South African Adventures

We've been here in the Durban area now for four and a half months, waiting for work on the ship to be finished (which i'm happy to say is pretty close by now!) and it's been an interesting period. As most of you know, hopefully, the highlight of our time here was waaaaay back on the 14th Sept when Sharon and I got married; and as I think back over all that we have been up to since then, I begin to realise just how large of a blog this could become - so I am going to endeavor to make this as fun, informative and easy to read as possible! So hear goes........

SEPTEMBER:

Highlights; GETTING MARRIED, honeymoon in Zanzibar, 

Funny moments; Our first full day of married life I begin to feel even more under the weather than I had been the previous few days (no funny comments needed!). A few pivotal things happen that result in us deciding its probably best for us to visit the hospital. After a few quick tests they decide to keep me in over night - did I mention this was our first day of being married!? - run more tests and return the diagnosis as Malaria! A few simple drugs and within 48 hours and up and kicking again. However, nothing will top the moment that the Zulu and Indian nurses who are taking wonderful care of me realise that we got married the day before, look at sharon and exclaim in loud laughter....."what did you do to him????" 

OCTOBER:

Highlights: Visiting Morning Star HIV/AIDS day care centre and all of the wonderful people and children there. Going to a large cat breeding sanctuary and playing with the lion and tiger cubs. Staying with some old friends from back home who live in Johannesburg and hanging out with them, and to top it all off, going on Safari and seeing White and black rhino, buffalo, elephant, cheetahs, giraffe and many other animals!

Funny moment: As happens when animals are involved, funny moments are never far behind, but two really stick out. The first was on the safari when we saw two cheetahs - a young boy and a young girl - basking in the mid day heat. As we sat quietly and watched, it became quite clear that more was going on than initially met the eye. Our young female feline was trying, in vain, to arouse our romeo from his slumber - if you see where i am going!! However, young romeo was in no mood to play, and kept batting our eager little friend on the head in a very matter of fact way!

The second moment, which was not so much funny as intense, was when we by chance (as happens of safari) we came across two white rhinos in the midst of a territorial land disagreement. Nothing I say will quite capture the power and force that two large male rhinos exude when charging one another - especially when you are no more than 15 meters away.

November: 

Highlights: ......well I say highlight....november ushered in a new season of work, as we returned from our wonderfully long honeymoon. We returned to the base at Appelsbosch, which is where Mercy Ships has been housing the majority of the crew while the ship was in dry dock. I was working with the Land Rovers, as we took the opportunity to bring them up to tip top shape, as well as helping out in the Kitchen preparing the meals. We also had a few weekend trips away, to the beach, the mall, wine tasting and a very fun weekend away camping and hiking - with the odd cold beer and bbq steak thrown in there!

December: 

Highlights: December ushered in the Christmas period, with Sharon decorating our room with a little tree and things that she had made, the crew gearing up for our move back to the ship as well as getting excited making plans for the few days holiday that the crew got over christmas. We were lucky enough to go away to a World Heritage park called the Drakkensberg, which is listed for 2 reasons, 1) an area of outstanding natural beauty and 2) because the area holds over 1200 examples of cave art paintings that date back thousands of years. We also made it up to Lesotho, which for those of you who don't know, is a country the size of Belgium that is completely surrounded by south africa.

Funny Moment: Without doubt, one moment stands out. We were staying in this tiny middle of no-where back packers when we went away for our christmas holiday. The last night we are there a monumental rain storm comes thundering over the mountain that we are in the shadow of, which forces all of the campers to huddle like damp refugees in the small common room that we had been hanging out in. As all of these rain sodden people come pouring in - pun intended! - a see someone who i instantly recognise. I say to sharon, im sure i know that guy, and after a few awkward moments of trying to figure out who and from where i know him, I 'accidentally' bump into him and we quickly figure out that we went to University together! Random as always, and yet another example of how I am my mothers son!

So, all in all, its been a great few months and I am once again massively thankful for the opportunity to be hear with such wonderful friends!  

Wedding Day

ok...well as blogs go, this is quite a biggy - and also quite late, sorry about that!

