The Lights of Tenerife Can Be Seen On The Horizon

It's hard to get a good shot when the ship is still rocking!

After 11 days at sea and the last two of those days having been a bumpy ride, we are excited to see the lights of Tenerife off in the distance.  We have rocked and rolled around due to large swells caused by a storm out over The Azores.  Although we tied down before the sail, when we get swells of this size the tying down has to go to another level.  This we did with some success, but not complete success!  We had a table topple over not just once but 180 degrees so it ended up with the legs sticking up in the air.  We had a cupboard topple over, the waste bin fall and spew out all of its contents which were then rocked and rolled all around the lounge.  It was not the prettiest site to find in the middle of the night!

Mercy Ships Academy Christmas Play 2009

FROM MERCY SHIP --> EXPRESS TRAIN!!

Josh, as the conductor calls "All Aboard....the Bethlehem Express"!

Despite the rolling waves, The AFM community all gathered last night in the International Lounge for the Academy Christmas Performance.  This years performance was an AFM take on "The Polar Express" called "The Bethlehem Express"  In this story the train takes them to Bethlehem where the passengers get to see the Nativity scene (pictured below)

Josh had the leading role of the conductor and gave a stunning performance, Emma sang a couple of great solos and Chris was on lighting.  At the end of the show all three of them performed in the final dance routine.

EMMA SINGS:  "Joyful, Joyful, we adore Thee...."

 

The standard of the show was amazing. You would never think it possible to pull off something so GREAT, having only started practicing in the last week.

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And now on our final evening at sea, while still rolling, we eagerly anticipate our arrival into our berth in Santa Cruz around 8am tomorrow morning.  We will no doubt be anxious to get off the ship and wander the beautiful town just 15 minutes walk away from the ship.

On Sunday afternoon we leave the ship for a month and fly home to England.  Heather (Bren's sister) & Dave, Victoria, Ellie & Zoe have already landed in England on Thursday, all the way from Australia and we are very excited to be meeting up with them on Monday along with Bren's dad & sister Gill.

We pray God's blessings on all for a Wonderful, Joyful Christmas & a Peaceful New Year 2010.

We Are Sailing!

On Tuesday 8th December at approximately 11am the line handlers lifted the lines and we pulled out of the harbour in the Port of Cotonou, Benin which has been home to the Africa Mercy and it's 400+ crew for the last 10 months.

Mercy Ships, Managing Director of the Africa Mercy , Ken Berry, expressed gratitude at a recent "Thank You" function to the Benin government and local community, whose partnerships have made the 2009 Field Service a success.  "We've had a very good year here in Benin - far more people than we had anticipated and certainly more than we have in the past," said Ken Berry.  "All the various government ministries have been very important in opening the doors and making a way for us to come and operate here as we do. All we were able to accomplish is a direct result of the partnership of everyone working together to reach out and touch the people of Benin. I'd like to thank each and every one."

The Minister of Interior and Public Safety responded, saying, "I would like to say 'thank you' to all the crew of the ship. Because of your stay in the country, thousands of citizens received the joy of life again. Thank you very much for all you have done."

Almost 7,000 surgical procedures were performed on the Africa Mercy during the ten-month field service in Benin.

We leave Benin behind thankful for all that has been accomplished and for the many lives transformed and we pray that God will continue to touch lives as not only physical wounds and disabilities were healed, but also emotional, mental and spiritual healing took place.  The joy this brings is also mixed with sadness as we leave behind the many Beninoise friends we have made during this field service.

So now we are sailing and enjoying the beauty of God's creation in the oceans and in the skys.   Five days in to our sail we have seen flying fish, plenty of dolphins and some orca whales.



Two nights ago we had the spectacular display of a water spout (water tornado) from ocean to sky.

The two pics below show Andy and I enjoying the lovely calm sail, from up on the Bridge.  It was a balmy evening with a lovely warm ocean breezing blowing.  Emma is pictured in the breeze with friend Liz enjoying time on the bow of the ship.

