If you are interested in the work that is happening to the Africa Mercy right now, you can follow the ship's blog:
Power the Vision
It has the whole history of dry dock so far, and will be continually updated on the progress of what is happening. It also explains why this is happening, and could give you some prayer point ideas for the ship's technical crew during this time.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Braais and Camping.
Last Friday night was an exciting night for the Academy students. It started out with our galley preparing a wonderful braai for the entire crew. A braai is a South African barbeque. The chicken and potatoes were delicious (and I’m told the beef and sausage were excellent as well) and a braai is something to which we all look forward. And it was cooked by my handsome husband and our friend Tim!
After the braai was over, the Academy students headed down to the football pitch and set up tents for our very first Academy campout. It was organized by our PE teacher, Ben Calvert, and the high school students who took the outdoor class for our student life program were able to help out. After worship around the campfire, we made s’mores (yay!!) and then the students played games on the field with Mr. Calvert and Miss Nikki. Then it was lights out! Unfortunately, all the tents were taken by families so the teachers had to sleep in their normal beds for the night :) Too bad!
After the braai was over, the Academy students headed down to the football pitch and set up tents for our very first Academy campout. It was organized by our PE teacher, Ben Calvert, and the high school students who took the outdoor class for our student life program were able to help out. After worship around the campfire, we made s’mores (yay!!) and then the students played games on the field with Mr. Calvert and Miss Nikki. Then it was lights out! Unfortunately, all the tents were taken by families so the teachers had to sleep in their normal beds for the night :) Too bad!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Benin.
If you follow other Mercy Ships blogs, then you have probably seen this BBC article.
Please, please pray for Benin. Cotonou was our home for 10 months in 2009 and it holds a very special place in our hearts. We have friends who are there amidst the flooding and devastation. It breaks my heart to try and imagine what Cotonou must look like now....
Benin: UN to send thousands of tents amid major floods
Two thirds of the country is under water
The UN refugee agency is to start an emergency airlift of tents to the West African nation of Benin this week, amid the worst flooding there in decades.
Some 3,000 tents will be flown in from Denmark to provide shelter for some of the estimated 680,000 people affected.
Two-thirds of Benin has suffered from months of heavy rain, and about 800 cases of cholera have been reported.
It is the worst flooding to hit the country - one of the poorest in the world - since 1963.
Areas previously thought not to be vulnerable to flooding have been devastated and villages wiped out.
"There are huge areas that are covered in water so people are living on the tops of their houses, because people try to stay near their homes," Helen Kawkins of the Care aid agency told the BBC.
The flooding has sparked major health concerns, with drinking and bathing water contaminated by human waste which has overflowed from latrines.
The number of cases of cholera are rising daily, with more than 50 reported in the largest city, Cotonou, alone, Care says. Dozens of people have died as a result of the flooding in the past few weeks, officials say.
People who have lost their homes have sought shelter in medical facilities, putting pressure on the country's health system.
The UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) says an appeal for funds and aid is being planned.
The rain is continuing to deluge Benin and forecasters say there is no sign yet of it abating.
Read the original BBC article here.
Please, please pray for Benin. Cotonou was our home for 10 months in 2009 and it holds a very special place in our hearts. We have friends who are there amidst the flooding and devastation. It breaks my heart to try and imagine what Cotonou must look like now....
Benin: UN to send thousands of tents amid major floods
Two thirds of the country is under water
The UN refugee agency is to start an emergency airlift of tents to the West African nation of Benin this week, amid the worst flooding there in decades.
Some 3,000 tents will be flown in from Denmark to provide shelter for some of the estimated 680,000 people affected.
Two-thirds of Benin has suffered from months of heavy rain, and about 800 cases of cholera have been reported.
It is the worst flooding to hit the country - one of the poorest in the world - since 1963.
Areas previously thought not to be vulnerable to flooding have been devastated and villages wiped out.
"There are huge areas that are covered in water so people are living on the tops of their houses, because people try to stay near their homes," Helen Kawkins of the Care aid agency told the BBC.
The flooding has sparked major health concerns, with drinking and bathing water contaminated by human waste which has overflowed from latrines.
The number of cases of cholera are rising daily, with more than 50 reported in the largest city, Cotonou, alone, Care says. Dozens of people have died as a result of the flooding in the past few weeks, officials say.
People who have lost their homes have sought shelter in medical facilities, putting pressure on the country's health system.
The UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) says an appeal for funds and aid is being planned.
