"Retrospect..."

As I have been thinking back through this last year, I thought I would try to capture a glimpse of the year in pictures.  At first I thought: "What a great idea!"  Now as I am on my second day of sorting through the files of pictures on my computer, I am thinking:  "Whatever possessed me to do this idea?" 

So much has happened in the year, it is hard to capture.  The pictures certainly do not capture the highs and lows of the year, the good-byes of dearly loved crew members, the missing of family and friends at home, the thousands of people Mercy Ships has touch in Sierra Leone, or the vast number of friendships that were formed. 

What the pictures do capture is God's continual faithfulness, grace, and miracles He has blessed us with.  Many are not obvious miracles, but certainly the movement of God's mighty hand in our lives as a family and as a ship community....

January found us still in the port of Durban South Africa.  Finishing up the ship yard period and preparing to go to Sierra Leone.

After a brief 24 hour stop in Capetown South Africa, before we head to Sierra Leone.

February-Freetown Sierra Leone.

March-the beginning of a ten month field service meeting the needs of many people in Freetown and surrounding areas-the Dental screenings...

The Eye Screenings...

First patients to enter the ship...

March also brought us to our new church home in Lumpa Waterloo

One of the many MaxFax patients...

whose life is transformed...

April brought us Easter...a celebration of Jesus death and resurrection.

May-wheelchair races in the wards...

Getting to know Freetown markets...

June-the first fundraising event in West Africa aboard the ship.

July-summer program for the Academy kids

Graduation of the Agriculture program Students...

August...still in rainy season...

September-Deb continues to work in the wards loving the orthopaedic patients...

October-a visit from the Princess Royal to the ship.

Eating lunch and dinner daily, watching the fishing and transport boats out the window...

November brought us into a time of having to say good-bye-to local friends we made (our tailor friends-Foday, Omar, and Osman)

Our day worker friends who help us in the hospital...

Also, a time of preparing the ship to sail to Ghana...

December-time to sail to Ghana...

Our arrival in Ghana for Christmas break...

Celebrating Christmas as a family...

A year in pictures...captures so much but yet so little.  It is our prayer next year will be a year of God's blessing, protection, and revelation.  As we grow closer to Him and closer to each other....