When I visit a ship and ask what their port of destination is then the answer is most of the time, Japan, China or South Korea.
The MV Frontier Ambition's destination is Rotterdam........ Time to make pictures! The crew is from Myanmar ( formerly Burma ) , the captain and three other officers are from South Korea.
I meet more and more seafarers from Myanmar on board ships. They are very friendly, the sound of their speech is very unique and their food is absolutely delicious!
Their political hero is Aung San Sun Kyi. She is the very courageous woman who spent many years under house arrest under the oppressive military government.
They mention that the political climate is becoming better but it remains a nation in deep crisis as it is still one of the world's poorest nations. I also know that the wages they make on board are far superior than the ones back home. A cook from Myanmar on board a container ship makes three times more money than when he is working as a top cook in a 5 star hotel in his home country. ( A German captain has told me this. )...... No wonder they are smiling.
Almost 90% of the population is Buddhist. The first Christian missionaries who came 200 years ago to Myanmar were Adoniram and Nancy Judson. Mr Judson was a man of great perseverance. Hus devotion to Christ kept him through false accusations, persecution and imprisonment. For almost 2 years of imprisonment he suffered from fever, malnutrition and underwent a forced march.
Following is a story about this man; " When Judson was lying loaded with chains in a Burmese dungeon , a fellow prisoner asked with a sneer about the prospect for the conversion of the heathen. Judson calmly answered, The prospects are as bright as are the promises of God. There is scarcely a country today which is not as accessible, or where the difficulties are greater, then was the case in Burma when Judson faced them and overcame. " ( Perspective on the World Christian Movement. p.332 )
Now, there is a deeply rooted Christian movement in Myanmar. Amid the great suffering and repression of the last decade, the Church of Jesus Christ is estimated to have more than seven million believers!
( Operation World )
Pray that I may be a Christ like witness to the Myanmar seafarers!
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| This sailor shows proudly a picture of Aung San Sun Kyi while receiving a Canadian recognition presented by the Canadian foreign minister. |
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| Posters hanging in the mess room of their hero including pictures of Hilary Clinton and other national figures. |
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| The MV Ocean Prometheus with a Myanmar crew is a regular ' customer ' but she is always destined for South Korea. |
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| Loaded for Rotterdam. |
