CARIBBEAN MERCY SPECIAL PROJECTS
March 2004
March 2004
In late February, after prayful consideration and preparation, I answered the request for additional crew volunteers to work ‘Special Projects’ aboard the Mercy Ship Caribbean Mercy, as it prepared for its upcoming outreach in Honduras. After a couple of days driving south, I arrived in Mobile, Alabama while the ship was out of the water in dry-dock.
I was excited and ready to serve, plus I had always wanted a chance to see the “other” active Mercy Ship. As stated, I worked in the 'Special Projects' department and my time there was very rewarding. This department handles projects and repairs that cannot be done during outreach phases. A whole technical crew from all over the world joins the ship to accomplish these major tasks. The first few days I worked alongside a guy from Texas - Roland. We installed 12 security cameras in various positions and hooked them into ‘Reception’ and the ‘IT’ department room. We also removed obsolete bulbs and installed new lighting in needed areas; and helped hook up the ships new PURPLEFINDER emergency system. As we met our daily goals, we laughed a lot and had many good spiritual talks. Roland left soon after, and the next project I worked on was measuring and reassembling ductwork that would eventually cool some of the internal parts of the ship. It was a meticulous and intricate job, and I was grateful for the wisdom of the ‘master of all things metal’ - Tom – who helped me make brackets and precise cuts to hang everything perfectly. Once the ductwork was hung, it all had to be insulated. So I mapped and cut every piece, and it reminded me of assembling a giant puzzle over my head with nice sticky glue. I enjoyed this solo project, though, and finished it on my last workday.
All the crew I met seemed to know his or her job, and worked very hard. There was a true sense of community and integrity. The majority of crewmembers I met were friendly and accepting, and the spiritual atmosphere was very real and intimate. The morning devotionals were relevant, and the meetings and departments seemed very God centered.
The crew also seemed to really be invested in each other’s lives - both during the workweek and on days off. One Saturday, a bunch of us went to a crewmembers house and helped him paint the house for an upcoming tenant. On Sundays, almost the entire crew went to local churches. Upon walking into a community church one morning, somebody proudly mentioned to the church worship leader that I also was a worship leader, and the next thing I knew, he asked me to join him for a half hour of worship that ended the service. Praise God for unexpected blessings!!
I would definitely recommend and consider working and serving here longer in the future. Through friendship, fellowship, work duties, and encouragement – God made it evident that He is using His children on Mercy Ships to fulfill His plan to help the hurting throughout the world.