I am a crew member now!

My beloved friends and family,

Greetings from the Atlantic, more specifically the port of Contonou, Benin Africa Mercy! I can't believe the first two parts of my trip are over and I am a crew member living in a 10-berth cabin, starboard side of a ship! The past few weeks have been truly incredible and as I look through my 2,000+ pictures it's hard to believe I was so blessed to meet so many neat people and experience so many new and beautiful places. A word of warning: this e-mail is going to be long... hope you enjoy it!

Two weeks ago today I left the quaint little town of Schladming and embarked on the backpacking journey of a lifetime with Ashley by my side. We spent our first night in Salzburg with a couple of friends from Taurnhof (the Christian school I went to) and envisioned the Von Trapp family right by our side as there are many places throughout Salzburg where the movie was filmed. We then made our way to Zurich where we were shown around for the afternoon by another friend from Taurnhof before heading off to Bern, the capitol of Switzerland. Zurich was nice, but that's where we realized a trip through Switzerland is not cheap as a venti latte from starbucks was $8 USD and a meal from McDonalds well over $11! But, don't ask me how, we were able to revert back to our all-too familiar college eating habits and made it by on less than $10 a day and we at 3 meals-a-day! I was pretty impressed!! Bern was BEAUTIFUL! I really loved our day there, but our favorite place was Interlaken.

Sitting on a bridge in Bern...


We spent 3 nights in Interlaken and even choose to hike (one day for 8 hours!) with our hiking experiences (and sore muscles) still close in memory. But I think a major highlight was skydiving... it was incredible! We were tandem with an instructor (I don't think I could ever have done it without someone with me!) and I was paired with this hilarious Aussie and was his 5800th jump! He definitely had a few laughs at my expense... especially when the pilot made a sharp dive turn after take off and they opened the door of the little plane we were crammed in!!! All I remember is everyone else jumping out and we were the last two in the plane and I turned and asked him "If I pee my pants does that mean I pee yours too?" with that he said, "you aren't going to pee your pants!" and slid us over to the door and out towards the earth. Ashley, aka the brain, calculated we were plummeting towards the earth at over 300 feet/second! (she also did the calculations for our budget!)


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After Interlaken we spent a day in Zermatt where the Matterhorn is located in a hostel that had some character for sure. There were 7 of us in a room that should've only squeezed 4, but upon arrival I was thankful that Ashley and I were on the bottom bunk... that was until I saw who was sleeping above us. The next morning I asked Ashley how she slept and she said other than the 2 earthquakes in the middle of the night, it was great. Confused I asked, "earthquakes?" When she explained the middle-aged (heavy set) man that was sleeping above her had an overactive GI system (if you know what I mean) and undersized bladder. Needless to say, we were both pretty pooped and kept to a smaller hike in Zermatt.






Friday we found ourselves in Geneva and had a good time seeing the UN building and the International headquarters of the Red Cross among other touristy spots and we even splurged on a Swiss delicacy, cheese fondue! I highly recommend it! After a long day in Geneva, we took a train to Lyon, France and realized we had to catch an 8 minute train to cross town... so we ran to our train (a great feat when you have packs on!) and got on... but 28 minutes into the train ride we grew suspicious and began to think that Lyon was a much bigger city than we had originally expected, that's when the no-English speaking conductor showed up to charge us 10 euros for our unexpected trip to a city an hour away. :( We did eventually get to the other side of Lyon and found our wonderful air conditioned hotel, the first of the week! We enjoyed our two days in Lyon and took it easy after the long week of lugging our backpacks and bodies all over Switzerland.

