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Forty Years With Mercy Ships

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  Today marks a milestone in my career. Forty years ago, on July 2, 1983, I joined the Organization #MercyShips. Back then, the dream to bring hope and healing to the forgotten poor was mainly work, a lot of hard work. But as my parents used to tell me, work doesn’t kill anyone; I’m here to say that they were right. In those forty years, I sailed the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Visited three continents and ministered in 42 countries. Countless volunteers from around the world worked without ceasing on the first Mercy Ships, the Anastasis, and the other ships that followed her, the Good Samaritan, the Pacific Ruby, the Caribbean Mercy, the #AfricaMercy, and now our newest ship, the #GlobalMercy. #Mercy Ships has delivered services to more than 2.86 million beneficiaries during this time. Provided services and materials in developing countries valued at over $1.77 billion, including the following: Performed more than 108,000 life-changing or life-saving surgical procedures
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Happy Father's Day!

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It is a beautiful East Texas Sunday. A perfect day to celebrate Father’s Day. No matter if he is your biological father, an adopted father, a stepfather, or just someone who has the role of a father figure in your life. Today we celebrate fathers. I can’t resist reflecting on my father, Mr. Manoel Barbosa Dos Santos, a hardworking man who was always there present in my life. He brought me to my first day of school, took me to my first soccer game at Maracanã stadium, was with me when I joined Merchant Marine Academy, and helped me to fix my first house. It is hard to remember an important event in my life when he was not present. He was always there. And he did it without saying anything. He was from an era when it was unnecessary to say to those you love; I love you. I know of his love for me not because he said it but because he demonstrated it. I remember one time when I was playing soccer at the local fire station’s futsal court when I glimpsed my father with a grin on his fa
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A Tribute to Pelé

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 I was 15 years old at the time of the buzz about Pelé’s 1000th goal. The countdown began on the 910th. Local, national, and international media followed his team, Santos FC, everywhere. The conversation at the offices, factories, bars, street corners, and the no-grass soccer fields was about when, where, and how the historical feat would happen. At the time, the closer goal scorer was four hundred goals behind. We wanted to know who would go into history by association just for being under the crossbar at the wrong time for them but at the right time for the rest of the world. Our imagination wondered what kind of special magic Pelé would use to score a goal that would be in our memories forever. Would he score with his head after rising a foot above his marker? Or would he score after controlling a crossed ball with his chest, looping it over a defender before kicking it to the back of the net? Would the goal happen after a spectacular run from the mid-field leaving behind counte
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The Acrobat Squirrel

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 Squirrels are funny little creatures. They climb a tree, bounce from branch to branch, and jump from the furthest branch to the next tree with impressive accuracy. I saw a squirrel walking on a telephone wire toward the roof of a house. He probably got on the wire from the nearby pecan tree. As he walked on the wire, he would stop, turn side way, and balance his body using his long tail as leverage. He walked another few steps and did the same ritual again and again. I kept watching to see how he would manage to jump from the telephone wire to the rooftop about a foot away. He moved forward slowly but methodically, repeating his liturgy every step. However, when he was closer to the roof than where he started his journey, he suddenly turned back and ran through the wire back to the tree where he came from as if he was running on level ground. Go figure! I could not resist and gave a name to the adorable entertainer little creature, the Acrobat. But, as I think of Acrobat squirrel’s
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Merry Christmas!

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Christmas lights are everywhere in East Texas. The yards of the houses on my street are decorated with nativity sets, stars, shepherds, sheep, and the wise men. I cannot forget about old Santa, Rudolf, and rain deer. Across the street, lights in the shape of letters spell for all those driving at night to see: “Happy Birthday Jesus!”   The pandemic brought a sense of humanity finitude that creates a longing for the eternal. Longing for normalcy different from what we had before. Longing for a sense of peace and security that transcends our material understanding. And longing for any kind of stability. Nevertheless, uncertainty seems to be the new normal. But, the writings of the prophet Isaiah about the Messiah remind us that:           “Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end.” (Isaiah 9:7) The rule and reign of Christ bring peace and joy that never ends. Before going to the Father, Jesus Christ made an affirmation to us, his disciples.       “Do not
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Thanksgiving 2020

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Today we celebrate Thanksgiving. Families and friends gather around tables across this nation to celebrate God’s goodness. This year, Thanksgiving looks a little different for most of us. We have confronted an invisible enemy unlike any we have ever seen. We have been encouraged to gather in small numbers, wear face masks, not to visit grandma and grandpa, and to keep social distance, which is quite difficult for those in the South. If the French greet each other with two kisses on the cheek, Texans like to greet with a big bear hug. Nevertheless, in light of the Apostle Paul’s encouragement that, “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." (2 Corinthians 9:11). I decided to list five things I am thankful for amid a pandemic. Here it goes: Despite many people losing their jobs, I can do my work from home. Despite the impossibility of being with my coworkers in the office or
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Water Doctors

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Every day the Africa Mercy crew and patients consume 60 metric tons (15,850 gal) of water. This is the equivalent to 60,000 bottles of water, one liter each. That’s a lot of water. The water-men test, treat, filter and test the water again until it is safe for drinking. Last week five deck crew and two Deck Officers attended the Basic Water Safety course. The twelve hours course was delivered by Shirley Quinn, the water engineer responsible for the water and sewage plant at the Mercy Ships International Support Center in Texas. Ibrahim Bangura, one of the course participants said, “The course expanded my knowledge and brought me to a higher level of understanding about how to treat water and make it safe to drink”. The crew who takes care of the water are called water-man, but after I saw all the tests and treatment they do to make the ships water read for consumption I’m calling them ‘Water Doctors’.
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