Yesterday was orientation for all of the translators and ward day workers (Liberians that work on the ship as translators, housekeepers, kitchen help, etc...) and in the afternoon we had a get togetherz(I mad 3 types of cookies for 100 people) with all the nurses. It was so incredible. We were all paired up, and were to ask each other questions and get to know each other and then introduce them to the group. It was so neat to hear them all say their favorite thing about Liberia. They said thing like " I love the ability the Liberians have to forgive each other", that statement wrenched my heart, knowing that the woman who said that lost most of her family in the civil war. I can't imagine knowing that the person that killed my whole family lives down the street from me and I don't know if I could ever have it in my heart to truly forgive the person who took the lives of my family. Praise God for the Liberian people who choose to forgive. At end of the gathering we closed with singing a song about the goodness and grace of God, it was incredibly moving.
Today is our first day of surgery. I am working evening shift today, and I am so excited to get back to bedside sursing. Please pray for us as surgeries continue and the ward fills up. Please pray against emergencies and pray for more ortho patients and more maxoficial patients. We have plenty of surgical openings left in these 2 areas. Thank you.
Weevils
Yes, it's true...there are still some weevils in pasta. I never promised they would be weevil free, actually here is my original quote:
Remember that? It was in the post titled The lesser of two weevils…
Please do not point out to the dining room and galley staff that there are weevils in the pasta, we know there are and we are trying what we can to get them out without wasting food AND we are trying to be good stewards with our supply. Some things take time to remedy.
And for any Vegetarians out there, Michal our very own 'in-house' vegetarian has certified Weevils as being 'Vegetarian Friendly' and a small part of your daily protein intake.
Vegetarians worldwide, Bon Appetit!
"I have used a few techniques that have cut down the amount of weevils that appear in my pasta (that is what its most prevalent in right now, except maybe besides the cereal but I don’t deal with that) but I must warn you, when we get on outreach and its a full-on rush to get the food out, this may fall by the wayside because it can get time intensive.
So when it comes down to not getting fed, or getting fed with weevils…the lesser of the two will be chosen. Bon Appetit!"
Remember that? It was in the post titled The lesser of two weevils…
Please do not point out to the dining room and galley staff that there are weevils in the pasta, we know there are and we are trying what we can to get them out without wasting food AND we are trying to be good stewards with our supply. Some things take time to remedy.
And for any Vegetarians out there, Michal our very own 'in-house' vegetarian has certified Weevils as being 'Vegetarian Friendly' and a small part of your daily protein intake.
Vegetarians worldwide, Bon Appetit!
Screaming Day
Yesterday Febuary 18th, 2008 was officially the most intense, over whelming, and challenging day of my whole life. The day started at 5 am with my alarm clock going off and wondering how in the world am I going to get through this day. About 70 crew members piled into our Land Rovers and headed off to the Samuel K. Doe Stadium. Once we arrived there was a line of MANY people snaked around the parking lot. Some of them had obvious physical ailments (some we can help and some we can't), some people with stomach problems or lung problems, and some that just came to see what was going on.
I spent the day in the lab and specifically I drew the blood of the children that were selected for surgery. Please forgive me if I don't describe this well, for there are no words to describe what I experienced yesterday. I am still processing it and shedding lots of tears. I received my first kid at 7:30 am and my last at 8:15 pm. Most of the day I was hunched over children (my youngest 7 weeks) drawing their blood. Some looked healthy and some looked so sick, but all of them looked up at me with there big brown eyes not understanding why I was sticking them with a needle and taking there blood. Some of them kicked and screamed and one even bit me, while others just sat very still and stoic. So many children sat across from me all with there own stories and problems. Some had club feet, some cleft lip and palate, some had burns, one boy was born with out an ear, we had so many women with goiters the size of a cantaloupe, lots of hernias and an assortment of other problems. Mostly I just saw their veins or lack there of. But in the near future, when they come to the ship for their surgeries I will get to know them as people. I will learn their names and know their stories. As the day went on and I felt like my head was going to explode from all the screaming, I started to think about all the hugs and loves I will be able to lavish on these beautiful children of God and how their surgery and treatments that they will receive on the Africa Mercy will impact the rest of their lives.
Today I was talking to a fellow nurse and he told me that he talked to a family member of one of the patients that he was drawing blood from and the guy said "Thank you for holding this Screaming day". Yes lots of patients were screened for surgeries, but in the room that held the lab it was definitely Screaming day.
I spent the day in the lab and specifically I drew the blood of the children that were selected for surgery. Please forgive me if I don't describe this well, for there are no words to describe what I experienced yesterday. I am still processing it and shedding lots of tears. I received my first kid at 7:30 am and my last at 8:15 pm. Most of the day I was hunched over children (my youngest 7 weeks) drawing their blood. Some looked healthy and some looked so sick, but all of them looked up at me with there big brown eyes not understanding why I was sticking them with a needle and taking there blood. Some of them kicked and screamed and one even bit me, while others just sat very still and stoic. So many children sat across from me all with there own stories and problems. Some had club feet, some cleft lip and palate, some had burns, one boy was born with out an ear, we had so many women with goiters the size of a cantaloupe, lots of hernias and an assortment of other problems. Mostly I just saw their veins or lack there of. But in the near future, when they come to the ship for their surgeries I will get to know them as people. I will learn their names and know their stories. As the day went on and I felt like my head was going to explode from all the screaming, I started to think about all the hugs and loves I will be able to lavish on these beautiful children of God and how their surgery and treatments that they will receive on the Africa Mercy will impact the rest of their lives.
Today I was talking to a fellow nurse and he told me that he talked to a family member of one of the patients that he was drawing blood from and the guy said "Thank you for holding this Screaming day". Yes lots of patients were screened for surgeries, but in the room that held the lab it was definitely Screaming day.
Response #7
I am trying to monitor the 'spice' = heat that is being applied to the food, I still want it to be 'spicey' as in herbs and spices, but not as 'spicey' = hot! Yes, I also want to control or decrease the heat in some of our food items. We are trying to be more conscious of this.
Also, we are talking about and discussing the need NOT to feel like everything needs to be cooked to 'death' so to speak...one of the things that really hurt us in this area is cooking foods that will sit on the line or warmer for an hour and a half! But we require these mealtime hours in order to cover everyone that needs to eat and the dining room space for all who are aboard. So in essence, we cook the food, it goes downstairs and continues to cook in the warmer and on the line...the faster we can move people thru the line at dinner the better chance of having a fresher and faster rotation of food that has not cooked as long.
I am also working with the idea of cooking in two waves but I am not sure right now how well or feasible that is with our cooking equipment and 'human' resources...working in the galley can easily become an all-consuming
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