Surreal Experiences

There have been a number of interesting things that have happened lately.  A couple of weeks ago we had Scott Pelley and the 60 Minutes team onboard to do a piece on Mercy Ships (don't know when/if it will air).  Every Sunday morning our family walks down a flight of stairs the the Starbucks Cafe onboard to have a latte or coffee-less frappuccino.  Elijah was standing in line wearing his pajamas and with his hair all frazzled right next to Scott Pelley.  Would've made a pretty cool picture.

Minister of Health Agba addressing the crew.

We had our Thank You reception last week.  This is an event we hold at the end of each Field Service to thank church, government, and business partners.  As such, it wouldn't typically fall into the 'surreal' category except that this time around the managers in the Stewards department did such an amazing job that I could actually participate in the event rather than work behind the scenes for it.  I had an opportunity to chat with the Togolese Minister of Health, the US Ambassador, and the Bishop of Lome, among others. 

The US Charge d'Affaires, Simon Hankinson, and I.

It was a wonderful reception that showed our appreciation for those who have helped us to bring hope and healing to the poor of Western Africa.

From last Thursday I have been the Acting Managing Director whilst our MD and his family are away on holiday.  That in itself is somewhat surreal but to add to it twelve of us from the ship were invited by the Minister of Health (pictured above) to a wonderful dinner out last night.  Dara and I and the Captain were seated with Minister Agba and his wife.  The minister toasted us and I had the opportunity to respond in kind, which I think went fairly well.  We also exchanged gifts and then chatted over dinner and dessert for the evening.  It was a lovely evening where we had the ability to exchange our thanks to one another in a more intimate atmosphere than the Thank You reception.

Today was the last day onboard for most of the Day Workers of the Africa Mercy.  These, too, are amazing partners who for ten months have served diligently.  I have learned much from my brothers and sisters of Togo and neighboring nations through the relationships that we have developed this Field Service.  So, too, have most of the crew.  The event was lively with great worship.  I had the honor and privilege of sharing a message of thanks on behalf of the crew, as did the Captain.  The Day Workers will be sorely missed in many ways.

I'm not sure what other experiences and opportunities are in store but I am appreciative of the ones that I have had lately.  I also appreciate Dara, Grace, Elijah, Malachi, and Xavier for their support and love.  I am thankful to be on this ship and serving with such an amazing group of men and women of God.  I am thankful for those who support us through prayer, love, and finances.  Most of all I am grateful to God for His faithfulness, mercy, and grace.

What's next?  Sailing and whatever other adventures God has in store...

Hole in the Wall

The title is what came to mind as I looked at the porthole in my office window.  It's actually a hole in the door but, well, you know...

My door isn't really four feet high, I just took the picture from a funny angle and from the wrong perspective.

 My office is on deck 5 near the Reception counter.  It's about the size of a walk-in broom closet but has two windows and I thoroughly enjoy it.  It also doesn't have chair.  About a year ago I bruised my tailbone (doing cannonballs into the pool - go figure) and it was torture to sit.  I realized that my desk was adjustable so I moved it up and got rid of the chair so I could stand to work.  I enjoyed it so much that I've kept it this way. 

My slightly messy, chairless office.  Photo taken from the porthole in the above door.

I haven't actually measured my office but I have just enough room to lay down on the floor with my feet at the wall where the windows are and still have a book in front of me when I do homework at night.  I suppose if I were to offer it as real estate it would have descriptions like 'quaint' an 'cozy' but I love it.

Our Managing Director is on holiday and I'm filling in for him for about a month.  That means that I have the keys to his palatial office (complete with executive corner desk, book shelves, and a four person meeting table) but I'd have to sit at his desk instead of stand and my kids' artwork isn't on his wall.  I think I'll stay where I am.

Around Lome

We were out in town the other day and thought it may be worthwhile to share some photos of a typical Lome day with those of you who read this (and don't already live here).

Side of the road livestock grazing

Shoe store.

Shoe store with marketing panache.

Typical traffic.

Tire store.

Fast food (these roadside 'street meat' stands are about as plentiful as coffee stands in Seattle).

Produce stand.

Portable sporting goods store.

Delivery truck.

Home sweet home - well, almost.  This is the drive through the port.

Nearly home.

There she is.

Movin' On Up

Elijah is now officially in Junior High!  When Grace moved up from Elementary to Junior High she and Dara went out with the other kids that were also moving up and their moms.  We continued the tradition except this time I (Peter) took Elijah out with the other kids moving up (all two of them) and their dads.  We went to Cote de Jardin in Lome.  It is not exactly fine dining but is one of the nicest restaurants I've seen in West Africa.  It looks pretty bland from the outside but is gorgeous inside.

Outside of the restaurant.

One of the highlights is the English menu, which is literally translated from French.  Here are a couple of humorous options:

I can't even figure out where "Feeling Falling" comes from in a side dish description.

 

"Plate of Rawness" is a personal favorite

We had a wonderful time celebrating the kids' move to Junior High (6th grade in our school system) and prayed for their lives and their future.

