Mercy Ships Calls

We have been home for a month now and have enjoyed every minute of it. We have been catching up with friends and family - and dear grandchildren! What fun! We have worshipped with old friends, enjoyed the much cooler weather and done some house mantenance. I am remembering how to cook and sew, and have filled in as a chairside dental assistant for a friend who has had surgery. (It is rather like riding a bicycle - you never forget how!) I have accepted a very part-time job at the local Christian book store and am learning some new skills there.

We have been watching closely the events as they have occurred in the Gulf Coast. Bill and I are amazed at the pictures coming in from Biloxi and Gulf Port - two places that we have stayed. The bread and breakfast home that had belonged to the Poet Lauriette of the Confederate Army is gone - wiped off the map by Hurricane Katrina. We are greatly saddened by the suffering of those who have lost loved ones and homes to this devastating event.

As expected, Mercy Ships has risen to the task ahead. The Caribbean Mercy sustained no major damage as it is docked in Chickasaw, Alabama. At the invitation of local government, Mercy Ship crews will arrive for two weeks at a time to assist in the clean-up and reconstruction of the Chickasaw and Mobile areas. The crews will be housed on the ship in order not to deplete any of the local resources. Bill will be joining a group at the International Office in Garden Valley, Texas next Friday, 16 September. The plan is for him to convoy with others transporting supplies to the ship. At this point we have him returning in about a month, but this may change. For now I will stay at home in Washington state. Please keep Bill and Mercy Ships in your prayers as we respond to the massive needs of the Gulf Coast.

Bless you dear friends! We will keep you posted.

Be sure to check out www.mercyships.org.