Monday morning at the Mission in Vancouver a retired Coast Pacific Pilot walked into the building and told us an amazing story that I want to share with you. It begins with a letter he wrote; "
I was the pilot of the MV LEE WANG ZIN from Tasu to the pilot station off Prince Rupert, BC on the last fateful voyage of that ship when all the 30 crew members perished. The reason I am writing to you is this. On boarding the vessel on December 24, 1979 the captain gave me a pendant and told me that it meant " If you wear it you will live a long life." On the early morning of December 25, 1979, Christmas Day , one of the officers gave me a Chinese paper lantern. I told them I would hang them every year at Christmas and I have done so for 30 years.
Since 1979 I have re-married and have no children to pass these gifts on to. Although they have meaning to me they mean nothing to anyone I know. I am 75 years old and I don't know how many more Christmases I will have. When I die they will be thrown out because they have no meaning to anyone to anyone else and no monetary value.
I thought maybe among the 30 crew members there might be a widow, a child, or even a grand child that may want a memory of the ship. This is all that survived the ship and I hope to pass them on."
The Pilot asked chaplain Nick Parker if he can do any research to find out if there are relatives in Taiwan who can be reached or contacted so these memories can be sent there.
But there is more to tell about this tragedy. I am quoting here; "
The owner Lee is known for his deep respect for his mother. In 1977 he bought a 59000 ton freighter and named it the Lee Wang Zin after his mother as a token of his gratitude for her love and encouragement.Two years later the ship sank during a storm on its way to Japan. All 30 crew members perished........Lee was heart broken, "Nothing can make up for lost lives . All I can do now is give financial support to the families of those sailors " Besides providing these families with pensions, he helped their school aged children with a five year allowance...everything fully paid! After they graduated, Lee arranged for them jobs in his various companies, trying to take care of these fatherless children " ...... Now, .that's what I call "
UNUSUAL KINDNESS! ." ( P.S. Read the story in Acts 28 when Paul lands on the Island of Malta )
