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The restoration of the old building is complete; the transformation is remarkable, new roof, electrical wires, doors and windows in place. Village workers assisted by the Africa Mercy team worked on the construction of a new building that will be the new clinic while the renovated old building will serve as a ward. At the same time in the community garden that last April was just empty vegetable beds, now produces pees, peanut, corn, lettuce, and tomatoes. The good news is being preached to the poor. Before & After

A privilege of being onboard the Africa Mercy in Liberia is the fresh tropical fruits served during the meals. One of the fruits being served this week is papaya. The suit taste comes because the fruit stays on the tree until it is almost ripe, which allows it to develop a natural suitness. Growing up in Rio we at e papaya several ways; unripe papaya cooked on coconut, papayas shake, and the best of all was papaya topped with sugar. One summer, in my grand mother’s house in tall papaya tree, between the papayas, one particular papaya catches my attention. That papaya was yellow while the others were green. On a tropical fruit tree green means stop it is not ripped yet, but yellow means go for it. Didn’t take me long to find a bamboo to knock the yellow papaya down. There was only one problem; I was not supposed to take fruit from the trees without my grand mother’s permission, so I came up with a plan. I walked around the house, as if I was minding my own business, returning to the...

Dinner onboard for tired travelers The trip from Texas to West Africa was long, but good. All flights were on time and my luggage arrived without problems. Two other crew members were not so fortunate; they had a delay in Chicago missing the fight from Brussels to Liberia . It doesn ’t take much for things to go wrong on international flights. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the end of the civil war in Liberia . The 14 years war killed 200,000 people and displaced many others. The new pavement on the road from Roberts International Airport to the Africa Mercy in the port of Monrovia stopped half way; from that point on the ride is not as pleasant as it was before that point. A Chinese firm has a contract to repair the road, but much of the work stopped because the raining season. I thing the Chinese are watching the Olympics Games like everyone onboard the ship. There are four TV scream spread in ...

Previously I wrote 25 things I learned, following are top 25 things I’m thankful for since we joined Mercy Ships in no particular order: I’m thankful for God, who entrusted me with the expansion of his Kingdom. I’m thankful for Carla, my wife who has followed me to the ends of the earth, when the only reasonable explanation was that God had told me to go. I’m thankful for my daughters, Cassia, Tamar and Queila who lived onboard a ship for the first 10 years of their lives and think they had a great childhood. I’m thankful for God’s faithfulness in supplying all we needed. I’m thankful because God’s power is perfect in our weakness. I’m thankful for those who supported us in prayer and giving. I’m thankful because God restored my toe after a 4 ton piece of generator ran over my foot. I’m thankful for the person who prayed for my toe, when the doctor told that it needed to be amputated after the 4 ton generator ran over...