Update March 2007

I type this while on the train heading back to Birmingham from Newcastle. It’s been an emotional week.

I have now left the Africa Mercy behind, with my sights set on the YWAM base in Perth, where I’ll be in exactly a weeks time (I can’t figure out the time difference but I’ll be getting there about now!)

Things have changed so rapidly it’s been hard to keep up for the last few weeks and it seems for the Africa Mercy things are getting more and more unpredictable. The day I left the ship, last Friday, there was an email sent out from our Executive Director stating that, subject to approval of our authorising body, the ship could be on sea trials by next week. So currently it is panic mode in the Shipyard. We have to empty all our onshore offices onto the ship by Saturday (so everyone has been called in to help with the move) and 24 hour duty is required onboard as of Wednesday – so the generators can begin to run 24/7 which will also mean that the refrigeration would also be run continuously (so I really hope all the work I put in on the systems works!)

So just as I leave things get really exciting. Which is good – as if they started to get to this stage before I was well on my way to leaving I would have probably be tempted to stay onboard.

I have been asked/told by many of my old crewmates to keep more regular with the updates when I go on my DTS so I am planning on sending fortnightly updates – dependant on my access to computers - whilst on my tuition phase of my course, during the ‘outreach’ phase I doubt I will be able to update you guys at all so make the most of it over the next three months!!

Well hopefully I’ll be in touch in a couple of weeks time from the otherside of the planet.

Many people are asking – “what are my plans for after the DTS?” well my answer is to come back to the Africa Mercy, but it will be in Liberia by then, and rejoin MY crew in the Community Development department, on the Well Drilling team – doing what I have felt called to do 10 years ago.

Thanks you guys so much for supporting me through this rather interesting but really exciting time of my life and please keep in touch with us as I would love to hear what is going on with you peeps – as you get to hear what I am doing!!

Love to all

Vaya Con Dios.

Paul Waldron

(Stopped at 200m before Derby Train Station for some unknown reason!!)