A Warm Welcome

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If there is one thing that really captivates me is a warm welcome. The sense that people are happy because you arrived cannot be described with a picture. It is one of those priceless moments that produce joy and a sense of belonging. Maybe my Brazilian blood senses things more than others, but the reality is; no matter what type of blood one has a warm welcome does something good to you.

 Few years ago I brought two Officials from a maritime college in Ireland to assess the possibility of providing training to the deck crew of the Africa Mercy. On the flight from Dublin to Tenerife they met a nurse who was returning to the ship. She shared with them that she was unhappy back home and decided to go back to the ship where she could help the poor and needy of Africa.

 We picked the three of them at the Tenerife airport and drove to the ship; parked the Land Rover close to the ship and began to unload the luggage. On top of the gangway a crew member recognized her and run down to give her a hug. This prompted the younger Official to say: “I never been received like this in any of the ships I worked on.” At Reception others came to welcome her. Admired by the transformation in her face he exclaimed: “Look! She already changed.”

 This afternoon as I walked up the gangway of the Africa Mercy here in Tenerife I also felt the warmth of being welcome. Words cannot describe the sense of wellness and belonging that runs from the outside to inside to become one of the memories we cherished for a long time.

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