Historical Blogging

BLOG 2007-2009

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Sunday, July 6, 2008 – New Exciting Ministry News –

Greetings from Guatemala:

I will try not to make this too long, but some wonderful opportunities have presented themselves to the ministry here, and we are going to need your help. The first quarter of this year really did not produce any news, more or less business (ministry) as usual. We did receive an international team of missionaries in April and will receive more groups later this month. However in June, after seeking direction for the ministry, we have been presented with an opportunity to start a local Christian TV station here in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. The exciting part is that we would be the first and only Christian TV station here! We have already obtained the permissions and are partnering with CTNi for the content and programming.

So what’s the next step? A fundraiser! We have begun a campaign to raise the money needed to begin the transmission. We had a week long marathon and rose just over $1,000 USD locally, and that’s when we realized we would need outside help to start this ministry, the technology here is more expensive than it is in the USA or Europe. A local company has a microwave system (studio to transmitter link) in their warehouse that we may be able to use, that would be a huge savings for us.

SO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TV MINISTRY –

In short, we were blocked politically by another local TV channel and the cable company, which owns the local channel. After being given permissions and at the last moment when we were to go on the air, we were blocked and told directly that they did not want a Christian Station here. ( we did not give up, and we made an online channel )

January 3, 2008 –  Praying for one of my kids

I will keep you updated on my kids from time to time, one for prayer is Elio Muñoz . He is 18 very bright, but only has a 8th grade education. I was set to pay for him to start double time in school to get caught up because he wants to be an architect. But 2 weeks ago his father was on the motorcycle and was hit by a car; breaking the leg in 3 places, he has a titanium plate, 8 screws and can not leave the bed for 6 months. Elio has 7 brother and sisters, he is the oldest and the mom is pregnant about two weeks away, Elio now has the responsibility to work to support the family; school is out of the picture. Elio wants to help me in ministry but timing is bad with the accident. Elio says he has many problems now including his friends all want to drink and smoke. It is hard not to have any good Christian friends at 18. He is now working about 60 hours by week to feed and support the family. In the other mail I sent you was a photo and on my blog, in the photo of the kids at McDonald’s eating – Elio is in the bottom left with the straw in his mouth.

December 31, 2007 – A HARD LESSON LEARNED:

This is long over due and I apologize for the lack of communication. I have some important bad and good news to communicate and it won’t be easy to put in words, so please take a few minutes and read this update:

A HARD LESSON LEARNED:

In March of this year I moved to Guatemala to buy a property and start a youth camp and retreat center. In May of this year after one successful month, the center closed. I discovered that the friend (ex-friend) Felix Gomez, who had helped me with the transactions to buy this property had not been honest with me and that he had been telling people that the property was his. He took his lawyers and made a claim on my money and the property, and because of the way he helped me make the transactions, the bank believed he was buying the property and not me. While my name was on the deed, it had not been filed properly, partly because he was making a claim on the money I used to purchase the property. For some reason the bank did not protect my transaction and they went along with him. This is a person who I had known for years. I had asked him to help me start the youth camp and I found out that he was sleeping with his girlfriend in my house and drinking alcohol during camps in the property. The problem started when I asked him to leave my house, that I would not stand for these things in ministry. I first met this guy when I was in Guatemala with Mercy Ships many years ago. The hard part is to believe a friend would make these actions against me and steal the property and the money all for ministry. Well, that is not all; the bank told me I had to pay him extortion (a very large amount of money) to receive a signed paper from him and the bank would then release my money or property. Unfortunately I paid him, very sadly a large amount of money, but the bank found some other reason to not give me back my money or the property. In total I have lost a lot on this deal, the hard part is that $282,000 was a loan from my bank in the States. It has been a hard lesson learned..

SO WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING?

In July of this year I moved from the Pacific coast of Guatemala to the Atlantic Coast. I have been partners in a radio ministry in Puerto Barrios for 6 years. In July my partner bought a new radio station in a city in the northern part of Guatemala, about 4 hours away. So what does this mean, well I have taken over the radio station and the ministry of Shofar Stereo . I am now the General Manager and Director of the radio and the ministry. Lots of big changes here, more or less God has honored my time here in Guatemala and now I have brought this radio to the next level of professionalism, so much so that the directors of the other radios here in the city came to see what was happening!
SO WHAT NEXT?

Well, I have a great youth ministry here in Guatemala; I have about 25 kids that all call me papa Paul. I have seen the lives of them all change in amazing ways, and are now all serving God in ministry.

Here is a photo of some of my kids
Here is a photo of me, my kids and some friends visiting me from Mercy Ships as we all have breakfast in McDonald’s here in Guatemala. Yes, you heard me right, not one, or two, but a group of friends from all over came to make an outreach here in Guatemala and ended up visiting and helping me with an event in the park for the street kids. These guys are from different cities and countries and I know them from three different ships, what a great time we had!

SUPPORTING MY KIDS:

The reality is that things are not free in this world; I do not know a ministry in the world that does not need help with personnel or with finances. It is true when you hear that $1 per day can change a life, from time to time I pay for a month of school for some of my kids and it is about $30 by month, $70 if you include food for a teenager. All of my kids are in School, but sometimes they are told they can not take exams because the parent’s don’t have money to pay the school. Three of my kids want to take a YWAM DTS (Discipleship Training School) which runs about $1500 depending on location.

Would you please pray about helping me support my kids, it is easy to help https://tonetti.us/donate and follow instructions for checks or credit cards. If you send a check, please let me know so I can have someone look for it in the mail

Thanks for you time, and As I am looking through my address book to send this out, I am praying for each and every one of you for the new year… God Bless

April 1, 2007 – The Beginning

 Well, it is April 1st and we have been going crazy just trying to find all that we needed to open the doors. I spent all day yesterday in the market just trying to find tables and chairs for 40 people. Not a bad deal, It worked out at $13 per table!!! The picture shows us getting ready to open, we have two groups today, 40 people just for the pool, and another group of 5 families as overnight guests. The carpenters were here until 4 am putting the bunk beads together, and the little snack bar is stocked with drinks and candies, well, gotta run the first group just showed up!

March 24, 2007 – Adjusting to the New Culture

I am really enjoying it here, although getting the ministry up and running is quite a bit more than I expected. We are getting a good response from the community and our TV ads. On a personal note it is hard to realize that the nearest real grocery store is 35 minutes by car, however it is owned by wal-mart, so I can find products I like. I have adjusted well to the low carb diet and it is doing well with me. I have discovered I can have 1 flour tortilla or 2 corn tortillas and a ½ cup of black beans. I have trained our cook to cook with olive oil so it is more healthy. She loves to cook with garlic and I love to eat garlic, must have picked that one up from grandpa Tonetti. I have gone to the last hole in my belt and will have to make another one, not sure how much weight I have lost, but this is the second hole I have made in my black belt and the first hole in my brown one, so something is working. By the way, the pool finally went from brown to green to clear!!!

