What we do.

This post was prompted by a discussion in my grade 9-10 Bible class this morning.
We were looking through different Vision and Mission statement to see what they mean, and why they exist.

I want to share our Academy's Vision statement with you. This is the reason we do what we do and ultimately the reason I am serving with Mercy Ships; to see this in practice:




Mercy Ships Academy Vision Statement
 
Mercy Ships Academy brings glory to God by fully equipping each student with the foundation of knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill God's purposes in their lives. We will do this by partnering with parents in developing Christian character in their children through teaching values based on a biblical worldview within the structure of a quality academic education; meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of each student. 

SOUTH Africa..

South Africa… SOUTH Africa…
Now correct me if I'm wrong (doesn't happen often of course) but isn't the south meant to be warmer.. don't the birds fly SOUTH for the winter?

Can someone then explain to me how I managed to escape the rains of Scotland, the cold of The Netherlands to Africa and it is colder and wetter here than any place I can remember :P

OK I may be being a little dramatic, but the weather has been a real surprise since the non stop sunshine and heat of West Africa.West Africa has 4 seasons: 2 wet seasons (1 long, 1 short) and 2 dry seasons in between. But even on the most miserable rainy days it is still 25C and 95% humidity.

Since being in Appelsbosch (even over the last week) we have had: torrential rain, fine horizontal rain, mist, heat, sunshine, thunder and lightening, gall force winds, stifling warm air, seriously cold temperatures… you name it we've had it (except snow, no snow yet).

Its funny how Africa is always talked about as 'a place' yet even in something as simple as the weather is so incredibly diverse, and this my friends.. is just one of so many differences.

I hope everybody is warm and dry wherever they are! :)
God bless,
Ben

Support

Everybody volunteering for Mercy Ships is exactly that, a volunteer. We pay monthly 'crewfees' to cover our cost of living onboard and are responsible for our own flightcosts as well as medical insurance.

For all these costs I am completely reliant on donations. This mean than periodically I need to solicit for donation to make it financially possible for me to continue on the Africa Mercy. This also usually involves a lot of 'pride' issues for me but I'm working on it.

If you would be interested in supporting please do so by following the instructions below.

For North American-donors: Click here to support me

Supporters from the Netherlands can donate by making a bank transfer to:

Mercy Ships Holland, giro 1990184, Rotterdam

With the comment: Ben Calvert #2684

British based supporters: Click here to support me

Then while making your donation choose the option 'To support a crewmember' and fill in 'Ben Calvert'.

I apologize if this sounds cheap or tacky but I honestly thank you for any support, be it financially or through prayer or comments on the blog.

God Bless,

Ben

PS feel free to email me with any question, my address is on the sidebar >>

Pray for Benin

Last year we were docked in Cotonou, Benin for 10 months. To think this was less than a year ago.. Benin truly holds a special place in my heart, please pray for the people there.


Source: BBC News  - Click here for original

24 October 2010 Last updated at 11:55 GMT

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Benin: UN to send thousands of tents amid major floods

Two-thirds of the country is under water

The UN refugee agency is to start an emergency airlift of tents to the West African nation of Benin this week, amid the worst flooding there in decades.

Some 3,000 tents will be flown in from Denmark to provide shelter for some of the estimated 680,000 people affected.

Two-thirds of Benin has suffered from months of heavy rain, and about 800 cases of cholera have been reported.

It is the worst flooding to hit the country - one of the poorest in the world - since 1963.

Areas previously thought not to be vulnerable to flooding have been devastated and villages wiped out.

"There are huge areas that are covered in water so people are living on the tops of their houses, because people try to stay near their homes," Helen Kawkins of the Care aid agency told the BBC.

The flooding has sparked major health concerns, with drinking and bathing water contaminated by human waste which has overflowed from latrines.

The number of cases of cholera are rising daily, with more than 50 reported in the largest city, Cotonou, alone, Care says. Dozens of people have died as a result of the flooding in the past few weeks, officials say.

