The End of a Chapter...

 Greetings from North Carolina...

Sailing away...

At the beginning of December, the ship bid farewell to Senegal and sailed back to Tenerife, in the Canary Islands.  The sail was a beautiful closure to a long and intense field service.  The kids enjoyed school on the decks watching the waves, 'friend time' in hammocks, a pirate party, and sleep overs.  We were intentionally trying to squeeze all of the fun ship experiences into our final sail.

Sailing away from Dakar, Senegal.

Enjoying the sail.

Sunrise and sunset on the sail are favorites.

Saying Goodbye...

When we arrived in Tenerife, we were welcomed by our sister ship, the Global Mercy (GLM).  The GLM has been in Tenerife getting the hospital ready to return to Africa for its first full field service.  Seeing the GLM was bittersweet as it marked the beginning of a new season for many of our friends, but the end of ours.  We were one of only two families not moving from our ship, the Africa Mercy, over to the GLM.  Our two year commitment was up, and the Lord was calling us back to the US.  The next two weeks, docked side by side with the GLM, were jam packed with Christmas activities, farewell activities, and packing two years of our life into 14 duffle bags.

Ava and her friend, Naomi, waving the Mercy Ships flag
as we sailed into Tenerife alongside the GLM.

Leaving was hard, especially for the kids whose friendships blurred the lines between family and friends.  I read a blog by a former Mercy Shipper that said something along the lines of, “It took a lot of faith to go to the ship, but it takes even more faith to leave.”  I can definitely understand that statement.  While our time on the ship was far from easy, we experienced so many blessings.  We lived in a multi-cultural, Christian community whose members were all there for the same purpose—to bring hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor.  We will be forever grateful for all that God taught us individually and as a family during our time on the ship.

Two years packed into 14 duffel bags and five carry ons.

A Mercy Ships' send off complete with prayer. 
We will miss this amazing community!

Coming Home...

The trip home was long, exhausting, sad, and exciting all wrapped up into one.  We flew into Houston and spent quality time in and around Texas seeing family and friends, and visiting favorite eateries before making our way to our new home in North Carolina.  Jeff is moving into his new role as Global Security Director for Mercy Ships, the girls have started a new school, and we are all trying to get settled in to this new life.  One thing that was really hard for all of us on the ship, was the lack of nature.  Our new location in the mountains of North Carolina has provided more beautiful nature and fresh air than we could ever need.

Traveling during the holidays on humanitarian
tickets made for a 48 hour exhausting trip home.

The view from our back patio in North Carolina.

This little guy is making up for some lost time
in the dirt and loving his new home.

So, does the Scace Family Adventure end?  Well, this chapter on a ship in West Africa does.  However, God has put a heart for missions into each of us and we look forward to seeing where that takes us in the future.  For now, we will burrow into this beautiful place, let the kids put down some roots, and serve where we are planted.  

Thank you...

Thank you to those who encouraged us, prayed for us, supported us financially, and kept in touch with us.  We couldn’t have done this without each and every one of you.  For those who have a recurring financial commitment, don’t forget to cancel that as we will no longer be receiving financial support.

Prayer Requests...

We could still really use your prayers as we transition from ship to shore:
—Peace for our family as we try to settle into a new normal
—A home
—Friends, community, church, etc.
—And for Mercy Ships, as they continue to carry the torch of hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor