Ascension : Grotto News - Thought For The Week
Submitted by The Islander (Shari Parkhill) 09.10.2008 (Article Archived on 23.10.2008)

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to observe the ship operations up close.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to observe the ship operations up close.  I was asked to take photographs for an article in the Wideawake News, the recently resurrected US Base newspaper.  I readily agreed, since anyone who knows me well knows that I love the water, and being on any type of boat or ship.

So, off I went, armed with my camera, and headed down to the pierhead with another amateur photographer.  After snapping a few shots of the pier operations, we donned our life jackets (a rather funny story in itself!), jumped into the small skiff and headed out to the M.V. Ascension.  Along the way, we took more photographs of the barges and the ship. 

Next it was on to the M.V. Ascension for a bird’s eye view of the loading operations.  Of course, this meant climbing up the swinging ladder, not one of my favourite activities, but it turned out okay.  It was certainly worth it to see the ship, meet the captain, and get to take more pictures. 

Watching the operations, it was clearly evident that these men know what they were doing.  Everyone worked in a calm, but determined manner, attaching chains to the containers, guiding them with ropes, and delivering them to their appointed destination.  It was awesome to watch how they made the task look so easy, when you knew that it was anything but.

Here on Ascension, we don’t have all the facilities and conveniences of so many places in the world.  When we mentioned that this loading and unloading of cargo must be so much easier when tied alongside a dock, the Captain told us that what takes three days here can be accomplished in three hours in Port Canaveral!  Here, everyone works together and puts their considerable skill to work in accomplishing a difficult task, in often less than ideal weather and sea conditions, to be sure that this island has what it needs to keep us all comfortable.

It shows what can be accomplished when everyone works together.  So many of the stories in the Bible tell us about how when people come together so much good can be accomplished.  We see that on a daily basis.  Even when ship operations are being conducted, all the different groups on the island pitch in to help.  We know that without this cooperation, everything would be much more difficult to get done.

So to the men who handle all of the island’s ship operations, a heartfelt  “well done” and thank you for keeping us all surrounded by the food, supplies and materials that we take for granted.  You are masters at your craft, no matter what part you play in the operations.  All Ascension Islanders owe you hearty thanks!  Let’s hope that this spirit of co-operation and caring for each other, blessings that are forgotten in so many parts of the world, continues to live on here in this special place.

And may God bless us all.