Mawdiay's Voyage

Welcome to the Africa Mercy! Home to over four hundred crew, representing over forty nations. No, this is not a pleasure cruise ship. Each and every person aboard the Africa Mercy works hard for the honor of living aboard this mighty vessel. Many of them work long, grueling hours. “Why?” You might ask.

Well…the short answer is that the Africa Mercy is a hospital ship. The crew are unified by the vision of offering hope to those who are in greatest need in West Africa by offering free, lifesaving surgeries to those who would otherwise not have access to such medical services. The Africa Mercy is the only ship Mercy Ships has at this time, but at one point they had three other ships operating in different impoverished parts of the world. Mercy Ships is a Christian NGO (Nongovernment Organization) that exist to follow Jesus’ model of showing love through words and deeds of kindness.

You see the light streaming through the more than ninety-two windows on decks 4, 5, 6, and 7? They are on because of the many engineers working down on Deck 2 around the clock. They work in extreme heat. You see the tents in neat rows on the dock with the wooden benches? Come tomorrow morning those will be filled with Liberian men, woman, and children seeking relief from tumors, cataracts, goiters, bowed legs, club feet, and much more. Nurses, physical therapists, dayworkers, and others will be hurrying about like beavers to attend to the many varied needs of these precious people. This is just a small snapshot.

The long and the most beautiful answer…

To truly discover that, you must embark upon the Africa Mercy. Are you intrigued? Wonderful! Are you ready? Welcome aboard! Welcome aboard!

You are embarking with Lydia Shearer. It is dark out as she trudges up the gangway. She takes a deep, tremulous breath and then another one attempting to hold back the tears that are welling behind her eyes.

She finds herself in a large reception area lit by harsh fluorescent lights. Behind a big wooden desk is a friendly lady who says, “Welcome to the Africa Mercy!” Lydia tries to smile back as she dumps her backpack off her screaming back and onto the floor. She has had an exhaustingly long journey to meet the Africa Mercy in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa. Listen, Lydia! This is important! Lydia chides herself, stifling a yawn and rubbing her temples. She squints and shakes her head as the lady talks to her about mandatory tours in the morning, emergency stations, and emergency alarms.

Then she is lead down to her cabin where she starts to settle down. “Look up, Lydia. That is where you will find Jesus!” Her grandpa’s gravelly voice tells her through the phone.

“But…” Lydia tries to begin again, hiccupping over tear filled breaths. She clings to the phone as if it were a life ring. Nineteen-year-old Lydia has never traveled on her own before. Then, as she set out on her own for the first time, she missed one of her flights. This had sent her seeking help from strangers, trying not to get lost in foreign country airports, and attempting not to sleep to long in hotels in between her flights. It feels like there is a tangled-up mess of barbed wire in her chest and her brain feels like a melted puddle of goop on a sidewalk in the middle of a hot July day! She really wants to melt to the floor and stay in a fetal position for a very long time! On top of her flight being messed up, her luggage has been lost.

“I know Lydia, but God will provide,” Her grandpa says calmingly before starting to pray for Lydia over the phone.

And sure enough, she will start to see God provide in many ways.

"For shame, about your flight and your luggage! I am sorry that happened!" A short young woman with thin black shoulder length hair said when she got off the phone. "I am Christina. I am your bunk mate," Christina introduces herself, pointing up to the top bunk. "Normally we are supposed to give the hospitality bedding back after we get settled, but I am sure they would be willing to let you keep it until you got your luggage back. Tomorrow, I can take you down to the boutique. It is a little room where crew that are leaving and don't want to take their stuff home can leave it behind and others can be blessed with it. There is a lot of clothes down there. Normally there is a limit on how much you can take in one time. I think they would make an exception, though, since your luggage was lost."

"This is your side of the wardrobe," Christina continues opening a six foot tall door to a wardrobe and waves her hand at the empty space. "I also cleared off these two bookshelves for you." She turns to a four shelf bookshelf hanging on the bulkhead above a small table.

"You will be on my dining room team. Our team works this weekend. You were scheduled to work in the morning, but since you didn't arrive until tonight our manager, Mae, said you will start on the evening shift instead."

Lydia starts unpacking her backpack and computer bag which she had taken as carryon on the flight. She nods to show that she is listening. She rubs her eyes, shaking her head against the encroaching fog of exhaustion.

"That way you will have a little time to sleep in. Don't sleep in too long, though. Breakfast only goes until nine, and on weekends you have to pack a sandwich for your lunch because we don't serve lunch. This give the dining room and galley team a little bit of a break. Also, I think there is a required tour you have to go on at nine as well. They usually meet in the town square."

