Thee abnormal Adventures of Jeff Kelly

Apart from the fantastic skyline of huge sky scrapers over looking the city, one that blows away any I’ve seen to date including new York, L,A Singapore, or Paris. The city of Hong kong is terribly busy, and even though were in China many times i struggle to see a person of chinese decent amongst all the westerners.  Europeans and whites are the majority in this place and most of them are here for business so they are all donning they’re favorite suits. Advertisements rule the eyes of the streets, Prada, guchi, armani, all saying to us that were not good looking, smart, or content without their product. Well the people are all buying in to that mind-frame because this city is all about status, what kind of car you drive, what clothes you wear, and most importantly how much money do you make from you very important job. Family life isn’t the priority here, I guess its hard to put family first or even spend time with them when you work from 9 am- 10pm 6 days a week.If your a boss, making all your employees stay and work until you leave. Sure its a great way to have increased productivity yet also enslave your employees to a point were suicide is a common solution.  The city is also very expensive, things cost a lot more here than in taiwan and since we are all volunteers, sometimes i wonder why we pulled up to a berth at an expensive shopping mall for 4 weeks.

Our church team was quite different this past Sunday. We were invited to the oldest western building in Hong Kong, the church which was built 180 years ago was still in good shape and maintained about 1800 visitors per week via several different services.  Usually when visiting a church, we are asked to come the main service and are given a large amount of time. This time however we came at 3 p.m. and held a roundtable discussion with 6 people from the church in their library.  It was really informal, cakes and juice were presented and shared amongst us all. The members were eager to hear about the ship and our lives, 7 of us each from a unique country far away from their own.   I shared a lot with them about the struggles i face on the ship and more importantly how god has given me peace while working through them.  Discomforts, anger, frustration, and the food were all amongst the topics discussed. I tried to lead the conversation back away from the ship and us at any point in which i could, inquiring about trials they faced and things that they needed prayer for, unfortunately things kept coming back to us and this 95 year old ship.  Being all christians, the gospel message wasn’t the point of the visit but i did strongly emphasis how much christians struggle in this world but how god uses even a sinful world to unite us with him and his love. After our meeting the ” father” took us on a tour and shared all the information previously mentioned, along with lots of great things his church was doing at the moment. Im still trying to understand the difference between Anglican and Catholic, I digress.

The streets of Hong Kong are alive, anytime. Fake fluorescent light-bulbs puts a glow to the busy streets that seem to suck people into their frenzy. if you stay on the main streets you will be overcome by the melting pot of colors, nationalities, food smells, and of course the always entertaining indian guy trying to sell you a suit/jacket/watch on the sidewalk.  If you venture off down a side street, alleyway, or through, some shops that open up into apartment dwellings you will find heaps of pure foreigners peaking thier mother tongue amongst scores of their countrymen. Africans, indians, pakistanis, and philipino’s dominate the “inside” of the city. crammed into tiny 1 bedroom apartments, that consist of only a bed, T.V., and toilet; prisoners live better than these people even though they work for 13 hours a day.  This is the price of living in a big city, a plce that doesn’t care about its inhabitants but only that money is being made and that it is. At the base of these dwellings are stands of local african food, fufu and curry chicken. Indian tailors every 15 feet literally making it their job to not let you walk past them until you here their business pep talk that is exactly like the guy you just herad who just so happens to be his best friend or brother. Indian muslims walk past african christians unaffected by each other in the land of tolerance were everyone is intersted in themselves to care or hate what the other guy is doing. Its amazingly different yet an awesome place to watch people . Yesteday i spent 3 hours with a group of 15 africans who now live on hong kong, they gather at a local park everyday and talk about their days in their thick african accents.

From a tourists perspective the city of Hong Kong doesn’t look like it has a homeless problem, but once you get an inside look, things change a great deal. We traveled by bus to the outskirts of downtown, sure their were still huge buildings but the lack of tourism gave this area a totally different look. Dark, dirty, disheveled and chaotic were the characteristics of this side of town, opposite of the hong kong we were used to seeing. We were brought to a small church that met on the 2nd floor above a chinese restaurant and each of us from the ship were paired up with a local church member/translator who valuably already had a connection with the families we were there to meet.

The impression that I first had concerning this night was we would be randomly walking the streets and speaking with people who were literally sleeping on the hard stone street, once again i was wrong.  The people we visited did have a roof over their head, however it was a family of 4 that all lived in a single room, about the size of my bathroom back home.  The parents and 2 children that we visited shared a bunked and everything else for that matter . While I didn’t spend much time speaking to the parents, i did get to talk, answer questions and laugh with the 2 fun loving, smart children. They had many questions about how schools were in the United States, questions a normal 7 and 10 year old would never dream of asking back home. We shared with the family for about 2 hours then after saying our goodbyes we stopped at every single apartment in the 10 story building and invited hundreds of people to the church in the upcoming Sunday and passed out tracks. The two men i went with were quite amazing, very bold and determined yet friendly and loving and dynamic combination if you can get it, since my first visit i have since returned 3 times to help with this outreach.

Today me and 8 people from the Doulos organized a ministry in the busiest street in Downtown Hong Kong. i was chosen to lead and organize this team as well as the event that consisted of me and 8 women. I decided from the start that i was not going to try to rule the group with an iron fist but rather guide this group along make decisions when i had to. At the last minute we were joined by a member of the audio/visual team on the ship who brought along a huge camera to capture us doing the basic evangelism ministry to successful yet broken, empty, lost people.  To the make even more powerful and dynamic we were joined by 15 youth members of a local church including their pastor. Perviously in the day these members took part in a training on the ship on how to do open air ministry and after completing this training they were really excited to practice their newly acquired skills on the streets of their very own city.  As all 25 of us got off the train together we were immediately hit by bright lights, huge bill boards, and a salmon like flow of thousands of people coming and going out of shopping malls and restaurants down this main street. Following the pastors advice we set up right in the middle of the street, a few pieces of construction equipment kept the street off limits to cars but people flocked all around it, perfect!! amazingly and without hesitation the pastor took out his guitar and we all began to sing ” Lord i lift your name on high” at the top of our voices in the middle of this chaotic street. Passerby’s looked at us inqusikcly and it became obvious to me that this has never in this street before.  the reactions amongst the people were mixed as our program started, some were smiling and really enjoying it while others gave dirty looks and the majority walked mere feet from us completely oblivious from our existence. We decided to have stations set up along the road on both sides of the street each doing a different type of action hoping to grab the attention long enough for one of us to come up and speak with the stranger.

A group of 6 people stayed the entire night in the front singing with a guitar and praying for our audience and program as a whole, this was highly beneficial as spiritual warfare was all around us. I orchestrated a small group from the church to use a large sketch-board and draw out the basic illustration of sin, man, God, and Jesus in a cool and artistic way. Further along we had a few handing out tracts and flyers just casually talking with people and inviting them to the ship.  Clowns and mimes were entertaining children while prayer warriors and mothers spoke with parents. The popularity was no doubt God’s intervention through us but also seeing foreigners during drama’s in the street attracted some to our event. i spent most of the evening walking through and praying for each event, encouraging our group to stay positive and focused and letting them know how much of an impact they were making. Before heading out i distinctly remember asking god for his boldness in sharing about God’s love and the true reason for being here, he gave me several opportunities to share this with different passerby’s. We performed  a specific drama that i felt really applied to the life here in hong Kong, indicating that their is more to life than just eating, sleeping, and working. Towards the end of our program it began to rain hard without any warning, as people took shelter and waited for the rain to stop, they kept watching us who hadn’t missed a beat since the rain had started. Scores of people lined the streets under the over hang as i caught glimpses of their lonely eyes. We wrapped up our program and came together and prayed powerfully for the youth with us, in the city, and the people that we had talked with earlier. A dynamic, encouraging, and real evangelism day that had me looking forward to the many more that are to come.

