Becca T is finally at sea!

 
"The engines are overheating", "The radar isn't working", "There is no way we are going to leave by Tuesday."  These are some of the many things that I was hearing as I walked through the ship.  Our plan has always been to leave on December 8th but for some reason ALL these things were going wrong.  The deck and engine department were working overtime to try and get everything ready to leave but some things that were out of their control.  

Hmm funny, this seems to be a reoccurring theme throughout this trip, well actually throughout life.  God is quite funny I must say.  Anyway we all banded together and prayed for the ship and all the technicalities that needed to be worked out and guess what?!

Tuesday morning at 1030 the first mooring line were lifted and by 1130 we had officially left east dock zone 4 Cotonou, Benin.

  

It is weird to think after being here for almost 4 months that this ship actually sails.  In August when I arrived on the ship  I definitely felt a slight shift from side to side but after awhile I didnt feel it anymore.  You go to work, go to the dining room, go to the gym, go to your room, etc., you kind of forget that it's a ship.  SO as we pulled away from the port my stomach turned a bit as if to say "are you sure we should be doing this? does this thing reallllly work?"

   (Just in case you are wondering, it worked, the ship does actually sail! Yay!) 

 As we pulled out of the port waving goodbye to all our brothers and sisters, I prayed that God would bless them and use them  in amazing ways.  I pray that God will continue to break strongholds here in Benin.

    I pray that God will bless this sail and keep up safe from harm and keep the engines working and keep all the crew bellies calm. So far so good!