Our journey's ended in Paris, France. I made my grand arrival in the city of lights and had to catch the metro across town, so Ashley and I (with all of our acquired travelers skills) found the ticket booth, bought our tickets (this was hilarious to witness as well) and then you had to scan your ticket and an electric door opened with just enough time for you to get through to the metro. Well I definitely did not factor Patricia into the allotted amount of time to get through the door. So with ease I scan my ticket and venture towards the door and my pack was too wide to get through the door! So I stop halfway through when the doors close!!! Within 3 minutes of arriving in Paris I managed to get myself completely stuck in an electronic door. Seriously. Like a turtle on its back. If Ashley hadn't been with me I would still probably be stuck in the metro door underground in Paris. I stood there laughing for like 30 seconds trying to look over my shoulder at Ashley as the general public are staring and laughing at the American girl stuck in the door. Thankfully some very merciful bystanders took mercy on us... ashley scanned her ticket and some men pulled me through the door and another lady scanned her metro pass so that ashley didn't have to buy another ticket. Oh I wish I had a video of that one! So funny!

Over the next 24 hours we were absolutely spoiled by Ashley's mom. We ventured to the top of the eiffel tower and even were treated to ice cream! (a treat that Ashley and I most definitely could not afford on our budget because it had tripled in price from Austria to Switzerland). We stayed in the four seasons hotel and had full meals that comprised of more than our bread, peanut butter and fruit! It was a heavenly first experience in Paris!

Tuesday I said farewell to my partner in traveling (which was super weird leaving the only people you know in a foreign country to leave for an even more foreign country alone), and caught a plane to Contonou, Benin. I arrived safe and sound without a problem. Funny though, I had to take a bus at the airport from my gate to the plane and as the bus filled up I realized I was leaving Europe and heading for a whole new world as people started touching me and everyone was talking. Then I got on the plane and found myself sitting next to a bigger African lady who treated me much more like a long time friend than an acquaintance on a plane in spite of the fact that she spoke no more than 10 words of English. Didn't stop her. Before I knew it I had mysterious chocolate cookies in my hand and I couldn't see the movie I had been watching because her friends would stop by to visit and almost sit in my lap to carry on their conversation. I loved it. At one point I pulled out my Bible and journal and we ended up (in about 10 words) discovering that we were both Christians and had a great time smiling back and forth the rest of the plane ride.

The first few days here all kind of blur together... I got in Tuesday night and had wednesday off which was nice to get settled. I am in a cabin with 7 other girls at this time, but 2 more could move in at any point. The first few days were funny because you find yourself asking everyone three questions 1. what's your name 2. where are you from 3. how much longer are you here. It seemed like everyone I met in those first days are only here for a few more days and I would think to myself, don't tell me your name! I don't have enough space in my memory bank to know your name if you're leaving! :) But I am finding out that a lot of the summer people are leaving and in the past week quite a few longer term people have arrived.

The ship has 360 people living on it right now, it can hold up to 400, with people from over 31 countries! In my cabin alone there are 2 Americans, a girl from Holland, Germany, Russia, Switzerland and Togo! It's such an incredible experience. The best way I know how to explain it is that it seems like a college dormitory, hospital and an international church have collided and landed itself on a ship that happens to be docked in Benin. It's really neat. And God is so good. Already I have met a girl who is not only from Temecula, but is my same age, went to my rival high school and even has the same doctor who performed both of our physicals before coming! AND I have also met a nurse who went to Grand Canyon University (my alma mater) and graduated in 2006, so we were there at the same time! What a small world we live in!

But I am a part of the hospitality on board so I help welcome new people to the ship, assist with functions, clean and set-up rooms for new crew and guests, bake (A LOT, the dining room never really has desserts, so we are the main providers of goodies unless you purchase or bake your own) and bless the crew as the opportunity arises (give cookies to the various departments;) I really love the girls I work with and I think I am going to be able to shadow nurses on the ward, which I am very excited about.

