Shipyard in Durban: good times

It's a little hard to believe that we arrived in Durban, South Africa just over a month ago. Work on the ship started almost immediately upon arrival.  Much has been done!  Bulkheads came down as new plastic piping has been installed.  New walls have been put in.  All sorts of different areas and spaces have been renovated.  It's incredible how very much can be done in such a short amount of time!

An alcove of the dining room becomes the Projects Team's office space during shipyard

the green clamps are on the newly installed plastic piping

One of the only down sides of shipyard is that flip flips are NOT allowed...and we have to wear hard hats when leaving the ship (but that's pretty much just amusing...)(looking around and seeing everyone in hard hats sure helped to keep the mood a little lighter when on the dock for good-byes).

the contents of the main galley had to hang out in mid-ships for a few days during fumigation

bulkheads down

the majority of the ship becomes a construction zone! 

This shipyard time is turning out to be really sweet (we were hoping it would be!).  It’s completely different than life during the field service (as you might would guess).  There is far less structure for the kids since school is not in session (though eli and caroline have been able to “work”  — eli in the dining room and caroline in the laundry room! a blog post about this is coming). There are far less people - which has its pros and cons.  The general rhythm of life is different. 

It's so interesting to us that the ship’s day to day operations are so decidedly different during this time.  There are very few nurses on this hospital ship (and the ones that remain have been reassigned to non-hospital jobs!).  There are no doctors (that we know of).  The tools being used during this season aren't IVs and stethoscopes and scalpels.  The tools in the hands of the workers are grinders and welders, screwdrivers and hammers.  But the reason we're all doing what we're doing is the same - to bring hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor.  

No matter how the inside of the ship looks, there's always a lovely view from Deck 8 (pc: Marina)

Dockyard at sunset (pc: Marina)

This is definitely a time of preparation and “refreshing” for what’s next.  All of the hard work and effort and plans and preparations will make the Africa Mercy better than ever before - better able to carry out her mission.

Please pray for the remainder of this shipyard time - may everything that needs to be accomplished happen - and may it happen in the most peaceful and timely fashion possible.  Please especially pray for the dry dock time (the ship went into dry dock this morning! That's an answer to prayer in and of itself!).  In order for the ship to sail as planned, this dry dock time needs to be successful.  Please pray for those leading - may they be full of strength, energy, patience, hope and endurance!

Surely there will be more to come.