Day 12

Heading into the 12th day of the sail we've had to make an unscheduled stop in Cape Town to take on fuel. I'm happy to just be sitting still. The last few days of the sail have been rough, specifically Monday night. I began to question God's calling on my life. :) "Have you really called me to a ship?" I began to ask Him as I lay flat on my back. Sea sickness is a horrible feeling, especially when you know there's no end in sight. Oh, the cost of being a missionary!

But then I'm reminded of all the benefits of being a missionary on a ship. Besides this wonderful community I live in with over 35 different nations working on board, I get to see scenes like below and travel to places that otherwise I would never have an opportunity to go. More importantly, knowing I'm in God's will for this time in my life and sharing His love with people outweighs any of the struggles.



As I enjoy the scenery of Table Mountain with friends and the beauty of the sunrise, I am thankful for God's creation. We should be underway in a few hours and arrive in East London Friday morning.

Day 10

Day 10 into the sail and I woke up this morning knowing something was different. The past few days at sea the water has been like glass but today I have to hold onto my desk as I type this since my office chair has wheels on it. People are moving all over the office!

As we approach the southern tip of the continent the seas are definitely rougher and the anticipation of arrival on Thursday night has just increased tremendously.

We have been able to see some beautiful wildlife on this sail. Dolphin, whales, flying fish, and today before it got really rough these 2 guys were playing off port side:



I need to get off the computer now. I don't do well in waters like this.

Liberia: Scenes and Signs

I've made a set of photos that show some of my favorite and not so favorite scenes from Liberia here. This was a country rich in resources and beauty, fourteen years of civil war has changed some of that.

Many of the photos were taken by Scott, our ship's photographer. Thanks Scott for all your work you did this year, you are missed.

Crossing the Equator

I'm still sailing and early this morning we sailed over the Equator. Yes, at 1:00am we passed into the southern hemisphere. I was sleeping but I don't think anything monumental happened. I did wake up at about 1:00 but I think that had more to do with all the water I drank last night before going to bed.

Sorry, there's nothing more exciting to report about this event but I have included a Fun Fact about the equator and a cross the equator traveling riddle.

And I have a riddle of my own: how can someone experience three seasons (Spring, Summer, and Winter) in three days without ever leaving their home?


Answer: I just did it. June 20th was Spring, the 21st Summer, and on the 22nd it is Winter because I am now in the southern hemisphere and I never left my home.

We're Sailing!

Yesterday at 1330 the Anastasis left Liberia to head south to South Africa. As we embark on this 13 day sail please pray for safety, smooth seas, and an anointing on all the technical crew.

Beginning the Goodbyes

After driving through Monrovia traffic for 45 minutes, I pulled off the main road to the familiar rocky dirt road and arrived at the Victory Outreach Church. This has been my classroom for the past 2 months where I've been teaching an adult literacy class and at the same time training local teachers to take over the class.

When I turned off the engine to my Land Rover I heard loud voices saying, "Janjay, Janjay." Janjay is my Bassa name that I've warmly recieved and answer to it as easy as I answer to my American name. I am told it means mercy or one who does good. I'm honored they have given me this name.

This day was the day of the official good-bye party. I was unable to attend the previous class due to some tranportation problems and I could tell that they had missed me. I started the class with review and was thrilled in what they had learned. I'll never forget their faces when they read their first word without my help or when they sounded out and read a sentence for the first time, "this oil is hot".

After about an hour of teaching, we began the the good-bye party. I was told to sit down as they had a program already planned. There were testimonies from students about what I meant to them, songs about God's faithfulness sung and then they presented me with a beautiful dress. We ate and I gave each of them some gifts along with a Bible. I told them my prayer and God's desire is that one day they will be able to read God's word for themselves.

As the ship prepares to leave this Friday I have begun saying goodbye. Cecilia, Martha, Mary, Neta, Sarah, Martha Y, Jacob, Josephine, Hannah, Eric, Emma, John, Doris, Maime, Princess, Teta, and Johnetta, I won't forget you and I know our Father in heaven will never forget you. May He continue to increase your capacity to learn.

Promise Update

A couple of months ago I wrote about Promise and her son BK. I have gone back to visit them and they appear to be doing well. When I go I'm never sure what to expect, what condition BK will be in if he's still alive. It was good to see them both and BK seems to be getting stronger. The swelling in his head has gone down some. When I asked Promise about it she said that she takes him to the church every week to have people pray for him. She is encouraged that the swelling has gone down. I am encouraged too but am worried because he is not responsive like I see other 8-month old babies; it seems that there is some neurological damage. After talking to some medical professionals, they say that the swelling can go down but he still may not have long to live.



This is where faith and what some may say 'reality' clash. I am encouraged that she is going to the church for prayer. I have seen miraculous healing take place and know it can happen, but is that's what is going on here? Do I want to get Promise's hopes up when the the medical professionals say there is a good chance her baby will die?

Mark 9:23-24 "....Everything is possible for him who believes." .... "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

A Room with a View

Through my porthole in my cabin I have seen some breathtaking scenes. From sunsets and sunrises (well not so many sunrises, I'm not a morning person) on the open sea to the beautiful mountains of the Faroe Islands to dolphins playing alongside the ship.

For the last few months this has been my view. It seems this ship has been docked in the port of Monrovia for over 3 years. It's a cargo ship and while unloading, the weight distribution was not done correctly. All the cargo shifted to one side and fell into the harbor. You can see the effect it had on the ship!

Day of Prayer for Children at Risk

Tomorrow, June 4th, is the Day of prayer for children at risk.

It's "a call to pray for transformation in the lives of children at risk around the world. Nearly 30,000 children per day die before their fifth birthday, and those who survive face a host of threats as they grow up. Millions are denied education, are at risk of disease because of lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation, and fall into exploitative work or worse forms of abuse. More than 16 per cent of children worldwide are severely malnourished. And the spread of HIV/AIDS has left around 15 million children under 18 orphaned - eight out of ten of them in sub-Saharan Africa."

Please remember to pray for the children in Liberia along with the rest of sub-Sharan Africa, like the children in West Darfur.

Lamentations 2:19 Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street.