m/v Africa Mercy update no. 6 - 29-10-05

m/v Africa Mercy update no. 6 - 29-10-05

Well this update is a little late it is now the start of week 13 and quite a few things have happened over the last few weeks, now all I got to do is remember them all.

1. I went to Deb and Pete's Wedding down in Reading.
It was such a lush time, being able to catch up properly with lots of Cardiff folk and seeing one of my best friends getting married was a great experience.

2. I went on a 2 week demolition streak.
We had to remove all the gallery and servery equipment, remove some walls and remove all the screed flooring. This involved lots of sledgehammer action and loads of power tools! How excited was I!?! It was lots of very hard work and much aching after using a jackhammer for 3 days solid.

3. I got my first proper Mercy Ships Injury!
I was hammering a crowbar into a wooden wall and a saprk came off the crowbar. interesting I thought. then I noticed dark claret coming out the back of my hand, dripping on the floor. Ooops I thought. When I got to the Medical Centre the docter dude spent 10 minutes prodding into my hand trying to remove the shard of metal that had gone into my hand run under the skin and stopped just below the surface! Well its alot better now and think it will make a great scar!

4. I got my second Mercy Ships Injury.
Yesterday I was measuring some metal plates above my head and some metal filings fell off went under my glasses and into my eye! Darn. But went to the Medical centre again and the guy removed the tiny beasty much quicker than he removed the metal chunk from my hand thankfully.

5. Finally finished the medical gas installation.
Going back to work issues, we finally finished brazing the medical gas pipework and I started pressure testing the pipework today, which means going round to all the welded joints and squirting washing up liquid on it and checking for any bubbles coming out. This will take me about 3 weeks to complete. So please pray for patience and sanity for us! No seriously!

Other work things: Did some more CAD design work, drawing up some strengthener plates for the lights in the operating theatres. Worked on the Bridge! Yes Waldron is heading up in the world! We installed some rudder monitoring and navigation equipment.

Non Work things: Youthwork is going really great, making some great friends and really enjoying working with the Moshers and Goths and punks!! I am really getting involved with my church. I am part of the student welcoming team and also DJed at a Chill night which went really well. I am DJing again tomorrow night in town at an Alpha Course Supper.

Answers to prayer: The Visa situation is mostly resolved now and only a few Ghanian guys have got any issues.

Please could you people pray for the Shipyard workers. I may have mentioned this before but they are not working! like literally no work gets done at all ever!! I won't go to deep into it but please could you pray that they catch hold of the vision for the Ship and the good it will do, and also that the Shipyard management will be able to manage their people properly and effectively.

Also I am picking up a cold, sore throat etc - more like Man Flu! So please pray for health.

Thanks people.

Sorry for the long one today but it is a 4 weeker!

Also if any of you have excess tools that you don't need then please let us know as we are trying to get tool packs together for the people in Africa to maintain the pumps that we install for them. Well let us know if you have any ideas for tools or fundraising for tools!

Right definitely going now.

Vaya Con Dios

Paul Waldron

See the aptly named photo below:


Evidence that Paul W works on the odd occasion. This is me during the CT Scanner installation. If you zoom into it you may see mw completely soaked in sweat - it was a warm day! nice!!