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By David Kempling
I FIRST became involved in Operation Mobilization (OM)
ships in 1975, when my wife and I joined the ship Logos for a two-year commitment.
I had previously trained as a marine engineer at the
Canadian Coast Guard College, and served in the Coast Guard fleet for three
years. I was signed on with OM as third engineer, and Betty worked in a
variety of jobs – from cleaning to secretarial positions. Our son was
born while we served on the Logos.
We worked on another ship, the Doulos, in 1978-9; but we were
forced to return home early due to health problems our son developed while
on board. I then started work with B.C. Ferries as an engineer, and retired
after 27.5 years in 2007.
However, I continued to feel the call of God on my
life, to use my engineering skills for his service; so my wife and I chose
to work on the Logos Hope. The ship is in the final stage of being outfitted, after a major
refit. It is expected to sail into ministry early this year.
The primary purpose of the ship is to be a platform for
a dedicated team of committed believers to live out their lives in
obedience to Christ – while offering knowledge, help and hope to
people all around the world.
Knowledge comes through the ship’s main
attraction: the bookstore, which has some 6,000 titles of Christian and
educational books. Another kind of knowledge comes through encountering the
ship’s all-volunteer crew – from more than 40 countries –
living and working in harmony.
Help is given in a variety of ways: donating goods and
services; offering a listening ear; visiting prisons, orphanages and homes
for the aged or mentally challenged; and assisting in building and
renovation projects.
Hope is offered through personal testimony. All crew
members can testify to radical transformations in their personal lives.
Each has had a turnaround from despair and death, to hope and purpose
– through entering into a reconciled relationship with God. Having
experienced this change firsthand, they desire to share it with others, and
thus spread a message of good news around the world. This is always done
with greatest respect for – and sensitivity towards – the
culture of the community hosting the ship.
The Logos Hope is nearly twice as big as any previous OM Ship – about
the same size as the B.C. ferry, Spirit of
British Columbia. It has been totally redesigned
and outfitted to suit OM’s ministry purposes and living conditions. Logos Hope provides a better
quality of life for the crew, as well as a wider range of activities for
visitors and guests.
The newly created Logos Hope Experience – converted from the original
ferry’s car area into two separate decks – will hold up to
1,000 visitors at any time, with capacity to host an additional 700 in the
Hope Theatre and Logos Lounge.
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Almost 500 crew and guests can be accommodated in the
ship’s 200 cabins, with better facilities and spaces for catering;
health services include a medical and dental clinic. There is also a school
for up to 50 children of the families who live on board for up to two
years.
In the 10 months I worked on the Logos Hope, I started as third
engineer, and then become first engineer; I spent the final three months as
chief engineer. I have helped overhaul engines and mechanical
systems; installed a new vacuum operated sewage plant; and provided
maintenance of systems and services for the crew of some 380 living
onboard.
I also helped train 100 new volunteers who joined last
September, preparing them to meet the international standards of seafarers.
The ship’s navigation and engineering officers must have certificates
that are recognized by the international maritime authorities. They must
also prove to these authorities that they can operate a large ship safely,
according to internationally recognized standards.
Betty and I feel we have a great ministry opportunity,
as part of a vital team, to encourage fellow believers, and also to use our
technical skills. This allows others – who do not have the experience
or the technical certificates to move from harbour to harbour all around
the world – to be able to share their faith in a meaningful way.
Each of us on the ship is sponsored, in the same way as
missionaries who are sent out from the local church. This covers our food,
lodging, medical insurance, and return travel to and from the ship. The
rest of the costs for running the ship come in from donations, and from
book sales in the countries we visit.
The ship will visit a number of ports in north Europe
before heading out to Third World countries, mainly in Asia. Betty and I
are planning to return to the Logos Hope in June.
The ship has a website at logoshope.org.
February 2009
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