It’s getting down to the final countdown (insert Daniel Walters’ rendition of Europe’s hit) and it’s actually starting to hit me a bit. I’m really doing this. It comes with a combined sense of excitement and sadness.

I picked up my parents from SeaTac a couple of weeks ago and brought them home, they’re off traveling the Northwest one last time before their big move. It’s been good to hear about their experience on the ship, and it helps inform my expectations.

In case you’re wondering, my itinerary currently looks like this:

Sept 5th: sendoff party in Spokane
Sept 6th-9th: drive 2,047 miles to Lindale, TX with my dad
Sept 18th: begin Gateway (long-term staff training)
Oct 17th: fly to Haiti for field service
Nov-Feb: join the ship somewhere in here
2011-2012: Work on the Africa Mercy
2013 – ??: Whatever the Lord has for me

If you’d like to be praying for the ship, my parents have requested that you pray they can find a cook to help the chef on board and for a French teacher in the Academy (K-12). There are a lot of staff positions to fill, but those are pretty urgent needs. Perhaps you’re meant to join us?

The Africa Mercy is currently en route to South Africa where it will undergo the changing out of its generators, a massive project. You could pray that the whole process goes smoothly as we can’t sail for Sierra Leone until it’s finished.

And that’s that for tonight, I must needs sleeps =)

Filed under: General Information by Jay