"I need to get to bed because we have to get up early to prepare breakfast. You are probably tired too. Elizabeth also heard you talking on the phone to your family. She asked me to give you these. It will at least give you something clean to wear to bed." Christina handed her large purple floral nightgown. Then she stepped up on the table and vaulted herself up onto the top bunk. "I know you will need some time to get settled. I have this cloth that I put up to block out the light so I can sleep, so you can have the light on until you are ready to go to bed." Christina picked up a dark blue piece of cloth with deep red flowers and green vines on it and used magnets to secure one side of it up on the deck head.

August 25, 2007

Arrival and First Day at Work

Dear Diary

So, even with that first day of resolve to see the journey of rearranged flights as an adventure I still broke down in tears or grumped. Yet, God has been ever faithful! When I needed it the most, He would send someone to me: A stranger who let me borrow her cell phone when the payphones wouldn’t work, a friendly gentleman to talk to on the flight from Chicago to Brussels, I coincidentally met a group of Mercy Shippers at the Brussels airport when I was afraid I was going the wrong way, people gave me towels, toiletries, and clothes when my luggage was lost, and a bunkmate who was kind enough to stay up with me and calm my raw nerves.

My first day at work was good. I only had to work the evening shift. I was rather clumsy, but the rest of my team seemed to understand. They are all very nice!

One of the first ways Jesus begins to provide for Lydia is by sending her a woman named Mary Lou. Mary Lou, the woman from the hospitality team, who had given Lydia a tour of the ship on her first morning on the ship invites her to go to the beach that following Tuesday. They have to walk down the long port road to get to the gate where they will catch a ride. “I was a science teacher for twenty years. Oh my did I love it!”

As they pass through the huge, steel green gate to the main road, Lydia gasps. There are cars and people everywhere. Her eyes widen in horror as people dodge between fast moving cars, and the taxi drivers honk their horns at the people. She covers her eyes with her hands, boggled by these Monrovia roads.

“Precious, you are going to love it here! The people are so lovely. They have such strong faith!” Mary Lou says once they have found a taxi driver who agreed to take them to Cece beach. She climbs into the back seat followed by Lydia and two other people. Lydia blushes as Mary Lou, an old lady, insists that Lydia sit on her lap.

Lydia makes some response that she doesn’t hear herself say as she looks out the window at the passing city. Stands made from logs are piled high with colorful fruits and vegetables. People are standing by piles of clothes bartering prices. Women are balancing large bowls filled with brightly colored kitchen wear on their heads while weaving through the crowds. Strong smells of fish and gas fumes fill her nostrils. Boys shove car parts through the taxi windows every time the driver stops. “Goo’ price-o. Goo’ price-o.” These boys are no older than her eleven-year-old brother! Lydia covers her face with her hands trying to shut it out. God why should eleven-year-olds have to spend their days trying to scrap together enough food to live?

“The average daily wage is one dollar a day. There is eighty-five percent unemployment rate,” Mary Lou shares with Lydia her knowledge of Liberia. Mary Lou has the Southern Belle accent and silvery white curls that bob back and forth over her shoulders when she emphatically shakes her head in the negative about something.

Lydia shakes her head sadly. As she watches the people on the road, she can’t help sensing such a spirit of strength and joy reflected by the women’s brightly patterned wraps and by the men’s and women’s large loads they are carrying on their heads. Little does Lydia know that she will fall in love with these people.

When they arrive at the beach, Lydia’s mouth opens wide in wonder. It is gorgeous! Scattered around the beach are tables and chairs with bamboo leaf umbrellas and there is a bamboo hut that appears to be the place that drinks and snacks are sold. There is one spot where gigantic rocks start out up on the beach and extend into the ocean. The Atlantic Ocean! In her nineteen years of life, this is the first time she has been to the Atlantic. It shines like a bed of diamonds as the sun reflects off of it! The waves crash against the rocks roaring and spraying Mary Lou and Lydia as they settle their stuff at a table. Whoosssssshhhhhh! Whoosssssshhhhhh! Whoosssssshhhhhh!

Lydia takes a deep breath of the salty air as the wind blows her hair around in a crazy mess. Goose bumps raise on her arms, and her heart starts to rush in thrilled excitement! A ways off along the left side of the shore she sees Monrovia spread out. The shore curves on out to her right to a point and then disappears behind itself in dunes, rocks, palm trees, and shrubs. A few clouds are scattered across the deep azure sky. White seagulls soar through the sky cawing. Every once in awhile they dive down into the waves and soar back into the air with a fish in their beaks. Her mind and heart fill to the point of bursting with the stunning beauty!