Rosen Journey

Since arriving in Texas on October 25 we’ve been quite busy. Last week was packed with classroom learning and hands on experience and testing. Mercy Ships, as a certified maritime organization, has many maritime laws and procedures to adhere to. Part of those requirements mandate that long term crew members be Certified Mariners. Our four Basic Training modules included, Fire Fighting, Emergency Survival and First Aid/CPR. It was quite an experience that prepares us for living on board a ship.

Already we have begun meeting amazing people from all over the world. In our Basic Training group of ten were people from seven countries of origin. I particularly enjoyed the stories of two who came to Mercy Ships as young maritime engineers decades ago and then found Christ after living and serving on the ships. Turns out the Africans receiving surgeries and their families aren’t the only ones impacted by Jesus in this ministry.

Now this week we have begun into the Mercy Ships On Boarding training/orientation for all those new to the organization. The sessions are long and oh so good. We’ve heard from the founder himself, Don Stephens, now 80 years old. Karin was able to verify that he did indeed go to the same college as her, Bethany College in Scotts Valley, CA. We also heard from a Mercy Ships legend named Betty Lou Bennett who came to the ministry at the young age of 50. She is now 89 and still very full of life. Between the two of them we heard stories of challenges, miracles and victories. There was a time when armed men stormed the ship and other times when they had to pray in money for fuel.

Of course the reason for it all is so that we can live out the model of Jesus by providing hope and healing. And Mercy Ships just happens to do that by providing free life changing surgeries to those in need. One statistic we were told is that there are more than 18 million people in West Africa with an unmet surgical need. Just this morning in my chaplaincy team call they said that in Sierra Leon there is currently a challenge at the Hope Center (the onshore pre-op clinic where people stay in the few weeks leading up to their surgery). Apparently there are people who have been approved for a surgery 2-6 months from now. But they are coming to the Hope Center early out of fear of being passed over. This of course creates extra challenges as there is currently no place for them to stay. I can’t image that kind of desperation. What a privilege to be a part of the team that is showing them Jesus in this way!

Neither Karin or I had been to Texas before and we have been pleasantly surprised. The campus here at the MS International Support Center is nice and the people working here are even nicer, not to mention the food! We are surrounded by Oak Trees and Pines along with fields. And the sunsets are predictably amazing, almost every night! In just 11 days we’ll be watching the sun set over the Atlantic, we’ve never seen that before. Africa, we’ll see you soon.