Weekend With Wycliffe Friends

Easter 2008 in the UK… Had we wanted to make the most of the British weather, we should have gone scuba diving. Instead, we spent time visiting supporters and friends at Wycliffe Baptist Church in Reading. This fellowship of 300+ members has supported Paul (and now both of us) in mission since 1999. Since we’re now embarking on new roles with OM UK, we felt it was important to once again connect with supporters at the church as soon as we arrived in Britain. Those relationships have been important to us in the past and we hope they will enable us to serve into the future. See the church’s website here .

All Hands On Deck

 

People are responding to the call! Recent OM Ships publicity has raised awareness of the need for volunteers to help renovations on board Logos Hope. Plumbers, welders and carpenters are always welcome to lend a hand – so too are unskilled people with a willing heart and some spare time. A recent influx of such project workers, some who serve for as little as a week, has boosted the renovation efforts. More people are needed though – the race is on to get Logos Hope ready enough to visit ports in the UK late this year. Follow this link if you have time to help on board: link .

Last Day Deadlines

Well, it’s here – our final day at the ships head office. Of course it’s an emotional time, but we believe God is very much behind our relocation to the OM UK team. Finishing everything off has been one huge and crazy effort, involving tight deadlines and dealings with people operating in different timezones. We’ve both tried to make a handover as smooth as possible, but in reality we’re passing our work on to existing colleagues rather than any new personnel. Pray for people to replace us and others who are leaving in the near future, as the list of vacancies at the ships office grows.

The Warmest Of Welcomes

 

Doulos crew are truly receiving a warm welcome in Papua New Guinea, one that’s got nothing to do with the country’s stifling climate. At each destination the vessel’s arrival has been greeted by traditional dances, colourful costumes and cultural music. Given how few educational resources there are in the country, the warm welcome is also being extended by government authorities keen to access the literature supplies on board. Church leaders too are excited by the teaching sessions crew are providing. Finally, residents of this remote part of the world are delighted to have international visitors.

India Calling

The work OM is doing in India is astounding. When Doulos visited the country in 2006, crew witnessed firsthand the Christian schools that are being set up to provide oppressed minority groups with an education. This week, two of the OM India staff overseeing the initiative are on an awareness-raising trip to Germany, and the presentation they gave to the ships office team was a real eye-opener. The logistics and expense of educating 10,000 children in over 60 schools are immense, but the resulting investment in people’s lives is huge too. It’s exciting to hear how much God is moving in India!

Meet Malook

 

It’s not a particularly nice job. Someone has to be responsible for keeping the ships office a clean environment to work in and those of us based here don’t always make that task any easier! Enter Malook, who diligently arrives twice a week to keep the building looking spick and span. As her name suggests, Malook was not born in Germany. Indeed, she is a refugee from Iran (which is why she’s not pictured above!) who has found faith in Christ. Finding work as a foreigner in Germany is never easy, so we pay Malook for her services. It’s not much, but we hope every little helps her.

When Something Goes Wrong…

Be prepared! Security concerns are a very real part of today’s world and, as an international ministry, OM Ships needs to have procedures in place for any event that might happen. Indeed, on several occasions the ships have been in places where an unexpected incident has suddenly occurred that requires an immediate response. This week a professional on the subject of international security is helping those of us serving at the head office to hone our skills in this area. While it is good to be prepared for any eventuality, pray for God’s continuing protection over all who serve in the ministry.

On The Move

It’s official! We have been invited to join the OM UK team based back in Britain AND HAVE DECIDED TO ACCEPT THEIR OFFER!!! This means moving out of Mosbach, Germany and even the OM Ships structure. Having said that, Logos Hope is due in the UK later this year and we will be involved in co-ordinating details for the visit. Furthermore, some of the ships’ communication work Paul has been involved in will also be outsourced to the UK and is following him there. It’s still a very big decision through – please pray for us as we make the transition over the coming weeks. More details to follow…

ILM Meets At Mosbach

 

Fancy running an organsiation of 4,000+ people operating in 110 countries? The logistics of co-ordinating the work of the wider OM body are immense. To smooth that process, once a year the ministry’s key leaders arrive from every corner of the planet to discuss, plan and, above all, pray. Currently the International Leaders’ Meeting (ILM) is taking place at the OM base in Mosbach, Germany. With Doulos, Logos II and Logos Hope representing just 20% of the personnel involved in OM, this is an exciting opportunity for those of us at the ships’ head office to hear what else God is doing around the world.

Saved From The Storm!

It seemed like Mosbach’s monthly rainfall fell overnight… Stormy weather in Germany over the weekend hit the Rhein-Neckar Valley in full force, as shown above. This ’stream’ at the back of the ships office building is usually a trickle no higher than half a metre. Here it had risen rapidly and was threatening to flood the property! Normally the river flow provides our power, but the sheer volume of water actually made it unlikely the mill wheel could even turn. Give thanks with us that the river’s level receded in just a few hours and no damage was done.