Captain John Borrow: Leading with Purpose

Published on
John and Lee-Anne Borrow never expected to become full-time volunteers, but Mercy Ships offered them a way to combine their skills and make a real impact at sea.

John and Lee-Anne Borrow never planned on being full-time volunteers, but when they first heard about Mercy Ships in the 1990’s, they knew it was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up. Joining as the ship’s third officer, John traveled to Papua New Guinea on a three month commitment and absolutely fell in love. After hearing about the ministry, Lee-Anne, who was a dietician, was eager to join John. After the couple married in 2001, they served on two different Mercy Ships for four years.

“We could both use our skills; using his at-sea skills and my medical background,” says Lee-Anne. “And we just felt that God was drawing us in. We fell in love with it because of the community.”

From Sea Skills to Lifesaving Missions

After an eight year hiatus, the Borrows and their two sons returned to the Africa Mercy in 2015, where John now serves as captain. When asked about what makes Mercy Ships special, Captain John Borrow replies: “We provide for people who have lost hope and have no other way of being rescued out of hopelessness. We deal with that in a very direct and purposeful way, so it just works!”