Dealing with life at sea
By Peter Rouch
“None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have Faith.” This is a quote from Brazilian lyricist and novelist Paulo Coelho. Perhaps you’ve picked up one of Paulo Coelho’s books. I’m fond of them, although they’re strange at times.
With profound relief, the crew of the Galaxy Leader, captive in Yemen for over a year, have been released. It has been a long and painful road. Their story has left me thinking about the unpredictability of life, and most especially of a life at sea – “None of us knows what might happen even the next minute”. Seafarers accept that unpredictability and learn to navigate it as surely as they navigate the waves, but it can be hard.
Each month, staff reports from around the world tell us about the difficult and sometimes dangerous situations in which seafarers find themselves. The dreadful situation of the crew of the Galaxy Leader is a particular example of this.
You may have learned from our social media that during this captivity, staff at the Mission have been actively engaged in supporting the families of the crew. Somehow, they have found the strength and courage to take the next step forward each day, even when things have seemed hopeless. Paulo Coelho tells us that we keep going in life, even when things are tough, “Because we trust. Because we have Faith.”
It’s an interesting idea, but I wonder if it’s true in your own experience. Sure, if you have trust that finally everything will turn out okay it may give you strength to keep going. Yet, there are times when far from trusting that it will be okay, we find ourselves losing hope and faith even that it might be okay. Where then does trust turn? To what does it cling, when the circumstances around give little cause for hope?
Perhaps this is a question everyone must answer for themselves. But for many the answer lies in God and in people – people we can trust even when things seem hopeless.
I very much hope that you have found that Mission people around the world have been people you can trust. Whether in matters like SIM cards, buying essential items when you can’t leave the ship, or at a time of personal difficulty or loss, every day of the year, somewhere in the world, seafarers are trusting The Mission and its people. It has been this way for nearly 170 years. The Mission has been trusted to share the challenges and the confidences of countless seafarers and their families. You have spoken to us of things not shared with anyone else and we have been honoured by that trust.
Trust was at the heart of our work with the Galaxy Leader families, the industry, and the IMO. Each has trusted us, knowing that we will not speak or act carelessly and without consent.
This is important to the support The Mission offers to seafarers worldwide. We are not seafarers ourselves for the most part, but neither are we business owners, regulators or politicians. We exist between and in the middle, in a place where the most important thing is trust. We thank you for honouring us with your trust.
Peter Rouch is the secretary general of The Mission to Seafarers.
