No More Shame!

They were being chased. They had to stay alive. They had to survive. Scared, but determined, Esther Dweh and her family ran from the rebels, hoping to outsmart them. They hid in the bush knowing their lives were in danger, especially the life of her unborn child. Being a mother of a 5-year-old boy and 2-year-old girl at a time like this was hard enough, but in a situation like this, expecting a third baby in a matter of days was horrifying.“At the time of delivery,” Esther says, “I began to experience difficulty. The baby was too high and could not come down. It was in the heat of the war and there was no access to a hospital. The child died in my womb.” They were in the middle of nowhere. How would she survive?

In an attempt to help her, Esther’s husband took her to a man who had training in first aid. “This man cut the dead child from me, limb by limb, piece by piece, using a pair of rusty, unsterilized scissors.” In order to make sure that everything had been removed, the first aider pushed the scissors inside her and snipped, cutting open her bladder. Esther experienced excruciating pain and a few days later began to feel sick, at which time the first aider admitted to her husband that he had “made a mistake.” “I became so sick and so weak; I thought I was going to die.” Esther remembers sadly. “A pile of banana leaves was my bed.” “Because of the constant flow of urine I began to smell bad and flies would be all over me. My husband would wash my skin to try and keep me clean.”

One Day, Esthers husband left their hiding place in search of food, not knowing it would be the last time he would see his family. There was an ambush and, sadly, the rebels killed him. Grieving for her husband, Esther wondered what was to become of her and her children. “I just had to trust God to help me. I remained hidden in the bush and did my best to look after my children but soon after that, my son also died.” Esther knew she had to find help but did not know where to go. She finally met a group of people fleeing the war and joined them. In doing so she found her family. Even though her parents welcomed her back she felt embarrassed about her condition and the constant stench of urine. Surgery was her only option but it was out of the question. She had no finances to pay the doctors. Esther first heard about a hospital ship which would be coming to Liberia in 1999, but it was five years later before she was able to attend the medical screening that was taking place at JFK Hospital in Monrovia.

Her hopes were high, but disappointment struck once more when she came to register. Unscrupulous local hospital workers were charging for the registration card and Esther did not even have a cent. Dejected, she felt that her opportunity to receive healing had slipped beyond her reach. Yet God had not forgotten her. Alfred, a crew member from Mercy Ships, happened to walk by, noticed Esther and she told him of her plight. Meeting Alfred set in motion a sequence of events that ultimately brought about the miracle that Esther had longed for, for so long. Esther underwent surgery for Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) completely free of charge aboard the Mercy Ship. Her bladder was repaired and within four days of surgery, she was completely dry. After ten long years of incontinence and shame, Esther's healing had finally come.“I was so happy!” she exclaimed. “Now I have my life back, thanks to Mercy Ships. I thank God for the doctors and nurses who helped me.” In her pursuit for healing, Esther met a man who, despite her condition, fell in love with her. Esther's joy became complete when she gave birth to a beautiful son. She calls him “Robert, my Mercy Ships baby.”

The road to healing had been one that often seemed to lead only to despair. Yet, Esther kept trying, and now joy has come. During this field service, Esther has returned to Mercy Ships, not as a patient but as a counsellor and encourager to other VVF patients who are searching for the same healing and joy Esther has found.

4th July Celebrations

Even though we are in Africa, many of the cultures on board try to celebrate their countries holidays. On the 4th July all of the Americans got together for dinner on the dock. The attire for the evening was red, white and blue! You can see the American half of the Tretheway family at the back left.

Bong Mine Trip

It is often good to get out and about Liberia to get a sense of the culture and history of the people we are reaching. Recently we were able to join a trip out to the Bong Town. The main objective was to deliver medical donations to the hospital and we were also able to see where the big Iron Ore Bong Mines were before they were devastated by the rebels.

