want to come and help out?

Mercy Ships is in South Africa gearing up for our 2011 Field Service in Sierra Leone, and we need your help!

Our state-of-the-art hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, has sailed out of dry-dock. Teams are now hard at work completing the new generator installation. The long-term crew is eager to move back “home” and sail onto Sierra Leone for a life-changing field service.
 
We have a very unique opportunity for you—a short-term service in South Africa!  From January 8-28 we are in need of individuals ready for a physically challenging—yet highly rewarding—task. You will help us relocate the crew back on the ship, and prepare the ship for the upcoming Field Service. After two weeks of groundwork, you will get to sail for 1 week on the Africa Mercy around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa!

Can you think of a better way to kick off the new year than a three-week service trip to South Africa—and visiting one of the most beautiful countries in the world?

You would need to supply your own travel arrangements and a $200 Mercy Teams fee. Act now because spots will fill up fast for this once in a lifetime experience! Call or email Mercy Teams at (903) 939.7111 or mercyteams@mercyships.org.

working in the galley

Here is where Sarah is currently working:

 The cold prep area is at the back where Jesse and Sam are working, this is where Sarah usually works chopping salad and the like

 And this is the hot area, most of the cookers are not used as we don't have that many people to feed!

yes we saw jelly fish!

Sorry this is another blog about what the kids have been up to, the shipyard work is continuing as is teaching and cooking. On Friday the elementary school visited Ushaka Marine World. Josh was wanting to see the jellyfish, Tom the sharks and Sarah the clown fish! There was an outside dolphin show and a few sad looking penguins and lots of fish in the aquarium. Here are some pics from the day:

 Here are the grade ones and the seals (Megan, Libby, Daniel, Tom, Anna, Andre)

 We were watching the sharks, and then this enormous fish swam by!

 The octopus moved out just for us

 We have seen turtles in the ocean, but none this close!

 This is a bunch of fish! We didn't notice the brown one until someone pointed it out, it looks so much like a rock!

 Here they are - our elementary school!

making a joyful noise

This past weekend our boys were introduced to a little bit of South African culture that we would have been happy for them to miss out on. The Vuvuzela. Don't worry Ben, I'll keep my eyes open for one for our favourite football fan, I'm sure your Mum and Dad will LOVE it.

the new swimming pool...or maybe not...

Since we arrived there has been a drought in the area. We have been praying for rain. To be exact Tom has been praying 'Dear God, please let it rain so much that the ampitheatre will be full of water so that we can swim in it and so the sugar farms have enough water'. So who is for a swim?