New lifeboat onboard

Our new 50 man lifeboat installed 22-01-07

Don't ask, just don't ask!!!!

Yeah, again my plans have been changed.

After my last announcement where I was bouncing off the walls with excitement about flying out to Ghana to work on the Anastasis and finally get to do what God had told me I was going to do 9 years ago, things have changed. Doors have closed and obstacles have come in the way to prevent me from getting to Africa as soon as I had thought. Yeah, I know what some of you guys are thinking that have been reading this blog and know me for the last 18 months - you've heard this kinda thing before haven't you?!

So the current flexible plan at the moment is to carry on working in Newcastle on the Africa Mercy till it is finished and sail MY ship to Africa, whenever that will be. I kinda feel peace about this, as this is the ship I have been working on and it is MY crew that I know and love and I get to spend more time involved with NCLC – MY Church.

Please pray for me at this time as I settle back into the mindset that I won’t be heading for Africa as soon as I thought

The new dates for the ship is to leave the UK for Africa on Easter Sunday (which will be my 11th Bday as a Christian) and so we need to leave our current shipyard about 6 weeks before that.

We have our Inclination Test this weekend – which is a very important test to see how stable our ship is and how much Cargo we can carry to Africa – so please keep this in prayer. Then we will be having Sea Trials sometime late February. So yeah we will be having lots of exciting things going down soon.

One really exciting thing that has happened recently is that yesterday we installed our final lifeboats on the ship so I’ll have to get some photos on my blog of how the ship looks now.

Keep safe you all and yeah please keep in touch – in you haven’t got my contact details leave a comment and I’ll get back to you.

Love ya

Paul

January Update

Yeah, well this was meant to be posted before the Announcement but I forgot!

Late December was spent at home with my folks for two weeks. It was such a great time of spending time with my family as I won't be here next Christmas. I saw relatives and old friends, which was a great time. I also managed to pop to the land of Wales for 3 days over New Year. Thanks for all those that put me up for the night!
Not many people spent NYE like me - in cold, rainy Wales under a Tarporline in a heated inflatable proper adult swimming pool!!! It was so fun, in the end I spent from midnight to about 2:00am sat in the pool, just chilling and enjoying every minute of it.

I started back working on the ship on my bday, but I recieved the best bday present - I was told that my transfer (that I requested and had denied before Christmas) was now being organised and I should expect to leave in possibly a month!!

Erm.............. wow. I was told that it still needs to go through some official channels and not to announce that I am going yet - so this is not an announcement that I am going but an announcement that I intend to go!!!!!

I can't wait to be doing what God promised almost 9 years ago that I was going to do "Go and provide clean water in Africa with Mercy Ships".

I'll let you all know what is going on my the day, but yeah please keep praying for me and the work here - I have lots to finish before I leave so it's going to be an interesting and stressing time but a great time too.

Now all I have to do is raise the funds to pay for my flight. But it'll be cool.

Love to y'all

Paul

Unofficial Announcement

I am hopefully going to Africa in 4-5 weeks

A transfer to our other Ship the Anastasis is currently being organised.

It's still not official, but unofficial enough to send out a Bulletin.

So yes, it's 4-5 weeks of pure panic for me now as I try and sort out my life, get injections and anti-malarials and pack my stuff up, ready to leave my new home in North England.

Please keep us in prayer at this time.

But guys and gals I am so happy. But sad to be leaving this ship and not sailing it to Africa myself. and also to be leaving a really great Church and loads of great friends - some I'll see again in Africa, most I unfortunately won't. :~(

Love to all

Paulus