March 17, 2007 – Contact Info & Update from Guatemala

After a five day drive through Mexico with my friend Hugo, we made it to the most southern Mexican / Guatemala boarder where we were blessed with an amazing rainbow, then as we continued to the boarder only to find that hurricane Stan had taken out the bridge and you could only walk across! So we had to back track about 40 minutes to another boarder crossing only to find out we needed to back track another 40 minutes to a Mexican Government office to cancel the driving permit for Mexico. Sounds like a lot of back and forth, but over all I was amazed at how smooth the boarder crossing went. A friend came to meet me at the boarder expecting to stay overnight and we were only there about 2 hours. There is lots of small work at the retreat center so that is keeping me busy. We have our first group of kids coming April 1st , I will put some pictures up so you can see when they come.

March 10, 2007 – Days 3,4 & 5 +

Well, I made it to Guatemala in five days. I have not been able to access the internet, and our connection should be installed Monday. It was an un-eventful trip, and I rather enjoyed it except for the lack of road signs in Mexico and wondering for miles if I was on the right highway, or even the right direction! There are many tolls as you come and go from the cities, I have begun some work around the property, many things need to be fixed and to get ready for three teams in April. I will update more once we get internet up and running.

March 4, 2007 – Day 1 & 2 – in Mexico

Sitting in a restaurant in Mexico that has WiFi and decided to write an update, 2 days into the trip and all is well, minus a few wrong turns. We stayed in Laredo Texas the first night and Tampico Mexico the second night and now we are heading south!, bless you all and thanks for your prayers!

 February 27, 2007 – New From Paul

I am moving to Guatemala full time……..but first I know it has been awhile and a lot has happened, so I will give you’re the short version and if you have any questions you can e-mail me.

In April 2006 I began working for my church, In August my house was finished and I moved in, what a blessing. In December I made a decision to officially end my service with Mercy Ships, a very hard decision after nine years. Then in January I made a trip to Guatemala with a friend to see about mission opportunities.

In February 2007, I purchased a Christian Retreat Center and youth camp in Puerto San Jose, Guatemala with a friend.
We will run the retreat center and youth camp as a ministry reaching out to not only the churches, but to the youth and street kids as well. We have been working with street kids for the last two years and have seen more than 75 kids come off the streets. We will open this new ministry in April 2007.

I want those of you who were in my DTS outreach in Puerto San Jose to know that while we were there in 1997, God gave me the vision for my Guatemala ministry, I never imagined that 10 years later it would become reality,

So yes, I will be moving (driving) down March 2nd and yes my car is full. I will have to figure out the roads, but I have a good map and a Mexican friend (thanks Hugo) who will make the journey with me. I will keep you posted, so look for more updates soon and I will send you my new contact info as soon as I have it.

PS – I want to dedicate my ministry to a dear friend who passed away in a car wreck in England , His name was Greg Parsons. Greg had a heart to work with youth and we talked about this type of ministry many times and my visions for Guatemala. Greg was always a loving friend who encouraged me often, even wanted to help me, and he will be missed!!!!

February 24, 2007 – Moving to Guatemala

Well, I have finally done it. I am the proud owner of a Christian Retreat Center and Youth camp in Guatemala. I will be moving down there the first week of March, yes I said moving to Guatemala. Those who know me are say things like “about time!”, only because I have been talking about it for years! Oh, did I mention I am going to drive down, now you all know that I must be crazy, but not really, because I will be taking many things with me that will be needed to open the ministry. While being a new ministry, I am no stranger to the area as I did my DTS there with Mercy Ships

 January 2, 2007 – Happy New Year – From Guatemala

After scouting around Guatemala for ministry opportunities, I took Stuart, Felix, Kristen, and Emerson up the river for a day of fun, fellowship and a time to relax. Not to many people from the US get to be in the tropics on a river for New Years Eve. Oh and to top it off we spent all day New Years Day at a local beach in Puerto Barrios.

January 1, 2007 – Home for Christmas

Honestly, I can not remember the last time I was home for Christmas! What a blessing to be with my family and my sisters kids. Finally I get to spend time with Amy and Jay, I miss my family. In the next few days I will be off on a trip to Guatemala with Stuart from the church. We will be scouting out mission opportunities for him and his fiancé.

December in Europe

December in Europe, why would anyone in there right mind do this? Well it was time to officially say goodbye to Mercy Ships and the Africa Mercy and to bring a close to a season of almost 10 years. It felt like being back home, but then after all those years, I guess it would.

After saying my goodbye’s I spent a few days visiting friends in Europe that I knew I would not see again for a long time. While visiting a friend in Germany, he took me to the world famous German Christmas markets; I could not even begin to explain how incredible that was. I did make it home in time for Christmas, even though I was stuck at Heathrow Airport in the freezing fog and again in Amsterdam waiting overnight on a flights.

Sunrise – As seen from the Caribbean Mercy



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BLOG 2003-2006

September 2006 –
Well, just finished upgrading the Blog security to keep out the spammers  so lets see how well it works. My server has been crashing lately and I know it is from the spam attacks. September is a nice time of year and I am really enjoying the new house, the beach is quiet this time of year, it sure is nice September 2006 – Pensacola Beach, Florida
Pensacola Beach, Florida – July & August 2006
July is moving in the house month! It is about time, my contractor is really weak on details, but he did build me a nice house! My Friend Blake, from the church, is renting a room from me, this guy is so clean and neat, where was he all those years ago when I really needed a room mate. Blake an I also went to Guatemala to work with Felix and the street kids ministry. Lets just say Blake had an amazing experience and Guatemala has stolen a piece of his heart ( well, that’s what it looks like from my perspective. ) I had a great time as well and got to visit with some old Mercy Ships friends too. Most of August was just finishing up small projects around the house.July & Aug 2006 – Living in my house and loving it!
Pensacola Beach Florida – May & June 2006
Working for my church now, the pastor asked me on the worship planning committee and to oversee the multimedia experience for the three worship services we have. House? Well the contractors are dead slow, would really like to kick them you know where, they just don’t want to work to finish the job, I am very frustrated and now I know how Ken must feel at the Africa Mercy project.May & June 2006 – Living with my mom until my house is finished!
Pensacola Beach Florida – April 2006
Ok, Well, I have left the ship in April and moved back to Florida! Main Reason? … Hurricane IVAN. The storm destroyed my house and it was time to rebuild. I tried doing this from the other side of the pond, still being a missionary, and well, when was the last time you tried to build a house from the other side of the world? So I came home to oversee the completion and to continue to fight the insurance for the money that they owe me. April also saw a trip to Guatemala where I spoke at a youth conference during Holy Week. What an amazing time it was to see all my friends from Guatemala and to spend some time there as well.April 2006 – Home for now………..
Restart of the BLOG Page
Well, I had shut this down back in March due to the SPAM and drug adds that were hacking their way into my BLOG. So I will give this a try again, I have a lot to catch up on so I will start slow. I have been home since April and I am now living in my new house…….. more to come soon –28 September 2006 – Pensacola Beach, Florida USA
Africa Mercy Update
Well another month has gone by and work is ramping up onboard the Africa Mercy.  I counted over 100 workers on Friday, that almost double from weeks past.  I am preparing all the security for the ship, which is a whole new world these days.  I am about ready for winter to be over, it is cold here, I noticed last week that we are already getting one more hour of daylight already, almost 8 hours a day.  Desk work, paperwork and planning and installing security equipment was never in my thought of bringing hope and healing to the poor and needy. With so many delays and the poor work ethics of the shipyard here I am wondering if we will ever finish the ship.  Mercy Ships is pushing for a March 31st finish, but I hear from the sub contractor that it is not even going to be close, I pray they are wrong. So how am I bringing hope and healing? Well, once the Africa Mercy is online it will spend ten months out of the year in Africa bringing first class medical care to the poorest of the poor, countries that don’t have electricity or running water or any basic infrastructure. The Africa Mercy is estimated to serve approximately ½ million people a year.
This picture was painted by a local artist for the A&P Shipyard. They regularly have this done for their ‘big’ customers, and once the ship is completed, they hand the picture over to the ship, keeping a copy on display in their Main Office. The artist was instructed to ‘imagine’ the ship in operation, which is why you see a developing nation background. Click on the picture for a better view30 January 2006 – In the Tyne River, North East England
January in England
ABOUT ME:
I have really enjoyed this time in England; I could live here someday in the future. There are a lot of things I will miss about this place, however shipyard is not one of them. When I became security officer on the Caribbean Mercy last year I was happy to never see another ship yard again, well, little did I know that I would be back in one so soon.

