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Three o’clock in the afternoon was the set time to leave the ship. I went to reception, turned in the cabin keys, received back my passport and walked down the gangway. At the bottom of the gangway many crew members were waiting for me, so I thought. Well, there was a long-term crew leaving at the same time and their friends came to say farewell to them. The ship’s vehicle drove us to the water taxi, or should I say dodged forklifts, trucks and marine containers, we reached the place to board the water taxi, but it was not there waiting for us. Therefore, we waited and waited. After two hours under the West-African sun, we boarded the launch for the 50 minutes cross to the airport. We checked in twenty minutes before boarding the flight to Brussels. I sat down on my seat, the rush of adrenaline finally started to subside and I felt relived that we had made. I closed my eyes and said, Lord, you are good in reinforcing the lessons you are teaching me about patience and I have done good. ...

We had just come down the Africa Mercy gangway when Pr. Nathaniel Komba introduced himself. He learned that I came from Brazil, his eyes lightened and he said that his Discipleship Training School (DTS) leader in Guinea was a Brazilian. Pr. Nathaniel coordinates the Jesus Film. He told that the pastors are praying for the ministry of the Ship during her stay in Sierra Leone. The Ship Chaplain hears the pastors are praying invited them to come pray onboard each week. This field service has been difficult from the beginning problems on the screening day, lack of fuel and lack of water. We sure need many prayers.

Yesterday I went to the hospital in deck three looking for Clementine Tengue, the patient Chaplain. Nurses and patients walked up and down and in and out of doors in the port side hallway of the hospital. As I moved aft I faced a boy, twelve to thirteen years old, in a wheel chair, cast in his two legs from uncle to above his knees. He had a big smile in his face as if he was having the time of his life. I stopped and asked his name. I could barely understand “Mohamed”. I continue and asked, “How old are you?” He looked at me with a negative expression that I interpreted as if he did not understand the question. To my salvation, a passing by translator asked him in Creole, “He is asking how old you are?” The boy said something that I could not comprehend. The translator said: “He doesn’t know how old he is.” The boy who did not know how old he is, but his contentment shown in his face was contagious. I did not find Clementine; however, I left the hospital wandering the reasons for a bo...

Today was another busy day onboard the Africa Mercy. Life onboard runs 24/7, there is always someone working in the Engine Room, Deck or in the Hospital of course. Breakfast begins 6:30 AM, by 7:30 the dental teams are leaving the ship for the clinic off the ship. I think I am eating too much bread. There is a German backer that backer different kind of delicious bread for breakfast that I cannot resist. To compensate I go up and down three flat of stairs at least 10 times a day. The classroom is on deck seven and both my room and the dining room are on deck five. Today the ship received enough water for the Captain to release the laundry, but showers are still cold.

Friday the Captain restricted the use of water by closing the laundry and showers, cloth bath is permitted. Water consumption was higher that what is been supplied to the ship. Showers were liberated today, but just with cold water, hot water is off and the laundry is still closed. My two minutes shower today will be a cold one. Please keep the water situation in your prayers as the shortage of water can seriously affect the surgeries in the hospital. It takes between 24 to 48 hours to treat the water that goes into the ship’s tanks.

Friday evening I went with the Jesus Film team to a place not too far from where the Africa Mercy is docked called Gongowater. While we set up the equipment and the scream to show the film few people and children gathered around the place. When the film began, there was a crowd of about 400 people watching. One old man approach us to say that he had a cataract surgery onboard and had a follow up appointment next week. He had a big green on his face as he told us, “Now I can see”. Those who receives free surgery onboard the ship, many time want to show their appreciation, but do not know how. When they see us, they offer the most gratifying smile you can ever see. Today I went to the Word of Life church with Lawrence Adjei and a group from the ship. I preach about “God’s purpose for the family”. The church was in a nice building for the neighborhood standards. The worship songs are in Creole the day-to-day language in Free Town. The worship is a celebration. It is amazing to see how the...

Today is Saturday, for the second time I walked down the gangway. Yesterday evening I went with the Jesus Film team to show the film at Congowater. I will talk about that experience lather. On Tuesday, we prepared for the Crowd Management classes that started on Wednesday morning. The curriculum approved by Malta limit the number of students to 10 students per class. The first class was Wednesday 8 to 12 in the morning, Thursday 1 to 5 in the afternoon and yesterday 8 to 12 in the morning. Classes will resume Monday morning, Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. A distinguished characteristic of cities in the tropics is that people spend a good deal of time outside their home. Everyday there are many people on the streets of Free Town, but on Saturday, it seems that everyone come to the streets to buy and sell or just hung around. We left the ship at noon and could barely navigate through the sea of people. We stop first at the Cotton Tree that is one of the symbols on the establish...

The Free Town airport is located one side of the mount of a river and the Africa Mercy is docked in the port of Aberdeen in the other side. Normally it would take 15 minutes by shuttle and 50 minutes across the river by the water taxi. Well, we waited half hours for the shuttle. At the dock, the water taxi was too small for all of us, so a group went first and we waited for its return. We waited and waited. By now you already guessed what lesson number two is? Continue to be patient. After three hours another water taxi arrived, but had engine troubles. We waited for another taxi who took us to another dock where we switch to a smaller water taxi arriving on board around 11PM. However, the hospitality person was waiting for us with a nice meal, my cabin was nice and cold and I could take a warm shower. Therefore, it pays to be patient. Patience is a virtue that we exercised when things do not work according to our desires. James urges us, “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s c...

After four flights (Tyler – Dallas – New York – Brussels – Free Town) we arrived Sierra Leone, West Africa. Going through immigration was easy compared to getting our luggage in the baggage claim area. The baggage claim area soon became packed full after all passengers rightfully decided to pick up their luggage. With so many bodies together, the heat could not be left out and decided to join the party giving us a warm African welcome. At first, for a moment, I managed to get closer to the carrousel, but was pushed out further and further until I could no longue see what was going on the other side of the sea of people. At that point, I said to myself, “Why not be patient and wait for most people to get their bags, and then when things clear up and I get mine, my luggage is probably with the last batch”. Guess what? My luggage was one of the last one to show up. Lesson number one for a successful trip to Africa: be patient.

Mercy Ships partnership with SpecTec features on The Marine Executive web site. Click on this link to read the article. Mercy Ships uses SpecTec’s Asset Management Operating System – AMOS program the management of technical maintenance and administration of consumable, parts, and equipments. Since Monday, two SpecTec instructors are providing training to the Marine Operations staff here at the IOC in Texas.