Flog this baby....

That sounds like an incredibly inappropriate blog post title - but it comes from a direct quote from the ever lovely Susan (featured on the 60 minutes piece) that went like this:

Dear Facebook friends,

You may be asking yourselves at this point--when are these people going to stop with the non-stop barrage of 60 Minutes posts and comments?

And to that I say--Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, fasten your seat belts and adjust your mirrors, 'cause we're gonna flog this baby for all its worth.

Amen and amen!  :)

I just saw it last night, along with a couple hundred other Crew in the big meeting room here on the ship. It was exciting!  We had heard so much about it and we were all so excited to actually see it. 

It was funny – especially the line from Don Stephens that went something like, “we run a very different business model.  Our people are required to pay for the privilege of serving with us!” – got a chuckle out of the whole crowd.  (And it’s entirely true, so if you’d like to help me pay for the privilege of serving here, please click on the link to the right). I also loved the things that Ali said she misses - "Strawberries, fresh milk, and my family, not necessarily in that order."  True, that one.

It was emotional – I got a lot of feedback from friends and family that had cried during the segment, but even for those of us here in the middle of the action, it was so wonderfully done and reflects our hearts that we couldn’t help but get choked up.

Most of all – it was TRUE.  They just so beautifully put to words the things that I feel – The healing begins with a touch, with looking in their eyes, and recognizing there is a person under there, and that person matters.  We all want to be here. We all pay to be here. And we all follow the calling that is our own.  As a dear friend said on her blog, it’s amazing that MILLIONS of people got to hear they are not rubbish – that no one on earth is rubbish. 

There was one thing that wasn’t true - one of the first lines Scott Pelley said which was “the predominantly American crew”. That’s not actually true.  We have crew members from 34 different countries here this week.  The largest percentage of those crew members is American, but it isn’t a majority. 

So, not only was the 60 minutes piece amazing, but we also got short segments on the CBS Evening News on Monday night!  This is even bigger than we thought it would be.  Mercy Ships has logged hundreds of application downloads.  Several crew members and former crew members have been contacted by news organizations.

AND, 60 minutes cover photo on Facebook –  

It’s really amazing that I get to be a part of this. I’m so honored to be one of the many who serve and love the people here. Thank you for your support and encouragement on this adventure!

If you haven't seen it yet, please do - here is the link

At the intersection of compassion and courage… Krissy