...Day 20...

Recently awoke from an awesome Sunday afternoon nap! :)  So refreshing.
Friday was our pool practical at the Cain Center Pool.  The entire pool wasn't rented out to us like we thought, so we had lots of curious onlookers.  One lady even stood outside the window with her camera for a long time.  Not sure if she was taking pictures or recording.  We certainly made for an interesting show! :)  Our exercises included treading water, properly donning our life jackets while being timed, jumping off the diving board with our life jackets on, getting in and out of the life raft, pulling in the sea anchor on the life raft, donning our immersion suits, jumping off the diving board in our suits, forming a "train" of people and swimming together, huddling, and getting into the life raft with our immersion suits on.  That was pretty hard.  Those suits are so cumbersome! haha  We also had to practice flipping the life raft back over if it capsized.  :) 

After we finished at the Cain Center, we went to Hunan Buffet where I tried Sushi for the first time.  Pretty tasty!  My favorite was the little seaweed wrap.  After eating, we headed back, and although we were very tired, most of us pulled off a late night.  We laughed at how many laptops were in the lounge at once.  We've been sharing pictures with each other, and Renier is planning to put together a CD of everyone's pictures at the end.
Saturday was a very relaxing morning of sleeping in.  At 2:00, everyone who wanted was taken into Tyler.  My roommate Annika had never had a pedicure because it is much more expensive in Germany.  It sounded like lots of fun, so 5 of us went to Solar Nails.  It was honestly the best pedicure I've ever had.  It lasted for about an hour, complete with a hot stones massage of the feet and legs, yet was the same price as usual.  So relaxing after a week of using muscles I forgot I had!  lol 
We then went to Stein Mart and the mall, ate at BJ's (their pizza is sooooo good!), then to Ross, then Starbucks, and finally to the movies.  So much fun!!  It feels like a long time since I had been to the mall.  For those in Indiana who don't know what Ross is, it is comparable to TJ Maxx.
This morning we went again to Green Acres Baptist Church.  It is the biggest church I have ever been in. 

News flash!!  My family and boyfriend is coming to see me this next weekend!!! Dad paid for tickets to go to the Mesquite ProRodeo Series on Saturday.  I'm so excited to get to see them!!!  They should arrive Saturday morning and sadly have to leave again Monday morning.  But it will be so good to spend some time with everyone before I leave for Africa.  :)

Day 17

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRf9ooQ7qq8

The above video has been deemed very funny by my German roommate :)  Therefore, I feel okay putting it on here.  I am not making fun.  We watched this today in class while learning about communication on ships, and it is very fitting since we have so many different dialects of English just in our Gateway group.  Wait til we get on the ship. Wow!!

This evening after our weekly run to Walmart, I went on a walk around campus with three other ladies.  We saw an armadillo and a deer! The armadillo was so funny.  It buried it's head in a pile of leaves, making it hard for Heather to get a good picture of him.  He was holding still, so it was a good picture opportunity if he would have just shown his head.  As soon as he lifted his head, he took off running. 

Day 16 :)

Day 16 is drawing to a close.  I just finished skyping with my cousin Janet! : ) Skype is so fun...I gave her a virtual tour of our dorm. lol

Today was the CPR and First Aid portion of BST (Basic Safety Training) week.  Tomorrow begins the classroom portin of "sea survival."   Friday we will get to dress up in our immersion suits, head to a pool, and put into place what we will learn tomorrow. 

This evening we went to Alicia's apartment and played some games.  We played telephone charades and another game which I don't remember the name of.  Lots of laughter :)  I didn't take my camera with me, but others took pictures that I may be able to share later.

CPR training

:: Day 15 ::

So this evening I saw a mouse.  A very big mouse, I might add.  A few minutes later, I saw a big bird which I am guessing was probably a hawk.  He swooped down near a tree, paused for a few seconds, then flew away again.  As he was flying away, I heard, "Squeak, squeak!!!"  Yea...I came to that conclusion too.

This morning was a very early morning for us.  I got lots of rest so getting up wasn't too bad.  We met in the classroom at 6:00 AM, then headed to the storage unit to put on our gear.  At the "fire field" we started with rescuing the mannequin, Manny, from a smoke-filled shipping container.  The smoke was being generated as is the smoke at any rock concert or theatrical production.  It was nontoxic, but we treated it as tho it were toxic and donned our SCBA's (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus).  The weather was so cool and nice this morning.  74 is the temperature I heard.  Definitely an answer to prayer.  It also rained for the first time since I've been here!!  Soon it turned into a T-storm with lots of lightning, so we headed inside and watched videos about fires until it passed over.  When we went back out, it was definitely warmer, but still quite pleasant compared to what it would have been like if it was 100 degrees outside.

