OM Ships Technical Manager Dave Thomas passed away unexpectedly last week. He suffered a major heart attack while serving on board Logos II. His wife Joy was by his side at the time. Just 62, Dave had been involved in the ministry since OM Ships was a vision. Since then, he has served as an engineer on board Logos, Logos II and Doulos in whatever capacity was needed, including chief. He was also director of OM UK in the early ’90s and was Nobby’s boss during periods of her years on board Doulos. Dave’s skills, passion for mission and ‘can do’ attitude to life will be sorely missed by those he leaves behind.
We listened, we learned and we talked! The weekend retreat Wycliffe Baptist Church organised was supposed to be refreshing, but we came back exhausted… We took every opportunity at the three day event to catch up with many UK members of our support team. We also formally and informally counselled others at the church who are looking to start serving people more. Nobby even found time to share with another native Japanese who is thinking about options for the future. All in all, a very worthwhile time that left us waiting for our voices to recover.
No less than 370 people are expected! Taking place every two years, the retreat of our UK-supporting church sees 95% of the congregation gather for an extended period away. Now we’re back in the UK, we can attend the activities and even share about our OM experiences at a mission training seminar. This is the first time we’ve been able to join the event and we’re grateful for supporters who have made that possible. Everything is taking place at Kidderminster’s Pioneer Centre, which is twinned with the Quinta facilities at the OM base in Oswestry (website here). It’s also near to us. Full report to follow…
We were warned it could take a while… When we arrived in the UK, Nobby had an EEA (European Economic Area) spouse entry permit only. That needed to be registered and updated soon afterwards so she could obtain permission to remain in the UK indefinitely. We made getting the paperwork to the authorities a high priority… and now we’re awaiting their reply. Thankfully this isn’t a ‘yes or no’ issue, just a question of being patient. We need Nobby’s passport to complete some other paperwork and since Paul had to submit his pasport too, neither of us can travel overseas. Please pray for progress!
United not divided! Volunteers from Europe’s churches are making the most of having fans gather at this summer’s Euro 2008 football tournament. The Swiss Evangelical Alliance, YWAM, the Austrian Scripture Union and OM are also involved in the massive outreach effort. Booklets with testimonies from sporting stars have been prepared for distribution around each city that is hosting a game. Similar events at World Cups have seen lasting fruit and provided an opportunity to get God’s word into the hands of people who would otherwise never see it. Pray for such an outcome this time.
Since getting married, we have only ever lived in apartments - before that it was (separate) cabins on a ship! After relocating to the UK and joining the OM team just outside Oswestry, we are thankful to have a house to call home. There is even a small back garden for Paul to practice his lawnmowing skills! Pictured above (the door on the right side) the house is located in a village about 4 miles / 6 km from the office. Because we have rented the house unfurnished, we are still in the process of finding furniture for every room. Despite that, we are thankful to have a place that feels like home.
George Verwer is undoubtedly the most famous individual in OM. However, George didn’t found the organisation himself – Dale Rhoton was one of two others to go with George on that first 1957 mission trip to Mexico. Dale has been in OM since then and continues to speak and take meetings to raise awareness of the organisation’s work. He was also director of OM Ships for many years. Today we welcomed Dale to share at the OM UK team’s Friday devotion session. His stories of answered prayers allowing OM to enter countries formally closed through Communism were very encouraging!
Assisting local churches, OM teams can be found around the world. The diversity of ministry is exhaustive and includes teaching English classes, running sports camps for needy youngsters and supporting orphans whose parents have died of AIDS. As shown by recent international events, a sudden natural disaster can occur anywhere and at any time. Having people already on the ground is an immediate advantage, but often those OM teams are not prepared or equipped for emergency work. Pray for those who until further help arrives are often on the frontline in such situations.
Christian organisations aren’t immune to criminal attacks. This week, two of the OM UK team vehicles at the Quinta base in Oswestry were damaged during the small hours. A staff member staying on site heard the vandals and his quick response scared them away. Extensive damage had already been done - a smashed window, a buckled door and a damaged steering mechanism. With the repairs estimated at more than the cars’ values, OM has lost a considerable sum. In addition, the team is now struggling to find transport for all the staff. While we forgive the perpetrators, pray for justice to be done.
Meet some friends of ours! We’ve known Tim & Ali for a while now and together we have much in common. Tim attended university at the same time as Paul, but that’s just the beginning! When Paul decided to head to Japan to teach English, for Tim it was a case of ‘been there, done that’! Tim had earlier worked for the same company in Tokyo and even taught at some of the schools Paul ended up in. They also have a heart for mission, with Tim’s parents supervising a medical clinic in Yemen. Their house they left behind is in mid-Wales, so we’ll be seeing even more of Tim & Ali as they head our way for holidays there!
No, not ‘Berkshire is best kept secret’… Instead, ‘the best kept secret in Berkshire’! This county in central-south England is where Paul studied at university and the connection we have with the area is considerable. Numerous close friends live around the main town, Reading, and our supporting church in the UK is also located there. So what is the best kept secret? It’s not the sights in this average-looking town – it’s the warmth and love of the people at that church. We’ve just returned from a weekend there and the reception given to us was incredible, as always. See the Wycliffe Baptist church website here .
See the difference! At the moment, much of Logos Hope looks like a building site. To those with untechnical eyes, it’s hard to imagine what the finished vessel will look like - this is especially true for those areas such as the onboard book fair that are being purposely designed. The 3D CGI content in this video is therefore a particularly valauble tool for helping others catch the vision of what the ship will be all about. Renovations on board are nearly completed, so the day when this dream will become reality is close at hand. Give thanks for all the work completed so far, and pray for sufficient finances to finish the project.
Strictly speaking, it’s not our car. All families working at the OM UK office (around 50 people overall) are allocated one of the team’s vehicles to use, and this Vectra has been assigned to us for getting around the area. Since this includes travelling to and from our home four miles away, we use it daily. This also requires us taking good care of the car and performing routine tyre and oil checks etc. All in all, it’s a very new experience – just a few weeks ago neither of us would have said we are confident drivers. We even have a green ‘P’ sign on the back car, which could stand for patience, panic or pray!
Thankfully it was a long holiday weekend! Paul needed to be ready for everything passing through his desk as the week began. The printing deadline for OM UK’s latest 28 page Global magazine is near and the graphic designers were calling with many questions. Then came discussions about OM raising funds to assist victims of the tragic cyclone in Myanmar. Paul stood ready (well, sat at his desk) to write text for an official appeal to supporters. Meanwhile the BBC World Service were on the phone, asking if OM were planning any activities for the Beijing Olympics… It’s good to be busy about God’s business!
It’s normal for the odd phone call to interupt a business meeting. However, it’s less common for the caller to be requesting information on behalf of an international news agency! Through the Dalit Freedom Network, OM is extensively involved in campaigning against caste discrimination in India. When a particularly horrendous example of the problem recently came to light, news went as far as CNN in Atlanta, USA. With the local time there at 4am, a reporter contacted the OM UK office for more details of the persecuted Dalit group. Read the full article here .
Posted by shipsbecks 
Posted by shipsbecks 
Posted by shipsbecks 
