The Africa Mercy

The long-term crew members here on the Anastasis are counting down the days until the new ship, the Africa Mercy, arrives in Monrovia in May. Apparently this has been a very long, trying journey. I believe I heard they have been praying and expecting this new ship to be ready to sail for almost 8 years! This was the ship I originally thought I would be serving on but, once again, it was not ready. There are apparently a lot of maritime rules and regulations that have be quite complex.
As I prepared for my trip to Mercy Ships they were really unable to tell me my final work dates here on the ship. They were still unsure if/when the Africa Mercy would be operational. Well, shortly after I arrived I found out that the final surgery date was the beginning of May. The ward is scheduled to close on May 8. Through much prayer I have debated as to how I should best use my time. I am welcomed to stay here on the ship and help with the “transition”- packing boxes and cleaning. I wrestled with this for a couple weeks and God has pointed me in another exciting direction.
So now…I am going to be leaving Mercy Ships on May 13 and flying to Accra, Ghana. There I will be working with missionaries whom I have been in touch. They are actually my good friend’s aunt and uncle. They served on Mercy Ships years ago and now have been working in Ghana as missionaries. In the process of my preparing for Mercy Ships Kirk and Christine have been a huge encouragement and gave me lots of inside information on Mercy Ships. I had only dreamt that I would ever be able to meet them while I am here in West Africa. Christine works as a nurse/teacher and I will be able to work with her at the school! I am so grateful for not only having the opportunity to experience Mercy Ships but also to experience living among the African people in a village in Ghana! Wow, to think that God had all this in store for me when I stepped on the plane a month ago. This is far exceeding my greatest expections! He continues to amaze me!