We have committed to another year with Mercy Ships serving onboard the Africa Mercy. Mick will continue to work in Engineering as Third Engineer and later as Second Engineer. Jack will move into grade 9 in high school, Mark will start junior high (grade 6) and Harry will be in a combined grade 4/5 class (in grade 4). Tammy will continue to work in supply, covering the Supply Manager's role again whilst the regular Supply Manager is on a compassionate leave of absence.
We rejoined the ship in Durban where it had conducting the annual shipyard maintenance period whilst we are back in Australia enjoying our annual leave. We then sailed to Cape Town for a brief visit to bunker (fuel) and load water. We then sailed from Cape Town to Cotonou, Benin, where we arrived on 18 August.
This will be our 4th year as unpaid volunteers with Mercy Ships. It generally costs us about A$19,000 per year in crew fees (for school fees, medical evacuation insurance, food and accommodation onboard). Airfares home are about A$6,000 and about A$15,000 in further living costs. so all up it costs us about A$40,000 a year to do this. We fund this through the rent from our house, support from our church, support from some great friends and making up the shortfall with some savings we have.
We have been very blessed with the financial support we have received from friends and family but the reality is we have been going backwards and dipping into our savings to cover the gap. Eventually the savings will be gone and at that point we will definitely have to come home. If you would like to support us then you can do this through your national Mercy Ships office, and specify the support is for the Dunne family.
In Australia:
https://www.mercyships.org.au/donate
In USA:
http://mercyships-us.donorpages.com/crewmates/MickandTammyDunne/
By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35)
We have been very blessed with the financial support we have received from friends and family but the reality is we have been going backwards and dipping into our savings to cover the gap. Eventually the savings will be gone and at that point we will definitely have to come home. If you would like to support us then you can do this through your national Mercy Ships office, and specify the support is for the Dunne family.
In Australia:
https://www.mercyships.org.au/donate
In USA:
http://mercyships-us.donorpages.com/crewmates/MickandTammyDunne/
By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35)
