Drill #40 Getting Ready for Sailing

Engine testing...bunkering operations...at sea drills....

We're getting ready to sail!  We're still a few weeks away from departure but the preparations for leaving are well under way. 

We had our first "at sea drill" of the season today.  The Captain said we did well.  Thought the world (or at least our world of friends and family!) might like a glimpse into it...   

The alarm sounds...announcements are made....instructions are given...and we head out to our muster station ("B" this go round) on deck 7 - picking up a lifejacket on the way.....

Lined up to get a life jacket

The Cash Kids loooooove wearing life jackets (they'll be thankful if we ever actually need them)

Trying to make it all a little better with gummi bears...worked for one, not so much for the other one.

 Whole lot of orange...the Dutchies must love that.

some Palmers and Cairncrosses seeing if they can touch their toes

Elsa and Caroline....our lifeboat can't help but have a good time with these 2 around.  

A walk to/tutorial of the Lifeboats (they actually swung them out...but we didn't get to get in them....)

Drill is over, life jackets off, smiles back on (thanks to Nick for making funny faces beside the camera)

 Put 'em back, ready for next time

 Add another mark to the chart

Please pray for us - "us" being the Cash family and "us" being the crew of the Africa Mercy and "us" being Mercy Ships worldwide - as we prepare to leave Congo and head to the Canaries for about 8 weeks of shipyard maintenance (including a time where the ship is dry docked).  This is a very busy time for all of "us" -- there's much to be done.

Please pray specifically for:

• containers to be released from the port authorities
• patients who still need significant healing
• our Captain - for wisdom in leading and managing a very complex ship
• the loading of fresh water and fuel for the 2 weeks of sailing
• the safety of our deck crew as they operate machinery and load vehicles, containers, etc.
• the good-byes that will be said in the coming days and weeks (to day crew, to local friends, to crew mates who are heading home)
• the Advance Team who is already hard at work preparing for our arrival in Benin

After the sail, the Cash Crew will be in Grand Canaria for about a week - we'll move off the ship into a hotel (this is required during the dry dock period - no children can be on the ship).  Nick will continue to work (commuting back and forth to the ship) and the other 4 of us will play (or something like that)!  On June 25th our family will leave to go on holiday - we're doing a bit of traveling in Europe. We'll return to the ship in mid-July - and hopefully get to move into our new cabin.  So there's all kinds of exciting things coming up for us.  (including Nick's transfer into Chaplaincy NEXT WEEK!  Please feel free to pray for that transition).

What an adventure....one that we're glad to be a part of - and glad that we've got YOU as a part of it, too.

Surely there will be more to come.