NEW UPDATE!

On 27th Feburary 2011 the Africa Mercy arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The plan is to have a 10 month field service.

On the 10th December 2011 the Africa Mercy plans to go to Ghana for a couple weeks for a rest and then off to Togo again for a 6 month service.

After 6 months in Togo, the ship shall head to Tenerife in the Canary Islands and then to Guinea.

This has been Lara Palmer giving you your update.

...The Story of Rebecca Noland...

One of the greatest advantages working with Mercy Ships is that you get to meet so many people from different countries with different backgrounds, experiences and witnesses. In this way, Mercy Ships are truly representing the 2000 year old model of Jesus Christ where all this experiences and talents are used to Glorify God in West Africa.

This is the story Rebecca Noland(26) known as Becca, born in California and grew up in Arizona. Her calling to Mercy Ships began in a “lady’s room.” while she attended university.

While being in university she heard about Mercy Ships but wasn’t ready to attend because it seemed so far away. A few years later her friend from church told her that she signed up for Mercy Ships, and Rebecca felt like God was calling her through that friend. On a day after church in the lady’s room there were three girls she didn’t know turned out they all have been in Africa and one of them already spent a year on Mercy Ships then she knew that was her final confirmation from God that she needed to go to Mercy Ships.

Her initial commitment was to join short term for 6 months, so she thought. That commitment turned out to be 18 months already.

Becca is planning on going home at the end of this outreach and she is prayerfully considering coming back in the Togo field service 2012.

She loves living on the ship because of the close community but it is very different from her life at home. The biggest difference she says, that she’s more independent at home and has more freedom in her schedule.

Having friends on the ship from different countries she says: "that is a great thing because you get to know their cultures learning new languages and get to try their special foods such as Belgian chocolate and South African milk tart." But there are also hard parts. Not always understanding each other when certain phrases have different meanings in your country and different cultures have different ways of doing things.

One of her greatest miracles while being on the ship she says: “It would be the miracle with God’s timing and protection over little Josephine, I was working as a charge nurse the night that her breathing tube got blocked and God brought me and another nurse who was specialized with those types of patients into the ICU at just the right time. All the things that took place with Josephine while she was here that night and also how we a specialist fly out from Kenya all that showed me how present God was in all of it and He still does miracles everyday.”

During our interview these words of her moved me: “When I was little I always wanted to become a vet, but the more I thought about it I realized I would rather work with people because they have souls. After I became a registered nurse (RN) I told people that it must have been my destiny because it is also my initials Rebecca Noland (RN).”

Interviewed by Michelle Marx

Africa Mercy Independant Film Festival 2011

Some of you might remember last May when we did an article on the Film Festival. Well, we had another Film Festival put on by Jay and Beau. There was a whole week of crew member running around the ship trying to get a film done. When the day of the festival came the whole crew got dressed up and attended this "premiere." This year there were ten different entries. They ranged from comedy to fights, to romance, to the remake of a book and even a selection of poetry. There were a number of prizes and no team went un-rewarded. Each team had to include the phrase "It's a Trap" and a bottle cap. Yes, the bottle cap from the old soda bottles.

Early Bird Registration

Enormous Madonna stickers.

Several Teams

Cutest Picture Award

Cool Certificate

Journey to the Center of the Earth Elementary Girls

Most Original Content

Awesome Certificate

Original Poetic Vignettes – Tom

“Wild Card” – Most Imaginative. (First Prize)

Abstract Sierra Leone art pieces.

A Lizard’s Tale - Cairnecross Clan

Best Musical (First Prize)

Special selection of local Sierra Leone music. (5 CDs)

Bunny Chow Love – Allison, Selvanus, Carmen

Best Comedy (First Prize)

Collection of Local Sierra Leone Films.(5 DVDs)

Mastermind – Alex and Stuart

Best Drama (First Prize)

Loud Sierra Leone Drama Movie Posters (5)

Sal & Amor – Juan, Ville, Lycia, Marco, Federica

Best Visual Effects - Costumes, Special FX, etc. (First Prize)

'Oakley' and 'Nike' sunglasses. (5 pair)

The Man in the Apron – Josh

Celebrity Judge’s Choice (First Prize)

Signed photo of Dr Gary Parker. (5)

Under the Ship—Anna

AMIFF 2011 Best Film (Grand Prize)

Mamba restaurant meal! (5)
Trophy!!!

So You Think you Can Dance Africa Mercy—Murray, Jeff L, Jeff H, Rob, Christoph

Razzie Award (Last Prize)

A giant bag of rice.

Chicken Fight -
Beau and Jay

A ton of the crew got together for pictures afterwords to remember the day.














One of the people started a dance called the Virginia Reel so there was a lovely amount of people dancing in the middle of the cafe.




All in all we had a fun time. I can defiantly say that I can't wait for the next festival.

WE ARE BACK!!!

After a year of absence from this blog, we have decided to revive it. Much has changed in the past year. Many may remember Alanah John, Emma Chris, Kim Anna, Linde, Carys, Lara, and myself. Some of us have stayed others have left the ship to do other things.

Alanah left with her family in December of last year. She is now the wife to a professional body builder.