Today i spent the whole day with Chinese brothers and sisters, as they hosted me and 4 others at their church and invited us to share with them our testimonies and other thoughts about our lives on the ship.  the church was located an hour from downtown hong kong and i didn’t complain as we rode the train to the outside of the city and i saw tree’s for the first time since arriving in Hong Kong three weeks prior.  The meeting with 40 youths challenged me to be fresh and let God speak through me rather than relying on my own strength and trying to impress them with my words on life and God.  I spoke on letting God use you for his glory and doing what your passion is for god and not just money or comfort.  I shared with them how God has changed my life and how much more difficult it is now than ever before but how God has granted me peace through it all and that has made all the difference. Most times I feel we are to share about how great life is on the Doulos and how this is the only way to do ministry, but lately I’ve felt I should encourage others to find their nitch and use the weapons God has given them to fight for His glory in this war we find ourselves in each day.

We broke down into groups afterward and this was the highlight for me. I thought for some strange reason that I was supposed to be the encourager and positively reassure each of my group members but in fact the opposite took place.  In my group their was a Young doctor, a banker, a gifted musical artist, and a school teacher.  What a blessing it to see such successful professionals, so committed to Loving god and following his will for their lives.  The Dr. to my left was concerned because he can only spend 5 minutes with each patient, seeing more than 80 patients a day, and this inhabits his ability to share the gospel and spend time reassuring his patients about God’s love for them. Another was concerned because he was a statistics major and worked at HSBC bank but spent little time with people amidst his busy daily routine of crunching numbers. The constant complaint or bother was that due to Hong Kong’s busy-ness and task focused way of life, these men were feeling lost in the shuffle and were failing to hear God’s will for their lives. It seemed that people of Hong Kong are less shy about speaking english and their struggles, much like Americans in this way. This I found refreshing and different than Taiwan and a better way for me to understand really what was happening in this culture among Christians.

Hong Kong is burdened by a dark powerful grip of spiritual warfare. While the Doulos was in port, the distractions, injuries, and attitudes were far more negative and apparent than any other time I’ve noticed on the ship in the last 10 months. While docked in Harbor City we had 2 serious injures to out crew, both involving the face and brain and both needing the assistance of an ambulance crew and Hospital overnights.  27 out of 30 children’s visits were cancelled during our month long stay due to the extreme fear of swine flu. The attitude of people on the ship was very different than anything I’ve noticed in the past 8 months.  Being a Christian and spending time with Jesus everyday has allowed my eyes to be opened by His spirit to things I would normally not see.  For instance seeing how obsessed people our with material possessions and such now disgusts me in a way that it never has before. I could always justify it for other people and myself before but now God has really opened my eyes to the hopelessness it brings.

As you all know I just returned from the Jungles of Borneo very close to Indonesia, here is the details and account of my travels, please enjoy and if you have any deeper questions please email me and I can go more into detail for you! On September 1st 2009 Jeff Kelly and his team of 5 volunteers from 5 different countries had the privilege of uniting together through Christ despite strong differences they faced in age, culture, and native language. We were picked up from the large malaysian city of Kota Kinabalu and driven 600 kilometers (375 miles) deep into the jungles of Borneo to live and learn from the Murut tribe. Guided by KK local pastor William Lo with strict instruction on not to be picked up again until the 10th of September. From that point forward the team was guided through the jungle and many villages by several malay pastors and native Murut Tribesmen. On the 6 hour journey into the jungle we were briefed by Pastor William Lo on what to expect, how to conduct ourselves, and the history of the Murut People. Much to our relief we found out that all of the tribe members were practicing born again christians, and that we could share openly with them unlike their Muslim cousins living in the city, were the ship was battling Government politics. The team was eager and willing to listen as pastor William Lo helped to alleviate many of our fears, anxieties, and questions regarding what life will truly be like during the next 12 days.

Quiet time on the river

Palm Oil plantation clearing English class

We spent the first 2 and a half days in the village of Sapulut with our guide Pastor Steven Mogulintang. This guy was always smiling and encouraging us to have some tea and coffee no matter what time of the day or night, such a blessing to us as he welcomed 6 stangers into his home, fed us, guided us, and encouraged us to share our stories with his congregation.

Expecting to have an abundance of practical work and things to do the team was caught off guard by the ease of life among the Murut people. In our first 3 days we were only able to clear a small palm oil plantation, and repair/tune a church piano. While this seemed to be minimal work for us in the team, the pastor was especially excited about our work and eagerness and thanked us repeatedly. A sense of Island life was starting to become apparent amongst these people, perhaps the 95 degree weather with no electricity has a say in that matter. As leader I wanted our team to use this time and focus on what God was telling us. Many times on the ship we are so busy with life and work that we miss out on many blessings because we are so distracted (great trick by the enemy) I didn’t want this to happen here.

From Sapulut we traveled by car 30 minutes to nearby Balaron village were Pastor James Oling opened up his home for us to stay in and translated for our evening program as well. Pastor James had encouraged us earlier at dinner that these people are very basic and still treat their women as just child bearers and cooks. Luckily for us in our group was a married couple who God used to share their story of marriage and how they follow the Bible as a guide in their lives. The village seemed to be encouraged by this and as we ate the traditional dinner after church (at 11pm) I sat with pastor James and shared stories of how God was working in our lives. He told me a story of a few months back when his church was raided by Muslim government officials confiscating all their Bibles, throwing them all in a pile then setting them all on fire in the middle of the church while the service was going on. I ask him what the congregation did as this was happening and he told me they openly prayed for them and rejoiced, giving God praise!!!

fellowship with local youth believers Drama during one of our nightly programs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The next morning was Sunday service dressed in our 1 pair of good clean clothes, we sat in the bed of a 4×4 pickup bags on our laps ,riding on to our next village location. 3 hours later and with dusty faces we hoped out of the truck and walked right into the Sunday service. I was asked to preach and so I prepared a short message, finding out minutes before they expected me to share for 2 hours! Well I talked slowly and with translation it was well over an hour, a compromise I guess.

 

riding in the back of a 4x4 with pastor steven on the way to preach

Sunday service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 After our program the 3 men were able to do practical work in the afternoon by digging out a 6ft hole in the earth to be used later for a toilet while the women taught english and entertained the villages 45 children. Pastor Steven accompanied us during our time in Labang and was able to show us some caves nearby as well as an adventurous ride up and down the river via canoe all at night. The next morning we traveled from villages Labang to Pagalungan via Truck which took 5 hours, stopping only briefly to pick up a dead wild boar off the road. We didn’t realize till after we ate our lunch that we had just eaten that rotting carcass, funny it tasted just like the wild boar we had the night before.

Just picked up off the road

Sharing, encouraging local christians

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 From this point on we were guided by two local Marut guides named Geny and Goy both under the age of 30 and students at a local church’s Bible school. We would visit 4 more villages in the next 3 days, all by boat!

