WARNING: graphic pictures in this post...

This was taken on Saturday, at the Agriculture school in Benin. Yes, thats right...I went to another country! It was really neat. This ship was in Benin last year, and they started this ag school where they teach the students how to be farmers using godly principles. I guess at this time last year...they had nothing there, but the land. Now, they have several crops growing and they have a building!




This is just a random street shot in Benin. It was taken while we were driving...but it kinda shows what the streets here are like. And its an excellent example of the women here...they usually carry a baby on their back, something in their hands, and a huge bowl on their heads.




We went to a local beach the other day, Cocoa Beach! It was really fun! These boys were just kinda hanging out...but when they realized that we had cameras (we were just taking a few pics of the beach) they started dancing, posing and doing flips/cartwheels for us. It was quite entertaining!

We did crafts the other day, on the ward! Maybe all pediatric nursing is this way...I don't know, since this is really my first time doing it. But it's definitely been a lot of fun so far!!

Here's a few of the casted-legged kids at the hospitality center!

So this next group of pictures is slightly graphic...just a heads-up. I can tell you story after story...but seeing a couple before/after pictures, will hopefully give you a glance of why I love what I'm doing right now. It's a completely different mindset, going to work...knowing that I'm actually paying to go to work. But this is why I'm doing it....and this is why I'm loving it... :)

Little Aissa's story could break your heart. She's a little 7yr old girl, who has been living in Cameroon. Her pictures were mailed to the ship, and they agreed to give her a surgery. She has a condition called Noma. I'll be honest...I had never heard of this before her. I guess its a series of steps that start with malnutrition, then when the immune system is down they get a viral infection (like measles)...they then get a tooth infection or mouth sore or some sort...and the face will then just melt away. It's fatal in 90% of the cases and it only takes about 2 wks to get to this point. Aissa's a blessed one...the pictures from when she first came to the Cameroon hospital broke my heart. She is now a joyful, playful little girl (with a slight attitude) who has a face again. It's absolutely amazing!! The surgeon's took a skin graft (piece of skin from her thigh) and placed it on her face. Amazing stuff!! :)

Little Maurius is the one I mentioned the other day, that got to go home!

"...And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19

Today's love: getting to be a small part of what God is doing here. To God the glory, of all thats being done here!!