When I boarded the MV RISING SUN, I was confronted by a crew member with a temperature gun! He said he had to check my temperature before I could enter the ship. Welcome to the 'Swine Flu Epidemic'!
My temperature was fine so he allowed me to enter the ship's office. The C/O told me that according to company policy no crew member was allowed to get off the ship, not even to visit the seafarer's center to make a phone call! It just happened that I had received a few bags of bread that day; left overs from the local food bank. I gave them to the cook. He was very happy with the bread as these little extras are always welcome.
When I left the galley he followed me and asked me if I could supply him with a Tagalog (Philippine) bible. 'No problem' I said. Then he asked, ' We are having a bible study on board, do you have more bibles I might have?' 'How many do you want?' I asked. He wanted 10, so I delivered ten bibles to the ship.
The Chief Engineer on the ship leads a bible study every Sunday evening. Sometimes there are up to 14 crew members in attendance! The C/E is already discipling another crew member to lead the bible study, making sure that when his contract is finished the bible study will be able to continue.
As I left the ship I thought of the prayer our Lord taught us to pray, 'Give us this day our daily bread'....... This was the bread I took with me that day. But in John chapter 6 he also teaches us that He is 'The bread of Life'..........' When you eat this bread you will never go hungry'! The bible study and the new bibles on board the MV RISING SUN are the bread.
It was a moment of praising God for having the resources to give seafarers the 'bread of life'.
