Interesting week

Living on board a ship and following a routine can get boring after a while. So it makes life a little more interesting when unexpected surprises come our way. Earlier this week, our ship was hit by a cargo ship. Apparently, the tug boat that pulls the cargo ship out of the harbor had let go of the ropes too soon. The cargo ship couldn't get the engine started fast enough and hit the side of our ship. The impact caused a big dent but fortunately it was above the water line. The ship is still safe to live on.

We also got the chance to experience a little bit of American soil. An American Naval ship was docked in our harbor and the Mercy Ship crew was able to take a tour of the naval ship. It's not a battle ship, but a smaller war ship called a Frigate. It mainly does search and rescue operations, but can defend itself in the event of an attack. The ship had two helicopters as well as missiles and torpedoes. The ship is touring the world doing naval training exercises as well as some public relations. Some of the naval crew members toured our ship and joined us for Thursday night worship.

Later in the week, I was curling my hair like I always do but this time the curling iron was too hot and melted my hair. My hair caught on fire and set off the smoke alarms. The next thing I hear overhead is, "Safety Officer Fire On Board". By this time, smoke had filled up the cabin and hallway. The fire team came to my cabin within a minute to see what had happened. My cabin mates who saw the entire thing happen were most impressed by the efficiency of the fire team. Don't worry, I still have a full head of hair it's just a little bit uneven.