And as always, with big important events such as this, one feels the pressure to find the right words, and the right tone and all that jazz in order to convey the importance and significance of the occasion. However....I fear that this will probably all get lost at some point and instead you'l just end up with me rambling on as always (I just thought i'd give you the heads up!).

So....the wedding day, the 14th September 2010, but in truth, the story began a full 12 months to the day before that. 14/09/09 - tyler, Texas - this was where sharon and I first met, at an 8 week training course for mercy ship long term crew members. Those 8 weeks or so, unknown to us at the time (though a few of the girls would say that they already knew) began a journey that would change both of our lives forever and eventually draw us into marriage.

I wont bore you with all of the details of some of things that we were able to be part of in those 8 weeks, or for that matter the 12 months that followed; if you are interested though, scroll down and read some more blog entries - that will give you a good idea.

So, back to the wedding day. From the U.K. and the USA, via 8 countries, 10 flights and more miles than the circumference of the globe in 12 months, we find our selves in Durban South Africa. The ship is docked here for some generator work for a number of months and most of the crew got relocated to an old training college about an hour away from down town durban, in an area called the 'Valley of 1000 hills' (the clue really is in the name!).

And it was here, with many of our friends and family from the ship, as well as a few from home, that sharon and I got married.

There really are so many things that I could say, but I think that I will save them for another blog or 2. For now...the photo's will have to tell the story of our day.

In love, Mr. & Mrs. Williams

The sweet and the sour

I would like to tell you about Mawuli and Gratian, two people who will forever be etched into my heart and memory. I unfortunately do not have any pictures of these two wonderful people, so you will have to use your inner eye to see them as I tell their story.

Gratian is a tall, slim, kind faced and warm hearted man. He is a well educated man, speaking english well and teaching at the University in Lome. His wife, Mawuli, is 32, has short styled hair, a beautiful face and worked as an accountant. They have a 2 year old little boy.

Their story and relationship with the Africa Mercy goes back to February, when Mawuli began to feel a discomfort in her throat, which very quickly began to cause discomfort for her breathing. They had heard that the Africa Mercy was screening patients in their area, so came to one of the screening events. Mawuli had no large growth, no obvious deformity on her body; just this unusual entity in her throat. She was quickly brought to the ship for some scans on this troublesome area. 

As things happen, whether planned or un-planned, whether luck or guidance - that night, this growth in her throat blocked Mawuli's trachea. She had an emergency tracheotomy that saved her life that night. Her husband stood by the entire time.

Mawuli and her husband ended up staying on the ship for a full month, as scans, bi-opsy's and X-rays were done in an attempt to figure out if what was in her throat was cancer or something else. For a month, everything came back 'inconclusive'. The many different surgeons and supervisors had a very difficult decision to make, which they did. Mawuli had to go home - there was nothing more that any of the surgeons could do for her.

Harriet and I began to visit them once a week, to ensure that they were doing ok with cleaning and caring for her trache, as well as just spending time with them, being friends with them, talking and praying with them. One of the first things that Gratian ever said to us in his home, after we apologised for not being able to do more was, 

"No..no...no....you have, you have done something! 

You have saved our lives, you have saved our family."

Many weeks went by, Mawuli not becoming any weaker, just carrying on as normal. They visited many local and not so local hospitals in the search for someone who could shine light on this unusual situation - but all ended the same, confusion and uncertainty as to what was growing in her throat.

A few tuesdays ago however, while we were driving out to another patients house, we had a phone call from the ship saying that Gratian had been in touch, that they were in the hospital and that Mawuli was not doing so well. We were on the complete opposite side of town, so decided to go and have a short visit with our patient and then head back to the ship for an up-date. This however was too long. There was a message waiting for us on our return to the ship. Mawuli had died.

It's always hard to describe ones emotions in those kinds of situations. Shock, numbness, dis-belief. All of these things were true for me, all of these and more. We went to see Gratian the next day at his home. His mother in law was the first person to greet us as we walked into their courtyard. She just hugged us, in silence, with tears in her eyes - she didn't have to say anything.

Gratian then walked in through the back gate. He stopped when he saw us, his head dropped; we went to him. He led us into his home, his small stone home; with one bedroom and one living room. He led us in, harriet and myself, along with 2 of our translators and another lady from the ship who had spent a lot of time with Mawuli while she had been onboard. 

