“Don’t worry?! But you know what the Book says “Station was made for boats, not boats for station”. Why do they do this, didn’t they read the Book of Rescuer?”
“Sure they did. As well as you, but didn’t understand many of what is written.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“A rescuer not saving people, a boat not sailing, and a station not operating, all that shall not stop you. You have to stay focused on your assignment given by the Rescuer. Doing our job it’s very important to stay in touch with Him. If we don’t talk to him such encounters will stop us some day. Honestly speaking if not the relationship with the Rescuer I would be able to save people, operate boats and build stations as we do it nowadays. Don’t let anger and hurt poison you. Be with Him and nobody could stop you from fulfilling His assignment.
The talk with Noland was not like I expected it to be, I thought he would support me in my resentment and justify my complaints. Anyway, I was not upset by this, that moment I felt presence of the Rescuer who was among us, and He brought my heart in a state of peace.
~ UNEXPECTED NEWS ~
In the next harbor we found a small station where we were heartily welcomed and homed; we got a good rest and refilled our resources, however, they donated to us not out of abundance but believing what we did was important.
Having gotten into the boat we sailed off and then I suddenly realized that small station was just like the one where I grew up. Yes, sure! It was an identical mini copy of our station.
I asked a rescuer tying off the line:
“Hey, who had founded your station?”
“Ern”, without a slight hesitation replied a middle-aged short hair rescuer with a tattoo on his right arm being an evidence of his wild youth as a member of a pirate gang. His name was Louis, perhaps he was French.
“Ern? Where he was from?”
“He came here from somewhere in the north. I guess from the Bristol Bay.”
And that very moment I heard a voice inside of me saying:
“The station was founded by a rescuer who didn’t have support in his desire to sail off to open water. But he obeyed My Instructions and saved many people and founded many stations”
I was greatly surprised by that because we thought he was a rebel and already dead.
“Where is he now?” I asked the rescuer.
“He left for new countries.”
“New countries? What he’s doing there?”
“He went there as a part of a Navy Rescue Service. They too were saved someday, trained at a number of stations founded by rescuer Ern. These brave guys did a good job saving people and training recruits. Currently they together with Ern are doing a new assignment given by the Rescuer.”
Our boat was sailing further and further away. Somebody from the crew asked me whether I knew rescuer Ern. I nodded yes holding a storm of emotions roaring inside of me. It was hard for me to answer those questions. And the crew seemed to understand that and left me alone. Owen looked at me, pursed his lips and turned away looking at the coast fading away in the distance. Only he and Barnaby knew what had just happened there near a pier of this small station where we had such an open-armed welcome. It’s hard to express what I felt. It was an immense regret. How come, this say a great man was a part of our station and no doubt he produced much fruit for Country of the Rescuer. But we instead of being proud of him we talked about him bad during many years. We cited him as an example to our children as a reckless man who lost his life, carrier and opportunity to develop our station together with us. As if he was that silly to lose a chance to spend all his life in such a wonderful place as our pier. But in effect he was a real hero! A real rescuer! Too bad we failed to realize this before.
What attitude he has now towards our home station? Possibly for long time he was trying to forget the place where he was saved and became a rescuer? But maybe he holds our station up as a model to others preventing them from being that hard-hearted and indifferent as we were? Oh, how much I longed to change that. I felt like going back to my home station and telling everybody about what a man Ern became. And I wanted Ern to know that we like him rescued people and founded life stations. I wanted so bad my home station to do its direct duties and our rescuers to save people indeed.
~ NEW BOAT ~
After we founded last station we were involved into construction of two more stations in the area where no rescuer had ever been. One we did together with a crew from a closest station helping them in arrangement of rescue missions in a new region. For the other we again left a bigger part of our renewed crew at a brand new pier with a smell of fresh wood.
Since the time we left our home pier only Owen still had been with me. Other two rescuers Robin and Barnaby felt the calling from the Rescuer to serve at new life stations that we founded during the last year.
All that time I was a part of Noland’s crew, but now I was acting officially as a captain mate.
