Where in the World is Krysten Rapozo???

no i have not left the county...

2011-11-26T13:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry for leaving you all hanging, here is an update on my plans. Enjoy!

"For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord…"
God has a plan for each one of us and it takes us giving up control and follow God recklessly to really find that plan.

As you all know, I am doing my best to follow God's leading back to the Logos Hope. Over these last months I have been raising support with plans to leave for the ship in November. It is now November and I unfortunately do not have enough support to leave as planned. I need a total of $1200 a month and I currently have $789 a month commited, which means I still need $411 a month.

I was getting extremely stressed out about my support and it was weighing quite heavy on my shoulders. But someone helped me realize that it is not a matter of now or never, it is a matter of finding God's timing. It was becoming clear that it wasn't God's timing for me to leave in November and that was something that I needed to accept and move forward having peace about.

God has given me peace and shown me that he wants me here at home a couple of months longer and that he has purpose in it. I see now that it is important for me to have a bit more time to build a better foundation here at home with my church and my community. It will also be a blessing to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family again before I leave.

I truly believe that the Lord is working out his plan and he is just asking me to give up control and follow him recklessly. At the end of the day I know that if I am following him he will lead me and in turn I have nothing to worry about.

Thank you all for sticking with me on this journey and supporting me and praying for me. The journey is only beginning and I hope that you will all continue to join me through it all.

I would also ask you to pray and consider supporting me financially, I still need $411 a month in order to join the ship in Spring of 2012. I truly need the help of my brothers and sisters to make this possible. Please pray.

In love,
Krysten

Greeting from rainy Washington!!

2011-09-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

I really love this time of year, fall is my favorite!!

Last night I went out to dinner with a friend who I met on the Logos Hope back in the Caribbean.
Over dinner we had this wonderful conversation centered around God's faithfulness in all aspect of our lives.
Being reminded of how God has been faithful in my life and hearing how God has been faithful in her life gave me a fresh sense of peace.
I am going to be honest, this whole "raising support and preparing to leave again" thing is hard and at times really scary.
But a lot of my fears are being calmed by the constant reminder of Gods faithfulness.

My support raising has been been slow to start but I have actually been really encouraged by those who have committed to support me.
I am hoping to leave in mid-November and thanks to recent gifts it looks to be more and more realistic as the days go by.
Currently I have just over 50% of my monthly support committed, which means I am half way there!!!
I have been really encouraged by peoples generosity and I am confident that God will continue to provide the support I need to leave in his timing.

I would very much appreciate continual prayer for my support and also for God prepare my heart for what he has for me.
Please pray that thing would start to fall into place for the timing I should leave and that plans would begin to finalize.

I almost forgot, I have some other news to share with all of you.
With the hopes of my arrive on the ship in mid-November the ship have let me know that they hope to send me to Cebu, Philippines as my first line up!!!!
Knowing that I might be on my first line up in Cebu in just in just a couple of months excites me greatly.
The newsletter below is from OM Philippines and it shares stories of the impact that Doulos (one of OM's previous ships) had on Cebu and it shares about the upcoming visit of the Logos Hope.
It is excited to see a glimpse of what God has already done in Cebu and I am very excited to be a part of what God is going to do there in the coming months.

The ship will visit Cebu January 13 to February 14th, 2012, be excited!! I am!!

With love,
Krysten

Headed home: to a ship.

2011-08-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

"Expect the unexpected with God."

The rumors are true, Krysten Rapozo is going back to the Logos Hope, God willing.

Coming home from the ship in September last year I had no idea that in just 6 months I would find my self preparing once again to go to the ship. God's plan has a way of being so unexpected but yet so perfect. It was a couple of months ago while I was serving at the 2011 OM Ships Partner Weekend that God began leading me back to the ship and towards the plan he had set out for me. I prayed and prayed, sought advice and prayed some more. God has been making the way for me to go back, opening all the doors and given me peace that this is what he wants for me. So now I am continuing to follow the Lord in the process of re-joining the ship for another two years to work in Line-up.

Join me on this crazy journey back to the ship and on a whole new adventure.

Please pray with me as I raise support and prepare to leave in as little as 3 months. Pray for God's provision, continued guildence and perfect timing.

If you would like to recieve my updates while I serve with the Logos Hope please email me at krysten.rapozo@gmail.com and or follow me on my blog.

