Christian Reformed Church of Wallawetta in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Longer Than Planned In Doha, Qatar

Ten. That is the number of ports the Logos Hope visited in the Middle East since we first arrived in Libya. Come to think of it, if I tally the three ports in Libya and the one in Egypt, that comes to almost half of the places where we've docked. A revolt against the government shortly followed after our departure. Of course, ship's community is in prayer that the timing of our stops would be divine. Meaning, that we all hope that the "hope" we brought on the Hope was a positive influence on the people who visited the Hope. And even though we had our first canceled port (Bahrain), we know that God had plans for us to stay an extra week in Doha.

So, how was Qatar different than the U.A.E? Well, for the most part they are quite similar. Wealth, new construction projects galore, arid climate and Arabic traditions. Another factor is that both have an incredible number of people living there from around the globe. I've met more Americans in the last three ports than any of the previous twenty-four ports...combined. Another factor would be that the churches are under strict gov. watch at all times. Well, Qatar far more than U.A.E., which is why I didn't post any pictures of speaking at churches (or any ministry pictures in general).

From the churches that we did visit, a family would usually take a group of us out to eat following the service, and that is quite a nice treat! So, through days such as these, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with Malaysian, South African, American, and Sri Lankan families. Out of all of them, I only actually preached a message at the Sri Lankan/Indian church.

Overall, I think I'll miss the Middle East. The warm and friendly hospitality of the Arabs is something that will stick in my memory bank and only collect interest as I strive to treat others with the same generosity. The church also needs much prayer as it is not easy for a lot of expatriates to worship in secret, and sadly at times, see their friends and families be deported for sharing the good news with locals.

What am I looking forward to in the following countries of Sri Lanka and India? Learning the culture which is utterly different from anything else I've experienced thus far. Also, going back to the "freedom" that our ship once had; to be bold for Christ and to lift His name to the visitors who board the ship. And, the freedom to share with you what all I'm involved with and places where I will be speaking or preaching.

Please keep the Logos Hope in your prayers as once again we will be endeavoring a long voyage through (slightly) pirate(y) areas. Also, pray for dry dock, which will happen after being open for three weeks to the public in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Don't worry, I'll explain in a later post what exactly dry dock is...just know that it involves much, much labor during long hours every day to fix any existing or potential problems with the ship. As always, if you have any more questions about the mission trip so far, or what will be happening during my last 6 months, don't hesitate to drop me an email. Of course, you can email me just to chat, too...I love hearing from my family and friends!

Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.

For our second Emirate port, Abu Dhabi is known as being more low-key than Dubai; although the tour through the opulent Grand Mosque was certainly anything but low-key, and not to mention an entire theme park dedicated to Ferrari (I was sure not to miss it), appropriately named Ferrari World. Other than that, this city seemed more conservative by holding strong to the Arabic culture. The people were as kind and hospitable as ever, and like Dubai, a major chunk of the population is from other countries.
Because of our short stay of less than two weeks, I only visited one church, which happened to be the first Anglican church I've ever been to in my life. My role was to explain what life is like aboard the Logos and speak about our focus as a ministry vessel including some detailed stories of our past ports in places like Sierra Leone, and how the people in Abu Dhabi can get involved. The couple that I'm standing next to in the second to last picture were members of the church, originally from England and Spain, who took me and three other guys out to the Crowne Plaza for lunch where I was able to enjoy amazing Chinese food for the first time in a long, long while! Another highlight was taking an educational trip to Heritage Park where I learned about the ancient civilization that formerly settled there, birth of the unique Abu Dhabi culture, and after enough peer pressure from an American with a camcorder, swung from a tree...now onto Qatar.

Two weeks in Dubai, U.A.E.

As our eighth stop in the Arab world, Dubai can be easily titled the city with the largest collection of cultures from around the world. Working on the visitor deck, I quickly learned just how friendly the locals are and had the pleasure of meeting many people from many places; even as close to home as Pennsylvania and Arizona. One of the local volunteers introduced me to her husband Craig, who was especially hospitable and offered to take me out on numerous occasions to key spots around the city. I joined him for church on Friday, which was in a hotel inside of a mall. The pastor was from Texas and the church (part of the 9marks org.) was planted by Capitol Hill Baptist in D.C. with a strong affiliation to D.A. Carson and Piper. Needless to say, the most solid preaching I've heard since joining the Logos Hope; it was like a breeze of fresh Reformed Living air!

The time flew by and it is hard to believe that two weeks can pass so quickly. A major highlight was being picked up by a guy from the U.S. and joining him to minister to some guys from Pakistan inside a building where 10,000 men live together whose day job is construction on any one of the countless skyscrapers in Dubai. This may seem like a lot of people in one place, but it is dwarfed in comparison by the desert camps 30min outside the city that house hundreds of thousands of workers in military-styled barracks; mostly from India, Philippines, and Bangladesh. The majority of the men left their own families to move here for work, but still financially support them by mailing their income back home. This situation creates (among other things) people who are very open and eager to not only start conversations with, but more importantly, hear the gospel for perhaps the first time. Knowing that their stay is only temporary, what people share with them now can be taken back to wherever they call home and spread even more.

