Misson Accomplished

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This ten minute video is about as close as you will get to walking in our shoes for our ten month field service in Pointe Noire, The Republic of the Congo. View the stats, feel the emotion, witness the healing and see hope restored. Welcome to our lives....

You Call me Out Upon the Waters.....

Do I like to sail? Can I say I love it but I hate it? I love the sun dipping low on the horizon, painted in a hundred different shades of beautiful. I love the romance of the dazzling aquamarine water glittering like a thousand diamonds while the bow cuts through the waves like silk. I love it when the sky darkens with stormy, ominous clouds and the waves then crash over the bow splashing unsuspecting crew with salty spray. I love the dolphins leaping and twisting in a fabulous show just for us. I love the spout of a whale shooting high in the air, the arch of it's back cresting above the waves. I love it when the Ghurkhas cook their traditional Nepalese food for us and the way the crew bonds together like we are the only people left on earth. I love all the activities that will forever be synonymous with a Mercy Ships sail.....sock golf, worship on the bow, Sail Olympics, Crossing the Line......

 

I hate the way the ship rocks and roll, preventing me a from a decent night's sleep, making it impossible to walk in a straight line. I hate it when my stomach lurches as we pitch and shudder violently. I hate the feeling of constant nausea that plagues me and I hate being medicated and sleepy to avoid it. I hate the trapped feeling I sometimes get and the need to stand on solid, unmoving ground, like I want to be anywhere but on the ship. I hate having to pack up my cabin and securing it for the imminent rocking and rolling, emptying my open shelves, sticking things down with blue tac, tying bungy cords around my cupboard doors, my TV and fridge. I hate not having T.V. I hate all the drills. I hate lying awake at night listening to that "thing" that goes bang, bang starboard to port each time we roll and never being able to work out what it is.

 

Love it of hate it or a little bit of both, this is the life we have chosen. You called me out upon the waters....

The bow.....

Captain Tim and Gabe, the Ship's Security Officer scan the horizon from the Bridge walk.

Stunning special effects from deck 8 of an evening, by one of our ship's talented photographers.


 

Spectacular sunset, even behind the curtain of clouds.

This latest sail we celebrated becoming Double Royal Diamond Shellbacks having crossed the Equator and Prime Meridian at the same point for the second time. We first crossed the Equator on our sail from Durban, South Africa to Freetown, Sierra Leone in January, 2011 taking us from the lowly status of Pollywogs to Shellbacks. Above, the crew celebrated with crossing the line games on the bow. Here the Shellback kids face off in a game of Tug O' War against the Pollywog kids.

Go Shellbacks!

The crew wave triumphantly from the bow as we do doughnuts of the buoy that really, truly does mark the point where the Equator and Prime Meridian cross in the Atlantic Ocean!

Just another really cool photo!

"The Buoy".

Proof from the Bridge of a very special location. 0 degrees longitude/0 degrees latitude.

Just a nice shot that Andrew took from Deck 8.

Another nice pic that shows our gentle roll!

Can't do a sailing blog without a photo of the wake.

Andy's babies safe and secure on Deck 8, enjoying the sunset.

I read a saying on Facebook recently which I shared during the sail, "You always feel closer to God when you are near the ocean". Never is that more true when we are worshiping on the bow as the sun sets and the sea life dances.

Its gets pretty windy on the bow. Me with awesome hair!

Cool shot of the bow using a GoPro camera.

We had some pretty wild pitching this sail. That is when the bow lifts up and then slams back down into the water. It gives the feeling of being in a lift and causes everything to shake and shudder. The act of pitching is responsible for some pretty impressive waves over the bow.

Cannot beat dolphins in the wild.

They love to lead the ship, jumping and leaping into the air right at the point of the bow.

 

We added a new tradition this sail; The Captain's dinner. Just like a real cruise ship a special table was set aside in the dining room and attend by the Captain and his wife and several of the long term departing crew. The rest of us sat at "candle lit" tables in our finest dress. Afterwards we had mocktails in the café complete with fruit sides and little umbrellas. The Captain graciously posed for photos in his full regalia.

One last drill before we saw land ahoy! Jess was a little less than impressed by the wind.

Ever since I first heard it's haunting melody and it's fitting lyrics I knew this song was our journey. It has become somewhat of an anthem of late for the crew. I often play it in the cabin and it stills end chills down my spine.

I read online........" the overtone of this song is about the scene of Peter being called by Jesus to walk on the water, and he did, but then he temporarily lost faith and started to sink. He called on Jesus to rescue him, and Jesus did. In the bigger picture, sometimes our faith in God wanes a little bit, and then we struggle. We can't do it on our own. But when we put our full trust in Him, He responds. Always."
 Bob Marshall GodTube

It's like the song writer knew.

Oceans

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown, where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep, my faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours, and You are mine


Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed, and You won't start now


So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours, and You are mine


Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour


I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours, and You are mine
I am Yours, and You are mine
I am Yours, and You are mine
I am Yours, and You are mine

Hillsong United

(Photo credits: Josh Callow, Hannah Palmer, Shelly Davies, me, Andy and Jess and possibly a few other talented crew!)