People who have lost their homes have sought shelter in medical facilities, putting pressure on the country's health system.

The UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) says an appeal for funds and aid is being planned.

The rain is continuing to deluge Benin and forecasters say there is no sign yet of it abating.

The great outdoors!

Happy post!
Haha the week has come to an end. Saturday has been filled with.. absolutely nothing.

It is amazing what a little bit of breathing space will do!
Another thing that I feel might have put me back in this more agreeable mood is that last night we had our 'Academy campout'. This involved pitching out (newly purchased) Academy tents on the football field at the bottom of campus and camping out for a night with any parents and matching students that wanted to be involved.
I was shocked earlier this week when I discovered that a lot of the younger kids hadn't really camped before! Ive been doing this since I could be carried into a tent!
Suddenly it dawned on me that growing up on a medical ship in Africa isn't a normal upbringing. They gain a lot of things but also miss some thing we would label 'normal'. What a privilege it was to be able to introduce these kids to something new. Getting dirty and smokey roasting marshmallow by the campfire, then squeezing into a tent with your siblings and a parent.

To be honest I enjoyed it just as much myself, there is nothing like sleeping badly on the ground to replenish your energy levels. Really, it was good!

Slight rambling but Ill chalk that up to lack of sleep, hope you are all well and enjoying these simple pleasures of life. Hey, who needs an eloquent writing style anyways.

God bless,
Ben

ps I'll add some pictures of the evening when I have them.

Everything I am..

As I type this I'm tired and not feeling overly motivated.
This week has been hard, oh so hard, and not in the usual 'meant to grumble about work' way.

But during worship this evening, I sang, I begged, I promised these words to my God:

"Break my heart for what breaks yours,
Everything I am for Your kingdoms cause
As I go from earth to Eternity."


Hosanna - Hillsongs



Everything I am for Your kingdoms cause.

I am serving with Mercy Ships because God called me to be here, He lead me and I followed. Even when I'm tired and running on empty, let, especially then, everything I am be for His Kingdoms cause.



Thanks for letting me share, God bless,

Ben

What a week!

Crazy week with crazy happenings! I'll start last weekend and work forward..

All starting last Sunday, we went out to church, which in any normal situation is just down the road, but because of our location it involved an hour and fifteen minute trek in our (rugged and manly) Land Rovers.
*sidenote: so I walked passed the Land Rover parking are the other day and it did seem kind of surreal that these beaten up 4x4 true off road, well used Land River Defenders were my usual vehicle.. strange what becomes normal when you live in Africa working with Mercy Ships.

We ended up visiting Grace Family Church in Umhschlanga (I'm sure that not how you spell it..). Really nice church, friendly, great worship, good preaching but HUGE!!! OK maybe I'm a small town boy at heart but over 1000people in a church seems wild!

Then Sunday evening came, playing a friendly game of volleyball in the gym... and yes.. I managed to dislocate my shoulder. Don't let this shock you, it is the 3rd time already. So after putting that back where it goes, strapping up the shoulder and finding our 'not working' pharmacist for some pain relief that was the weekend over...
 Its crazy what becomes normal when you live in Africa working for Mercy Ships.

Monday started with me in a sling.. but still teaching PE 1 handed, unique challenge but kind of fun..
That went OK until Wednesday when I was struck down again!!
It seems that when a 'bug' gets around here it just tears through the general Africa Mercy population. So come Wednesday I was leaving my IT class mid lesson to relieve my lunch into the gutter outside. This sparked 36 hours of not keeping food down, then just not eating, and staying in my room.
 Its crazy what becomes normal when you live in Africa working for Mercy Ships.

SO now its the weekend again.. the campus is quiet, Ive eaten 2 meals on the trot and am eagerly looking forward to what the coming week will offer. One thing I can guarantee, it won't be boring!

Its crazy what becomes normal when you live in Africa working for Mercy Ships.

I'm famous!

