Baby Rescue Center

28 November 2012

Two weekends ago I got to serve at the Baby Rescue center - they take in abandoned and unwanted babies and they love it when we come to hold them! 




They all cried when we left. I hope to go back next week!

Love to all, krissy

A day in Paradise

25 November 2012

There are some tropical islands about an hour's boat ride away from the port.  Last weekend I fully enjoyed a day in paradise.  I have more photos but the internet has only allowed me three today... enjoy!
 
Literally hiked through the jungle on a tropical island to get to the beach. Beauty.

Beauty.

Nothing is better than a cold Coke (made with real sugar, not chemicals like in the states) in a glass bottle on a tropical beach. Nothing.

Playground - before and after

24 November 2012

This was our project for field service.  Build a playground at a local hospital which is getting ready to open a day care center.  It was really a fun project!
The "playground" on day one  - basically a trash pit full of broken glass, needles, and garbage.
The playground after - 7 days of work!


In other news, I just spent my 4th Thanksgiving in Africa!  I hope all my American friends and family enjoyed the holiday.  I've been sick again this week (Which is really lame because I so very seldom get sick, and it seems half the time I've been in Africa I've been in bed!) but feeling much better today, and I'm going to try to be better about blogging!  :) Stay tuned for more photos.

Love to all. Thank you so much for your support, I really love living here on the Africa Mercy and am so grateful for everyone who helped me to get here.  Merci Beaucoup!!

Krissy

Update

16 November 2012

Hey everyone.

Sorry for the delay in blog posts. I've been trying to upload a different version of the previous video but can't get it to work... I've been trying to upload pictures, but they aren't working either... so then I just give up and try another day.

Well, today I thought I would get the word out that I'm doing GREAT, I love life on the ship. I just belong here. It's awesome. My first week in my new job went well. I'm HR support for all technical positions which includes Deck (officers), Engineering, the Purser's office, and everyone that falls under those categories. It's an entirely new world that I'm learing; what's the difference between a 3rd engineer and a 4th engineer and a 3rd officer and a deck hand and an able seaman and what does the purser do, exactly? These are the things I'm learning. It's cool to be learning something entirely new! I really like my boss and my coworkers, which makes life even better.

Today was a ship holiday - every six or so weeks we get a long weekend, because we don't actually take any time off for 'regular' American or other national holidays. There are still nurses on duty, but no surgeries are scheduled, the dining room is on a weekend schedule (no lunch served and breakfast is later), and all the office-based positions are closed (me!). This morning I got up and went for a run, then after a shower and breakfast went with some friends to a market - I LOVE african markets! I also made lots of friends thanks to my fabulous French skills. (I LOVE speaking French, too!) Then I came home, ate lunch, and took a lovely nap for a couple hours. A very good holiday, I think!

Tomorrow I'm heading to a baby rescue center to love on abandoned or sick babies. Sunday I'm taking a boat trip to the island with a paradise-esque beach. My life is amazing. :)

I will keep trying to upload photos and video... Stay tuned. Love to all. Krissy
Yay! I got one photo to load!!

The last two weeks - in pictures.

09 November 2012

Well, I did make it back to the team last Friday and we had a great final week together.  Today we moved on to the ship - my home for the forseeable future! It feels so natural to be here and it's been great reconnecting with old friends as well as experiencing it again with my new friends who are going through all the transitions for the first time. 

I've got a lot to write about, but for now, here's what we've been doing as a team for the last two weeks. I'm not in a whole lot of the photos because I was in the hospital - but I was definitely there in spirit :) Thanks Suzanne for making the video!! (I can't figure out how to make it smaller... sorry!)

Love to all! K

The flip side....

01 November 2012

The last three days I've been experiencing the flip side - life as a patient on the Africa Mercy!

I don't really remember much of Monday night or Tuesday, except that I was sick and all I wanted to do was sleep. Eventually they brought me to the ship and I was admitted as a patient in an isolation room and put on IV fluids.  I don't remember much until my first real coherent conversation and meal on Wednesday night.  Heat exhaustion.  Awesome. Didn't expect my first days back on the ship to be as a patient! 

Anyway, they released me this afternoon from the hospital bed but I'm still on the ship under observation until I check with the doctors Friday morning. I'm tired but eating normally now and keeping food/meds down, soI hope I can rejoin my team tomorrow!

So grateful to have this amazing place filled with amazing people taking care of me!! 

Krissy
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