Cruise Director Kathy Long . . .

Last summer as Matt and I sailed with the Africa Mercy

from Togo to Tenerife,

Kathy Long was our "Cruise Director"

planning a variety of fun activities for a ten-day sail.

My heart resonates with what she shares on this video.

I hope yours will, too!

JESSICA . . .

I first met Jessica when she was in the 6th grade.

I was her Sunday school teacher.

By the time she was in seventh grade

she became one of our very favorite baby sitters.

In eighth grade her dad was deployed to Iraq

and she became my employee at ISD 196

teaching swimming lessons with me.

One year, Jessica came and helped me set up Sam's classroom.

Another year, I drove her to her junior prom.

I sent her cards every month her first year at Bethel

and today . . .

I celebrated her wedding with her!

Congratulations Jon and Jessica Busch!

May God richly bless your lives together!

TRANSFORMED

"People with deformities cannot live in the community.

They are ashamed and they hide.

When the great healing from Mercy Ships happens to them,

it shows them, and everyone,

that it does not matter what you look like today -

there is always hope."

-Alpha Conde

President of Guinea

Define "Sail"

I taught CPR for the Professional Rescuer and First Aid Courses today at the Wayzata Yacht Club.  Now, for those of you not familiar with Wayzata - let's just say it's a much wealthier neighborhood than the one I live in.  

The first (eighty-year-old female) student to arrive today was telling me a bit about the yacht club when all of a sudden she looked at me with a rather surprised look and said a bit disdainfully, "Don't you sail?"  I replied from the brokenness in my heart as I was surrounded with wealth beyond belief, "I sailed ten days last summer with a medical hospital ship in Africa."  

Snarky Comment of the Day:  I've seen cleaner bathrooms in Africa!   

Guinea Slide Show

Check out this slide show of the Guinea Field Service by our friend Josh Callow.  You'll need to cut and paste to make it work because no matter what I did, I couldn't get it to download on our blog.  While 90 slides may seem like a lot, believe me - it's worth it to look at every one!  Remember - it is the weekend! 

http://www.slideshare.net/joshcallow/guinea-2012-2013-end-of-field-service-english-final

BEDLAM!

I've been teaching extra certification classes this year and we've been saving that money to buy Matt and Micah new beds because either they've been growing or their beds are shrinking!  Since I got a very nice paycheck last Friday, we decided to go shopping on Saturday.  We borrowed neighbor Russ' truck and headed to the store every good Mercy Shipper loves - IKEA!  Three hours and two beds later, we were home - with beds, mattresses, mattress pads and duvets!

Fast forward to Sunday - it was announced at our third church service that we had three beds and two dressers to give away.  By Sunday evening we only had one bed left - everything would be picked up on Tuesday . . . until I checked e-mails around 3:30 yesterday - could they come at five TODAY (yesterday!) and pick everything up?  Like everything!  Even the unwanted bed!

We said, "Yes", and so began the mad flurry of emptying dressers, taking down beds, clearing off beds, picking up Matt from work and even eating supper!  Phenomenal!  Mission completed before Pastor Paul and the crew arrived!

And what a blessing to bless two families without beds with ours!  Not the newest or the best, but we know that there are three happy campers out there who slept in their very own brand "new" beds last night!  To God be the glory . . .   

The Pilot's Door

Each port has their own pilot(s) who bring each ship into dock. This is the pilot's door on the Africa Mercy.  A little speed boat will bring the pilot up to the ship, he'll climb in the door and then bring the ship into port.  Or, if the ship's leaving, this is the door the pilot will crawl out of as he jumps into the speed boat!  Ah, maritime life . . .