I just am amazed at how the Lord cares for us in every way, even to the small details. From there being peanut butter (chunky and smooth) on board, to the amazing package my mom was able to send with Ashley's mom that had the exact amount of money I was hoping would somehow come in for my time in Benin in it from a supporter, to meeting a girl my age from my hometown, to meeting a really neat Christian girl from Denver (where I am hoping to relocate to when I return for a bit) who really wants to help me get involved in some neat Christian ministries there, to the ship having organized ultimate frisbee games every Friday (my favorite!!!!), to safe travel and the blessing of even having this opportunity! He is so good and I am just thankful to Him for providing every detail including having you on my e-mail list! :) Without all of your love, encouragement, support, prayers... all of it... this would not have been possible and for you I am so thankful!

I can't wait to see what e-mail updates will have in the future... More details of Mercy Ships I am sure as I am learning SO much (I still get all turned around trying to make my way around the 8 decks and this week I have to give a tour to the new people on the ship! haha!). Please be praying that my vertigo will stay under control as the ship is constantly moving, that my tooth will hold up for another month (I made an appt. with the MS dentist and may be able to get a root canal while here!) and for the 9-month old baby boy that was admitted last night. He's very sick and the parents haven't put their tribal markings on the baby yet, meaning they're not sure if they want to accept him as their son. Whenever there are serious cases in the hospital all of the crew are asked to pray and this boy came in yesterday. I will keep you updated.

I miss you all, love your updates and am thanking the Lord for you in my life!! :)

much love.

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I am a little deficient at this whole blog thing... but a description of pics... the one that is duplicated is the happy lil slug that I kissed so early in the morning on my water bottle... the cross is at the top of the Dachstein from our second tour, pretty cool that on every peak there is a cross in Austria... the one with me excited is at the top of the highest alp in the West... something I was very happy to be on the top of and the others are of me with friends that I made while at T-hof... enjoy!!

Slug kisses and a 12k race!

I can’t believe it’s my time at Taurnhof and upward bound is over. What I really can’t believe is that I came out with my life and all 4 limbs as well! These last days have been an experience of a lifetime and unforgettable to say the least. I can’t help but relate my experience to that of the 4 kids who stumbled upon Narnia… The last weeks I haven’t been able to keep a watch, shower, or have any clue what each day had in store, it kind of made the whole experience seem like a dream, like I stumbled through a closet (or LAX) and found myself in Schladming, Austria for 5 weeks of outdoor fun and now I am making my way back into the real world sad to see it go and take my 36 new friends with it, but excited to see what God has in store in these next 3 months.

This past week was our last tour. We arrived back at Taurnhof on Thursday from our very hardest tour of 4 days and were told to get our laundry done quickly with no reasons why. Friday night we were informed that Saturday we would venture off again for another trek. Saturday we had an unusually late start which meant that we all scarfed down breakfast thinking it would be our last warm meal for days but were informed after breakfast that we would be having lunch at T-hof as well. This was peculiar news to our ears that definitely made all of us question and suspect all kinds of horrible things were in store for our next trek. But we left around 1 in the afternoon and had a 2 and a half hour hike up to a hutte after about a 30 minute bus ride to the base of the alp (mind you they had also told us to pack our tents, sleeping bags, swimsuits, thermarests, and we had 2 lunches and our stoves making our packs the heaviest of all tours). We were all so relieved and happy to see a hutte at the top. That means no cooking required for us because breakfast and dinner are provided and a warm bed. This was also great because it POURED rain all night long. Sunday we did a day hike and klettersteig’d (an activity that combines rockclimbing with hiking, it was invented in Italy and is more common in Europe than in the states… very fun!) all along the ridge of a mountainside and returned to the hutte again.

Monday we were awoken early and given a destination for lunch. After a flat and very enjoyable hike we found our lunch destination without a problem… but we were on the very edge of our map. We were then told that we didn’t need our maps because the leaders were going to lead us into unmapped territory. For 3 hours we hiked through the forests and in the rain (off and on) until we stopped in a clearing that was big enough for the leaders to tell us we were going to be on our own for the next 40 – 45 hours. We each had a short piece of rope and received a good sized tarp to make a shelter with. The leaders challenged us to fast during the time and leave our watches and food behind with the leaders and to spend the time with the Lord. We were each given a spot in the forest and were told that we could move within 10 meters (approx 30 feet) of our spot. I had heard rumors about this solo time during our final tour and was happy that I was somewhat prepared mentally to be so alone for the longest time in my life (what a weird thought!)

