Thankfulness

I am so thankful for God’s direction in bringing me to Mercy Ships and providing me new friends within my first week to celebrate Thanksgiving in Africa. It is a bit different being on a ship with 35+ nationalities when celebrating a holiday unique to the United States.

My Thanksgiving day started off with going to an orphanage. It was so sweet to just snuggle up to the little toddlers. Many of the children wanted to be held more than play games. A little bit later I wandered upstairs and found the baby room where three little babies were just waking up from their nap. What an amazing way to spend Thanksgiving with getting to bless these little children.  

Loving on the Babies!

Playing with the kids!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the afternoon several of us toured a French Naval ship that just so happened to be docked right behind the Mercy Ships. Not a typical Thanksgiving activity, but it was interesting and something different.

French Naval Ship
 

In the evening we enjoyed a nice turkey dinner with mashed potatoes and green beans to keep with Thanksgiving traditional foods! You can’t forget the apple crisp and pumpkin pie for dessert!   

Sharing Thanksgiving Dinner with new friends!

No worries... I still had Turkey for Thanksgiving!

 

We'll that's it for now!

 

 

2 Minutes


I arrived on the ship Saturday evening without any problems during the long trek over the Atlantic. After being here two days, I am starting to get settled and learning my way around. One thing about being on a ship is everything is within close proximity. In 2 minutes you can be anywhere on the ship whether walking up two flights of stairs to the cafeteria or walking down the hall from my room to the hospital. In no time I can reach the Starbucks café on board or the top deck which has a small pool and a great view of the water.




The 2 Minute "Ship Shower"

So continuing with the 2 minute theme… a “Ship shower” permits two minutes of water use. I guess this also helps to decrease the bathroom demand with six ladies sharing one bathroom. The bunk room feels more spacious than I anticipated. I am enjoying the various nationalities in my room. I have two roommates from Norway, one from Australia, one from New Zealand, and one roommate from the United States who I met in the airport in Brussels during out layover.

This may be a silly thought, but I realized when I got on the boat that I am surrounded by water. Here is a view from the top deck of the ship!

The View from the Ship

Tomorrow I start my official orientation on the unit. There haven’t been any ICU patients in awhile, so I will be working on Ward D which currently cares for Maxo-Facial patients.  There will be lots of learning, especially because I will be taking care of adults alongside of children. I am excited and ready to get to work! I’m also looking forward to spending Thanksgiving at an Orphanage this Thursday morning!

My bunk is on the Top

Bon Voyage

The time has almost come for me to depart for Africa! On Friday I will board a plane and begin the 26 hour trek to Conakry, Guinea. I have felt so loved and supported by lots of people during this time of preparation. I am so thankful and humbled by the many people who have supported me financially. Thank you friends and family for your generous support and encouragement!

So where is Guinea? Many people have asked me this question, so I’ve had to brush up on my geography. It can get a bit confusing with four countries sharing the same name: Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, and Papau New Guinea (which is in the Pacific Ocean). I will be in French speaking Guinea for the entire 4.5 months while aboard the Africa Mercy Ship. The population of Guinea is about 10 million people with almost a quarter of the population residing in the capital city of Conakry. There are many medical needs in this country with only 1.3 healthcare workers for every 10,000 people. Here are a couple of maps showing the location of Guinea:
 

 

I will have access to the internet to update my blog and check email. If you’d like to send any letters please mail them to the address below. It will take about 2-3 weeks for mail to be forwarded to the ship. For anything over an ounce, I will be charged at a rate of $8.80 per lb (0.55 cents an ounce) to cover the shipping costs to the ship.

Emily Seamon/ AFM Crew Mail

PO BOX 2020

Lindale, TX 75771
 

I'd love to hear from you, so please keep in touch!