Countdown To Guinea!

Well we are now back in Tenerife, for about 3 more weeks, till we sail back to West Africa! The major part of ship repairs, are now done. All that is left are little paint jobs and little repairs. We are now in full force getting ready for our 6 day sail to Guinea! We are also starting to get a lot of new crew arriving on the ship!

This past week, the pace has started picking back up. We are now making a lot more beds in crew cabins. We are also welcoming many new families and and new crew members. We now have Captain Tim back in charge, and in full preparation mode!

While working this week, we gained a new hostess! Lauren from North Carolina! I am excited to get to know her and work with her over  these next few busy weeks! We are baking tonnes of cookies, and celebrating crew members birthdays!

Today, we also had a memorial service for a lovely lady, who lived on board for over 15 years with her family. She passed away in early July due to cancer, she left behind her husband, Lawrence, and her two amazing kids, Daniel,8, and Esther, 3. Today we celebrated her life, and the joy she always had with her. She loved feeding people, even in her final days, she would always ask you, and probably end up feeding you something. Her passing has hit the crew hard, we are still pondering the question of " why didn't you heal her" But we now have the peace, that she is home with her Daddy. She ran her race and reached the finish line, she is now in a better place, where cancer will never touch her. She was such a blessing to all the crew members over the years. I had the privilege to meet her once, in late May when she came to the ship, to say her goodbyes. I just saw that smile, and it made me feel guilty, she had cancer, and was still smiling! It gave me inspiration to live life to its fullest, no matter what gets thrown at you, God has control. She was an amazing women, and the Africa Mercy crew, will miss her very much!

As the crew prepares for a new field service in a country, that Mercy Ships has not been to in quite some time, it will take some adjusting, and getting used to. A new culture, a new language, new systems, and a new group of amazing patients, and their stories. We will be tested and stretched in many different directions, as we try to re gain ties we had in this country many years ago. Guinea is a very Muslim country, so that in itself will begin as a struggle.

This past week, and the week to come I've said many goodbyes yet again, But these people are now my friends for life, and I will never forget them! I am now the only East Coast Canadian on the ship! But I will stand strong and represent!

saying goodbye to Anna <3

East Coasters!

Olympic Opening Ceremonies!

These past couples weeks, have been great. But Im missing Africa! Its time to go back and see those beautiful smiles! :)

Dry Dock Over?!

Well, We are back in the water! After being on land above the ocean for about 2 weeks. We were lowered back down earlier today, and are no along side the dock, hoping to sail out tomorrow morning, after some tests and inspections are done on the ship.
The past few days have been probably the worst of dry dock, the heat was so powerful and really the only way to get away from it was either shower in freezing water and lay down or sit in front of a fan. Working all day with those two options gets almost little to nothing done.

The next couple weeks will progressively start getting busier. We have a  group of about 40 new arrivals all coming on one day, august 2nd. So we are going to start making up those beds and new family cabins. We have one new family arriving tomorrow, will be the new Finance Director on board, with his wife and two kids!

These past two weeks have been quite interesting, many long hot nights sitting in front of my fan!
Today we finally got air conditioning back! And walking back into my cabin was such a relief, we do not have it back on all decks, but i can finally sleep in normal heat! And i may even get cold :)

Now that dry dock is supposedly done, we sail back to Tenerife for a couple weeks, get a lot of new crew members and prepare to sail back to West Africa! :) I have now been here for over 100 days, and still loving it, not ready to come home just yet though!

the bottom of the ship!

my lovely area!

this is for you, mom!

beautiful houses!

there she is!

Anna Banana! My Big sister :)

going back to water!

We are now in Water! 

My home :)

Dry Dock In Gran Canaria!

Well Its been a warm week that's for sure. We left Tenerife very early Monday morning, heading to Gran Canaria, for the dry dock time. IT was  a very rocky, and rough sail, but we made it safe and sound! We are now out of the water completely. Which is a really odd feeling.. We are not moving at all, mind you i still feel like i am most of the time..

This past week I transferred back into hospitality, after the summer program finished with a bang! We took the kids on our final day, to the beach near our port in Tenerife. Its a very windy beach, and i think i finally got all of the sand out of my hair.

The summer program, even though it only lasted 4 short weeks, was a nice break from Monday-Friday 8-5 work. We had many fun field trips, good bibles studies, and many interesting mornings with worships songs! The Sunday of our final week we invited all the parents to come and see what we learned throughout our 4 weeks! We sang some songs, and then the kids read either a key word or phrase from our daily bible study on the psalms. 

The summer program, really put a light into something for me. These kids grow up on the Africa Mercy and they are some of the coolest kids Ive ever met! They are down to earth, calm, and from all over the world!

Being in dry dock is a bit of a challenge, we currently have no air conditioning, so the ship is quite hot in most parts, but we have found so many fans, that we are gonna end up blowing away! They are repairing many different parts of our great big ship, and hope to be out of here by the 20th of July!

This past weekend was of course July 1st! Canada DAY :) The one thing I really missed about not being home was the FIREWORKS! Ive always loved seeing them every year, but to be in Spain working on the Africa Mercy is truly a blessing :)

I still have about 4 months here, and even though this past week has been a rough one, with two of my really close friends leaving, I'm doing okay. I miss them dearly, but that's Mercy Ships, people come and go, But we will see them again :)

Tenerife!

Gangway to my home!

Adventure day with Nick!

Nick :) My brother from California

The countdown on our return to Africa is on! We sail to Guinea in Mid August! :) I will be there for just about two months before returning home!