Christmas on Board!

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season, and that Christmas is not too stressfull for you back at home. It is funny here as a lot of the European and North American crew think it is totally strange experience to be having Christmas in a warm climate! I have great pleasure reminding them that this is normal for us in Australasia, and that swimming, sunbathing and being hot is part of Christmas ( although I hear summer has been a bit slow coming)!


The fun thing about living in an international community is that we can learn about each others Christmas traditions. December 5 was Sinterklaas - the dutch celebration where Sinterklaas (not the same as Santa Claus) comes from Spain to deliver presents. Sure enough Sinterklaas did appear on the Anastasis to bring gifts for the dutch children, and a great time was had by all. You will be amused to hear that Sinterklaas was actually Jan Pieter - although I think you will not recognise him in the photo!



The Scandanavians on board treated us to a choral performance on the 12th of December - celebrating Santa Lucia - a day when they remember the promise of light returning. The sun is rising and setting in Stockholm this week at 0830 and 1430 respectively - so you can understand why they need to reassure themselves that winter will come to an end at some stage!




On board the Anastasis, we have tried to make the ship as Christmasy as possible. There are heaps of opportunities for crew to minister to those people we are here to serve, including taking Christmas programs at the local orphanages, prisons, hospitals and the like. In fact today is baking day, a lot of crew members are making christmas goodies to distribute to the same people.

The ward is slowing down a little bit for Christmas - we have just finished a run of thyroid surgeries. Thyroids become enlarged to compensate for a lack of iodine in the diet, the result is greatly disfiguring - this is where our surgeons come in handy. Obviously we need to also educate the patients about affordable ways to prevent goitres occurring, including using iodised salt, and eating plenty of food that comes from the sea. It is pretty dramatic surgery, and operating so close to the airway can be a bit dicey, so we are pleased when our patients are ready to go home and all complications have been avoided!

I hope you are well, thanks everyone for your support this year, it has been challenging but incredibly amazing - so thanks for helping make it possible. Merry Christmas from those of us on board the Anastasis, may you have a great time celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, and may your Christmas be a time to reflect on the simplicity of his birth, and the magnitude of his purpose.

Blessings, Soph:)