A Few Connections Back Home

Today was another day off, so I made sure to wander through the town because we are scheduled to sail in one week from today! As I meandered, many things caught my attention and reminded me of important people back home. You can take the Michigander out of Michigan (to England), but not the Michigan (and the relationships) out of the Michigander!

Tomorrow the galley gets a break because we are ordering pizza from Pizza King for dinner! There was a sketchy Pizza King in Big Rapids where us Cran-Hill Ranchers would go out when our campers had headed home. I couldn’t help but pose with it!

Yes, it is true. These older adults are playing a variation of Bocce Ball in the park! At Hope, and at home (my parents’), and at home (15 E Central Ave), and a few times at church at night when no one was there, there have been many matches of Bocce Ball with good friends. I hope to still be playing when I am older.

I also went for a run along the North Sea again. During my run I went underneath some large power lines. As I listened to the lines crackle, I noticed that they were at a different pitch than I am used to. In the US, the power alternates at a 60Hz hum. Here, it is 50Hz. I knew that this was something that Andy Huisman and Peter VanWylen would have also noticed, and appreciated.

There is a small market with open stands in the town centre of Blyth where one lady was selling buttons! It reminded me of Grandma, because she has an amazing collection of buttons that us grandkids use with card games when we come up to the farm.
Double Decker busses in the streets are a regular occurrence here. I watched this one wiz around the roundabout remembering my days driving the good ol’ First Reformed Church bus/tank. There were many great voyages on that bus, some really hot, others really cold, but regardless, great. It was an honour to drive for the amazing students in the youth group. We have shared some rich experiences together.

He fell like a sack-a-potatos

It has been a little while since last writing. I have enjoyed the past week, and hope to share a few specific experiences. But before this, I hope to articulate a few reoccurring thoughts that I have been chewing on. The first is the very act of writing a journal online. To me, a journal is a method record events, but also to sift through my thoughts, desires in my heart, and reflect on how this journey of life has been, is, and seems to be going. It is something I can be brutally honest in, because I know that I am the only one using it. On the other hand, ‘online’ to me is an impersonal place, where anyone can see everything. It is a sterile place where all of the walls are made of glass. So the idea of journaling online is something that I am getting used to. I am ok with sharing events that have transpired, but am reluctant to, well… journal. Regardless, this is a wonderful means to communicate across the Atlantic and to begin to stay in touch with!

The second reoccurring thought is more of a question: How long am I going to serve with Mercy Ships? I enjoy it here, the crew is good, and I continue to dream of seeing Africa. I desire to learn from what Mercy Ships does while serving in Liberia- digging wells for water, micro lending for economic development, HIV/AIDS awareness, not to mention hundreds of free medical operations where tumors are lifted off, blinding cataracts are removed, and the like. Yet, I cannot stay here forever. And, I miss the relationships back home. But what this really boils down to right now is whether or not to sail on May 4.

Initially, I planned on sailing down to Liberia, to be there for about ten days, and to then fly home to be back for the summer (important weddings, maybe camp, and who knows what else.) However the schedule for the sail has been continually pushed back, so it is not possible to see Africa and partake in these other events. The question becomes: to step off of the ship and return home on the 4th of May, or to sail with Mercy Ships to Africa (stopping in ports in the Netherlands and Spain) and to come back to the U.S., sometime. I would appreciate your prayers for direction in this and for those others involved and impacted by this decision. Thank you.

On to some recent experiences-

I watched my first football match (i.e. soccer game) in a pub. I felt like I was in the stadium! There was standing room only, and it was loud! We freely insulted the vile team from Chelsea (boo!) and cheered for local, heroic Newcastle. I learned some new lingo as well. When reading, make sure to try it in your best British accent:
‘He fell like a sack-a-potatos’ –describes when a player from the other team intentionally falls looking for a penalty
‘He needs to check his shoe’ –when a player kicks the ball wildly
In addition to this, I was amused to hear the locals using the word ‘bloody’ at random. (It just sounds funny.) At the end, having bonded as a group, we said our goodbyes and hiked out. Unfortunately I carried the smell of John’s cigar smoke with me on my church clothes all the way home to the ship. But, it was worth witnessing a true football match in a pub- a cultural experience.