For a few hours, we did some hands-on practice of putting out small fires with portable extinguishers, and also bigger fires with a 1 1/2 inch hose.  I have a slight phobia of masks, or anything covering my face that either makes me breathe the same air, or makes me breathe hot or limited air.  The SCBA was okay as long as the oxygen was attached, because then the air I was breathing was cooler, and it felt easier to breathe as much as I needed.  But I was praying about it, and everyone was very helpful in reassuring me and being there for me when the mask had to come off.  lol  I put it on before going into the fire in the container, but then stood in line for too long.  I was so hot, and was just getting more and more anxious about it being on my face.  I was remembering the one time I passed out, and I didn't want it to happen again, so the mask came off for a while.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. :)

 ^  Manny looked a bit lifeless.  ^   I tried to help him out. :)

I'm on the far right...

Our group just after getting all our gear on!

We didn't have our masks on in any of these pictures.  We saved our oxygen for when we were going inside the container.

Kari and Kelly are modeling the SCBA's :)

Day 14!!

We are all hurrying to go to bed early tonight.  Today was the beginning of the Basic Safety Training week, and we began with the fire fighting classroom lecture.  We also learned how to "gear up" with our oxygen tank and mask, and everyone was able to put that on in less than one minute.  Then we all were given our bunker gear which we will have to put on in less than one minute as well.  In the morning we will be timed, and should be completely ready, with our oxygen on and running in two minutes.  : )

6:00 AM is the start time for class.  It has been so hot here, but thankfully, tomorrow it is only to be a high of 90, with a chance of rain in the afternoon.  So by getting up at the crack of dawn, we will have some time to put out fires before we get scorched by the sun. 

I am trying to upload a picture from my phone...so far it is not working.  I should have pictures tomorrow tho! : )

--Day 13--

Well, today is now Sunday.  It has been a very busy week.  My last update was on Tuesday night after our Field Service meeting.  Wednesday evening Alicia took us to a pool where she was house-sitting.  We relaxed in the pool and ate watermelon. :)  Thursday evening we made our weekly Walmart run.  We were so excited to go to Walmart.  haha  Friday evening we went to the Nash household and had a Texas Barbeque. 
Yesterday morning we went to the Tyler State Park and had a Silent Retreat.  It was such a pretty day, although very, very hot!  There was at least a nice breeze blowing.  Afterwards I came back and crashed.  I was so tired and it was so nice to have a nap.

Today we went to the Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler.  I'm not sure that I've ever been in a church that large.  There were two sanctuaries.  The one we sat in had the video of the preacher live-streamed to it from the other building.  A kind gentleman in front of us took our picture, but it's quite blurry.

Tomorrow starts our Basic Safety Training week.  Usually it is later in the Gateway course, but due to the unusual heat, they want to get it over with in case the summer continues to get hotter.  I guess the weather now is what typically is seen in August.  So I guess I should be able to handle a fire hose and put out a fire after we are through :)

:: Day 9 ::

A GREAT day today!! 

It's been very difficult at times to process all this information.  It's like going back to high school and college days at times.  I find myself squirming around a lot.  Not that I'm not interested, but I just struggle at times to maintain focus. 

Yesterday we covered a lot about the nature and characteristics of God.  We looked at common stereotypes of God such as a mean judge, Santa Claus, a puppeteer, a dictator, an abstract force, a father, and a shepherd.  Some hold some truth, some don't.  A father and shepherd are things Jesus himself used to describe God. 

We talked about how living on the ship could be like walking around to many different churches and randomly selecting 50 people to live under the same roof.  We have to know what we believe and why, while understanding the what and why of other people's beliefs as well.  We can all bring different strengths and weaknesses, and with God's help, work together to build a strong community.  Another thing we are to think about before boarding the ship is the difference between our principles and preferences. 

Agapeland...Anyone familiar with this?  :)  At home we have a tape (yes, not a CD or DVD, but a tape!) of Herbert the Snail singing, "Have patience, have patience, don't be in such a hurry..."  Well guess what!  The IOC grounds here in Garden Valley, Texas, used to be where those musicals were produced! 

Today we began talking about faith, humility, reality, reaping what we sow, giving, and forgiveness.

We also had our first meeting to talk about our field service.  I will email further details about the trip soon.  It's so exciting!  Please join in praying now (several weeks in advance) for our safety as we travel to Sierra Leone, the effectiveness of what we do, and that we can remain healthy.

(I realize this blog has been a bit scattered...hope it makes sense!)

Candace

Day 7

Yesterday was Saturday and we got to sleep in! Woo hoo!  It was so nice.  Registration for Gateway and getting to know each other was Saturday afternoon at 2:00.  Played some silly team building games and shared our stories of what brought us each here to serve with Mercy Ships.  For dinner we split into small groups.  Ann is my small group leader. 

After dinner, 8 of us went for a walk around the campus.  Saw the farm :)  It is so hot here in Texas! So after our walk we went for a swim and then enjoyed an Italian Soda from the Anchorage Cafe.  Mmmmm.