ABOUT MY HOUSE:
Well as you can see below construction has begun, Now all I have to do is get my insurance to pay, can you believe they are still fighting me. All my neighbors have left and moved to another state because the insurance did not pay. I have an attorney who is handling this matter and I am close to a settlement, the law is very clear, I had a total loss and the law says that they have to pay face value of the policy in a total loss.  My bank is great to have loaned me the construction money, but they will want it back as soon as construction is complete.  I am starting to get excited that I will have a house again!  And this time above the floodplain.
28 January 2006 – Tyne and Wear
Snow! In Newcastle?

Looking out my window, I can not believe how much snow is falling, then 10 minutes later the stars were out and the ground was white, the neighbors kids are having a snow ball fight!  Now to some of you this is not a big deal, but remember I am from Florida, known back home as the Sunshine State!
Well, it has been snowing on and off for three days, somehow everyone seems to manage ok, it is a bit slippery on the gangway of the ship, but the heat is on inside!

OK, on the third day the snow stopped and we had freezing rain which turned everything into a big slush. I was sad to see how the nice white covering started to melt and turn to black nasty muddy slush, this is not the fun part as you get your shoes all wet and dirty.
Ok, it was nice but I am ready for Summer……
30 December 2005 – Hebburn, Tyne and Wear
Greetings and Merry Christmas:
Well, I have spent Christmas in many different countries over the last few years and this year will be no different. Never having been in England for Christmas I am not sure what will happen, I do not imagine they will use fireworks like in Central America, and I know back in the states all the parades have already happened and Santa has been around the neighborhoods visiting the children. So we will see and I will let you know. As far as the Africa Mercy, there will be the normal time off, and then it looks like the contract has been settled and the crews from the yard will be working 24 hours a day to see the ship finished. Now that’s what I call good news.In other news, the contractor building my house has placed the poles in the ground, this is part of the foundation, because my house is in a known flood zone, the construction will be up in the air on poles! It looks like I am one of the first in my neighborhood to rebuild. So many people are without homes this year, even from Ivan 1 ½ years ago. I am fortunate in the fact I am working with Mercy Ships and they are providing me a place to live or I would be homeless as well.26 December 2005 – England
Weekend in Birmingham, Alabama
This weekend I am visiting my aunt and tomorrow we will have a family memorial for my grandfather that passed away a few weeks ago at the great age of 8810 December 2005 – Alabama
Not quite home for Christmas!
Looks like I will be home in Florida for a few weeks as I am visitng the family after the sudden death of my grandfather. He was 78 and in fairly good health when he had his heart attack. I will however be back in Newcastle upon Tyne on the 24th of December just in time for Christmas.8 December 2005 – Gulf Breeze, Florida
Snow In November?
– It has been a long time since I woke up and saw snow outside, well yesterday here in Newcastle it was snowing. The snow came all morning and while it did not stick to the ground, most cars were covered and there was slush on the roads. By mid afternoon it was all gone. I have not really lived in a place that gets snow, so there was a bit of excitement.
– This last week saw the unexpected passing of my grandfather on my fathers side; one year ago his wife passed away. These were the grandparents who practically raise me when I was young, we were close, so some time in the next few weeks I will be traveling home to visit the family in Florida and in Birmingham.
– The new finish date for the ship is March 31st, I hope this one sticks and the ship can be finished, many of the shipyard workers are just not motivated and the crew has been here so long, most of them are ready to sail and begin outreaches in Africa.
– This week also saw the pilings (poles) go in the ground as the first step of completing my new house, it is a beginning and I can hardly believe it is happening. Now the rest of the details, I do not even know what color I want to paint the outside of it yet.29 November 2005 – Newcastle upon Tyne
Africa Mercy Upon Tyne
We came out of dry dock today, it was my first sail on the Africa Mercy, well if you can call 200 meters on a river a sail, but it felt good anyway!15 November 2005 – Tyne River
November in Newcastle
November 14, 2005 – Paul’s Update

Well here we are again, sorry for the delay in news but I was waiting on the results of a few things to happen. The first is a praise report. In my last update I spoke about all the visa problems for our crew, well, that has been resolved. Everyone in question received visa’s all the way through the end of April 2006. In other news, there has been a slow down in the ship yard, mostly because the subcontractor is having problems. At the moment the ship is in its final dry dock and will be in the water tomorrow, weather permitting. The next phase is just putting it all together. The Caribbean Mercy is on her final outreach in Chickasaw, Alabama helping hurricane Katrina victims. The ship will be closed down for good at the end of the week. I have attached a message from Don Stephens, Mercy Ships founder, at the bottom of this message explaining everything. It is a new era for Mercy Ships, two old ships being placed out of service and one larger ship handling more than twice the capacity of the other two combined! What exciting times, even though it means living in England until April, which is really not that bad. Now let me define bad for those of you brits reading this message, I am from Florida, the land of more than 300 days a year of sunshine and 10 months of summer, ok need I say more! It has been just above freezing all week, with rain! Besides the weather I am currently enjoying the company of a friend of mine from Guatemala who is here at the moment working on the ship. I have been friends with Felix (middle person in picture below) since 1997 and am very happy he is here experiencing a new era of ships for Mercy Ships. In the meantime, I am still working on security systems, getting things ready, and helping the IT department one day a week.
In my next update, I should have more information on the Africa Mercy completion.

