11 June 2007

It has been a busy week.

I realized over the weekend that I had not written and then after an email this morning from someone saying I should write again :) I am finally getting around to it.

Last week was busy because we moved boxes and equipment for the Academy from the Anastasis to the Africa Mercy. On Monday, we were told that we had until next week to get everything together, but then on the next day we were told things were ahead of schedule (good) and that the movers could move boxes that day (bad). There was a bit of a rush for about two hours trying to get things into boxes and then the moving started. Some of us were on the new ship trying to figure out where to put 200 more boxes, some were on the old ship saying which boxes needed to go and some were still packing more boxes. By the afternoon, people had helped us to move about half the academy, but it still took until the next afternoon to get everything over. The next two days were spent sorting through boxes, trying to figure out what went where and what needs to be gotten rid of. The high school science teacher spent an entire day going through all the old science equipment, textbooks, materials and chemicals trying to figure out what would be used, what could be donated and what was just so old there was a fear that it would catch fire if plugged in and used :) Over the entire ship, there is a sortage of storage space and shelving, so everyone is trying to figure out where to put things. I think it is just a matter of the ship being new -- I can't wait to see what this ship will look like in a few months and wish that I could see it in like 10 years. It will be turning from a ship into a home.


Was able to go on a trip on Saturday into the country. Every other weekend, they have tried to organize a trip for people on the train up to an old quarry that is now filled with water and makes for great swimming. The train ride is about 70 km and takes about 2 hours - it is a really pretty ride through the 'busch' - junglish areas of Liberia. The two Land Rovers are strapped onto a flatbed rail car, a passenger car and engine are attached and off we go. The way it works out, people can actually sit on top on the Land Rovers for a good view of the country as it goes by. The weather was a little wet on the way out, but on the way back, I climbed on top just for the fun of it. It was fun to see the people come out and wave to the train as we went by - the kids were especially excited. They would wave and yell as the train went by and everyone would wave back. It was pretty amazing to think that I was sitting on top of a Land Rover, on a train going through Liberian busch headed back to the ship that I live on -- What an exciting life I have :)

1 comment:

laura g said...

You are quite the world traveler!! Land Rovers are tough.. we have some oldies but goodies around here, my favorite called "the Love Rover" that took us to the gorge this weekened to swim. Nothing like off-roading! Check out my blog, I just started updating it again.