I was given a spot underneath a tree with enough flat ground to just fit my thermarest and sleeping bag on top of my tarp and fit snug as a bug between a rock and a slope. The first hour alone I finished off the food in my bag (a cookie and some granola) to begin my time of fasting and then I constructed my living quarters using the lowest branches of the tree, my small rope, my carabiner, and my tarp and made a sideways taco for me to slide myself into. It wasn’t all too shabby… I could lay down and sit up in my shelter (a bonus that I later learned not everyone had). As soon as I was finished I realized how cold it really was outside between the storm moving in and my sweat from the hike cooling my body off so I changed into warm clothes, slid into my bag and was fast asleep before the sun went down. I woke up to the sound of rain hitting my tarp and my stomache gurgling sometime in the wee hours of the morning and remembered the wise words of Martin, one of the leaders, who said we should drink our water everytime we realize we are hungry. So I rolled over in my sleeping bag and felt around my little area for my cool waterbottle. Upon feeling it I unscrewed the cap and could not believe what happened next… As I put the water bottle to my lips I found a little friend had made his way onto the top of my bottle, it took a couple of seconds to realize and register that the squishy sensation on my lower lip did not match up with how my metal water bottle normally felt. I then quickly pulled the water bottle away to realize a SLUG had also found my water bottle in the early hours of the morning!!!! You better believe I woke up so fast… I sat straight up and used all of my self control to not gag and wretch at the discovery of my little friend.

For the next 24 hours it rained non-stop meaning I was in my little alcove all day long. It was very cold and hard to get very much done… needless to say we were all happy and relieved to be rescued, I mean told we could pack up and enjoy some hot soup together. Most of us felt weird seeing each other and talking again after fulfilling our vow of silence for the last 45 hours. It was definitely a memorable experience. That night we made our way to a lake in the surrounding area and pitched our tents and enjoyed a bonfire. Funny how appreciative you are of something as simple as a tent when just days before a tent seemed like the pits… Our perspectives were definitely affected by our solo experience.

Thursday morning we awoke to find that we had been abandoned by our leaders and had been left with first aid kits and instructions for each of the teams. We hiked for a few hours and came upon our leaders with a Taurnhof van and trailer behind with instructions to don our running shoes and ditch the packs in the trailer… we were going for a run.

I am not sure what was going through my mind at this point… I smelt like something fierce, I was tired and still somewhat recovering from the trauma of my wakeup kiss, I couldn’t wait to be back at Taurnhof and enjoy a shower and a warm meal… well in no time a line was made in the dirt and we were told it was a race and to follow the orange signs. A 12 kilo run and about an hour and 13 minutes later I arrived at Taurnhof. I am not sure how I got there, but I do know the only thing going through my mind over and over was Isaiah 40:29-31. The rest of the weekend is a blur filled with lots of goodbyes and many trips to the ice cream lady.

I am now in Interlaken with 2 friends traveling through Switzerlandfd until Sunday when Ashley and I head to Paris to meet her mom and say goodbye before I head to Benin!!! I can't believe I will have to leave her side so soon and I can't believe it's already August and I have left Taurnhof!! Thank you for all of your prayers and support... if there's anything that I just have to do or try while in Switzerland senf me your input thoughts and ideas!! Just know that I am on a tight budget, so if it's more than 5 francs it prolly won"t happen... unless it"s absolutely amazing... then maybe I will skip a meal and do it! :) Oh and say a lil prayer for me on Wednesday... Ashley and I are hopping out of a plane for a 45 second free fall!! We're skydiving and I am already getting butterflies... miss you all mucho and I can't wait to share more stories and pics with you!!!