This morning we slept in and went to the 11:00 CCF (Community Christian Fellowship) church that is next door to the IOC (International Operations Center).  Had a sandwich and a short nap then off to Orientation! 

Got my homework for tomorrow done.  Yay!  Designed a title page for the notebook that we will be using to turn in all of our written assignments, came up with some goals for my time here, and explored Mercy Ship's intranet for this week's "scavengar hunt."

Got to catch up with Mom via cell phone, and Skyped with Matt! <3 

Faith Foundations starts at 8:00 AM.  Pray that I can be alert and focused this week and be able to benefit from what is laid before us.  (Yes, I think that means doing my part as well by getting some sleep!)  :)

Day 5!

 

FMS (Foundations of Mercy Ships) has ended.  Those who were only here for FMS are either in the process of leaving, or have left already.  Those for Gateway are on their way.  Tomorrow afternoon we have registration for Gateway and some "get-to-know-you time", with orientation following on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday morning we may choose our own churches to attend.  There are two churches within walking distance as well as other options in Van, Lindale, and Tyler.  Pray that we don't overheat if we walk to church on Sunday! :) I'm not sure how far "walking distance" is.  Don't worry, I don't see us hitch-hiking!

I've taken advantage of some extra down-time today to unpack and organize.  All week I have just basically taken out what I needed as I needed it!  Not very efficient and it was beginning to get quite messy.  One of my areas to work at is how to be neat and organized is small spaces.  I can be organized if I have lots of room to spread out and store things.  The next 4.5 weeks here at Gateway will be a starting point.  Once we get to the boat, er ship, my "personal territory" will be even smaller!  There are always opportunities for learning new ways no matter where we are. :)

Candace

--Day 4--

Today I am exhausted!!!  Annika, Tori, and I decided we should not stay up so late tonight so we can be more alert tomorrow :)
Our sessions today were a lot about support raising and keeping in touch with those back home even while we are gone.  We had a Bible study about Paul, Jesus, and the Levites who have relied on others for their means of survival.  I feel so blessed to have such an amazing group of  people rallying behind me supporting me with words, prayers, and finances.  THANK YOU!!!
O I also learned today to never ever ever call the Africa Mercy a boat.  It is a ship.  We heard that correction more than once today!!  :)
Good night!!
Candace

< Day 3 >

Another very lovely day at the IOC.  Our "classes" or "educational sessions" were about transitioning from our current life to ship life and back again.  Also learned some ship terms which will take me a while to remember since I basically have no previous knowledge of ships.  Front of the ship is the bow, towards the stern (rear) is the aft, the kitchen is the galley, the place on board where the Captain and deck hands steer the ship is the bridge, and the bathroom or toilet is the head.  hmmm.
The Africa Mercy is flagged under the Maltese flag.  Malta is a very Christian oriented country as well as they allow Mercy Ships to have an international crew.  In the past, (I think they said this is no longer necessarily the case) if we were flagged under the United States, it would have to be an American crew, etc. 
I set up a Skype account and I love it!  I won't be able to use it while I'm aboard Africa Mercy, but while I'm here at IOC, it's fine.  I was skyping with my boyfriend Matt earlier and that way he was able to "meet" my roommates and two of the Marx family's children.  We also played checkers and hangman.  How fun is that? :)
So funny fact...the main reason why there is a rule about not wearing shorts (even long shorts) or above-the-knee skirts off the ship is because knees are seen as being "sexy" by the Nationals.  I remember while in Haiti that if you had long hair and you let it down, the guys would stare and sometimes call out to you because they really saw long hair as being attractive.  So I'm so excited about this time of learning and also the opportunity to learn from  my roommates and others in Gateway of things from their countries so that I will know for future reference if I ever travel to those places.

mid-splash! 

 Roomies!!!!!! <3

We went swimming at the pool here on campus which was lots of fun.  (Thank you TORI for the pictures!! :) )    I was getting very chilly towards the end.  Today seemed less hot and humid than the last two days, which was a blessing.  And, our air conditioner in our dorm room had been broken (we didn't realize it) which was why it was so hot in here! Thankfully, it was fixed today and it's nice and comfortable now.  The guys very graciously found some extra fans for us to crank on last night to help cool us.  We opened the window and placed two fans in front of it to pull in the cool night air.  It helped, but it's so good to have it running properly. :)
Good night!
Candace

Day 2 :)