Remember to check out my website and feel free to leave a message in my guest book as well, https://tonetti.us and if you want to know more about the Africa Mercy project à http://www.africamercy.org
-Paul

14 November 2005 – Hebburn, Tyne and Wear
23 Hours in Rome
Rome? Did you say Rome as in Italy?
I have been with Mercy Ships for many years now, and a few years ago the United States along with many other countries adopted a time limit on the entry visa for seamen. In the United States it is 29 days with one renew option, and then you must leave the country and return again to restart the cycle. This is not a work around but a normal way of doing things, almost every country out there requires you to leave and return to change your visa status. Some countries actually require you to return to your home country, however England does not. Well you guessed it, my visa came due this last week and I had to leave for one day and come back in order to continue my work here in the UK. Since I am not a tourist here, and even though Mercy Ships is volunteer work, it still counts as work! So with that said Mercy Ships flew me to Rome. Why Rome? It was the cheapest tickets from easyjet.com. So what do you do in Rome for 23 hours? I jumped on the tour bus and spent all after noon taking pictures of buildings that were more than 2000 years old. I even went to the Vatican, and Saint Peters Basilica. I saw the tomb of all the old popes including John Paul II and the tomb of Peter, the apostle.

In other news:
Many others are traveling this week to get their visa papers in order. One good thing about this trip, I now have a visa for the UK that is good for six months, and can come and go as I please. I hope it does not take six more months to get the ship ready, but It may be close. Many people are busy about the ship as the furniture is getting moved in to cabins this week (some assembly required).
Well that about does it for now, ‘till next time
Take care,
3 October 2005 – Rome, Italy – delayed entry from 29 September 2005
Jeremy & Katie
I just had a wonderful visit from Jeremy and Katie Albers. These are some good friends of mine from the Caribbean Mercy days. They were in the area for two days, and we had a lot of fun. There were several of us from the Caribbean Mercy, who are all now here working on the Africa Mercy, and we were all able to get together and have a great time. I hope to see you guys again soon!17 September 2005 – Shouth Shields, England
Africa Mercy
Greetings,
Once again it is time for an update, Enjoy and feel free to respond and let me know what you have been up to…..

About me:
I have been adjusting to English weather pretty good, although most days have been sunny so far, and they keep telling me it is unusual and that summer is over. This week has seen a bit of rain and very cool days. I realized living on ships for so long and always being in the tropics or Caribbean, that I really do not have very many winter clothes. On another note, the Africa Mercy project was not as far along as I had imagined or was led to believe it was and this was quite a surprise as it directly affects my scope of work and I had to re-adjust my priorities as security officer, and realize that we are still a few months away. While I am still working on a security plan for the ship ( which is required before the ship can sail ) I have found some of my other duties include removing old equipment from the bridge and installing new modern equipment in its place and helping the IT department one day a week.

Here are some pictures of where I am living at the moment. It will be several months before we can actually move on to the ship. [ https://tonetti.us/gallery/2005/2005.5.0_AFM_august/
index.html ] Top row, third picture, I live in the one on the end, by the ( To Let ) sign. The rest of the pictures are of some sights around town, the beach and some other people I know, and other crazy things. The proper name of the city is “Newcastle upon Tyne”. The Tyne is the name of the river on which the ship is docked and also which runs through the middle of the city. As you can see in the pictures the coast is very beautiful, however in a few more weeks, winter begins and the coast is not so friendly. I have been going to church with a friend, it is an Anglican church, part of The Church of England and while it is not the same as being at home, it is a very warm and friendly church. In the next few weeks, as things are coming together on the ship I will send more pictures.

About Mercy Ships:
The company that has the contract to complete the Africa Mercy informs us that they are about three weeks behind schedule and that the completion date is now late November. This project is huge, and has taken many years and lots of money and now it is very close to completion, there is a lot of excitement around here, even though November is still a few months away. I have been told that if you take the numbers of people each year that our other ships help and double it, This will be the numbers that the Africa Mercy alone can help.

About Hurricane Katrina:
The Caribbean Mercy faired the storm very well and is safe at her berth in Chickasaw, Alabama. Mercy Ships has launched a huge relief operation on the Gulf Coast, from Mobile to Gulfport and the ship is currently being used to house many teams and is acting as a home base for the response teams and operation. I miss that ship and in some ways wish I was there.

For me and my family, we did not get any damage from Katrina, and actually it may have removed some of the debris left on my land from the last storm, but not all of it.

About my house:
As you know I had to demolish my old house and I am still fighting the insurance company. My local bank has offered to loan me the money until the insurance pays up and my contractor is now ready to build my house back, this time I will have a new house and it will be on poles, above the flood zone. In other words, things are moving, just really slow. In New Orleans they are saying 3 or 4 months to get things together, but I will tell you one year after hurricane Ivan, and my small community at Pensacola Beach is still far away from being back to normal.
11 September 2005 – Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Greetings from Newcastle upon Tyne, England,
Newcastle is a city upon the Tyne River on the North East coast of England, and this is where the Africa Mercy project is underway. The Africa Mercy will be the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship, and we are only a few months away from completion. Since the ship is not ready yet, the crew are living in flats (small European style apartments) that all seem to be within a mile or so of the ship. I walked around the ship Friday and it was exciting to see is all coming together. The current plan would be to leave the UK in February and spend 16 months in West Africa serving the poorest of the poor. Before we go to Africa there will be a short public relations event in London, where it is rumored that the queen herself may come visit the ship.
Life in the UK; Well, I have already discovered the meaning of the little pictures on the hot water controls. As I turned on the water there are two settings on the knob, one is for hot water in the sinks and the other is hot water for the sinks plus the radiator pipes under the windows. While it is still summer here, I discovered how fast the pipes can really warm up the place! I guess that goes for anyone who has ever moved to a new place and tried to find all the light switches and hot water knobs…..by the way, I am a bit confused as why it is even the same knob, but then that is typical Europe. Oh don’t forget which side of the street to drive on! . I will try to send some pictures next week,
Bless you all
14 August 2005 – Newcastle, UK
San Benito & Puerto Barros, Guatemala
Greetings from Guatemala. So far I have really enjoyed my time here. I am 9 days into my 12 day stay. I have been visiting my freinds in the Petan region ( San Benito ) and we have been traveling to many churches leading a confrence on leadership, vision and purpose. The pastors are receiving it well. This last weekend I spent in Puerto Barrios, It amazes me how many people I know here. This is the city where the radio station is, and I must say is doing very well. we are now rated number 3 of 13 stations in the city. Today I will travel back to the Petan region and thurday I will fly home.25 July 2005 – Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
Florida – The Hurricane State
As I was finally able to get back online after the storm passed, I noticed most of my e-mail was inquiries about how I did during the Hurricane. We were only without power for 3 days, just long enough to through out all refrigerated food. The internet service was down 4 days and we never entered a boil water order in Gulf Breeze, but the rest of the area did have to boil water. Today about 64% of the area is still with out power. Over all the area did very well, the storm downgraded about 15 minutes before land fall to 115 mph winds, this was a major blessing. The most damage was on the barrier islands and Navarre Florida got the bad side of the storm so you can see signs down and roofs damaged and the occasional tornado alley.
All-in-all my family is all fine and all our homes are fine. I had not yet started to rebuild my house so no other damage.
So far on my vacation I have been through three hurricanes.
 -Paul15 July 2005 – Gulf Breeze, FL
Beachless / Homeless
How strange it is to be home but not at my house, and to be on the beach, with piles of debris and no sand dunes. I feel like I am visiting a strange city until I see the pieces of buildings and places I used to know. Almost one year later and it still looks like a war zone. There is still not a gas station open in Pensacola Beach and only four hotels are open for the peak season.25 June 2005 – Pensacola Beach
Paul’s Update
June 1st – I will be taking a two month leave to return home. My plans during this time home are to reconnect with friends, supporters and my home church. I will be continuing on with Mercy Ships Africa Mercy, and will make a two year commitment to Africa starting in August or September. While I am home I will be busy with the reconstruction of my house while also raising support for the two years in Africa.
15 May 2005 – Mobile, AL
So what is happening with the M/V Caribbean Mercy
The Caribbean Mercy has been running for 12 years now without any major overhauls, and now comes a time that the ship must make some changes to stay in with current regulations. After meeting with the surveyor, the senior leadership decided to park the ship in Chickasaw, Alabama for 6 to 12 months while they come up with a plan for the repairs and continued use of the ship.
15 May 2005 – Mobile, AL
Did you say Africa?
Yes, I did! I will go to the M/V Africa Mercy, Mercy Ships newest and biggest hospital ship. The ship is currently in the UK where the work is entering the final stages. When I arrive there this fall, we will be loading up the ship, then making a few short stops in some European ports and then off to West Africa for a ten month field assignment.
19 March 2005 – Mobile, AL
About my house!
I want to start by saying thank you for your thoughts and prayers concerning the loss of my house after hurricane Ivan. It continues to be a battle as insurance still is not paying and construction cost have doubled, but in the midst of all of this, I will be able to start reconstruction of my house on June 1st.Feb 2005 – CBM in Mobile, AL
What a sail,,,,,,not!
Wow! What a month so far. We are in Mobile, finally! I want to recount the adventures in chronological order that occurred as we were making our way north.

