Latest Update (September 2001)

FRIEND SHIP SPIRIT BRINGS THOUSANDS OF TONS OF AID TO HONDURAS. 

Galveston, Texas—Mercy Ship SPIRIT, is ready to set sail after being restored from damage caused in 1996 by a delivery of hazardous waste from a chemical company, purported to be a donation of diesel fuel.  The mercy ship SPIRIT, owned and operated by an all-volunteer U.S. nonprofit organization “Friend Ships” (a.k.a. Park West Children’s Fund, Inc.) has sailed to ports throughout the world delivering food, medical supplies, clothing and other critical items.  The vessel had been out of service for more than five years but is now reactivated, permanently based in Galveston and ready for service.  SPIRIT will sail from the Port of Galveston/Houston Saturday, September 15, 2001 for a voyage to Honduras where she will follow up two missions there made by her sister ship SPIRIT OF GRACE in 1998 and 1999, directly following Hurricane Mitch.  SPIRIT OF GRACE delivered more than 12 million dollars of humanitarian relief to areas hardest hit by “Mitch”, a devastating force 5 hurricane, in Honduras and Guatemala.  On this current voyage, SPIRIT is loaded with medical equipment (including more than 200 new hospital beds), medical supplies, clothing (including 9,000 pair of new children’s tennis shoes), food, toys and many other items.  The ship is staffed with 42 volunteers from the U.S., Canada, Guatemala, Albania, Australia and New Zealand.  She is under the command of Captain George Folden.  In addition to distributing items to the needy, the mission will provide much needed building materials, medical equipment and general supplies to Friend Ships International who is establishing a trade school, missions training school and agricultural development programs on the island of Roatan in the Bay Islands. 

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in our hemisphere.  More than 5 million inhabitants have an average weekly income of less than $20.00.  The poor nation is now experiencing a drought that is causing food shortages and is still recovering from the tremendous damage caused by Hurricane Mitch. 

Spirit's previous voyages have taken her to the Soviet Union (while still Soviet), Angola, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Gambia, Albania, Croatia, Haiti, St. Lucia, Antiqua, Jamaica, St. Kitts/Nevis, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua.  

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