Togo!!

Hey Ya'll!

It's been a busy week in hospitality, hence my lack of blogging. Since we arrived in Togo 1 and 1/2 weeks ago, there have been new arrivals coming non-stop, and hospitality (the department I'm in) is in charge of welcoming and preparing rooms for new arrivals. It's really fun to watch the ship fill up with new people. We just got a new roommate last night. She's from North Carolina and her name's Stephanie and she and I bonded about how we have both been to Malibu, the Young Life camp :).

We are in Togo! And the city is so interesting. Women carrying bowls of fruit on their head and baby's on their hips, African men ask you to marry them on the street and people drive crazy here! It's also ridiculously hot and humid here. You go outside for 5 minutes and you are drenched in sweat.

There is a small market near our ship and here are some photo's I took when we were out the other night-

My photo's uploaded backwards- but here is the sunset near the market

Me and some of my roomies at the market

People carry stuff on their heads everywhere!

And babies on their backs. African babies are cute.

Mom, I took this chicken picture for you- there are chickens everywhere here and they are really really scrawny

The Togolese drive these little bikes called zemidjans (pronounced "zimmijon") everywhere and they are crazy drivers!

More to come soon (ish)!

Love,

Caitlin

Getting to Togo.. slowly but surely!

Hello blog readers!

Today we are still at sea. We have about four more days until we arrive in Togo and I am very ready to be there! Initially the sail was really rocky, almost to the point where it was just funny. I was on the internet a couple nights ago, facebook chatting with a friend, whilst my computer keyboard and the chair I was sitting on swayed back and forth.. haha.

Well, now things are much calmer and the sail is actually quite peaceful. The work load for hospitality (which is the department I work in) is really light during the sail, so I've had a lot of relaxation time, spending time with friends, reading, getting to know the ship better, etc. When we get to Togo the work load is supposed to really pick up, which I am excited and also nervous for!

Here are some pictures that I've taken over the past week and a half: Beginning with the airplane flight to Tenerife:

On the dock in Tenerife- The Africa Mercy behind me: Here is the town, Santa Cruz, it was about a 20 minute walk from the ship in Tenerife and we had to walk about a mile down the shipping dock to get there: Some friends and I went to a city up further in the hills of Tenerife called La Laguna: Leaving Tenerife for the big sail: Some pictures of the beautiful atlantic: Me and two other girls in hospitality made cards for random people on the ship and we delivered them with bags on our heads to be "anonymous" Here are some of my roommates about to watch a movie- my bed is the top bunk: Ok, well that's enough for now! Hope to keep you posted more often! Love, Caitlin

Getting to Togo.. slowly but surely!

Hello blog readers!

Today we are still at sea. We have about four more days until we arrive in Togo and I am very ready to be there! Initially the sail was really rocky, almost to the point where it was just funny. I was on the internet a couple nights ago, facebook chatting with a friend, whilst my computer keyboard and the chair I was sitting on swayed back and forth.. haha.

Well, now things are much calmer and the sail is actually quite peaceful. The work load for hospitality (which is the department I work in) is really light during the sail, so I've had a lot of relaxation time, spending time with friends, reading, getting to know the ship better, etc. When we get to Togo the work load is supposed to really pick up, which I am excited and also nervous for!

Here are some pictures that I've taken over the past week and a half:


Beginning with the airplane flight to Tenerife:




Here is the town, Santa Cruz, it was about a 20 minute walk from the ship in Tenerife and we had to walk about a mile down the shipping dock to get there:




Some friends and I went to a city up further in the hills of Tenerife called La Laguna:



Leaving Tenerife for the big sail:


Some pictures of the beautiful atlantic:


Me and two other girls in hospitality made cards for random people on the ship and we delivered them with bags on our heads to be "anonymous"




Here are some of my roommates about to watch a movie- my bed is the top bunk!





Ok, well that's enough for now! Hope to keep you posted more often!


Love,

Caitlin

Updates and Contemplations

Hello! Sorry it has taken me a week to finally write on this thing! I have been busy, not only physically, but also mentally and just hadn't found the space to write yet.

