Technical Update and Christmas South Africa

Our time in Durban refitting the electrical generation plant (and required auxiliary systems), air conditioning systems, and main engine control systems has been passing very quickly! I am shocked every time I look at the calendar and see that another month has come and gone. The generators are all in place now and much of the piping systems required for operating the generators are in place, however there are still many pipes to be installed. The electrical side is moving along as well, in fact, I think it is a bit further along that the mechanical side (i.e. piping). The air conditioning systems are mechanically and electrically connected and only a few small bits of work remain before they are ready for operation. Unfortunately, we can't use them without the generators being ready to go. The main engine control system is quite nearly complete. There are a few items left on that project before it is complete.

It has been a long, hard push to get these jobs this far along, and it will be well worth the effort to have more reliable systems when we are in Sierra Leone next year. Once the bugs are worked out, I would estimate that these projects would free-up about 60% of the man hours for the Engineering Department on board. That isn't to say that they will be less busy, but rather that improvements will be made in areas that we were not able to address before. I am very excited about the progress that is, and will be, made as a result of the work being done at this time. It hasn't been a joy ride, and at times I have felt like we could have done much better in some areas, but I think that I will be able to look back on this project and be proud of the part that I played in it.

Now on to the good stuff: We had our first Christmas on board this year. In 2006 Lorah and I spent Christmas together in Newcastle, where the ship was being converted, but we were not on board. From 2007-2009 we were blessed to be able to spend the holidays with our families. It was nice to have Christmas on board with our Mercy Ships family this year. The atmosphere was great as crew members that had not been to the ship since September were able to come down from Applesbosch (the college that the non-technical crew are staying at while we are working on the ship) for the day. Having a break from the demanding schedule we have had since September was wonderful as well; I got off early on Friday and spent the entire weekend outside of the engine room. On Monday, it was back to work, but it was great to step away from the complex challenges in the belly of the whale. This was by far the hottest Christmas season I have ever experienced. It was 90 deg. F in our cabin yesterday, and it has been steadily in the upper 80's for a few weeks, but the weather outside has been pleasant. I think this is the first time Lorah has ever been excited about it raining (because it cools the ship off a little)!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and pray that the new year brings opportunity for you all to continue to be transformed into the people that God intends for you to be! 

Blessings,

Justin