m/v Africa Mercy update no. 5 - 30-09-05

m/v Africa Mercy update no. 5 - 30-09-05

Wow, 8 weeks, that's like 2 months - see my math skills have definitely improved since being here! It feels like I have been here much longer. I have made so many new friends, had so many new experiences and hopefully attained a few new skills along the way too.

Well first of all lets get on with what I have been up to the last 2 weeks work wise:
It's still the medical gas installation mostly. We have got almost all the high level pipework completed and brazed up now ready for pressure testing. Yesterday we started getting all the sterilisation equipment into position. It was another one of those occasions of having doorways only just bigger than the equipment. Things can never be easy here can they?!?!

Everyone here has been side tracked by the whole visa issue. Well we received great news today. One of our crew popped over to Rome (it was the cheapest flight around) and came back and they converted her visa into a unrestricted Seaman's Visa. So now everyone is booking flights out to Rome and Geneva for a couple of days and then coming back and having their Visas changed. Its cheaper that way rather than paying £350 per visa to be transferred by the Government, we pay £100 for a return ticket out the country!! Stupid how things like that work! So the ship is going to be pretty empty over the next few days as the Americans and Canadians go on their little jollies. Unfortunately things aren't that easy for our Ghanaian and Filipino brother and sisters. I am not sure of their exact situation but things have to be worked out slightly differently with them.

Right now for updates of what I am up to outside of the ship.
I have got involved with a great Church and met up with loads of great guys, who are really supportive with the Mercy Ships thing and are always asking what I have done that day and are excited to hear what I am doing. I have got involved with their Student events and am DJing at their "Chill" night on Saturday which will be very entertaining.
I am also really involved with a Youth Outreach called "Upper Room". It is a coffee shop based on the 5th floor of a deserted building in the City Centre. The Coffee Shop itself is a great place to hang out and is there for Rock/Mosher/Goth youth. The place is rammed full on Saturdays and pretty busy on Friday nights too. It is funny that I have been brought back to this scene once again after working with the St. Mellons (Chav/Sporty) youth for 3 years. I can get away with wearing baggy trousers and jumpers without people shouting "MOSHER!" at me.

On a final note:
I flew over Cardiff on Saturday and Monday as I popped back home and to see Vicky, who left for France on Sunday :-(. It was great to see what I call my home city again, but it made me remember how much I miss the place. As we were taking off from Bristol, we were so low that I could see St. Mellons and my old house so clearly, but I guess I'll have to get used to not being there now.

right, sorry for a long one today - it is 4:30am, I am on night shift and I got lots of free time!!

As Busta Rhymes would Say "Woo-Hah, I got you all in check!"
Keep safe People, let me know how you are doing.

To all the guys going to Deb's Wedding, I'll see you in two weeks! How exciting is that! The wedding - not just seeing me!!

Vaya Con Dios

Paulus
The Blue Striped One - oh yeah that reminds me I got the photos on my Blog now so check them out if you like!!

The photoos I promised in my Update

Hey guys, I am hoping this post will contain some photos taken on my phone. but this computer is not happy.

The first is of my first "Funky" hair do. The blonde stripe going from the right hand side of my head then cutting across thee back of my bonce.



Below Shows the Obi Wan Kenobi Beard I was growing for 3 weeks. and also my new hair colour, The Stripe is now blue. I kinda miss the blonde.

A bad photo trying to show the top of my head with the Blue stripe.

So here you go guys, Waldrons abusing the fact that he doesn't have a job that he needs to look smart for. Next on the list is to add a blonde stripe again on the inside of the blonde stripe. The beard has also gone to a thin stripe running along my jaw line.

Keep safe my friends, feel free to leave any comments.

m/v Africa Mercy update no. 4 - 16-09-05

Well I think this bi-weekly/fortnightly Waldrons news update could be the shortest it has been so far, you can all hope. We'll see how it goes.

First of all lets see what I have been up to:

The main thing I have got up to on the Ship is trying to finish the Medical Gas installation. It's all up in the voids now, just got to braze all the joints and thats the main distribution done then. Over the next few weeks we'll (Mark and Me) will begin to install all the lower level pipework and the distribution to all the beds in the wards.

Next week the X-ray and sterilisation equipment are coming from the States, they are currently in 4 containers somewhere in South England. So I am sure I'll be busy getting all that equipment installed.

Today I have been doing something that really only my old work buddies will understand. Record drawings. Yes drawing my own record drawings for all the medical gases installed. Don't see what Subbies have a problem with. Back doing the CAD stuff. Steve C, don't worry I got the layers correct, but think these guys could do with some help with their x-refs!

So now to what has been happening on the whole ship. We have had problems with Visas (not the credit card type) as all the non-Europeans on the ship require them to work on the ship but they all finish in 30th September, so we could lose all the Americans (not such a bad thing -hehehehe!! - Joke!), Canadians Filipinos and Ghanaians that are most of the work force here. I am not sure of the exact route and steps that need to be taken but I keep hearing about something called Articles that will save the day if we get them in time. So people, please pray that the Articles get sorted and that British Immigration are cool with everything that is going on.

I think thats probably enough this time around.

Next time I'll update you with the Youthwork I have got involved with, if I remember.
Thanks again to all those that reply to my emails with happy thoughts and encouragements. Sorry I can't reply to all of you but I'll really make more of an effort over the next few weeks to get back to you all. Mainly as I have to work night shifts on the ship security team for 4 nights, so will have plenty of time to try and email people between walking round the ship at stupid o'clock in the morning!

Oh yeah I'll try and upload a current photo of myself to my online diary as somethings have changed recently - lets just say hair dye, clippers and a lack of shaving have been utlized!

Keep safe you guys and girls.

Paulus
The Blue / Blonde Striped Boy

m/v Africa Mercy update no. 3 - 03-09-05

m/v Africa Mercy update no. 3 - 03-09-05

Hey Peeps,

Hello and welcome to my third installment of what I am upto here in Newcastle. Don't worry this one will be alot shorter than issue two, which was an incredible size and I doubt many of you read all the way to the end. Let me know those that managed the trek the way through that email and survived.

I have been here 4 weeks now. it's been such a great time as those that have phoned us would have experienced when I rave about what I have been doing and how much I have been blessed living here.

One of the biggest blessings have been the group of friends I have been placed in. My first week was a bit of a struggle not know anyone. The second week was a little better. But since meeting some guys from Church two weeks ago it's been great. we have been going out at weekends, BBQs, going to the beach lots, been great. They seem completely on my wavelength - something of a miracle I hear some people say.

These last two weeks have been very exciting for the ship. Finished off installing the CT scanner and doing sample tests and everything seems to be working fine. This is the first major component to go in the hospital and you can really see the hospital section taking shape now.

Heard this week that the ship should be ready to leave dry dock late november to start sea trials. The techincal crew (including me) will be moving onto the ship around that date. The hospital installations should then be finished late December. And the ship itself should be ready for sail to London in April - where it will be officially opened by Queen Elizabeth and also a Danish Queen Margrethe II. Sail to Rotterdam for supplies late April. Then sail to Ghana in May for 10 months. At the moment it is still unsure on my role in everything, still think the Captians position would be pretty fun.

Right, a shortish email for a change.

Hope things are great with everyone back at home, and away.

Vaya Con Dios

Paulus