Girls doing a program for kids

digging a ditch for a new Latrene, yes they still use out houses here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was so many chances to explore and go on adventures with each other or on our own. Usually at some point in the middle of the afternoon we would all go swimming, fishing, hiking, or just float down a cold water spring coming from the mountains. I really got to enjoy God’s nature, praying openly and out loud to him throughout the time, and really enjoying his presence.

Fun in the river

RANDOM BRIDGE WALKIN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Faced so many low points during this trip. The group was so different and as team leader I was constantly drained of energy trying to keep us focused and encouraging one another. Many times I felt at the end of my rope but God provided physical, emotional, and mental strength and love for others that I would just never be able to find on my own. My Bible is now written throughout from promises and pleas for help to praises and direct answers to prayer, I’ve never been more dependent and close to God in my life.

 Contrary to knowledge received during our briefing in which we were told that our main objective would be to do practical work our hosts valued our ability to perform drama’s, mimes, testimonies, children’s stories, and rope tricks. These programs quickly became the staple of our ministry and together as a team we put more energy and focus into how we could make each program better and better for our intended audience. Each night our guides would gather the entire village together and we would share all this with them for 2-3 hours or until they began to fall asleep in their chairs.

DRAWING STRENGTH

DAILY BATH IN THE RIVER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traveling to a new village each day drained energy from us and we really relied on prayer, being honest with each other, and most of all spending time with God in order to renew our strength. The heat and lack of water or cold drinks also had a negative effect on the way we lived in these remote locations. Im still not 100 percent sure why we were offered boiling hot coffee when its boiling hot out??

 

Hot Drinks for Hot weather, we are thankful though!

children of Supulut village

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While traveling took its toll on us in some ways, it also kept things new and fresh. In 12 days we lived in 10 different villages and visited some 14 in total. Seeing the differences and similarities of each village as well as taking time to ask questions about each tribe was refreshing and renewing in its own right. In some instances when we were sleeping on the floor of a house that was full of snakes, spiders, rotten wood, and awful smells, it helped us psychologically knowing that the next day we would be somewhere totally different and perhaps more comfortable and this gave us hope to press on during these “challenging times”.

Guest house

Different day, same architecture

Traditional Malay longhouse

Beat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This trip was such a great time of learning, loving, adventure, teamwork, and giving. The ability to live amongst the Ancient Marut tribe for these 12 days is something I will never forget and I am so privileged to have been God’s vessels during this trip. One thing that meant so much to me throughout this journey was before I left I quickly checked my email inbox and found about 30 emails from all of you packed full of acknowledgement, prayers, support, and tons of encouragement. I began to cry tears of joy as I read through them all, and during really tough times I drew upon those words for comfort and joy.

 Thank you I am blessed beyond belief!!!!

 

 

 

 

Story time with the kids

 

 

Sunday Service in Labang

Our river guides Geny and Goy

Local river kings

Group devotions

Great students

Not hard to see God's beauty here

Pushing our Canoe back up stream at 11pm

Finally a rest on the last day

There is an impeccable difference between the Philippines and Taiwan. My eyes do not burn from the rampant pollution in Taiwan because there isn’t any. Instead of giant mountains of garbage there are actual mountains complete with national parks; I am stretched to find a single piece of litter thus far.  As I stepped off the ship for the first time here, I could here a pin drop. No loud buses, jeepneys, or cars without mufflers. Here in this country, scooters rule the road. I would venture to say that the ratio of scooters to cars is 4-1 and bicycles even higher.  There’s a silent eerie vibe to the air here, while everything is written in Chinese characters, I mean everything.  Good luck finding a bank, restaurant, or anything else unless you just so happen to speak mandarin Chinese.  My friend Jeremy and I wandered off the ship looking for a nice park to relax at and talk about the time and ministry that happened in the Philippines.  A picturesque river cuts through the heart of Kaohsiung called the “Love River”, lined with purple lights and clean streets. Locals paddle around peacefully in their kayaks. If I had to compare this city to one in America I would go with Portland Oregon.  The prices of things do take some getting used to though after the Philippines. For starters one cannot buy cell phones, DVD’s, or a 1^st born child on the side of the street for fewer than 3 dollars like the Philippines.  Never the les Taiwan seems to be cheaper than most places in the U.S. The Peaceful, submissive ambiance adds a certain value to this place that is hard to describe.

Clean, Beautiful, Downtown

Downtown at Night

The Christian Church here is warm, hospitable, benevolent, and gracious.

Punctuality is very important in this culture; we were told 3 weeks ago that today we would be picked up at 940 am. As we were greeted by our hosts and ushered into their van, the clock struck 9:40 am; literally, we all shared a laugh as this is quite different from the Philippines.  The two host drivers didn’t speak any English at all, luckily I had the name of the Church we were scheduled to attend written down on a piece of paper in Chinese characters to make sure we made it to the right church.

A drama during a visitation to a local church

Greeted by our host ad pastor Ms Chang, we introduced ourselves and discussed how the service was scheduled to unfold.  I was not going to preach today but a friend named Kyle Maio from Canada was.  Ms Chang was fluent in English having spent more than 13 years in the U.S. living and attending Moody Bible institute, her translation was fast and fluid.   The congregation was all smiles as I thanked them for allowing us to worship the Lord with them in their Church.  As I was told a few days prior, you can never be too polite or courteous with Taiwanese people.  The information that I had received concerning the church just a few days earlier had told me that the church was full of mostly younger people, maybe 20 something’s, this turned out to be very far from the truth.  The long narrow chapel, on the 3^rd floor of a strip mall store front was lined on both sides with Christians over the age of 60, mostly women.   All the same Kyle challenged them not to just get involved with missions but rather to find God’s peace and power right where they are and then follow his lead.  Worship was rather interesting as we tried to follow along with the traditional Christian songs, the problem for us was that their was no words but only Chinese characters projected onto the wall.   Usually I can sound out other languages and at least make an attempt to follow along with the pitch and tones, this was a impossible. How does one sound out a symbol they have never even seen before? I decided to make up my own lyrics based on how I felt and praise God that way.  The point of worship is to praise God, not necessarily with song or words.  I was much more honest, singing from my heart and what I was going through at the time than what someone else had written down years ago, and ironically this was a whole better worship experience altogether.   I stood up again and thanked the church for everything they had done for us, reiterating that even though we were from a totally different culture, language, and place we still appreciated the fact we could worship and learn from God’s spirit together in the same building, being united in the body of believers.  After the service we were invited to the floor below for the after church lunch buffet and of course we kindly accepted.  The tables were bursting with Sushi, chicken, Octopus, noodles, soups, yellow watermelon, dumplings, and much more, as we were given chopsticks we were told to dive on in.

Fellowship with Chinese Believers at a local Bible study

Here in Koashiong, Taiwan the most common form of exercise and transportation is the bicycle.  I’ve been thinking about buying a bike for quite sometime as a means of getting around the ports we visit and also to help with the lack of exercise in my life while on the Doulos.  Here the air is fresh, the roads are hardly crowded and bikes are treated with the same respect as cars; everyone yielding in a common homogeneous swarm.

My new friend

The freedom a bike gives you while living on this ship is unbelievable; the fact that you can leave the ship and get around for free, with no language barrier restrictions or view limitations is superb as well.  While a taxi is convenient, you miss out on the smells and sights of a city, all the while being trapped in a moving box.   Your bike is open, you get a true taste of a city or culture for that matter, with the great liberty of moving at your own pace, going your own direction, all the time singing and talking to yourself with out a care.

