My Logos Adventure 2020

When I found out in October last year that the Logos Hope would be returning to Trinidad in January 2020, I was surprised but happy to hear that they were returning so soon. This time my involvement was at a different level. I was asked if I could connect the advance team with local ministries that Logos teams could partner with while they were here. I gladly made the necessary links with ITNAC, LARMS, ISCF and Confident Kids Club so the relevant partnership opportunities could be pursued. I had enjoyed my last volunteer experience with them so much that I once again offered my services, and they were gratefully accepted, since the number of persons who signed up as local volunteers was below the amount needed for a port of this size.

One of the perks of volunteering on the evening shift - 

the gorgeous sunset views!

I served on the evening shift in the Book Fair for the first two weeks that the Logos was in Port of Spain. Our responsibilities included welcoming visitors as they entered the Cruise Ship complex, helping the crew to collect the entrance fee from visitors, giving the welcome speech and overview of the ship before visitors entered the Book Fair, keeping the books in order on the shelves, assisting the cashiers by bagging books or moving the cash line forward, answering questions that persons had while they browsed, and distributing free literature as they left the ship. Every evening we served in one of these positions, rotating every hour. In each position, we served alongside a crew member, so when things were quiet we were able to have some really good conversations with them, hearing their stories about what brought them to the ship, what their experience was like being on the ship, and where they felt God was leading them when their time on the Logos was over.

Enjoyed sharing and serving alongside my buddy Borgi from Germany

One of the things I enjoyed about serving in the Book Fair was getting to see friends who I do not normally see because our paths do not cross as often as they used to. There was one person I had not seen for almost 10 years, so it was really nice to reconnect with some long lost friends. I also liked the challenge of dealing with persons who didn't want to follow the guidelines we had to maintain order in the Book Fair. I recognized that most fires could be extinguished with a warm voice and a pleasant smile :) I also saw first hand the opportunities provided for God's word to infiltrate non-Christian homes. Apart from the gospel of John which was given to every visitor as they left the ship, I saw one young boy dragging his father through the Book Fair because he wanted a "God book" instead of the regular book his father had offered him.

I told my niece she could choose 2 books - 

de chile fill up her basket!

One of the reasons why the Logos is so popular here is that the prices of the books are so cheap compared to what is available in our local bookstores. We decided to take advantage of these reasonable prices and purchase books which could be used as tokens for children in ISCF camp this year, as well as books for the children from Bible Club. There were also tokens which I got as prizes for children in Carnival camp. God is so gracious to me - not only did He provide the funds for all these purchases through a very timely financial donation, but on the day I purchased these books, the entire ship was moved closer to the entrance of the Cruise Ship complex so I didn't have to ask the volunteers who helped me tote the heavy boxes of books to make the five minute trek (which seems like ten minutes when the sun is hot) to carry the books from the ship to my car (for which I was able to find a park in the Cruise Ship complex's car park). As a matter of fact, every day that I had to visit the Logos, I prayed and God provided a park that was safe and convenient, even on the final days when it seemed like the whole of Trinidad decided to visit. Those days were so busy that even though I was not scheduled to work, I decided to volunteer so the crew would not have to stay up until 3am the next morning putting the Book Fair back in order.

One year's worth of prizes!

I decided to take full advantage of as many of the events on board that I could have fit into my schedule, once my time for volunteering on board had ended. The first one was a seminar for persons interested in serving in missions. It was a good reminder of the great need for labourers in the unreached people groups worldwide. Next I attended a workshop entitled Creative Evangelism, where we were introduced to intriguing techniques that could be employed to share the gospel in a simple way. After we were taught, we then proceeded to the cafeteria where we were able to share the gospel with members of the public who were liming there.

Using jenga blocks to start the conversation

I also attended a Refugee simulation where we were put into families and presented with scenarios that thousands of persons from war-torn and economically ravaged countries have to face on a daily basis - how to survive on little to no income, with the threat of war and abuse of power by rogue security forces hanging over your heads, unscrupulous landlords who show no mercy despite deteriorating conditions in the country and no hope of escape. Even the persons who were able to make it across the border to a neighbouring country were struggling because they could not work until they had been registered, and that was a very lengthy process. It really hit home to me when I decided to contract my services to the local bar, only to realize that the pay was nothing like what had been promised and when I finally escaped, my entire family had disappeared and I had no clue where they were. At the end of the simulation we spent time in prayer for refugees and migrants worldwide.

The last event was an evening of prayer for the persecuted church. It was structured as a time of worship and prayer, but it was different. Throughout the entire evening, there were people dressed in the national wear of countries where the gospel is not free to be preached. They stood silently with tape across their mouths to represent those who are not able to worship God freely in their countries. As we worshiped and prayed, we interceded for those who could not speak for themselves, and by the end of the evening, some of them removed the tapes from their mouths. Some remained gagged, to remind us of the ongoing need to pray for the persecuted church.

I was also able to arrange for two groups of my children from south to attend onboard events. God graciously provided the sponsorship for 2 maxis of Venezuelan children and their parents to attend an event which introduced them to missions and the need for the gospel to be preached throughout the world. Another maxi was sponsored that allowed 19 youths from Bible Club to attend a similar event, where they were challenged to share their faith with their peers who did not know Jesus. They heard testimonies of crew members and saw dramatic presentations which stressed the urgency of us being a part of fulfilling the great commission.

