The sailors you see on these pictures are from Indonesia. After I took them shopping in Ladner the second officer ( shown above ) asked me if he could go to church with me on Sunday. He and one other seafarer were the only Christians crew members on their ship, all the others were Muslims. When I asked him if he was Roman Catholic, Baptist or Born Again...... he hesitated for a moment and then said, " I belong to the
Gereformeerde Kerk in Samarang!" I couldn't believe my ears! The Gereformeerde Kerk was the church I grew up in in The Netherlands. For centuries Indonesia had been a Dutch colony where missionaries started churches, also 'Gereformeerde Kerken'. Gladly, I told him that I would take him to the Gereformeerde Kerk in Ladner tomorrow. When I arrived Sunday morning they were waiting for me, all dressed up and ready to go to church. When we entered the gangway the second officer made a jump in the air and shouted, " I am so happy I can go to church this morning. " I don't see too many people I know jumping for joy on Sunday morning when they go to church so I asked him, "Why the excitement?" "I haven't been to church for seven months! " was his reply. While in church I could see how much they enjoyed worshiping with other Christians. I was reminded again of the words of Psalm 84, " I rather spend one day in the House of the Lord than a thousand elsewhere." It just goes to show how much we take this for granted in this part of the world.
