What Does Golf and Telecommunications Have in Common?

What does golf and telecommunications have in common you ask? Here is our IT group putting together our telecommunications satellite which will keep us connected to you via internet and telephone line. And you think putting the toys together at Christmas is a chore!

After they put it together off site they brought it into the shipyard past all the cheering Mercy Ship Crew. Here is Marcel from IT beaming with pride. Good job guys.

We were all very pleased to be able to witness the lifting of the staellite onto the ship and the placing of this giant golf ball onto it's resting place. Guess who welding the anchoring brackets in place to sustain this structure securely? You got it, our very own Robert. Unfortunately, he didn't let me know he was doing it until after he was done or we would have gotten pictures for you.

At times it appears the work is going quickly and then other times not so much. There is just a tremendous amount of work to pull this entire project together and every day is an adventure. We never know where we will be asked to serve. Flexibility is the "F" word in Mercy Ships and we are certainly learning to be just that. Some days we do what we pay to do, other days we are scrubbing, cleaning, packing warehouses - all vital things to get this ship gone.

We have not received word we may be in England till late summer. That was not good news for anyone here. All of us are biting at the bit to get to Africa, to get this project behind us and look forward to the multitudes of people that are waiting for God's ship to arrive. Every day we are in the shipyard there is another baby born with cleft lip and dying from malnutrition or others dying from the operable tumors that sufficate them to death. Please Lord, release us from here and set us about the work you have called us to.

PRAYER POINTS

• For the morale of the crew. There is a lot of disappointment, frustration and weariness amongst the crew. Many talk of leaving.
• For the leadership of our ministry to have a great sense of awareness about the spiritual battle we are in and guard and protect the ministry from every side
• Pray protection over the crew against depression and sickness
• Pray for finances for the ship project as well as all crews' personal finances - the strain of living here financially is taking its toll on many.