Sandy's Adventures In Africa!: Screening Day!

What Mercy Ships is all about.

Well with every field service that Mercy Ships does, they hold what is called a massive screening day. They advertise for weeks before hand, announcing that we will be here and doing the screening. So that when the screening day does happen, we often expect upwards to 4000 people! This year in Guinea, was no different. Mercy Ships has not been to Guinea since 1999, so we are maybe not as well known in this country as compared to Togo, or Ghana. But none the less we arrived and started to spread the word. Our advance team had already spread the word, but once we arrived and our local day workers came onboard they also started spreading the word, and we were in full force getting ready for this big day!

Even though it is a medical screening, it takes pretty close to our entire crew to be able to run this massive event. So the week before the screening, we had many briefings, for safety and security. But we also had signup sheets, for different things, such as, escorting patients, playing with kids, handing out food and water, and security. We all had a team leader and a group of crew members, who were ready to face the day! My job or team rather, was known as the Children’s Ministry. WE got to entertain the beautiful kids all day long. I couldn’t have asked for a better job! It was truly a blessing!

To give you a taste of what my day looked like, here is a bit of my timeline for the day!

The night before screening day. A bunch of us crew memebers got together and made over 2000 PB and Jelly sandwichs for the crew and patinets for the next day, we had stations, flying peanut butter and thoughts of bread slices going everywhere. But by the end of it we complete over our goal, and went to bed!

September 3^rd, 2012 – Guinea Screening Day!

5:25am – alarm goes off ( and I was one of the lucky ones, I got to sleep in…)

5:30am – breakfast

6:30am- meet in café for drivers and depart for the site

7:00am- arrive at the screening site!

7:30am- first walk of the main line, that started forming way before 5am.

9:00am- as I was walking the line for probably either the 4^th or 5^th time, I had a ball in my hands and threw it at this little boy, he caught it and threw it back. So I changed how I threw it, and he did the exact same thing. Whatever hand movements I did, he did. He also did whatever funny face I made. It was so fun to help him smile while waiting in such a long line. At this point our line was at least 2000 people, if not many more!

10:00am- walked inside for the first time out of direct heat and sunlight. Played with some cute kids at the last station with some balloons!

10:30am- I got to move up to the orthopedic ward! Tones of kids, and plenty to do! I sat with this one, beautiful girl, all dressed in purple~ when sitting down, you couldn’t even see anything wrong with her. But when it was her time to see the doctor, she not only had a limp, but had to walk sufficiently lower than. She had the most beautiful smile I’ve seen in a long time.

11am-3pm – still in the ortho ward, seeing so many amazing kids, with clubbed feet, bowed legs, and many other tragic things. During these few hours, I got to work with a couple girls from the academy! Which was a blessing! We colored, played with play dough and I even got my nails painted! Now because I can speak fairly good French, it made it a lot easier to talk with these precious kids. Once they figured out that I spoke French they came and sat on my lap, surrounding me and asking me all sorts of questions. We even sang a song called “Waka Waka” they loved that they could communicate with me so easily! One girl took off my glasses and asked how many fingers she was holding, now I can see close up so that wasn’t a problem. She then decided that I didn’t need glasses, because I could see her. She said that my face was prettier without them, so touching! She also said that my hair looked funny, and that it should look the same as her, with those tiny small braids. This same young girl, had bowed legs, but did not seem to care at all, she colored, played ball, we face painted each other, and when it was her turn to see the doctor, she couldn’t stop looking over at me and smiling! This was finally her time to see the doctor and hopefully get some help! I couldn’t be happier for her! When she had seen the doctor and it was time to go on to the appointment station, she came back over to me and told me she had to go, but that she will see me later! I blew her a kiss, which she pretended to catch as she walked away! Her named, although I couldn’t not say it in her language, she told me it meant Faith. So fitting for such a great girl. I saw many other cute kids, that still touch my heart, just thinking of them. There was another girl, who enjoyed taking my hat, which I finally figured out why. I had my hat and headband on, and she didn’t think it was fair that I have both. She was beyond cute and im so glad that she was able to be seen by our doctor! Two boys that also had clubbed feet, were sitting on my blanket coloring away, as I started to notice my markers and crayons kept disappearing, into their pockets, they also kept telling me that it was because the markers were for them! So I once again shocked them with my French that the markers were mine. So I got them back, eventually. Over these four hours I saw so many eye opening things that it really did make my heart ache. It ached for the people of Guinea, those who need so desperately the help that we offer. It really did make it clear that we take health care and medicine so for granted pretty much everywhere else in the world. As the line kept growing, and more and more kids kept coming over to me, most of them just came into my arms, they just wanted someone to hold them and smile with them. My job for the day was so fulfulilling, I got to make the most beautiful kids laugh and smile, despite their condtions. I looked beyond what they physically had, and saw that heart of joy and happiness. I looked past it because, it doesn’t matter what is on the outside, its what in the heart that matters the most. Yes, I saw some things, that I truthfully never want to see again, but looking in those brown or blue eyes, just melted my heart, and I would smile at them, and see something in their eyes spark. It showed them that, I care, no matter what. Just that has been a memory will never forget from my time here, if I could’ve just came for that one day, I would’ve seen the same people, but since ive been ive come to learn and look past the outside, and see the depths of their love. It is beyond incredible.

3:15pm- first break on the day! Time has flown by, and I had something to eat and drink, and rested for a bit. Around the time my break was up, I went the bathroom, and ended up locking myself in the bathroom, so me not wanting to stay there, I ended up climbing over the top and jumping down. Adding to my excitement for the day.

3:45pm- back to the ortho ward. This time we were now handing out balloons, one to each precious child. We would often have mothers come and ask for one for their baby. It really did show how small of a gesture we can do and they are beyond happy.

4:30pm- time for our team to head home, back to the ship. So we gathered up our supplies and loaded the land rovers.

5:00pm- supper time! After a long day out in the heat, we were back on the ship, ate, showered and went to bed.

This day, was one of a few, that I never want to forget. It holds many special memories for me, from the little kids, to the marriage propsals, to talking in French! It was amazing to be able to be a part of it, and looking back on it 6 days later, I still can vividly see those eyes and smiles. A picture forever in my heart.

A few numbers from screening day!

Over 4300 people showed up

Over 200 patients scheduled for surgery!

Nearly 1000 scheduled for more follow up or evaluation!

It was a very successful day! Thanks to the many doctors and nurses! Thanks to our entire ship’s crew, even the ones who had to stay on the ship! And thanks for amazing weather, no rain! And its rainy season here!

And many thanks to all the amazing people, who came, waited in a very long line, and saw Mercy Ships in action!

Bringing Hope And Healing To The Worlds Forgotten Poor!