Thats 3 days in a row!!
This is a fairly easy post as Im not actually writing it myself, I seem to have hot the big time! Below is an interview that was done by our International Operations Centre in Texas. It is amazing how cheesy your own words sound when you read them over.

Blessings,
Ben

World Teacher’s Day 2010: P.E. Teacher Educates Youth on the High Seas Posted: 04 Oct 2010 06:53 AM PDT Teachers have one of the most critical and challenging jobs in the world – educating young minds and laying the groundwork for children to become adults. Most teachers choose that line of work because they want to give children the knowledge and skills needed to live happily and productively in our world. It is a huge undertaking as teachers often find themselves working at local schools with minimal resources and maximum classroom capacity. In a spin on a traditional teaching job, Ben Calvert decided to take his teaching career to the high seas. He currently volunteers as a Physical Education teacher in Africa on the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship, the Africa Mercy. Calvert is the son of missionaries and has a heart for missions. After graduating with a degree in education, he completed a one-year internship, teaching gymnastics to students at the Sports Academy of The Hague University in The Netherlands. At that point, Calvert was ready to make a change in his life. He was considering doing development work locally, but he came across an advertisement for a Specialist PE teacher with Mercy Ships on their ship, the Africa Mercy. This floating hospital is staffed by a 400-person volunteer crew and provides free health care to the forgotten poor of West Africa. Some volunteers have their families onboard, and approximately 55 children attend the accredited Academy onboard the ship. Calvert says stumbling upon the advertisement for the PE position “was too much of a coincidence to ignore,” so he decided to revise his plans. “It was easy for me to make the decision because I wasn't leaving a long-term teaching contract behind,” he added. He was, however, leaving a comfortable life behind. Working on a hospital ship in Western Africa was a drastic change, but Calvert was excited about the opportunity. “I knew I would feel a real connection with the kids onboard since I am a missionary’s kid myself – not to the extremes that these kids are, but it did allow me to have some insight into their distinctive world.” Calvert saw the job with Mercy Ships as a very unique opportunity to combine teaching and missionary work. Teachers typically do not get a chance to contribute directly to missions, but the Mercy Ships Academy allowed Calvert to play his part in supporting mission work. “I didn’t work directly for the locals in the host nation,” he says, “but I allowed the parents of my students to honor their decision to be volunteers on the ship without worrying about their children’s education.” For Calvert, the bottom line was honoring the decision and faithfulness of the parents. One of Calvert’s most memorable moments came one day during the 2009 Field Service in Benin. It was the beginning of the high school PE class. That morning Africa Mercy Captain Tim Tretheway posted a notice in the reception area saying that there was an infant in ICU on the hospital ward who was in a life-threatening situation. As the class began, Calvert noticed an overwhelming silence from the typically rowdy teenagers. One girl broke the silence by asking if they could pray for the desperately ill infant. “I was astounded,” Calvert said. “This was my first time to teach at a Christian school, and for the kids to start with this request humbled me to no end.” That day confirmed Calvert’s decision to become a teacher on a hospital ship with Mercy Ships. It made him fully realize that the kids, just as much as the parents and the teachers, are an integrated part of the wider community – and the mission – that is the Africa Mercy. As the class came together in prayer to lift up the people they serve, it was a powerful moment in Calvert’s eyes. Of course, there are notable differences in his teaching environment. Calvert identifies the biggest difference between teaching on the Africa Mercy and teaching in The Netherlands as the unique advantages of being in a small Christian School environment. He has the opportunity to know each of his students personally and to form a relationship with them as people, not just as students. The class is able to share their personal beliefs, and Calvert has the opportunity to help the students grow in their relationship with Christ. That is a luxury not allowed in public schools in other settings. The freedom to incorporate faith into education allows his students to grow in their beliefs, while strengthening Calvert’s faith at the same time. He is also teaching in a truly international school. With volunteers on the ship representing 35 countries, his students come from a diverse background. English is the official language on the ship, but it is a second language for many of the students. He enjoys experiencing a fusion of different cultures in one classroom. Calvert’s teaching job at a Christian Academy onboard a floating hospital is an extremely unique position. He feels blessed and thankful that he has been given this outstanding opportunity. He is one of thousands of teachers across the world who should be honored today on World Teacher’s Day. Each teacher is working diligently to shape the minds of the world’s youth. Calvert’s experience demonstrates that not all teaching environments are the same, and it takes all kinds of teachers to educate the leaders of tomorrow. Written by Clair Bufe, photos by John Roland

