The Mercy Ships Academy

For a glimps of my life teaching onboard the Africa Mercy in the Mercy Ships Academy...

Written by Megan Petock
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by PJ Accetturo and Esther Biney

Every morning, high school senior Emma Cole gets to school by taking a short walk down the hallways of the Africa Mercy. “It takes me two minutes to walk to school. My cabin is literally thirty yards away from the Academy,” she said.

For three years, Emma has attended the Mercy Ships Academy, a distinct educational experience provided for children living on the Africa Mercy. The Mercy Ships Academy was established over 25 years ago in response to the educational needs of children living onboard the Mercy Ships fleet of hospital ships. Educating children from pre-school to grade 12, there are currently 47 students from 18 countries enrolled in Academy classes.

“It’s quite a vast spread of nationalities, which can be challenging, but it’s something I love about the Academy,” said Principal Nikki Aldum. “There are differences amongst the students, but they’re accepted. As a staff, we look for the strengths of each nation and try to celebrate and incorporate them into our curriculum every year.”

On the Africa Mercy, a typical school day begins at 8:00 AM and ends at 3:20 PM. Parents of students in elementary school pick up their children at noon for lunch and return them to their teachers an hour later for afternoon classes. Classes on the Africa Mercy average 4 to 8 students, allowing more time for individualized attention.

“The Academy is very different than traditional school,” said Emma Cole. “One of the biggest differences is being in a class with only two or three students, in comparison to twenty or thirty. I believe having the one-on-one time with teachers really enhances our learning,” she concluded.
The diversity among the student body and the limitations of living on a ship create a unique and exciting set of challenges. Daily, teachers must utilize their creativity in the classroom. Flexibility is necessary for students, parents, and teachers. Ben Calvert, the physical education specialist, has enjoyed the challenge.

“Running a Physical Education Program on the ship is very unique. You have to be creative because there are very small spaces and small classes. But the captain and deck officers have been very helpful with finding spaces and equipment. It’s fun because it’s not ‘run of the mill,’” explained Calvert.

Academy Principal Nikki Aldum, previously a teacher on the Africa Mercy, understands this distinct dynamic. “It’s very different teaching onboard here, versus teaching at home. The smaller classes add a different dynamic, and it’s not necessarily a comparable dynamic. You have to be a little bit on the adventurous side to work here,” she said.

Teacher Christina Orman, who joined the Africa Mercy in August, was drawn to the varied educational environment. “I was looking to teach in a Christian environment that was diverse and different. When I heard about Mercy Ships, I knew I wanted to teach on the Africa Mercy,” said Orman.

Today, the Academy has a staff of 15 teachers, who come from five countries. With the start of the new school year, the staff is looking toward the future, continuing to find ways to improve the educational experience of the students. Currently, the Academy is being accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International and the Middle State Schools. Aldum hopes the accreditation process will be completed by April 2011.

“Being accredited validates the courses we offer, making it easier for students to transition in and out of the school. Accountability all over the world is increasing in the field of education. Through this process, we are proving that we measure up to international standards,” explained Aldum. With the start of the new school year, Aldum has challenged the teachers and students with a specific goal for the Academy: “My heart’s desire is that God is glorified in all we do. It’s a part of our vision and mission statement and our goal for the year,” she said.

As Emma Cole begins her last year of high school, she is grateful for the positive impact the Academy has had on her life.

“Attending the Academy changes the lives of the students onboard,” said Cole. “If I had stayed in a mainstream school in England, I would not have the solid foundations of Christianity that I do now. The opportunities I’ve been given here have given me a great groundwork for the future. It’s been an amazing experience.”

Another Story of Hope in the Present

Hospitality Center

Approximately two blocks from the port of Cotonou, where the Africa Mercy is currently docked, is a warehouse. In the past five weeks, it has undergone a tremendous transformation.

Now referred to as the Hospitality Center (HC), it functions primarily as a non-medical, temporary housing unit for pre-and-post-op patients and their caregivers. It consists of two air-conditioned wards with room for 76 beds, as well as bathroom facilities containing showers and flush-toilets. The Center also houses the Dockside OP Eye and Physical Therapy Units.

Once patients have been screened and approved, they are generally admitted onto the ship the day before their surgery. However, sometimes patients are not strong enough or healthy enough to undergo a complex medical procedure. If this is the case, patients are admitted to the Hospitality Center to stay until deemed fit for surgery. During this time, they will be given three healthy meals a day, clean drinking water, and a comfortable bed – complete with a mosquito net.