If you would like to support me or learn more in order to pray about supporting me please email me at krysten.rapozo@gmail.com with your mailing address and I will send you my support letter and prayer card along with all the information you need to support me.

I am excited for what God has instore for my life in next couple of years and I cant wait to share that with all of you. Thanks for being a part of my life, love you.

Krysten

Trust.

2011-03-29T13:12:00.003-07:00

It’s been something like a month now; I hate to realize that it has already been that long because it reminds me of what I haven’t done in a month. A month on the ship was packed full and now a month at home feels quite empty. I have to create purpose for waking every morning; it is true to say that I came back to with no plans. I guess it has made me come to know or better remember my need for plans and that I get quite uncomfortable when I don’t have them. I realized the other day that I haven’t every really not known what I am going to do next. Year after year in school you always know that the following year is to come and at the end of school I knew that the ship was next. But now my next is over and I have no next. I guess this leaves me with one thing to do… trust, trust God. The great thing about trusting God, is knowing that he is worth trusting and remembering how he has been faithful time and time again.

America.

2011-03-29T13:12:00.001-07:00

America, the country I call home, the country that I lived in for 18 years without crossing its boarders. It was a year’s time since I walked on its semi-solid ground and two years since called it home. Now that my feet are back, I honestly didn’t miss it all that much. I flew from Germany to Atlanta, Georgia (it wasn’t as simple as it sounds, it included 2 lay overs and a total travel time of about 24 hours), America yes but not the America I am familiar with.
Did you know that in Peach Tree City they drive golf carts like cars; they have paths along the roads specifically for the carts, shocking. Nadar took us to the grocery store in his golf cart and we saw some young kid with a tricked out golf cart complete with big tires and a paint job with flames.
I had my first meal of fast food on my second day back in America (I didn’t really want to eat fast food and haven’t had it since) and I was shocked by the size of a small drink, it wasn’t a small at all, it was a large in my point of view. If I ever go back to a fast food restaurant I will know to order in kids sizes because the adult sizes are quite ridicules.
I became completely aware of the fact that so many Americans are overweight; it was something that I knew but didn’t notice as much until now. It’s quite sad how many people are overweight in this country and even more sad how many children are already overweight. The other night I was driving with a friend and as we drove past a MacDonald’s I mentioned how there was a backed up line at the drive through, she said she never really notices. There were something like 8 cars in line for MacDonald’s at 9pm but the craziest part for me was that the drive through had two lines to order, seriously is that necessary, I guess.
You know, America isn’t a terrible place at all; it just isn’t all it’s cracked out to be.

it happended.

2011-03-29T13:11:00.003-07:00

I thought I would never leave the ship, not literally but when you first come two years seems like forever. But it happened and I write from a house, not a ship. I left the ship on Sunday, September 12th at about 1300 with my South African friends Brad and Francois.
My Sunday started with being woken up by a phone call from the purser, he wanted me to go to immigrations to get my passport stamped, I quickly realized that I had slept longer than I wanted.
It came time to say good byes soon after coming back from immigrations (I walked up the gangway for the last time).
The page happened, the one you hear so often around change over.
"Attention ships company, brad, francois and krysten will be leaving the ship, if you would like to say good bye please go to the lobby now."
I dont know how many time I have heard this page but of course this was the first time it featered my name.
The line formed and I gave hug after hug. I was quite tiring to say good bye to people one after another. It was esspecially hard when you get to people who you really love and who you will really miss.
Yes, I did cry but it wasnt until I got to Catherine in the line.
I survived the good byes and now it was time to walk down the gangway for the last time.
Some good friends prayed for us and then it was time. Down the gangway and into the car.

We drove away and at that moment my new adventure and new season began.

my farewell testiomy.

2010-08-31T12:57:00.001-07:00

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.

Yes, the President of Liberia.

