More news in brief
Culture Night, Reykjavik, IcelandIn the schedule (taken from
http://www.menningarnott.is/) it says that ‘Menningarnótt, or ‘Culture Night,’ has become firmly entrenched in the Icelandic calendar as one of the major events of the year. Some have estimated that at its peak attendance has reached 100,000 people, which would mean the vast majority of Reykjavík’s citizens as well as many people from other communities congregated in downtown Reykjavík.’
What an amazing opportunity to be able to reach the Icelandic people with the gospel of Jesus Christ! The Line-Up team for Iceland were able to book us in to the schedule, meaning that Logos II was able to have a small stage in town for the afternoon. We did several short programs based on Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, with drama, dance, challenge... In the evening the gospel choir, which we formed just for this event, sung on a stage outside too. It was a lot of fun and hopefully people were impacted.
Faroe IslandsLogos II international Night was held in a local sports hall in the Faroes, with over 700 islanders attending. Our crew were able to give two programs, the first based around the different continents of the world and being focused on prayer needs (it was largely aimed at a church audience). The second program was for local youth and included dramas, dances, personal stories from crewmembers, as well as a local band. The whole night did not finish until 1:30am, which is normal for Faroese culture but more tiring for crew! But the locals were ‘invigorated and energized by what they had seen and heard. “The programme was not about us,” said organiser Haelyn Cowie-Clarke (Trinidad & Tobago), “but about making sure the locals were blessed – and they were! They wanted to stay longer!”’
TeenStreet, Germany60 crewmembers, including myself, were able to serve behind the scenes and with the teenagers at TeenStreet Germany. This is a large international Christian teen festival. We were involved in set-up week the week prior to the festival and then served during the festival itself. I worked in the pantry during the second week, washing-up 4000+ plates per meal! In my free time I was able to attend some of the sessions that the teenagers were going to and I spent most evenings from 9:30-11:30pm at the OM Ships Stand. This was situated with the bookshop and other stands promoting different organizations. The ship stand was a great opportunity for teenagers to meet ships crew and ask questions about life on board. One evening I was able to talk with 17-year-old Irene from Italy. She asked me question after question for about 45 minutes! I told her the ship was a great opportunity to get to know yourself better, and to discover the passions God has put in your heart and I was really excited to encourage her and pray with her.
One year on MV Logos II
Personal lessons from a year on a ship…One year… wow! It has taken me a long while to think how to summarise all that has happened and all that God has done in my life this year. I don’t think it’s something that can be summarised actually. Maybe not even my closest friends here on the ship will ever realise all that has happened. But let me try.
One thing I have come to see is the many answered prayers. I came to the ships 4 months after completing my degree. University was the first time for me when I had really had good friends and coming to the ships it was hard for me to leave them, to leave my church family, and to leave the place that had been the first place to feel like ‘home’ in a long time. (Thank you to my uni friends and to my church family in Caernarfon – you know who you are and you mean so much to me…) and to almost throw away that one thing that I had always wanted. It seemed a little absurd to many who knew me, that I would set aside my friendships, my degree, the possibility for a career in science, money… everything that to the world equals stability. But I knew that these things would not bring me long-term happiness, only obedience to God can bring fulfillment. The first 6 months on the ship, again I was back to struggling with friendships, feeling lonely and not having a group of people who I could call my good friends. I have seen God’s hand in this so much and answers to long prayed prayers… Now I can honestly say that I am blessed not only with close friends but with a group of people. I no longer feel on the fringes but really feel I belong to a family. Luke (US), Alisa (US), Christy (US), Denise (Germany), Wilko (Netherlands), Jessica (US), Alli (Australia), Aubrey (US), thank you so much for including me in your ‘family’. There are many more friends who I could mention but these are the ones who have had most impact in my life in the past 6 months.
I have been in the galley now for 1 year, 10 months of this as a shift leader. Along with leadership, I feel it is time to move on, but as yet I do not know where I will work. I am currently training one person to replace me as shift leader sometime in the next couple of months. Working in the galley has taught me many leadership skills and helped me to recognise many of my strengths and weaknesses. I have worked with so many teams of people, with changes to my shift every couple of months as people join and leave the ship. Not only have I worked with ship’s company but also with volunteers in many ports, from different walks of life – Christians and non-Christians, those with other employment and some who are unemployed, English-speakers and non-English-speakers, male and female, young and old. I have been in charge of small groups of teenagers onboard for a one-day experience and working with my shift for a couple of hours. I think that my people skills have greatly improved! It has also been such a blessing to see God working in the lives of the galley workers. Some people I have had the privilege of working with for the whole year and seeing God grow them and change them, challenge and bless them. Others I have just seen God’s hand in for a short period of time but in a mighty way. I have loved to be a part of what God has been doing through the ministry of working in the galley. For many of you reading this, you may think that you are not a missionary, but let me encourage you that if you are a Christian seeking to serve God, He will use you wherever you are in whatever job. Take the opportunities that He presents you with to live out your faith, to serve faithfully going the extra mile, to share His love in word and in action. Yes, life circumstances require us to work and to earn a living but a job is so much more than that… it is a mission field, full of people who need the love of God. And for those of you reading this that do not know the amazing gift of a relationship with the living God, let me challenge you to seek Him. For those who seek Him with all their heart will find Him (Jeremiah 29:12-13).
In my 6 month newsletter I gave this quote from the book ‘There is a God in Heaven’ by D. Marsh; ‘When God calls us, He does not ask us to be great, or successful. All He asks is our faithfulness! He promises to do the rest!’ I talked in my previous newsletter about how I have struggled with many of the ‘ministry’ activities I have been asked to do. It has become something of a battle of discerning whether God really wants me to do something or whether I can say no, and then a battle of the will to be faithful in what He has asked of me. I don’t always see answers to prayer in the things I struggle with, even when I am faithful, but the challenge is to know that God has been at work despite me… He is at work saving souls and changing lives. It’s not about us, it’s all about Him.
Pinned on my noticeboard in my cabin is a note that reads, ‘Satisfaction is the grave of progress.’ Those of you who know me well know that I am a person who strives for things. On the ship in the last year I know that God has been teaching me about that fine line between being content in all situations (Phil 4:11)/resting in Him, and attaining to the goal of knowing Christ more, sharing in His sufferings and becoming like Him… (Phil 3:10-16). When we strive for something, this is in our own strength and we do not have rest and contentment also. But when our goals are God-focused and we find our satisfaction only in Him, then we are attaining to something and seeking to move forward and also finding rest and contentment in Him… I believe that we should never be satisfied with our spiritual life and should always be looking to grow in God but at the same time our focus should simply be on dwelling in Him and we shouldn’t strive for what only God can do.
Happiness
Luke and I have enjoyed the last 2 weeks :-)
Thought you might like to see some photos...
In Reykjavik, Iceland
August 28th
In Cuxhaven, Germany
September 10th