Likewise, once patients are stabilized after surgery and no longer need immediate care, they are moved to the Hospitality Center. They are able to return to the ship for daily or weekly treatment and follow-ups. Mercy Ships provides the transportation – a ship vehicle fitted with a light and siren and with sufficient space to carry a stretcher and five seated patients. It is on constant standby in case of an emergency.

“The idea is for the patients to become more acquainted with Western systems,” said Hospital Manager William E. Martin. “If patients can be kept nourished, hydrated, and malaria-free, before and after their surgery, their recovery will ultimately be quicker.”

The major benefit of the Hospitality Center is that the beds in the ship’s hospital wards become available more quickly. This means that surgeons can perform more surgeries – and, ultimately, more people are helped. In other words, our impact is greatly increased!

Brandon Winebark, HC Coordinator, oversaw the construction process that got the warehouse to its current state. Walls were erected, roofs were constructed, and plumbing for bathrooms and toilets was installed. To make the area secure, a fence with security gates was put up around the property. Electrical wiring was laid for lights and air-conditioning. Because of regular power cuts in Cotonou, it was imperative to install a generator as a backup power supply.

All this was achieved with the combined help of the Electrical and Construction Departments of the Africa Mercy, as well as the hard work of Mercy Teams – particularly Mike Palmer, who sourced most of the materials from hardware stores in Cotonou. Dean Martin helped with the initial management of the site before Brandon took over full-time. The willingness of volunteers, both crew and locals, has sped the process along.

“We had 25 Mercy Ships volunteers that came out one weekend to assist us. That was a real blessing. They really helped us,” said Brandon.

Brandon’s job currently involves the management of 8 day volunteers, 4 generator operators, and 4 security guards, as well as the coordination of patients and supplies to and from the ship. Anastasie Nlemvo, an Africa Mercy crew member, is responsible for teaching the day volunteers basic nursing skills, as well as the overall care of the patients.

Still in its early stages, there are routines and procedures that need to be put in place. The HC is a relatively new concept for Mercy Ships. Brandon and his team are learning as they go.

“We are still trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t work,” he said. Brandon’s goal is to get the HC running efficiently and effectively. He added, “So far things are going well.”

The Hospitality Center is already proving its effectiveness by accommodating 20 women suffering with VVF who travelled from the north of Benin. Also, a 10-week-old baby is gaining weight before he undergoes corrective surgery on his cleft lip.

The Hospitality Center is already proving to be a valuable tool in delivering hope and healing to the world’s poor, and, if possible, will be implemented in future fields of service.

Another Story of Hope - To Be Someone Tomorrow

Sometimes you get focused on the 'Big Picture' and you forget about the ones. This story was a real reminder that God focuses on the 'ones' - making a difference and loving one person at atime. Enjoy reading this story and remembering that God has the same view of you. You are the 'one' that is important to him! - NA

Janviera can recount the afternoon with precision – it was a Thursday, the 23rd of October, 2008. She recalls how her children came home from school a little late, how they sat by lamplight with their tutor, and how the kerosene ran out.

Carole, the only girl in a family of five children, was always by her mother’s side. She helped take care of the other four children and helped clean the house. When Janviera needed things from the market, Carole would go and buy them. She helped cook – even the very difficult local cuisine, fufu. She helped with everything.

So that evening, as usual, Carole helped by refilling the lamp. She began to pour the kerosene, which they later guessed had been mixed with gasoline. Because Carole could not see very well, she called to her mother, and Janviera took over. Suddenly, the lamp exploded, and everything went black.

“I woke up on the other side of the room,” Janviera says. “I looked down and saw my arm was burned. Then I looked across the room and saw Carole. She was unconscious, and her school dress was still burning.”

She grabbed a blanket, threw it across Carole’s body, and immediately rushed her daughter to the hospital. Pictures taken there show Janviera disheveled and tired, holding her arm out stiffly. And they show Carole – lying on her back, her face swollen and blackened, her body covered in bandages and talcum powder.

“As a mother, I had to put my own pain aside,” Janviera recalls, glancing at the mottled scars on her left arm and hand. “I could only think about Carole. I was always crying, constantly asking God to save my daughter.”

It was three weeks before Carole was able to eat any food. Her mouth and eyes had been burned shut. Each day she received dressing changes, removing dead skin and applying ointment to the wounds. She was in extreme pain. Sometimes Carole’s wounds would stick to the sheets of her bed, and they would have to soak her in water and separate her from the fabric – agonizing bit by bit.

“We spent so much money for the treatment,” Janviera said. After three months of treatment, Carole’s arm was frozen, unable to extend past a right angle, with her palm turned out like a question mark. Her right cheek and arm, as well as her side, stomach, and chest were covered with raised scars of shiny, inflexible skin.