The trip started with a 2 1/2 hour train journey. We drove the landrovers up onto a flat bed pulled by the train. Crew were able to get out of the landrovers and sit on top for the journey. Although it was attractive to feel the breeze in the hot of the day, the down side was that you got choked and blackened by the thick soot coming out of the engine! We had the back of the landrover to ourselves so Nathanael was able to hang out of the window and wave to the people we passed. At one point he had quite an audience all waving and shouting his name. We saw many sights of Liberia, some of poverty and others of beautiful lush vegetation. Many times we would be out in the middle of nowhere and children would come running out of the bush to wave at us.

On arriving at Bong Town our first stop was the hospital. They were very pleased to see us and the doctors gave us a tour of the whole building. It is amazing what they accomplish with such little. In the maternity ward there were 5 day old twin babies...so cute! (hover your mouse over the pictures to see a description of the rooms.)

After the hospital our driver took us around the Bong Mine. Originally run by a German company until the rebels came in and destroyed everything. Our driver worked at these mines and was there when the rebels came. He told us how 1000's were killed. The town now hopes for the news to come reality of a chinese company that is interested in rebuilding the site and jobs will be restored to the community after so many years.

Walking & Talking

Nathanael wanted to share some of the things he has been doing whilst on board the Africa Mercy.

Every evening after dinner we all venture out to the dock to play with his friends out of the heat of the day. This gives him a good opportunity to practise his walking which he is now doing very well. His favourite pastime is looking down the hole in the dock. What's in the hole? (please bear in mind that Nathanael is on a " talking D" phase where everything begins with D! Meanwhile we have decided to close Nathanael's blog site down as we just don't get time to update it, but the good news is that you will get to see more of him on here.

Baby With No Name

African women don’t always name their children at birth. It lessens the pain when they die. Twenty-six year old Liberian Grace Kurnnah gave birth to a child she was afraid to name. Everything seemed normal at first. The child’s head emerged just as it should, then the shoulders, hips and feet. But there was something more, something attached to the baby at the waist. Whatever it was, it was so large it wouldn’t pass no matter how hard Grace pushed. In a panic, the family rushed her to the local medical center. Doctors there were able to complete the delivery. The otherwise normal looking baby girl had a large tumor protruding from the area of her tailbone. The tumor was larger than the child’s head. The whole family was horrified. They begged the local doctors to help. But after 14 years of civil war, the Liberian medical system is in shambles. They could offer no assistance.

"I was feeling bad. People were saying someone witched (put a curse on) me," Grace recalls of that day. "People (at the regional medical facility) said I should wait three or four months before I take the baby to Monrovia. I said they should give me paper so I can bring it now. They say we can’t do it. I started crying. My husband say, ‘Stop crying girl. Don’t listen to anyone. Trust God. Take the baby and go to Monrovia.’"

Grace set off for the capital. When she arrived at JFK hospital, the nation’s top medical facility, doctors there also admitted there was nothing they could do for the child. They mentioned that a Mercy Ship was docked down at the port & doctors there might be able to offer assistance. Mercy Ships crewmember Samantha Luwizhi was on the dock when Grace arrived. Samantha has a baby girl of her own and loves children. She caught a glimpse of Grace’s infant, just a tiny face peaking out of the blankets.

Grace remembers that moment, saying, "When I see the lady (Samantha) she say ‘Oh! What a fine baby!’ I say the baby not fine-o. I take off the baby clothes. When the lady saw the thing (tumor), she feel bad. She go inside and she bring the man. They give me paper and say come on Monday."

Mercy Ships doctors were anxious to do the surgery as quickly as possible. The tumor was a type that is initially benign, but can turn cancerous in months if not weeks. If Grace had waited till her little girl was older to seek treatment, as had been recommended, the child would very likely have died.

When she arrived back at the Mercy Ship on Monday morning, she was afraid her baby girl was too small and too weak to survive the operation. It was at this point Grace’s encounter with Samantha on the dock proved crucial. When they wanted to take blood in pre-op, Grace just closed down and wouldn’t let anyone take the baby. They called Samantha and said ‘Would you come down to the ward? Grace won’t let us do anything with the baby!’ She went down and Grace handed her the baby. Samantha told her, ‘OK, we’re going to have to take some blood and some other things.' Grace relaxed and understood that she was going to be OK and the nurse prayed with her. She sat with her while the surgery was going on and could tell she was really afraid again. Her breathing was real rapid. Samantha told her that, ‘Baby be fine-o!’ and she settled down a little bit.