He closed the door, turned with tears in his eyes, scuttled over to a chair in the corner and began to wail. His pain reverberated off of the walls and broke our hearts once more. We sat there, with no words, just the grim and painful reality of a broken world and one more broken family. After some time, he began to recount the story of how his wife died - this is not a nice story.

A number of days before, she had taken a turn for the worse, she had trouble breathing and was in great discomfort. Gratian took her quickly to the nearest hospital/clinic in hope that one of the doctors there could help. They waited on a bed in the hallway for the first day, each time being told that 'another doctor will come to see your wife.' They waited on the same bed the second day, being told the same thing. At the end of the second day, Gratian cornered a doctor in disgust to find out why his wife had not been seen.

"Why won't you do something?" The response he got..."Because your wife is already dead."

Mawuli was refused help, pain medication, even a simple hello. She was left on the bed. On the morning of the 3rd day, Mawuli's mother brought her son to the hospital. At this point of the story, Gratian is a sobbing wreck on in his chair, overcome with grief as he relives his wife's last moments. His next few words will never leave me.

" As she lay there, she put her hands all over the child. She was speaking, but I couldn't hear her words. She then turned to me and said, 'You have to take good care of the baby, that is your job now.' They are the last words she spoke to me."

As I sit writing this I can still feel the pain, the anguish, the brokenness that I felt when I first heard him speak these words. We sat in his room for hours. We sat in silence, we tried to share words of encouragement and hope, we prayed, we sat in silence some more. 

I have experienced many things this year. Many of those moments where life seems real, stripped back, good - in its purest sense, not that kind of, 'oow that's nice' good, but the 'this is how things should be good'. Oceans, whales, sunsets, climbing mountains, seeing waterfalls, getting engaged. Those moments where you stop and say, this is it. I'm sure you all know what I mean - those times where life gets stripped down and it all becomes real somehow.

I will always hold 'those' memories close to my heart. But I think I am also learning to embrace life on the other end of the spectrum. The spectrum that Gratian was on. The side that we don't like so much, because it hurts, because it's a place which is painful to go. Maybe culture has made it taboo, maybe our experiences have led us away from a place of trust, maybe we have just never been taught that life is all around, even in pain, even in death, there is still life; real, raw, exposed, naked - but life. 

This is a journey that I am still learning to walk. There are things that I still don't understand, still questions that I have. But I still trust that even in death, even in those moments of pain, despair, brokenness - our loneliest times, there is still life, there is still hope.

Gratians story is your story and my story. His loss is yours and mine. Maybe you can empathise with Gratian right now, maybe you just need to wait. But may you and may I continue to be willing to find life in death, hope in loss and trust that ultimately this life is a stepping stone to something more and that God is good.

A journey of a life time

This title may seem a little presumptuous, and that would be fair enough to think, but - wait until you have heard this story!


Let me tell you the story of Abel. He is a pretty normal 10 year old African boy who lives out in the country. He likes to play with his friends, he loves to play football, he has a very large family - pretty normal african little boy.


Oh...wait.....let me show you a picture of Abel when he first came to the ship a good 4 months ago;

ok..ok....maybe i was a bit un-realistic when I said he was a normal african boy.

While Abel was still a toddler his muscles stopped growing, but his bones had not. As a result, his legs were not growing correctly because there was so little musculature to direct them. They began to bend backward at the knee, forcing his upper thighs out behind him. His parents took him to three different doctors, but none of them knew what to do for him. I mean, can you blame them, when was the last time you saw something like this?

Despite this condition, the resolute Abel learned to lean forward, correcting his balance enough to walk, climb and do just about anything any other active boy can do. He even became the goalkeeper on his football team. 

So, Abel grows up like this, making the most of his situation, putting up with the somewhat expected mocking remarks and strange looks of some of the members of his community. I mean, lets put this into perspective. In an environment where EVERYTHING is spiritual, every blessing, disease, crop, dream, person....when you put a boy who looks like abel into an environment like that, what else would you expect? 'Surely he is evil? He must be cursed?'