As usual we tied up to a pier at the next life station to refill our food resources. Olaf the station chief was a tall Norwegian looking man and an old friend of our captain; he welcomed his long awaited guest with a great joy. Noland felt as if he was home there knowing every spot and many rescuers of the local team. We went off to our cabins prepared for guests to get rest after the last trip and build up strength for new achievements. I took a finest opportunity to get enough sleep; it had been my dream for the last few days.
“Nikolay, get up! It’s time to go”, Noland woke me up.
Noland gave me a can of filling material and a bag of tools and told to follow him. We went up the hill and saw a wonderful picture: nice sand beach where numerous boats found their refuge lying there upside down. They were getting suntan as tourists who arrived to seashore for vacation. Having come down from the hill we approached close to the boats awaiting new times and new adventures. Passed through a few rows we stopped in front of one of the boats. A thought flashed through my mind “Could it be a boat for myself!?”
“Yes, this is exactly what you’re thinking about, this is your boat”, said Noland.
It was in a good condition, but required slight repairs in some spots. Prior to sailing in it to the sea we rolled up the sleeves and got down to work.
As we were progressing with boat repairs something was arising in my heart. Some intentions, dreams and thoughts I had for the last few months were flashing inside of me. I began to realize where I’d like to go in my boat. Eventually, deep inside I got clear understanding that I was strongly needed within the region in-between of three islands. I couldn’t help myself going there, I was eager to complete preparations as soon as possible. I saw how I could found a life station there, arrange rescue missions, patrolling and training courses. I knew as well how I could start a workshop and other secondary services.
When we were about to finish, I spotted four rescuers coming down the hill where I had just recently been watching the quay. The silhouettes were approaching closer and closer to us. They were not the kind of rescuers grown up in boats that stayed forever by piers, but in those boats I got to know through Noland recently.
The Rescuer was like giving an answer to my unspoken question “You won’t be alone doing a job I called you to do, because I gave this desire into the hearts of other rescuers whom I brought up as yourself”.
To my joy there was Owen amongst them, a young guy form my home station. Yes, he was young, but this wasn’t his flaw. I treated him as an equal, as a friend. He got matured and became stronger and wiser rescuer. Multiple times I had discussions with him seeking a confirmation whether I did understand what was said by the Rescuer correctly.
Prior to getting into the boat we loaded medications, food, equipment and personal belongings. Last moment before sailing off the coast Noland came up to me, hugged me and said “I taught you many things but the key is that you know the voice of the Rescuer. Stay in touch with Him continuously. There will be hesitations when you won’t be able to un
derstand where to go, where people are drowning, or you’ll need safety rings and life-jackets, equipment and food, ask Him. You know this clearly wed been in such situations multiple times when we were badly lacking everything, and the Rescuer stayed faithful, He came up to help and save us”
Having taken our seats in the boat and caught the right wind we were quickly sailing away from the coast. When we sailed far enough I heard a voice I knew well, the Rescuer was saying “I will lead you to new regions. My desire is to stay in continuous contact with you.I will keep on teaching you.
Everyday I’m ready to answer all the questions you might have in different situations and circumstances. Talk to Me. You will have new rescuers whom you will bring up. You certainly need to teach them communication with Me, teach them to hear My voice. I want to talk to them and answer their questions. I want to help them as I’m helping you. I love them as I love you. I will communicate you coordinates of those who drown and having realized their condition long for rescue. I love them and definitely will rescue them by sending you to their help. There is quite a number of areas in the sea where your help is needed! So many people and so few rescuers! Sail throughout the world and train new rescuers”.
~ HOME STATION~
Twelve years passes since I and three other rescuers left our home pier. We were involved in foundation of many stations, visited multiple new locations, and helped some of the existing stations in arrangement of costal patrolling within their areas. But all those years we were disturbed by thinking of our own life station where we grew up.
And here we are passing the waters of my home station in a new high speed motorboat. I saw some boats patrolling their areas. Rescuers were going to the sea in their boats. I was overflowing with joy when I realized that the Great Rescuer helped us all becoming real fishers of men.
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