The surgery didn’t take very long and the stitched incision on the baby’s bottom surprisingly small. There will be almost no evidence of the birth defect as she matures. When Grace saw the child following the operation, she kept repeating "Tank-ee God! Tank-ee!" over and over again. When the family called later that day to learn what had happened, it was Samantha who got to deliver the good news. "When I told them ‘Baby fine-o!’ you could hear them hollering and screaming and singing praises to God," Samantha says with a laugh. "The Ohma (Grandma) doesn’t speak much English, but she just kept saying ‘Tank-ee! Tank-ee! Wonderful!

When it became clear that the child would survive, Grace decided it was time to give her a name. She asked Samantha to choose one. Samantha told her that was quite an honor but also a heavy responsibility & that she wanted to pray about it for a while. Finally a name was chosen, Viktorya Faith, because she believed God had honored Grace’s great faith with a mighty victory over the child’s infirmity. She thought Grace would appreciate the unusual spelling, Viktorya, and she was right. When she told Grace the name , she was so happy. She gave the baby a pat and said, ‘Baby, you have name! You name Viktorya.’ and she went all around the ward telling everyone about the name. A few hours later back down in the ward, Grace had already got the nurses to change the name card that hung over the baby’s bed from ‘Baby Girl’ to ‘Viktorya Faith,’ When asked why she wanted Samantha to choose the baby’s name, Grace is momentarily overcome with emotion. Fighting back tears she finally answers, "Because she take pity for me. She look in my mind. She take care of me. The baby is for her (meaning: The baby belongs to both of us.). Anywhere I go I will not forget." Neither is Mercy Ships likely to forget Grace or Viktorya Faith. They reminded us that every child deserves hope, healing… and a name.

Washington Redskins Player Comes to Town!

Now for the Americans reading this you might be saying "WOW", but for the Brits you will be saying "WHO?". We guess that's where we find our different cultures cross.

When NFL Washington Redskins player, Malcolm Kelly came to visit the ship, naturally, we wanted to get the photo and the autograph in!

Malcom Kelly (a committed Christian) has chosen to work with Mercy Ships as his chosen charity. Part of this included a trip down to Liberia to see Mercy Ships in action. He observed surgeries, visited the ward, visited Mercy Ships construction sites, and met the crew and the president of Liberia. He also met with officials from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Liberian Olympic Committee. Liberia's educational and sports initiatives were sidelined during the 14-year civil war and the nation struggles to make improvements to even the most basic health and living standards. Malcolm brought along his personal trainer, world-renowned sports performance coach Chip Smith from Competitive Edge Sports, based in Atlanta, Georgia. They held sessions for 35 Liberian coaches and athletes including members of the Olympic Team and Committee at the invitation of the National Minister of Youth and Sports. "Train the Trainer" sessions were held at the National Sports Complex which included teaching on sports theory and workout demonstrations and exercises.

Reports say that Malcolm was moved by his experience in Liberia. He said "Everywhere we went, people ran up to me to shake my hand and hug me, saying 'Thank you! Thank you!' I was a hero, but not because I'm a football player; it was because I was wearing a Mercy Ships Crew shirt. I don't think I've ever been more humbled and honored than to be considered a part of the Mercy Ships team".

It's great to have somebody like this working alongside Mercy Ships.

Divine Opportunities

How many "divine opportunities" come your way each day and so often we either miss them, or let them go. Sometimes it might only be a friendly hello or an act of kindness, maybe praying with somebody in need or going an extra mile out of your way.