At school, her burns became an opportunity for cruelty. “If Carole did something that one of the kids didn’t like, they would say, ‘You have a burned face. You have a burned body.’” At home, she could no longer help her mother around the house because of her contracted arm.

Janviera heard about Mercy Ships through a radio advertisement, and she brought Carole to Cotonou for an operation onboard the Africa Mercy. The surgical team released contracted scar tissue and placed skin grafts at her elbow and wrist.

Kim Shankland, an occupational therapist from South Africa, worked with Carole after the surgery to help improve the range of motion in her arm and wrist. Kim says that without surgery, Carole would have struggled her whole life with basic self-care – “just eating, braiding her hair, brushing her teeth, and dressing would have been a huge problem.”

Later in life, she would have faced obstacles in supporting herself. Common jobs, like selling yams and tomatoes at the market or pursuing a trade like sewing, would have been impossible. She would have been forever dependent on family or a husband.

“As a mother, knowing what sort of difficulties your child would have – not being able to do the things you do – must be quite frustrating,” Kim says. She believes this has spurred Janviera in making sure Carole uses her injured arm and performs the rehab exercises. Janviera’s encouragement and insistence has been a major part of Carole’s successful recovery.
“I hope that she can be my helper again,” Janviera says. “But what I want most is for her to be able to use her hand, to write, to be someone tomorrow.”

Written by Carmen Radley
Photos by Debra Bell and Esther Biney

God's Faithfulness Proven once again!

Many of you are aware that the greatest challenge of the last year has been the lack of staff in the Academy and how at many times through out the year I have had to ask my staff to take on more than reasonable work loads to try and attempt to fill the gaps. This has meant at many times we end up running on crisis control mode juggling all the plates, hoping that none would fall.

Yesterday I had the final reply from the a teacher who will be joining our team in August and fill the final position! So the Academy will be start with all 12 bed spaces (number of position allocated to our department) filled! This means that we start the year in a very different place to where we did last year with only 7 bed spaces filled!

I am so thankful to all of you who have prayed throughout this year and once again God has proven Himself faithful as he has provided the perfect team. I have an overwhelming sense that God has hand picked this team and he is going to do mighty things through us as we serve the families on board!

Please continue to prayer for the team of teachers, many who are returning but also for the 5 new staff members who are preparing to come and are busy packing up their lives at home.

Another Story of Hope - Fortune's Reformation

Fortuné came into this world sooner than expected. The premature baby spent the first few weeks of his life in an incubator. Due to his underdeveloped lungs, Fortuné received oxygen through a tube in his nose. He gradually gained strength until he was healthy enough to go home with his parents.

Several months later, his parents noticed that there was something wrong with the appearance of Fortuné’s nose. A medical examination revealed that the cartilage in his nose had been damaged due to improper insertion of the oxygen tube. The doctor said that there was a chance that the problem would correct itself, but for the time being, there was nothing that could be done.

Six years later, Fortuné’s misshapen nose had become more noticeable, and it was causing problems. His nose would sometimes run uncontrollably. At times he had trouble breathing, which affected his level of physical activities. On the playground, Fortuné became an object of ridicule. The other children made fun of him, calling him names.

As a result, the little boy became very self-conscious and frustrated. Fortuné discovered that the quickest way to end the taunts was to respond with aggression. This led to frequent fistfights. Consequently, Fortuné’s parents were summoned to regular meetings with the school’s principal – giving the family a rather unfavorable reputation.

Abou, Fortuné’s father, understood the difficulties his son was facing. “Fortuné, being the age he is, is aware of the deformity of his nose,” he explained. “Many times he comes home upset and angry. As a father, I feel very bad. A son is supposed to resemble his father and mother, but because of his nose, people say bad things about our entire family.”

Over the years, Fortuné’s parents had sought help at several hospitals. Some doctors said that Fortuné was too young for the problem to be corrected. Other doctors stated that there was no possible solution. Abou, desperate to help his son, was even considering spending the family savings to seek medical help in Europe.

Then, one night, while watching television, Abou saw an advertisement about Mercy Ships. A few weeks later, Fortuné was examined by Dr. Tertius Venter, a South African plastics surgeon serving with Mercy Ships. The prognosis was positive – Fortuné would finally receive surgery, and his family was delighted.

The relatively simple and quick operation was a success. After his surgery, Fortuné lay in a hospital bed onboard the Mercy Ship, carefully examining his new nose with a small mirror. Despite some swelling and the presence of stitches, he could see a difference. The mirror also revealed the big smile on his face.

