Saturday Februay 21

They came in their thousands - over 2000 people attended the main screening in Cotonou on Thursday and Friday. The atmosphere in the Halle des Arts was electric at 7.00am Thursday morning as so many staff involved with screening made their way to their respective areas of work in the stadium.

Security staff had arrived at 3.30am and already there were lines of people waiting. As the vehicle I was in drove towards the stadium it took me a moment to realise that the line of people I could see were for the screening.

Nursing staff took on a variety of roles offering water, comfort, escorting patients to the various areas and generally helping out. Staff in a variety of other roles on the ship joined with us to help guide patients, to pray with them, to keep the children occupied. Seeing dining room staff running around a hot hall with a small truck filled with children, laughing and giggling. Balloons going asunder, kicking balls around and dancing to the beat of the drum.

Histories were taken, patients seen by nurses and doctors as appropriate and then for some the all important green card - not the work permit for the US but the card which said "we can help you with surgery". Some patients were referred to further screening clinics to be seen by specialists such as eye, orthopaedic and VVF. Some had to gently told that what was wrong with them could not be helped by surgery and we saw mixed reactions. relief that someone had simply listened and had been able to put a name to their problem, others totally despondent that they or their child could not be helped. They were all offered an opportunity for someone to pray with them. Where we can not help Father can give comfort , relief and healing.

I suppose that I was fortunate in some ways as I was at the point of completing and giving out the all important green cards. My colleague and I were at the end of, what for some was, a long line and yet still they had smiles on their faces. One more elderly man in particular I remember who was just so grateful for what had happened that he took his card as if it were his most prized possession, of more worth than anything else he had ever owned.

Earlier in the week I had been showing doctors and nurses the operating department. There were several of us and we all had a room or two to show our visitors who came from the local area around Cotonou. They had all been invited to a reception when presentations were made about what the ship can offer in the way of surgery. The walk around the OR department was just a small part of the evening but it gave me chance to practice my French again.

On Tuesday I was able to visit a local hospital with Dr Glenn Strauss the eye surgeon. He was visiting a local surgeon aho is coming on board to undertake further training with Glenn. My role? I have been asked to help train 2 nurses to scrub for eye surgery. I went to see the kind of conditions the nurses are currently working with so that I can help train them appropriately.

Much as it may seem all hard work it has been a real joy and privilege to be here for this and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. There have been lighter moments too as I've found a swimming pool and friends who are as keen as me to keep fit. I've even had an offer for free swimming lessons in return for guitar lessons, a fair swop to me. So, a busy week and the reason for slackness in adding to this blog. Next Tuesday we commence surgery and we have a busy week. Til next time TTFN as Tigger would say.