After the disappointment - the blessing

Last week we were disappointed at the news that our arrival in Edinburgh and the UK was being delayed by a few months.

But this week we are excited and very thankful to God for an amazing answer to prayer. A significant gift and an even larger interest free loan has been given to us to help finish the project.

At a time when we were really wondering where the money was going to come from to do all the work that still needed to be done, God had a plan. One man, who has given to the ships before, felt concerned that we would sail from Denmark and begin our ministry without completing many of the jobs onboard. So he has given a large loan to allow us to move forward with completing many of the public areas of the ship. For all of us involved with this project, this is a miracle. So this week we have been frantically trying to put together orders and work out what to buy and when.

I must point out that most of this money is a loan that we do need to pay back in 2 years so we still need to see this money given to the project. We also still need to see significant funds donated to complete the PSSC works and cover our operational costs which this loan doesn't cover.

The dining room is nearly ready, with the carpet laid and many of the tables already in place. We hope to eat our first meal in the new dining room next Wednesday evening.

The staff lounge has now become our main meeting room and is serving the purpose very well, thanks to the hard work of people like my dad for getting it ready.

This week we received our first proper delivery of books, 9 pallets from STL, the company that I worked with for many years. It is great to see the book holds being emptied of all the materials that have filled them for years and prepared for the arrival of many more containers of books.

Also this week, most of the new office benches and desks have been installed. A big improvement from the old desks and temporary tables that we have been using in many offices.



Obviously because we are a ship, things like desks and dining room tables all need to be secured to the floor before we can sail.

Finally, this week, Liam's class at school had Ancient Egypt day on Monday. The parents were invited to take part in an our of games and activities to demonstrate all the kids had learned over the past few weeks on this fascinating subject. We had to crawl through the entrance into a pyramid and then try to collect pieces of a hieroglyphic puzzle by doing challenges.

I had to stab a hyppopotamus with a spear and Heather was wrapped in toilet paper like a mummy. Liam stood at the front and told Egypt jokes.

All good fun but it seems as if the kids have learned a lot and it will be great if we can take them to Egypt before we leave the ship. Who knows?