Friend Ships
Latest Update (February 2000)

THE VILLAGE ROATAN, HONDURAS

Efforts of the Roatán crew have been focused on completing the first 15,000 square foot Friend Ships School building! The exterior is now complete, water and septic systems are being installed and construction of the interior of the building has begun! We've completed final repairs and clean-up of our warehouses that had been greatly damaged by hurricanes late last year. In the agricultural department, tomatoes, okra, bell peppers, carrots, onions, hot peppers, citrus and papaya trees are flourishing! We also have a regular supply of eggs and some new chicks have joined our ranks.

HEADQUARTERS, LOS ANGELES

Our domestic food distribution program, "Storehouse One", has been exploding! Since our last report, more than 2 million pounds of wonderful food has been collected and distributed to people in need! The crew of Friend Ship Faithful have neared completion on several projects including construction on the lower decks and painting on the soon-to-be-elegant "first class" dining room! The warehouse team have had a very busy time of cleaning, sorting and re-palletizing supplies in our outside storage yards and at the main warehouse facility in the Port of Los Angeles. The Public Relations Department has been presenting volunteer opportunities to churches and ministry training schools, hosting work teams and attending a food industry trade show to make contacts for networking in addition to collecting all the "display" food items from the show for use in our programs.

"SPIRIT" GALVESTON

The "Spirit" crew have been blessed with teams of people and commercial companies who are preparing the ship to return to sea. Everyone has been incredibly and joyfully busy with engine repairs and off-loading and sorting of supplies. The domestic/warehouse crew completed the sorting of food and clothing, donating out many pallets of clothing to other organizations. Several areas of the house of "Spirit" have been chipped, then painted and are looking great. The upper level of the engine room and the machine shop have been painted. In addition to the painting, lots of repairs and maintenance were accomplished, including several welding and electrical projects. Resource Development has received donations of stretch wrap, manuals, paint, new hatch cover tarps, parts for the oily- water separator, nuts and bolts, valves, a compressor, four two-way UHF radios, accessories for the tube cleaner, full helmet welding masks, tarp material, welding glasses, roofing material for Roatan and many, many other items. The Public Relations Team attended and displayed our booth at the "Intermodal" Trade Show in Atlanta and the "Work boat" Trade Show in New Orleans, in order to thank previous donors and make the acquaintance of potential new ones.

"SPIRIT OF GRACE" SEATTLE

"Spirit of Grace" sailed from Seattle to Los Angeles to be filmed in a Disney Movie and a 20th Century Fox TV show in order to earn funds toward her upcoming dry dock. Then we sailed to Port Townsend, a quaint Victorian seaport in Washington and anchored for two weeks to await an open spot at the shipyard. In December, we sailed to Anacortes, Washington and were taken into dry dock at Dakota Creek Shipyard. All tugboats, moorage, Captains, pilots and lots of needed equipment and supplies were donated. The bottom of the hull of "Spirit of Grace" was sandblasted and painted, new "zincs" were welded on and all other necessary services performed. We returned the vessel to Coastal Transportation in Seattle where she is being warmly hosted as she awaits her next missions assignment.

We look forward to this year, 2000, working with our friends and supporters to continue to touch hundreds of thousands of lives and bring hope and comfort to the world's destitute, downtrodden, forgotten and lost people!

Thanks to all who pray for us, assist us and donate to our efforts.  We could not do it without you!

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