Saturday, January 5, 2019
January 2019
I always wonder what to blog about. Does anyone even read these? It often seems like vanity to think anyone is even interested in what I may have to say. This time of year everyone else is blogging about what they did in 2018. Reflecting. I guess it is only natural. As I think back I am truly amazed at the faithfulness of God. I can see his hand at work in my life and in the lives around me.
I am thankful for the amazing friendships he has brought into my life. And for the existing friendships he has help me maintain despite thousands of miles of distance between us. I am in awe and how he has faithfully provided for my safety, my health, and my finances. I have also seen his faithfully provide for others too. For jobs at just the right time, friendships to fill lonely moments, finances when all seemed lost, new homes and new babies. For church families to stand with those in difficult times and let them know they are not alone. Love poured out on those around them, so they might know there is one in heaven that loves them more.
It is still a mystery to me that out of everyone in the world he has chosen me to be a part of what occurs here on this ship. His faithfulness is on display daily as we see one life after another transformed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is a work that we can assist in as he allows, but ultimately work only He can accomplish. Only he can heal bodies, hearts and broken spirits.
Over the year he has allowed me to learn new skills in my jobs , while being exposed to things I have never seen. He has stretched my physical endurance, and taught me to trust him more each day. I have had the blessing of diving deeper into God's word and learning more about his character and His plans for me and those around me. I have laughed, cried, celebrated and mourned. It has been an amazing year. I have felt love from distant lands and distant friends, many of whom I have not seen in years, and yet they have come along side me in spirit and love and helped me through this year.
The year ahead is unknown. Yet I know I can trust in the One who holds it all. Nothing will be a surprise to Him.
I am thankful for the amazing friendships he has brought into my life. And for the existing friendships he has help me maintain despite thousands of miles of distance between us. I am in awe and how he has faithfully provided for my safety, my health, and my finances. I have also seen his faithfully provide for others too. For jobs at just the right time, friendships to fill lonely moments, finances when all seemed lost, new homes and new babies. For church families to stand with those in difficult times and let them know they are not alone. Love poured out on those around them, so they might know there is one in heaven that loves them more.
It is still a mystery to me that out of everyone in the world he has chosen me to be a part of what occurs here on this ship. His faithfulness is on display daily as we see one life after another transformed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is a work that we can assist in as he allows, but ultimately work only He can accomplish. Only he can heal bodies, hearts and broken spirits.
Over the year he has allowed me to learn new skills in my jobs , while being exposed to things I have never seen. He has stretched my physical endurance, and taught me to trust him more each day. I have had the blessing of diving deeper into God's word and learning more about his character and His plans for me and those around me. I have laughed, cried, celebrated and mourned. It has been an amazing year. I have felt love from distant lands and distant friends, many of whom I have not seen in years, and yet they have come along side me in spirit and love and helped me through this year.
The year ahead is unknown. Yet I know I can trust in the One who holds it all. Nothing will be a surprise to Him.
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Back to work
I have completed my first full week back to work on board the Africa Mercy. It has been a busy but very good week. I really love being a nurse here. It is so different than nursing in America. Here I have the opportunity to openly pray with most of my patients. I am able to see my patient as a whole person. I have been taught and fully believe that each one of us is made in the image of God. We are more than just a physical body. As a result illness can effect us in not only the physical , but also in our emotions, our soul and our spirit. I believe healing can occur in all of these areas and illness therefore needs to be addressed in all of these areas. I am so thankful that I am in a place where we not only have to freedom to do that, but are actively encouraged to do so.
I interact with not only the crew that live on the ship, but with our day crew as well. Day crew are crew members that live in the country that is hosting us. They are hired to work on the ship for the 10 months we are here. What we do as a ship would be impossible without them. One of the benefits they receive as day workers is access to the crew clinic. They are able to come to us and seek medical care and advice. Many of them have had little access to medical care in the past. It is often not affordable or unavailable. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to serve them.
One of the other great things about working here is being with others who are passionate about the same things I am. Everyday we take time out of our schedule to spend time in devotion. We do this as a team. Taking turns to bring something to share with the team. We then spend time in prayer together. We pray for our patients, our ship mates, the country, the government, our families, our friends and anything else the Lord puts on our heart. It is rapidly becoming my favorite part of the day.