As Nathanael and Sharon go on their routine trip to the trash dumpster we are met with many divine opportunities. Such a simple task can bring many opportunities. As we leave the gangway we pass the motor mechanic workshop. There, a few local men are working alongside mercy ships crew to fix our vehicles. We employ many locals whilst in Liberia, giving secure income for a 10 months and in that time there is no way they can avoid seeing and hearing Jesus. Next we pass the patient waiting area. Nathanael likes to stop and wave at everybody. He has no problem in seeing past the disfigurements that affect those waiting. Out of innocence he grasps the divine opportunity to say, you're ok and I'm happy to associate with you. In their own town they might be outcasts, but here, a little boy is eager to say hello. They all respond with joy. Then we meet UN troops or policemen. They all want to stop and tickle Nathanael. Their background we don't know, yet we stop to talk a little, which brightens their day. Further along an old man is led by his son. His dark glasses glisten in the sun and the tap of his white stick can be heard along the dock. He stops to ask the way to the medical room. He is grasping a medical appointment card and wondering how life is going to change for him. I shake their hand and point them in the right direction. After a short conversation I find out he has been blind for many years and is hoping that he will soon see. Although eager to see, he still comes with fear, it's the unknown's of the ship and trusting the doctors. I tell him I will pray that his surgery will go well. That seemed to make a big difference to him and they went off smiling.

This is just one little routine we have and it's amazing the divine opportunities that come through just that.

Although we find our main focus is the poor and needy, other opportunities come through Tim's job, who are in as just as much need, spiritually. When other ships come in for a few days, you often find the ship officers make contact. Last Thursday night, Tim, along with the Captain and Chief Engineer were invited to a French navy ship that had docked for the week. So Tim practised his "Je m'appelle Tim" and got dressed up in his smart uniform for a visit. Fortunately they were very good with their English and they had a tour of the ship. They were able to talk of many subjects (you know Tim!) and also share of the work we do in Mercy Ships & why we do it. As the ship left on the Friday, Tim hoisted some signal flags to spell out "have a good voyage ". Another divine opportunity. Keep looking for those opportunities, you just never know when God is going to bring them along.

No Wig Zone

We are officially declaring our cabin a "no wig" zone. So if you intend to visit our cabin you will need to secure any wigs/toupees with super glue or duck tape. As soon as you walk into our cabin the extractor is so strong it can suck anything away.

We thought we'd share with you just a few of the quirky noises that go on in our cabin.

Come Rain or Shine

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.

At the moment it is a very grey day with heavy rain and thunderstorms.

A Room With a View

We are finally unpacked and settled. Already we have been here 2 weeks and it has flown by. We've had a lot of orientation to go through, LOTS of new crew to meet and just getting use to how things run, like at meal times, remembering to take that vital piece of tupperware to collect some food to eat in our cabin or remembering to catch the ship shop open in the middle of the day for any needed supplies.

Along with this, Nathanael and Sharon have been battling with severe colds and as we speak Tim is going down with it too! Nathanael was also prescribed the wrong dosage of Larium tablets in the UK and in his first 2 weeks he took twice the amount of an adult dose which has given us all many sleepless nights. Please pray that over the next 2 weeks as he stops taking them that his body will return to normal.

Meanwhile we thought we'd show you the view from our cabin as we have sat & enjoyed it whilst we've been getting better. With a dockside view there is always something going on.

- Down below there is the patient waiting area as they wait for their surgery or follow up appointments.

Next to that, Nathanael likes to point out all the "tractors" (landrovers) that drive past.

Tim's department load supplies by crane.

Recovery patients take a stroll and a breath of fresh air.

Ships come in and out, one just stays there at the bottom of the ocean!

And of course the city we are reaching, MONROVIA.

We Have Arrived!

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!).

Happy Birthday Nathanael!

Today we celebrated Nathanael's birthday with a cow party. Somehow Nathanael has taken a liking to cows and is often heard saying "moo" whenever he sees one in a field or in a book. So it seemed appropriate to have a cow party for his 1st birthday.

