Disclaimer: While the next few week I will be chronicling my time aboard the Africa Mercy, the views and opinions expressed therein are my own and are not affiliated with Mercy Ships.
Well I am three days, a ship tour, a general staff orientation (which included lots of ways I might die on and off the ship and how to prevent most of them), a dining room staff orientation, and a pile of paperwork into my stay on the Africa Mercy. I have learned a lot about the ship and about life on board and where stuff is which is important. My roommates are all very sweet, particularly my bunkmate who is from Switzerland, and the atmosphere on board is generally welcoming. When I've expressed interest in something, like wanting to come back as a teacher once I have my degree or how I have barista training (there is a little coffee shop on board), there is always someone to point me in the direction of someone I can talk to about it.
The main frustrations I have so far are with myself, and with the American school system. There are folks on this ship from around forty different countries - the main language spoke on board is English but the second language is French, followed by German, from what I've observed. It is amazing getting to talk to and interact with so many different people, but I really wish I were better at communicating with them. I wish that there had been an opportunity for me to learn French earlier in my life, when my brain would have been more responsive to learning a new language. And I wish when I did start learning French in college, I had had a way to practice more so that I would be more fluent today. I say that my frustration is with the American school system because most school programs are not built for fluently learning a language, when many other countries emphasize becoming fluent in English as well as another language. I read an article for one of my classes this past semester that argued for bilingual education because if one had a school where some of the children entering were fluent in one language (Spanish, in this instance), and other children were fluent in another (i.e. English), there is no reason why at the end of the school year that all the students shouldn't be fluent in both languages, helping each other along. The only thing lacking is the support of a school system which is mostly run by old white people. Most of the issues I have run into have been because of a language barrier, and I wish at least once every hour that I had had more language training.
The one thing I never like about starting a new job is that I always feel like when I arrive I am dropping into a well-oiled machine that functions perfectly well without me. Even if they do need the extra help or are shortstaffed, they typically have learned to work without me before I get there, and it is hard to find my place. Like, I have worked in restaurants before, so in theory I know how it works, but I don't know how this particular dining room functions, where everything is, what order in which we do things. It is extra frustrating because my immediate supervisors and I each speak different languages. One is German, and knows some English and French, one is French, and knows less English, and I know just enough French to be dangerous (you wouldn't believe how many times over the past few days I have said the words "je ne comprends pas" or "je comprends un peu le français" emphasis on UN PEU). Plus I am here to replace the day crew, the local beninois the ship hires to work during the day, and they have not left yet, so there are many hands who already know their jobs and what to do, and many people speaking French around me when I don't understand most of it. Back to the school system, I really feel sorry for kids who enter school not speaking English and are expected to keep up with their classmates with little or no help. If I am struggling this much in a non-academic setting, I can only imagine what it's like in school. However, I am picking some things up, like today I learned that (at least here) "salade" can refer to the whole salad or to just the lettuce itself.
I probably put too much pressure on myself. I know in my head that I will be here for an entire month and this is only my second day, but I feel like much would be easier if I knew more French. The preparing I did beforehand was helpful but definitely not enough.
On a more positive note, National Geographic apparently just finished a docuseries on the Africa Mercy. We got to watch the last episode last night. I am not sure when it will air in the US, but I will let you know if I hear anything. It is great is you want to know more and get kind of a backstage look at what goes on in the ship. This is such a great organization and ministry, and I am so thankful that God brought me here, if only for this month. There are already faces that I will miss when they leave next week, and there are still new folks arriving. I got a new roommate, also from Switzerland, the day after I arrived, and we are getting another new roommate sometime this week. My cabin can hold ten girls, but I think we are at seven. And we have our own bathrooms, which is nice, so we don't have to share with the other people on our hall.
God is doing great things with this ship. I don't get to see most of them, since I'm never in the hospital, but I'm glad I can do something to support them. If you are praying for me in particular, please pray that I can have peace in finding my place here. Also, definitely pray for the ship itself, as we are going to set sail in the next week or two. If you are interested, I have a list of particular patients that need healing, as we are about to leave the country and leave them.
Thank you!
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