"We're Here...pt. 1"

Well, after a long 12 days, we are back online and things are getting settled.  Let me take you back to the move to Appelsbosch.  The crew of the Africa Mercy arrived on Sept. 1 in Durban, South Africa.  This would be our last night on the ship for at least the next four months.

The Africa Mercy with the lights of Durban in the background.

After we arrived, the crew began to get things staged to move off of the ship the next day.  Can you imagine, moving your apartment times 150 people, adding in your school, a small financial institution, all your business computers, and kitchen in 27 hours...it was a crazy...amazing time. The crew worked really hard to accomplish this task.  The Africa Mercy has an amazing group of people!

 

Staging of the Academy boxes for the move.

We thought the Academy had a lot of boxes, then we added in the crew bags, suitcases, boxes...whatever we could find to pack things into....

Then we loaded everything into two moving vans...we all looked like busy ants going down the gangway and in the pilots entrance of ship with whatever we could carry...

(Thanks Murray for the picture)

After all the loading was done, the crew of 150 loaded into the Land Rovers and two buses to take the 1 1/2 hour journey to Appelsbosch Mission.

(Thanks Murray for the picture)

(Thanks Murray for the picture)

We left behind about 80 technical and support crew on the ship who will be working on the generator and other projects for the ship. 

It has been an whirlwind of a time...

Then we had to to get settled that afternoon at Appelsbosch...stay tuned for part 2...