I travelled to Newcastle and back for 3£ (6$) by bus. I enjoyed looking out my window for an hour and 15 minutes at the North Sea, the fields, roundabouts, horses, and everything else dotting the English countryside. Upon my arrival, I wandered through the city centre by foot for three hours. I was intrigued by how the new mixes with the old. I felt that the picture below describes this well. On the left are remnants of the Newcastle city wall, dating from the 13th century. On the ground are old, slippery cobble stones. To the right are some older buildings. And in the distance are two massive cranes constructing a sky scraper.

Here is my reflection in a piece of art. Behind me is the city wall weaving through the city. In front of me is a theatre.

Later on I was informed by some knights who emerged from the nearby pub that it was Saint George’s Day, the patron saint of England. The lads ran around with their plastic swords and shields valiantly defending the wall. The English film Monty Python and the Holy Grail came to mind as they posed for me. As I left I told them to be careful not to lop anyone’s arm off.

I hopped off the bus back in Blyth and was walking down the street on my way back to the ship when I recognized two smiling faces strolling towards me, Brianna and Sean. They were out to feast upon a classic British cultural meal of fish and chips and invited me to join them. So, I did. Here we are hoping that the grease doesn’t clog our arteries too much. But hey, as the box says, this is ‘traditional fish and chips from your favourite fish shop’.

We survived. And so did the pigeons that we fed the leftovers to.

Is it Milk?

Today was my day off again. It was wonderful. After breakfast, I returned to my bed, and drifted in and out of sleep, in a relaxed, warm, peaceful state. I felt like I was in a hot tub. I would pray a little, drift off to sleep, wake up five minutes later, and repeat. When I did arise for good, I head to a local coffee shop for a caramel soymilk latte. Mmmm. I journaled, ate some chocolate that I had hidden in my backpack, nursed my coffee, and eventually had a great discussion with a few other people in the place who noticed that I talk weirdly. (Actually they all talk weirdly but don’t know it!)
In other news, our special preservative-chocked milk on board expires in a mere ten months! We had better start drinking the stuff! Does anyone else begin to wonder when milk expires eleven months after it is processed? Good thing that we found a meagre stash of soymilk! My stomach is delighted to know that it shall be lactose free for a while again! All of this reminds me of a discussion I once had with my cousins in the days of ‘I Can’t Believe its Not Butter’ with Fabio. Well, there was a generic brand of margarine named ‘Is it Butter?’ We weren’t sure. Is it butter? Is it cardboard? Or plastic? Anyway, is this really milk?

This evening, I ran the soundboard for our ship gathering. It was a challenge to setup and was fun. Jim DeBoer would have been proud of me. (He is the man who pretty much everything, but in particular does all of the technical stuff at First Reformed church.) Afterwards, it was time to offer my second guitar lesson.

And last, but not least, our ship is scheduled to depart this port for Liberia on May 4!

The Galley Crew

I just finished off a fresh biscuit straight out of the oven as a little afternoon snack with the chef. This is one of the perks of working in the galley! Speaking of the galley, I have yet to introduce my fellow team mates and friends.

Catherine is on the far right. She is Scottish and has a wonderfully sharp accent. She works ambitiously like my mom (and keeps things just as tidy) and helps me to navigate the culture here- including tea time! Geathe is next to Catherine and is straight from South Africa. (She also has a wonderful accent.) She is very kind and laughs often. Audrey (who is looking supurb here) is our fearless and easy going Canadian chef who is next in line. She prepares phenomenal food and has a great African apron collection from Ghana. Glenn is the next one peering over Audrey’s shoulder. He is gentle, free to laugh, and has coordinated everything in our galley, and does a remarkable job of it. His family arrived a few days ago- Pam his wife, and Scott (what a great name) his 6th grade son. Pam is also just beginning to help in the galley. Their roots can be traced back to Texas. Jessica is next in line with a big smile. She is the one who just headed back to Colorado. But before doing so, she showed us all the ropes of the galley, and did a fine job of it!

In other news, our ship has been leaning to the side today. I guess this is what happens when tons and tons of fuel are loaded into one side of the ship. Nevertheless, I am still amused that my cart would roll away in the dining room, and that I would hike up one way, only to ease back down upon my return. It plays mind games with you!

Last night nine of us played sardines on decks five and six. We all felt very sophisticated in doing so, and probably got as much glee from it as the little kids around here would have. It was a good time. There was much laughter.