I found a used Bike store today and after trying out 6 different bikes, testing them for durability, style, and comfort, I settled on a green gem for under 20 U.S. dollars.  I found a ledge on the outskirts of town overlooking a brown sandy beach and read for hours, my own leisure the only thing dictating my future.

Easter Sunday Dinner with Local church members

Easter Sunday

The church was small and crammed, as we entered the pastor and elders were gathered in a circle praying for the service in Chinese. We made our way over to the front of the church and put our belongings down where we thought would be a good place.  The men on the team wore suits to honor the Easter tradition and made small talk as we waited for further instructions from the church leaders.  The church reminded me of the house of churches in China I have heard so much about.  Tables were lined up through the “sanctuary” in the shape of a cross, later to be used to hold food.  Again nobody spoke any English we brought our own translator and introduced ourselves to the early members gathering for the service.  It was hard for me to keep a fresh attitude about Easter and the greatest story ever told. Maybe because ever since I can remember I have gone to church n this day, so I have heard a lot of teachings about this day, feeling like I have heard everything there is to hear about this particular subject. I know how great Easter is and the significance of the day, but with the ship being open for business and even sending us out to do “work” its hard to relax and reflect on the importance of this day.  Its during these special holiday’s that I really miss my family, the relaxing time spent at home with Mom and Dad over a great Easter dinner, just enjoying each others company.  I miss the Ham Mom prepares along with the potatoes and asparagus, she asks me, “what vegetable I would prefer to enjoy on this special day”?

We do a great drama as a team about basic salvation and how Satan introduces sin in our lives dividing us from Christ.  Our team leader speaks about the application of this in our present day life.   After the service we are divided into fellowship groups, each with a translator in a round table discussion which mostly concerned questions about the Doulos.  I wanted to hear about their lives, where they work, how long they have been following Christ for?  I keep reminding myself how unique this ministry actually is. “God gave me grace and patients” we have great fellowship; learn Chinese words, mostly for the food names that we were scarfing down. Before we left the church the pastor insisted on us taking a gift with us, unaware of what it was we politely thanked him and agreed on taking the gift. He disappears for a few minutes and brings out a gigantic watermelon from his office. We were all thinking what are we to do with this huge fruit? Our team leader volunteers to carry it, almost breaking his back, and we split It open for the ships company to enjoy.   This was an awesome Church team and great Easter day that I thanked God for the opportunity to be a part of, I feel blessed.

A Tasty delicacy at the Night market

Since my last update, much has changed in my life as well as my role on board the Doulos.   Recently I have had the privilege of Joining alongside a Swiss brother named Alex and assist him in the Carpentry Shop on board.  Before joining the ship Alex worked as a carpenter and Architect in Switzerland and brings much knowledge and experience to the position.  We have had great talks and I have learned so much about design and wood working because of him, I praise God.

My design for a life boat box

As I’ve come to realize working as a carpenter on board there is never a dull moment or lack of work to be done.  Being busy with projects and repairs keeps us busy making the day fly by but I can’t help but receive requests from nearly everyone I see whether during working hours or after.  This test has taught me how to form healthy boundaries in my life and trying to please everyone is not healthy.  This has been a very demanding job where I’ve been learning to yield Gods peace and Joy no matter what is happening around me.

Alex and I after designing and building 3 Boxes

Dinner

I have never felt such connection from the verse In the first chapter of James which reads, “Consider it pure Joy mybrother whenever you face trials of may kinds, for those trials will shape your character and test your endurance”.  This new role has definitely been a test of many things, including character and patience.  After going through the trial I can honestly say that I am a better man, I praise Jesus for never leaving me, even when I cannot feel him.

A break after Work

A fast moving City

As Doulos approached Cebu, Philippines, the ship was greeted by several small paddleboats. For us new crewmembers coming to Cebu for the first time, seeing these people in need of food, of money, of hope, even before the ship had docked was a shock. But it is for those people that Doulos returned to Cebu. Girls in blue dresses and boys clad in black shorts and white shirts from the day-care centre built by crewmembers during a previous visit welcomed the ship to the quayside with singing and dancing

Cebu is riddled with corruption and poverty; I will never forget the scene as I went for a walk down a random street outside the port at which we were docked.  I was with friend and chief cook Phil Cooling on our first night in town; it wasn’t more than 30 steps off the ship that we were barraged by street children ages 3-14. Grabbing for our hands to hold, jumping on our backs, smiling, and asking what our names were in their visayan language.  At first I wondered if I was dreaming, Could this really be happening, do people really live this way? Where are these children’s parents? All these thoughts bombarded my head at once, along with the stale, stagnant, smoke filled air of Cebu City. This was vastly different than our port just 3 days previous in 1st world, job filled Kuching Malaysia. 

Towards the end of our 5 week stay in Cebu I was assigned as leader of a program done in the streets for common people that might not be able to actually step foot on the Doulos. This was both a challenge and honor to put together such a program with 15 of my fellow shipmates.  I decided from the very start that the emphasis of this program needed to be the presentation of the gospel, and furthermore a challenge to those in attendance. The great thing about doing Ministry here in the Philippines is the openness and freedom to speak your mind and believe what you want. Much like the United States, tolerance for Religion is popular here and as long as you have a microphone and passion, people will gather.  Armed with 2 translators, large speakers, and props for dramas, we headed out on a drizzling Friday evening to share the great hope of the Gospel with the street kids and working class people of Cebu, Philippines. The venue we choose to use was close to the ship an open air stage located in the back corner of a popular park.   We started the event we dubbed, “Street Jam” with drama’s and testimony applications. I recall the children’s intent and focused faces as they watched the skits and dramas.

 Afterward we went into a teaching about Sin, who we are, and were we are going after death. Using the prodigal son as a theme for his teaching, it was a basic sermon but to the point and filled with truth. After ward once about 175 people were gathered around us we ask “If anyone here would like us to pray with them?” Much to my shock at least 100 people raised their hands; I scrambled about setting up different prayer stations around in a circle.  We put the Cebuano’s into groups of 15 and the translator made his rounds making sure everyone understood what we were speaking.  I wondered what God thought, looking down at these groups of children holding hands and accepting Him as their savior and Lord. Tears filled my eyes, and I Gave up control allowing God to take over and minister to these people right were they are, I Began to intercede in prayer on behalf of these new brothers and sisters, for protection in the future and spreading the blood of Jesus over them.

(Journal entry)

It seems it is not very often that we can do a large service to the public with such a basic need being met, even in fulltime ministry on the Doulos. I now understand the importance of Politics’ in ministry and how much things can be manipulated and controlled without the consent of God’s will.   I organized a team of 5 people to come with me for the day as we went to a local community gathering and did a feeding ministry for children.  We had told our local contact person who was a pastor in the village that we had enough food for about 100 children, after telling him that he quickly replied that word will get out quick around the village and there will be more than 300 children there expecting a meal from us. After hearing this we revised our plans and made a lot more food, gathering a lot more donations. Both cooks of onboard Phil Cooling from England and Joyce Van Doornik from Netherlands, prepared 275 meals of chicken, rice, and cabbage, placing it in plastic bags and storing them in large plastic crates.  Soccer balls, Baby formula for teething infants, and donated lollipops were gathered to give away as well.  