2010-08-16T02:45:00.000-07:00

I co-organized and ran an event onboard the ship for Her Excellency Ellen Joshson Sirleaf President of the Republic of Liberia, yes, the President of Liberia.
It all started on Friday afternoon when I got a call to go to the dinning room to discuss the programme for the Presidents Visit. Apparently she was coming TOMORROW!! Her protocall people wouldnt tell us when she would actually come, only that she would come tomorrow before lunch. So we got planning. (What do you do for a President?) After figuring out a programme with the leaders Faith (Philippines) and I went shopping in the bookfair for a gift.... for the President, so funny. That evening we went around to find the people we would need to be in the programme, it wasnt that hard because no one wants to say not to being a part of the programme for the President of Liberia. Friday evening finished and we were ready.
Saturday morning, the day.
Woke up, ate a quick breakfast and started preparing the room at 0745 because her protocall people were already onboard again. They claimed she would come at 1000 or 1030, "Africa time". We set up the room, dealt with the demands of her people and by 1000 were ready. We called together all those who would be involved and we waited... and waited.
Finally by 1130 she arrived. Her cars pulled up infront of the ship. The door opened and red carpet stairs came out and then she did. She stepped out, waved to the people and made her way onto the ship. We all got in our places ready to welcome her. I stood at the enterance of the Logos Lounge. Faith in my ear on the radio, "she's in the lobby, she is going up the stairs, she is coming down the hallway, she is coming..." and then I saw her, the President of Liberia, so funny. The came in, we all stood and clapped for her and the program began. The programme went well and when it was finished it was such a relief, but her visit wasnt finished. I went ahead to make sure that everything was okay where ever she was going. She went to the book fair first. Then she wanted to go to the Bridge, I held the door open for her, for like 10 minutes, a fire door, so heavy. Then after the Bridge we took her to a room to sign the guest book. Then she left and it was over. I gave Faith a high five, we did it. It was a crazy morning but I loved it. It was a day to remember.

africa the west part.

2010-08-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that I am in the mist of my last country in Africa. I remember sailing into Africa (Sierra Leone) for the first time just the middle of June. I was so excited but yet so nervous, a new continent, new countries, new people, new culture, new experiences and news memories to make. My time in Africa has flown by, now having visited Freetown, Sierra Leone, Tema & Takoradi, Ghana and now last Monrovia, Liberia. Looking back at the time I have already spent in Africa I am amazed and so thankful. It has always been a dream of mine to visit Africa and my dream came true in a way I would have never expected. God has blessed me with some amazing experiences over these last months in Africa and my eyes are definatly more open now.

Sierra Leone was a big highlight for me because of the team I went on. I went on a team with 5 other people from the ship and a local pastor. We traveled 5 hours from the ship to a small village called Lohindi. We went to Lohindi to help fix the roof of their school, the roof continues to get blown off by the wind when there are storms. It is a blessing for this village to even have a school as many dont and kids end up having to travel very far on foot to even have the chance to go to school. We stayed 3 days in this village fixing this school, it turned out that we did more than practical work. At night we traveled to different villages to share with them, all being translated because they spoke a tribal language. We also spent so much time with the beautiful children. I walked around Lohindi always having a child attached to my hand. So many beautiful children. My time in Lohindi I will never forget. It opened my eyes to a way of life I have never seen, only thought about. A way of life that involves no electricity, no running water, living in huts, eating only one meal a day and simple fellowship community life. One of the most amazing parts about my time in Lohindi was the relationships I built with the people even though we could speak to each other, when we left that village you could see the sadness on their faces and I could feel the sadness in my heart. One of the biggest highlight of my time onboard the ship.
I love Lohindi.

Sierra Leone came and went and we were soon sailing to Ghana.
First Tema and then Takoradi.
My highlight for Ghana would be going to an Orphanage, Fathers Home. There were 30 children at this Orphanage and they were so lovely. I really felt a peace at this Orphanage and I really felt like it was God lead. I enjoyed spending time with the children and showing Gods love with them.
Another hightlight was going to a local church for sunday service. It is of course so different from church back home in the States. I enjoy listing to the people worship and I enjoying watching them dance. It so good to see the different culture and see how they worship God. We also were able to share with the church about the ship and fellowship with them in the beginning and end. I also got to hold this beautiful 2 month old baby named Fredrika.

So like I said before, I am now in Monrovia, Liberia my last West African port and my last full port onboard the ship. I will leave the ship in Las Palmas, Canaries on September 12th.

Pray I make the most of each day I have left serving onboard.

pray.

2010-06-05T05:55:00.000-07:00

We are into our 6th day of sailing across the Atlantic to West Africa and one of our water makers has broke down. You might not know what a water maker is so let me educate you, it takes the salt water from the ocean and makes it fresh for us to use. One of them has now broken down which means we make less water which means we can use less water. We now as a community have to use half of what we normally use. Pray that we can conserve water and that our second water maker continues to work as we still have a week of sailing to go before we get to land.