Speaking of prayer, would you pray for the screening team? Today a team left to go upcountry and find additional patients that may not have been able to make the journey to the capital city of Conakry. Their journey will be long, and they will be far from the support and safety of the ship. Please keep them in prayer these next 2 weeks.
Pray for them to find those that God wants to shower with hope and healing.
Pray for their emotional health as they encounter suffering and sorrow and will be forced to say no to many we can not help.
Pray for joy in the yes' for those we can
Pray for safety in travel, in large waiting crowds, and politically unstable areas.
Pray for no road blocks or other obstacles along the way.
Pray for unity and clarity on hearing from God.
And please continue to pray for the missionaries living in this country who invest all of themselves to share love and light with those who are lost in darkness.
I don't have any pics of my team just yet, but I will try to post some soon.
Know I am missing you all and think of you often. You too are in my prayers.
For King and Kingdom
below are a few pics from Guinea since arriving.
The fist one is 5 o'clock traffic on a 2 lane road.
Local church during my two weeks up country
a small grocery store
Playing banana grams (speed scrabble) with some students at the youth center. Helps them practice their English.
Melons for sale at a road side market
A good view of the chaos of and intersection where 2 roads meet
a lumber yard of sorts...believe the poles are used for scaffolding. ( next to and inlet from the ocean)
Another road side stand selling house hold goods.
I interact with not only the crew that live on the ship, but with our day crew as well. Day crew are crew members that live in the country that is hosting us. They are hired to work on the ship for the 10 months we are here. What we do as a ship would be impossible without them. One of the benefits they receive as day workers is access to the crew clinic. They are able to come to us and seek medical care and advice. Many of them have had little access to medical care in the past. It is often not affordable or unavailable. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to serve them.
One of the other great things about working here is being with others who are passionate about the same things I am. Everyday we take time out of our schedule to spend time in devotion. We do this as a team. Taking turns to bring something to share with the team. We then spend time in prayer together. We pray for our patients, our ship mates, the country, the government, our families, our friends and anything else the Lord puts on our heart. It is rapidly becoming my favorite part of the day.
Speaking of prayer, would you pray for the screening team? Today a team left to go upcountry and find additional patients that may not have been able to make the journey to the capital city of Conakry. Their journey will be long, and they will be far from the support and safety of the ship. Please keep them in prayer these next 2 weeks.
Pray for them to find those that God wants to shower with hope and healing.
Pray for their emotional health as they encounter suffering and sorrow and will be forced to say no to many we can not help.
Pray for joy in the yes' for those we can
Pray for safety in travel, in large waiting crowds, and politically unstable areas.
Pray for no road blocks or other obstacles along the way.
Pray for unity and clarity on hearing from God.
And please continue to pray for the missionaries living in this country who invest all of themselves to share love and light with those who are lost in darkness.
I don't have any pics of my team just yet, but I will try to post some soon.
Know I am missing you all and think of you often. You too are in my prayers.
For King and Kingdom
below are a few pics from Guinea since arriving.
The fist one is 5 o'clock traffic on a 2 lane road.
Local church during my two weeks up country
a small grocery store
Playing banana grams (speed scrabble) with some students at the youth center. Helps them practice their English.
Melons for sale at a road side market
a lumber yard of sorts...believe the poles are used for scaffolding. ( next to and inlet from the ocean)
Monday, November 5, 2018
Guinea week 1
So we arrived safely in Guinea a week ago today. Time has flown by and there is so much to say.
My month of onboarding training in Texas went well. I was there with 10 other people who will be serving on ship long term with me, as well as about 20 more who will be serving in Texas. Together we went through 4 weeks of training to help us prepare for the days to come.
The time was a gift with much of it spent sitting at the feet of Jesus. Time was spent studying the character of God, and how we can listen for his voice. Time in prayer for ourselves, the ship, and interceding for others. Talks on how to resolve conflict in a biblical manner. More time taking personality tests and learning to understand how that effects how we relate to the world and others around us and how they might relate to us. A great deal of time was spent on learning about other cultures and how to go and serve in them, learn from them, and be sensitive to them without compromising that which we know to be true.
Our flights here were smooth and uneventful. All our bags arrived and we had no delays and no lost baggage. Thank you so much for your prayers. God was so faithful. We all said it was the most pleasant transition through customs any of us had ever experienced.
