“I was three and a half years addicted to this game … I could be someone who I couldn’t be in real life … I started to cancel appointments with my friends and I stopped playing sport”. My friend Sander from Holland told the story of how he became addicted to an online game in his teenage years and how it prevented him from building meaningful relationships and hindered his walk with God.
Young people in Sri-Lanka are becoming increasingly engrossed in the online world. A place where social interaction is often cheap and shallow and true relationship is lost. In this unique youth event the ship’s younger people gave a challange to those visiting the ship to spend time apart from Facebook, MSN and SMS and build real friendships and spend time in the Word.
As an ex-gamer myself, I found the event had a powerful challenge whist not being overbearing. Social media technologies were never condemned and neither were online games, but both were put into perspective of a healthy Christian lifestyle.

In the past it was performed for the King but now the Korean Fan Dance is performed onboard for the King of Kings. The fan dance is one of many cultural performances that members of the ship’s crew learn to perform for international events. Scottish, Russian and hula dance, mime, drama and a host of songs are among the other performances that were demonstrated at the 2011 Ministry Medina. Here the newest members of the ship’s crew browse the available ‘passion groups’ to see what they would like to learn to use on their time onboard to demonstrate our cultural diversity and our Father’s great love. I have been learning and performing Drama since I joined the ship. Some of my best memories from my time on board are of performing dramas in front of people from lots of different countries. I hope to have many more opportunities to perform for audiences in India and tell them about the Love that my Father has for them.

“I want you to approach a member of the crew and ask them these 5 questions”. Wei-ling from Taiwan encouraged the Chinese visitors to talk with the crewmembers in the room and ‘break the ice’. Having little else to do I stepped out of my box and said ‘Nin hao‘ to a man as he approached. We were only able to exchange names and countries as he didn’t speak a word of english – but he was still very happy to meet me. Another brave woman approached me and in broken english asked me how long I had been on board and what was my favourite food. Answering her in english first, then in Chinese I could tell her I had been on board already for 1 and a half years and of course my favourite food is Chinese food! (But I also like pizza!)
Together we sung songs to our heavenly father – though I understood only some of the words. They were very encouraged by singing together and by the talk from my friend Shaun who is from China and is staying on board for a short time. I also had a wonderful time and be thankful that I could be used by Him even when I can’t barely communicate with people.

“You have got to be Chris’ dad!” is something I’ve heard a lot this week. You see my Dad and I look almost identical, give or take a few years – so it would be impossible for me to hide the fact that my parents have been staying on board Logos Hope this week. After spending a week onshore getting some much needed R&R and spending quality time with my parents, this week I am back to work. In fact this week I am starting as the leader of the AV team. You may remember that I was the team leader some months ago until the opportunity for someone more experienced and gifted with team leading could take the burden from me for a while. Catherine has done a magnificent job of bring us together as a team and sorting out scheduling and logistics and I hope that I have learned well from her example. I also feel that I have good support now from my supervisors and from my team as well. Please pry that I would be a good team leader, always looking to the needs of my team.
While my parents have been on board my Dad got a taste of what it is like to work in the AV team, and boy did we work hard. Dad helped me to set up all new music stands and a lectern for the main meeting room. He was also able to re-string a guitar that had been disused for some time – and now it sounds great! One night he had the opportunity to work with a larger team as a camera man for a youth event. Packed with over 400 youth from fellowships the event was a great success. All in a day’s work for the AV team.

“The more I shop the more empty it feels” – this is what I posted to facebook last week after spending three days in some of the world’s biggest shopping centres (or malls as they are called in Dubai). This past week I have been very blessed to have a week of break time where I could stay in a small hotel onshore – but best of all my parents came to visit me! I have missed them dearly for the last year that I have been away and it was wonderful to see them and catch up on all that has happened.
With my parents came wonderful gifts and cards from many of you and some very generous financial gifts. I am very thankful for your loving support. With the money I have purchased myself a new camera to replace the one that broke in Egypt – it is a Sony HX1. I have really enjoyed taking lots of photos recently and I hope to share many nice photos with you in the weeks to come. I have been able to bless my fellow crewmembers by taking photos of them to send to their families and in their newsletters. I was also able to buy some nice respectable shirts, pants and shoes which I need for the Arab world.
During my break I was able to visit the world’s tallest building and go up to the one-hundred-and-twenty-fourth floor! What an amazing view it was from up there! I also went as a passenger 4 wheel driving over sand dunes in the desert and riding camels. Now I am well rested and ready to return to the ship and make the most of the next 7 months before I return home.

