ShipSHOTS #2 Lovin' the Crowds

(My part in this video? I got to run in front of the van that the videographer was riding in, clearing the streets so the van could move up the line without stopping - and without running over people and street vendors!)

ShipSHOT #1 Lights, Camera, Action!

Here's what I do when I act in the Greatest Treasure kid's program!

Watch for the new video tomorrow!

It's called, Long Distance Relationship

LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP

You're stuck in a chat box on my computer screen

I want to put my arms around you

Tousle your hair

Touch your arm to let you know I'm there

But when I lay my head on your shoulder

It's a pillow wet with tears

I miss you Ben...

Our families - though oceans apart - brought us together

Ben and Naomi July 2010 MV Logos Hope Atlantic

Our story began almost six months ago when a certain Benjamin Sahlstrom came aboard the Logos Hope with the Short Term Exposure Program (STEP) and rocked my world more than any rough sea ever had! Due to ship rules, we were not allowed to officially be in a [dating] relationship until the last two weeks he was onboard. However, we became good friends and found out a lot about each other in the time in between. And almost always, our conversations ended up centered around our families. Because you see, we're both the oldest of large families - Ben's the oldest of 10, I of nine - both from Christian families, American families, home schooled, the way we were raised, values, beliefs... you name it, we've probably discussed it -- and it's very similar! The only difference? We grew up on opposite sides of the world.

So about Ben. HE'S A PRETTY AMAZING GUY!!!! But I guess you'd like more details than that! ;) Ben is from Minnesota, a photographer/plumber - on his way to two great careers! His many practical skills come in handy working for the Sahlstrom family Heating/Air business. He rides motorcycle and is up on all the latest gadgets and technology. He's a hard worker with a great attitude and good at relating to people. He's humble and most of the time a behind-the-scenes man, except when it comes to being the ringleader for a get together with a bunch of friends! He's really thoughtful and also a good gentleman. What I noticed first was his amazing smile (and almost constant optimism)! And then when he said he had a red pick-up truck, Cupid's arrow struck my heart... I've always just had something for a RED pick-up truck!

His first job onboard the ship was working in the International Cafe, serving ice-cream and popcorn, coffee and cakes to the thousands of visitors who come onboard to buy books. The cafe is an area where crew members can meet with the visitors and hopefully direct conversations to spiritual things. Then they found out he was a plumber! Of course, the engine room figured they needed him worse than the I-Cafe, so he moved departments to help the maintenance team as a plumber. It was such a help, they found a way for him to stay on longer; for 4 more months as a Project Worker (short term person with practical skills).

Our song is "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys, because it is all the places we were when we met and fell in love. :)

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine..." Eph. 3:20

You can read Ben's side of the story at http://www.bensahlstrom.com/2010/06/sp.html

Many thanks to the Sahlstrom and Nelson families, who - though oceans apart from us and each other - were the thing that brought us together.

To be continued...

SP!

No one quite remembers if "SP" stands for "Social Permission" or "Special Privileges" because it's always just called "sp" and is the favorite thing to joke about on Logos Hope... but whatever it's called, the permission to be in a relationship is pretty special!

"The Sign" posted on the community notice board!

It's official! (And I was in my work clothes from the fire drill... :P)

(After a shower! :)) The new couple!

WE ARE DATING!!!!

Lifeboat Prayer

Lord, thank you for this drill
For this time we had to practice
Thank you for the skill You've given us
Thank you for safety
And that no one got hurt
Through this dangerous procedure
In an emergency help us to be prepared
Help us put into practice what we have learned today
That each of us could take our positions and remember what to do
Thank you for these lifeboats

But Lord we pray
We never have to use them

More Africa

T.I.A. [This Is Africa]

SIERRA LEONE - Did You Know?

-> Life expectancy: 41yrs. (compared to US 78yrs.)
-> 70% of population under poverty line
-> over 60% of the population is Muslim
-> 50% population age 16 and under
-> 1 in 8 mothers die in childbirth
-> 1 in 4 children die before age 5

These are just depressing-sounding statistics until you think about the people behind the numbers. When you see four curly-haired dark-skinned African kids playing and to think that one of the smiling youngsters will die (most likely by accident or disease) within the year... When you see two toddlers laid to sleep on the bare ground of what can barely be called a sidewalk, the nonchalant in which the six year old boy mentions his mother died yesterday because she was having a baby - his brother - both now motherless, and the fear in the Muslim man's eyes as he accepts the Bible you are giving him. the extreme poverty, some people walk around with cell phones and ipods... and both are somehow Africa.

