Each step of the way.

The sail was really smooth :-) I enjoyed it lot's.

I am feeling a bit confused this week.

There are three reasons for this confusion. The one that I will talk about (I'm not ready to talk about the other two things....yet) is, I have been challenged to think about my steps after the ship.

It is still one year until my time on the ship is over, a while to go yet but I have had some uneasy feelings recently because I don't know what is going to happen next. I know that my life has been mapped out with the best possible plans for me. I believe this and trust this...I suppose I am just a bit nosey and like to know the next part is.

I am being lead along the path that is right for me. I am being lead along each step of the way and know I will find out what's next, when I am ready to be open to the next part.

I would never have given up my job in the UK and left home for two years, which is what I eventually have done. It is obvious that my creator knows me better than I know myself! He lead me along the path and guided me to get me where He wanted me. But I do feel He lead me gently. I am very scared of having the carpet swept away from under my feet. Of being in a place where I am uncomfortable and not in control. I have learned this past year that I am a bit of a control freak!

The ship is a place where you your emotions can go from one extreme to an other in less than a day. I can go from feeling claustrophobic in the closeness of community life and living with the people that I am spending this part of my life with to complete loneliness. Being in a room bursting with people but still feeling lonely. It's a good job that these feelings don't happen every day. 

Today I am feeling 'understood'. I have a good friend on board who is understanding on another one of the other confusions in my head. It's always good to be understood on the ship. She has been through a simula situation and so it feels a bit easier to talk to her. She understands :-)

Ok I better go. I have four emails to reply to before dinner.

Lot's of good things are happening this week....

...First being that we set sail tomorrow for our next port. I LOVE sailing. It is the time when the ship is quieter because there are generally only ships company onboard. We can relax (while still doing our jobs!) and enjoy each others company without being watched by a tour group of local people going past in the dining room! I also love the creation that we see during sails, Dolphins, Whales and Flying fish! It makes me wonder if there could be a whole other world under the sea! The sunsets are just magical :-) I love sailing. I just hope it's a smooth one. I don't get sea sick, but friends of mine do, and so if they are ill then they are not happy....I prefer happy friends around me :-)

The other good thing is that I get the cabin to myself!! Now don't get me wrong, I really get on well with my cabin mate...but it is also nice to have a few days 'space'. To be able to get back to my cabin and not have to worry about my things being in the way of others. To just sit and be still, to have music on when I want or to watch a film without ear plugs in. These are simple things but things I have come to appreciate.

So as I am allowed to drive the ship vehicles, tonight we booked a van and I went with three of my friends out to a shopping mall for dinner :-) We ate steak! Nice juicy steak! The port we are in at the moment has no taxis or buses near by. It is in the middle of nowhere and hard to get out to go anywhere. As I can drive now, it was very nice to have the freedom to do this. We had a very nice relaxed evening of eating tasty food and shopping for bits and bobs.

Our internet is RUBBISH when sailing so I might not be able to blog again until the weekend. I will try though :-)

My heart still hurts for that nation....

When I was back in the UK in September one of the questions that lot's of people wanted to know was 'where has been my favourite place to visit this past year'. My answer was L. I think this is for a few reasons: because of the unrest in their nation after we left, having a real concern for the lives of a family I was privileged to meet, it was our first arab port (and so my first introduction to the beauty of the arab world), It was also the place (before we arrived) I was most scared to visit. We had some restrictions placed on us during our time there, to help us build bridges and relationships with the people there. A lot have totally different views of western people. They believing that we are loose and have low morals. We aimed to show them that that wasn't the case. Yes we are not perfect, but we do have something special about us.

I heard the news last night that G had been caught and was dead. To be honest I still don't know what to think. Yesterday was a year to the date since we sailed into L and his very own daughter was on our ship to open it in our official opening. I know he has done unthinkable things to his people, country and had lot's of influence on other nations in the world. I feel it for the family members who had no choice but to be part of his family. I am sure it is more than possible that they found out the news as the rest of the world did, that they saw the same photographs on the internet that I did.

I pray for this nation in the tense time that is in front of them. A friend said to me last night 'well, it can't get any worse for those people'. It's true that it can't get any worse, but it could also not change and so not get any better for them. They need the right people to help them help them build a good government. They must learn from the last four decades. I pray they can put differences aside and unite to build a great nation for their people. It's still a long road in front of them.

I thank my creator for the opportunity to visit that nation. It really has been one of the most special places I have been to and I believe a miracle that we were there at all.

 Photo was taken near to where we were berthed in our first port in L. His promises will never fail!

Ship driver! ;-)

I am now an official ship driver! I found out on Tuesday that I have passed my driving test and so now allowed to drive the ship vehicles...No, this doesn't include the actual ship :-)
So last night I drove to the airport in Kuala Lumpur to drop off a friends parents who were visiting the ship. I really enjoy driving. It is an escape from the day to day things and I feel like I have a little more independence. It will also help if we want to take the Children anywhere. There are now two of us in the school who are allowed to drive ship vehicles. Makes life a little easier. As long as the country we are in has civilised roads and drivers! I have noticed that here in Klang, they don't like to use their indicators. It is a real game for me to try and judge/guess what the vehicles around me are going to do! But as I like games, I enjoyed it :-)

The photo below is of the ship in our current port. A friend of mine took it two or three nights ago. I think it is just beautiful and a real reminder that our Creator keeps His promises always. We can always rely on Him....no matter how bad our day gets. We just have to remember to talk to Him.

Testing testing...

Well here I am with my first 'post'. I am not sure where I am going to go with this blog, or what time I will have to keep it updated but I aim to try and keep in touch with the world! I hope you will enjoy this journey with me :-)