Front Row: Elijah, Rick, & Ananda.  Back Row: Dan, Kylie, and Peter

Hittin' the Books

The kids finish their school year next week.  I've got six weeks left in my term!  Yes, that's right, I've gone back to school.  Through much prayer and discussion Dara and I decided that it was time.  I am seeking a degree in Organizational Leadership from Regent University, a Christian university in Virginia Beach.  I didn't get a degree out of high school, though I did take some community college courses that have transferred over.  I am technically a Sophomore.  Regent offers several degrees that are entirely available through online learning.  It has been a bit of a challenge to adjust to non-classroom learning but I'm getting used to it now. 

My first session I took Public Speaking, which was a significant challenge as it required uploading recorded videos of the speeches I delivered.  Seems straightforward enough - except that our incredibly narrow satellite internet bandwidth doesn't support large uploads or any streaming media.  Thankfully our Information Services department took pity on me and made a few timely exceptions.  Last session (Regent has a semester system that they then break into two, eight week session each) I took Academic Research and Writing and Making of the Christian Mind (a Christian worldview course).  I got 4.0 in all three courses.  I am currently taking Shakespeare, which is proving my most difficult class so far, and Introduction to Christian History and Thought.  These classes, as you can see, are general education requirements and are not Organizational Leadership specific.  I am taking a hiatus from classes for the second summer session but will take my first Organizational Leadership course in the Fall along with French. 

The kids start their Summer Program soon.  It is sort of like day camp.  They do art projects, games, go on field trips, etc.  They start school again in August.

We pay school fees for the kids and tuition, of course, for my university courses.  I have received the Pell Grant which covers a fair bit of the cost but not all of it.  And there are still books to buy, which we have to ship via international mail at a very high cost because the required course book list is not published early enough for us to have them shipped via container.  If you are interested in helping to cover school costs for the kids or me, you can do so via this web page: http://mercyships-us.donorpages.com/crewmates/koontzp/.  There is a note section where you can write in what the donation is for. 

We would also appreciate your prayers, both for our current courses (Grace has finals next week) and the next school year.

Perfect Timing for Romeo



Romeo in 2010 very malnourished.

In 2010, one-week-old Romeo Touloulou was one of the youngest patients ever to board the Africa Mercy hospital ship. Romeo, born with a cleft lip and palate, was in dire condition. He was unable to take nourishment. Weighing only 5.75 pounds (2.61 kilograms), he was on the perilous brink of malnutrition.

Romeo was immediately put under the tender care of volunteer nurse Melissa Davey in the Mercy Ships Infant Feeding Program. Melissa and Romeo’s mom, Badokideou, worked hand-in-hand. They were very patient as they gently encouraged and helped Romeo feed on infant formula from a plastic cup. Spectacular progress was achieved. Romeo gained the weight needed in order to have surgery to repair his cleft lip. Following his successful surgery and now very proficient at feeding from his cup, Romeo soon tipped the scales at 13.5 pounds (6.12 kilograms). Everyone was overjoyed at the progress of the smiling and chortling baby boy.

Romeo’s mother felt deep gratitude. “My Romeo was blessed with perfect timing. He was blessed to have been born at a time when the Africa Mercy was in port in Lomé, Togo. Thanks to Mercy Ships, Romeo is a now a healthy and happy five-month-old boy,” she said happily.



Romeo's cleft palate visible.

However, Romeo’s cleft palate, a hole in the roof of his mouth, could not be repaired while he was still so young. Nurse Melissa was ecstatic when she learned that Romeo would be a Mercy Ships patient again during the 2012 Togo field service. Once more, Romeo was blessed with perfect timing.

“It was wonderful to see Romeo’s name on the admissions list for a cleft palate repair. While Romeo would not remember me, I recalled his sweet smile as if we had seen each other yesterday,” Melissa remarked.

Badokideou, Romeo’s mom, recalls that, “within minutes of being with Melissa, Romeo was smiling and eagerly reaching for his welcome hug.” 

For this visit to the Africa Mercy, Romeo was under the gentle care of dietician Jessica King in the Infant Feeding Program. She shared the joy of following Romeo through his cleft palate surgery. “Being here for moments such as this to witness Romeo’s triumph over a very hard challenge is so special. I am so glad for Romeo and his family to have the peace that comes with this restorative surgery,” she explained.


For Romeo and his family, there is much happiness and more gratitude for the second blessing of perfect timing. In the words of Romeo’s mom, “Thank you, thank you, Mercy Ships!”

Story by Joanne Thibault
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by Debra Bell, Lesley Buffington, JJ Tiziou, and Melissa Davey

Humpty Dumpty

Xavier 'playing dead' with a fat and bloody lip.

So, I (Peter) managed to drop Xavier on his face.  Needless to say, I felt horrible.  We were up at the pool and he wanted me to wrap him up in his towel with his arms in.  I had him in one arm and his life jacket and pool toys in the other.  I carried him safely down three flights of steps.  The fall didn't happen until after we got into the cabin.  I had just walked through the door and he is so used to just wiggling to get down that he did just that.  However, his arms were wrapped up inside the towel and I had stuff in my other arm.  In an instant he fell flat on his face on our cabin floor.  He split his lip open and knocked one of his front teeth a bit out of alignment.  Less than a week later his lip is almost nearly healed now and his tooth is fine.  He cried for a solid 45 minutes when it happened, though and looked like he lost a prize fight.