Whew! What a day.  It was very interesting, but boy do I have a hard time sitting still for periods of time.  Some fun facts: 
1.)  Showers on the ship are limited to 2 minutes.  When there is a water shortage due to debris in the water, etc., showers are limited to 90 seconds.  They also turn the water heater off to help enforce the quick showers. 
2.)  We will have to sign up for one weekly laundry slot.  We were told a little hint- if you buddy up with someone and share your laundry slots with each other, you can then both be able to do laundry twice weekly.
3.)  Cataract surgery used to be app. 1.5 hours with local anesthesia.  Now, no anesthetics are used and it only takes 9 minutes.
4.)  Vesico-vaginal fistulas are no longer heard of in more developed countries due to the availability of emergency C-sections during child labor when needed.  But there are an estimated one million women in Africa who suffer from this due to the lack of health care which results in incontinence and are often expelled from home.  They are viewed as outcasts as were those with leprosy in Bible times. 
5.)  Most superheroes wear their underwear on the outside of their pants.  haha
6.)  Alcon provides complete cataract surgery packs (not only the supplies, but also the people to package the packs that are ready to use.)
7.)  Mercy Ships is very involved in teaching and training medical personnel to be self-sustainable in providing continued services to their own people once Africa Mercy has left the port.
8.)  Before entering a port to provide medical care, the country has to demonstrate ability and desire to improve their health care system.  This is related to #6 so that the care can continue through the country's people and resources.
This has been awesome so far.  And mom, guess what!! I love the food!  :) Quite a relief.  I also hear from those who have been on the ship before that the food onboard is very good as well. 
The way that there are people here from so many different countries and cultures is awesome.  I love the ability to sit at a table with people from South Africa, Germany, California, Texas, etc., and carry on a coversation where everyone is telling stories and comparing ways of life, languages, experiences, and reasons for being here.  Even knowing that, duh, everyone is different and does things differently, it just brings it into full realization that what I think is normal is foreign to someone else, and vice versa.  For example, I was raised to know what goosebumps are.  In Germany, it is called duck skin (that's the English translation.) 
Candace

Day 1 of Mercy Ships, cont

My part of the dorm...

The front of the family dorm where I am staying.  The upper level of the building is Human Resources.

Day 1 of Mercy Ships

The day started very early, leaving our house at 3:30 AM to catch my flight from Indianapolis to Dallas/Ft Worth, then on to Tyler.  Check-in went well after we found the correct airline.  (Blonde moment-oops)  The line for security was very long, but moved rather quickly and went through with no glitches.  Found my gate and had bruises on my fingers from lugging my carry-on.  Ouch!!  They ran out of space for carry-ons and therefore took mine to stow under the plane.  Flight went well until I started looking for my next boarding pass to Tyler so I knew which gate to find at Dallas.  O NO!!  It was in my carry-on that was stowed underneath!  I didn't panic, but started to get vey worried!  The flight attendant assured me that it happens all the time and it wouldn't be a problem to get a new one printed.  So, I got off the plane and stopped at the nearest gate to ask for it to be reprinted.  The lady repeatedly denied being able to print a new one.  The guy next to her was just grinning away and also telling me that they couldn't print one and that the flight attendant should have known better.  I couldn't tell if they were serious or not because the guy was smiling so much.   Finally, the real story came out.  I just had to ask at the gate going to Tyler.  Duh!! Just tell me in the first place!!  Much relieved, but still not knowing what time my flight left and whether or not I should be running to get there in time, I followed their directions to the Tyler gate.  It was such a blessing to not have that carry-on.  I would have been begging people to carry it for me! : )  I was first in line and got a new boarding pass printed with no problems!  We boarded and as we were taking off, my emotions got the best of me and the tears started rolling!!  This was it!  Off to a new place, meeting new people, missing everyone and so many events at home, etc.  Just couldn't hold it in.  The flight attendant was worried about me and brought a box of tissues :)  I eventually regained control and had a nice conversation with the lady sitting next to me who was very sweet.  Upon arrival to Tyler (a very nice, small airport) I met Vangie from Mercy Ships who helped me gather my luggage and brought me the final distance to the International Operations Center.  She brought me some donut holes which was much appreciated-I slept through the snacks being served on the flight.  At IOC, I was introduced to my roommates and two men carried my luggage in for me, complaining the entire time that I packed too much.  "How much did you pack?  Those bags are so heavy!"  My response- "Everything!!" :)  (Each bag weighed exactly 49 pounds)  :)  My roommates are Tori from California, and Annika from Germany.  Tori is a receptionist, and Annika is a nurse! They're both very sweet.  Tori took me under her wing and showed me around.  They have both been here since yesterday.  We ate lunch, then I took a nap, then it was time for a tour of the campus.  Now I need to finish this and head to supper!  It's very very hot and muggy here, but I think it's going to be awesome.  The pool looks very inviting!  There are so many people here from different cultures, countries, etc.  I am having a hard time understanding everyone due to different accents. I'm sure the same goes for them understanding my hick accent!  Can't hide where I come from! : )  I took a picture of my room.  It will be nice and small and cozy but thankfully there are no bunk beds!! :)  I will try to keep this updated regularly.   So long for now!
Candace