A very happy and thankful crew!

I must admit, I felt really good after my ship visiting last Friday.  From the moment I entered the ship's dining room, I immediately noticed that something was wrong.  Everybody looked very upset!  One of the crew members started complaining to me, " We are not allowed to get off the ship, not even to visit the Mission! "  The crew of this ship had visited  the Mission on a previous voyage and they   knew me.  " Why not? " I asked.  " We have a new captain and he won't allow us to get off the ship to make phone  calls!   Can you please talk to the captain for us?" they begged. I knew that in the past the crew of this particular nationality was not allowed to get off the ship due to some incidents of ' ship jumping ' ( trying to enter Canada illegally ), which means major fines for the company when it happens.
I did not have much choice but speak to the captain who was lunching in the officer's lounge. Would I have a chance to change his mind, knowing that his decision is always decisive on board ship? This was a first  for me.  Upon meeting the captain, I realized that I was standing in front of a very imposing, authoritative  person. After  introducing myself and being asked to sit down I immediately asked him if the crew would be allowed to get off the ship, come to the Mission and make their phone calls. " NO " was the immediate answer!  "Company policy, none of them gets off the ship " I tried again, explaining to him that the Mission building is located within the Port perimeter etc., etc., but NO was the answer.
He did not send me away however, but seemed  eager for a ' talk '. And talking we did; politics, the euro, the dollar, the Second World War, when will the Third World War begin? etc. I got the feeling he liked me, or at least respected me so, I thought, I'll give it " one more try ". " Captain, please let these men go to the Mission, I am working tonight, you can be sure everything will be okay! "  There was a moment of silence and then he called the steward who then had to tell the crew that they had permission go to the Mission............" BUT NOT EVERYONE AT ONCE "


Did a very happy crew come to the Mission that evening?  You bet!  I could't do anything wrong, and even got a hug and lots of handshakes as the evening progressed. I was reminded again, how important it is to visit the ships and meet the crew.........You never know!

Presbyterian

Today, while talking with a Philippine cook aboard one of the ships, we discovered that we both belong to Reformed churches.  His Presbyterian church has recently grown from a few families to approx. 150 members.  He, however lamented the fact that Satan is making overtime in his church.  Apparently,the church custodian has been accused of sexual abuse by a female member. Eventually, the local newspaper got wind of it and all this is deeply troubling the pastor. In response, I mentioned that the Lord sometimes tests or chastises us in order that we not become too proud. He does this sometimes  through persecution because we often become too comfortable where we are or we start glorifying ourselves because of the increase of members. I told him that I will pray for him, his church and his pastor.
He also mentioned that the ship's steward is a pastor. You can guess why he is working on a ship........he needs the.income!
When I asked him if he and the steward/pastor have  tried to lead a bible study on board, he had a very  interesting answer.  " Yes, I have tried it but there is always the excuse that everybody is sleepy " And then he said, " They don't want to come because I am at the bottom of the ladder " " What do you mean with that? " I asked. " Well, if the captain or the chief engineer leads a bible study the crew will show up, no matter how sleepy they are! ", was the answer. Now isn't that typical of human nature?
That was the end of our conversation as other seafarers came and needed phone cards.

M/V Cape Canary

The first sailors I met  on board the M/V Cape Canary were some friendly fellows from India. Looking to my left, I noticed two young ladies standing there in white coveralls. I was a little shocked because I rarely see young ( female ) seafarers on bulk carriers. While chatting with them, I discovered they were Scottish students from a maritime school in England doing their four month practicum aboard a ship.  When asked how they were doing, their response was not overly enthusiastic.  Apparently the food, "is so hot and spicy!" with a typical Indian menu of rice and curry everyday.

When I returned later that day, with bags of bread for the girls, the Indian captain invited me to have dinner with him. During our conversation, he told me that when he is on leave he leads a bible study in the local prison! You meet all kind of different people on board ship but this is the first person I've met who does such work when he is home. When asked  why, his simple answer was, " This is what I do in return for what the Lord has done for me." Wonderful answer!

After dinner I met the two cadets again and asked them if I could help them by bringing some peanut butter for their bread. The one looked at me and said in no uncertain terms, " We don't like peanut butter!"  When I then suggested marmalade I got the same response, " We don't like marmalade!"  What could I do?  Apparently young female cadets from Scotland are hard to please!

Post Pentecost/Church on the Ocean

 On the picture with Malpe Estibeiro from India who leads the bible study on board. Below you see three members of the group. It's  very hard on board a ship to get them all together at the same time for making a picture.

Yesterday, a seafarer from India who sails on the M/V Theodore Mearsk came to the Mission building. The first thing  he asked me was whether I was a Christian! When I said, yes, he immediately mentioned that he along with eight others ( all Philippine sailors ) regularly hold bible studies on board their ship on Sunday evenings.  I introduced him to the bible section  and suggested he take as many bibles as they needed.
He left with three bags of material!.But this is not the end of the story; later he asked me for Russian bible tracts as well. When I asked, "Why Russian? ", he explained that where he comes from ( Goa ) many Russian tourists visit the area. When he goes home, he and his father go to the beaches and hand out the ' gospel tracts '.
Last night I went to the down town Mission building and picked up a large amount of Russian material! This morning when I delivered the material  he was overjoyed. We lunched together with some of the other bible students as well. You can see on the two pictures who they are. It's a wonderful story of the continuing power of the Holy Spirit working among people and nationalities; Indian, Philippino, and Russian!.................. Amazing!

" I looked...............and before me was a great multitude that no one could count..........from every nation,  tribe, people and languege, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb! "