Thank you for your prayers,
Krysten

sailing across the atlantic... again.

2010-05-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

Sailing across the Atlantic…again.
It is coming to the end of my time serving onboard the Logos Hope but it also a new beginning. We will sail across the Atlantic from the Caribbean where we have spent the last 10 months to West Africa where I will spend my last 3 and ½ months onboard.

When I look back at the last 10 months I have spent in the Caribbean it seems to all mesh together but when I really take time to remember, I realize the uniqueness of each port I visited.

St. Vincent- Lived a week on an island called Union Island where we sold books and did open airs.

Home- At the end of St. Vincent I got news of an accident that killed two of my best friends, so I came home straight after hearing and stayed home for two months.

Trinidad- I spent 3 days in Trinidad because it was where I returned back to the ship after being home for 2 months. It is significant for me because it was exciting to see my second home again after a long break at home.

St. Lucia- This port is memorable for me because it was first of all my first port back on the ship and it was my first port leading the events team. This port was difficult because I faced challenges in work that I needed to figure out myself as a leader of a team. This port I also met some American who were working there with the peace core and they took me snorkelling for the first time.

Barbados- Anchorage. We had to go to anchor when we were in Barbados due to swells that were knocking the ship against the quayside. During this time I did different teams such as street evangelism and going to a breakfast club for children who live in a very poor community.

Guyana- This port opened my eyes to poverty. Guyana is poor and going from tourist islands such as St. Lucia and Barbados to a country like Guyana was a bit shocking at times. I saw poverty like I hadn’t seen before and it opened my eyes to the need. I also had the opportunity to go to a church and be a part of a feeding program for children in a poor community; we shared about Jesus with them and then ate dinner with them.

Curacao- Will forever be in my memory as my hot Christmas. We spent Christmas and New Years in Curacao and it was such a nice place to be for these days. I will never forget going swimming in the ocean next to the ship on Christmas morning.

Aruba- It was amazing to organize the Official Opening in Aruba because we actually were allowed to sell books in Aruba and the woman who said we couldn’t sell books happened to be out Guest of Honor at the Official Opening. Our Captain and Directors speeches at that event were amazing and God changed that woman’s heart and she allowed us to sell books. Also in Aruba we had a benefit event for HIV/AIDS and I had the opportunity to swing dance at it. It was amazing.

Jamaica- All I can think of is school kids. We had 35,530 school kids attend a program onboard the ship during our time in Jamaica and the most amazing part about that is that each one of them heard the Gospel. God brought 35,530 Jamaican school kids one step closer to him through the ships visit.

Bahamas- I had the opportunity to MC a youth event in Bahamas with my Australian friend Adam. It was my best experience MCing and I had so much fun doing it. God brought 2 guys to him in that event.

Bermuda- The Bermuda Donor Weekend was my highlight in Bermuda and it was so special for me to have been a part of it. It was an honour for me to be able to organize 2 events onboard the ship for these partners of the ships ministry. It was great to see the partner’s reactions as they saw the ministry that they so faithfully support.

Antigua- God blessed me with rest. I went on break during our time in Antigua and it was a very restful time for me.

St. Kitts- We had packed events during our 5 day visit to St. Kitts. The highlight for me was the fact that we could have so many people onboard visiting and attending a program in such a short time.

Dominica- To be honest the best times I have had in Dominica during our visit has been my off days. God has shown me his beauty and love through his creation. I had the opportunity to trek a river, hike up to a waterfall and trek down it and swim in a gorge. God showed me the love he has for me through the nature in Dominica and he made it rain a lot, I love rain.

So now it is just minutes before we will start our journey sailing across the Atlantic to West Africa. I look forward to sunrises, sunset, stary nights and sleeps on deck. I cant wait to sit on deck and look out to nothing but water all around. To not see land for days but not miss it that much. I look forward to times with God where he shows me his beauty and love and I thank and praise him that he loves a human like me.

Pray for my sail across the Atlantic and pray for my last months serving onboard. West Africa has potential to be very busy and crazy, pray that I find rest in God.

With love,
Krysten

the things we do to share about Jesus.