The rain is continuing to deluge Benin and forecasters say there is no sign yet of it abating.
Read the original BBC article here.
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Midlands.
After a rough week of being sick and lots of work to be done, we were both very excited to go away for the weekend to the Midlands. Friday afternoon, we drove off with the Farrells, Miriam, and Tim about an hour and a half into the heart of Kwazulu-Natal to our little cottage called The Dwarf Chameleon. We had a wonderful weekend of going out to dinner, being able to drive in the dark, and staying up late relaxing with friends.
On Saturday, we all split up for the day. The Farrells went to the lion park, Tim and Samuel went golfing (something they had been looking forward to for many days!!), and Miriam and I checked another African country off our lists. We traveled up the Sani Pass into the country of Lesotho, where we experienced fabulous views, bread in the local village, and SNOW!!! We ate lunch at the highest pub in Africa, the Sani Top Chalet (it was delicious - but maybe because it was very cheap and the soup warmed our extremely cold bodies!) before beginning the descent back down in the fog. It was a great trip though it did mean many hours in the car.
Sunday was a very relaxed day visiting Howick Falls. Sarah and I perused the craft markets and enjoyed some scones while everyone else went mini-golfing. After a quick stop at a farm for some wine tasting for Tim, Miriam, and Sarah (I spent my time keeping the dogs away from the little boys, who were terrified of them!), we headed reluctantly back to Appelsbosch.
It was a great break from our normal lives - I am very excited for the next time we can get away!
The view from our cottages
On Saturday, we all split up for the day. The Farrells went to the lion park, Tim and Samuel went golfing (something they had been looking forward to for many days!!), and Miriam and I checked another African country off our lists. We traveled up the Sani Pass into the country of Lesotho, where we experienced fabulous views, bread in the local village, and SNOW!!! We ate lunch at the highest pub in Africa, the Sani Top Chalet (it was delicious - but maybe because it was very cheap and the soup warmed our extremely cold bodies!) before beginning the descent back down in the fog. It was a great trip though it did mean many hours in the car.
The Drakensberg Mountains, where we were headed!
Sunday was a very relaxed day visiting Howick Falls. Sarah and I perused the craft markets and enjoyed some scones while everyone else went mini-golfing. After a quick stop at a farm for some wine tasting for Tim, Miriam, and Sarah (I spent my time keeping the dogs away from the little boys, who were terrified of them!), we headed reluctantly back to Appelsbosch.
It was a great break from our normal lives - I am very excited for the next time we can get away!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Sharks Board.
Today the elementary school took our first South African field trip to the tide pools in Ballito and the Umhlanga Sharks Board (h's are pronounced 'sh', so Umhlanga is pronounced 'Umshlanga' and the Hluhluwe game reserve is pronounced 'Shlushluwe'. Ha!). We said we were going rain or shine, so when we woke up to cloudy skies, away we went! The trip got off to a rocky start but ended up being a nice day out. The kids enjoyed playing in the tide pools (despite the drizzling skies and the fact that all the teachers were bundled up and freezing!) and running around. After lunch and some ice cream, we headed off to Umhlanga to the Sharks Board, the organization that makes the regulations about shark nets and maintains them in the Kwazulu-Natal province. We learned all about the types of sharks in the area, why there are shark nets and saw their effectivness (though I admit I still don't quite understand how they work when the sharks can swim above, underneath, and around them....). Then we saw a dissection of a ragged tooth shark! That was quite the experience. The shark skin is smooth one direction and coarse the other direction. Now I can say I have touched a shark! Hopefully it will be the last :) The kids all handled it really well and I was quite proud of their behavior the whole day.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Recruiting.
Well, as it stands right now, at the end of the current school year 7 (possibly 9) of the teachers will be leaving. That means that, of the full time staff, only three people are already committed for the 2011/2012 school year.
If you are a teacher, are intrigued by what I do, and have thought to yourself, I wish I could do something like that, too!, then here's your chance. Why not? What's stopping you? There are 100000000000 reasons not to do something, but you only really need one good reason to do it. And trust me, as frustrated as I get working here sometimes, I am reminded of many, many good reasons to be here each and every day.
For more information about becoming an Academy teacher, see here.
If you are a teacher, are intrigued by what I do, and have thought to yourself, I wish I could do something like that, too!, then here's your chance. Why not? What's stopping you? There are 100000000000 reasons not to do something, but you only really need one good reason to do it. And trust me, as frustrated as I get working here sometimes, I am reminded of many, many good reasons to be here each and every day.