So, back track to March 2010, what were you doing in the first week of that month? Do you remember? Anything stand out? Did you make any life changing journeys? Well...Abel and his father did. They travelled 6 hours south, to the City of Lome, to the Port, to the Africa Mercy. They travelled up the gangway, down 2 flights of stairs to deck 3. They walked along a corridor, turned right into a busy ward, sat down on their bed, and waited.

Within two days, Abel had been operated on. He awakes to find his legs, out straight before him, in thick casts - and now his legs were white!! (quite a shock...especially when you are black!)

So, after 3 months of physiotherapy at our hospitality centre (a clinic where our pre and post op patients live and wait) Abel was ready to go home.

Now, this is where the journey gets fun. I was overjoyed to be given the opportunity to drive abel, his father and 4 members of our Communications team the 6 hours north back to Abels village. Now the first two hours, very easy, an amazingly smooth straight road out of Lome, directly north. We then come to a small town where we turn right and our road stops.....literally. There is a track, if you can call it that, that went on for 4 hours. Now again, context, this was towards the end of the rainy season, so this track, at times, was more like a swamp. 

We bounced our way along, sometimes finding a smooth section, most of the time dropping down pot holes that would eat most cars in the UK. You knew it was getting rough when we come to pass large trucks that were half consumed by the sinking mud in front of us. For about 1 hour of the journey we were going less that 10 kph in the lowest of low range gears, simply trying to make our way through.

All this time, in the back of the Land Rover sat Abel, huge smile on his face, laughing all the way, excite to see family and friends again and to show off his new legs.

And Eventually, after the grueling journey, we arrive at a small, out in the sticks, truly comic relief looking village. Our Vehicle quickly became swamped in children running along side, banging on the side, laughing and jumping, trying to see the funny looking white people and their friend Abel.

So we reach Abel's house, turn off the engine, open the doors and we let the prodigals climb out and set foot back onto their home dirt. For a brief moment that will live within me forever, for what would have been less than a few seconds but seemed to stretch out for minutes, there was silence. Silence from around 100 faces, wide eyed, opened mouthed, shocked faces - as Abel steps out of the land rover looks around him, and takes a few steps forward to greet his mother. SILENCE. 

But, this is Africa....and silence doesn't last long. 

Shouting, jumping, singing! Arms waving, hugs all round, kisses and so much more - joy was as tangible as the heat in the air and the red dirt on our feet. Abel, the little boy with backwards legs was home - and a miracle had happened. I could pick up that there was a phrase being said over and over again, so I asked our translator, "What is everyone saying?" Her responce? "God is good, God is good, God is good!"

There are so many little things that happened during our brief stay there, but I will be unable to convey the atmosphere of the place. I will let some pictures try and do the job.

Abel reunited with Mama.

Amazed faces of a hand full of the villages children

A quick pic with the close family.

The Centre of attention!

We say very easily how we got to change the life of one little boy, but that is not the full story. This little boy, and his testimony, HIS story, has the power to change a village forever. "God is good, God is good, God is good..."

Freely we have recieved

So I came into our little forward office at 10.30 am today, after spending the morning on the wards with the patients, and found 2 of our day volunteers standing in there, chatting away, huge smiles on their faces – just beaming.

I asked what was going on, as I could clearly tell they had some stories to tell.

They both just looked at each other, like Cheshire cats, smiling away and laughing. Fred said how it’s just been a good morning outside is all. I knew there was more going on there…so pushed him, come on, why it has been good.

He then began to explain how “it was just one of those mornings, people were really listening, fully engaged, asking questions…and yeh….it was just good.”

A little bit of context may help here. On the dock outside by the ship, we have a few large tents set up, for admissions and phsio. So a lot of patients go there first, with care givers, before they come onto the ship/wards. So we have a couple of people from our team go out, spend time with them, chat to them about the process they are going through – try to calm nerves and anxieties, and to also explain WHY we are here doing what we are doing.

This is obviously a good thing to do. I mean, wouldn’t we be suspicious if people we didn’t know, who didn’t look like us, talk like us, smell like us came into our town or city and offered something that would radically change the lives of huge numbers of people in our community – and on top of that, offered it freely! I mean….to much of a good thing…there must be a catch, what do you want from me??