Though he will require further surgery when he is a teenager, the intelligent and strong-willed Fortuné will have some respite from the daily jeering at school. Likewise, his breathing will be easier, and he will be able to control the running of his nose. “Fortuné is old enough to remember what life was like before the surgery,” said Abou, referring to his son’s newfound appreciation for life. “That is good. I know that he will be happy.”

Mercy Ships has brought hope and healing to a father, a mother, and a son – all who were desperately searching for it. “I pray that God may strengthen the team of Mercy Ships and give you wisdom and more love,” Abou concluded.

Written by Richard Brock
Edited by IOC Editing Team

Nikki's News - June 2009

The School Year in Review
On Friday the 12th of June we officially closed the 2008/2009 school year with a teachers celebrations, we took time to share about the highs and even the lows of the past 10 months as we served God and the families on board the Africa Mercy. One thing that was the thread throughout each story or laugh was the fact that God was faithful. This past year started with some serious challenges but when we looked back we did not remember those as much as we remembers to moments where God touched the lives of our students and the moments when we laughed!

This has been a ground break year for our school!
The most official and important event was the fact that our school was accepted in the candidacy program for accreditation with the Association of Christian School International (ACSI). When we achieve this it will make it far easier for our students to return home to their home countries and have their schooling on board recognised and accepted. We are still at the beginning of a rather long process but we are excited about first few steps we have taken!
Another very special event that was significant in the life of the Mercy Ships Academy was that we adopted a new logo. This is the first time the Academy’s 27 year history that the school has had one. We share it with the students by giving them each a t-shirt. See the picture below. Something about having a school identify has made us all very proud!

Why is Nikki still on board, what happened to 2 years?
This past May marked my 2 year anniversary of serving with Mercy Ships and this summer should have marked the end of my commitment. I believe that this season is not complete in my life and that I should continue serving with Mercy Ships. The school is in a very exciting phase and I look forward to seeing it through the accreditation process and then I will see what God has in store for me. How long the entire process will take depends on many factors, so it is difficult to say how much longer I will be with serving on board but I know that is where God wants me to stay! Thank you to all of you who have so faithfully supported me during the past 2 years!


What do the next few months hold?
The Academy is officially on Summer Vacation but I have chosen to remain on board and work on the many details needed for accreditation and the beginning of the new school year in August.

At the beginning of July my Mom is coming to visit and will be staying on board for 10 days. This is a very exciting time for me as I can’t wait to show her my life here. Although I try to describe it , it is something that needs to be experienced. I look forward to spending time with her.

Last year I have the wonderful opportunity to attend a conference in New Year specially for missionary teachers. It was a wonderful time of growth and learning. This year I have been invited to attend the ACSI Leadership Academy in Colorado Springs from the 23rd—26th July. The Conference is aimed at Christian School leaders and provides an opportunity for teaching and networking. Although I have been given a scholarship to attend the conference I need to cover the cost of the air ticket. Brain Blackburn, my college in Texas has faithfully been raising support and I am both humbled and honoured by his efforts! One of the ways he is using a Facebook Cause: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/296396?m=6b07e9f9 If I am able to attend the conference I will also be spending sometime in Texas working with Brian on accreditation. I will let you know what happens .

It is always hard to know just what to write and sum up months of events in short newsletter. This year I have tried to blog regularly and included both the big and small things about my life as I serve with Mercy Ships—keep logging on to my Blog and you will be able to see more of the finer details!

love Nikki

Pray with Me!

Praise
· … for God’s faithfulness in calling an excellent team of teachers to serve on board!
· … for the good and successful end of a difficult year.
· .. God for providing a full team of teachers for next school year starting in August.

Requests
· For the team of teacher who are preparing to arrive on board in August, that God will make their paths straight.
· Continued support as I serve with Mercy Ships longer than the original 2 years I thought.
· Continued wisdom as I lead the school through the next school year.
· For the opportunity to attend the ACSI Leadership Academy in Colorado this July.

Another Story of Hope - Darkness Lifting

Sometimes there are stories that travel throughout the ship long before we read about their stories in offical communication. The story of this family is one of them. As a friend shared her experience with these little people as she cared for them the night before their surgery, brought tears to her eyes and my mine too! I share this as a glimps of what God is doing to bring His Hope to the people of Benin! I can ensure you, you will need tissues! - NA

For seven years, Genevieve has been the eyes for others. She gave birth to three children – two boys separated by a girl – all with cataracts in both eyes, preventing them from seeing anything but the most subtle shifts in light and shadow.