I am currently in the Canary Islands, which are a set of pretty islands off of Spain. They look Hawaii/the show Lost (if you've ever seen it), but not quite as tropical. The Ship is docked here until Sunday when we leave for Togo! I cannot wait togo to Togo (pun intended). But after we leave on Sunday we will have a 10 day long sail on the open water... this is going to be weird and also really fascinating- apparantly the ship rocks a lot so we have to secure everything here so that stuff isn't flying around while we sail- I guess on the sail up here they lost a lot of expensive medical equipment because of the rough water. I also bought my sea-sickness medicine today for this reason. Also, I am excited to see stars when we sail! I guess they are really bright... and sunsets are supposed to be amazing!

Man, there is too much to write and I could give a lot of content... but it might lack quality considering the amount of time I have right now.

I am feeling odd about this adventure .. The things that have been challenging to me so far have not been things that I expected to be challenging before I left. I guess expectations are sometimes pointless. Regardless, I am looking up- God has his plans even if in the moment it's very difficult to understand. Also, I think things will be quite different when we get to Togo.

Ok, well here is a list of some good things:

-I bought a guitar in Tenerife (Canary Islands) and I love it and I went hunting for it all day with one of my new roommates using my tiny bit of spanish.
-All of my roommates are really nice and I'm starting to get to know a few of them and I am excited to know them more (I live in a 10 berth cabin)
-There is soy milk in the cafeteria


Ok, well I shall post more in the future, but for now, goodnight... or good afternoon!

Love,

Caitlin


"Withouth risk, faith is an impossibility" -Soren Kierkegaard

The end, marking a new beginning...

Wow, tomorrow is the last day of employment for me at the YMCA, marking a new beginning- a two and a half week count down until my departure for the Canary Islands, where I meet up with the Africa Mercy, a hospital ship that I will be working on for 61/2 months in Togo, Africa.

So many mixed emotions at this point in my journey- I've anticipated this since last February, and even more, have wanted to go on the Mercy Ships since I was probably a freshman in high school.

This is my hope- while I am truly excited and a little anxious about my trip, I want to stay connected to the present moment. I can easily get wrapped up in the big picture of my plans (I have already contemplated what it will be like when I get home! .. and I still have 7 months!). I get ahead of myself. I want to live in the moment, savoring these last weeks with my family and friends, and with the comforts of home- ie a large bed, which I will especially miss while I am away. I also want to take the journey to Africa itself one step at a time, from packing to the long plane ride in to Spain, to meeting crew members, to spending time journaling and talking to God. It's all good stuff, these little steps in the long journey.

Thank you to anyone reading this for your prayers and your support in general. I've received support that I haven't even known that I need. I feel so blessed and am really blown away by the support that John Knox Presbyterian Church Mission Team has given me. I asked for a financial donation and not only did I get that, but I am now getting commissioned in a week and a half, a flyer is being made about my trip and I am surrounded by prayers etc. Wow..

Well, tune in for more and hopefully I will be able to get some pictures up on this puppy pretty soon.

Love,

Caitlin

In the meantime........

Hello to anyone reading!

I haven't updated this is FORever.. partially due to the fact that I am intending to write in it when I am in Africa. But I figured I should do an update in the meantime!

Man, this fall has brought much anticipation for the months ahead. I changed my dates of service with the Mercy Ships to Jan 24-Aug 13. So I will be staying a lot longer and leaving a little later. I got a couple shots the other day in preparation (ouch!) and I bought my plane ticket about a week ago. The trip is becoming more of a reality to me, but still seems a ways off, as I am wrapped up in my little world here in SeaTac.


Currently, I am working at the Matt Griffin YMCA- I do front desk work- selling memberships, greeting people with a smile, etc. Sometimes it gets old, but I am thankful to have the job. I am also in school part time finishing up my AA before I leave. - it worked out that I had one more class to take and it was offered this fall- how convenient!

God has been really good to me in this past year. I am learning patience slowly but surely- something I'll definitely need for the trip (and for life for that matter), something I need to have more of with myself and with others. I am looking forward to what the future has in store- looking forward to being shaped and to being used. Even though I doubt myself, I know that it's in God's hands and I'll rest in that.

So, I don't think I am the most amazing blogger, but hey, practice makes perfect right? Come back for more updates and contemplations! Hopefully I'll post another before I leave :)

Love,

Caitlin

Mercy Ships... looking forward

Hi! This is my blog site that I will be using to share updates for when I go on the Mercy Ships in November. 

As of now, I have very little idea what to expect.. this is something that I have wanted to do since high school.

Thanks for visiting this site and be sure to check back for my updates when I am finally on board! And thank you to those of you who are joining me in my trip through prayer and financial help :).. it really means a lot.

Peace,

Caitlin