Slain Sailor is Seminary Student

Many of us were shocked yesterday to learn that the Somali pirates killed the four sailors aboard the boat named the Quest.  More of the story is coming out now.  The NY Times reports that two of the Somalis came aboard the US ship to negotiate.  The FBI negotiator did not think they were serious, and so he put them in the brig!  It is unclear what happened next, but ultimately chaos ensued among the remaining pirates and they shot the hostages before surrendering themselves.

But there is another story that has not gotten much air play.  The two people who owned the yacht were Scott and Jean Adam of California.  Scott had a career as a Hollywood filmmaker before cashing it all in and attending Fuller Seminary.  He graduated with a Masters of Divinity degree and also the coursework for a Ministry Doctorate.  This guy was religiously educated!

But he longed for the sea.  And so Scott and his wife bought a yacht and began touring the world.  They sailed to places like Crete, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Oman, and Djibouti (read here for more of their intriguing story).  And each time they went to these places, they took a large stash of Bibles in the common language for distribution.  At each port, they said that they engaged in friendship evangelism.

So how did they get hooked up with Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, the couple from Seattle?  Phyllis and Bob were “freelancers.”  They were a part of a network that linked up boat owners with those who wanted to ride.  This is not reported yet, but my guess is that the Adams thought it would be great to have the Seattle couple along with an eye toward sharing Christ with them.

Nobody knows for sure why they went as a single boat down “pirate alley.”  And nobody knows what those last few harrowing days of their lives must have been like.  But having read more about the Adams, I think they died doing what they wanted to do.  They wanted to bring Christ to those that don’t know him.  There are not many nations as “unreached” as Somalia!

Denise and I know first-hand about the Somali people.  We ministered among them in Minneapolis in 2009.  At that time, we met one of the rare Somali Christians.  It was estimated that there are just 30 Somali believers in the US.  And an exceedingly small number of believers in Somalia.

There is an old saying by church father Tertullian, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”  I pray that the death of the Adams will be part of a new awakening among the Somalis.  Maybe just one small spark?

And I pray that the Parks had time to share with Phyllis and Bob about the One who holds light and life.  Can’t you just imagine them out on the beautiful Arabian Sea one evening.   The winds are catching the sails and the boat is gliding across the water.  They have just finished barbecuing some shrimp and vegetables.  Scott has the opportunity to ask the Seattleite couple, “Tell us about your spiritual lives?”  And under that fading sun, they began an exchange about the reality of Jesus and the promise He brings of forgiveness of sin and eternal life to come.

Little did they all know…. a skiff full of men with AK-47’s would arrive at the dark of night.