October 2023 Update: So Many Lives Impacted!

My last couple of months have been a whirlwind of activity. When I sent my last update, we had left Oman and were sailing towards Eastern Africa. Since then, we worked in 3 different ports. One in the Seychelles, one in Kenya, and one in Tanzania. In those three ports we saw over 243,000 people visit the ship and interact with our crew. There are thousands more lives invested in by the teams we have on shore most every day involved in all different kinds of ministry projects. It is amazing to see the way that God uses the ship in each place that we visit.

I would encourage you to take the time and watch some of the ship’s port report videos from some of the ports we visited. This is a great way to get a glimpse of the local cultures and what we are doing in the ports. At this time, the videos from the last three ports are not done yet, but they will come soon. You can find them here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeqazpe30gQ_qGUclKPz_w8NXNCNwNgTO

Training, Training, and More Training

Twice a year the ship has a new volunteer intake, where they get a new batch of volunteers joining and some of the volunteers completing their one- or two-year commitments depart. In September, we had 87 new volunteers join our crew, most of whom had never been on a ship before. They are trained in all types of things from how the ship does ministry, practical aspects of living on the ship, training in their jobs, and safety/emergency response. I was a part of the team that trained these new crew, specifically doing the training on safety and emergency response. I started with a few days of training with all 87 of the new crew. From there we pulled out the 30 or so who will be working onboard in Marine Operations, basically the crew that will be working directly to keep the ship itself operational. We did a more in-depth training with them on emergency response for 1.5 weeks. Out of that group, I took the 13 that were specifically assigned to work in the Deck department and did three additional weeks of training with them on navigation, watchkeeping, and other skills they need to know to be good deckhands. It was a stretching experience for me, but a good one. I learned a lot in the process of training others.

The 13 new deckhands that I trained. 

What’s Happening Now

My commitment to Logos Hope ended when I finished training the next group of deckhands. The ship’s last day in Tanzania was my last day onboard for this time. I flew home about a week ago. My time onboard Logos Hope was amazing. It was truly an honor to be a part of what God is using this ship to do around the world. I have learned so much and was challenged in a great way. I am really looking forward to a much-needed break, to get some rest and some time to seek God. I am not sure exactly what He has for me next, but I know He will speak in His perfect timing. In the meantime, I plan to spend the next 2 or 3 months recouping and allowing Him to refill me.

Waving goodbye to the ship right before heading to the airport.

Photo Highlights

The beauty of the Seychelle Islands.

The Seychelles, where I was always asking myself if this was a real place or a calendar picture.

Eyeglasses clinic and give away.

While in Africa I had to go on a safari.

Meeting a lion.

The Zebras are watching each other’s backs.

Look at the cute baby monkey.

I think this baby elephant wants to be Dumbo.

When I was told I could feed the giraffe, I had no idea its tongue was so long. Haha.

Making friends in an African Village.

The colors in Africa are so vibrant and the hearts of the people are so beautiful.

African Sunset