PRESIDENT'S DINNER AT PALACE FIVE MEDALS AWARDED

PRESIDENT'S DINNER AT PALACE FIVE MEDALS AWARDED
Originally uploaded by MercyWatch

The Africa Mercy crew were invited for dinner by President Thomas Yayi Boni at the President's palace.
There were five medals presented (17 November) at the Palace.
Don Stephens - Commandeur de l'Ordre National du Benin, Deyon Stephens - Commandeur de l'Ordre National du Benin, Dr. Glenn Strauss - Commandeur de l'Ordre National du Benin. Also congratulated by the President was Dr. Gary Parker who had already been made a Commandeur de l'Ordre National du Benin in 2001 by President Mathieu Kerekou which was Mercy Ships second visit to this nation. This is Benin's highest medal and it can only be received once in a lifetime. Daslin Small Oueounou was made - Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Benin. Ken Berry was made - Officier de l'Ordre National du Benin.
Both Andy & Emma were selected to go up and congratulate the Mercy Ships recipients of these awards.  It was a wonderful event and  such an honour for us all.
To view a series of wonderful photos taken at this event click on the slide show link below:
Presidential Dinner Slideshow

Appreciation and Thanks for Day Volunteers

During every field service in an African nation, Mercy Ships employs local men and women to work as day-volunteers onboard the Africa Mercy. By doing so, Mercy Ships provides beneficial job opportunities to hundreds, who in turn give their all in serving Mercy Ships and helping to bring hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor.
More than 200 day-volunteers were employed during the 2009 Benin Field Service. Each day-volunteer is assigned to a department where they share their skills and expertise to assist in maintaining the ship or to help Mercy Ships complete its objectives. From Deck and Engineering, to Communications, to Crew Services, to Medical, to Food Services, to Programs - each day-volunteer provides a necessary and valuable service for Mercy Ships.
Many friendships are formed between crew and day-volunteers, and these relationships often remain strong even after Mercy Ships departs a country. Some day-volunteers even decide to extend their service by becoming crew members onboard the Africa Mercy. James Soumanou is one such individual.
James first heard about Mercy Ships back in 1998 when the organization visited his country of Benin. He realized then that Mercy Ships was where his heart wanted to be. With the financial support of two crew members, he completed a DTS (Discipleship Training School) in Ghana. In 2000, James joined the Anastasis as short-term crew, working in the galley.
During this year's field service, several men and women who served with Mercy Ships in previous visits to Benin returned to work onboard the world's largest non-governmental hospital ship. James also returned to Mercy Ships, working as a day-volunteer in Reception . After a successful ten months in this position, he has decided to commit as long-term crew. "I enjoy working in Reception. I have learned a lot doing this job," James explained. "I have met wonderful people while working here. It is why I applied to work in this department as crew."
As the field service comes to its conclusion, a celebration was recently held onboard the Africa Mercy to honor the hard work of the many day-volunteers. Each received a certificate of appreciation and enjoyed a plentiful meal with crew members. The event involved a time of worship and celebration, during which the International Lounge onboard the Mercy Ship came alive with music, singing, and dancing. Speeches of thanks were given by Managing Director Ken Berry and Captain Tim Tretheway, followed by responses from representatives of the day-volunteers.
"Each of you filled a vitally important position to enable Mercy Ships to serve as many people as it did this field service," said Ken Berry. "You are all well-known, well-thought of, and well-thanked today. I bring that to you on behalf of all Mercy Ships."
Written by Richard Brock
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photographed by PJ Accetturo & Richard Brock

James Soumanou of Benin worked onboard the Africa Mercy as a day-volunteer in Reception during the 2009 Field Service. James has enjoyed the experience so much that he has decided to commit to Mercy Ships as a long-term crew member.

Keith Brinkman of the USA, Programs Administrator, welcomes crew and day-volunteers during the day-volunteer farewell ceremony.




