Arrival day

Well, we finally arrived in Sierra Leone! We got here on Sunday morning...I woke up very early and headed outside to watch the sun rising as we approached land...the anticipation was high and we all gathered on Deck 7 dressed up in our African clothes. When we reached the port, I was able to spot several friends on the dock who were on the advance team...unfortunately, we had to wait a few hours before they were able to board (due to customs and other issues), but when they finally did come on the ship, we had a nice little reunion!

After we arrived, there was a nice little ceremony with some of the local government officials on the dock, while the rest of the crew watched from Deck 7 and then surprised the crowd when we sang the Sierra Leone national anthem with the country flag flying (we had been practicing during the sail).

We were all a little bit disappointed that we weren't able to get off the ship to walk around in town the first day we arrived (because of customs issues), but thankfully they released us today!

So far, I've only been out into town once, but from the little bit that I've seen, I really like it! I went out today to walk around and explore a bit with some friends and the minute we got outside of the gate, we were surrounded by lots of little children wanting to hold our hands and learn our names. The kids are so adorable and most of the people we've met in town have been very friendly.

The one bad thing I've heard so far about Freetown is that there is A LOT of traffic (which is very obvious the moment you get to the road!)...I really don't like being stuck in traffic, so that's a bit of a bummer, but I have a feeling that we'll just be walking a lot more this year!

As we had church last night, I was reflecting on some of the things that we have been talking and praying about in preparation for this outreach. One of the songs we have continually come back to in our community that has really resonated with my heart is called "God of this city." This has become a prayer for me as I consider the outreach ahead of us:

You're the God of this City

You're the King of these people

You're the Lord of this nation

You are

You're the Light in this darkness

You're the Hope to the hopeless

You're the Peace to the restless

You are

There is no one like our God

There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come

And greater things are still to be done in this City

Greater thing have yet to come

And greater things are still to be done in this City

Sailing Highlights

Well, the sail has almost come to a close, so I thought I'd share a few highlights before we get to Sierra Leone and things get crazy. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking this time:

Watching seals and other sea life

Volunteering at our Starbucks Cafe

Sock Golf

Silly team outfits for sock golf

(I would just like to say that my Irish friend picked

out my outfit and none of this actually belongs to me!)

Playing the victim in one of our many fire drills

Crossing the equator

 

Worship on the bow

Beautiful sunsets

Playing sardines with the youth group

(you can't see me in this photo...I'm in hiding under the table)

Sailing "can" olympics

It has been a great sail, but we are all excited to be back in West Africa and see all that God has in store for us in Sierra Leone!

Whirlwind in Cape Town

Well, we made it safely to Cape Town on Sunday afternoon and were given about 24 hours to see the sights and enjoy the city while fuel and water were loaded onto the ship for the sail ahead of us. So, it was a little crazy having such a short amout of time, but since I had already been to Cape Town and seen most of the tourist attractions, it was nice to be able to just take my time a little more and enjoy it.


We were blessed to have an amazing spot to come into port at the V & A Waterfront and it was absolutely beautiful!
                                               

           The V & A Waterfront            

          

  The Africa Mercy in Port

    Hiking Table Mountain

Aside from hiking Table Mountain, we mainly just did some final shopping, went to dinner for a friend's birthday, and walked around the Waterfront (it is even more beautiful at night)...and of course, when we got back to the ship, we had to have one last "at sea" fire drill before we could sail away!



We got to watch a beautiful sunset

as we pulled out of the port

Sailing out of Cape Town at sunset

It was a very busy, but fun 24 hours and I was thankful for one last visit to Cape Town!

From sea to shining sea

Well, after lots of engine testing, fire drills, and last minute preparations, we have finally begun our journey from Durban to Cape Town. We made it out of Durban without any problems and are now sailing in the Indian Ocean. At some point tomorrow, we will be passing the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and sailing the rest of the journey through the Atlantic.

   

  My roommate and I as we were leaving the port

 

So far, the sail has been very enjoyable! The first night out on the ocean, my roommate and I went out to the bow to eat dinner. It is always a scenic spot, especially in the evenings when the sun is setting. But, we were pleasantly surprised to have a great show from a bunch of dolphins! At first, there were three or four swimming in a pod, jumping gracefully through the water...then a few more joined in, then a few more. They just kept appearing! Several of the dolphins went right under the front of the bow, where they could ride along the waves with the ship! We all watched in amazement and awe of God's beautiful creation for about half an hour, as they just kept coming! Over the course of that time, we probably saw at least forty dolphins! It was absolutely amazing!

Here's a close-up of one of the dolphins

(Thanks Melissa for the photo)



Thankfully, I haven't gotten seasick so far, although a few others have not been so fortunate...the seas have been pretty calm for the most part and the ship has actually been going significantly faster than it has in the past now that we can run all four engines. Last night, I got to visit some friends who were working at the bridge and even got to steer the sihp for a little while! I always enjoy going up to the bridge and seeing all the fancy technology, along with the maps and charts. I definitely have a lot of respect for all the deckies and officers that work so hard while we're sailing!

We are all excited to have a short stop in Cape Town on Sunday. We will be refueling and finishing a couple of things with the ship before we set out for the longer part of our journey to Sierra Leone. Thankfully, they will be allowing the crew to go ashore and enjoy Cape Town for a day and a half, so we're all excited about having some time on land (especially in such a beautiful place like Cape Town) before we're off once again.

Settling in

It's hard to believe that it's only been a little over a week since I got back to the ship. It didn't take long to adjust to life on the ship this time around...I sort of just fell back into the swing of things..we had a great reunion my second day back on the ship, when lots of crew and their families returned from Appelsbosch (the temporary off-ship housing in Durban). From that point on, life got busy with all sorts of things, including my new job in housekeeping  (just for the sail), birthdays, babysitting, visiting a local church, and even a day at the beach (all pretty much within the first week!)


But, even after four months of being at home and adjusting to Western nursing and life in America, the ship still feels like a second home. , it always helps to come back to my "Mercy Ships family" here. I have loved holding babies, playing games, and singing with the kids. Leaving my sweet little nieces and nephews in Arizona is always one of the hardest parts of missions for me, so I'm thankful that God has blessed me with some "adopted nieces and nephews" here to have fun with.

One of my favorite changes on the ship is that the swimming pool on Deck 8 is finally finished! We were hoping they would be able to open it in Togo, but there were some adjustments that had to be made first. Everyone seems to be loving the pool and it has been a refreshing way to end the day...not to mention, it's just a few flights of stairs above my cabin, so it's very convenient! The kids definitely make the pool a very lively place as well, reminding me of summertime with my nieces and nephews back home. I suppose it is a bit strange to be swimming in the pool and worrying about sunburns in early February, but then again, we are in Africa!

We're still not sure exactly when we'll be sailing, but we're praying that all the testing will go well so that we can sail  out of Durban this Thursday. I am more than ready to be out on the open seas and headed to Sierra Leone!