The guest house I am staying at currently is quite nice. We are located on a mission compound and the team has two houses side by side. The single men are next door. In my house there are three single ladies and one couple. (Our family with small children went straight to the ship on arrival in country- we are missing them) We have a modest house with a kitchen and living room, three bedrooms and a dining area. We eat all of our meals together and end each night with devotion time and reflecting on what our day held.
This week we have split into two groups with the men working on construction projects, and cleaning out a workshop on property. They are also building a kitchen for one of the single missionary ladies who is moving into new housing. They have been quite busy and working in rather warm conditions. I am sure they would appreciate your prayers.
The ladies have been going to a local youth center to help with English lessons and cleaning and organizing areas for them. One of our projects was to clean out a large storage room, organize the items in it and sort through what might no longer be needed. It was a large job but I think we have it about licked now. We work on that for several hours in the morning, then we join the students in the cafe after class. There we play games like scrabble and other word games, chat in English so they can practice, and a few of us even try out a little french.
We are working on building relationships both with the students that come to the youth center and the staff that volunteer here in Guinea. The students are lovely and very hard working. They come from a variety of circumstances but all share a common goal to improve their life and the lives of those they love.I have really been enjoying the time we spend practicing conversation.
One of the highlights this week was when we split into groups of men and women on one of the days. The men talked about what it means to be a man and when do you know you have achieved it. How is that different from the culture here and the different cultures represented in our groups. The men reported it being a good conversation and all of them said it was the high point of their week.
The ladies talked about women's health issues. We spent a fair amount of time in prayer prior the event and could not have been more pleased. Our discussion began with basic information about women's bodies and the changes they go through as they become adults. Although most of the women present are well past beyond the teenage years when this occurs many of them had never been able to have an open and honest dialogue about it. As we talked, many other topics were brought up and discussed. It seemed to open the door wide for a midwife/nurse who has been serving here for some time. The conversation switched from English to French and the women became even further engaged at that point. It was wonderful to witness them get answers to questions many of them may have carried for a long time. One of the best questions I heard was a women who wanted to know how she could be sure to conceive twins.
So this week looks to be more of the same. More time bonding as a team. More evenings spent praying and seeking God's will. More days with construction and conversation. Thank you for your prayers and support. We will be traveling again on Friday, please keep us in prayer for that .
As I close this email night has fallen, the crickets are singing and in the distant the Muslim call to prayer echos through the night. The Iman's voice is deep and loud and haunting. It is a sound that is repeated five times a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It is very much a part of life here. For me it is also a call to prayer. I hope it will be for you as well.
For King and Kingdom
My month of onboarding training in Texas went well. I was there with 10 other people who will be serving on ship long term with me, as well as about 20 more who will be serving in Texas. Together we went through 4 weeks of training to help us prepare for the days to come.
The time was a gift with much of it spent sitting at the feet of Jesus. Time was spent studying the character of God, and how we can listen for his voice. Time in prayer for ourselves, the ship, and interceding for others. Talks on how to resolve conflict in a biblical manner. More time taking personality tests and learning to understand how that effects how we relate to the world and others around us and how they might relate to us. A great deal of time was spent on learning about other cultures and how to go and serve in them, learn from them, and be sensitive to them without compromising that which we know to be true.
Our flights here were smooth and uneventful. All our bags arrived and we had no delays and no lost baggage. Thank you so much for your prayers. God was so faithful. We all said it was the most pleasant transition through customs any of us had ever experienced.
The guest house I am staying at currently is quite nice. We are located on a mission compound and the team has two houses side by side. The single men are next door. In my house there are three single ladies and one couple. (Our family with small children went straight to the ship on arrival in country- we are missing them) We have a modest house with a kitchen and living room, three bedrooms and a dining area. We eat all of our meals together and end each night with devotion time and reflecting on what our day held.
This week we have split into two groups with the men working on construction projects, and cleaning out a workshop on property. They are also building a kitchen for one of the single missionary ladies who is moving into new housing. They have been quite busy and working in rather warm conditions. I am sure they would appreciate your prayers.
The ladies have been going to a local youth center to help with English lessons and cleaning and organizing areas for them. One of our projects was to clean out a large storage room, organize the items in it and sort through what might no longer be needed. It was a large job but I think we have it about licked now. We work on that for several hours in the morning, then we join the students in the cafe after class. There we play games like scrabble and other word games, chat in English so they can practice, and a few of us even try out a little french.
