'nough said.

I should really dedicate this to Jon Riley, he is usually the one sharing what he is listening to while writing to us in the cave (If you don't understand what I'm talking about, don't worry).

I was just listening to this from "Magnificent" by Matt Redman:

You are higher than we ever could imagine
And closer than our eyes could ever see
You are...

Magnificent, You alone are holy
No one else as glorious as You
Magnificent, Jesus You are worthy
Who can shine as brightly as You do?
Magnificent
You're so magnificent
Magnificent
You're so magnificent

'Nough said, right?

God bless,

Ben

Encore! Encore!

Once again on the bow, it's just a nice place to contemplate life during the sail.
Hannah's reading her book (the one she isn't really enjoying but won't stop reading) and I was about to pull out my Bible (ok my iBible).
The waves have picked up a bit overnight although the sailing is still quite smooth. I thought I would test uploading a video, this is us slapping and bulldozing our way through the waves. Like the splash?
Hoping for the rest of the crew it stays smooth, I secretly enjoy the rough sails though.. I'll keep you all posted.
God bless,
Ben


ps I was joking around with the idea this morning of buying a big ship and just living with all our family and friends while we sail around the world, let me know if you're interested and I'll reserve you a spot :)

Dronnig Ingrid

Today's picture once again comes to you from the bow of the ship (if by now you still don't know where the bow is in a ship then I am sure that Google will find you the answer).

This is looking back towards the ship and along the top you can see the bridge. Underneath that you can just make out the words Dronnig Ingrid. These were painted over many moons ago, but this was the original name of the Africa Mercy.
This ship was originally a train ferry in Denmark; used to shuttle whole trains from one island to the next. Like the Dronnig Ingrid name on the front there are still clues to be found around the ship to its working past. Who would have thought all those years ago, sitting in your ferry in Denmark that that same ship would one day become the worlds largest non governmental hospital, a tool in Gods mission to the world.
Who would have thought..

God bless,
Ben

Take a bow.

This picture comes to you from just of the coast of north west Africa. The sail to Guinea is a day and a half in and all smooth so far.
The picture might be hard to make out but it is Hannah sitting out on the bow (front bit) of the ship reading after dinner. It's quite relaxing to sit outside surrounded by nothing but ocean on every side.
Hopefully we'll get out here a fair amount this weekend, we obviously can't go 'off ship' so the pace of life slows down outside of work hours. Not bad really :)
Hope you all are well.
God bless and happy sails,
Ben

Behind the wheel

Time for tea?

An evening reading, blogging and drinking tea.. It's a tough life being a missionary :)

1 week (and counting of course)

So Hannah and I have been back onboard for a whole week now; and talk about hitting the ground running!

Hannah has been working hard.. but not nursing.. As there is currently no hospital up and running (as we are still in Tenerife before sailing to Guinea in a weeks time) she has been working in the Stewards department. The Stewards department takes care of cleaning the communal areas, hallways, crew kitchen, public bathrooms etc on the ship. This is pretty hard graft and although at face value not the most glamourous jobs, it is maybe one of the most important. It is these seemingly 'unimportant' job that actually end up being filled by people that serve hard and in the background.

It is only temporary, Hannah will be back nursing very soon. 

While my wife spends her days scrubbing hard I seem to have ended up mostly behind a desk.

The Principal handover started as soon as we arrived and I have been truly blessed by the willingness walk me through the countless process that have always gone unnoticed by me as teaching staff.

We continue to ask for your prayers as we plug into our respective position and rediscover what makes this vessel run again.

I know God answers prayer, and therefore I know you are all held in His hands.

God bless,

Ben

And just cause you should know by now that I'm a lyrics person, this is the one that stuck with me this week:

"And God let us be
A generation that seeks-
That seeks your face
Oh God of Jacob
And God let us be
A generation that seeks-
That seeks your face
Oh God of Jacob"

"Give Us Clean Hands" by MercyMe