– First, we needed a shaft for the seawater pump that pumps the cooling water to the engine and generators. It was delayed in customs and almost did not arrive in time for our sail from Puerto Castilla to Puerto Cortes.
– Before we departed Puerto Cortes the mandatory Satellite Radio System called the GMDSS had a failure. It turned out to be a double failure, both the disk on a chip and the 386SX embedded computer. We had one shipped from the states on an emergency basis and on New Years day Don went to San Pedro Sula to collect it and then race back to the ship to install it and check it out.
– So, we sailed on time from Puerto Cortes on Monday the 3rd of January, bound for Mobile. On Tuesday morning in the Yuccatan channel about 6AM the engine failed. It had been degrading all night long and it finally failed.
– We drifted toward the reef off the coast of the Yuccatan while the engineers worked on fixes and patches. Late on Wednesday about 10 miles from the reef the engineers got the engine limping enough to get us moving at about 2.3 knots toward Cozumel. 24 hours later we anchored off Cozumel. Because it is high season there we could not get the ship to a dock.
– We had a sewage crisis. Cozumel does not allow dumping of our treated wastes so we had to put the waste into ballast tanks, tanks we had emptied before we got within 12 miles of Cozumel. We could empty only two tanks without upsetting the stability of the ship. We have all six vehicles on the foredeck, this means we need more ballast. So we had to send about 50 of the crew ashore, to a hotel, in high season so that we would not drown in sewage. The boat that came to take them ashore had an engine failure.
– We had an engine failure in our Zodiac, the small boat we use to shuttle people ashore.
– The engineers worked diligently and got the ship’s main engine together enough to make 8 knots or so to Mobile, but meanwhile the 400 lb. motor that moves the rudder failed. There was no way to repair it in Cozumel. We engaged a tug to escort us from Cozumel to Mobile.
– We departed Cozumel around 5PM using the backup steering motor on Thursday, 13 January, and before we had gone 10 miles the engine overheated and had to be shutdown. The tug had not made it yet. This time it was a broken water valve and within a couple of hours the engineers had patched it out of the system and had the engine going again.
– Meanwhile the tug arrived and we went north in convoy through some pretty rough seas.
– We made it to the entrance to Mobile bay too late to enter so we again anchored out and the next morning two tugs joined us to escort us to our anchorage. Just inside the Mobile river, the engine failed again, we had to drop anchor until the tugs could be made fast.
So we made our last mile or so under tug power.
God’s hand has been all over this. His protection has been absolute.
We will be in Mobile for 6-8 weeks for repairs and loading in preparation for our next outreach in Barahona, Dominican Republic.
21 January 2005 – CBM in Mobile, AL  Chronological order provided by Don Golden.
New Year Greetings
Here is a quick update, By the way Today January 12, 2005 is exactly 7 1/2 years I have been serving with Mercy Ships. It seems like only last year I was home, working at the church, living in my house at the beach. well ok maybe a few years, but it sure does not seem like seven.
About me:
Well my new year is off to an interesting start, Let me tell you a little about it. On January 3rd we sailed from Puerto Cortez, Honduras on the way to Mobile, Alabama. The weather was not in our favor, our little ship was being tossed all over the place and I was sick for about the first 6 hours. I guess I was spoiled with the summer of smooth sails on the Anastasis and it took me a few hours to get my sea legs back. That is only the beginning, As I write this we are anchored out in the bay at Cozumel, it seems that on our way to Mobile we had a small problem with the engine. We had to slow way down ( I think I could have walked faster ) and since we were 70 miles from Cozumel when we had the problem, that is where we went. The engineers are waiting on a part, you know how slow FedEx is once you are outside the ‘USA’. I can’t think of a better place to be waiting on a part except after about two days you have seen just about all of Cozumel. We will be sailing for Mobile on Friday and don’t expect any more problems.
About my house:
Last month I had the house torn down ( thanks James ) and now it is just an empty lot. The county had declared it a total loss. Most of my insurance has paid out except for the windstorm. I will be having an attorney deal with them to get the remaining money they owe me. The new construction is moving along a lot slower then expected, mostly because of the insurance companies I guess. My first check was written today in the beginning of a new a new house back home. It has a bit of excitement. One of my friends said if the insurance does not pay that I should take up an offering
About the tsunami:
Mercy Ships is sending a container with emergency medical supplies. Additionally, many fishing villages lost their sole means of income, boats and fishing nets. Mercy Ships is supplying new boats and nets for the people in the vicinity of Port City Point Pedro. We will also have teams on the ground and are in the beginning stages of a long term presence there to help rebuild!
Well, I hope that gets everyone up-to-date.12 January 2005 – Cozumel, Mexico – CBM
At Sea on the CBM once again!
Wow, I forgot how this ship really sails, I was sick in the first 12 hours, as was a lot of other crew. It has been an interesting sail so far, our engine has problems and we drifted around for awhile, then we went to limited power heading for Cozumel, Mexico to make repairs. We have just arrived but there is no docks available for us yet so we will anchor out in the harbour. Our original goal was Mobile, Alabama, but one thing is for certain in the ship industry and that is change!06 January 2005 – Caribbean Sea, south of Cozumel  music: Kutlass – Sea of Faces…..
Christmas in Honduras
music: Feliz Navidad……
I have been on the Caribbean Mercy for a few weeks now and we have moved to Puerto Cortez for Christmas break. This is a more modern part of Honduras compared to where we just came from. Puerto Castilla is very remote and in a very poor part of the country. I have been struggling with the fact that I came to the ship as SSO and they put me on the watch schedule right away. Now ofcourse I can not do both jobs, but it seems to be working itself out ok after a few discussions with the Captain and Chief officer. Overall, I am happy to be back on the ship.
December 2004 – Puerto Cortez, Honduras
IVAN – and my house #2
Well several trips home and not much accomplished, you would not believe the process FEMA wants nor can you reach anyone by telephone either. I have arranged for my house to be torn down. I have been renewing relationships with John Sevelli and James Schroeder. It feels good to be at home for awhile. Nothing really pressing in the office, however I have been asked to entertain the idea of going to the Caribbean Mercy as SSO ( Ship Security Officer ) .November 2004 – IOC – Texas
IVAN – and my house
music: TobyMac – Gone & Matthew West – ( I love you ) More……
OCTOBER 2004 – DELAYED ENTRY
After Flying home from Bremerhaven Germany to see the Huricanne Damage,
Well, IVAN has destroyed my house and now it looks like a long fight for the insurence money. Most of my neighbors have lost everything, I however was more fortunate as my belongings were stored at my mothers house.October 2004 – Bremerhaven Germany / Pensacola Florida
bla bla bla – IVAN
yes you guessed it Hurrican Ivan has turned my life upside down, twice…..wait, that’s back upside right 
Paul on 10.19.0419 October 2004 – Currently in Dundee, Scotland
God heals us when we are broken
SEPTEMBER – ANASTASIS – SCOTLAND –delayed entry
Well, the arrival in Dundee brings my projects to an end on the Anastasis. I have to say that I have seen some pretty amazing things come into place. My first project was the codelocks, and while we have seen lots of problems with durability, we have recognized the weakness and the company is willing to work with us to replace whatever is needed. During dry-dock I managed to get all the new security lights in place and I was blessed to have an excellent helper ( Josh Hensman ) who was able to grasp the technical side of the job and help me bring it all to a close without complications. We managed to get all the overboard lighting so that it is controlled from the bridge, and in one panel as well. Arriving in Dundee at 11pm, we had the perfect opportunity to try out the new deck lighting and switching so that no lights were shining at the bridge, but the bow could see what they were doing. I was at the bow as a line handler at this time and I heard lots of praises for the lights there.
