Sailing to Congo

Sailing to Congo

Here we are enjoying another sail.  It has been quite busy for both of us.  I am now teaching third grade. We are two days into the school year and it is going well.  My class has two boys in it.  It is a bit interesting teaching on a rocking ship with many items secured.  My commute to work has gone from about 50 steps which included one flight of stairs to 200 steps and three flights of stairs.
Matt has been busy with planning meetings to get ready for the mass screening day on August 28th. 
The ship is rocking a bit more than the last sail but it hasn't been too bad.  We do hear more of the waves while in our cabin. 
Here are some pictures from the sail.  We had a beautiful sunset the first night.  Monday the view began to get hazy and yesterday it was extremely hazy. It was the sand from the Sahara Desert blowing.  I've included a picture of the hazy sunset and the after effects on the rail.  And to think this is about 150 miles off the coast. Amazing!  We've seen dolphins a few times. I included someone else's picture.  Others have been fortunate enough to see orcas and a stingray, we are hoping we get to also.

Beauty

Very dreary day and evening.

Usually quite white. Can you see where the dirt has been removed?

How many dolphins can you count?

It was amazing to watch!

Barcelona

Barcelona

Last week we had a long anticipated vacation in Barcelona. It was wonderful!! We met Jake there for 3 days. He was with his friend Will and Will’s sister Maggie.  It was so great to see them!  We had a great time and saw many things.   The best part was just spending time together.  We were blessed by a family on the ship by getting to use their apartment, which was terrific! It was much more relaxing than a hotel. It was a 10 minute walk to the beach along the Rambla which is a street for pedestrians and bikes lined with shops and restaurants.  It was very relaxing!  We all enjoyed the late nights, finishing dinner about midnight then sleeping in, followed by beach time in the late morning- early afternoon, then lunch about 2 followed by a siesta.  We did do a lot of walking and site seeing in the short time we were there.  It’s been difficult for me, Denise, to get back to ship life after seeing Jake, Will, and Maggie.  I guess I’m feeling homesick again.  Things on the ship are completing as planned. We sail to Tenerife on Saturday and are there for a week, then we will sail to the Congo.  I begin in the Academy 7/22.  There are many people are beginning to return from their vacations and it is great to hear their stories.  Here are some pictures from our time in Barcelona.

This is the view from the balcony of the apartment on to the Rambla.

This was in front of the apartment building.

 

This is Sagrada familia, a church designed by Guadi.

These are two Guadi houses on Paseo de Gracia.

We came across this arch while walking.

We also stumbled upon this fountain in a park.

There were also permanent ping pong tables in this park.

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Just enjoying Barcelona!

25 years . . .

On Tuesday, July 2, we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.  On Monday evening we left the ship and got a hotel room near the beach.  There had been an unexpected water outage during Monday and had been cautioned that there would be no hot water through Tuesday!  We had a wonderful dinner and enjoyed walking on the boardwalk.  On Tuesday morning we rented a car and drove around the island.  Gran Canaria is about 60 km north and south and about 50 km east and west.  About halfway down the east side of the island we turned inland for about 10 km to the village of Guayadeque.  This picturesque little village is built almost totally in caves in the side of the mountain, everything from the houses to the little church to the bar and restaurant.  We went about 2 km past the village and the road ended at a restaurant about halfway up the mountain.  You entered through a cave and we sat in a room over the ravine looking out across the valley to the ocean. 

Most of the western side of the island is mountains.  For the last 80 km or so, we were driving primarily in mountain passes, kind of fun but still challenging!!  All in all, we had a very relaxed day.

I am still amazed that I have had the opportunity to be married to Denise for the past 25 years.  I am a very lucky man!!  We have been blessed with two wonderful sons and are now given the opportunity to serve others not so fortunate.  As we see people in third-world countries, I marvel at how we won the birth lottery.  This has given us chances that most of the world will never have, simply because we were both born to loving families in a developed nation. 

On Sunday, we will travel to Barcelona where we will meet up with our son Jake who is on a vacation trip with close friends.  We are VERY excited to see them.

It has felt strange being back in a first-world country for a short time, able to celebrate our life together in a manner similar to what we have at home.  Yet, in a few short weeks we will be back in Africa, this time in the Republic of Congo.  That experience is expected to be like none Mercy Ships has ever had before.  We are venturing into a new country in Central Africa, but also to a port city (Pointe Noire) that is fairly developed due to the oil companies.  However, when you leave the city, you find yourself back in extreme poverty.  Congo is a big country largely without a reliable road system.   We are still planning how to get to the more remote regions of the country to reach the rural population. 

Off to bed soon as I have another 3:40 am airport run!! 

 

A sculpture in the village square of Aguimes

 

The view from the restaurant in Guayadeque

The western coast of Gran Canaria