A Look Inside Supply...
Greetings from Tenerife...
We are into our second month aboard the Africa Mercy. Last blog update we were on the island of Gran Canaria. On October 15, we finished our dry dock/shipyard time and set sail for the island of Tenerife. We will be in Tenerife until the big sail back to field service in Senegal on the coast of West Africa.
The sail was an incredible experience. The seas were quite calm and thankfully our family didn’t have any sea sickness experiences. We enjoyed exploring Gran Canaria, and are feeling very blessed that despite COVID restrictions, we can now explore parts of Tenerife.
 |
| Worship on the bow during the sail. |
 |
| Caleb on the bridge looking out for dolphins. |
 |
| Watching the tug boat bring the pilot to help lead us into the Port of Granadilla, Tenerife. |
Jeff and the Supply Team...
While our weekends are filled with fun getting to know this beautiful island, the weeks are long and filled with hard work for Jeff. The ship is busily preparing to get back to field service so we can pick up where we left off in Senegal nearly two years ago. This blog, I’d like to highlight Jeff’s current role as Supply Manager onboard the Africa Mercy. He will hold this role until next spring when he transitions to the Medical Capacity Building Director.
At 8 decks and 498 feet in length, the Africa Mercy requires a lot of supplies to keep it running smoothly. Roughly 200 people are currently aboard from all over the world. As we prepare for the return sail to Africa, the Supply Team serves each department and ensures they have everything they need to be successful. The departments serviced onboard include: the hospital, the Academy, crew services, the ship shop, finance, and HR; just to name a few.
The Supply Team is comprised of Jeff as Supply Manager; General Supply: Rik (Holland), Patricia (Paraguay) and Koffi (Togo); and Medical Supply: Daniel (Paraguay) and Bailey (USA). The Supply Department owns twelve, 20-foot shipping containers that are kept in the aft cargo hold of the vessel. It is also responsible for three freezers, two cold rooms, and two dry storage rooms where food, medical supplies, and everything else people need to live and work each day is kept.
Some days are dedicated to shipping containers; tracking from the International Support Center in Texas and the European Distribution Center in Holland. These containers are filled with goods. The supply team works with the deck crew to hoist pallets, break them down, transfer them, and distribute the goods to their destination on the ship. Supply also works with local chandlers (a company that sells things to ships!) to provide fresh produce, milk, and eggs to the galley staff.
Though it is a physically demanding position, it is very rewarding for Jeff. The team begins and ends each day in God’s word, thanking Him for the wonderful opportunity to serve others in this floating community of faith, while preparing to serve the world’s forgotten poor.
Pray for us...
We are thanking God for allowing us to be a part of this mission. We are also thanking Him for all of you who have come alongside us financially to be a part of this mission to bring hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor. We are so grateful.
Please pray for:
-Preparations for returning to field service
-The Global Mercy is facing some challenges with Visas
-Patience with all of the COVID restrictions we are still facing
Support us...
Comments
Post a Comment