FIRST HELP PROJECT!
Our first Help project in Sierra Leone was a bit of a unique one. We are a shipload of healthy people compared to most of the locals who are too malnourished to donate blood - so you can see why the nurses from the maternity hospital MercyShips started were so excited to have such a large blood bank literally sail right to their door! Yup, we've been in Europe, the Caribbean and Africa in the last year, have had the Yellow Fever vaccine, and are taking Malaria tablets but... we're IN Africa!!! It was cool to join the "party" of ship's company in boiler suits from the engine room, dusty workclothes, those who ran in from the galley (kitchen), and everyone else who took a few minutes to pop by in the middle of our work day to donate blood. In total we donated 45L of blood - each half liter worth US$50 - saving the hospital US$4,500 in buying from overseas donors! :)

KNOWLEDGE...
Over 70 people attended the onboard "How to Start a Business" program today! I got to hear a bit of it and it was really quality teaching, and practical to help locals have some idea of how to start and run a good business. Our goal in this port is to pass it on - invest in influencers and encourage them to speak into others' lives and keep the blessing going on.

DRESS CODE
One of the changes we had to make coming to a new region was respecting a different culture in the way we dress and behave. Out are the shorts and knee-length skirts and in are the new fashions for Africa: long skirts or long pants for girls (showing our knees would be like going topless-!), and always long pants for guys. And it's sweltering hot.

African sunrises and sunsets are beautiful... it is pretty green jungle-y here compared to what I pictured the terrain to be like... and I'm still waiting for the safari animals from Madagascar 2 to appear somewhere!

PRAY for the spiritual warfare going on here; there was a "devil's dance" done right outside the port gate tonight, but also, God is doing a great work and my friend coming back from a church team shared many exciting stories of how Muslims are listening to the gospel and coming to Christ!

And all of this was just ONE day.

Bringing Knowledge

http://www.omships.org/sharing-environmental-know-how

Lessons about Grace

There once was a Chief mate (leader of all the deckies - next to the Captain in rank) in Deck and, as every morning, we met as a department for devotions. On this particular morning, he had something special for us. Before we started, he passed around chocolates to everyone. However - as seems to be the case in most departments - there are always a few stragglers who rock up late... and miss the chocolate. But this Chief mate Graeme took the chocolates left and tossed them around to those just coming in. The deckies who actually made it on time started grumbling about how "they deserve to get no chocolate," and "serves them right for being late." And then in the way he always did, most of us not realizing the lessons we were being taught, Graeme quietly said, "Remember, one denarii," and proceeded to relay Jesus' parable about the landowner who hired workers to work for him. Those who worked all day received the pay they had agreed upon - one denarii - but those who he hired late in the day who only worked ONE HOUR received the same pay! I've always sympathized with the first ones hired; I would have been in outrage and probably would have been leading the protest when these workers came to complain about this unfairness:

" 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'

But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' "

Matt. 20:12-15

This real-life situation shocked me into thinking - What if I were on the late-worker end of the scale?! - I would sure appreciate Jesus' generosity! The thought that maybe, just maybe, in Jesus' book we are ALL 'late workers,' undeserving of salvation, catapulted me on a journey to find out about Grace.

"The whole world is starved for grace," Philip Yancey writes in his book What's So Amazing About Grace? I've always thought of grace as forgiveness, actually I relate more to what Lewis Smedes said in a quote; it's more than that: "Guilt was not my problem as I felt it. What I felt most was a glob of unworthiness that I could not tie down to any concrete sins I was guilty of. What I needed more than pardon was a sense that God accepted me, owned me, held me, affirmed me, and would never let go of me even if he was not too much impressed with what he had on his hands." (What's So Amazing About Grace, pg. 36)

Grace is getting something you don't deserve.

Grace is not fair. It is not logical and it does not make sense. I like to have a reason. But try as I might, two things I have found, are not logical: Love and Grace. They are intertwined (inseparable and interchangeable) because grace is at the core of unconditional love.

It is hard for me to accept - if to accept, then to give as well - Grace (and thus, Love). It feels like I need to earn whatever it is I want. I'm too proud when someone extends grace to me.

Recently there has been a situation in my life where I want Grace. It is not forgiveness for something I have done; it is something I would like but there is nothing I can do to help myself get it. There is no reason I should get it even. For the first time in my life, I want Grace.

The Bible is full of God trying to get the picture of grace across to us. God bestowing on David - adulterer and murderer - the title of "A man after God's own heart." Seriously??? And then the famous Old Testament prophet Hosea, sent to live out an example of God's grace. When Jesus came to earth he tried and tried to help us get the picture: The parable of the prodigal son, the Pharisee and tax collector praying, the servant who was forgiven a huge debt he could never pay, but wouldn't forgive his fellow servant a small debt, and One Denarii.

"Grace... is a gift that costs everything for the giver, and nothing for the recipient." (pg. 25) In one final amazing act of Grace, Jesus gave the gift of eternal life to a criminal on a cross beside him who had no time left to do anything for him.

This lesson of one denarii is helping me see that I shouldn't be jealous when I see others get better than what I think they deserve, because actually... I am the one hour worker who didn't deserve the pay.

Jesus wants us to just accept his gift humbly with thankfulness and joy and not belittle the gift that cost him everything by trying to earn it.

It's Monday

On the ship our work week is from Tue. - Sat. and Sunday is focused on a lot of ministry, leaving Monday as my day off! So unlike most of the rest of the world, I love Mondays!!!

