Sea Container Story

Well, so much has happened in the last 3 weeks since my internet mysteriously ceased to work! After many theories tested and failed, we discovered the solution - and found 5 viruses on my computer, one of which was blocking my internet from connecting. 5 zapped viruses, a new virus protection program later and I am back online!

In my last post I wrote that the McIver family arrived in Niger. This marks the final arrival of teammates who are currently scheduled and heading to Niger. So for the moment, here is our new team photo:

Sea Container:

The first week of June also marked the arrival of the sea container that the McIvers and I packed last year - coincidentally also in the first week of June! We were able to arrange for direct delivery of the container, which allowed for us to receive and unpack the container directly as the paperwork for customs was completed. This alone was an answer to prayer and a HUGE blessing! As I type, we are still trying to clear the paperwork through customs!! In fact, another organization which had a container delivered to Niamey in December did not receive their container through customs until the first week of May!

It has been a long year filled with activity for the container and a year full of memories:

June: Packing the container - the garage as it emptied and the container as it filled:

Memories from the fun of this day:

zillions of shrink wrap - wrapping the boxes with clothes or paper (books) in the shrink wrap to protect them from the sea water

Tim Horton's - on the way to the McIvers house on packing day, I stopped to get a 10 cup box of coffee and the large pack of timbits

diapers - you see the stack in the photo - 2 days before the day of packing, I called Chantelle to see if there was anything I could help with - "YES" - so off I went to Costco and bought a packing flat full of diapers for the children. That was quite to experience!!

watching the packers man-handle my trunk around (drop it, tip it upside-down) and wondering if my dishes would make it to Africa in one piece - "Did they not hear me say that all my breakables were in that trunk?!!"

Waiting anxiously for the delivery of our 220volt appliances, transformers, etc... They arrived in Calgary on the afternoon that we packed the container - so off we headed with a few vehicles to pick it all up

December: In November, we received the news from the shipping agent that we could get into the container when we returned from Québec and ship the container at the end of December of first week of January. This would still allow for an end-of-February delivery of the container - perfect for our arrival date at the end of February.

This was great news for me - I had a little too much fun in the second-hand bookstores in Québec as I had managed to purchase a small library of books to challenge my French (Shakespeare, Jane Eyre and a few other French novels - looking at the selection now I wish I had bought more). I also was able to pack my French textbooks, exercise books and dictionary in the container. I was thankful to send this collection on the container instead of in my check luggage when I flew!

Memories from this day:

COLD!! - we packed this container outside in the winter weather. We drank a lot of Tim Horton's coffee!! (sense a theme?!! - yes, I am slightly addicted) This photo marks my second extra-large Double Double!

A couple stow-away hopefuls! (Good thing we didn't stow-away, we got here faster on the plane!)

Writing messages for our team to read on the plywood when they received the container - in our absence! hee hee

Messages:

Going Home

Chantelle was here

Destination: West-Africa, Niamey, Niger

Going to see some hippos and Giraffes

Have fun unpacking this mess (that was Paul!)

Caution: Il y a un grand casse-tête dedans (there is a big puzzle inside)

We had such great fun writing our messages and thinking of our team reading our notes of love. It was just as great a joy to see these messages a few weeks ago and see that no one had peeked or gotten into our container and belongings!

January: During our language study training in Toronto mid-January, we received the news that our shipping agent had decided to not send containers to Africa anymore!! This left us scrambling to find another shipping agent, and realizing that the container would not arrive in conjunction with my arrival at the end-of-February. This also meant that I needed to buy a few more outfit items to take with me when I flew out - as practically everything was in the container; clothes, toiletry items, suntan lotion, mosquito repellant, etc...

February: The container finally left Calgary - destination: Montréal. Our shipping agent then began looking for the next cancellation on a boat that our container could fit on.

March: Mid-March, we received the news that our container had left the port on a boat. Destination - Europe, Africa!!

May: As we packed the container in December, we had joked about putting in a GPS tracking unit so we could track our container around the world. About the beginning of May I began wishing that we had actually done this instead of just joking!

The second week of May we received confirmation from the shipping company that the sea container had left Isla de la Palmas - just off the coast of Morocco and was expected in Cotonou, Benin in a week! As the container got closer, my anticipation and excitement grew. The container was finally in the home stretch! But I knew that I had to anticipate a possible delay of months before we could open the container.

June: The container arrived and cleared customs in record time! The truck backed up to the gate of the McIvers house and the unloading began. (And yes, I brought over a coffee with me; coincidentally - Tim Hortons!! I had bought a stash from Sandra, another collegue who has already headed home for a year of home assignment and then retirement.)

Chantelle and I directing the traffic:

Afterwards, the real work began as they attempted to lift the container into the yard. Yikes! So many safety infractions!!

After the dust settled down (figuratively and literally!), I gathered up my collection of belongings and headed home to unpack!

It felt almost like Christmas to be unpacking the container. I constrained myself through the last few weeks from looking through my packing manifest! Though I could remember in general what was packed, there were some specifics that were lost through time. I sliced open every box just to have a peek inside at what was inside! And joy of joys - all my dishes made it in one piece!

As I began to unpack the boxes and sorted through my belongings, I am began to sing an old hymn:

No turning back, no turning back. The cross before me, the world behind. No turning back.

Though there was no doubt in my mind of turning back and going home, receiving my household items brought home the finality of my call and my delight in coming to Africa to stay.