Heading out in a Doulos Van we quickly made it to the gathering center and there stood about 100 children patiently waiting in a single file line for their meal.  As we started to distribute the food to the 100 kids, 150 more started to swarm the place we were located. The food started to go so quickly as I made my way around the children taking photo’s of their excited faces in line and again after they received their meal and sweets.  There was no program, drama, or even verbal testimonies but I believe Jesus was their ministering to all involved. What a blessing it is to give unto a community, especially kids that are so grateful for every little thing. I thought about how children would react back home in America if we put on this same type of program for them. We left after just an hour in this location and began thinking about the next time we could put something like this together again, the consensus was very soon; I looked forward to it with excitement.

Having your one off day on Sunday is usually relaxing, comfortable and boring if you stay on the ship for the day. For me the Last Sunday in Cebu was anything but that as I traveled to Danae City. One of the port security guards I have befriended named Gary, invited me  to his house for the Day and how could I say no to such a unique offer. We left early Sunday morning around 630, heading out on a few local buses until finally catching a large bus for the remainder of the trip. A 2 hour bus ride in total, we stopped half way through at a local market in order and bought pork, fresh fish, and hanging rice for our afternoon feast. I took my camera into the open market and got great footage of all sorts of different meats being butchered. Everyone in the market thought I was doing a documentary so they posed and asked me to take their picture while they were doing their Job.  After arriving at Gary’s province in Danau, he began to cook lunch for us over a plastic bag filled with charcoal (they usually just light the bag on fire) as I did some exploration of his “neighborhood” on my own. A few of the men were gathered in the local cock fighting ring training their highly valued roosters against each others. Food was ready in an hour and we took a tricycle ride to the beach to relax and eat in huts right on the water.  For the next 5 hours we ate, joked, and relaxed at a private beach as children splashed around in the water. The water was clean and clear with smooth rocks lining the bottom on the entire walk out.  Out here there was no agenda for the entire day it was great, everyone knew each other in this village and respected each other, very warm and welcoming to visitors. As we made it back to Gary’s house we all took a bath around the Public water pump, yes we actually had to pump the water out. There were 7 of us taking turns dumping water on ourselves and pumping water out from the cool ground below. I said my Goodbyes and thank you to all those around the village, boarded a Bus heading back to Cebu and thought about how great a day I had. We only get 1 off day a week, and the way I look at it is, you must make the absolute most of each one.

The reason I am where I am!!

Praise God for answering prayer and allowing me to return to these children just 4 days after I had previously visited them. Feelings of helplessness, guilt, unworthy, and shame filled my heart as I left the cancer ward of Sarawak children’s hospital with a bag full of pins and a few of my trusty Doulos co- workers.

Annointed Hankerchief's

A happy child at the hospital

This visit however was different, I pushed open the doors with confidence that our God reigns in Sovereignty and His will be done, even amongst that terrible suffering.

The difference between the two visits was prayer. The first visit we were told not to pray but instead put on a show i.e., Drama, video, and secular Christmas carols. While this proved to be entertaining to the children, they desperately needed the power of Jesus in their lives. They received that in our second visit however as two fellow deckhands, Jeremy McCleery (USA) and Jack Piaget (French Swiss) fervently anointed each child with oil and prayer in the cancer section. The Holy Spirit delivered the powerful words as I poured out God’s heart for each one of these cancer ridden children and pleaded for the Lord to show His mercy and heal them. Praying in faith is awesome while allowing the spirit to intercede for us. I demonstrated what God had shown me in a sermon 3 weeks earlier, to always use scripture in your prayer towards God, For these prayers while receive automatic Yes answers!!! Many times I don’t feel God’s presence when I first start praying, But asking the Holy Spirit for encouragement through this each day guarantees Gods presence with us.

God's beautiful child with Eye cancer

I have been praying for the Lord to change my heart and make it more like His the past months, specifically to make me a bold vessel of Christ’s Love and Strip away my selfish, hedonistic, ways. He answered that pray for me tonight and showed me that through preserving prayer (praying with passion, power, boldness, and faith every single time one prays) His will and my prayers are heavily intertwined. This night was one of the best nights I’ve had since joining the Doulos 4 months ago. I will continue to pray and lift up each one of those precious souls to God, longing to share the gospel with one of the children’s mother when I returned yet again in God’s will.

Before leaving this second time we wrapped candy in donated handkerchiefs and prayed over them, anointing each one of them with Jesus’ blood and the will of the Holy Spirit. We mainly did this because before going we weren’t sure if it would be allowed to publicly pray over the children during this visit.

Wrapping candy in Christs Love

The Muslim population here in Kuching is a vast majority totaling 65 percent of the native Malaysian population; while Chinese make up 35 percent of the total population they are divided between Atheism and Buddhism. When I first Saw the Kuching Mosque, the thought that first sprung to mind was, “what a massive, glorious structure, many people must worship there”. When I ventured closer and even took a walk inside I was dumbfounded to find the place was almost empty. Apart from the handful of random worshipers situated around the 10,000 person main hall the open air auditorium was bare.

Malaysia's oldest Mosque

After viewing movies and the news and seeing images of Mosques packed with people, and the violent perspective of Islam as a whole, it came as a surprise to see people smiling and nodding to me, welcoming me in even with my camera, much to my predetermined thoughts I was surprise I did not have any problems or incidents at all. In attendance was a large golden chandelier positioned perfectly in the middle of the main worship room, stacks of shoes out front were visitors were instructed to place upon entrance, and foot washing stalls used to clean “the least dignified part of one’s body”.

On a random Monday a few days before Christmas I experienced the Nature that God created like never before in my life. My new found friend Jeremy McCleery and I set out into the East Malaysian humidity in search of an adventure, we found one nestled high in the clouds of the Sarawak Mountains. We stepped onto a dusty, crammed bus heading north and we both closed our eyes for what seemed like only a few seconds, in actuality being and hour and a half. The bus ride costs 20 ringets (6 U.S. dollars) and dropped us off at a jungle trial raw with adventure ahead. We began following a stream that carved its way up a mountain filled with waterfalls, lush jungle, and animal life, virgin to the pollution that suffocated cities below. Shirtless wading waist high in the river, about an hour up the trek we stopped to be still and praise God for the opportunity to be part of God’s Awesomeness. As I sang praises and Thanked God for bringing me to this place, he reminded me that he has known my heart and delights in me appreciating His tremendous creativity in Nature. I sat in the clear, cold, water and felt complete in His presence, “Why don’t I enjoy life like this more often? I muttered to myself. We continued up the river until we found a waterfall perfect for us to slide down, the stones were well worn and the slide was perfect for our bodily contours as we took turns zipping into the cold pool below. Following the jungle trail, we proceeded 2 miles through heavy trees and bush. What a wonderful peaceful time the Lord knew I needed, especially during such a hectic port where 7,000 visitors walk through your house daily.

Relaxing in God's beauty

Relaxation, ahhhhh!!!

A time of relaxation, renewed focus, and listening to Gods voice to strengthen my walk with our Majestic Creator. I felt as if I now know what David was feeling as he wrote numerous Psalms about Nature and being in God’s restful grip. Coming out of the Jungle we stepped foot right onto Damai, beach and what a sight for sore eyes that beach was for me. Surrounded by 5 star resorts sitting in the cliffs overlooking the South China Sea, I took a short nap and watched waves roll over Rock reef breaks at Low tide. I jumped in the Sea and felt like I was right back home. Water rushed in all around me, I felt God’s peace as my heart and mind was calm. Praise God for this Day!!!!!