My family called today (yay!!! :D) and I got to talk to them for near an hour and half!!! My littlest sister, Hope (who was 3 weeks old when I left), is almost 1 and a half! She is walking and babbling and climbing on lots of stuff - they said her favorite thing is Daddy's ipod touch-! And every morning she wants to play with it. They have company, as usual; the kids are really stretching out and off doing lots of things! We talked about support and prayer requests. The doggies are fine and it's getting warm...

This afternoon I went off the ship with Elise for a special treat of ice-cream at the little "Australian"-named place! It's cool because Elise is from Australia, and it was REALLY GOOD ICE-CREAM! Fun time of talking and walking around the town together! :)

There are a bunch of farewell testimonies tonight because a lot of people are leaving soon. I'm going to that and then it's early to bed because I start work at 4:30am tomorrow morning - we're shifting over to the container port to load our 13 (13!) containers of supplies over the next two days. It's going to be a lot of work and I don't know where it's all going to fit on the ship; all I know is it's all hands on deck for gearing up for Africa!

St. Johns, ANTIGUA

Logos Hope to the Rescue!!!

Monday April 26 as Logos Hope left Bermuda we were notified that a small sailing vessel was overdue in arriving and had not been seen. We were asked to alter our course to see if we could locate the schooner.

Turns out we ended up in the part of the water north of Bermuda on the charts that says "Area to be avoided"- yikes! BUT we were able to find him and be the communication link (due to radio's not reaching far enough) to help rescue the lone sailor on a sailing schooner who's engine room was flooding and sail was in tatters, who'd been up the last 24 hours (after 11 days at sea!) trying to ride out the rough weather... We stayed with him through the evening, keeping our searchlight shining on him so the pilot/rescue boat from Bermuda was able to come and pick him up to tow him in from where we had located him. Exciting evening!

Reflections - recent highlights of my life

Traveling down a rutted Jamaican rode, wearing the infamous uniform blue "Hope Team" T-shirts, out to serve the community!

Here are some pictures of my life. The day in, day out, what I do. As you can see, a lot of my life is my job, but that is our part in the ministry! Gotta keep this ship sailing for Jesus...!

Painting the outside of the ship - After six months in deck department, you are allowed to work "over the side" of the ship! Of course we wear harnesses and take all the safety precautions necessary, but it's still a pretty fun privilege to hang on the outside! This was my first time to work aloft!

Risk Assessments - I was asked to be Deck Department Risk Assessment Representative, so for a few weeks my job was paperwork and thinking. For those of you who have worked in businesses/companies that have done this, you may have some idea of what it entails. I wrote up about 50 RAs in total; describing for each job we do, the safety measures in place, and deciding if they are sufficient. It was a challenge that I enjoyed, but - as the picture was staged to show - I realized I am very glad I do NOT have a sit-down "office job" most of the time!

Off day - Imogen (South Africa) and I at an aquarium in the Bahamas. Yay for the two hours we spent walking there and back to go see it, but hey, it's better than paying for transportation when you're on a missionary budget!

Splicing! - One of my favorite jobs, especially during sailing! This was an 8-strand eye splice fixing one of the lines that holds the ship to the dock.

The finished product! I'm quite proud of this splice; it turned out amazing!

Cultural Hour - A little more in the forefront of the ministry, I recently got to be the MC (mistress of ceremonies - introducing the acts/tying everything together) for "Cultural Hour", an hour long event held on the weekends in our Hope Theater where we display an array of dances, music and dramas to show the various cultures of the 50 nationalities represented onboard - and interwoven through it, present the gospel message. In this one I wore my Chinese dress and explained my "mix" of cultures. I enjoy public speaking!

Well, hope you enjoyed that peek into my life! Have a great day!

Kingston, JAMAICA

This was our most recent port in Kingston, Jamaica. The white in the center is our ship and all that grey is the cement factory. This cement factory at our berth required a lot of coal, so there was a mountain of black right outside the ship - you can imagine the dust and dirt that got tracked in by the 135,758 visitors we had here!
It wasn't a very pretty place to be docked for the almost five weeks were were there, so we had to find beauty in other things; the sunrise during a gangway watch, the smile of children - children who are victims of abuse in this country with one of the highest crime rates and the 7th highest murder rate in the world. (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1147.html#crime; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica#Crime; http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/countries-with-highest-murder-rates.html)
Those places the travel advisories said not to go, we sent teams. It wasn't a safe port. But we were not tourists here; we were the hands and feet of Jesus. Just looking at the line of visitors waiting to come onboard (below) you can see why the book fair staff and all those in contact with the public were exhausted after our long visit in Jamaica. It wasn't an easy port. But it WAS a rewarding port. So many visitors. So many opportunities for ministry. And so many Bibles sold - 14,150.

I don't know what you think of when you think of Jamaica, but this visit has forever changed what comes to my mind. A country with a beautiful culture, but scarred by pain. Abuse, violence, poverty. Somehow I missed the postcard colors and beautiful beaches, and instead saw a different side of this Caribbean island. I saw reality - the cement factory grey. Maybe it's because unlike the tourists, we didn't come for us; we came for them, the people of Jamaica.