life right now: 6 word phrases.

No more dry dock (for now).

The ship is in the water.

We are back in our cabin.

It truly is home sweet home.

Immigration is onboard to check passports.

Sea trials tomorrow, praying for success.

Ready for Madagascar, let's go now.

We trust God and His timing. 

Surely there'll be more to come. 

It's a wild life: Safari & Aquarium

There are far too many moments in life that make us go "What in the world?  How is it that we're HERE getting to do THIS?" (see previous post!)  There are too many delightfully wonderful moments that make us stop and remember that our God is good and He gives good gifts.

The past few weeks have been full of those...

• How is that we're on a ship sailing on the Indian Ocean?
• How is it that we're walking on a beach in Durban, South Africa?
• How is it that we're having a South African braai by a pool in the middle of winter?
• How is it that we're seeing giraffes and lions (well, one lion...eating a wildebeest)?
• How is it that we're inches away from some of the most amazing and beautiful creations we've ever seen?

The only way these things have happened is because God has lead us step by step...and we've tried to listen and obey as He leads.  We only want to be where God wants us.

And it just so happens that 2 of the places where He has wanted us in the not too distant past were on a day long safari enjoying His creation and at an Aquarium called Ushaka.

Safari

Fun Facts: 
A group of zebras is called a dazzle .
A group of giraffes is called a tower or a journey.
A group of rhinos is called a crash.
And, according to our delightful friend Lauren, a rhino is just a chubby unicorn.

We learn something new everyday!

uShaka Sea World/Aquarium

She's coming out of her shell a little bit. 

Eli was absolutely enamored with the sharks!

Lion Fish

Pineapple Fish

little fish would come and nibble away at your fingers...

Nope...don't know who this guy is.

Creative seating in the cafe

Waiting on the dolphin show

We made it on the big screen (kids are in the lower right corner)

Names/Codes of the female penguins

Sitting with the men made of trash

Sometimes where He wants us is pleasant beyond our wildest imagination.  Sometimes where He wants us is tough and trying.  Sometimes where He wants us is routine and "normal."  Sometimes where He wants us is unlike anything we've ever known before.

No matter where He wants us, He is with us.  And that's where we want to be....with Him.

Surely there will be more to come.

Dry Dock and A Guest House

This past Thursday the families were moved off the ship – this is a necessary part of the ship being put in dry dock (and dry dock is a necessary part of ship yard this year because of repairs that need to be made to the propellers, the propeller shaft, the rudder and the chain locker).  No children are allowed on the ship as it becomes even more of a construction zone than it normally is during shipyard.  The dads continue to work – commuting back and forth between the ship and the place we are staying.

The ship moving into its dry dock space (the ship sails in and then the water is drained out).pc: janine 

 Apparently this is the (a?) lock that is holding the ship in place. pc: andrea

We rode to the shipyard on Sunday hoping to snap a picture of the AFM in dry dock.  This was the best we could get from the road. She's in the dry dock space and the water was starting to drain. 

A ship out of water... pc: katie

I (dianna) must confess, I was struggling to stay positive about moving off the ship.  I was confident that we were going to be placed in lovely accommodations…but I felt like our family had just found our “rhythm” for this shipyard time – the kids were enjoying working, Emma and I were finding things to do, I was connecting with some of the crew who are here for the summer – I’ve been enjoying life on the ship and I didn’t really want to move off (and I know that people will start returning to the ship from their holidays and I wanted to be there to welcome them back!). 

But, alas, moving off is necessary and the fact is that everything has its pros and cons.  

And this guest house has plenty of pros.  The Davaar Guest House...it really is lovely.  

We were welcomed with Chocolate Bars and have been fed delicious meals (breakfast is the best).  The sweet ladies who work here are so kind in keeping things clean and preparing our food.  We have “taken over” the entire house – it’s “just us” Mercy Shippers - 5 moms, 9 kids...and the dads on nights and weekends!

And now I find myself spoiled. Meals are prepared, brought to us and taken away.  Towels are refreshed every day. Beds are made and rooms are cleaned for us.  I even turned in a bag of dirty laundry yesterday morning to have it returned clean at the end of the day (that was one of THE most awkward things I've done in a while.  Who am I to ask someone else to wash my family's dirty laundry?! ).  There's time to read and write and get caught up on blog posts.  Time to rest.  

How does this happen?  We came to serve, not to be served.  Yet I find myself being served.  I’ll receive it as blessing…enjoy the refreshment…open the gift so that I can then share it with others.  

A few of the gifts:

Ability to wear flip flops (or go shoeless as the kids prefer)

Windows that open, breezes that blow through

A beautiful girl enjoying the open windows

The view in the backyard

Braai for bar-b-que

Our Dining Room

 Glimpses into what the kids have been up to:

 Other views:

Our street (it's quite the hill)

Our night view. pc: patricia

Being here has me thinking about Paul's verses about contentment in Philippians 4

11 ...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I've typically only thought of these verses when the circumstances were less than ideal...the verses have challenged me to be content when things weren't going quite the way I might like for them to go.  Yet here I am...trying to be content when we have plenty.  It's a challenge in and of itself.  A challenge to enjoy the plenty....to enjoy the gifts. 

Surely there will be more to come.