Lucky!

There are many so good reasons to be a ship visitor. The ministry is gritty and real. The interaction with the seafarers is priceless and the services really are  appreciated. But it's also just plain fun to be aboard these massive machines!
 

A Hard Won Confidence by Rev. Christian Lindbeck - 5/30/06

Most of the time, getting to know the seafarers aboard these ships is easy. They are glad we are there, and we are delighted to have the opportunity. The result is an almost instant camaraderie. Confidences that would usually take months to develop are rapidly accelerated by the limited time and pressing needs. So, the time passed from the initial handshake to "no, really, how are you?" is often only minutes. Usually. . .

Honestly, sometimes, the crews are cold and suspicious. Perhaps they have been taken advantage of before, or they cannot be sure what we really want or why we are there. Of course, the language and cultural barriers only exaggerate the problem. In these cases, there is just no convincing seafarers of our mission with words or brochures, our actions must do the talking. I think this is a story of the power of simply showing-up and a good example of a hard won confidence.

Last summer, a hulking, grey, beat-up bulk freighter arrived at the salt docks in Chelsea. I got ready for the initial visit just like any other day, packing magazines, Bibles, and the mobile phone into my bag. We had not seen this ship before, so I did not know what to expect. As I approached the gangway, I could see this would not be a usual visit. My friendly wave to the crewman received only blank stares in reply. As I climbed the gangway, the crewman on duty literally stepped out to block my way, so that our conversation began on the steps. His English was poor and my Ukrainian is non-existent. I tried to explain my mission, but I was clearly not getting very far. Finally, I asked to speak to the Chief. I waited  with my "escort" as he came to the gangway. When he arrived, I forced a description of what we do and after another couple minutes he finally acquiesced and invited me into the main house. He introduced the captain and I restarted my attempt to convince them both that taking the mobile phone was not going to result in hidden charges or fines. Not long after they agreed to take the phone for their detained crew, the ship's alarm cut our conversation short, and I had to slip quietly off of the ship. In terms of ship-visiting ministry, it didn't even feel like a base hit, let alone home-run.

But, we just kept coming. As the entire crew was detained without visa's, they actually had almost daily needs. Each time I came, I asked for the Chief who greeted me on the first day and we would talk for a moment. After awhile, I genuinely looked forward to our little awkward exchange. He was always cordial but still cool. I suppose he warmed up a bit, but he was far from friendly. Then, on the last day, it happened. After regular visits during almost two weeks in port (moving from the salt to the scrap-yard), as I was preparing to disembark for the last time. . .the Chief stopped me. Eye to eye, with obvious emotion, he slowly asked me to pray for his daughter, who was undergoing surgery due to continuing complications from the Chernobyl disaster. Well, we stopped and did just that. I know that in the typical world of ministry this may not seem like a big deal. But for me, this hard won confidence was nothing short of incredible.

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