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| Several months later . . . I hope that you all have been able to keep up with my travels a bit. This issue has taken quite awhile to get written. Transition to a new job, new "home", and really a new lifestyle is more difficult than it first appeared to me and the process is yet continuing. By the time you read this the CARIBBEAN MERCY will have been docked in Inchon, South Korea for a few weeks and soon will be going on to Cheju Island for three weeks followed by YoSoo and Pusan ports on the mainland. I’ve had quite an adventure since May 2 when I arrived at the ship in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Victoria-Seattle-Seward Victoria is a very nice tourist city on Vancouver Island. It truly has a British/European feel and look to it. I enjoyed having a bit of time to explore it on weekends. My first week the ship was still in dry dock and I spent my working hours learning the scope of my job. New computer programs, new machines (among them a dictation machine which has become my ever-present co-worker it seems), filing system, and new boss, Brett, to get acquainted with. |
As I became more familiar with my role on board, the crew of the CM slowly returned from the homes and families that had housed them while the ship was in dry dock. The weeks went by quickly and I accomplished a number of "firsts": a trip for Brett to Central America, a picture collage, hundreds of email dictated via tape and so on. My "learning curve" was pretty steep. The city of Victoria welcomed us warmly and our short time of tours went very well. We moved on to Seattle for another short week of tours. I was able to spend a weekend with a friend, Carley, that I made during DTS on the Anastasis who lives near Seattle. I saw a lot of Port Townsend, her hometown, and almost nothing of Seattle. After Seattle we were treated to something many people dream of for years – a voyage up the Inside Passage to Alaska. Mercy Ships founder, Don & Deyon Stephens joined us and for them it was the fulfillment of a dream. Getting to know Don and Deyon first hand was just as big a treat as seeing the magnificent scenery. They brought us devotions each morning and were a real encouragement to us as we prepared for our journey toward North Korea. |
We had two stops in Alaska: Seward and Kodiak. In Seward I was also able to reconnect with friends from my DTS. It was fun to see Trevor, Peter, and Brittany in their home state and Alaska is fully as beautiful as they had described it. While docked in Seward our evangelism team, Esperanza, was able to minister to the local maximum security prison, Springcreek Correctional Center. There are about 550 inmates there, most of whom will serve out their lives incarcerated. Esperanza was invited to take part in the regular chapel service held each week. The chapel is usually adequate for the less than 35 people who attend, but this night about 100 of the men came. They moved to the gym area where probably 15 or so other men were working out and so also heard the message. The team presented a few of their dramas. The first one, The Chair, illustrates the fact that though sin is inviting you shouldn’t touch it. Choices, the next drama they presented deals with the 90’s lifestyle choices, addresses the social issues of today and illustrates the consequences of good and bad choices. Another drama is one of the most powerful presentations that shows the tragedy of broken homes and the hope of prayer to restore them. |
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Cindy Lou, the team director said that while they were there she saw clearly how God is always right there waiting for us, each individual, no matter how far our life may stray. The Lord was there that night waiting and willing to accept any of the men who would decide for Life instead of Death. Allan and Mike, two of our crew members, were able to share their testimonies and the Word of the Lord with the men. I can only believe that their night of ministry will be used for the good of the Kingdom! Kodiak – Petropavlovsk Kodiak, Alaska was our last stop on the North American continent. Although there only for 5 days, we were embraced by the community and given a hearty send off. A group of Russian Orthodox Christians presented to us traditional Russian songs, music, and dance. They had unique Russian instruments that reminded me of triangular bass, violin and banjo. Each participant was also dressed in colorful traditional costume. Though not all of Russian ancestry, they are all interested in the roots of the Russian Orthodox Church and so had formed this group to delve into the musical side of the culture. It opened a door of interest and desire to understand this country which for so many years has held only bad connotations to most Americans. We were also treated to a musical production by a group of high school students from the local Christian High School. They shared heartfelt praise and prayers for our journey. It was encouraging to see their faith and to have their interest in the Lord’s work and purposes. One of the students even wrote to us via email saying that he hoped to be among us again in the future – as crew! |