To Congo with Love

It is hard to put my finger on the atmosphere around the ship as it nears time for us to sail. Tangible anticipation, sorrow, joy and crazy busyness......After ten months in the Congo loving and learning about the country, it's culture and it's people we pack up and leave, praying that we have left a legacy of excellence and of Christ's love and compassion. Praying that those we have not been able to help can lay testament  to a white ship filled with people who care, in the name of Jesus. Praying for our day crew that one day we may meet again on this earth, thanking God for all the ways they have blessed our ship community and the patients and that they will be able to find employment after we leave their shores. Praying for all the crew who have passed through the halls of the Africa Mercy while we have been docked in Pointe Noire and for those who are leaving us after years on board. Praying for our patients, that their healing is holistic, spiritually, mentally and physically.

 

Underneath our sadness lies excitement. Many head home to see family and friends whom they have not seen for a long time. The rest of us look forward to another of our homes, The Canary Islands. The taste of fresh strawberries on our lips and luscious green grass underfoot, beckons. A two week sail lies between us, the comfort of a developed nation and some well deserved rest for most.

 

It almost seems wrong to experience such a contrast of emotion.

 

Wow-it was really hard for me to pick out some photos of our departure, for which the preparations actually start weeks beforehand. We even have a "pack up team" who fly in especially for the occasion and our very own "Vessel Transition Coordinator" to oversee this mammoth task. It takes the whole crew to prepare for sea, even the young ones participate in the final stowaway search, hours before we sail. 

 

How do we get all the land rovers on to the ship? Easy! A container is lowered onto the dock and the end and side of the container are opened up. Some ramps are assembled so that each vehicle can be driven onto the container. Once in, the driver can get out of the car via the side entrance of the container. The car is then lifted by crane onto deck eight and then driven out into it's sailing position. Each vehicle is secured to the deck by four lashing points.



Andrew driving a car out of the container onto deck 8.

 Everything must go! One of the fork lifts being lowered by crane into the cargo hold on deck 3.

One of the biggest pack up jobs is the hospital. One week is all the crew get to completely pack up a 78 bed, fully functioning hospital ready to sail. Glad wrap becomes a lifesaver!

Believe it or not, Andrew held up our sail. Well not really but that sounded good right? Months before our departure a new HI ace van that Andrew ordered to add to the fleet, arrived into Pointe Noire on a Stena Ro-Ro. Unfortunately the van was held up in customs and only arrived at the 11th hour-the afternoon before we sailed! When it arrived it caused quite a stir. Andrew has to give it a quick wash with a hose lowered from deck seven as all the dock water supply was cut off. Needless to say Andrew was extremely relieved when it arrived!!

Vehicles loaded? Check!

Pool drained? Check! Why waste such a secure space?

This is what a few hundred crew's last garbage run looks like-gross! Whilst at sea we have to keep all our personal garbage in our cabin. Due to Maritime law, the only thing that can go overboard is food scraps.

Getting out of Pointe Noire proved to be quite the challenge as huge swells played havoc with our mooring lines in the days before we were due to depart. We even had to employ a tug to push us back toward the dock to tie our lines more securely. A lonely line lays next to the garbage.

The large swells captured from deck eight.

Leaving a country means lots and lots of drills!!! Our last "at sea' drill before our departure.

The day of departure dawned overcast and misty, the deckies roused from their sleep ready to report to duty at 4:30am, while most of us still slept in our beds. In the still of the morn before the rising of the sun, the huge yokohma bumpers were lifted from alongside and cleaned of ten months of  build up.

Our eerily quiet and empty berth space in the hours before dawn, like a ghost town. Where once hundreds of feet had pattered and patients and crew had chattered, now lay still and silent.

A tug cuts through the ocean in deceptively calm waters.

The gangway is readied for raising.

Up she goes!

The deckies hard at work doing whatever they do with all those confusing lines. They are champions!

The last of our lines being released by Congolese port workers on the dock.

Just to prove that you don't have to be big and mighty to be powerful and strong, a little tug hauls us out to sea.

The pilot boat.

Our Chief Engineer, Ananda, making sure everything is tickety boom in the engine room.....while a few decks up Captain Tim does the same in the bridge.

Our departure is a lonely one as it would not be prudent to advertise our departure to the general public due to the high risk of stowaways.So we slip out, largely unnoticed apart from the port workers and surrounding ships, who always send us off in a typically enthusiastic African manner.

 Our vacant berth.

Before we went past the breakwater the starboard lifeboat was lowered as we had been unable to test it for ten months due to it's proximity to the dock.

Andrew and I.



Congo we pray you have been blessed and encouraged through our presence. We celebrate alongside you the lives that have been radically changed. The above photo is a collage of  smaller photos taken during our time in the Congo to make up one large photo of the Africa Mercy in the Port of Pointe Noire. 

Some of these statistics represent individuals whose lives will never be the same again after lifesaving surgery. Some of these statistics represent a medical treatment that has prevented the need for lifesaving intervention later on. Some of these statistics represent individuals who will be able to impact and save lives themselves, through the training efforts of the organisation. Every one of these statistics represent an individual person whom God loves and knows every hair on their head. That's a whole lotta lives changed!

(Photo credits to me, Josh Callow, Ryan Cardoza, Leah Ferguson and Jess Rothwell)