Wind in the Sails, Wind in the Sails

Fairly early in “Curse of the Black Pearl”, Jack is looking for a crew. He and Mr. Gibbs assemble a rag-tag band together on the dock in front of the ship they have commandeered. One by one, Jack examines them. At one point he asks Mr. Cotton, “Do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death?” Mr. Cotton, however, doesn’t answer. It seems that, at some previous time, Mr. Cotton’s tongue was cut out, leaving him unable to speak. Jack turns to the parrot on his shoulder and says, “Mr. Cotton’s… parrot. Same question.” The parrot squawks, “Wind in the sails, wind in the sails.” Mr. Gibbs tells Jack, “Mostly we figure that means ‘yes’.” 

We’re assembling a crew as well, though we’re not necessarily going to be sailing with them. We’re going to be sailing on their behalf. We’re assembling a crew of people who will be willing to support us, both prayerfully and financially, for the next few years. The most important thing we can ask people to do is pray. Daily, weekly, whenever we happen to pop into your minds. Pray for our finances. Pray for our safety. Pray for our transition. Pray that we can learn to speak the language well enough to minimize the embarrassment of our kids. 

But we also need financial support. We need committed people who will give $25, $50, $100, or even $200 a month for our living and business expenses. We need people who are willing to commit long-term, and people who are willing to give now to help cover our departure costs. 

We’re calling this a crew for a reason. This is not just our mission, it’s not just our task. It’s not just us that are going. It’s you too. Yeah, okay, most of you will probably physically never set foot in Thailand. But we need you to be there with us spiritually. And it’s important that, as the crew, we make sure that you all feel completely connected to what it happening. 

And so to the question: “Will you have the courage and faith to stand with us and hold us true to the call that we are following on behalf of the Body of Christ in the world?”

“Wind in the sails?”