We're Alive!

What have we been up to lately?

Dara is homeschooling Xavier this year.  It has been a rewarding experience but also with many challenges.  He can spell his first and last name out loud, can count to 46, and can read a number of small words.  While Dara is thrilled with the privilege of teaching him those things, it is tough to do on the ship.  She can't really take him on field trips or just pop over to the library.  It also means that she spends her days until 3:20 with Xavier and then helps the other three kids with homework while trying to entertain a 4-year-old who has already spent the whole day in the cabin.  We knew that this would be a challenge but decided that it is well worth it, and Dara is an awesome teacher.

Grace is still planning on going to France for the next school year.  She has begun babysitting and selling cookies to try to earn money.  She is still filling out the application for the organization that she would like to use for her year abroad and is also working on scholarship applications. 

Elijah has started a business taking out peoples' trash.  He is plugging away in school and doing very well considering the challenge of moving up to Junior High this year and doing two online classes because the Academy is short of teachers this year.  The online classes are out of his comfort zone but he has maintained a great attitude about school. 

Malachi went into business with Elijah taking out the trash.  He is still a clown at heart and can't sit still for more than about five minutes.  He is constantly doing cartwheels in the cabin, which is interesting considering the fact that we have 6 1/2 foot ceilings and only about a 4'x4' section of open floor space for him to do them in. 

Xavier is growing up so fast it is incredible.  He can swim on his own now and is fairly intent on being independent.  He holds his own as the youngest and can often be heard hollering at his older brothers and his perceptions of their injustice toward him (which is sometimes accurate and often exaggerated). 

I'm staying plenty busy with my roles of Dad, husband, Chief Steward, and student; taking two university courses per semester.  I am working toward a BA in Organizational Leadership from Regent University.   The Stewards Department have had a particularly busy season with the President of Guinea showing up on two hours notice, a luncheon for the US Ambassador, the first Lady of Guinea onboard last week, several Ambassadors' wives coming Monday as well as the Papal Nuncio, and a number of other smaller events and functions.  Not to mention the usual daily tasks of daily cleaning all public spaces of the vessel, preparing meals for around 600 people 3 times a day, maintenance of guest cabins and preparation of crew cabins, etc., etc., etc.   The managers of the five areas of the Stewards Department, whom I directly oversee, are doing a great job pushing forward in our mission of bringing hope and healing to the poor.  It is a privilege to lead them.  School is going well but requires a lot of time.  I made the Dean's List and continue to do well in courses. 

We are plugging along and grateful to the Lord for His continued blessings in our lives. 

God's Travelling Mercies and Grace

This is a crew announcement...

This is Grace, I am just writing this post in order to notify you that I have started my own blog. If you are interested in seeing it, please click here.

Through The Eyes of a Nine Year Old

I don't like to be nine very much because there's one more year before I can go around the ship by myself.  Natty and my other friends, who are already ten, can go up to deck 8 and the Town Square by themselves but I don't get to.

Sometimes kids who are not ten yet run around even though they aren't supposed to.  I don't like that.  It makes me feel a little bit annoyed because they aren't supposed to.  My parents tell me it's a ship rule and I have to follow it even if other kids don't and their parents don't make them.  Grrrrr. 

My mom and dad say that we need to set a good example and that the bible says we should obey people in charge.  I think that it would be fun if there didn't have to be older people in charge but I guess if there weren't then it would just be chaos.  I'm not exactly sure what that means but we did a game in PE and Mr. Calvert said it.  I think it means when everything is out of control and crazy (my sister added crazy). 

When I'm ten then I will be happy because I can go up to deck 8 by myself, I can go to the computer lounge by myself, and I can watch PG movies.  Oh yeah, then I get to have a later bedtime, too.  And birthday presents.   