Self explanatory

Beachside sunset

Malaysian road side fruit seller

If you can Trust yourself when all men doubt you; If you can Dream and not make dreams your master; If If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue; Or walk with Kings nor lose the common touch;

Yours is the Earth and everything in it, Even more you’ll be a Man, My son!!

-Kipling-

The doulos at High and low tide in Kuching River

Being in Kuching, Malaysia from December 5th to January 3rd has been the longest stay in any one port we have had since I joined the Ship. I have relished in this opportunity to really get to know this country; settling in with ample time to experience the culture while cultivating relationships amongst the local people. This has caused me to be impacted fully by what the country has to share also given me plenty of opportunities to see the uniqueness of East Malaysia.

Since being here I have had the privilege of playing soccer, basketball, and rugby twice a week with local athletes. This has done wonders not only for my physic,(which has grown from the rich rice, potatoes carbohydrate full diet on the Doulos) but also I’ve been able to meet and share with locals on a more comfortable/personal level.

We were invited to play indoor soccer 4 times in the last 2 weeks with Christian Chinese Malay brothers and encourage them in their walk. What a workout that was, its been too long since i kicked around the ball and this small fast paced environment is extremely demanding, even if the games were only 10 minutes long.

A different group picked us up from the ship on 3 consecutive Tuesdays and brought us to the national Basketball stadium to play their team in friendly exhibition matches as well. This was a tremendous time to play in a huge stadium that was empty and open to us for free. A long cry from the pickup games I played with my pastor every Saturday before joining the Ship. Needless to say I need to start getting into better cardiovascular shape since playing all these sports, I am not the young guy i once was, and the golf i played frequently before joining didn’t do a great job of getting me in the shape my competitors are in. I plan to keep joining the teams as they have many games lined up in our next port of Cebu, Phillipines.

Seeing somebody fighting with the disease cancer is a horrifying experience when those people happen to be children its unbearable. When I was first told I would be going with a group of friends to a children’s cancer hospital I was excited and saddened at the same time.

30 children from ages 2-13 all going through chemotherapy and hooked up to Iv’s blood monitors and other wires going through their face, necks, throats, and arms. The room was joyless, frowns suffocated the faces of each one of the children as well as their parents, waiting bedside. After a few songs and an introduction we performed a drama that sent the children into fits of laughter. It was the first time since being there for an hour that I saw any sign of life from the children.

The children were mostly Malay and didn’t speak any English, but our translator who visits the hospital every week did such a great job infusing Joy and wackiness in any way he could (Think Patch Adams).

Before entering I ask the Holy Spirit to give me HIS joy as well as His heart of compassion for the children and nurses we encountered did He ever. It was an excellent testimony of God’s love for His people as most of the nurses, parents, and children were Muslim, and here were 5 volunteers from all over the world, smiling, joking, sharing gifts, and spending time with children we had nothing in common with.

We were strictly told before entering Malaysia that the authoritarian Muslim government told the Ship we are not allowed to preach the gospel or pray with Muslims at all. Knowing this going into our visit, I felt hopeless, while smiling and handing out gifts is nice and appreciated, how much bigger is the transforming power of the gospel when it is depicted such as it is in Acts 4:29, 30. “And now O Lord, hear their threats, and give us your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power, may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus”.

Is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ more powerful than man-made Governments? I believe that God gives us the courage we need when standing up for His kingdom. As Christians we are called to suffer for the Gospel as Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:5, “But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you”. Although we may feel afraid and unsure of future because of our actions for Christ, for He is sovereign, and His mercy covers all.

Pictures of our hospital visit coming very soon as well as an update on our great return to the hospital.

There are 3^rd world countries and then there are countries that have only been established for 6 years having just ended a brutal civil war. The island of East Timor is characterized as the later, and by the looks of the city you would not think twice. Having been to 12 different developing countries in the past I thought I knew exactly what to expect as I sat in the Doulos Dining room, day dreaming of a tropical island lifestyle with little worries or connection to the problems of larger nations. Having just ended (2006) a horrific War of Independence from long time Islamic mother country Indonesia, the Timorese people are still shell shocked and waiting for the bombs to rain down again any day now. Through the vicious fighting over the past 25 years, all but few Males over the age of 30 live to see freedom.

One of the very few men over the age of 30

In other words 80 percent of the 1 million people living in East Timor are under the age of 25. With little infrastructure such as roads, buildings, schools, and restaurants still standing many just wander the streets all day or sit and chat, smoking cigarettes by the main harbor shell shocked; awaiting for the United Nations with other respected agencies to rebuild their city for them.

It comes to no surprise after knowing all this that while the Doulos was in the capital city of Dili for seven days that we saw an average of 7,000 people come on board per day. This is a huge difference to the amount of visitors that we welcomed in the previous ports of Western and Southern Australia.

On Saturday I had the privilege of attending a friendly soccer match between the EAST Timor National team and the Doulos men’s Soccer team. Every port we come to the sports ministry on board looks to set up soccer matches with a gospel presentation following the match. While I was late on signing up to play in this match I did make it to the event and was able to take some pictures for all to see. We surprisingly ended up winning the match and what a great opportunity the boys had to spread Christ’s love through this encounter

a good neighborhood in East Timor

On my evangelism day I was able to join a mixed group of 6 others and share at East Timor’s only prison. Having only been told the night prior that I was to go with, I was feeling nervous and anxious at what I was to share with these men I had little in common with. After bringing it before the lord in prayer and meditation, I began writing versus proclaiming Hope in Jesus down, and based a message around the Hope we can find in Jesus. I do believe the Lord gave me exactly what the Men at this prison needed to hear because after peaking for 15 minutes through an interpreter I noticed a few hardened men began to cry as they listened contently. I have never been to Prison, not even to visit like some people do in schools so this whole experience for me was completely foreign, God knew and had this plan for me all along.

God's precious Children

Statue of Christ in Dili

As we ventured back to the ship from our day at the prison we decided to stop along the roadside which was crowded with hundreds of people, relaxing out of reach from the terribly hot sun. As the taxi driver drop us off we quickly discussed about what program we should do for the people here. After a minute we decided to start off with a song, follow it up with a quick testimony, then openly share the gospel with these hurting needy people as they smiled and enjoyed the free entertainment. It was only a few days prior that I lay on the main lounge floor of the Doulos and read a devotional from Martin Loyd- Jones on not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus. How relevant had that become now as me and 5 others shared our testimonies and proclaimed Gods love over the country of East Timor without any shame. The main point that stuck with me from the devotional that I kept saying to myself was that the Gospel was so powerful that it will transform lives on its own and all I have to do is present it in truth and love. Many times I feel inadequate or pressured because I don’t have the Bible memorized like I should, or I am not strong in evangelism. During this experience God showed me again that its Him who delivers the power and opens the hearts of people he wants to hear the great news. The pressure was lifted and 15 people came to know Jesus as their personal savior that Afternoon. PRAISE THE LORD!!!!

Sharing our faith among street folk

Sunday morning came and finally I had a day off to relax and spend time in fellowship and in prayer as Sundays often bring. An opportunity presented itself for me to go along as part of a church team to share and I jumped on the chance. Church teams are a great occasion to meet and bond with people on the ship that you otherwise would never share with, mostly because of different work departments, ages, or interests, but in Church Teams all those things are thrown out the window. We were picked up by two Christian brothers around 8:15 am and piled into the back of a 1987 diatsun pickup truck with a wood truck bed. Imagine the looks on locals faces as 7 brightly dressed white missionaries droves passed them in the back of a truck camera’s and bibles in hand. I shared about the ship for 10-15 minutes, a basic presentation going over most of the numbers concerning people on board, books sold, visitors, age of the ship, and how many cockroaches making their home the Doulos (1 million!!!!).