We are working on building relationships both with the students that come to the youth center and the staff that volunteer here in Guinea. The students are lovely and very hard working. They come from a variety of circumstances but all share a common goal to improve their life and the lives of those they love.I have really been enjoying the time we spend practicing conversation.
One of the highlights this week was when we split into groups of men and women on one of the days. The men talked about what it means to be a man and when do you know you have achieved it. How is that different from the culture here and the different cultures represented in our groups. The men reported it being a good conversation and all of them said it was the high point of their week.
The ladies talked about women's health issues. We spent a fair amount of time in prayer prior the event and could not have been more pleased. Our discussion began with basic information about women's bodies and the changes they go through as they become adults. Although most of the women present are well past beyond the teenage years when this occurs many of them had never been able to have an open and honest dialogue about it. As we talked, many other topics were brought up and discussed. It seemed to open the door wide for a midwife/nurse who has been serving here for some time. The conversation switched from English to French and the women became even further engaged at that point. It was wonderful to witness them get answers to questions many of them may have carried for a long time. One of the best questions I heard was a women who wanted to know how she could be sure to conceive twins.
So this week looks to be more of the same. More time bonding as a team. More evenings spent praying and seeking God's will. More days with construction and conversation. Thank you for your prayers and support. We will be traveling again on Friday, please keep us in prayer for that .
As I close this email night has fallen, the crickets are singing and in the distant the Muslim call to prayer echos through the night. The Iman's voice is deep and loud and haunting. It is a sound that is repeated five times a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It is very much a part of life here. For me it is also a call to prayer. I hope it will be for you as well.
For King and Kingdom
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Basic Training
Hello from the great state of Texas!! My time at home flew by as expected and I have been in Texas for almost 2 weeks now.
My time at home was spent hopping from place to place catching up with friends, spending time with family and even squeezed in a few speaking engagements. I was happy to see as many people as I did but it just never seems like enough time to say everything that needs to be said, or just spend time together saying nothing at all.
My first week here in Texas was spent on the Mercy Ships campus participating in what they call Basic Safety training. It is a series of classes that takes an entire week. The two major highlights are the fire training and the water training.
For the fire training we spent a few days in class learning about fire and how it spreads, and how to put it out. Mostly how to prevent it in the first place. We also were taught how to put on turn out gear properly also know as bunker gear. In addition we were educated in the use of SCBA equipment which must be worn so you can breathe in a smoke filled environment. That was not too hard for me since I am already familiar with breathing through SCUBA equipment when I dive. To pass from this class to the next required one last step. We spent the good half of a day here putting out controlled fires with the skills we had learned. We were required to know what equipment we needed to use and demonstrate our ability to use it. The last and biggest was a pile of pallets on fire in a shipping container. We went in the container in full gear and put out the fire. It was intense to say the least.
Our next challenge was water safety. We learned about emergencies at sea and how to respond to them including man overboard drills and what to do in the event we would ever have to abandon ship. It was a very interesting class and I learned a lot. The height of that class came at the local college pool. Here we were required to demonstrate our ability to put on our survival suits in the allotted time, swim in them and climb aboard a life raft in the pool. This is not an easy task when you are floating better than a blow up pool toy. It was quite the challenge. After passing through that test we moved on to jumping from the diving board in life vests and swimming across the pool. The final test was demonstrating our newly learned skill of flipping over a 12 man life raft alone. I was very worried about this test as I had really struggled to get in the raft in my survival suit. However it turned out to be much easier than expected and I flipped that big old raft over with no problem.
I am happy to be learning these new skills before returning to the ship full time. I do hope with all my heart to never need them. I will try to post some pics from these events in the next few days. In the mean time, Mom you can sleep a little better knowing I am fully approved by the US Coast guard to respond to and emergency at sea.
Thanks y'all for your prayers
My time at home was spent hopping from place to place catching up with friends, spending time with family and even squeezed in a few speaking engagements. I was happy to see as many people as I did but it just never seems like enough time to say everything that needs to be said, or just spend time together saying nothing at all.
My first week here in Texas was spent on the Mercy Ships campus participating in what they call Basic Safety training. It is a series of classes that takes an entire week. The two major highlights are the fire training and the water training.