Well, this is a common question, and one that Fred got this morning. So while we were in our office, he told me what he said.

“We are here to heal you, physically. We are here to help you in your ailment. We are here because the love of Jesus provokes us to want to help you, to serve you. We don’t want gifts, we don’t want money, we don’t want you to do this or that, we just want you to receive it, and know that you are loved – by us, by Jesus – and know that we are here, doing what we are doing, so that YOU can see that love. That is all.”

Can I add anything to that? I don’t think so. Why are we here? Why are there over 400 people here, from over 35 nations, living in close proximity, away from family and friends, and paying each month for the privilege of being here…because the love of Jesus drives us, pushes us, provokes us to go beyond our comfort zones, in order to share love, to bring hope, to offer healing and the chance for new life.

Jesus said, “Go…heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin disease, drive out demons. Freely you have received, now freely give.”

There and back again....a Ghanian tale

I know it's a poor cliche to start off with, but life's a journey, and this current stretch of my journey is getting better and better. I think back over the past 9 months in wonder, amusement and thankfulness. To a 9 month stint that has led me from the sunny climbs of Stoke, to Texas, to the Dominican Republic, Benin, Tenerife, Togo and Ghana. I've travelled countless thousands of miles, seen poverty, heartache, abandonment and joy. I've made friends, made memories and been blessed along every step.

But there is a common trend that runs through the heart of all of these things, well, to be more specific, a particular person who has taken each step of this journey with me - Sharon.

I met Sharon when I arrived at the International Operation Center in Texas back at the beginning of September 2009. We had 8 weeks of fun, laughter and general amusement putting out fires, flipping life rafts, watching U2 in concert and building a dining room at a small school in the D.R. to name but a few things!


At this point, I realise that I could go on for a very long time naming every specific fun memory that I have with Sharon, but the reality is, is that when you live in community with someone for 9 months and see them for more or less everyday of that.....there are a lot of memories....so.....I will save most of them for myself and jump along this little journey to the here and now; more specifically, the here and now of Friday 28th May.

Myself, Sharon and 4 close friends took off for the weekend and headed to Ghana for a short break, our destination, the largest water falls in west africa. Now, as anyone who has ever tried will know, any true african adventure is full of little things that are never expected and difficult to describe. Crossing the boarder after night fall, going through the red tape of passport control, dealing with the hoards of taxi and van drivers harassing and waving, trying to get your business - and the inevitable 15 minutes of heated bartering. After that episode, the simple matter of a 5 hour van drive north, along african roads, windows down, break neck speeds, pot holes, dust and check points - too numerous to count - we finally reach our destination, Wli Water Heights hotel. We arrive at 1 a.m., and promptly hit the beds hard.


Now, some context, this weekend was always planned as 2 things, one....a small break away from our little tin can that we call home, i.e. The Africa Mercy. And secondly, was going to be a time where I posed a particular question to Sharon....a rather life defining question at that! Now, the girls who were with us on the trip new about both segments of this plan - however, sharon did not. So, the lead up to the weekend was full of secrecy, late night meetings after sharon had gone to night shift and some international purchasing, communications and relevant shipping of a certain item that is central to the question that I was planning to pose to Miss. Ruggles.....



So, we wake up lazily on saturday morning....saturday the 29th May 2010, a day that will live long in the memory. Following a mish-mash brunch, we all headed out on a little walk to the base of the 800 meters water falls. The girls new the plan, I knew the plan....it was now just a simple case of putting plan into action now. We arrived at our destination, an amazing place, perfect. There were a few bunches of people there, so we all just sat down on a rock, and took in the views. After 10 minutes or so, I could see that most of these other groups were heading out, and I said to myself, 'well old boy....now or never.' I had already scoped out my spot, I gave my camera to Ginger, sneakily got the ring box out of the bag (with a little distraction from Becky) and asked sharon if she wanted to go for a little walk. Fortunately for me, Yes was a word that she was keen on this day, so we headed down to the base of the falls.




Now our insightful friends spotted this movement, and with many camera's in many hands, discreetly followed and took up paparrazzi positions - honourable mention of Alainie, who scaled the hill and hid in a bush!

