This is a very overdue post.
It is a story which first came to light at the end of 2019, but I've held off writing until I felt I could give it the time it deserved.
It is a story about a servant heart.
Willing and Able
Osman was a soft-spoken young man from Sierra Leone, who joined the ship as day crew during the its 2011 field service there. He chose to continue serving as a volunteer, staying aboard as a plumber/engine rating, and completing training to be an Able Seaman.
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| "I like to use my hands to work to glorify God's kingdom." -Osman |
Osman served in AFM engineering for the next 8 years, and he found ways to serve far above and beyond his day-to-day responsibilities. In Madagascar, recognizing the mobility challenges so many physically disabled people faced, he started salvaging old bikes to make hand-pedaled wheelchairs - built to handle the rough terrain of the run-down city infrastructure. He found individuals on the street who could benefit from these, and gave freely of his own time and effort to give them an independence which was otherwise impossible. Over the years, he would recruit other willing hands to help him in this work.
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| A happy recipient of one of Osman's spiffy chairs |
I didn't know Osman well, but can certainly say I was always glad to see him come hustling down the hall. It was usually because the hospital ceiling was raining again (as it does from time-to-time), or a drain overflowing; never a nice reason to wake someone at 3 AM. Every time he would arrive with a smile and quickly attend to the problem. His job was far from glamorous, but he seemed to find joy in every bit of it.
Tested in the Flames
At the age of 13, Osman was nearly killed in a fire. With severe burns to his legs and arms, it was miraculous that he survived, after many months in hospital. The burns, however, left him covered in scars which pulled tighter and tighter over his joints. Without proper rehabilitation, he was soon barely able to walk, and was told by his doctors that amputation was the only solution. He would recall leaving the hospital feeling hopeless, pushing away his family and friends. During this period, a friend suggested he read the book of Job. Finding a kindred spirit in Job's suffering, he was led to a hope & faith which would get him through this difficult time.
2 years after his accident, news reached his family of the AFM's precursor, the Anastasis, arriving in Freetown. He would be admitted and operated on by Dr. Tertius Venter, a long-serving veteran of Mercy Ships. This surgery fully restored his mobility - allowing him to walk freely, return to school, graduate, and learn a trade.
A Familiar Face
Over a decade later, Dr. Tertius was onboard for another reconstructive surgery block. He passed Osman - unassumingly going about his duties - and did a double-take. He thought this crew member looked oddly familiar; and after a brief chat, discovered that this was the little Osman he had operated on back in 2001. For all the time Osman had been serving, few if any of his colleagues knew of his long past connection with Mercy Ships. He was quietly giving back, and in supporting the operation of the ship, helped so many others to overcome obstacles and suffering like his own. After this chance reunion, Osman & Tertius would become close friends.
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| Osman & Dr. Tertius in Cameroon (2017) |
The Race Set Before Us
I sat in the weekly community meeting on the AFM, in late 2019, and heard the request for prayer for a crew member who was receiving treatment for cancer in South Africa. I'm sorry to admit it took a bit of social network snooping to remind myself who he was: the oft-called-in-the-wee-hours-of-the-morning plumber. Apparently, as a long-delayed complication from his burns, the cancer hit hard and fast, and Osman very quickly required an amputation. Dr. Tertius, whose primary practice is in Cape Town, helped facilitate his transfer there, and consulted in his care.
Calls went out for volunteers to help continue his wheelchair project in his absence. A collection from the crew allowed Osman's sister to travel from Sierra Leone to be with him, and Mercy Ships chaplains supported him through this time, as well. The cancer, unfortunately, spread beyond the amputated area.
In November 2019, Osman passed peacefully in the night.
Though our only interactions were like ships passing in the night, hearing Osman's story left a powerful impact on my heart. He overcame so much, he gave so much, and he did it with such a spirit of humility and grace that I can only aspire to.
- Osman Kamara (1986-2019)