But there are still some fung things to do now.  I like it when my parents take me places to play and hang out.  I also like to do PE and Drama in school.  They are fun subjects.  I like living on the ship because the classes are small and there aren't very many people.  Sometimes there are yummy things to eat.  It's fun that we get to sail to lots of different places.  And we get to be in new places but still have our house with us.  It'a also fun that we get to drive in Landrovers and go to African places.  Like last weekend we went to somebody's house.  My parents say that it was the house of the acting US Ambassador and his wife.  They invited us over to eat muffins and play in their pool.  I guess most kids don't get to hang out at the houses of people like that.  It's also fun that presidents and people like that come to our ship. 

- Malachi

Locking Shields

Today was one of those days.  You know the kind I mean.  I'll no go into details but suffice it so say that most of it revolves around being offended; either me offending others or them offending me.  It seems like 'taking offense' is spreading like the plague in the first few weeks of this field service and in times like this, when I am reflective and prayerful, it is so easy to see the hand of Satan at work encouraging 'offense' to create division and broken relationships.  A very wise friend shared a few days ago an image he had about all of us, in addition to putting on the Armor of God, needing to lock our shields together and advance as a team to that we all remain protected and the line unbroken.

Really, the things that offended me were not particularly major and allowing myself to be offended was a reflection of my lack of willingness to lay down my 'rights' and die to self.  It really isn't worth the energy to be offended and it certainly isn't worth the harm that it does to relationships. Choosing to be offended weakens the line and leaves others unprotected.

Will those of you who read this and are followers of Jesus please pray with me that the Lord would crush the spirit of offense in the crew of the Africa Mercy, that He would replace it with humility and a willingness to believe the best in others, and that we would live up to the admonition given in Galatians 6:9-10 - "So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith." (The Message).

Pressing On,
Peter

Guinea

Conakry, Guinea is our home for the next 9 months.  Guinea is a bit smaller than the state of Oregon with a population of just under 11 million.  Islam is the major religion, with approximately 85% of the population adhering to it.  The average life expectancy is 58 years. It is ranked 178 out of 187 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index.  Guinea is the second largest producer of bauxite in the world.  French is the official language but there are 24 other languages spoken in the country. 

The need for both the specialized surgeries that we provide and the light of Christ in the nation are quite evident.  We are looking forward to new adventures, personal growth, and to be used by the Lord to help accomplish His purposes in this country.

Malachi's class on arrival holding their Guinean flags.

The view of the dock toward the stern of the ship.

The view of the dock towards the bow of the ship.

Sunset over the harbor on the sea side of the ship.

Making Waves

We set sail from Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Thursday and are on our way to Conakry, Guinea, where we will spend 10 months sharing the love of Jesus with one another and those who we have been called to serve in the nation. 

Seas have been calm and it has been a great voyage so far.  We saw some whales off of the starboard beam today and then played sock golf in the afternoon (a bit tough to explain in writing). 

There are many aspects of living on a ship and doing what we do that are challenging and trying.  However, being at sea is something incredibly special and we are always reminded of our blessings as we sail. 

Here is the view of the sunset out of our cabin window the other day:

Soon...

I was appalled to see that it's been over a month since my last post, especially since my previous one promised BST pictures "soon".  Evidently, that's a relative term.  So here's a bit of a catch up.

BST Photos (thanks to Josh Young):

How not to handle a hoseline :)

 

Fake smoke - I promise.

After 12 days in Texas assisting the BST course Grace and I flew to the Seattle area for 6 days.  We had a great time connecting with family and friends.  Here is a photo of Grace with some of her cousins:

Canary Islands.  While Grace and I were in the United States, Dara and the boys had to move ashore because the Africa Mercy was in dry dock, which isn't a safe living environment for kids.  Mercy Ships obtained quite a number of donated and reduced rate hotel rooms on the south end of Gran Canaria.  They were in the hotel for 19 days.  They generally had a good time but 19 days is a long time to live out of a hotel room.

The hotel they stayed at.

They got to go bowling, which Xavier had never done before.

 That pretty much brings us to the end of our time in the Canary Islands.