'Ringleader' would be a perfect description. He is small of stature, but has a wild shock of hair and a life-size personality. That personality makes him king of the dining area, commanding it as if it is his own kingdom. You cannot miss him. He is friendly, warm, self-assured, full of energy, loud and all try to be close to hear the wisecracks and practical jokes. He is a main character on the ship, even though his rank is much lower than that of many of his fellow crew members.

He also takes care of Danie - makes sure Danie has something to eat and drink, that he gets sustenance in the middle of the day. When all are fed, the men leave the area one by one. The last man standing? None other than Adrian.

He starts talking about this and that - small talk. Then, very slowly, the barriers start to tumble. There is a very different man behind the mask of the jolly joker that Danie first met. The ringleadership tends to be a little pretence, although it does not detract from the honesty. The rest of the crew clearly enjoys the ringleader and they tap energy from this. His personality is a gift that allows people at the table to talk and enjoy the time together. There is so much more to Adrian than the eternal joker that everybody knows...

Adrian tells of fear, extreme loneliness in spite of the huge following surrounding him. He explains about feeling small and overwhelmed on the giant ship and majestic oceans. By his own admission, the shock of hair and being the joker are only ways to make him feel bigger, stronger and more in control. 

Danie's visit is an opportunity to let go, a rare chance to just be without pretence, without worrying about making jokes and trying to entertain everyone else. Danie's visit and their chat provide, for a moment, the rest beside the calm waters of Psalm 23. They read together from the new Tagalog Bible that Danie gives him. Danie also marks Psalm 139 and Isaiah 43 for him.  They pray together - for calm, for not being afraid, for the constant awareness within Adrian that the God of Isaiah 43 remains with him, every single moment. When they say goodbye, Danie also gives him his number so that he knows that there is someone to reach out when things begin to feel overwhelming. 

It is so often so - also for us ... the fear and the loneliness are hidden behind barriers. If each of us only had a chance to talk to someone every now and then, to feel the calm waters of Psalm 23, to catch our breaths, to recover for a moment.

Men working at sea do so in extremely difficult circumstances. They could have this access to someone if you continue to strengthen our hands with your financial support. Please consider, also in your prayers, helping us to continue to support Adrian and every seaman that needs us to be there and serve them. 

 EFT. Bank account: Christelike Seemansorganisasie. ABSA. Current. 1520-230-226.