September 2022 Update: Want to see some of the Logos Hope?

Well, I am finishing off the month of September a little under the weather and don’t have much of a voice right now. (Please be praying for a quick recovery.) Since I sound like a frog and cough when I talk right now, I am going to skip the video update this month and just give you a written overview and some pictures from September.

We arrived in Vlore, Albania at the start of September. If you remember from last month’s update, our plans to spend more time in N. Africa didn’t go as we hoped. Because of that we arrived in Vlore earlier than originally planned, but God knows what he is doing. We have been able to spend more time ministering to the lovely people of Vlore. Since I arrived on Logos Hope we have mostly been in hot, desert climates. It has been nice to come a little further north and see more lush green forests and rain. I normally much prefer nice blue skies to rain, but I am finding after not seeing rain in months, I kind of missed it.

This month has been marked with lots of goodbyes and hellos. The ship does changeovers twice a year where crew who have finished their commitment depart and new crew arrive. We had 124 new crew from 40 different nations join us this month. We have been busy preparing for their arrival. We are currently working to get them trained and up to speed with ministry and life onboard the ship. With this change over, I have found myself being more challenged to continue to step up into more leadership. Being onboard the Logos Hope has been such a challenging (in a good way) and educational time. I am learning so much and being stretched both in my nautical knowledge and as a person. I can definitely see why God has brought me to this ship for this season.

Would you like to take a little tour of the Logos Hope?

Here is a short video the ship made where you can see some of the different areas of the ship and some of the activities we have on Logos Hope. Enjoy!

What’s Next?

The beginning of October, (😳 How is it already October? 🤷‍♀️) we will sail north to our second port in Albania in the city of Durres. After two weeks there, we will continue north to Bar, Montenegro. To see more of the upcoming ports, click here.

September Photo Highlights

The sun rising as we sailed into Vlore, Albania.

See my new cabin. With the changeover and new crew, I moved to a different cabin this month. I am so grateful for how nice and spacious it is.

Leading several of our lady Deckies in a mooring operation. It is amazing to work in a Deck department with so many women.

Giving a call to missions in an Albanian church (with translator). I love sharing with people my passion to serve in missions.

Taking a boat tour around the bay we are docked in. We stopped and took a hike on an island, laid on a beach for a while, and took the boat inside a cave for a swim. Well, more like a quick dip - that water was too cold for my Florida blood.

Some of the Deckies I work with. They are a crazy and fun bunch, and I love working with them.

Taking a walk down the old town of Vlore.

Basic water safety training with new crew just joining. They need to be familiar with and know how to use the emergency equipment onboard.

When at sea, having a fire onboard can be a very dangerous thing. We can't just call the fire station to come and put it out. We have to be able to fight the fire ourselves. Everyone onboard needs to have some basic training on extinguishing fires.

It was a beautiful evening here in Vlore as we watch the moonrise over the Logos Hope.