Going anywhere has been an exercise in patience and strength for Genevieve – tying one-year-old Ricardo on her back with a piece of brightly-patterned cloth, taking seven-year-old Alexis by the hand, holding three-year-old Nadege by the arm – then guiding them up steps, through thresholds, and around potholes.

For years, her eyes have been vigilant guards against danger – coal stoves sitting in the corners of rooms, containers of liquid that could scald or poison, and all the daily threats that could harm her children.


“Because of the blindness, I must be with them all the day,” Genevieve said. “Even if they are playing, I have to watch them. In everything, I have to be right beside them.”

Genevieve and her husband tried to get help for their children. They visited the hospital in Glazoue, the nearest city, but they had no means to pay for the expensive cataract surgeries. The physical toll of her children’s blindness was heavy for Genevieve to bear. But the emotional strain was even more difficult, for Genevieve wondered what would become of her children in a country that makes no accommodations for blindness.


Genevieve also struggled spiritually. “Why is it that all my children are blind?” she thought constantly. “What did I do to God for this to happen?”

To make matters even worse, she heard people cruelly whisper, “It must be witchcraft or a curse – because three blind children in one family is too unlucky.”

Then hope surfaced when a man in their village offered to help. André Affedjou, a civil servant in Benin, and his friends sometimes assist people who cannot afford medical treatment. When they heard about Genevieve and her children, their hearts were touched.

“Usually we find one blind child in one family or one handicapped child in one family, but three blind children for one family was too much,” André said. He knew that if they did not get help, they would have a very bleak future and would be dependent on others for their entire lives.

André said, “They will not have a chance to go to school because there is no blind school in the village. But if they receive their sight, it will be a great happiness.”

André heard about Mercy Ships on the radio and arranged for transportation to Cotonou and for housing for the family. They came to the ship the week before Easter – three happy children, laughing, using their fingers to “see” the toys the nurses handed them, and mimicking the foreign noises of the ship. Genevieve looked pensive – daring to hope, yet unsure that her solution had finally arrived.

“I hope that the children will recover their sight,” Genevieve said, “and they can go to school. I will be so happy if my children can see my face and my husband’s face.”

Kim Strauss, Eye Team Coordinator and wife of eye surgeon Dr. Glenn Strauss, said that the children arrived in very good health – good enough to be operated on immediately. Often, children have to be nursed for a few days before their operations, usually due to dehydration or fevers or infections. She gave Genevieve credit for the children’s good health and spirits.

“She is such a wonderful mother,” said Kim. “The kids are so happy. Even when they were blind, they were such happy little children.” And their innate joy was evident in their infectious laughter, their giggling chatter, and their dimpled smiles that wandered the room without focus. They seemed to be designed to experience life and happiness to the fullest extent.


The expectation for a successful surgery was highest for three-year-old Nadege. She hadn’t been blind long enough for permanent damage, yet her eyes were developed enough for the new lens to fit well. For congenital cataract procedures, children over the age of seven often have permanent damage because the optic nerve never develops, and the brain adjusts to blindness. This was a worry especially for Alexis. For baby Ricardo, the concern was that his eyes were not developed enough for the procedure and that the lens wouldn’t fit correctly.

The children all received their operations on the Thursday before Easter and spent a night with their eyes patched. The next morning, the surgeons, operating room nurses, and Kim assembled for the exciting moment – it was time to remove the bandages.

First they removed Nadege’s. “When we got the bandages off,” Kim recalls, smiling, “she grabbed the doll we were holding in front of her and said, ‘Bebe, bebe.’ So she knew what it was, and we knew she could see.”

Next was Alexis, who they feared wouldn’t see as well. They put the toys on the floor. He looked around, walked straight up to Dr.Glenn, and took something he had in his hand.

Finally, they removed Ricardo’s bandages, and then promptly returned him to his mother’s arms to calm him. For some time, he lay with his eyes squeezed shut. Finally he opened one eye and glanced around. Suddenly he saw something on his mother’s shirt, and he reached up and grabbed it.

“When he did that, we knew he could see, too,” Kim says. “It’s just a miracle! Even to Dr. Glenn, to see their vision come back is still a miracle. For him, every operation is a prayer that their sight will improve, for them to be able to function, to get around and get into things, like kids are supposed to do. And when it happens, it’s just fantastic.”

Now Genevieve’s hopes are realized. Her children will see her face, and they will know their father by sight. They will go to school. She will see them holding hands and walking outside to play on their own. The burden she carried so faithfully and lovingly is gone! The darkness has lifted!

“I am so happy,” Genevieve simply says. “I am so happy, I cannot tell you how happy I am.”

Story by Carmen Radley
Edited by IOC Editing Team
Photos by Esther Biney and Debra Bell