2010-05-03T07:01:00.000-07:00

I got to MC the Youth Event in Bahamas with a good friend Adam from Australia.
It was a blast to be onstage in front of those couple hundred teens. Adam and I had so much fun leading the program. It gave me so much energy to be up there and it reminded me of how much I love teens. We did some pretty crazy things for this event, check out the video below. This video was for a game that was based off of the passage in Matthew where it says " So do not worry, saying 'What will I eat?' or 'What will I drink?' or 'What will I wear?' For the pagans run after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:31-34

swing dance.

2010-03-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

One way that I love to worship God and connect with people is through Swing Dance.

I started to learn how to Swing Dance a year and a half ago when I joined the Logos Hope

We often perform in Youth Events onboard the ship.

Just two nights ago we performed at a youth event onboard, check out the video...

a day off.

2010-03-07T10:15:00.001-08:00

I am so thankful for my work onboard the ship and the ministry that I get to be a part of here on the Logos Hope. It cab be a lot of work and is often stressful but God knows when I need rest and He takes care of me by giving me restful and fun off days. This is just one.

A three hour journey through the Blue Mountains of Jamaica brought us to the Blue Lagoon.

The Blue Lagoon is a mixture of fresh and salt water. The ocean flows in on one side and streams from the mountain flow in from the other side. I looked at the beautiful blue water counted to three and jumped in. It was so odd to be swiming through salt and fresh water, one second you were freezing and the next your were warm. You could also see the fresh and salt water mixing. I swam out with some a friend and sat on a floating dock admiring the beauty of the jungle that surrounded us. Then my favorit part happened, it started to rain. It was so beautiful to watch the heavy rain drops fall onto the top of the blue lagoon. I just sat and soaked in the beauty. So good.

We finished our time at the Blue Lagoon, stuffed back into the bus and headed to Frenchmen's Cove an equally beautiful part of Jamaica.
At Frenchmen's cove there was a grassy park that lead to a beautiful beach that had a fresh water stream flowing into it. We ran into the ocean and played in the waves and then relaxed on the beach.

My favorite part about Frenchmen's Cove was that it was far from the city, the beach was surrounded by the jungle. It was quiet and peaceful and beautiful. It helped me to slow down and relax.

After we left Frenchmen's Cove we went to the Jerk Center to have some famous Jerk Chicken. We went around to differnt sellers and had samples to find the best chicken, we baggened a bit and got our Jerk Chicken and it was so good.

After our bellies were full we got back on the bus and headed back to the ship. It was the end of an amazing day off that was full of good memories. In the mist of the busyness of my life God blesses me with times like these and I am so thankful.

Thanks God.

2010-02-21T09:09:00.000-08:00

Jamaica mon.

Montego Bay, Jamaica January 20th to February 16th

Montego Bay was the busiest, most stressful, tiring and crazy port I have every experienced but it was also one of the most exciting.

The port started with the Official Opening which is an event that I coordinate and run onboard that "officially" opens the ship to that particular country. Many important and official people come, we always have a guest of honour who shares a speak and cuts the ribbon to open the book fair. It is an exciting event from me because it is the beginning of the great things God will do in a port.

If I could describe my time in Montego Bay in one work it would be KIDS. It became so aware to me that Gods heart was for the children of Jamaica as I watched thousands of kids visit the ship. We planned to do 28 school programs while in Montego Bay but it happened that we ended up doing 25 more than we had planned. Everyday we would have hundreds of school kids waiting to come on she ship.

16,513 kids attended school programs during out time in Montego Bay!!!

God used the ship to minister to over 16 thousand Jamaican children, every single one heard the gospel in some way. It was blows me away when I think how many kids visited and it reminds me that none of this is in my strength it is all through Gods strength.

The reason why Montego Bay was such a stressful port for me was because of the busyness of school visits, every day I was faced with hundreds of school kids that wanted to visit the ship but I was also faced by their teachers who often can be very inpatient and angry. I found myself being yelled at by teachers everyday. God reminded me of a verse.

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep with out a Shepard." -Matthew 9: 36

I really had to ask God to give me compassion for the people of Jamaica and to love them with Gods love. I realized that I don't have the compasity to love these people, I can only love them through God and through his eyes.

Love the people.

since i have been back.

2010-01-25T07:51:00.000-08:00

I arrived back to the ship on Oct. 10th in Port of Spain, Trinidad at the end of a long and busy port. On Oct. 15th we arrived in Castries, St. Lucia. Castries was my first full port back on the ship and my first port in my new job as Onboard Events Team Leader. It was a challenging port but a great port. I met some Americans who were with the Peace Core and serving in St. Lucia. I went snorkeling for the first time with my American Peace Core friends.

