So what have i been up to the last few months, as i have not been that good at communicating - sorry!
Monday marks a big day for the Mercy Ships Academy, it is our first Accreditation visit from ACSI. Although an exciting time it has taken huge amounts of preparation and planning getting to the point we are now. After this visit we have our work cut out for us as we aim to host a full accreditation team next May.
We are very excited that we almost have a full team of teaching arriving in July. At the moment we have 11 position confirmed out of 12, waiting the final response from the 12th member. After starting the beginning of this school year with 7 teachers - wow! Over the last few weeks we have been interviewing and finalising all this placements.
One of the biggest challenges we face as a school is have the right and enough resources available for successful teaching. Budget is always a challenge, but this year with more accurate budgeting and better understanding of our needs we are able to order the resources we need. Because of container delivering we need to place orders 3 -5 months ahead of time. Over the last 2 years we have been working accurate ordering and putting systems in place to make this happen. The past few months have seen the fruits of this plan as we have been able to place good orders and we are happy to say they are on their way and should be here in good time.
We only have 2 weeks left of our school year - i am still not used the concept of ending and beginning a school end midyear :) We have a few teachers and students leaving which is always sad but part of life in this community.
Over the Summer Holidays we have a team of 6 people coming to run a fantastic Summer Program for the students staying on board. The ship is still fully functional and parents need to work so the children will be cared for by this team. It is real blessing for the students and for the remaining staff on board or else we would have needed to do this! As much as we love our students it is good to have a break before we start the new school year - for us and for them! There will only be 3 teachers staying for the summer so we will have a chance to work on policy documents, handbooks and curriculum planning - to most people that sounds really boring but these kind of things work of my black and white brain so i am looking forward to having the time to focus on these projects.
Another thing to look forward to this summer is that my Mom is coming to visit! This is something we have talked about for such a long time that it is hard to believe that it is finally happening.
I'll try and be a little more detailed and faithful in blogging once schools out!
Friday, 22 May 2009
Maurel - gets his turn!
Three-year-old Maurel sleeps in a hospital bed onboard the Africa Mercy. His mother, René, sits calmly next to him, gently stroking his hand. Recently, Maurel underwent surgery to correct an unnatural outward curvature of his legs, more commonly known as bowed legs.
When Maurel was two years old, his concerned mother took him to a local hospital for treatment, where he was correctly diagnosed and approved for surgery. However, when it was discovered that René had a distant, wealthy relative, the hospital decided to increase the initially affordable medical bill to a sum exceeding $100, 000. Unable to afford this unreasonable amount, René and her little boy had no choice but to leave the hospital.
Months went by, and René heard rumours that a ship would be coming to Benin – a ship that offered free medical care. Hopeful yet skeptical, René was convinced when she saw a flyer detailing information about Mercy Ships. She was excited to see a photo of a child whose bowed legs had been corrected by a free surgery!
René made certain she was in the queue with her son on Screening Day. To her delight, Maurel was accepted for surgery. This time René was not questioned about her relative’s finances, nor was any amount charged.
Unfortunately, other obstacles arose. A close family relative was not willing to allow Maurel to have his surgery. He thought the offer of medical treatment was too good to be true. He feared that the surgery would not be done correctly and that Maurel’s legs would be completely crippled as a result. Why would doctors work for free? Surely their lack of pay was due to incompetence.
Such thoughts are understandable. In countries where hardship and struggle are a way of life and where nothing is free, it is hard to grasp the concept of love in action. But René held onto the hope of seeing her son walk properly, so she defiantly took Maurel to the big white ship for an operation.
René has no regrets. “Everything here is so good. I am really happy,” she says. Maurel is recovering nicely after a successful operation. Though it will be some time before the casts come off, he will be able to walk normally.
René’s dearest hope is for her son to be happy, healthy, and prosperous. “He will have a great future; he is very intelligent,” she says. “I told him before we came that he had to come see the doctor so he could get better – so one day he will be able to be a successful businessman.”
Thanks to Mercy Ships, René’s dreams for Maurel are quite reachable.
Story by Richard Brock
Edited by IOC Editing Team
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Stories of Hope
Justine and ParraThe first dress ceremony during the 2009 Field Service honored two patients, Justine and Parra. Their smiles and their songs of praise were as bright and beautiful as the colorful new dresses they wore. It was a celebration of new hope and new life!
Justine and Parra received free corrective surgeries for obstetric fistula (VVF). This common injury is the result of obstructed childbirth with no medical intervention. In over 90% of the cases, the baby does not survive, and the mother becomes incontinent. As a result, these women are often shunned by their communities and even their families. They live in the shadows – hiding and suffering from overwhelming shame and trauma.
“Those who saw us laughed at us,” Justine said. “We were suffering.”
Parra’s journey to the Africa Mercy from a far northern region in Benin demonstrated both desperate need and immense trust. She sustained the fistula during the birth of her third child, who survived the delivery and is now almost a year old.
Parra speaks a tribal language unknown to any of the local volunteers that Mercy Ships employs as translators. Despite difficulties communicating, she trusted that God would watch over her. Her faith was rewarded when she received her free corrective surgery and was able to sing a song of thanksgiving to the doctors and nurses.