Naked local kids climbing up our anchor

While a few things were lost in translation between me and the 15 year old translator, repeating things 3 or 4 times didn’t bother me much, as long as the crowd eventually got the message. After the service which lasted about 4 soggy hours, we hung around and gave out free books and took pictures with the congregation which totaled roughly 100 people. The women pastor thanked us in her mother tongue and we got back in our oversized pickup truck and made our way back to the ship full of sweat.

The week we were in East Timor was such a blessing for me and the ship in whole. For many it was a great opportunity to see just what a developing country is like, for me it was great seeing God work in the lowest, poorest of places in the world. A true sign that no matter how bad things may get or how far away from the rest of the world you may slip, you can never get away from God’s Love and mercy. I made many friends while in Dili, email addresses and souvenirs exchanged; but the most important thing was the Gospel was fully alive in East Timor.

CARPOOL

Friendly Visitors

BLISSFUL REFLECTION

Hand carved transportation

Having fun at work

locals eagerly awaiting the bookstore opening

Timorese Sunset

Awoken by books, an alarm clock, and a travel power adapter crashing down on my face at 3am can mean only one thing Voyage Time.   While most nights are surprisingly calm during voyages our first night leaving Western Australia’s beautiful port city of Perth was reckless havoc. The degree of role on the ship since we left has been 17 percent, as explained by the captain,” that’s the worst degree role we’ve had on the Doulos in several years”.   The role (side to side movement) of the ship is vastly different than the normal pitch (front to back) we’ve experienced in the past.  The whole ship was in chaos last night starting at 12:25 am when a 6 meter (20 foot) swell exploded into the left side of the ship sending books, food, and roommates sprawling about the floor.  This is what sailing on the open seas feels like, I thought as I dragged myself out of my bunk stumbling in the dark for the light switch.

While visiting Australia was a life long dream come true for me, I am very glad to be leaving the first world and getting into the Dirt and Hurt of the World.  East Timor is an interesting port to be visiting next after spending three weeks in a comfortable middle class tourist town.  While Perth and Western Australia has its needs and concerns they don’t even begin to match up with the very basic human needs of clothing, medical supplies, literature, and food that have packed our holding spaces for the desperate of East Timor.   A local surfing store has donated loads of clothes free of charge for the locals as well as other generous individuals who have given wheelchairs and encyclopedias for the cause.  Its been a joy loading all these donations throughout our time in Australia, the Aussies have great compassionate hearts for their needy neighbors.

Looking out for pirates, arrrr!!!!

For most of the 70 people that joined the Doulos with me almost 2 months ago this will be the first time they see extreme poverty and for half the first time they visit a third world country in general.  I believe it’s hard to fully prepare for the things that we are going to see but the ships program team has been doing a valiant effort in talking about what to expect from this war torn nation.  While it’s been 3 years since I’ve been to Indonesia (East Timor’s Neighbor) the images and thoughts are still fresh in my mind.  After leaving Indonesia the last time I visited in August 2005, I made a personal vow be back one day and make a real difference when I do.  It’s great how God’s will for my life has brought me back to a wonderful place filled with luscious jungle and beautiful people.   We will be in East Timor for seven days, but I whole heartedly believe these upcoming seven days are going to be a powerful time not only for the people on the island but for crew living on the ship as well.   My specific prayer for our time in East Timor is that God will give each one of us HIS heart for the people and the suffering that we will meet once stepping foot in Dili, the capital of Timor. In particular, God’s compassion and encouragement be felt by every person that enters or even hears about the Ship.  I feel that often times in lands that have little education and distractions Jesus is more powerful and can have a greater impact on peoples hearts.  Once the mind is out of the way people can accept with their hearts and allow God to work throughout a community, city, Nation.       

an evening off of work enjoying Gods wonderful creation

a look from the bridge

My role in lifeboat drills

Lately I’ve been feeling disconnected from God, his love, his encouragement even his peace. It’s amazing that even amongst so many faithful Christians and a vibrant ministry that such separation could take place. I have nobody to blame except myself for all this, I haven’t been faithful in my quiet time and devotional, after losing my Bible I keep forgetting to purchase another one, and even my prayer life has been significantly absent during the past 3 weeks. I have felt lonely even being surrounded by so many friends, not able to comprehend the books I’ve been reading from the library on prophecy and encouragement. The last two days I have made an effort to attend devotions and participate in prayer with friends and cabin mates while this hasn’t made a huge impact in itself, it has been a building block for the things God wants to show me. I do consider this a trial that I am going through and after reading James I am to consider it pure Joy whenever I face trials, instead of running from God or becoming discouraged with my walk with God, I am to learn on him more and put more effort and focus on Him instead of my situation or the things going on around me.

Today started off just like any other day, I woke up tired and not looking forward to working in the gloomy, rainy weather outside. After breakfast I attended the devotional put on by Dan and Suzie Potter about building relationships. I feel that this especially spoke to me because I’ve noticed that I can be very friendly and outgoing with people on the ship and in general, but for the most part I am shallow with them and only say hello or how are you while passing in the hallway. This has challenged me to open up more about my personal struggles as well as make time to listen to others with what they may be going through. I am currently reading a book about encouragement and the great power that it can bring to fellow Christians and anyone for that matter. It focuses on Barnabas and the huge impact that he was able to have on Paul and the early church. In the same way that encouragement can be a blessing to people’s lives, gossip can have a devastating effect on relationships especially between Christians. One of the main focuses of Christianity is Christ’s love and sharing that love with those we come in contact with. If we are gossiping and talking down to others, we mentally separate from those we talk about and put ourselves above them distancing us from them and creating a barrier that stops the spread of Love. If the number one thing that attracts others to Jesus and subsequently Christianity is Love, We are automatically defusing the greatest testimony by reverse encouragement (Gossip).

Mo led a great Deck department devotional today on prayer and how we can focus our prayers through 4 different stages. First, to acknowledge God and worship Him for saving us and everything he has instilled in us. Secondly, confess our sins and our hearts desires to God, asking for forgiveness in all that we do apart from him. Third we should pray for others around us, this can be friends, family or even countries and things the spirit lays on our hearts at that specific time. Lastly, we can come and ask him for things in our life, specific things that we would like to see happen. By following this order we can set up our priorities to be that of self sacrifice, creating a prayer time that is not self focused or just throwing up words to an empty sky, hoping they get answered. It makes it much more personal and sacrificial to the God of the World. Allowing Him to work and answer our prayers and ultimately his will to be done. As a department we all prayed through these steps and wow what an impact it had on me immediately. As I stated in the opening of this entry, my prayer life has been weak and almost non existence. This time enabled me to confess sins that have been distancing me from God, Pray for brothers in India that are facing persecution during a Jesus Film presentation just yesterday, and awesomely Ask God to put one person in my life today that needs encouragement or comfort. As we all know, God answers prayer, and here is another example of him delivering. This morning after dedicating this day to Him in prayer and asking him to put someone in my day that needed The Lord. We were given the day off to go throughout the city and promote the Doulos. I headed out with 200 flyers and a belief that God was going to use me somehow. As I walked along the streets to the main section of the city I prayed that God would deliver me from timidity, and give me boldness for Him. I stated that I was not out here to just pass out propaganda about the Doulos but instead listen, encourage, and be a vessel for Christ to use. I didn’t know how he would use me this day, or even if anyone would come to the ship as a result of talking with me. I did believe that God heard my prayer and was waiting for me to ask him honestly to be used in order for him to wake me up from my spiritual mini slumber.

