The path less travelled

Enjoying a chilled evening on a small hidden beach.

I have always enjoyed the idea of exploring life off the beaten track, the prospect of adventure excites me and the idea of finding something new which few others have seen inspires me. I think it has alot to do with getting into God’s creation, learning about and enjoying the presence of our Creator in his creation. At times it is great to go at it yourself as there are no distractions, but at the end of the day it is always more enjoyable to share the experience, even if it is in silence, with another like-minded adventurer. This week I looked up and realised that I am surrounded by like-minded adventurers and friends.


Ship Life
I have moved onto ship for two weeks. A number of families have gone home, wherever that is for them, for the ship’s school summer holidays. This has left a number of free cabins and beds on ship. I have moved into a three birth cabin. This means there are three beds in this cabin. While this is spacious compared to a ten birth cabin, compared to my thirty square meter room back at the off ships team house, my four square meters of personal space is pretty cramped. I am enjoying life on ship. It is really nice not having to start and end the day with a manic drive through what is equivalent to the Durban beachfront on New Year’s day with taxis and mad motorcyclists thrown in.


Birthday Celebrations

I was surprised for my birthday by being seated in the middle of a restaurant and being sung to.

I was wondering what it would be like having my birthday on ship, away from my family and friends back home, and for that matter, anybody who has known me for more than two months. Being the type of guy who is pretty casual with birthdays (ask my family, it drives some of them crazy), I wasn’t expecting much. It turns out it was one of my most enjoyable birthdays ever. I opened my cabin door and someone had put balloons all around it. Another person had put a big Happy Birthday sign on the opposite and yet others had left cards and biscuits. I dodged the lunch time happy birthday song in the dining hall by doing some work at the team house, but got hit twice as hard that evening. We went to salsa dancing, as we normally do, but this night was different. Yes, in hindsight, it was pretty obvious that there would be a party there for me, but like I said I was not expecting the fuss. My Mercy Ships friends sat me in the middle of a busy restaurant and came in singing my praises and carrying a BIG birthday cake. It was a great evening.

She is Belgian and and she Loves Chocolate.

It was also really great to get a bunch of calls from back home in SA and great email and facebook messages. I felt very loved.
My dad used to joke that, when I turned four he was jumping up and down on my Mom’s stomach to try get Simone out on my birthday. She however decided the tenth of July would suit her better. So a few days after my birthday I called my sister for her birthday and was again chatting with family and a good friend who was there as well. It was a good week.

Going where no Mercy Shipper has gone before

While exploring driving through the bush to a beach I found this Chameleon.

My friend Lourens is a great guy. As he is South African, this goes without saying . One day while a bunch of people were lying around on the beach he took a Landrover and went driving. He headed down a dirt track, crossed soccer fields, forged rivers and squeezed through bushes. At the end of the track, which was pretty much a foot path, he and his Landy found a little known beach. On Saturday we loaded up two Landies and headed out to this beach. We dodged chameleons, flying firewood and rice paddies and parked on the beach. A fire was started and we spent the evening roasting sausages and stick bread, drinking warm coke, practicing 4x4 skills and swimming. It was a great chilled evening. A brilliant way to end a great week.

We parked the Landies on the beach and enjoyed a chilled evening braaiing, swimming  and just having a good time.

Generators, Incinerators, Tumours and Scar Tissue
Life is not all about sitting on beaches, catching chameleons and dancing. Believe it or not I also worked this last week. The generators at the HOPE (Hospital Out Patient Extension) centre have been giving problems and one of the things I have been doing is sourcing new parts. I have also been researching incinerator construction. While out and about on one of these trips a father gave me a picture of his little girl who had been badly burnt on her arm. The scar tissue had contracted, fusing her arm to her side. I was also given a photo of a man who has a huge tumour on his head. I took these two photos, amongst many others, to the doctors. They agreed to slot them in and it was surprisingly satisfying calling up the father and letting him know we could help his little girl.

This week has been a relaxed week of researching incinerators, generators and doing odd jobs

Small Group and Worship
When I first arrived on the ship I was a little concerned about my spiritual growth. I was not fellowshiping in a small group and was feeling a bit spiritually dry. I have, however, recently slotted into a home cell with a great bunch of guys who keep each other accountable. I am really glad about this as I find I always grow the most in a small group environment. I am also regularly meeting up with a bunch of people on the top deck of the ship, or on the key side to enjoy the sunset, worship, pray and relax together. We call it the sunset club. It’s a bit cheesy, but its great. I am looking forward to see how God grows me and these groups over the next few months.

Enjoying the sunset at the end of the quay.

Conclusions and prayer needs
It has been a fairly relaxed week work wise, but spiritually and personally I think it has been very productive. Please keep me in your prayers. Pray that God will daily guide and lead me. Pray for spiritual and physical protection over the ship and its crew and finally pray that what we are doing here will be continued and that our stay here will be a catalyst for revival that will continue long after the ship leaves the dock.