Crew members and day-volunteers danced and sang in joyous celebration in the International Lounge onboard the Africa Mercy.

The event was concluded with a time of fellowship between day-volunteers and crew.  Brenda pictured in green in the centre of the stair case with Andy & another crew member, then began reading out the 200 names in groups of 10 so that we could systematically disembark our day volunteers.

The Galley Onboard the Africa Mercy

The Africa Mercy has almost 400 hundred crew members serving onboard.  The crew is extremely diverse, coming from over 30 countries and ranging in age, profession, and length of service.  But they share a commonality - everyone needs to eat.  In West Africa, access to food supplies is limited, and most crew members don't have personal space for food storage onboard.  Various jobs on the ship have immediate and time-consuming needs, which don't allow time for food preparation.    
Fortunately, the Galley has taken on the challenge of meeting the nutritional needs of the crew. Every day, a staff of 20 prepares 900 hot meals, which are served onboard the Africa Mercy.   They begin preparing food at 8 AM every morning, including weekends,  and continue until 7 PM. 
"We feed all crew members living on the ship, the Beninese day workers, and the patients in the hospital," said Galley manager Jesse Mitchell.  "It's such a big responsibility because food is such an important part of people's lives.  Eating a good meal can really make your day."

Professionally trained as a chef, Mitchell is utilizing his culinary skills as Galley Manager on the Africa Mercy.  Mitchell is responsible for planning the weekly menu, ordering supplies, and managing the galley staff.  As galley manager, he has faced several challenges unique to the Africa Mercy environment.  One example is planning menus to accommodate the international crew and their varied taste preferences.
"It is very hard because there is absolutely no way you can please everyone.  We have over 30 nationalities living onboard, and everyone likes and wants something different.  I try to give people options with salads, fruit, and sandwiches.  There is enough that I think people can find something," said Mitchell.
Also, while the Africa Mercy is docked in West Africa, access to food supplies is limited. Utilizing available supplies and incorporating local resources to generate appetizing, nutritionally balanced meals requires both careful planning and creativity.
"In West Africa, you can't just say, 'I would like to have this spice or food product' and have it.  You can order it, but it may not arrive for three months," said Mitchell.  "I have to carefully plan the menus, keeping in mind the quantities of the items available in our storeroom."
Although it can be challenging and sometimes stressful, Mitchell has really enjoyed serving on the Africa Mercy.
"I never thought I could use my culinary skills for missions.  I always wanted to serve in Africa, but I didn't see myself in a traditional missionary type of role.  When I heard about Mercy Ships, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to go, do my job, and serve God overseas.  I'm making a difference in the world, and working here has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life."
The work of the Galley staff often goes unseen.  However, without their consistent dedication, the Africa Mercy would be unable to bring hope and healing to the lives of thousands.
"When someone has had a long day, a good meal can mean a lot to them.  Sometimes crew come to dinner exhausted and tired from the day.  Several times, the OR staff has expressed how grateful they were for a good meal after a long day of surgery.  It's an amazing privilege to have such influence on people's lives," said Mitchell.  Written by Megan Petock
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by PJ Accetturo




The Galley crew prepare for the lunch-rush an hour before it is served. Pictured, Samuel Slennett in Orange Hat (England, Assistant Cook)

Every day, the Galley staff prepares 900 hot meals for the crew and patients onboard the Africa Mercy.

"We feed all crew members living on the ship, the Beninese day workers, and the patients in the hospital," said Galley manager Jesse Mitchell.  "It's such a big responsibility because food is such an important part of people's lives.  Eating a good meal can really make your day."

Eddie Wong of Canada is pictured with several of the hundreds of loaves of bread baked on the Africa Mercy every week.

Galley Manager Jesse Mitchell prepares food in the Galley onboard the Africa Mercy. Pictured right
"When I heard about Mercy Ships, I knew it as the perfect opportunity to go, do my job, and serve God overseas.  I'm making a difference in the world, and working here has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life," said Mitchell.