Just in case you're interested, we've added a weather widget to the blog (see bottom of side bar) so you can now see what weather we are enjoying or enduring down here in Monrovia.
Recovery patients take a stroll and a breath of fresh air.
And of course the city we are reaching, MONROVIA.
We have finally arrived in Monrovia, Liberia to join the Africa Mercy. It was quite a journey, leaving at 3am, but the Lord looked after us and all our many bags of luggage (8 in all!!). Fortunately for us there were many Mercy Ships friends on the same flight who were so gracious to help us ferry everything through the maze of "Liberian helpful hands" looking for a quick dollar at the airport.
Meanwhile we have been unpacking all our belongings that we left on board at Newcastle to make a little home for us. In fact it's our first home on our own since we have been married so it is quite exciting for us to come home at the end of a busy day and have our own space. So if you're ever passing this way, please pop in and have a cuppa (well maybe when we get a fridge to put some milk in might be better!).
Kasey was a wonderful and wise homemaker, mother and grandmother and friend. She was a lifelong artist, enjoying sketching, painting and teaching. She maintained an active and affectionate interest in all her extended family. Her wisdom, thoughtfulness, courage and humor were always an encouragement to everyone.
You never know what will happen when you get to use something for the first time. This is probably exactly how the crew were feeling when they started the Liberian outreach with a new ship. What teething problems will there be, will everything work etc. Here are just a few of things that were achieved: 
Following the dry dock the Africa Mercy sailed to Santa Cruz in Tenerife where the crew were able to have a short rest before making preparations for returning to Liberia for another outreach. 
This was certainly true for me over the years. I remember my first year on board, rising early to pray and seeing that some of my leaders had already done so. I was challenged in where my beliefs came from, the Word of God or my culture. I enjoyed learning about and joining forces with people of dozens of cultures and languages in serving a mighty God, and being a part of something significant in the world around me. With the delayed deployment of the new ship, Africa Mercy, the service life of Anastasis was extended more than two years by the amazing efforts of her dedicated technical staff and Captain. During that time, many alternatives were sought and examined, but none developed that were economically or logistically viable.
A crew of 39, mostly with long histories with the ship, made the final voyage of delivery, which has been labeled the “Omega Voyage,” to the new owners. Even though her time of service as a Mercy Ship was now passed, the crew did a great job caring for the ship as always, even down to polishing the brass on the bridge and sanding and varnishing rails. She was well looked after all the way.
As we made the sail, the names and stories of hundreds of memories were shared amongst us. As the miles passed, the faces of friends and shipmates, of patients and dayworkers and thousands of visitors came to our minds. We recalled tales of humor and crisis, and always the faithfulness of God. And as the miles passed, the worship and prayer continued to be a part of our lives. 
But the voyage had memories of its own to generate, and events that kept us praying and serving to the fullest of our God given skills. If you would like to hear some of the tales from this voyage, click here
Africa Mercy Arrival:
As you have probably guessed things didn't go exactly to plan. At 10 days overdue it was decided to start inducing and after 3 days of trying there was still no sign of anything happening, so they opted for a c-section to make sure he came out. Tim was able to be in the operating theatre with Sharon and we were both able to see him as he was lifted out to the words of "he's big boy". (Maybe that's why he couldn't get out!).
Meanwhile we have got into the routine of nappies, feeding and sleep (when we can) and enjoying every minute of him. He has a wonderful smile and is amazingly alert and he can even say hello in his baby gurgle way. He seems to have a lot of "Tretheway" characteristics and it's fun to discover more and more each day, even in the womb we noticed that he did something that Tim does and he continues to do it to this day. What a miracle!
Sharon is now recovering well and in due course we will be heading out to the USA so Nathanael can meet his family and friends out there. We will then look to rejoin the Africa Mercy in Tenerife later in the year when Nathanael is able to get the right jabs and is old enough to take those yucky malaria tablets ready for Sierra Leonne.
Nathanael now has his own blog site: http://www.littletretheway.blogspot.com/ - it will mainly be pictures so friends and family can keep up with him. 
When a midwife says a baby is due on the 19th April, somehow you buy into that and believe that is when it's going to happen. All plans are made around that date so you can pay as much detail to it as possible.
March 28 2007 dawned misty and cool, a day like so many others of the past months, a day full of long stressful hours and effort and activity. Most things were not complete, much equipment not fully installed, contractors still frantically trying to correct glitches in their installations or complete their contracted work. Indeed, the shipyard were still painting the ship right up to departure time while ship’s crew waited for more equipment to be lifted on board. For at least the third time in two years, crew were assembled to sail the ship as promised by the shipyard. Would this day finally be the day?
In spite of all the difficulties and challenges, there was a difference. Things were finally being put in their final positions, gear secured for sea, engines and control systems tested, food on board. Behind all this were the prayers and encouragement of countless supporters. And upholding all of this we knew the promise of God, that the ship would be completed in “the fullness of time.”
So, after almost exactly eight years of planning, delay, change, frustration, hard work, prayer and sacrifice, Africa Mercy’s engines rumbled to life in earnest, checks were completed, mooring lines came aboard and the ship slipped easily away from West Quay for the last time. The river Tyne was shrouded in fog as the ship passed downstream. After years of anticipating the passing of the ship between the North Sea breakwaters, we were a little sad that they were barely visible in the fog.
But then the ship was at sea, the pilot disembarked and the testing of the ship could begin in full operational mode. Like many others, Tim spent countless overtime hours preparing every detail of the departure, and like those others, Tim spent many hours on the bridge and elsewhere in the ship observing the performance of all the old and new systems. During his watch, his team executed various tests and recorded information on the control of the ship. It was also a great time to get the crew into “sailing” condition, and the bridge teams operated the ship by various means, tested the ship in emergency turns, and checked out numerous problems or glitches.
After 26 hours of maneuvers and tests at sea, Africa Mercy headed for a new port and a new set of challenges. At about 1600 Africa Mercy sailed into Blyth, a port north of Newcastle, and moored at “Battleship Wharf.” It was a wonderful feeling to arrive in a new berth, in a new port, to begin a new work with the vessel we have been investing in for many years. Much still remains to be accomplished while the ship remains at Blyth. The sea trials were conducted while the ship was still categorized as a cargo ship. So we still need to see many contract items completed, and many of these will have to be done by the crew, before we can receive our “passenger ship” classification. (Since there is no “hospital ship classification” in the International Maritime regulations, our Mercy Ships must meet passenger class regulations.) Due to constraints by the shipyard, there are many tasks that still need to be done and equipment installed to make the ship an effective mercy ship. Further, there will need to be a lot of training in emergency procedures, which we ourselves are busy developing now that the information on the new systems is finally being handed over. Finally, we will have to actually load the ship with final supplies.
Please pray for the crew as many long hours lie ahead and rejoice with us as we see God guiding us into this new stage.
Click below to see more images of the sea trials