Apart from the amazing opportunities to connect with people and build relationships, Dubai also boasts a mighty collection of the world's largest, tallest, biggest, and fastest...stuff. It felt surreal when one night I was watching the most spectacular water fountain and light show outside of the biggest mall, beside the tallest building (2,400+ft) with some local friends from 8 different countries. Dubai felt like a central meeting point of everything and everyone from everywhere.

Muscat, Oman: Arrival and First Day Out Exploring

Usually while sailing into a port, something new will catch my eye as being interesting. Or perhaps unexpected. But this rarely happens when we sail into a new port without leaving the country. Take Oman for this perfect example. The port in Salalah was strictly industrial, mostly flat terrain, and without any sign of civilization for many kilometers. As we approached Muscat, the first couple of things immediately noticeable would be the many intimidating peaks with multiple ancient towers and forts securing a white-painted city with a mixture of old and new architecture (that white spaceship-looking thing in the second picture is actually a massive incense burner!) creating a picturesque place, making it hard to believe I was still in the same country. The people here are just as incredibly friendly and hospitable as before, with a lot of them being from other countries like India and Sri Lanka. Even though we are scheduled to be here for only 5 days, I had the opportunity to go out Saturday morning before work with a couple of friends. The main sidewalk is very beautiful as it overlooks the harbor, very near to countless stores, restaurants, and coffee shops. I found out quickly that if you leave the main road, it is easy to loose your way as the city turns into a labyrinth of narrow paths and side streets, which is actually fun if you are in no hurry to go anywhere. Heading back in the afternoon, we decided to stop in the market place (I'll never forget the smell of frankincense) to learn more about the culture. One guy who seemed to only speak Arabic thought it would be in his best interest to show me how to wrap a turban, and put on a white robe, an outer robe and walking stick. Feeling a bit confused on what to do next because I knew there wasn't a chance I would purchase any of this (I imagined trying to get through airport security), the opportunity was taken for a few memorable pictures. I never know what I'm getting myself into after stepping off the ship.

Kids Alive: Beirut, Lebanon

It is always an amazing privilege and wonderful opportunity to visit children from all over the world in one central location; almost like a miniature, land-based Logos Hope. In Beirut I visited Kids Alive, which is an orphanage for about 70 boys, as well as a school for at risk boys and girls. My trip began when one of the friendly staff members (like the Logos Hope, all teachers and staff are volunteers) met me on the quayside in the port area. During our ride up the mountains, I learned that he was from Minnesota and has been serving with Kids Alive for a few years already. He heard about it through his father who actually grew up in one of their locations. He also informed me that the orphanage is for boys from Sri Lanka, Africa, Lebanon and everywhere between, and the school is for the boys as well as local kids whose families own next to nothing.
After arriving, I was impressed with not only the view of the city from being up so high, but also the well-kept grounds of the property. My team and I put on a program and spoke about our lives on the ship, why we joined for such a long time and the purpose of sailing from country to country. One ship person had a clever idea to bring a Logos Hope soccer ball, which when he asked during the end of the program if they wanted to play, caused a mad rush of a stampede out the doors to the adjacent playground where a larger-than-normal game quickly began. Not only did the children behave especially well inside (very quiet and always raising their hands for questions is rare for me to witness), but also interacted surprisingly nice with each other while playing a sport. People can learn a lot from children...learn not to judge others by ethnicity or disability. Learn to coexist peacefully. Which is why I'm thrilled to see organizations like Kids Alive thrive throughout the world.

Port Said, Egypt

For the second country visit in the Arab World, the Logos Hope is docked in downtown Port Said (sigh-eed) for two weeks before journeying onto Beirut, Lebanon. During our stay, we've had the help of many local volunteers for tasks such as: translating, welcome desk, crowd control, and promoting different ship events, which were all sold out rapidly. Our main attraction, "International Night", features an array of cultural costumes, dances, music and entertainment in the Hope Theatre and is a crowd favorite. Last Friday we were only open the second half of the day and still experienced over nine thousand visitors, which explains the need for crowd control. The next day, we were even more blessed with twelve and half thousand people, making it a record day for the Logs Hope. Ever since I left the engine dept. to pursue the new role as Hope Experience shift leader, I've had the opportunity to meet countless locals and learn that Egyptians are more friendly than I'd ever imagine. Their desire to know more about America and share thoughts on their own culture can be enjoyable, yet overwhelming at times. Working on the visitor deck is as far opposite as you can get from working in the engine room (and more challenging in a lot of ways), but I have absolutely no regrets on this decision, and look forward to even greater challenges in the upcoming ports.
Despite the busy, busy days on board, crew members also share wonderful stories off the ship from being involved in children programs (pictured) to handing out information flyers to people throughout Port Said. The next blog post will be from a wonderful trip to Cairo which made my time in Egypt feel complete. Ma'Salema for now!