For more information about becoming an Academy teacher, see here.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Long Weekend.
Every so often (usually every 6 weeks or so), Mercy Ships gives all non-essential crew (so pretty much everyone but the galley and dining room staff, plus the engineers and ward nurses if we are in a field service phase) the day off on a Friday for a 3-day weekend. In the Academy we have a bad habit of working every ship holiday, but I was finally able to enjoy my first one of the year this past Friday. Unfortunately, Samuel was scheduled to work in the galley over the weekend, so we stayed behind in Appelsbosch while we waved goodbye to the 2/3 of our crew that went away.
I have to admit that I was really disappointed that we weren't going anywhere. Appelsbosch isn't the most exciting place, especially when there is no water or internet. Friday morning started off with having no water - again - and I knew I was going to have to just grin and bear it. To top things off, I had come down with a cold extremely suddenly on Thursday night, and as a result was feeling quite drained of energy and generally unwell most of the weekend.
However, it ended up being a very enjoyable weekend. Ben, Miriam, and I convinced Sam to switch around the meal schedule for the weekend, and we all went in Friday afternoon to help prepare an extensive meal for the 30 or so crew that would be around. We had a blast planning the menu and dancing around to the music in the galley. That night we feasted on baked potatoes (complete with homemade bacon bits, compliments of Ben, but none of us will ever complain about the fact we don't get things like that on a regular basis ever again! They took an incredibly long time to make!), fajita chicken, and various fruit and vegetable salads concocted by Miriam and myself.
The reason we did this was so that Samuel could join us for an outing on Saturday! Ben, Miriam, Samuel and I left bright and early Saturday morning to drive about an hour to Albert Falls, a nature reserve and campsite. We spent a few hours driving around their small game reserve. Though we did not manage to track down the giraffes, we got up close and personal with some zebras (that was my highlight!) and various types of deer and antelope, as well as spotting some buffalo and warthogs. While it wasn't the greatest of outings, the company made it more than fun.
Sunday was very relaxed, Samuel was working and I spent the day just recovering my energy and having a very lazy day, which I was very thankful for.
All in all, it was a good time. Now life is returning to normal. I am back to teaching but Samuel had a fun time at the farm yesterday with Sarah and his nephews, I'm sure he will blog about that soon :)
Yes, we are still alive despite our lack of posting. It's just that, well, nothing really exciting ever happens here, so there doesn't seem like much news to post about! Though our friend Murray has finally returned, and Tim comes back tomorrow, so I'm sure we will be having some more exciting adventures soon :)
I have to admit that I was really disappointed that we weren't going anywhere. Appelsbosch isn't the most exciting place, especially when there is no water or internet. Friday morning started off with having no water - again - and I knew I was going to have to just grin and bear it. To top things off, I had come down with a cold extremely suddenly on Thursday night, and as a result was feeling quite drained of energy and generally unwell most of the weekend.
However, it ended up being a very enjoyable weekend. Ben, Miriam, and I convinced Sam to switch around the meal schedule for the weekend, and we all went in Friday afternoon to help prepare an extensive meal for the 30 or so crew that would be around. We had a blast planning the menu and dancing around to the music in the galley. That night we feasted on baked potatoes (complete with homemade bacon bits, compliments of Ben, but none of us will ever complain about the fact we don't get things like that on a regular basis ever again! They took an incredibly long time to make!), fajita chicken, and various fruit and vegetable salads concocted by Miriam and myself.
The reason we did this was so that Samuel could join us for an outing on Saturday! Ben, Miriam, Samuel and I left bright and early Saturday morning to drive about an hour to Albert Falls, a nature reserve and campsite. We spent a few hours driving around their small game reserve. Though we did not manage to track down the giraffes, we got up close and personal with some zebras (that was my highlight!) and various types of deer and antelope, as well as spotting some buffalo and warthogs. While it wasn't the greatest of outings, the company made it more than fun.
Sunday was very relaxed, Samuel was working and I spent the day just recovering my energy and having a very lazy day, which I was very thankful for.
All in all, it was a good time. Now life is returning to normal. I am back to teaching but Samuel had a fun time at the farm yesterday with Sarah and his nephews, I'm sure he will blog about that soon :)
Yes, we are still alive despite our lack of posting. It's just that, well, nothing really exciting ever happens here, so there doesn't seem like much news to post about! Though our friend Murray has finally returned, and Tim comes back tomorrow, so I'm sure we will be having some more exciting adventures soon :)
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