On floor 124 of the world's tallest tower!

Dad and I ride a camel

Sailing south to the Arab Peninsula for the new year brings fresh culture and people. I have been able to walk the city streets and meet the local Arab people and the many foreign workers from India and other countries. I even got to visit the local fishery and see how the fish are prepared after they are caught – I couldn’t take the smell!
On board I really enjoy sitting in the cafe and talking with various people both locals and migrant workers. They tell me all about their work and their home and I can tell them about life on board a ship with people from 51 different nations and visiting many different countries. There are some local fellowships here amongst the ex-patriots and it’s fascinating to hear their stories. One man that I met in the cafe even gave me a lovely lapel pin shaped as the country’s coat of arms. I am really excited about fostering peace between the west and the middle east by interacting with individuals and sharing the positives of our cultures.

With a 10 day long journey from our Christmas port the middle east, on the way to the Arab Peninsula, this year’s new year holiday had some fascinating scenery. Just after Christmas we set sail south where the ship sailed through a man made canal. Either side of the ship there was land and we could watch as the scenery passed us by. With the book store closed and no events on board, the workload of cooking, cleaning and running the ship was distributed evenly amongst the crew for a lighter workload over the Christmas break – and with no opportunity to go off the ship for 10 days we used the time to draw together and connect with each other. On new years eve we had a reflection service where we remembered where we had been in 2010 and revealed where we would be going in 2011. We celebrated new years eve gathered together for a countdown and an irish and american dance hall after midnight. We have spent time learning about the countries we will visit soon, time drawing closer to our Father and time having fun together playing games and watching movies. I feel like I had a great holiday and I’m super excited about the 8 months that I have left. Please remember me this year as I travel.

‘As I walk around I don’t recognise any of you until I look closely’. Such was the transformation of the ship’s community for our Christmas celebration. Everyone was dressed elegantly for our Chrismas Eve dinner. What made this dinner really special wasn’t the suits and ties and dresses, and it wasn’t even the meal itself – though it was delicious. It was that the regular galley staff were seated with the rest of the crew in our ship-family groups and the 3 course meal was served to us by the ship’s leadership team. Yes, our wonderful leaders served us hand and foot for the evening as a show of love.
After dinner we enjoyed a fantastic carols service and then we all exchanged small gifts.
On the 25th we had another amazing meal, a full brunch. This time buffet style without the formalities and sitting with friends. Then we had a fantastic musical play performed by the kids from the Logos Hope School. Their performance was amazing and there was much applause at the end. Finally we took a photo with all of the ship’s crew on the bow of the ship.
Truely this was an amazing celebration filled with meaning and joy.

“You and your team are very professional”. The man who said this to me works with the band Stronghold in his spare time, whilst working as a systems administrator, producer and studying. Stronghold is quite famous in Lebanon and tickets to the event were sold out long before the ship arrived in port. Of course this event was more than just a concert – our drama group performed a drama about a lost son and a crew member from Australia shared his testimony of why he was on the ship and how he had chosen to follow God. Many youth decided to make this same commitment to seek God’s will in their lives.
We also had the pleasure of hosting Bill Drake for a concert only a week before. Having listened to his CDs that we sell in our bookstore it was great to meet him in person and experience a live performance. Just like Stronghold, Bills band didn’t perform a show for the audience, but rather led them into a place of worship.
The AV team on Logos Hope has been really glad to have some professional bands to work with and create a great sound. Personally I had the pleasure of doing the lights for both these bands and I was pleased that many people commented that the lights were really good for the drama and the bands. I enjoy putting my best effort into these events and using my creative abilities to add depth to the atmosphere.