During dry-dock, I had some slow times while we were waiting on some other locks to come in, so we took the time to help the electrician change some light bulbs. I ordered the compact fluorescent Long life bubs and managed to get most of the emergency lighting converted over to these as well as replacing numerous burned out lights in the engine room.
Once the locks came in it was back to work. One of the things that was my desire to see happen, for safety and security, was to have the ship on a master key system. In speaking with Captain Jay, we had some money available to work on this, but when I worked up the numbers it was way above what we thought about spending. I had one locksmith over to ask about quotes and how to set things up on a plan, well, he said ‘let me get back to you’ and when he did it included about half the lock we needed being donated. This got us pretty far but not complete, however, when the ship arrived in Dundee the other half of the donation was on the dock waiting for me. This locksmith had donated over 120 lock cylinders and a new key machine, and I am happy to say that as of today, all the doors to the cabins, offices, and storage closets are on a master key system and the key lockers have been sorted out.
As you may know, my plans to go to the Africa Mercy have been delayed while the immigration offices in the UK review the status of what is going on there and what the scope of work is. Until they come up with some answers they are not letting anyone else go there to work. This affects several crewmembers besides myself, so I hope it is resolved soon. With that said, I will be sailing next week to Germany with the ship and disembarking either for the Africa Mercy or Home! Meanwhile, I plan to help the deck department and enjoy a little bit of Scotland.19 October 2004 – Currently in Dundee, Scotland
new web server
The new server has been installed and seems to be working ok! I am letting the crew from the Anastasis have web pages on the server too!13 July 2004 – ANA in the Faroe Islands
Texas in the spring time
Once again I am here in Texas at Mercy Ships IOC. I have returned from a wonderful vacation in Europe and am trying to reconnect with several friends before leaving to the Anastasis. I have found out last week that I will be going to the Anastasis until September, then to the Africa Mercy. I will be gone for the rest of the year! wow be careful what you pray for. although at first my feelings were mixed, now I understand and feel a bit better about it. I am also considering the position of SSO on the Africa Mercy ( ship security officer ) but only time will tell this one! the next few weeks will be a bit busy, but I am cool with that too!25 April 2004 – IOC Texas
Hello from the Netherlands
Well, after spending two weeks in Texas and leaving several projects behind on the CBM, I was informed that I will be spending the rest of the year out of the U.S. First to the ANA in Africa, followed by dry-dock, then to the AFM through Christmas. I am re-discovering the things I am passionate about, like living on a ship!
After my short time in Texas I left for a two week road trip through Europe. One of my supporters in Switzerland got married and paid my way to be there! How cool was that! It all started when I flew into Amsterdam and met up with my friend Bernd de Blouw. We drove from Holland to Switzerland, it was about a 9 hour trip. There we stayed with some people whom we did not know, but they met in YWAM Scotland, and had done a DTS on the Anastasis 10 years ago. What a small world. They spent the day showing us around Zurich and then my friend, the one who was getting married, spent the whole day with us and took us to the top of mount Santis. I can say I had never been on snow topped mountains before, it was quite an adventure.
After the wedding and five days sight seeing Switzerland, we started our trip back to Holland by way of Stuttgart and Karlsruhe, Germany; followed by overnight camping in Luxembourg, then on to Brussels, Belgium where we spent the day, and then on to Vlissingen, a city by the southern coast of Holland, very close to Belgium. It is more of a tourist thing, but then I am on Vacation.
As I write this I am back in Zutphen at Bernd’s house and in two more days I will be back in the states trying to sort out what I need to take and what to pack away!09 April 2004 – Zutphen, Holland
March Update Saturday
Brett asked me to go to San Deigo for a few weeks, hmmm maybe, Drydock has been extended until March 24th plus 2 weeks alongside afterwards, my vacation starts in just two weeks, but for now there is lots of work, the kind where at the end of the day you just don’t feel like doing anything, but no complaints here, it needs to be done!13 March 2004 – Caribbean Mercy – Dry-Dock Mobile, ALA
Update from dry-dock Monday
Well, we are now half way through the dry-dock time here on the Caribbean Mercy, The work is going pretty slow, I finally got some help today. I am installing some security cameras, position reporting devices and upgrading lighting for dock security.
David Meadows will be coming to the ship for a few weeks to help me out in special projects.
On another note I will be going to Europe at the end of March for a spring vacation and to visit a friend in Switzerland who will be getting married. It will be my first vacation in several years. I can hardly wait. Nothing like a road trip in Europe!23 Feb 2004 – CBM in Mobile, AL
Catch up! Monday
Well, I am now on the Caribbean Mercy. Andy Rosson came to the IOC last week and is doing the Africa Mercy (IOC) DTS. That is a good place for Andy, I am excited for him.
It is good to be back on the ship, Today David and I walked in the park in downtown Mobile and spoke with several people along the way.
Brett Curtis had asked me to pray about joining him in San Diego with his new job there, funny thing is that when I started praying about it, I really felt a tug towards the Africa Mercy, now that must be God, because I do not feel anything towards Africa, actually just the opposite, no desire at all! Well Ken Berry is the New CEO for the AFM for 3 years coming and the idea of working with him is very exciting. I will be in Mobile, Alabama until March 15 then I will go to Texas followed by a trip to Holland to see Bernd and then onto Switzerland for a friends wedding, a real European road trip, sounds like fun.19 January 2004 – CBM in Mobile, AL
Holiday Season
Goodmorning, this is the first day of the new year and I feel good about that. The last week has been pretty quiet. I really would have prefered to be on either ship, but for this time I was in Texas and that is ok, I was able to talk to David Little about his plans for school. The part for me that was tough was just being around with no one to talk to. I really felt like there were days where I was the only one in the office, oh wait, I was. It is in times like this I need to learn to get my strength from God! I am looking forward to the next few weeks of work, pulling everything together for the Caribbean Mercy Dry dock and security upgrades. It will be a lot of work and that is how I like it. Now if we can just find enough workers, I will be happy. I got a phone call from David Meadows the other day, he really reminded me of how much fun I had last summer working with the Wobble Worship Team in Europe and mentioned that he was interestd in getting the team together again for one last US tour! I am stll trying to figure out my schedule for this next year, I want to take some time off, visit friends in Holland and Guatemala, maybe UK too! we will see.01 January 2004 – IOC – Texas
One of those days:
Well, it is two days before Christmas, actually it is just midnight so it is now Christmas eve, I guess. Today was an interesting day, I will be in Texas by my self this Christmas and I am not really looking forward to it as it is so quiet here. My last 6 Christmas’s were on the Caribbean Mercy and surrounded by lots of people. now it will be just me, although God did give me peace about this today so I guess it won’t be so bad . I am excited about the new web log I installed on my server, I am looking forward to keeping it up over the next few years, and I desire to go back at some point and re create a log from the past 6 years by looking at photo’s. I am realizing I already am forgetting things and names and I would like to remember them.24 December 2003 – Texas
Web Log Created
Well, here i am sitting in Texas four days before Christmas. Not really sure about how I feel having Christmas in Texas all alone. Hmmmm– I had a really good last few weeks on the ship and at seaschool with David Little. I am so fortunate and thank God everyday for such a cool friend. well it is Sunday night and I am watching the ‘Band of Brothers’ series on DVD.
21 December 2003 – Texas

