Bread

Yes, it's here...soft, fluffy, delicious bread!

Please give Eddie (our newest baker) your appreciation and compliments on the bread. I have heard many great compliments and comments on the bread already, and so has Peter.

So please remember to encourage your food service staff directly and remember to really appreciate them during their time here.

Response #8 / Signs

SIGN SAYS: When the doors are closed please do not enter. The floors are being cleaned. Thank you!!!

Comment: It would be usefull if the staff opened them after they have finished cleaning the floors.

Fair enough, so lets say that dining room doors are closed until 8:30pm after supper/dinner and you are expected not to enter or open the doors during this time UNLESS the dining room staff leaves the doors open?

A lot of our frustration comes not from what the circumstances are, but If we change the rule, will people actually feel inclined to follow it when they don't follow it now?

Please take into consideration that it takes awhile for the floors to actually dry after being cleaned, and it is a LOT of floor. In addition to that they have a real hard time actually keeping people out so that prolongs the cleaning period, which effects the drying time...

Patience (as in many other departments) is the key/virtue to waiting for the work to be done, and then you have to ask yourself...why do I really need in the dining room? ~ filtered water is available behind the cafe ~

JUST for fun, here are some of the top excuses for not following that particular sign/rule (which are unacceptable by the way):

1. I don't like the way the water tastes from the other filtered source
2. I'm on night shift/or shift worker
3. I'll only be a minute
4. I have a family
5. I am medical/nurse/doctor
6. I have a table tennis/ping pong match
7. I just want to watch the TV
8. I don't have a kettle for hot water to make my tea

*Unless it is a life or death emergency ALL of these excuses have no reasonable bearing for not waiting the 2 hours from 6:30pm to 8:30pm before entering the dining room.

And as always if you have approval by Peter or Ken ahead of time, then yes, it will not apply to you for that period of time. HR, for example has approved time in the dining room (either by Ken or Peter or both) for the new crew on Monday nights after their arrival.

Another great blog...

Another good blog that brings you several great posts that directly relate to Food Service is WHERE IN THE WORLD IS MICHAL (W.I.T.W.I.M) but not only that she covers a wide spectrum of interesting posts relating to her life and thoughts being here on the ship.

Michal also works on one of the kitchen teams with us in foodservice and you may remember I used her permission to copy one of her posts to show you some of our staff in an earlier post here.

Two great posts (among many), one of which is her general account of the cooking team she works on and several food service members, great pictures and description to go with the people: (which you have probably already seen posted here)

Cooking Teams

And secondly a pictorial process of Mercy Chips, or plantains from start to finish...fried up for dinner:

Mercy Chips - plantains, start to finish

But her newest post Mercy Hair is pretty funny too...she has the time (and camera) to take some of the best pictures and creativity to make the blog posts easy on the eyes and a quick read (but of course, she is an artist, and creativity usually tends to come with that sort).

So if you would like to take another look into the world we are now living in beside our own 'humble' views and opinions, pop on over and see some of the great pictures around the ship and Monrovia.

A gentle reminder...

James 4:17 ~ Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

[Click on any picture to enlarge the sign, or comment on the sign]

Some things are universal

It is easy to get caught up in the differences between here on the ship and back at home. The phrases "Only in Africa" or "That's Mercy Ships for ya" or "Welcome to Mercy Ships" are used frequently to express the differences that are obvious. But lately I have found myself saying "some things are universal".
I have compiled a list:
1.Little boys love to play with toy cars, even if they have never even seen one before. They instinctively know how to make very realistic car noises and they always have their cars crash over and over again.

2.As soon as the house keepers/ translators mop the floor someone tromps through it, almost immediately.

3. When kids are surrounded with attention they get spoiled... imagine that.

4. Dr's never use enough tape on dressings.

5. Kids always test the limits.

6. Men pee on the side of the road without hesitation.

7. Women are dramatic.

8. Kid's are super cute no matter where they are.



This is Massa. She is here for plastic surgery due to a burn on her chest and arm pit. Her mama couldn't stay on the ship, so she is a little love bug and loves to snuggle.




A bunch of the patients looking out into the city of Monrovia.



This is Kollie, he is from Guinea and he only speaks French but is easy to communicate with through playing. I learned that is favorite color is blue (he only chose the blue blocks), he loves bubbles, and is a very energetic child. He, like Sadiatu, has a Meningiocele. But he has not had his operation because the Dr. Gary is waiting to talk to a Dr. is Germany about the procedure. Please be praying for Kollie that the Dr's would have the wisdom and knowledge on what to do.



This Sadiatu, she is 18 months old. She had a repair of Meningiocele. She is checking out her new look. I was able to take off her huge bandage that covered most of her face for the last 8 days. She and her mom will fly back to Sierra Leone on Sunday.



This is Alfred, I written about him before. He is very dramatic, but also very smart. When I make him use his crutches and actually get out of bed he waits for someone to walk near us in the hallway and screams "Your killing me". My response was "Alfred, do I have a gun?" He says "no." I say "Do I have a knife?". He says "No." I said " So I am not killing you, I am making you walk to make you strong." He has a crush on one of the nurses, when she is around he is a different kid, he is all oogly googly.