For the fire training we spent a few days in class learning about fire and how it spreads, and how to put it out. Mostly how to prevent it in the first place. We also were taught how to put on turn out gear properly also know as bunker gear. In addition we were educated in the use of SCBA equipment which must be worn so you can breathe in a smoke filled environment. That was not too hard for me since I am already familiar with breathing through SCUBA equipment when I dive. To pass from this class to the next required one last step. We spent the good half of a day here putting out controlled fires with the skills we had learned. We were required to know what equipment we needed to use and demonstrate our ability to use it. The last and biggest was a pile of pallets on fire in a shipping container. We went in the container in full gear and put out the fire. It was intense to say the least.
Our next challenge was water safety. We learned about emergencies at sea and how to respond to them including man overboard drills and what to do in the event we would ever have to abandon ship. It was a very interesting class and I learned a lot. The height of that class came at the local college pool. Here we were required to demonstrate our ability to put on our survival suits in the allotted time, swim in them and climb aboard a life raft in the pool. This is not an easy task when you are floating better than a blow up pool toy. It was quite the challenge. After passing through that test we moved on to jumping from the diving board in life vests and swimming across the pool. The final test was demonstrating our newly learned skill of flipping over a 12 man life raft alone. I was very worried about this test as I had really struggled to get in the raft in my survival suit. However it turned out to be much easier than expected and I flipped that big old raft over with no problem.
I am happy to be learning these new skills before returning to the ship full time. I do hope with all my heart to never need them. I will try to post some pics from these events in the next few days. In the mean time, Mom you can sleep a little better knowing I am fully approved by the US Coast guard to respond to and emergency at sea.
Thanks y'all for your prayers
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Montana
August is coming to a rapid end. My time with friends and family in the states is more than half over. It seems to be passing so quickly. It is such a blessing to have this time. Quiet mornings with the word in a sunny living room. Hospitality and generosity that leaves me humbled. In awe of how God is using those around me to provide for my every need, and even things I don't really need, like ice cream and meals out.
It should not surprise me. First God has shown me time and time again how I can trust him to provide. How I don't have to solve everything on my own. He has a plan. That he is trustworthy and faithful. Second I know that he has called me to this life at this time. And I believe that he will equip me for that which he call me to.
This week I was able to spend most of the week with good friends in Montana.
Montana is so beautiful, vast open spaces, amazing animals, and mountains that take your breath away. This morning as I reflect on my short time in Montana Psalms 18:19 comes to mind. "He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me."He delights in me. That is often hard to wrap my mind around. But this week he gave me visual teaching of what that looks like. A Father delighting in his children. I was blessed to spend time with my friends David and Janna and their two children Trin and Corbin. Watching these friends with their children was such a blessing.
Multiple times God used their interactions to show me how he loves me. Even when I whine, even when I start down the path of disobedience, He speaks gently and lovingly. He guides me and corrects me and directs me back to where I need to go. He does not do so in anger but gently and lovingly.
When I am amazed and entranced by His creation, it brings Him joy. I was allowed to see the delight on the face of parents as their children discovered the joy of creation around them. Moths and grasshoppers that brought on smiles and laughter. The adventure of searching in creeks, and the wonder of how God placed so many seeds inside of cattails.
The beauty of a Father reading to his children. One snuggled safely on each side. How as his daughter he wants me to curl up next to him and soak in all he wants to teach me. To feel safe, secure and loved.
How a mother loving prepared and provided meals one moment and fun the next, and all the children had to do was trust and enjoy, and be obedient.
Lovely pictures and memorable lessons.
As I finish off my time here in the states, I hope there are more lessons to come and I am as receptive as a child.....
It should not surprise me. First God has shown me time and time again how I can trust him to provide. How I don't have to solve everything on my own. He has a plan. That he is trustworthy and faithful. Second I know that he has called me to this life at this time. And I believe that he will equip me for that which he call me to.
This week I was able to spend most of the week with good friends in Montana.
Montana is so beautiful, vast open spaces, amazing animals, and mountains that take your breath away. This morning as I reflect on my short time in Montana Psalms 18:19 comes to mind. "He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me."He delights in me. That is often hard to wrap my mind around. But this week he gave me visual teaching of what that looks like. A Father delighting in his children. I was blessed to spend time with my friends David and Janna and their two children Trin and Corbin. Watching these friends with their children was such a blessing.
Multiple times God used their interactions to show me how he loves me. Even when I whine, even when I start down the path of disobedience, He speaks gently and lovingly. He guides me and corrects me and directs me back to where I need to go. He does not do so in anger but gently and lovingly.