We arrive at the base, my heart a thumping, I turn to sharon, hold both of her hands and begin. Now, it would be fair to say that over the past 24 years of my life, I have come to realise that I can be a bit of a rambler when it comes to talking (as many of you who have been following my blogs or who have known me for any period of time will know) and this was no exception. Im pretty sure I began with, "I love you" which surely cant be a bad place to start! I then went onto how "Sharon, you're my best friend" which again, I think is a good second. I then moved into talking about how the past 9 months have been the best of my life and that she was the central reason for that. I feel her hands squeeze a little tighter as she starts to realise where this is going. I'm thinking, 'well done Al, great place, great ring, she doesn't know, the girls are in place, first few lines are good.....this is going well.....'

It is at this point that I would like to say how i came out with a line that shook the very foundations of romance and gave Shakespeare and Lawrence something to mull over in their long sleep. I would like to say that.....however......

In this life defining moment, a once in a life time opportunity, I may have dropped the immortal line of..."you're a nurse....you understand about heart rates....." to which sharon replied...."I guess yours is pretty high..??" Well....never mind.....we quickly moved past that bombshell, I reached into my pocket, grabbed the box, went down on one knee and said the much better line of, "Sharon, will you marry me?"

Well....I'll let the pictures say the rest. I'm a blessed man, a blessed man indeed. I am part of something that is life changing, I have amazing friends and family, I have some incredible people sponsoring and supporting me, and now, I have the most beautiful Fiance I could have dreamed of. Thank you seems so weak when I try to express what I feel right now, because what I feel goes so far beyond that. But nevertheless, thank you all.

New Life

His gentle eyes betrayed his desperate hope. " I came here so I could get help ," said Lawson, struggling to speak clearly. A large growth stretched his mouth and cheeks horribly, causing his teeth to stick out in all directions. It had been growing for four years, inhibiting his breathing, eating, and speech and, eventually, his ability to work.

The tumor destroyed his life, separating him from everyone and everything he loved. The people in his village would not sell him food because they said he was a devil. His wife left him, leaving behind their three children. Without work or food, he could not provide for his family.

So, Lawson, once one of Ghana's most prominent football (soccer) players, now hid inside his house.

Then, a radio announcement said that a hospital ship, the Africa Mercy , would soon be coming to Togo, offering surgeries free of charge. Daring to hope, Lawson left his children in his mother's care and went to the patient screening.

Lawson was literally at the brink of death as the tumor slowly suffocated him. He was immediately admitted to the hospital ship, with surgery the next day. It took three doctors eight hours to remove the benign growth and repair his nose, upper lip, and cheek. The large amount of blood required during surgery was donated by crew members.

Lawson was overjoyed when he touched the bandages on his cheek ? the tumor was gone! There will be more surgeries within the next year to complete the reconstruction of his face, but the immediate result saved and restored his life.

Unable to hold back tears of joy, a delighted Lawson exclaimed, "I can't believe what has happened to me. It is a miracle! My way was crooked, but nowmy way is straight. Now, I am a man!"

Lawson can hardly wait to surprise his family with his transformation. He is anxious to eat real food again ? especially his mother's ademe, a stew made with legumes, fish and red oil. Then he will think about starting his new life.

He has photos of what he looked like before surgery and after. "I want to show pictures to everybody, so people can see what Mercy Ships did for me. Everybody who sees me, they will be surprised," he grinned. "I survived! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Amen!"

Written by Elaine B. Winn
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by: Debra Bell

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A joyful Lawson waves goodbye after successful surgery.

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Lawson goes knuckle to knuckle with Nurse Richard,
( whom he adopted as his father.)

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Lawson points to heaven, thanking God for his second "salvation" as he says good bye.

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With a joyful smile, Lawson gives a ?thumbs up' as he
leaves the Africa Mercy for home.

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Lawson praises God with a joyful heart for the surgery aboard
the Africa Mercy that saved his life.
 
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Lawson before surgery Lawson a few days after surgery.
A big smile on his face

 
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Lawson before surgery Lawson after surgery

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Lawson says he will show everyone the photos of what he looked
like before he came to Mercy Ships.