Children going through "security" as they

prepare for their journey around the world

I also had the privilege of facilitating partnerships with teams from the Logos to minister off the ship. Through the connection with ISCF, they were able to conduct Human Traffic awareness workshops in various secondary schools. I was able to bring a team to share with the children from Bible Club about what it means to be a missionary. Incidentally, I was inspired by the Logos' visit to have a focus on missions for Bible Club this term. I also had the privilege of serving alongside the crew as they partnered with Compassion Outreach International and ITNAC to conduct a medical clinic and eye glasses testing and distribution for migrants in La Romain.

Getting their eyes tested

A team from the Logos ministered to the Venezuelan children at La Romain one Thursday, and another team was due to share with them the following Thursday, but there were some logistical issues so that was cancelled. The co-ordinator asked me on the Tuesday if I could find some other place where they could serve, and God led me to pursue connections through the Religious Instruction ministry. The doors were wide open so the team was able to share with an entire school at one venue, and over 60 students at another venue. God really showed up on that day, as I realized on the way to the first venue that the vehicle was overheating and when we checked it there was absolutely no water in the radiator! By the time we resolved that issue we were leaving 20 minutes later than planned, and had only 50 minutes to get to the next school, which would usually take one hour. God ensured that on that day, not only was there absolutely no traffic on the road, but that there was no roadworks to cause delays so we actually arrived early! The reception at both schools was really amazing, and the Logos crew was able to share their testimonies and challenge the children to follow Jesus. God's plans were so much better than what we had originally intended to happen :)

The children were enthralled by their presentation and 

mobbed them afterward for hugs and autographs as if

they were celebrities

Another team from the Logos visited the Space in St. James where ITNAC has a school for Venezuelan children, and also a clinic for migrants every Thursday. The Logos crew provided personnel to help with the clinic, do eye testing, and distribute glasses. A different team ministered to the children in the school, and presented them with an entire library of books. We are truly grateful to God for their mission to bring knowledge, help and hope to the countries that they visit, and look forward with eager anticipation for whenever next they would grace our shores.

Excited about receiving their new books

from the Logos crew

A vacation, a wedding and a funeral

My last week of 2019 was full of time spent with friends and family. It started off with a 2 day all-expenses paid trip to Tobago where all I had to do was show up. I certainly felt the love of God as His favour was evident every step of the way. We didn't have to worry about what we were going to eat or what we would do once we got there - everything was provided for us, and that in abundance!

Check out the breakfast spread for only 5 people

We arrived on Sunday evening and after arriving at our destination, settled in for an early night as we all had a busy day. In the morning we were treated to a lavish spread for breakfast, then set out for a drive around the island, which included a stop at Fort George, and a sumptuous lunch at the Treehouse Restaurant in Speyside. The weather was perfect - not too hot and very little rain. We ended our day with a beach bath at Mt. Irvin Bay as the sun was setting, and a time of games and worship when we got home. It was such a blessing and encouragement to my soul to spend time with these friends who are my family.

Photo session on Fort George

From Tobago I headed straight to Guyana for a wedding for a couple from my church. I arrived on Christmas Eve, so was able to spend my first Christmas in Guyana. My maternal grandmother was Guyanese, and at a family reunion 2 years ago I met my mother's cousin's children who still live in Guyana so I was able to stay at their home. It was wonderful getting to know them better, hearing their life stories, and getting a tour of historic sites in Georgetown. Even though I didn't meet them before 2017, they treated me as though we had known each other all our lives, like real family.

Hanging in Georgetown with my cousin

It was only after I left Guyana that I found out that the church my friend got married in was the same church my grandmother attended when she lived there! I was never the kind of person who cared much for history or "finding my roots" but there was something special about seeing a plaque in the oldest wooden cathedral in Guyana with the names of my grandmother's brother and his wife on it, and recognizing that the faith of my great grandparents was passed on through two generations to me, and my siblings will be passing it on to my niece and nephews.

Outside the historic St. George Cathedral in Georgetown

My friends' wedding was an epic end to a lovely time in Guyana. Although my cousins were gracious enough to take me around while I was there, I was not sure how transport for the wedding would work out, since they lived about half an hour away from the wedding venue, and I didn't want them to have to take me from the ceremony to the reception venue, and then have to take me back home after the reception. At a lime I attended 2 days before the wedding, I was able to reconnect with a friend who had studied in Trinidad, and I found out that she was living in the same development as my cousin, and also attending the wedding! My God is certainly a God of the details :D

So happy for the opportunity to

reconnect with Sherdell

The wedding ceremony was lovely, especially the part where the bride's father sang "I loved her first" to the couple, passing on his role as the man in his daughter's life to her new husband. At the reception, the contingent from our church ensured that we made full use of the dance floor and the DJ that was provided. It was great fun celebrating with my friends on their special day, and I can't wait to see what God will accomplish through their union.

The Patricks - so happy in love <3

The week before Christmas, I found out that someone who was instrumental to my growth in the ISCF camping ministry had passed away. I was grateful that I obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit to make time to visit her when I heard how serious her illness was. "Spram", as we affectionately called her on ISCF Camp, was the face of camping when I started as a child. I still have clear memories of her waking us up on mornings in Toco with her song "Good morning, good morning, good morning! It's time to rise and shine!" She would sing it over and over until we got out of our beds. Reading the tributes to her on facebook from past campers and listening to the testimonial from her nieces at the funeral, it was clear that she played a crucial role of encouragement and support in the lives of countless of young people. Even though she will be missed, we have a sure hope of being reunited with her in heaven.

I returned to Trinidad just in time for her funeral

As we enter 2020, I have no idea what lies ahead. I know there will be joys, as well as sorrows; pleasure, as well as pain; weeping, as well as rejoicing. Through the highs and lows, one thing that I know for sure - God's goodness and faithfulness will not change, and it will be sufficient to carry me through.