In the past couple weeks I've gotten to be a part of some fun activities! Last Wednesday evening I was able to join a group going to visit the Children's ward at the local hospital.  We spent about 3 hours there in 3 different rooms. The wards were pretty small. No more than 10 beds in each one. Most of the kids had broken limbs. Arms ,hips or legs. Some were confined to bed. Most of the kids were probably under the age of 12.  One of the parents would stay at the hospital with them. Then there were quite a few siblings running around as well.

In each room we started out by reading a Bible story then giving them some crayons and paper to color. We also gave balloons and blew bubbles and ended by giving cookies. It was very interesting to learn how things are run at the hospital also. If you need to go to the hospital(emergency or whatever) you find out what supplies you need for surgery, go to the pharmacy, buy the supplies, then go back to the hospital for your appointment. The hospital does not have any supplies on hand to do anything I guess.. Also it's very expensive to go to the hospital on top of that. So if you don't have any money... You don't get help. :(
Makes me think about how nice we have it at home in the states.

Then on Thursday I went to the Hope Center(run by Mercy ships) here in Lome. It is where patients live while they are waiting for a surgery or go after surgery to recover. It's a beautiful building! Mercy ships has put a lot of effort into making it nice for the patients. The building was used in 2010 when Mercy ships was here last. When they left in 2010 the people here in Togo used the building as place for women to have their babies. So one of the wings of the building is still being run by people from Lome. We were able to go visit  patients waiting for surgery and see some brand new babies!

Saturday.. I went to visit the Bethany Maison Orphanage. It is an Orphanage run by some nuns. Very nice building. I think about 35 kids live there. Infants to 17 or 18 years old. We read Bible stories and sang lots of songs with the kids(keep in mind this is all in French, so it's being translated). After that we played all kinds of games with the kids and gave out cookies(again). Some of the kids are pretty sneaky and try to pretend we did not give them any cookies and ask for more.. :D I know all about the sneaky when it comes to cookies.. Some were quite dramatic even because they really wanted more cookies. Gotta guard the cookies. :D

The past few Sundays I've been going to the Ward service(church) on the ship! It's very nice that we are able to attend the service with patients in the hospital.The service is translated from English into Ewe(native language here). Maybe about 20 patients attend each Sunday and then some crew members. To go to the service I walk out my room door and down the hall not even a minute and I'm in the hospital. It's very interesting to think I live on a floating hospital. :D

Before I came, I wondered if I would be useful here in Africa. I doubted my skills and wondered why I felt God put the longing in my heart to come. But now that I'm here I feel like I'm needed and I am doing something helpful! God is so good! Please continue to pray for me while I spend my last month and half in Africa!  Time is flying too fast! I am thinking this is something I would love to plan to come again and do.. Maybe longer term?? :D :D