Goodbye Mercy Ships

Hi Friends and Family, Merry Christmas once again! We can hardly believe that Christmas is only a few days away and that in even a shorter amount of time we will be leaving Mercy Ships. This last week we sailed from Liberia to Tenerife in the Canary Islands. It was a good trip, rough a few days, but good overall. (We are still adapting to our land feet.) The stars were AMAZING from the ocean! We had never seen such a display! In addition, there is this algae that glows in the dark when the water is stirred! Its crazy how precise and intricately God created everything from the stars to the algae in the waters! During the sail we also watched a movie called "The Star" that we just have to mention. It is a documentary type film on the Bethlehem star. Ever wondered why the star was so bright or why it seemed to stop over the place where the king was? The man that studied the star for over 10 years has interesting findings.. anyways google it if you have time because its impossible to even begin to describe the findings! Now that its time to go, its sad to say good bye to Mercy Ships. We have come to know so many people, but then again, it seems time to go--the hospital is closed and the ship is in Spain through Janruary for some R & R, restocking, and repair. We will finish our last day of work on the ship on Sunday and then be flying out to Madrid on Tuesday. We will celebrate with friends in Spain, make a hop to Holland on the way home, and arrive home on Dec 30th. Its already strange to be in a part of Spain, after being in Africa for four months. The people drive so orderly, there are sidewalks and all kinds of fresh fruit and vegetables in the market! There are recycling bins, rather than trash all over and people wearing clothes with brand names, rather than a simple lapa wrap. The transition back to the states will be interesting... we are thankful for a transition time here in Spain and lookforward to coming home before the New Year.
This is now being sent out a little late.. sorry. Now we hope you had a wonderful Christmas!