All Saints Church Childwall

I returned home in March from my last tour with Mercy Ships on the Africa Mercy. I joined the ship in Tenerife in January and helped sail the ship down to her third outreach in Benin, West Africa, When I left the ship, all six operating rooms were in use and already many African people had had life changing operations. The ship will remain there in the port of Cotonou, probably until December.

The working day on the ship starts for all departments with a short time of devotion. I do remember being surprised at this routine, particularly when in the shipyard i the North East of England, during the ship’s conversion work. I remember commenting when engineering devotions where help in the engine room control room, that on any other ship, if it was known that the engineers were in the control room praying, that most of the crew would be making for the life boats. It is however a way of life on the Africa Mercy and an essential part of the working day. We have had many answers to prayer which have solved technical challenges.

Two of my friends are currently out in Liberia working on missionary outreach projects there. I was first reserve to join them but it looks now that my next trip there will be next year. The orphanage that we were working with on our last trip is managing well without our help at the moment and we are now engaged with the Village Committee of Chiefs and Elders on a new development nearby.

As a number of bicycles, that we had obtained for the children and villagers on our last visit, had suffered punctures on the rough tracks, we took out this time a number of repair kits which had been kindly donated by Halfords – they were well received.

Dave Fryer

Liberia Outreach - Orphans & Village Children

Africa Mercy