COMMENTS 1998-2002

Name:Philip Ellerbrock –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:lakeland, FL     USA
Comments:  Great web site. See you in about 5 days. I’m coming aboard as a short termer electrician Mar 10th – 24th Jacksonville, FL. I’m a computer programmer so hope to see your PC dept. God bless.
Name:Mollet Markus –
E-mail:[email protected]
My URL:
Location:Zurich, ZH     CH
Comments:  Hi Paul Just want to say hello. I have got the news of CM from Pauline. Take care! Markus
Name:Adam Bond –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:St. Andrews, Scotland / London, England / Crested Butte, Colorado,      USA
Comments:  I MISS ALL OF YOU GUYS SO MUCH…GIVE ME A BUZZ! GOD SPEED TO YOU ALL!
Name:Adam Bond –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:St. Andrews, Scotland / London, England / Crested Butte, Colorado,      USA
Comments:  I MISS ALL OF YOU GUYS SO MUCH…GIVE ME A BUZZ! GOD SPEED TO YOU ALL!
Name:Jonny –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Victoria, BC     CA
Comments:  great site, man it is rad yo!
Name:paul –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:pns, fl     USA
Comments:  testing
Name:Carl McCall –
E-mail:[email protected]
My URL:http://members.nbci.com/carlmccall/
Location:San Diego, carlmccall     USA
Comments:  Thank you for the Tour of the Comm. Center – Hope you like what I brought you ! Via con Dios ! Carl
Name:Alexis Sullivan –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Victoria, BC     Canada
Comments:  Great web site Paul and very warmest wishes from your friends at the BC Ferry Corporation.
Name:Suzy Montgomery –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Gulf BReeze, fl     USA
Comments:  Hi Paul Just wanted to let you know we’re thinking of you. Brian has graduated from GBHS and Tracy is a senior now. You’re getting to be such a world traveller.
Name:Katrin Jurgenson –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Lauffen am Neckar,      Germany
Comments:  Hey, I checked out Kara on the Internet and found your page. Good to see you! K.
Name:marco estrada –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:san jose,      costa rica
Comments:  me gusta mucho, especialmente las fotos de las cruzadas, que Dios los bendiga por la obra que hacen y por dejar que El Señor los use en su misisterio.
Name:Jacklyn –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:London,      England
Comments:  My Husband and I are praying and urnestly seeking God as to whether or not we should join Mercy Ships what do you think? After reading about your experiences, Praise God, He knows what He’s doing. I will pray for you that you will be strenghted by Gods power in every country you visit. God Bless Jacklyn
Name:keum-sook shim –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:yosu,      s.koera
Comments:  Thank you for your E-mail. my E-mail address is changed. so I hope you use this address when you send mail to me. my address is [email protected]. and I still using this address([email protected]). I really miss all caribbean mercyship family. especially you and elizabeth Aquino, jake, alan danial, joice and all korean(ilchul, induk, nanyoung, sunghyun, eunok, hyunsuk….) please say hello to them. thank you for everything and I hope see you again! God bless you.
Name:Meagan –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Grand Island, NE     USA
Comments:  Hi, I would just like to say that I think the people who go on Mercy ships to helps others are so wonderful, I hope to be able and do it one day myself, I would love to help people less fortuate then I. I had no idea people actually did this till i started reading a book about it, I just started it yesterday, and have already decided I’d like to help out. Anyway, I just wanted to congratulate you for being wonderful people, sincerly, Meagan
Name:Erica Cole –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Tompkinsville, KY     USA
Comments:  Paul, Wow!!! I had no idea that you were so talented with computers. I am close to computer illiterate, but this is the best thing I have ever seen on the internet! Seeing the pictures of the CM makes me miss it even more. I haven’t had time to read all the information that you’ve put on here, but I’ll be back later. I am so glad that all is well with you. God bless. Erica
Name:Chuck & Joann Cox –
E-mail:[email protected]
Comments:  We appreciate the way in which your website offers a personalized point of view on the Caribbean Mercy’s operations. We visited the ship on two different occasions when she was docked in our hometown of Duluth, MN (some 2140 miles inland from the Atlantic, via the St Lawrence Seaway), toured her, and heard a presentation on what-all is involved in becoming part of the on-board team. So seeing the stuff that’s posted on your site is like catching up on what’s been going on in an old friend’s life. Lord bless you guys’ ministry, especially the upcoming period in Mazatlán. We were just there in February, and thanks to a tour given by the Vineyard church there, were able to see how “the other half” (that is, the poorer half, as opposed to us vacationing gringos) lives. No doubt, your ministry will enrich that portion of the population both spiritually and materially. Once again: Lord Bless!
Name:test –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:test, te     USA
Comments:  test
Name:Bev Cavera –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Shelby, Mi     USA
Comments:  Wonderful..Seeing the pictures that I missed when I worked on the ship in Feb. 2000. I really enjoyed the well drilling pictures.
Name:Lynda Francis –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Kearney, NE     USA
Comments:  It was great to see what and where our son and daughter-in-law have been up to (Brad and Jody Francis). It helps make it real to us, also. Our prayers are with you all each day.
Name:Marc Andersen –
E-mail:[email protected]
My URL:http://www.1335days.org/
Location:Rotterdam,      Holland
Comments:  Wonderful site. Does your mother know about this? I give it three and a half stars, noooooo.. it’s got to be four, yes four stars. How many computers do you have on that tug? Maybe someday I’ll get to sail with you  You know as the french peas would say, “It was nice to meet you, now go away.”
