Looking Back, Sailing Ahead

This past Monday we left the country of Benin. The departure was delayed a week due to technical problems but we are underway now heading towards Liberia. Late into the first night of sailing, somwhere off the coast of Togo, a fire alarm went off on the ship. As the group I' m with mustered outside it was very quiet and pitch black. We do drills at least once a month and every time we set sail, but this was the real thing. There was a fire in the engine room, which can be a little scary when you are out in the middle of the ocean. Praise God it was contained quickly and we were able to return to our cabins around midnight. And as I was writing this another alarm went off. There was another fire in the engine room but it was quickly contained. We would appreciate your prayers for the technical crew on board and for protection.

As the ship departed from the dock in Benin, I had bittersweet emotions. This is the third time I have been to Benin with the Anastasis so I had made close friends that I said good-bye to, but I also felt it was time to move on. I know God is calling us to the war-torn country of Liberia. I will give an update soon on the final statistics from our 4 months in Benin.

Right now the ship is off the Ivory Coast. We stopped this afternoon and anchored as we waited for a ship to come and refuel(photo) and are back underway. Our expected arrival into Monrovia, Liberia is Friday morning.