Farewell Tenerife!

Tenerife has been good to us, and we have been blessed by our time here. We have made the most of the reliable public transport system, visiting all over the island by bus and tram. We have also been blessed by our three Sundays worshipping at Silencio Church. This last Sunday, after the service, Pastor Bill and his wife took Candace and I out for a lovely Lebanese lunch. It was so great to spend time with such an amazing couple, on fire for God!

And thus it was with some sadness that the Africa Mercy, serenaded by Theodora's faithful trumpet, sailed out of the protection of Santa Cruz de Tenerife's sheltered harbour this past Thursday. (16th August.) Theodora is a Mercy Ships legend, having played his trumpet on almost every occasion since 1991 that the Mercy Ship has entered and departed Tenerife. He was absent from our arrival here some six or more weeks ago due to ill health, but he was back to see us off on our way to Guinea. It certainly meant a lot to many crew members, and there were a few teary eyes.

As we headed out, the tunes of some well-known hymns drifted over the waters. Amazing Grace, Great is Thy Faithfulness, How Great Thou Art and Onward Christian Soldiers reminded us that we are marching off to a very real spiritual battle that awaits us in Guinea. But it is also an exciting time as there is plenty of potential and lots to be done in the nation of Guinea. Please continue to pray for this nation and our time there!

We did some magnetic compass tests in the waters off Santa Cruz de Tenerife, before offloading our pilot and sailing south, down the east coast of the island. We spotted landmarks that we have visited on our excursions, including the lighthouse at Punta Abona, and of course the magnificent Mount Teide, standing high above all else.

And so we are now sailing a six-day sail to Guinea, hoping to arrive early on Wednesday morning. (22nd August.) I hope Guinea is ready for all that God has in store for it!

 It was a beautiful morning on the day of our departure.

 Theodora farewells us with his trumpet.

 Heading out into open water.

 Many friends were there to wave us off.

 Thank you Theodora for your lovely music! It has blessed this crew!

 Looking towards the opera house.

 The main plaza in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

 The Auditorium of Tenerife.

 Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

 The city skyline.

 View towards Playa de Las Teresitas.

 Pilot boat approaches...

 Stands by...

 And heads back to port with the pilot onboard.

 Heading down the coast of Tenerife, leaving Santa Cruz behind.

 Interesting patterns on the hills.

 Mount Teide overlooks everything.

 The lighthouse at Punta Abona, where Candace and I were a couple of weeks ago.

 Wind turbines.

Candace and I.

Tenerife behind us. Bring on Guinea!

Acts of service...

Candace and I have really been challenged lately to step out and listen to that still small voice that is God's Holy Spirit inside, telling us how we can serve people better. This has happened on a number of occasions in Tenerife. We have had our heart strings tugged by the poverty and desperation that exists even here, in what seems to be the lap of luxury itself. Now before I get complaints, let me say that I know that Spain is in recession and that the economies of many Eurozone countries are struggling, but Tenerife does not feel like mainland Spain. To me, in any case, it still seems pretty well-off. But anyway, back to what I was talking about...

We walked into town many times and often passed a man, sitting by the side of the road, begging for his livelihood. He seemed ashamed of what his life had become. A couple of weeks ago we were convicted to go and talk to him. He spoke a little English, and told us his name. He actually worked on ships as a cook, and was living on the streets while he waited to see if he'd get a job on one of the ferries. After we left him we sat down on a park bench and prayed for him. Since that day, we have not seen him, and it is our belief that he is employed and happy, laughing as he prepares a delicious meal in the galley of a ship. 

That's just one of the stories that we have encountered here. We have also seen poverty in the eyes of a once-employed man now forced to beg. We have seen poverty in the desperation of a woman in a wheelchair, struggling to move herself up the crowded streets, and the disgust of onlookers unwilling to help. We have befriended a couple, from Nigeria, who earn their livelihood as car guards every day. These seemingly "poor" people have something which I don't see in the eyes of the wealthy. They have a joy for life and a genuine love for those around them.

My prayer is that others would step out and meet a need. And in so doing, maybe they too will witness the joy that we have seen (and felt) through little acts of service here.

Bunkering in Tenerife...

Before any sail, the Africa Mercy needs to have enough fuel for the duration of the voyage - and a good portion of fuel for our first few months in port. We have used fuel trucks in various countries in West Africa, we have even refueled in the middle of the ocean, but here in Tenerife a bunkering barge comes alongside to replenish our fuel reserves. We have had two such deliveries this week, and we are almost ready to sail for Guinea!

 The Bridge of the bunkering barge.

 The bunker barge alongside transferring fuel to the Africa Mercy.

View of the two vessels from across the harbour.

Some sights of Santa Cruz...

As our time in Tenerife slowly winds down, I can truly say that we have been blessed being here. The people are friendly and we have had many adventures ashore. The scenery is beautiful and I have enjoyed experiencing the Spanish culture and lovely foods available! The photos on this blog are of some interesting sights along the seafront of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

But now it is time to shift focus as we prepare to sail to our next Field Service location: Guinea. We are thankful for our time here, and it has been a blast, but there are many people in West Africa needing hope and healing, and their time is fast approaching. And that is why we are here. 

 This is the Castillo de San Juan Bautista (Castle of John the Baptist). It was built in 1641 and was a very important defence for Santa Cruz.

 The sea has rounded many of the stones closer to the water-level, while the bricks above remain square.

 This is the Auditorio de Tenerife (Auditorium of Tenerife) and it was completed in 2003. It houses large chambers for music recitals and concerts.

 The auditorium beyond the water park.

 Interesting sculpture on the promenade.

Santa Cruz skyline from the main plaza.

Loro Parque...

The entire Africa Mercy crew was treated by Mercy Ships to a day at Loro Parque, a large marine and wildlife park in Puerto de la Cruz, last Monday. (6th August.) This was due to the incline experiment that happened - surveyors and technical crew were testing the stability of the ship - and thus all other crew (five bus loads of us!) had to leave the ship for the day.

We reached Loro Parque at around 09h00 and spent a lovely day exploring the different areas. We watched the dolphin, orca, and seal shows, and also spent time wandering through the beautiful scenery. But soon enough it was time to leave, and so it was farewell to Loro Parque for this year. Here are some photos from our day.

 An inquisitive penguin.

 Time for the dolphin show!

 One dolphin tows the boat while the others jump behind.

 

 A dolphin leaps through a hoop.

 Next was the Orca show!

 Orca whales are massive creatures.

 The seal show was a highlight.

 They are really skilled!

 Gorillas.

 Chimpanzees.

 Tigers.

 Jaguar cub.

 A meerkat smiles for the camera!

 African Spurred Tortoise.

 Galapagos Tortoise.

 Alligator.

 Cacti.

 Orchid display.

 Pretty colourful birds.

 Peacock.

 Some form of pheasant.

 Another pretty bird.

 Flamingos in the park.

 Candace and I at the end of a long, fun day.