Operation Mobilisation has a very interesting ministry that involves sailing ships to various ports around the world so people can visit the ship's Book Fair and the ship's crew can participate in a bunch of community outreach events. Because my employer donates crates full of books to OM, the powers that be decided it would be a good idea to send 10 employees to explore what the ships ministry is all about.
For a week, OM's newest ship, Logos Hope, was my home.
This is a picture of the Logos Hope in Scheveningen, our second port of the week.
When our team arrived in the Netherlands, we headed to Harlingen, where the ship would be until we left on Tuesday for Scheveningen, near Den Hague. Harlingen is in Friesland, the province that some of my ancestors came from, so it was cool to see what that part of the world was like.
Most days, our team was assigned to two of the service positions on the ship: the galley and accomodations (known as the Angels). Tuesday was my group's day to work with the Angels. This was also the day we set sail for our second port. After cleaning a handful of bathrooms with my work buddy Naomi, my stomach decided to rebel, and I ran to the nearest toilet. Instead of cleaning more bathrooms that day, I stayed in my cabin, sleeping the seasickness off. Fortunately, it was the only time I got sick during our sail, and on Wednesday, I was able to work in the galley, slicing cucumbers and chopping lettuce.
For the entire week, I tried to figure out what the purpose of the Logos Hope was. All I saw were people who signed up for two years to clean toilets every day or make food for the hundreds on board, just so the rest of the crew could live on the ship. I wondered where the missions experience came in.
Finally, on Friday night, when we were assigned to work on the Experience Deck (home to the famous Book Fair, an experience hall, and the International Cafe), I discovered why people sign up to do all that difficult, sometimes unpleasant, work 5 days a week. As our team was sitting in the cafe for our ministry orientation, a visibly distraught man came up to us and asked if we believed in miracles. When we said yes, he began to tell us about his friend, a man who has been involved in an immoral lifestyle for years and has seemingly reached the end of the road. He asked us to pray for his friend, who has no more hope and no interest in God. We began to pray out loud for both men, and when we were done, there wasn't a dry eye in the group. It was an amazing moment. The man told us he'd been driving in his car when he remembered the ship was in town. He knew he could gather a group of people to pray for his friend, and when he arrived, we "just happened" to be involved in a group meeting. As the director of the Experience Deck said, it was a divine appointment.
I spent the rest of the evening and Saturday morning coloring with kids, greeting people as they entered the ship, inviting curious people to come and check out the ship, and talking to a few people in the International Cafe. All the tough work I'd done earlier in the week was worth it for the time I was able to spend on the Experience Deck.
I may never join OM's ship's ministry, but I'm so glad I was able to have a week to experience what those who do join are signing up for. I'm also grateful I was able to see the impact that my employer has in another part of the world. It was a great week.
Most days, our team was assigned to two of the service positions on the ship: the galley and accomodations (known as the Angels). Tuesday was my group's day to work with the Angels. This was also the day we set sail for our second port. After cleaning a handful of bathrooms with my work buddy Naomi, my stomach decided to rebel, and I ran to the nearest toilet. Instead of cleaning more bathrooms that day, I stayed in my cabin, sleeping the seasickness off. Fortunately, it was the only time I got sick during our sail, and on Wednesday, I was able to work in the galley, slicing cucumbers and chopping lettuce.
The ship arriving in Scheveningen on Wednesday
For the entire week, I tried to figure out what the purpose of the Logos Hope was. All I saw were people who signed up for two years to clean toilets every day or make food for the hundreds on board, just so the rest of the crew could live on the ship. I wondered where the missions experience came in.
Finally, on Friday night, when we were assigned to work on the Experience Deck (home to the famous Book Fair, an experience hall, and the International Cafe), I discovered why people sign up to do all that difficult, sometimes unpleasant, work 5 days a week. As our team was sitting in the cafe for our ministry orientation, a visibly distraught man came up to us and asked if we believed in miracles. When we said yes, he began to tell us about his friend, a man who has been involved in an immoral lifestyle for years and has seemingly reached the end of the road. He asked us to pray for his friend, who has no more hope and no interest in God. We began to pray out loud for both men, and when we were done, there wasn't a dry eye in the group. It was an amazing moment. The man told us he'd been driving in his car when he remembered the ship was in town. He knew he could gather a group of people to pray for his friend, and when he arrived, we "just happened" to be involved in a group meeting. As the director of the Experience Deck said, it was a divine appointment.
I spent the rest of the evening and Saturday morning coloring with kids, greeting people as they entered the ship, inviting curious people to come and check out the ship, and talking to a few people in the International Cafe. All the tough work I'd done earlier in the week was worth it for the time I was able to spend on the Experience Deck.
I may never join OM's ship's ministry, but I'm so glad I was able to have a week to experience what those who do join are signing up for. I'm also grateful I was able to see the impact that my employer has in another part of the world. It was a great week.
