Now is a season of change for Logos Hope, especially in AV. This September I said goodbye to many friends, and also to two of the AV team who finished their commitment on board. Sam, who is a talented audio and video technician has worked in AV longer than I have and returns home to continue his studies and to get married. Glenn learned a lot about AV in his time on board and returned home to Denmark.
Now with the new PST joining my old friend Greg has returned to the ship. Greg, who comes from Singapore came on board for 3 months as part of the Short Term Exposure Program (STEP) and decided to return for two years to work in the AV department. He is a professional audio engineer and brings a wealth of experience to the team along with Sam from the UK who joined in February.
I have been learning a lot leading a team of professionals and trainees in such a high pressure environment, and whilst I’m glad that God has been stretching me, I’m also very glad that he has now provided someone to relieve me. Catherine from the UK is an experienced team leader and organizer and she will now be the AV team leader – dealing with schedules, management, communication and team building – while I continue to spearhead maintenance and training within the team.
I am enjoying the freedom that this change has brought and it has allowed me to reflect upon my own character even more.

Flags in hand, every eye watched as the coach reversed to reveal 60 new crew members. “Viva Las Palmas, Ole!” Was the melodious chant of PST Las Palmas. Eager to join the ship they have been preparing for over 3 weeks to see, they rushed toward the human tunnel of crew members from many nations all holding flags. 3 of these new recruits join my ship family – a group of people centered around a married couple who act as parents to us. Together we will celebrate birthdays and other special occasions and meet together regularly. 2 more of them are now my cabin mates. One is from France and the other is from South Korea. They are settling in well and have now got jobs in their preferred department – the galley. I look forward to getting to know each of these new people who have heard the call to come to the fields.

Santa Cruz was a busy port for the AV department. Since two people had left the ship at the end of their commitment, and new people are yet to join we were down to four people. We also had three really big events – three nights in a row. The event I enjoyed the most was El Foresterro – a musical about my lord set in the old west. The musical was entirely in Spanish, written and performed by a Christian drama company from Santa Cruz. Whilst I didn’t understand the entirety of the musica, the parts that I understood I was touched by. Many people came to this event and gave a huge applause at the end. It was worth every moment of preparation to see it complete.