Now one thing they don't teach you in the parenting classes leading up to the birth of your baby is how to arrange a kids birthday party. So with the help of the internet and scratching our heads together we have done our best to come up with the ideal party. See below for pictures!

It looks like a good time was had by all

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHANAEL

WE LOVE YOU!

Another Long Goodbye

Kathleen Tretheway (nee Crawford)

1930 - 2008

At the end of the final voyage of Anastasis, Tim received word that his mother was ill and was having surgery. By that time, Tim was in India and so he hurried to London, where he met Sharon and young Nathanael and they flew directly on to Nevada in the USA to see his mother, Kathleen. Everyone called her Kasey. Unfortunately, the two surgeries did not produce a satisfactory outcome and follow-up appointments brought more bad news. So our plans for a visit in 2007 changed radically as we relieved Tim’s siblings in looking after Kasey on a longer term basis. Although the news and prognosis were bleak, Kasey was characteristically courageous and steadily recovered from the surgeries. She was able to enjoy many hours of fun and enjoyment watching her new grandson, Nathanael, grow and play daily at her feet. She was a part of many of Nathanael’s firsts: first crawling, first signs (we are doing baby signing), first tooth, first solid food, etc. She was able to roll a ball back and forth with him. She felt relatively well at Christmas and we had a memorable and happy, if bittersweet, holiday season with her.

-

Her great joy at this time was to be able to see her second grandson grow and flourish and we discovered later that she had written a number of letters to him and to her other grandson, Ty, so that one day they would know how deeply she loved them both. To deal with a number of issues, not the least being lack of a longer term visa for Sharon and Nathanael, and many other official requirements, we handed over Kasey’s care to other family for a few weeks while she seemed to be doing alright. But it was not long before the call to return came and this time Tim went on his own, joining his sister and brother and other relatives in caring for Kasey. Kasey had a very personal and quiet faith in Jesus. As with all of us, we prayed that the difficult time ahead would not rob her of her dignity and personality. We are grateful that these prayers were fulfilled and even just two days before her departure she was able to share briefly a few stories from her youth. She knew she was surrounded by loving family and lifelong friends. She left us quietly one night as we all said goodnight.

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.

We miss her. Nathanael waves a greeting to her picture when he passes it in the kitchen. We all wish she could have seen more of all of us, even though called to spend so much time apart in distant lands. But we are grateful for her example, her love and for the many secret notes and surprises she prepared for us before she left. It was a good parting, if that can be said of any loss, and we are grateful for the presence of God who heard our requests and surrounded us with His care and love.

Liberia - Look What God Did!

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:

1108 Liberians received free eye surgeries

542 patients received life-changing maxillofacial, plastic or general surgeries

102 women with free surgery to repair childbirth injury

Training achieved for nurses and surgeons in VVF and other surgical techniques

75 patients including children with club feet received free orthopaedic surgeries

With only a handful of dentists serving the entire nation, the Mercy Ships dental professionals held clinic in a local facility off ship where they were able to treat more then 6,000 patients with nearly as many receiving oral health lessons as they waited. It is estimated by the UN that Liberia has only around 30 doctors and four functioning hospitals for the country’s 3 million people, excluding NGO personnel.

At the invitation of the Minister of Health, Mercy Ships also brought in highly skilled volunteers who trained church leaders and health care workers through regular on site visits, lectures and conferences on issues of mental illness and trauma, partnered with villages to train agricultural workers & instructors, helped dig and rehabilitate wells, latrines and school sanitation facilities.

Dry Dock

The Africa Mercy entered dry dock at the Astican shipyard in Las Palmas at the beginning of December for her first dry dock since starting her service in June this year. As the shipyard is no place for children all the crew members with children were housed in local hotels thanks to the generosity of local hotel chains.

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.

The Blind Will See.

What does it take to give sight on a Mercy Ship?

Below you can see a video of Lisa, the first child to be given a cataract surgery on the Africa Mercy in Liberia. Over the years both Tim & I remember our first encounter of people receiving their sight back for either the first time or for many years...it is a moment when you see them dancing home with joy.