When I am amazed and entranced by His creation, it brings Him joy. I was allowed to see the delight on the face of parents as their children discovered the joy of creation around them. Moths and grasshoppers that brought on smiles and laughter. The adventure of searching in creeks, and the wonder of how God placed so many seeds inside of cattails.
The beauty of a Father reading to his children. One snuggled safely on each side. How as his daughter he wants me to curl up next to him and soak in all he wants to teach me. To feel safe, secure and loved.
How a mother loving prepared and provided meals one moment and fun the next, and all the children had to do was trust and enjoy, and be obedient.
Lovely pictures and memorable lessons.
As I finish off my time here in the states, I hope there are more lessons to come and I am as receptive as a child.....
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Shipyard
I start by apologizing for not posting for a while. We arrived in the Gran Canaries Spain for our annual maintenance and repairs. The ship is a different place when we are in shipyard. First of all the crew is much smaller. We are around 225 people on board. Most evenings the place looks like a ghost town. Everyone is either in the cabins resting, worn out from busy days of work, or out exploring this beautiful island.
Shipyard is an interesting place. So much happening all the time. Local workers coming and going, supplies being moved on and old parts being moved off. All of ones senses are involved. There is a constant hum of machines at work, grinders, welders, hammers and drills. The clang of metal parts being hammered on ,the ding dong of the PA system announcing the days changes, and the sound of the new prominent language on board, Spanish floating through most conversations.
Then there are the smells. They change as you walk from one end of the ship to the other. All the way forward in the dinning room there are the pleasant smells of fresh brewed coffee, mixed with a variety of spices in the food being served that day or fresh baked cookies at times. As you walk out into reception the odors are swept away by a fresh ocean breeze that carries the faintest aroma of salt. It is coolest place on the ship as the breeze crosses through the two open hatches on either side of the ship. It invites you to linger and soak in the refreshment.
As you descend through the ship the cool air fades away and replaced with the smell of fresh paint and engine oil. Warm air and the smell of hard work lingers in the passage ways. The air is warm because the air conditioning is off. We have been without air conditioning almost 3 weeks now. At times we have been without running water, toilets, showers and only a small amount of back up power. The refrigeration on board has been shut down for repairs and upgrades along with one of the walk in freezers. Each one of these situations creates a need for solutions and team work and patience.
Food has to be moved from its normal location to temporary locations, usually another container on another deck somewhere. This is where I come in. I am working in supply over the shipyard and so I get to be one of the people to help move hundreds of pounds of food from point A to point B. Then a few days or weeks later, back again. I have begun and impressive bruise collection on my body as I learn that frozen food pallets do not bend and give in the same manner as a pallet of say rolled gauze.
Through it all God is teaching me little lessons. In patience, kindness, tolerance and sometimes leadership. Repetitive lessons that my way is not always the right or only way.
I have been impressed by how well people work together here. In spite of all the challenges, and there are many, there is very little fighting or arguing seen. In spite of difficult living arrangements brought on by the challenges of shipyard I see very little angst between the crew. Even when there are times with no fresh water, or toilets that cant flush or Internet that is down. The people here are doing an amazing job of loving each other well.
One of the best things about shipyard this year has been Carolyn. She has been my friend for 20 years. This year she volunteered with Mercy Ships and has been here serving for the last 6 weeks. It has been such fun having her here and getting to serve with her. We have had many adventures and been able to experience many things together. She was able to see a bit of Cameroon before we left, experience the wonder of the sail, the excitement of arriving in Senegal and docking in Spain. We have worked together, worshiped together and oh yes we have played too! It has been such a blessing to be able to share such a huge part of my life with someone I love from home. I pray I will have more opportunities to do so with others from my life back home. I pray Carolyn's time here has been as much of a blessing to here as it has been to me.
Another great thing about shipyard is SPAIN!! We are in Spain and on our days off we are free to explore the island. It is a major tourist destination for Europe and so there are many things to discover. There is good food, great gelato and of course the beach. One day some of us were able to rent a car and drive around the whole island. It was lovely. The island has areas that are very built up and full of European tourists. But is also has small sleepy Spanish towns full of warm, welcoming people. Tiny roads barely wide enough for two compact cars wind through beautiful hills dotted with amazing architecture. Ancient cathedrals are the center of most towns with cozy cafes lying in their shadows. Picturesque fishing villages dot the coast where the dry, desert hills meet the azure sea. It is such a gift to be able to spend time here. I am grateful. Oh how I wish I had taken Spanish in high school when I had the opportunity.
