During the past three months, I’ve made it a priority to spread awareness about Ministry on the River and ensure my business cards reach as many mariners as possible. While we’re available in times of crisis, my main focus during these discussions is encouraging mariners to reach out when they need to talk. Many of my follow-up conversations are with mariners who have young families and are struggling to balance home life with the rigorous demands of life on a boat. With today’s connectivity, young mariners are often engaged with the challenges at home, even while working. For example, a mariner might receive a call from their spouse about a broken-down vehicle and three kids at home just before going on watch. Of course, the mariner now knows that having a nonworking car at home disrupts essential tasks like grocery shopping and school drop-offs. The mariner, then, is now absorbing the stress at home while focusing on the demanding tasks like making and breaking tows or standing watch. On the job, mariners are frequently reminded to “keep their heads in the game” and minimize distractions.

Unlike a shoreside role where there’s a clear separation between work and home, mariners often have no choice but to process personal issues while performing tasks that require their full attention. Mariners also often face an internal struggle between not burdening their spouses with their work-related stress and not sharing their personal struggles with the crew. More often, mariners elect to push through, no matter the circumstances at home, telling their colleagues that everything is fine, even if they are profoundly burdened.

Communication on ships and boats tends to be mostly directive. And, with eighteen years of experience in or around maritime, I know that mariners aren’t always skilled in listening and sharing. As a chaplain, my role has been to offer them a listening ear, make them comfortable, and help them share the internal struggles they carry while ensuring safety, even when I can’t be there. I’ve received late-night calls from mariners who simply need someone to talk to as they process feelings of being overwhelmed. That’s why dropping off my card and posting our MOR magnets to galley fridges is so important: it is important for more mariners to know that we are here to talk to them at any time.

I’m grateful for the connections I’ve made and even more thankful for the relief I hear in their voices by the end of our conversations. We all need someone to talk to, and for those working on boats, these opportunities can feel limited. Our aim with MOR is to make it seem less so.

Chaplain Geoffry Davis — Ministry on the River, Lower Mississippi & Gulf Coast Region