A Long Farewell

For many of us who invested a significant part of our lives in ministry aboard ANASTASIS, it has seemed a strange time to witness the transition from ministry encased in steel and aluminum to memory, history and stories of changed lives. At the end July Anastasis transitioned back “into the world” of commerce and business. The ship made her departure from her last ministry port of Monrovia on the 29th of June 2007, having handed over the responsibility as a vehicle of hope and healing to the Africa Mercy. It was an emotional departure. Anastasis has been ministry platform, sanctuary, school, workplace, and home to thousands of people. On board, or in association with the ship, many learned about the Love and Goodness of God. Others have been challenged to change their lives and still others have found physical and spiritual healing, or a deeper understanding of God.

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

Anastasis African Worship

Tim was recently working on board the Anastasis before it set sail for it's final resting place. Each morning the technical departments got together for a devotion time. A time when the morning is started off being focused on God together.

Click below to see their African worship time on the Aft Deck

First Surgeries on Board

On Monday, June 25, the first surgery was successfully completed onboard. Suah lived her entire life in a small village called Oil Town in West-Central Liberia. Along with her large family. Suah is a subsistence farmer; raising their own food along with a bit left over to sell in the market. Three years ago, cataracts stole the last of Suah’s sight. The loss was devastating for such a proud, active woman. She missed being able to work on her farm and missed fishing in the nearby river. She hated not being able to dress herself or even to use the toilet without assistance. Suah thanked the doctors and nurses for her renewed vision, saying, "When I get home I will gather my people and tell them what you have done for me. I can’t pay you, but God will pay you. He will bless you and your children and your children’s children."

The first VVF repair surgeries were conducted onboard the next day. 35 year old Mamie Paye of North-Central Liberia was one of the patients selected to undergo the procedure. Mamie has leaked urine constantly since she suffered a birth injury in 1995. She was abandoned by her husband as a result of the incontinence, a tragically common occurrence. "Everyday I cry," Mamie says. "When you have this problem you don’t have friends. You don’t have nobody. People gossip the whole day about you. People abandon you. But God doesn’t ever abandon nobody."

What faith in the midst of trial!

Nathanael's first words

As parents we all look forward to those first words uttered by your child, imagine our surprise when Nathanael started saying hello at such an early age:

Africa Mercy Sails !

It's been a long time, but worth it. As we sat cuddling our newborn son in the hospital, it was with mixed emotions we watched on the TV local news as the Africa Mercy sailed out of the port of Blythe. Joy, that at last the Africa Mercy is ready to do what she is called to do, healing the poor and needy and sadness, that we were not able to be present after investing so much in the project (but Nathanael made up for that!). After a PR stop at Rotterdam, the Africa Mercy continued on towards Tenerife for refueling and underwater survey and then onto Liberia. It wasn't the smoothest of sails with hitting very strong winds at the bay of biscay (Tim calls it the "bay of dismay" as it is reknowned for bad weather), so as you can guess there were a few things that came crashing down as people discovered they hadn't tied things down too well. All in all they arrived safely and were greeted by the Anastasis crew as they prepare to transfer all the Anastasis equipment to the Africa Mercy ready for the Liberia outreach. Please pray for all that are involved in this transition.

Africa Mercy Arrival:

From the top of the gangway on the Africa Mercy, snaking from one ship to the other, a colorful array of crew and board members of over 35 different nationalities lined the dock. All standing together, in unity, to celebrate the passing of the torch. Beginning the ceremony on the opposite gangway, Dr Gary Parker raised the cross from the Anastasis bow high above his head. Forever going before us, the cross is passed from one hand to the next; it too will lead us at the front of the Africa Mercy. Behind the cross follows the torch. Beautifully crafted and burning brightly in the morning sun it is a symbol of past and future; made up from the different ship: teak from the Caribbean Mercy, Oil separator sleeve from the Anastasis and a small wooden cross from the bearing on the Good Samaritan [Island Mercy].