Leaving Kodiak we thought we would surely ride through rough waters in the Bering Sea, but the Lord was gracious and I thank you for praying for our sail was mostly smooth. It was an unusual feeling pulling into Petropavlovsk. First you notice the sharply pointed, cone-shaped mountains that dot the landscape. Part of the Ring of Fire that encompasses the Pacific Ocean, the volcanoes dominate the landscape. Of the 200+ volcanoes on the peninsula of Kamchutka, 20-30 are still active. We could see the plume of smoke from one of those active volcanoes from our ship. We were excited when Pastor Anatoly, from our host chuch, and our fellow Youth With A Mission worker, Tatyana, could come aboard. Because of the tight security, only a handful of people were allowed on board. We had prayed for more but thanked the Lord for the friendship that he built amongst us. We were only there for 48 hours, but the kinship through Christ was almost tangible. We were able to bring them a printing press and give the school 40 special boxes for the students which contained school supplies and other goodies. They told us of the incredible growth of the Kingdom on the peninsula. Just 10 years ago even native Russians weren’t allowed access to Kamchutka because of its military importance. There were no churches in Petropavlovsk. Now they have a church of hundreds and are planning to build a place large enough for all to join together in worship. They reach out to the prisons as well as the native peoples in Siberia. To think how recently we were praying for the church behind the Iron Curtain and now we have been blessed to see His church there with our own eyes. |
Into the Unknown . . . Our itinerary said North Korea, specifically Nampo on the west side of the peninsula. Then the North and South Korean Navies clashed in the Yellow Sea and our invitation was canceled. We trusted, prayed and continued to sail toward Nampo. While continuing to receive the closed door treatment, we went to contacts in China seeking a port that would open to us and perhaps ship our cargo to North Korea. We desired that even if we couldn’t go ourselves at least the desperately needed cargo would be given to the North Koreans. Unfortunately nothing worked out as we envisioned, but we have begun to see the Lord using it to His Kingdom’s advantage. Once He releases a new Mercy Ship for this Asian area, there will be several contacts available to work through in China for possible outreach. In order to enter China, you must be invited by a national company or organization. We now have that possibility. Former Mercy Ships couple, Jane and Peter Dean currently work in Nanjing for a printing company and have opened up some new doors for Mercy Ships in China. It may also be the place we will return to in the fall to offer life changing surgeries and medical help. Nampo seems to be closed to us for this year, but we will continue to pray that in the future. We did stop in Dalian, China which is a very busy port and Asian tourist center. The U.S. citizens weren’t allowed off the ship due to visa difficulties, so for the week we were there the other half of the crew brought the city to us! They took digital pictures, videos, brought local cuisine, and even bought some souvenirs on our behalf. Their service to us was a beautiful gift. If we return to a Chinese port, we will not have the same difficulty and should be able to attain visas. |
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The whole crew also used this week to give our Deck Department a hand. Under the capable leadership of our Ghanaian Boatswain Yafet, we chipped, primed, and painted our ship. This work is never done however, and we are glad to have more volunteers in Inchon. While the rest of us go back to our "normal duties," a host of Korean volunteers will continue to make our ship shine. Our cargo was off loaded and consigned to Vietnam, another very needy country. As we know, we plan our steps but the Lord works everything out to His purpose. Inchon, South Korea "Welcome 2 Korea" is what the sign said. It was so wonderful to receive the huge welcome of the Korean people to their country. After Petropavlovsk, where security was so tight our only welcoming party was the government agents, and Dalian in which we were fairly begging for port space, Inchon has been a great blessing. |
Our first Public Relations function went very well and I hope it will set the stage for the rest of our time here. The first function in any port is usually for "Civic and Media" folks. We invite ambassadors, consulates, and other government officials. In Inchon we were blessed by the presence of the Ambassadors from the United States, El Salvador, and Guatemala. There were representatives from several other countries along with the Mayor of Inchon who declared July 22, 1999 "Mercy Ship’s Day." The Guatemalan and El Salvadoran Ambassadors had many kind words for us about the work we’ve done in their countries. We look forward to the connections that will be created through this and following functions. We will have events for Pastors, other missions agencies, people interested in serving in missions, women’s groups, and Christian Business groups. Our purpose for being here is to raise awareness of mission work and how the Lord can work through mercy ships like the Caribbean Mercy. We are praying for the release of a fifth ship for Asia and our part is to enlarge the vision of the Christians in Korea. |
Prayer List |