Dutch Bingo

Greetings from Blyth, England, where I officially observed the legendary custom of tea time today, where my home moved again to the other side of the river, and where I now work with a man from the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands! Krijin (pronounced somewhere between crane and cry’in) joined our galley crew as an assistant chef. We were talking over lunch today when we found our connection! I attempted to play Dutch bingo (because this is what you do when you find a connection in West ‘Dutch’ Michigan) but it didn’t go so hot. 160 years of separation since the settlers left will do it.

So, my home moved again. It was a similar sensation to when one is stopped at a railroad crossing, watching a train pass by. The mind shifts back and forth between the train moving, and the sensation that the train must be stationary and they are moving. This was me as I went from moving about the ship casually glancing out a window, to plastering my face (and fingerprints) to a window taking in our progress. Our propellers also grumble and vibrate like a train makes the earth too.

My friend and fellow galley mate Jessica is leaving tomorrow to head home to a nice snowstorm in Colorado. It seems like she has been here forever (because she has been here for three more days that I have) and will be strange to adjust to her absence. She showed me the ropes of the galley and did an excellent job. We will miss her excitement, joy, and contagious smile.

Carpet Fuzzies

I was asked about how life is on the ship regarding my cabin and the food and such. Well, the food is delicious (And I’m not just saying this because the chef is sitting directly behind me.) For breakfast we have a variety of cereal, oatmeal, fruit, juices, toast, coffee, and sometimes a treat pancakes such as this morning. Lunch is a moderate sandwich bar with sliced meat, cheeses, tomato, cucumber, onion. This is my favourite meal to set up for because it is not so very early in the morning, and it is easy to setup and take down. Dinners consist of a few cooked entrées with a salad, and sometimes dessert. I am eating very well here!

As far as living conditions, I have a cabin designed for four people all to myself! Although there is no window, I have my own bathroom, closet, and tiny living area in the back of the cabin. The carpet is new, so I keep collecting little balls of carpet fuzzies that resemble belly button lint. Everything is brand new.

I am much more settled in now, and time is going much faster. At first, everything was new to me, so I would have a challenging time shutting my mind off when I went to sleep at night. Now, the days seem to go by quickly.

Tomorrow we will be sailing back over to the other side of the river to load some more items onto the ship from a warehouse. I enjoy watching them navigate it so delicately. It is so massive, yet they can slowly walk it up to the dock (float actually.) The vessel has come a long way since I first arrived. Hopefully we will be ready to sail in a few weeks!

Sunday- Day 10

Today began with a little sunrise church service on the top of the ship. It was a touch chilly, brief, but beautiful outside. And then, I went back to bed! Later in the morning, about 12 of us gathered for our own little service, where we each shared something. The account of the empty tomb was read, we sang a few songs, a few people shared some of the things that they have been learning, and we had communion together. I share this because it was very natural given how long we have all known each other, it was honest, and essentially, it is what I feel that church should be (or really is)- a time of scripture and prayer that involves all of us, but also about understanding the Good News in the past, applying it in the present, and being intentional to go forward with it. For me, it was refreshing.

On a different note, I wanted to share a few of the day to day things that make life here distinct:
-I have counted at least eight other people who also take the freedom to wear socks and sandals!
-When I leave the ship and come back later, the gangway (the ramp into the ship) drastically changes angles. I can leave and walk down an almost smooth ramp. And then come back later to regular stairs.
-When an engine runs, the floor of the 6th deck here at the computer lab vibrates so much that I need to keep my CD player on my lap, or it won’t play!
-Here in English, English, cookies are biscuits, pants are trousers, underpants are pants, tummies are kai’tes, and carts are trolleys.
-When you go running and smile and nod at people, or wave, or say ‘hello’, they say ‘cheers’. Who knew?

All is well!

Friday April 6, 2007, 11:06am, or Friday 6/4/07 1106 as it would be written here.

It is Friday today, and a good one at that! It is a beautiful day outside, a beautiful day in Christian tradition and celebration, and a beautiful day here for me! I have most of the day off and the internet is finally up now so I can actually write home! Hurrah! I will do my best to recount my experience thus far, but am afraid that I am going to mush some events together. Although I have been on the Africa Mercy for almost exactly for one week, it seems like I have been here much longer because everything is so different! But ah, it is great. So, without further ado…

Thursday March 29

I woke up nice and early to be ready for a long day, encouraged by celebrating with the youth group and with friends. Then, Tony, Brian, and I had our last breakfast in 15 E Central Ave. together at our dinner table. I packed up all of my stuff into my backpacking backpack and was delighted that it all fit. This allowed me to take my guitar along as my second bag to check in at the airline. Around noon, I met up with Mom and Dad and we were off to O’Hare International Airport together. Wanting to squeeze in as much American culture as possible before my departure, we feasted on some good old McDonald’s burgers. And then, after taking a picture together, we said our goodbyes and I was on my way.