Name:Alan Daniel –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Rancho Cordova, CA     USA
Comments:  Paul, Your Web Page is great. All the info and pictures makes me miss you, the poeple on the ship, the places we went to, the things we did and the Ship in a whole. Keep up the good work God has called you to do there. One more time, Your Web Page is Outstanding. Miss you and God Bless, Alan
Name:Kara Paczkowski –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Garden Valley, TX     USA
Comments:  Paul, the outreach photos are fantastic! They made me homesick! Nice work 
Name:Amy Birmingham –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Orlando, FL     USA
Comments:  I love you, did you ever get my e-mail? Please write me a short letter sometime. Laura, too. We all miss you… love, your sister, Amy
Name:Mark Mollet –
E-mail:[email protected]
My URL:nil
Location:Zurich, ZH     Switzerland
Comments:  Paul, to bad that I haven’t visited your site yet. You have really nice Pictures. It remembers me on the the time I could spend with you in 1998. It was so nice! You are still invited to visit me in Switzerland (by train; if possible)
Name:Tom Webster –
E-mail:[email protected]
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/trwebster/
Location:Pensacola Beach dude!, fl     USA
Comments:  Great site! Glad to hear that you will be in town in Jan.! See ya then! Also like your other personal site. See ya when you get in town! Tom!
Name:Rick Humphreys –
E-mail:[email protected]
My URL:http://hotmail.com
Location:Pensacola, Fl     USA
Comments:  Paul, Great web site enjoyed the view from around the globe! Keep me posted on your adventures, and try and avoid any white whales, they seem to cause internal conflicts and they’re tough on hulls.
Name:Scott Nelles –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Round Lake Beach, IL     USA
Comments:  Great page Paul. I can’t wait till I see you guys again. I think what Mercy Ships does is awesome, and really cool, so who knows, I might come visiting one of these days. Give Tom a kick in the pants for being technologically impaired 
Name:Brian Ledbetter –
E-mail:[email protected]
My URL:http://www.ael-peo.com/brian/
Location:Pensacola, FL     USA
Comments:  Hey Paul! Best wishes on your continual cruise! May God bless you REAL GOOD! (GREAT LOOKING WEBSITE, BRO!)
Name:Marc Seguin –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Victoria, BC     Canada !
Comments:  Hey Paul. Hope to see you again in El Salvador ! God Bless
Name:Courtney C. Hadly –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Bloomington, IN     USA
Comments:  Paul, thank you so much for providing such a wonderful site where interested friends can check out what’s going on with the CM! Please say hello to everyone for me, especially my cousin Charles!
Name:Paul Harris –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Mississauga , ON     Canada
Comments:  This is a great web site Paul! I really enjoy seeing what you & your fellow crew members are doing. I wish all of you continued safety. Paul.
Name:Chris Bischoff –
E-mail:[email protected]
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/8735
Location:Blansko, CZ     Czech Republic
Comments:  Hi Paul, I saw your comments in my guest book on my website. Thanks for the encouraging words! I was just curious…you’re on the Caribbean Mercy, right? Wasn’t she in Cleveland before her maiden voyage? I think that’s the one that I saw back in 95 or 96… Email sometime if you’d like… God Bless! ~Chris
Name:grandma newton –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Gulf Breeze, FL     USA
Comments:  FANTASTIC VERY INTERESTING.. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK…YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SPECIAL SO VERY GLAD ALL IS WELL WITH YOU. WE ARE BOTH PROUD OF YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN JANUARY. KEEP IN TOUCH. LOVE GRANDMA.
Name:Sharon Tonetti –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location:Gulf Breeze, FL     USA
Comments:  You have done a great job on this web site. I can’t wait to share it with all the relatives. We are all so proud of you. Love, Mom.
Name:Tessa Phillips –
E-mail:[email protected]
My URL:
Location:Graham, WA     USA
Comments:  Paul, this is wonderful!! What a fun guest book! Give everyone on board my love- I can’t wait to see everyone again 
Name:John And John John –
E-mail:Lostwoutya @AOL.com
Location:Gulf Breeze, Fl     USA
Comments:  hey Paul, we are doing fine and it is good to here from you. great work on the page too.. See ya,
Name:Chris and Alan Talbert –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location: Rancho Cordova, CA     USA
Comments: I’m Alan Daniel’s mom. He’s one of your ship mates and he’s on the Esperanza Team. I got your site off one of his e-mails that he forwarded where you had sent out the new phone numbers. I think this is wonderful that you have this site. It gives me another place to go to get updates and keeps me feeling close to Alan. Just want you to know I pray for all of you and all the Mercy Ships. Hope to get to meet you some time. Keep the info coming. God bless, Chris PS Maybe you could show Alan how to do this.
Name:Dale Waltman –
E-mail:[email protected]
My URL:http://members.aol.com/Sondancegm
Location: Gulf Breeze, Fl     USA
Comments: Hey Paul, You gotta show me how to do this one, nice addition to the page. Keep us posted on what’s going on as you serve the Lord. Grace and Peace. Your Pal back home, Dale
Name:Bob & Roxie Kremer –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location: Kennewick, wa     USA
Comments: Thanks for the information, Paul. Yours is the only way we have found an itinerary. Give Terri Lynn a hug for us. We hope to see you & live on board again when you are in Los Angeles. Bob & Roxie
Name:Malcolm Taylor –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location: Wareham, Dorset     England
Comments: Great site if I ever get round to looking at the rest of it!!
Name:Charles Stephens –
E-mail:[email protected]
Location: Garden Valley, TX     USA
Comments: Fellow Techie

Missions for Life