The first man I saw after my prayer was sitting on a bench outside a closed church, I approached and handed him a Doulos flyer and ask him nicely “ if he had seen the world’s oldest ship that was in town?”, He responded, yeah I saw it on the news, can’t wait to get down there”. After a few minutes of friendly chatter, the man( who appeared to be in his mid 60’s) introduced himself to me as David and told me he had been a believer for 20 something years now but still struggled with many things. As he continued to open up to me about his Life and the 3 marriages he had previously been in, I felt that he had lost hope. He was severely discouraged and confused about our power as Christians over the devil and his temptation and lies. Every time he would speak negatively or admit the evils grip over a certain area of his life, I would counterattack with a Bible verse that instantly popped into my head. Reassuring Him that the devil is so scared that I am even talking with him right now made him smile and I could feel his burden beginning to lift. I encouraged him that the power of Christ’s blood rules over the earth and everything in it, that because he was saved as a Christian, He has the power to destroy the lies that Satan has been feeding him. Running out of verses I simply asked him if I could pray for him right there and what requests he had if any. He became very excited as he told me nobody had voluntarily prayed for him in the last 2 years, and that he desperately needed strength. What happened next was unbelievable, As I began to pray over him, I felt a power come over me and boldness began to come out through my lips at a rapid speed. I felt I had no control over the things I was saying, but at the same time David was being Blanketed by God’s Love, and being released of things he had been holding onto for years. His weathered hand gripped tight onto my shoulder as I began to press deeper and deeper into the spirit. He began to weep at the requests the spirit was putting on my Heart as strangers passed by us on the public sidewalk no doubt intrigued. I demanded strength for Davids life, rebuked any lies that he may be living or believing and thanked God for putting him in my path this day. I ended the prayer by thanking God that one day me and David will be sitting at a grand ole feast in heaven remembering this day that God brought us together. After we finished in prayer, David told me he physically felt a burden being lifted off is back, he smiled as he told me his life was changed and that he was rededicating his life to Jesus. He wrote down my name on a piece of paper and promised to come visit the ship and share a meal with me on board. I look forward to meeting with Him again and telling him how much of an answer to prayer he is.

Today I learned that making yourself available to God is the biggest and hardest part of ministry. This has been special day for me and my relationship with Jesus. No distractions can get in the way of his Loving Plan.

Prayer requests

1. God will continue to do radical things like my experience with David, especially in East Timor (next port)

2. That i can bring encouragement to those that desperately need it.

3. Strength and rest on board, and a good voyage to East Timor.

PLEASE CHECK OUT FLICKR FOR UPDATED PICTURES OF FREEMANTLE, WA…

A five day voyage across Australia’s most treacherous waters, slamming full speed ahead at 13 knots in 10-12 foot seas doesn’t create a pretty picture, especially with 350 plus people living together. To me this voyage from the port of Geelong in Southern Australia to Albany in Western Australia is an adventure that I haven’t been able to get enough of since it started 3 days ago. The non stop pitch of the ship from front to back has 75 percent of the crew hugging their toilets and walking about aimlessly, pail faced, and fully equipped with a pillow in one hand and a plastic bag clinched tight in the other.

MORNING DEVOTIONS...

For those of us that have been feeling quite overwhelmed with our private space totally torn down this is a welcomed experience. The Ship is empty, there is plenty of space to read, listen to God, and Journal without the constant interruptions that found us in the port before. I am beginning to feel at Home here on the Doulos, being in strange villages and towns the only thing that remains constant in my life is this 94 year old ship. While in port, the Ship is such an attraction to the public (which is awesome) that it is very hard to find time to fellowship with those that are part of the crew, living on board. This voyage has really been a blessing for me to interact with people that I have seen but have yet to meet in port due to their or my business. Card games and Movie Nights are a big deal here while on voyages, since no one can leave the ship it is a great way to get close to our “House mates”.

FELLOW DECKIES LEONARD (KENYA) AND NICKERSON (FIJI ISLANDS)

In the Deck Department we meet every morning before work and have devotions together, which usually entails, prayers, acoustic praise and worship with our manly bass filled voices, then team announcements. The thirty plus deckhands are broken down into work groups consisting of 6-8 people per team. This has been a blessing for me to work, laugh, and pray hard with the guys in my team. God has already given me insight into what the next 2 years will be like working within these same groups while developing life long friendships with fellows from; Fiji, Germany, New Zealand, Kenya, and Sweden. One of the things I enjoy most about my time here has been these devotions. Being able to surrender my Day and especially my attitude to the Lord in prayer with my brothers has been Epic. I can’t imagine living a Life or working a job without having this. It is such an incredible action to take part in before doing anything else, Thank you Lord!! The past few Nights I have been laying awake in my bunk unable to sleep because of the pure excitement and Joy that God has put in my Life everyday. I am so blessed to have this experience in Life, Apart from God’s direction and Your support I would never be here to Live this, so I thank you once again.

OUR WARM NIGHT WATCH BOX

Please keep our next port of Albany in your prayers, while we are only there for a short time (5 days) there seems to be some trouble brewing with the harbor master. While we do have permission to be there and we are invited, this particular man does not believe in our cause and has vowed to make our short stay very difficult. We will not be allowed to have sewage lines run from the port, so we need to pay trucks to come, which is very expensive and not something we normally encounter. This man has also criticized the Doulos for many things that aren’t true. I believe that He is angry at God for some reason and taking it out on us. Either way, I have been praying for God to change His heart and to allow this man to open His heart to God’s grace and forgiveness and to accept salvation, furthermore please keep this man in your prayers. Also here in Australia they have a very strict security policy, which means we have not had the freedom to evangelize to people in the streets, or share the gospel through mimes or dramas like we usually do. It’s hard to believe that such a tolerant western country like Australia would have such strict rules and enforce them so aggressively. On the other hand we had a tremendous turnout from people in Geelong coming through the Bookstore and the tours of the ship itself. Sometimes I forget how powerful the Ship itself is in Ministry, and How God can use this 94 year old, rusty, slow, Ship for His marvelous Glory.

OUR HOME DURING VOYAGE

How are you doing? What’s new in your Life? I miss you a lot and I miss not hearing from you on a regular basis. The ship does have a fully equipped satellite, and the best part is the phone number to the Ship is a U.S. Number based in Broward County, Fl (Ft Lauderdale). Meaning I can receive calls from you all just like I was back in the states at no additional or long-distance charges, Amen. We have operators on board that will take the calls then page us on the ships P.A. system telling us we have a very special phone call. Quite a comfort, I Know but if you saw the size of the cockroaches in my bed/bathroom you would realize that everything balances out Here is the phone number (1-954-518-7219) for those of you that would like to give me a call and encourage me along this journey.

Until next time friend,

May God soak you in

HIS joy,

compassion,

and encouragement.

Tranquil SEA

SUNRISE

GODS GLORY!!!!!!!

SUNSET