Rlong2[1]

Rlong2[1]
Originally uploaded by Bill and Rebecca Long.

A sad moment as the M/V Caribbean completes her last sail for awhile. She was pushed - pulled by two tug boats from Mobile to Chickasaw, Alabama on May 12, 2005.

Rlong[1]

Rlong[1]
Originally uploaded by Bill and Rebecca Long.

Rebecca keeping the Bell Book on the last sail of the M/V Caribbean Mercy.

BillLong[1]

BillLong[1]
Originally uploaded by Bill and Rebecca Long.

Dumpster Diving..."Is there any scrap metal in here???"

Rlong4[1]

Rlong4[1]
Originally uploaded by Bill and Rebecca Long.

Rebecca at work in the Purser's office.

Group Photo

Group Photo
Originally uploaded by Bill and Rebecca Long.

This photo was taken on 20 May 2005, two weeks before most of the crew left the out-of-service ship.

M/V Caribbean Mercy

M/V Caribbean Mercy
Originally uploaded by Bill and Rebecca Long.

"Tugged" to Chickasaw.

M/V Carbbean Mercy Arrival

M/V Carbbean Mercy Arrival
Originally uploaded by Bill and Rebecca Long.

Arrival Chickasaw.

New Resting Place

New Resting Place
Originally uploaded by Bill and Rebecca Long.

At rest, Chickasaw, Alabama, USA.

Deck Department 13 May 2005

Deck Department 13 May 2005
Originally uploaded by Bill and Rebecca Long.

Deckies for the final "sail".

Security Watch

Security Watch
Originally uploaded by Bill and Rebecca Long.

10 May 2005

Keeper

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 M/V 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 layed-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 hope… keepers of the faith.


Rebecca Long
Chickasaw, Alabama
14 May 2005

































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Shipyard

3 May 2005
We remain in Mobile, Alabama (y’all) at Bender Shipyard where we boarded the ship in January, 2004 during dry dock. The ship's surveyor (a trained nautical engineer who inspects the ship and approves it or specifies repairs to be made) pointed out some areas that require work before he can sign off on our registration. This work centered on the cargo holds in February and March but now it deals with the deck of the dining room, pantry, Amazon Cafe, bookstore and crew lounge. This means dismantling the walls and flooring of these spaces and doing a bunch of cutting and welding. Bill has been kept busy tearing things up and putting them back together again, although the torn-up stage is lasting far longer than originally planned.
This, of course, has postponed (and possibly may end up canceling) the outreach to the Dominican Republic.

Mobile is a beautiful city—we love the Live Oak Trees that line many of the streets. We are attending the “Downtown Fellowship”, a church that began as a street ministry in the city. We are also blessed in that our car is here so we are not restricted to the use of the ship’s vehicles and are free to come and go as we wish.
Even with all the usual places around us—grocery stores, book stores, restaurants, theaters, it has been a trying time as it is hard to be still and serve by waiting. Our desire, of course is to be in outreach mode, serving those who have physical needs as well as spiritual needs, but God has seen fit to put our ship on hold for this season.

We have come to realize a few things during this time of service. We have been so focused on wanting to GO, that it has been frustrating us to STAY, to not know the “when” of it all, to not get to where we want to be in the world, to have plans change often, sometimes from moment to moment. The lessons we are learning are that it is not necessarily about the finished product or results, but it is all about the process by which you get there. It is about waiting on the Lord, even when you are anxious about getting on with it all. Then the realization comes—This IS the “getting on with it all.” To say this has been a character building experience is an understatement. It has not been an easy thing and remains a day-by-day challenge for us.

The good news is that when all the tearing up, putting back together, chipping, grinding, painting, and refurbishing is completed, this vessel will be ready to sail to the next outreach. We may not be on her when she goes, but we know that what we are doing in the preparation stages is truly missionary work and we are glad to be here at this time, for this season, for this “extreme makeover!” It is not only the ship that is being made functional, but we are personally being fashioned into vessels that are more like the Maker and that can be used for His honor and glory.

We ask for your prayers for continued favor with the immigration officials her in Mobile, for protection, safety and stamina for all those who are giving their time to be here on the ship. We ask for grace as we deal with all the dust and dirt. We ask you to pray for wisdom for our leadership as they make the difficult decisions that are ahead of us. We ask that you will pray for us to be content in the work the Lord has laid out for us to do and that as we wait upon Him for our future, He will clearly direct our path.

Our plans at this point in time are to complete our commitment with Mercy Ships the beginning of December then return home to Snohomish, Washington. That’s the plan, but if we look at this past year, we see that plans change all the time. We want to be available to what the Lord has in store for us. We are content in knowing that His plans for us give us hope and a future and are for our good. It is our joy to give Him all the praise and the glory!
Bless you all, dearest friends! Bill and Rebecca Long