I enjoyed walking around the airport terminal, listening to all of the different tongues being spoken. I was fascinated by such rich cultural diversity.

My first flight was very smooth. The food was good, there were movies, and I was on the aisle. I even slept for one hour. However, I also found that I lost six or seven hours of time by the time I landed, and that I was worrying that my bum must have become flat after sitting on a plane for eight hours! And sometime during the flight, it turned into Friday.

Friday March 30

The Amsterdam airport was another place of great diversity. In addition, most people were speaking in Dutch! I found cute little touristy wooden shoe key chains and fresh tulips outside of West Michigan! I also found the airport security people to be a little less uptight than the American ones. So, I joked with them, and they let me take a picture of my backpack. It looks like this!



I also purchased coffee and received change back in a small pile of Euro coins.

After my second flight I strolled out of the luggage area, anticipating using a local train, but instead found three guys holding a Mercy Ships sign! Hooray! They drove me a half hour from Newcastle to Blyth. The whole time I felt giddy like a little kid, because the traffic works so differently here, with the cars on the left hand side of the road and all. And yes, roundabouts are fun!



I arrived at the Arica Mercy stunned by its size. It is massive!

The rest of the day was pretty much blurs together for a few reasons. One, I was so excited to see this operation. Two, everything was new. Three, I had only slept for one hour. So, in a stupor aided by coffee, I met a lot of wonderful people and went to a couple meetings where I learned exciting things such as where to go if we start to sink, that our ship guards used to be in the special forces of the military, and where my room is located. And then, I climbed into bed, where the combination of caffeine, the frequent PA system tests, and my racing mind kept me from slumber. Perturbed, I surrendered and took a shower instead. After a long, soothing, therapeutic shower, I popped the door open to clear the steam out of my artificial sauna. A few minutes later, there was a frantic knocking on my door, a jingling of keys, and an inquiry ‘anyone in there?’. In my towel, I opened the door just before it was opened for me. The fire alarm had been set off by my shower! The three of us smiled, and we introduced ourselves. After a good chuckle, I thanked them for visiting my cabin, and invited them to come back whenever they wanted to. About five minutes later, the thoroughly tested PA system announced “This is your captain. When you take a shower, please keep the door closed, or it will set off the fire alarm. Thank you.” Mine was one of the first showers taken on the ship, because crew had only lived on the ship for two days! And at night, I slept very well!

Saturday April 1

I met a lot of people on Saturday. I met my friends that I would be working with in the kitchen- Glen, Jessica, Audrey, and Catherine. I also met most of the crew. On accident, I met the founder of Mercy Ships, and the captain. At different meals, I sat by each of them, and later on introduced myself, not knowing who they were. And afterwards, I would walk away smiling, because I didn’t know! I was impressed by both of them.

The atmosphere of the ship stuck out to me. There was excitement in the air, from completing sea trials, being in a new port, a large influx of new crew, people beginning to live onboard the vessel, and hey, there was even being food served up in the galley! It was a lot like when moving into college or Cran-Hill Ranch, where everything and everyone was new, and there is much setting up to do.

Sunday April 2

After fixing up breakfast in the galley, I hopped on a Mercy Ships bus, that holds 15 people, back to Newcastle for a church service. What stuck out most to me was talking with the people. They stopped for about 15 minutes in the middle of the service to eat biscuits i.e. cookies and to talk. I had a hard time understanding the British accent! After the service, a group of us walked through the streets of Newcastle. I was amazed to see brand new indoor shopping malls next to really old buildings. The cobble stone streets wove up and down, and around in all directions except for straight North, South, East, and West. Walking around, I had to be so careful with crossing the road, because the traffic is still quite confusing. It is easy to look left, and begin to step into the street, only to have a little car come zipping along on the right! And then in the middle of a bunch of stuff is this old castle, as if it is no big deal at all.



At night then, five of us played something familiar to me, a game of Settlers of Catan. It was a different twist, and a lot of fun.

