SHE'S ON HER WAY!

AFRICA MERCY SETS SAIL FOR AFRICA

Today is a historic day in the life of Mercy Ships. The Africa Mercy has left England headed to Rotterdam for a 3 day visit before her 2 week sail to Liberia. If all goes as planned she will pull up along side us on the other side of the pier on May 21. Work here on the Anastasis is heating up with packing and shutting down of some services in order to give the crew the time to pack or palletize.

There have been hundreds of people come and go over the past 8 years to get this ship ready to meet the needs of those in Africa. From a rail ferry to the world's largest non-governmental hospital ship. There has been much blood, sweat and tears poured into her by the faithful servants God has called. Even if they are not on the ship today sailing her it is only possible because of their labor of love. Eight operating theatres and 78 bed ward, CT scanner, X-ray, dental clinic and a capacity for 440 crew members take a lot of work to load her with all the supplies that have been collected over the past 8 years. The crew had 4 weeks to bring it all aboard which necessitated work days of 14 hours. Everyone had to work in all areas including packing, cleaning, galley, unpacking. Now they have about 20 days of a sail ahead of them only to get to Liberia and have another 4 weeks of off loading this ship to the new. It will take many many months to get everything in order and working as we expected. The hospital is the first area we want up and running because surgeries start again in June.

There were a lot of certifications this crew had to go through as well as our equipment. Here you see one of the lifeboats that would carry crew to safety if it were necessary.

Wella hairsalons of Newcastle provided free haircuts to our hardworking crew before they set sail in one of the public areas of our ship. Wella has been very supportive and have donated a year worth of hair care products for the on-board hairsalon.

This past Friday Robert and I went to Ricks Institute, a Baptist Missionary school out near the Christian Orphanage and Agricultural Project. We are working with the school to get the older children an education. When the children found out we had followed up on our word to see how we can get them enrolled in school next year there was a huge Yippee! They know it God who is answering their prayers. They will have to take placement tests to find out what grade they are eligible for. I am working with the kids to form a study group in order to show them how they can help themselves and their family to succeed and then show them their responsibility does not end when they graduate - - but continues to the smaller ones in the orphanage as they grow up and need to go to school. We are attempting to instill in them an attitude of working together for the betterment of all, this is a foriegn concept in Africa. You can see the light bulbs going off in the boys minds as I talk about this. We are so excited to get this program off the ground and although it is working with one person at a time that is the only way the country of Liberia will change, one person at a time.

Thank you for your love and support. Please write and let us hear from you.

MORE PICTURES: http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=92780&cdate=20070504

PRAYER NEEDS

- Safety of the crew on the Africa Mercy as she sails to Liberia

- Rest and renewal for the crew of both ships

- Unity of all crew, keeping short accounts during a time of intensity

- Healing for Susan's back still a prayer need

Blessings to all of you,

Robert & Susan Blanchard

Liberia, West Africa