In just a few days I will be leaving the ship for a bit. A few weeks in the States to catch up with family and friends. To get a years worth of hugs and conversations in the span of a few weeks. I am excited to share what I have experienced in the last year and yet know that my words will not be adequate. Then it will be onto Texas for more training before returning to the Ship. I look forward to seeing as many of you as time allows.
Shipyard is an interesting place. So much happening all the time. Local workers coming and going, supplies being moved on and old parts being moved off. All of ones senses are involved. There is a constant hum of machines at work, grinders, welders, hammers and drills. The clang of metal parts being hammered on ,the ding dong of the PA system announcing the days changes, and the sound of the new prominent language on board, Spanish floating through most conversations.
Then there are the smells. They change as you walk from one end of the ship to the other. All the way forward in the dinning room there are the pleasant smells of fresh brewed coffee, mixed with a variety of spices in the food being served that day or fresh baked cookies at times. As you walk out into reception the odors are swept away by a fresh ocean breeze that carries the faintest aroma of salt. It is coolest place on the ship as the breeze crosses through the two open hatches on either side of the ship. It invites you to linger and soak in the refreshment.
As you descend through the ship the cool air fades away and replaced with the smell of fresh paint and engine oil. Warm air and the smell of hard work lingers in the passage ways. The air is warm because the air conditioning is off. We have been without air conditioning almost 3 weeks now. At times we have been without running water, toilets, showers and only a small amount of back up power. The refrigeration on board has been shut down for repairs and upgrades along with one of the walk in freezers. Each one of these situations creates a need for solutions and team work and patience.
Food has to be moved from its normal location to temporary locations, usually another container on another deck somewhere. This is where I come in. I am working in supply over the shipyard and so I get to be one of the people to help move hundreds of pounds of food from point A to point B. Then a few days or weeks later, back again. I have begun and impressive bruise collection on my body as I learn that frozen food pallets do not bend and give in the same manner as a pallet of say rolled gauze.
Through it all God is teaching me little lessons. In patience, kindness, tolerance and sometimes leadership. Repetitive lessons that my way is not always the right or only way.
I have been impressed by how well people work together here. In spite of all the challenges, and there are many, there is very little fighting or arguing seen. In spite of difficult living arrangements brought on by the challenges of shipyard I see very little angst between the crew. Even when there are times with no fresh water, or toilets that cant flush or Internet that is down. The people here are doing an amazing job of loving each other well.
One of the best things about shipyard this year has been Carolyn. She has been my friend for 20 years. This year she volunteered with Mercy Ships and has been here serving for the last 6 weeks. It has been such fun having her here and getting to serve with her. We have had many adventures and been able to experience many things together. She was able to see a bit of Cameroon before we left, experience the wonder of the sail, the excitement of arriving in Senegal and docking in Spain. We have worked together, worshiped together and oh yes we have played too! It has been such a blessing to be able to share such a huge part of my life with someone I love from home. I pray I will have more opportunities to do so with others from my life back home. I pray Carolyn's time here has been as much of a blessing to here as it has been to me.
Another great thing about shipyard is SPAIN!! We are in Spain and on our days off we are free to explore the island. It is a major tourist destination for Europe and so there are many things to discover. There is good food, great gelato and of course the beach. One day some of us were able to rent a car and drive around the whole island. It was lovely. The island has areas that are very built up and full of European tourists. But is also has small sleepy Spanish towns full of warm, welcoming people. Tiny roads barely wide enough for two compact cars wind through beautiful hills dotted with amazing architecture. Ancient cathedrals are the center of most towns with cozy cafes lying in their shadows. Picturesque fishing villages dot the coast where the dry, desert hills meet the azure sea. It is such a gift to be able to spend time here. I am grateful. Oh how I wish I had taken Spanish in high school when I had the opportunity.
In just a few days I will be leaving the ship for a bit. A few weeks in the States to catch up with family and friends. To get a years worth of hugs and conversations in the span of a few weeks. I am excited to share what I have experienced in the last year and yet know that my words will not be adequate. Then it will be onto Texas for more training before returning to the Ship. I look forward to seeing as many of you as time allows.
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