Rest in Cape Town, South Africa

As you would recall, we visited friends and family in Europe during June and July, returning to the ship in late July.  Since then, we have been in a state of flux.  For a while, we were a ship without a country.  It was decided that to go to Benin, whilst Ebola cases were uncovered in Lagos, Nigeria, may do more harm than good.  As you can well imagine, bringing a hospital ship into a country brings hope to sick people.  However, we are not a hospital ship designed to treat Ebola – we are actually more of a surgery ship.  So we could potentially be a magnet for sick people that we could not treat – therefore possibly magnifying the Ebola epidemic, rather than helping the situation. So where are we now?

Well, we had extra time in the Canary Islands first, to rectify some engineering issues and to wait and see what happened in West Africa.  Then, quite miraculously, doors opened for us to serve in Madagascar.  So after just under three weeks at sea, we are in Cape Town, South Africa for a short Public Relations and replenishment visit.  We will then travel to Tamatave, Madagascar by the end of October.

It has been a crazy few months.  The excitement of going to Madagascar is tempered by the disappointment of being unable to assist in West Africa in their hour of greatest need.  Our family, and I suspect a majority of crew members, have been see-sawing between the adrenalin rushes of new challenges and the normal work routine.  In fact, we are just coming to the end of the first school quarter now, yet we are in this strange state of in between as we are not in Madagascar yet but have left Europe behind.

For us personally, it has been a time of challenge.  It is easy to deal with community life when you can walk out to Deck 7 and see patients on the Wharf.  You are immediately connected to the Ships mission, knowing that in a small way you are contributing to their healing.  Without the patients and Day Crew, it can be a strain to focus beyond your own petty issues. It is interesting to me what I can whinge about when I am in a state of transition – the smallest things have me fuming.  Funnily enough, when Annie was here in Congo, those same issues would not have even appeared on my radar.

A huge blessing in all this is to be in Cape Town.  What a beautiful city!  How blessed we are to stay in the V&A Harbour.  For Aussies, imagine being berthed at Darling Harbour, Sydney and you get the general idea of where we are here.  

• We visited Table Mountain and had the most glorious, clear day on the top – with no “blanket” (cloud) in sight.  We could see all the way to the Cape of Good Hope! 
• Our pastor from our Church in England is now living in Cape Town, so we were fortunate to attend his church in Mowbray this last Sunday and to catch up with Dave and Bev. 
• And yesterday, Mick and I headed over to Robben Island museum to pay our respects to the political prisoners of the Apartheid era.
• We are hiring a car and heading down to Boulders beach and the Cape of Good Hope this weekend – to get some time away.
• Every morning we have been able to see seals out of our cabin window and we pinch ourselves for being so fortunate.

If I stand back though, I imagine that this is a time of rest for a reason. 

• What is coming up next in Madagascar? 
• Which challenges can we expect as an organization and as individuals? 
• What is waiting for us in Tamatave? 
• Most importantly, who is waiting for us?
• Who has been praying for us to come?
• Who is waiting for Hope and Healing?

As we prepare to sail those last 9 days to our start our Field Service, please pray over those questions above and especially for patients to safely travel to Tamatave. 

And also pray for perseverance for our crew, finally coming to the end of this unusual season of transition that started in May this year.

“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance” Thessalonians 3:5