Monday April 2

Food arrived. Lots of it! Using the crane, we hoisted in these blue containers to the cargo hold about the size of a 15 passenger van. They looked like giant Legos. We would then rapidly unload these pallets of food as quickly as possible with pallet jacks. We took these enormous morsels of food down the hall of deck 3, the hospital, to the tiny elevator. To get them in, we would then ram them over the little ridges in the floor, with them often tipping forward precariously. Once in, they would head down to deck 2 with the massive freezers, coolers, and dry storage area. We would then form lines to divey everything up and into its proper location. Oh, it was fun and crazy. We resembled ants, taking such a large proportions of food to our size, guiding them through and down our tunnels for later.

I also piled into a car and went shopping. I withdrew 60£ from the ATM. They look funny to me! In the store, I was fascinated by all the new brands, by trying to convert everything into American dollars, by the British accents, and by the shopping carts. The back wheels pivot too. Very bizarre for this Michigander. When purchasing my new, European battery charger (They have different shaped plugs and voltage here so I didn’t bring anything that plugs in) I greeted the cashier. She looked up with a quizzical look and inquired “You’re from the UK, no?”. Oh well for fitting in! I don’t mind.

Tuesday April 3

We sailed today, all the way to the other side of the river! It was fun to feel the ship rumble as the engines were turned on. Up on the top of the vessel, on deck 8, on top of the bridge, I watched. It was stinking cold, but stopped raining. Here is a picture of the river, and of me looking like a dufus during our venture.



We moved so that a coal ship could take our berth, and so that the crew could walk into town. So, later in the evening, six of us made our way to town to wander around and to talk together. It was great to be on land again. Fortunately, Geathe joined our galley crew today! Not only do we have another fun person to spend time with, but now life is a little more relaxed for us, and people can take days off!

Wednesday April 4

I went for a run today. If you look up Blyth, UK on Google Maps, you can find the port where our ship is at the end of Ann’s Row. (Type in Ann’s Row, Blyth, UK) I went for a trot South a ways along the coast of the North Sea down a path by Link’s Road almost to the light house by Old Hartley. I was amazed at how similar the beach is to ours in Michigan, with the sand, and the dunes. The difference is that there are majestic wind generators here.



I also went for a tour of the engine room! Wow. We’ve got four V16 engines, each about ten feet high that rev to about 700 rpms. Each one is good for roughly 4000 horsepower. At full power, we don’t get the best gas milage though. We would burn about 60 tons of fuel a day. Good thing we rarely do this! Now, fuel here is 88 pents a liter. This translates to about 6 or seven dollars a gallon… Imagine filling up this single tank…



The crank shaft (the rod connected to the propeller) is about as round as a beach ball! It was amazing.

Thursday April 5

I began the celebration of my day off by sleeping. And then, I slept a little more. I arose relaxed twelve hours later, just in time for lunch! I later walked through the market and bought some Cadbury chocolate. It is sooooo good. The day was on opportunity to slow down for me by reading, talking with people, and getting to pray at length for the first time in a while.
My typical day begins at 0540 so that I am in the galley by 0600. From here we get breakfast ready until 0630, and then take a break to eat. We then clean up and get lunch fixings ready. Sometimes we’ll elect to take a 45 minute break in the morning after we’re ready, other times not. We then come back at 11ish until 2ish. Then at 4pm until 7:30ish we’ll do the dinner thing! So it is a random day, and good to rest for a little bit.

I very much enjoy working with the galley crew. We get along really well, have fun singing while we cut veggies, don’t mind being silly, and are an encouraging bunch. I feel uplifted after being with our crew.

In the off times (and while working sometimes, and while eating for that matter) I get to spend time with the rest of the crew here. I am fortunate to have a lot of people to spend time with. One of the things that I was most anxious about was being lonely. This has not been the case at all, because most others are also looking for something to do. However, it is quite different to be in a place where people don’t know your story- where you’ve been and such. I don’t know how I feel about that.

Friday April 6

And then back to today, again!

A Brief Update!

I arrived safe and sound on Friday here on the Africa Mercy, my new home! The people here are wonderful! The atmosphere around here is much like the dorms in college with everyone moving in. New people are constantly arriving, there is stuff being installed and moved everywhere, and things are starting to take shape. Speaking of things coming together, the internet was just connected, so I apologize for taking so long. In addition, our connection will be severed in a few moments, when we set sail... ...all the way to the other side of the river to a new berth. Once our ship is settled in a little better tonight, I intend on recounting some fun stories thus far, and share a few pictures!