been worthwhile.

Watching the people as we passed I also came to a realization that was maybe personally more shocking to me: the quality of living is far less than we are used to, but the quality of life is not! The people LIVE LIFE here. There is no complaining about the squalor, there is no down heartedness about the lack of facilities. Seeing the people going round their daily life with the energy they do put me to shame. Too often do I catch myself judging the people’s lives here by the place they live, how they live and what facilities they have at their disposal when they have a appreciation of life that is rarely seen. Yet I find myself complaining when the airco stops for 5min on the ship or when there is only decaf coffee left in the morning in the dining hall.. suddenly sounds so trivial.
Sorry if this sounds confusing but it is a hard feeling to describe.

On Sunday we had an international praise evening with different nations showing how they praise the Lord. ‘Joyful singers’ you have set me in good stead! The best quote of the evening was from a Liberian lady who started their section with the statement: ‘’Stand up! Praise the Lord! Shake your body to the glory of the Lord!’’, never was there a truer statement. I love the energy and the totalness of the way the (west) Africans praise. And why just use our voices when we have our whole bodies at our disposal (even when we lack rhythm)!!

God bless,
Ben

Don't rock the boat..

After a month of bad jokes and puns; I have decided to share some proverbs and sayings about ships and some just quite funny phrases to slip into conversation when one is living on a ship.

Good lines to work into conversation

'Don't rock the boat now!'
'Well there is no need to go overboard'
'Seems all shipshape from here'
'Well you're pushing the boat out!'
'Loose lips sink ships'

Funny quotes

'A lot of people ask me if I were shipwrecked, and could only have one book, what would it be? I always say 'How to Build a Boat'
'Noah was a brave man to sail in a wooden boat with two termites.'
'Only the guy who isn't rowing has time to rock the boat.'
'We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.'
'The one thing I remember about Christmas was that my father used to take me out in a boat about ten miles offshore on Christmas Day, and I used to have to swim back. Extraordinary. It was a ritual. Mind you, that wasn't the hard part. The difficult bit was getting out of the sack.'

Deep and meaningful

‘Such is the human race, often it seems a pity that Noah... didn't miss the boat.
'The water is the same on both sides of the boat'
'You can't row a boat in two directions at the same time'

There's a hole in the boat!

Hi all!

Been a little while since my last blog and it’s been nonstop since.
Last week was a tough week when the baby passed away in ICU. It’s one of those things that hits the whole community here on the ship and especially the nurses must have been hurting. Sadly it is an inevitable part of our work here and we can only trust it features in His plan.

The school year is in full flow now and when I’m not spending my time teaching I’m busy doing ‘Reflective Unit Plans’ or ‘Subject Philosophies’.. There is a reason I wasn’t made for a desk job..

I’ve got everything sorted for the up and coming basketball court but still need the netting to be hung. The joys of working in an industrial area means that I need an ‘Elevated work permit’ and someone who is ‘safety harness trained’ to complete the work (ie read: stand on a chair and zip tie the net to the frame..) but I understand that safety is important.

Some of us managed to get away to a local hotel last weekend to enjoy their pool. And for the first time since the shoulder problems I nailed couple back flips! Water seems safe enough a landing.. Peer pressure got the better of me ;)

Sadly there were problems with the donation cards so everybody donating should have received an email, if you haven’t, let me know. The first newsletter will be out in the run of the week.

I ALMOST FORGOT THE BIG NEWS! We officially heard yesterday that next year after Togo we will be in South Africa for 6-7 months while there is major upkeep work (something about generators being replaced after a big hole is cut in the ship, never seems a good idea to cut holes in floating things really but I’m not an engineer so what do I know..) done on the ship. This will most likely mean the academy will have to relocate for a time and in accreditation year that will be interesting.

Keep the news coming on how all y’all are doin’!
God bless!

Ben

Just as a little extra; here's a photo of my 'gymhall'.. Also known as the starboard (look at me being al maritime) side of deck 7.

Sad news

I'm sorry to inform you all that the baby in ICU passed away this morning, thank you all for your prayers. Please keep remembering the nurses and his family as this is a rough time for them especially.

God bless,

Ben

Prayer request..

Just a quick message, not a 'normal blog' but a prayer request.

There is a very very sick baby down on the ICU ward right now who is not responding to treatment. I was playing with his sister after work up on deck just this last week and what a joy she is. This is as much a spiritual battle as medical.. If you are willing and able please uphold him and his family in your prayers.. Thank you.

