Below is the testimony that I just shared with the community onboard last night. It is the testimony of my time on the ship. It was written to share in 5 minutes which of course limits me to share all that God did. But here is a taste of my time onboard...
August 17, 2008
I said my good byes to friends and family and left America for the first time as an 18 year old girl, 3 months out of high school and less than a year into a true relationship with God.
This was the beginning of a journey that I could have never mapped out myself. I would say that these last two years have been the hardest but most amazing two years of my life, so far.
I joined the ship with the wonderful PST in Denmark, the first one of course. Yes we spent 6 month in project phase in Koge. I thank God for our 6 months in Koge because it gave me the opportunity to build relationships with local people that I am still in contact with today.
My first 7 month onboard was spent in the Pantry on the best shift ever, the chocolates. I didn’t love washing dishes everyday but God showed me what it meant to serve him and taught me a lot about leadership. The galley also brought good relationships and amazing memories.
Belfast was my first port working in Onboard Events. Part of my job when first joining events was to be on the team that started the Greatest Treasure programme, yes I am the first ever Anchor. I was in Onboard events for almost all of Europe and absolutely loved it. For our last port in Europe I moved over to Onshore Events and was the Hope and Challenge Team Coordinator.
We sailed across the Atlantic and in the first port of the Caribbean I had the opportunity to go on my first Challenge Team. The challenge team was a wonderful experience but it marks something more, it marks the beginning of my biggest challenge. It was on the way back from challenge team that I heard news that two of my best friends from home had died in a car accident. I couldn’t believe that it was true but it all became real when I went home. Dealing with this loss and grief has been the hardest thing that I have ever gone through. I was left in such confusion with no words to say to God.
After two months at home I returned to the ship with the new challenge of being Onboard Events Team Leader. I began to lead the team straight off in St. Lucia while still trying to deal with pain. After a season of brokenness and loneliness I realized that God was the only one who was going to heal my broken heart, the only one who was going to give me comfort and perfect love. So I came back to God and he began to heal my heart.
After what seemed like forever in the Caribbean we sailed across the Atlantic again and I had the new challenge of being Events Manager, I don’t know whose idea it was to make a 20 year old girl a manager but I thank them because it marked another opportunity to see that I am nothing and God is everything.
My journey in events was a massive challenge but it is amazing how much God taught me in it. The best thing about events aside from working with such amazing people is seeing God do what you know you can not do.
What I have share with you so far has been the big events that have built my two years on the ship but it was so many little things that actually shaped it into what it turned out to be.
So here are some of the little things…
Seeing the ship for the first time and shedding a happy tear.
Having church, worship night, prayer night and devotions on deck 4.
Having to wear a jacket and a scarf to go swing dance on the quayside.
Having water fights in the Galley.
Running around snowy Koge with Adam and Mark.
Christmas around the world.
Spending time with my favourite Danish family.
Seeing a castle for the first time.
February 19th, 2009 sailing out of Koge and into full time ministry.
Sailing into Sweden’s icy waters.
Eating pizza at the top of a hill in the Faroe Islands.
Organizing my first event onboard.
Walking the streets of Dublin giving food to the homeless and praying with them.
Surviving events in London and seeing the first event in the Hope Theatre.
Sailing across the Atlantic twice.
Snorkelling for the first time.
Going turtle hunting at 5am and not finding any turtles.
Swimming on Christmas morning with my best friends.
Seeing over 35,000 school kids go through a programme on the ship in Jamaica.
MCing the youth event in Bahamas with Adam that involved eating a blended happy meal.
Being a part of the organization of the Bermuda Donor weekend and having to deal with more details than I can handle.
Never doing the mission hats presentation.
Swing dancing on quayside around the world and in more events than I can count on two hands, thanks to my partner Ryan Coon.
Going on overnight team in Sierra Leone and receiving a chicken as a gift from the village.
Getting sp with Daniel Nicholas.
Church teams in West Africa.
Sharing the gospel with prostitutes in a ghetto in Monrovia.
Organizing the programme for the President of Liberia with Faith.
Spending time with the events team, dancing, eating, talking, and laughing.
Sitting out on deck when there is no land in sight.
But the best part about these two years is that God broke me, changed me and I fell more in love with him each day.
It’s true I am leaving the ship.
On September 12th
I will first go to Germany to visit Daniel and then I will return home to Americaland with no set plans.
How you can pray for me…
Pray for good times in Germany and guidance from God.
Pray for good re-entry as I will go back to live in a non-Christian home that has faced a lot of changes and challenges over these two years.
Pray that God would guild me as I search for schools to study Event Management.
And pray that God would continue the work he has started in me.
Thank you for being a part of my two years here and thanks for listening.
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