John has let his hair grow and became the first person to have an orange Afro. He is also working on creating a world famous band using a cat, a tractor, and a ball of string.

Emma became an astronaut and is currently traveling through space, she is millions of miles away from Earth. Sadly, we might live to see the return of the great explorer...

Chris has grown to be 6 foot 9.35612 inches. He is the youngest person to try out for the NBA and make it. I don't know when his first game will be, but I'll keep you posted.

Kim Anna is now studying to be a professional gymnast on ice skates. So far she has become very flexible, and has broken at least one bone in each limb. Somehow she can still skate and do gymnastics at the same time.

Linde has also left. She is now studying to be a major film director, editor, and singer. She will probably excel in this new career choice and make millions if not billions; while ridding the world of bad tasting sprinkles

Carys, Lara, and myself are still on the ship and we are having the time of our lives. We have managed to take over the ship, and now we are all supreme rulers of the Africa Mercy. The adults surprisingly agreed to this, on one condition... we must go to school.

We also have a new person to add to this paper staff. Her name is Michelle. She is a bright 16 year old girl who has a random love for skydiving and paintings about food.

We hope you will enjoy reading this blog again.

Disclaimer: All of these things are made up, so none of these things are true.

To Kill a Mockingbird

There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible. -Atticus Finch

That quote by Atticus Finch portrays the main theme of this movie. To Kill a Mockingbird was first published as a novel in 1957 by Harper Lee. The movie adaption was released in 1962 by Universal Studios. The story centers around a young girl named Scout and her brother Jim. Their father is a defense lawyer who agrees to take on a case in which a black man was accused of raping a young white girl. Of course, in this time society was much different, and Atticus Finch, their father, had much opposition and hatred directed towards him because of his decision to help the black man.

This movie promoted many good values, and I enjoyed it very much. Atticus is a very good role model for his children, teaching them about tough issues in life such as poverty, death, racism and the value of education.

To Kill a Mockingbird definitely sticks to its PG rating. There is no bad language, and no violence. The only aspect that would make it unsuitable for children under the age of 12 is the theme of rape, as well as a few descriptions of violence. For example, a woman tells how a crazy son stabs his father in the leg with a pair of scissors, and the sheriff reports that a man fell upon his own kitchen knife, killing him. There are also two scenes that are somewhat spooky and suspenseful.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable movie, clearly portraying the depression-era times in its black and white form. The book has also come highly recommended, and though the ending is very bittersweet, you come away from both the book and the movie feeling challenged by the social injustices that are still rampant in our world today.

Final comic

Enjoy this final comic (or poster)...

lights...camera...ACTION!

The red carpet was rolled out for the Africa Mercy celebrities (a.k.a all crew) on Saturday the 15th of May during the hospital ship's third annual film festival. Every crew member came dressed appropriately in fancy evening gowns or clean-cut suits. As the evening commenced, the Africa Mercy's chaplain Marty Schwebel and the Executive Chef Jesse Mitchell began to present the films rich in comedy, tragedy, drama, and suspense.

The first film, submitted by motorman Gray Quaicoe, was a music video of Bill Withers' Lean On Me. Gray's second film presented a cruel boxing match full of sweat and ketchup blood. Quaicoe ended up winning an award for "Best Editor".

The 7th through 9th grade girls of the Mercy Ships Academy presented a three-part thriller called "Detective Snuffle and the Murder of Amanda Montgomery". Carys Parker (grade 9), script-writer and actress as Detective Snuffle won the "Best Actress" award.

A group of adults in their 20's made a spoof of the TV series Glee, using the hospital's ward as their setting. They came up with original choreography to Amy Winehouse's "Rehab".

Welder Jeff Howard and his wife Megan created a film with a message saying that we are all like matches: if we get too heated up about something, we burn and affect others by burning them. So stay cool! The two also submitted a home video of their 3-year old son Max running around in their apartment with a pillow stuffed in his onesie. The crew was in stitches laughing at this young star's experience. Jeff Howard was rewarded with the prize for Best Screenplay.

Jenz Smedegaard, the ship's carpenter, was rewarded with the prize for Best Supporting Actor, as he played supporting roles in Gray Quaicoe's boxing film as well as Micah and Hannah's movie "Hope and Healing".

The award for the overall-winning film was presented to Micah Holden and Hannah van Leeuwen. Their movie called "Hope and Healing" replayed and exaggerated all the annoying situations typical on the Africa Mercy. Ranging from 2-minute showers to fights in the laundry room, the whole film was centered around a young woman desperately trying to find a quiet place where she could read her book in peace. As every crew member could relate to each of the situations presented in this hilarious manner, those who attended the Africa Mercy Third Anual Film Festival loved the movie "Hope and Healing" and the judges all agreed that it was the best film of all.

There were several other outstanding movies that aren't mentioned here. The atmosphere during the presentations and afterward when awards were being presented was memorable as everyone took pictures in groups and pairs in their beautiful gowns and smart-looking suits. A time for fun, excitement, and fellowship, the Third Annual Film Festival was a success yet again. We look forward to next year's film festival with fresh ideas and new films.