James 5:13-16
The Prayer of Faith
¹³Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. ¹⁴Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

It's just another one of those glory days..

School's started!

There is nothing like being asked: 'so how was school today?' and then discovering its not your mother asking and you're not 8 years old.. :)

But i've got my 'classroom' up and running, interesting experience when you have to watch out cause their treating your gymhall for rust :P but the kids are just gems!!

Following on from small mercies last time: my showers been fixed! No more lukewarm morning showers but piping hot relaxing ones!! It's the little things that keep you going..

Funny story: I've got a shiplicense!! This basicly means that I can use the Land Rovers available!! Ive been told its not necesseraly a normal thing to have (especially as I dont have a family) so what a luxury!! This is what the new wheels look like:

I had a drive out on Tuesday trying to pick up supplies and its just madness!! Traffic rules arent so much laws here as general advice. Green means 'GO', red means 'stop if you want but dont worry if you dont want to..'

'No right turns' means: 'take right turns but at own risk..'

And the big rule of the road is: 'size wins..'

Car beats Zimi jon, Land Rover beats Car, Truck beats Land Rover, Tank beats Truck (not found anything that beats Tank yet..'

Life will never be the same again.. (in a good way)

(Poll: do I use .. too much at the end of sentences? Let me know..)

Rejoice in small victories !!

Teaching on a ship.. never had a Physical Education program before.. Sound like a problem?

But within the space of 24 hours I have a basketball court (ok half a court) and a trampoline + mats!!

After finding the top of a small round trampoline in the storeroom I discovered there were no legs... But ships = engineers and this afternoon an amazing Dutchman (what are the chances) welded 6 legs under it for me.. not only that, in the back of a storage cupboard someone found some gymnastics mats: I HAVE A TRAMPOLINE + MATS !!

next..

After pitching for a play area on the top deck (only place with height) today I was approved to set up a basketball/volleyball/playarea, AND NOT ONLY THAT.. I was told we already had free standing basketball board on board in storage !! I HAVE A BASKETBALL COURT (safety netting pending).

It started as a tip from someone onboard to keep sain in a cramped envirement but now it takes on a new meaning: REJOICE IN SMALL VICTORIES !!

Truly unique!

I always knew living and teaching on a ship would bring its own unique points, but just as things are starting to feel pretty normal today I was woken up again to life while floating :)

When getting things organised in a 'normal' school usually its the janitor and school maintanance to keep on your side, suddenly ive had to start talks with: the Chief Officer and the Captain about space, for non-teachers: these are not normal terms to be heard around a school :D

Then stranger still we got the teachers handbook today:

section 3.something, protocol for seasickness (interestingly its illegal to throw up over the railing..)

section 3.something else, protocol for appointments; medical/hair (and these are the same categorie how?)

Then always important in schools, the emergency drills, but I dont remember previous schools making the difference between:

In-Port Emergency drill

At Sea Emergency drill..

In all unique, challenging, differnt, quirky, fun, you name - ive thought it!

Blog you all soon! God bless

Ben

ps oh yeah, all this and the classrooms sway.. ;)

Ben in Benin

I'm here i'm here i'm here!!

It was a long journey (5000km) but last night I arrived on the ship.

I met up with 2 of the other new teachers whille getting of the plane, so we are enjoying getting settled together.

After having the tour of the ship this morning i'm still managing to get horribly lost :P

This is my desk/office/workstation in the Academy, photos of my cabin will follow when ive got myself set:

the other photo is of the 'big room' in the Academy with my workstation just on the photo back/right.

Each tuesday morning there is a devotion meeting for the whole crew, this morning it was about miracles, and what a miracle this ship and its work is!! And what a miracle God has brought me here! Its stil hard to comprehend that I am in Benin and this is my home for the next 2 years.

Tomorrow we start the teachers meetings preparing for the new term with 10days to go till classes start.

Ill keep you all posted!

God bless,

Ben

Tomorrow;s the big day..

Tomorrow the adventure begins, early in the morning my flight goes from Amsterdam, via Paris (croissants in the morning!!) to Cotonou, the capital of Benin.

For those I havent spoken to thanks so much for all your support, it realy gives me a sense of peace to know everyones behind me!

Next message will be from the Africa Mercy itself!! Blog you all soon!

Ben

Cotonou airport and the dock is to the east.

Google earth

My first blog..

Just a week to go before I leave for Benin to join the Africa Mecy.

Exciting times so it was about time I got a blog setup to keep everbody up to date.

Keep checking the site and Ill keep posting ;)

Greetings,

Ben