Straight off the bat

No introduction, just going straight off the bat on this one :) :

So this last Sunday, as most years, the 3rd of October came round. And as most years this signalled the celebration of the day of my birth, shall be henceforth referred to as 'my birthday'.

It is my second birthday on the Missions field. My second birthday in Africa, and my second birthday with Mercy Ships.

For some reason it felt like a time to reflect. Reflect on where life has taken me so far, and where it is taking me next. But maybe it goes further that that, it is reflecting on where God has taken me so far, and where He is taking me next. Life doesn't just happen, God doesn't just happen, God is and leads.

I had expected to be working in a school in the Netherlands at this point, instead I find myself teaching in a school on a medical missions ship in West-Africa (ok, currently not on the ship but you get the idea) being supported by donations from friends, family and church... This whole experience has been such a turn around for me, perspective-wise. I still worry, worry if people back home will forget me, worry where home is, worry that the next donations won't be enough, worry that I don't know how to transition out of this environment. But at the same time I am learning to trust.

Not too long ago I read 'Ruthless Trust' by Brendan Manning. He makes a good point saying that Christianity isn't about faith. Faith is easy! It's about trust. Trust is difficult.

I am not there yet, I try to trust God but spend so much time worrying and/or trying to solve things myself. But God started me down this path and I fully intend to walk it until its completion.

Birthdays... each year a new insight, call it older and wiser (and slightly more senile..).

God bless,

Ben

PS Thanks everyone near and far that made my Birthday such a special day!

Where in the world am I now..

Ok.. so we've had the personal update, now time for the professional update.

If anything this last while has taught me that life in on the Missions field is never what you expect it to be, there are no 'normal days'.

First things first in August we finished out Outreach in Togo. If it seems we were only there for a short while.. that's because it was shorter. The ship normally spends 10months of the year in a host nation, sadly we were only able to spend 6 months in Togo as we had to have major maintenance done on the ship.. Which smoothly brings me to where I am now.

As I type this I am sitting in Appelsbosch, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. No longer located on the ship but an hour inland from Durban.  The ship itself is currently in dry dock, sitting on piles of bricks 6 feet off the floor. The main reason for the work is to replace our 'Harbor Generators'. These are the main generators that supply our power.  The downside is that because they are older and not designed for the Hospital, they generate not just electricity but and awful lot of noise and vibrations.. the wards onboard are location just above them, making it very uncomfortable there and almost impossible to use some of the operating theatres.. This means we spend a lot of time using our quieter, smaller frigs (I think that's how I spell it) generators. These were originally designed to only be used at see, and we run them 24/7 months on end, see the problem.

Our engineers have literally been miracle workers but at last we are replacing the generators with modern, more efficient, more reliable ones. This does involve cutting a hole in the ship to get the old out and new in, hence the prolonged time in dock.

It is always a strange mix of feelings, being away from home but not actually in our allotted field, but we're all seeing this as essential maintenance hat will allow the Africa Mercy to keep serving for years to come.

And that Ladies and Gentlemen is how the Academy,  the family's,  the long term crew, and myself found ourself in rural South Africa.

Pictures from the shipyard:

Entering drydock

Real inner city.. leave your ship unattended and it ends up on blocks..

Now usually a hole in a ship isn't a good thing.. it is when a noisy generator is leaving!

Introduction to Appelsbosch following soon..