Justine’s fifth child died during a long, complicated delivery. A fistula developed, and Justine spent the next nine years closeted in her home. She sadly says, “Every day, I was very tired, ashamed, and people laughed at me.”
Justine’s husband tried to find a solution. He went to different hospitals in the nearest city of Porto-Novo. One – ironically called the Good Samaritan – wanted almost $200 US to perform the repair, an impossible sum in a country where the average income is only $50 a month.
Justine and her husband heard about Mercy Ships because her sister had surgery on a Mercy Ship a few years ago. So, Justine came onboard the Africa Mercy, and only a week later, she was healed and joyfully ready to go home. “I have so much to thank God for, that God has delivered me and that the doctors have worked very well,” she said. “I feel no pain in my body, and I feel happy in my heart.”
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Who do I work with?
Staffing this year has been a challenge - thinking back to when we stared with 7 out 12 positioned filled and to now when although we only have 10 team members we are able to complete each and every task.
I am privileged to work with a dedicated and committed team of people and as we face the last 4 weeks of the school year I know we will be finishing well!
A Mother’s Hope for Maurel
Three-year-old Maurel sleeps in a hospital bed onboard the Africa Mercy. His mother, René, sits calmly next to him, gently stroking his hand. Recently, Maurel underwent surgery to correct an unnatural outward curvature of his legs, more commonly known as bowed legs.
When Maurel was two years old, his concerned mother took him to a local hospital for treatment, where he was correctly diagnosed and approved for surgery. However, when it was discovered that René had a distant, wealthy relative, the hospital decided to increase the initially affordable medical bill to a sum exceeding $100, 000. Unable to afford this unreasonable amount, René and her little boy had no choice but to leave the hospital.
Months went by, and René heard rumours that a ship would be coming to Benin – a ship that offered free medical care. Hopeful yet skeptical, René was convinced when she saw a flyer detailing information about Mercy Ships. She was excited to see a photo of a child whose bowed legs had been corrected by a free surgery!
René made certain she was in the queue with her son on Screening Day. To her delight, Maurel was accepted for surgery. This time René was not questioned about her relative’s finances, nor was any amount charged.
Unfortunately, other obstacles arose. A close family relative was not willing to allow Maurel to have his surgery. He thought the offer of medical treatment was too good to be true. He feared that the surgery would not be done correctly and that Maurel’s legs would be completely crippled as a result. Why would doctors work for free? Surely their lack of pay was due to incompetence.
Such thoughts are understandable. In countries where hardship and struggle are a way of life and where nothing is free, it is hard to grasp the concept of love in action. But René held onto the hope of seeing her son walk properly, so she defiantly took Maurel to the big white ship for an operation.
René has no regrets. “Everything here is so good. I am really happy,” she says. Maurel is recovering nicely after a successful operation. Though it will be some time before the casts come off, he will be able to walk normally.
René’s dearest hope is for her son to be happy, healthy, and prosperous. “He will have a great future; he is very intelligent,” she says. “I told him before we came that he had to come see the doctor so he could get better – so one day he will be able to be a successful businessman.”
Thanks to Mercy Ships, René’s dreams for Maurel are quite reachable.
Story by Richard Brock
Edited by IOC Editing Team
There are times when your own words are just not enough, and we are privileged to have gifted writer on board who put the stories into action!
When Maurel was two years old, his concerned mother took him to a local hospital for treatment, where he was correctly diagnosed and approved for surgery. However, when it was discovered that René had a distant, wealthy relative, the hospital decided to increase the initially affordable medical bill to a sum exceeding $100, 000. Unable to afford this unreasonable amount, René and her little boy had no choice but to leave the hospital.
Months went by, and René heard rumours that a ship would be coming to Benin – a ship that offered free medical care. Hopeful yet skeptical, René was convinced when she saw a flyer detailing information about Mercy Ships. She was excited to see a photo of a child whose bowed legs had been corrected by a free surgery!
René made certain she was in the queue with her son on Screening Day. To her delight, Maurel was accepted for surgery. This time René was not questioned about her relative’s finances, nor was any amount charged.
Unfortunately, other obstacles arose. A close family relative was not willing to allow Maurel to have his surgery. He thought the offer of medical treatment was too good to be true. He feared that the surgery would not be done correctly and that Maurel’s legs would be completely crippled as a result. Why would doctors work for free? Surely their lack of pay was due to incompetence.
Such thoughts are understandable. In countries where hardship and struggle are a way of life and where nothing is free, it is hard to grasp the concept of love in action. But René held onto the hope of seeing her son walk properly, so she defiantly took Maurel to the big white ship for an operation.
René has no regrets. “Everything here is so good. I am really happy,” she says. Maurel is recovering nicely after a successful operation. Though it will be some time before the casts come off, he will be able to walk normally.
René’s dearest hope is for her son to be happy, healthy, and prosperous. “He will have a great future; he is very intelligent,” she says. “I told him before we came that he had to come see the doctor so he could get better – so one day he will be able to be a successful businessman.”
Thanks to Mercy Ships, René’s dreams for Maurel are quite reachable.
Story by Richard Brock
Edited by IOC Editing Team
There are times when your own words are just not enough, and we are privileged to have gifted writer on board who put the stories into action!
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