It is Friday!

Today is Friday - clean-up day for the ship. I have always appreciated those who do the daily housekeeping aboard this ship, but I now have a new appreciation for all of you after vacuming this huge (OK, it just seems like it is huge...) place and up and down all those stairs! I say a hearty "thank you!" to all who have served in this way! I think I have sweated off at least 5 pounds by now.

Also, we have sort of started a tradition for Friday afternoons. After a week of working in this heat we are now setting aside late Friday afternoons for the movies. Where else can you obtain mindless entertainment in a wonderfully air conditioned room with comfortable seating and popcorn and lemonade at your fingertips? This week its "War of the Worlds" which beats out the "war of the rust" that has been waged this past week aboard ship.

Bill is back to work after spending a week with his family in California and recovering from the angiogram he had. We are happy to report that he is back to normal. Kathy Long is visiting friends in California for a couple of weeks. Tyrone (the wonder-chef) went to a Food show in Biloxi and has returned to do his magic in the kitchen. Katie "Needle-Gun Queen" has been working in the hot sun on the bow, learning the delicate (haha) skills of rust removal, along with Jeremy and Jamie. Tom has been hauling out rust and other junk from the cabins that we are destroying (OH! sorry...) I mean removing the flooring and some of the bulkehads so inspections can take place. Maria Elena, our night owl has been keeping us safe at night. We get to see her around noon everyday. I am doing housekeeping stuff, running errands and dealing with whatever paper work comes up. We have devotions together Monday, Wednesday and Friday and on Thursday evenings we meet for our "Community Meeting." We are all getting along wonderfully well, feeling more like a little family all the time. We have been focusing on the idea that we are here to do the Lord's work, no matter if the ship will return to service or not. We are here to be good stewards of what He has entrusted to us AND we are here to be an example of Christ's love for each other. We are also having a lot of fun along with all the hard work.

NOTES: 1. Found in a crew member's ex-cabin (OK, it was Kathy Long's!) behind a dresser-
a still wrapped slice of processed cheese that was flexible and looked like you
could still eat it. We think it has been there for at least a year...

2. Never, NEVER plug in anything electrical in to an orange outlet in
Reception. This blows out 3 different circuits that have to be reset which
is a real trick especially when you don't know where the circuits are located!
Rebecca now knows not to do that ever again! Thank you Don Golden for
bailing us out!

3. There are many holes on the landing outside Cabin 353 - you can actually see
down in to some of the cabins on B-deck! Walk lightly in this area!

4. Never leave your flip-flops on the dock when you take them off to go in the
pool. Keeper has discovered the delights of stealing them and carrying
them off.

5. We want to thank Marta Toth for the wonderful object lesson she gave
to us some time ago about drinking lots of liquids when working in the heat.
We talked about it this morning and remember fondly the time she (at the
expense of the good Dr. Mike) showed us exactly what to look for in the
pee department.

Well, that's it for me for now. I have attached a copy of the "Keeper" for those of you who have asked me for one. This seemed like the easiest way to distribute it. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. We plug along daily and find that, indeed, the JOY of the LORD is our strength!

KEEPER

So, what is a ship anyway?

It is a container made of steel.

It is just a thing – a tool to be used.

It is a means to get from one place to another.

What is the Caribbean Mercy?

It is a little white ship,

a vessel that carries things.

What kind of things?
People
Cargo
Friendship
Hopes
Dreams
Expectations
Relief
Healing
Love
Compassion
Mercy
Purpose
Determination
A vision
A calling
Bugs
Answers to prayer
A light in a dark world
A new beginning

This ship has been a dearly beloved part of my life for 10 years. It has been a place that I have called home. It is a place where the dearest of friends have been met, said good-by to and met again and a place where good-bys are said to dearest friends who will never be met again in this world. It is a place where mighty work has been done in my life, where growing has sometimes been painful and full of groans. It is a place that has brought me some of the greatest joy of my life, some of the most precious friends, some of the hardest and some of the most delightful experiences I have ever had.

And now, this little ship is being laid-by for a time. She will be docked in a sweet place and will patiently wait for her resurrection. She will be lovingly taken care of by a small group of keepers: Keepers of the ship. Keepers of the vision. Keepers of the hope. Keepers of the faith. We will remain as the rear guard, to preserve her as best we can for the future when she will again sail the waters.

We will remind ourselves of the mighty things that have been accomplished in the past years by the faithful who have given up their lives for a time to serve aboard her: Time given to the Lord of Lord and King of Kings; Time when we came to serve and minister and found instead that we were served and ministered to; Times when someone came out of curiosity and went home with a brand new relationship with a Savior who loves them.

We will remember the faces of the ones who we saw with our own eyes regain their vision or smile again having teeth that did not hurt any more. We will remember the faces of those who have a new roof to keep the rain out of their humble dwelling and the little family that no longer lives in a chicken coop, but have a home with beds and even their own latrine. We will remember the death of the young soldier and the way the crew came to bring comfort and hope to his friends. We will remember the face of little Dulcie, who now goes to school because she can see. We will remember the delight on the faces of the elderly who for the first time in years are able to pick up their Bible and read with the use of a simple pair of reading glasses. We will remember the young man who has no legs, but now has a Personal Transport cart which gives him freedom to move around and even have his own little business. So many memories… so many blessings… so much emotion.

Yes, we will remain for a time as the rear guard. We will lift up our leadership as they seek the Lord for the future of this little sailing vessel. We serve a mighty God who is full of compassion and love and who can be trusted with the future.

Yes, we will be keepers of the ship… keepers of the vision ...

keepers of the hope… keepers of the faith.



Rebecca Long
Chickasaw, Alabama, USA
June 2005