The events team.

Snorkeling for the first time.

From St. Lucia we went to Bridgetown, Barbados on Oct. 28th where we unfortunately had to go to anchor and not be open to the public for most of our visit. I had the opportunity to lead a street evangelism team as well as go on a team that fed breakfast to children in a very poor neighborhood. I also got the opportunity to paint a kinder garden.

Street Evangelism Team.

Kids Breakfast.
Painting the Kindergarden.

Barbados to Guyana.
Guyana was a shocking port for me, it was different from any country I have ever seen. I saw a lot of poverty in Guyana, I saw things I have never seen before and it opened my eyes to the need in the world. It wasn't odd to see people with out shoes, it wasn't odd to see someone standing on outside bathing themselves in a bucket of water, it wasn't odd to see shacks build out of anything that could be found, it wasn't odd for people to have no running water or electricity, it wasn't odd to see children walking around with no shoes on and just in underwear, it wasn't odd to see trenches full of garbage and dirty water, and it wasn't odd for me to feel hurt in my heart for these people.

Going from Guyana, a country in South America that is considered part of the Caribbean but is actually very different from the Caribbean because it has no sandy beaches, palm trees and blue waters was then shocking to arrive in Curacao. Curacao is a desert like island with perfect blue water, barley any poverty with European developted makes it a tourist location. It was a big change but it reminds me that everyone needs God and his love, from the homeless man laying on the street to the rich tourist at the beach. Curacao was a quiet port, ministry was defiantly happening but it was defiantly a time for the community. We were able to spent Christmas and new years in Curacao. The Lord really blessed us during our time in Curacao.

I began the new year of 2010 in the beautiful Curacao. I am looking forward to what God has for me in the year to come and I am extremely thankful for the things God has done in my life in 2009.

dont worry.

2009-11-09T15:44:00.000-08:00

It's not all bad.
I just wanted to write to tell all who read that I am okay, you might have an idea from my last two blog entries that I am not doing too well which I am not wonderful but I am also not terrible. Yes, this was and is all very hard but I am still experiencing moments of smiles and laughter. Each day brings something new and yes some days do still bring many tears but each day never fails to bring me a smile in some way. God is healing and I am holding on. So don't worry.

desert.

2009-11-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

I feel so dry.
My insides, my heart feels like I am stranded in a hot desert.
Wandering with no water.
Dieing of thirst.
Seeking for water to quench my thirst.
Searching and making no progress.
I am wandering day after day and there is no water to be found.
Some days I think there is water ahead and my spirit rises but I am deceived, it isn't water, its just my imagination.
So I continue with this longing, this desire, this wonder of when I will feel satisfied again.
Will I continue on my search forever or will I succeed and thirst no more.

Lord I am thirsty, wont you give me your living water?

the greatest storm.

2009-10-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

On August 11, 2009 I woke up on Union Island in the Caribbean to a huge storm, rain that drenched the ground, lightning that light up all I could see, and thunder that roared louder than I had ever heard. I had woken up to what I thought was the biggest storm but I didn't know what the future held. That morning I boarded a ferry that would take me back to St. Vincent which was were the ship was birthed. Due to the storm that morning the ride on the ferry wasn't pleasant and I found myself in the bathroom throwing up. My day wasn't looking so good but I had no idea that it would become one that I would never forget. That day, on that ferry, I was told something that broke my heart, something that changed my life forever, something that I wish never happened. These are the words I was told "Krysten, your two best friends Aja and Amanda died in a car accident yesterday." No words escaped my mouth, only tears feel from my eyes. I looked out at the vast ocean for while and then spoke, a simple question. "Aja and Amanda??" All I heard in response was "yes". I fell to my knees and wept. That hour I had left on the ferry till we arrived in St. Vincent I sat will tears falling from my eyes and denial and questions filling my head. The moment I found out about what happened to Aja and Amanda I felt this sickness come over me and as I sunk deeper and deeper into the reality of my friends death the sickness inside my stomach grew. I arrived back on the ship and throw myself in my bed and cried. The phone calls started to come. First it was Shanna, we cried together and didn't have much words to say except that we needed each other. Next was my mom where I heard the some good news, she told me I could come home. After I got off the phone with my mom I was focused on getting a flight home. The very next day I watched the ship sail out of St. Vincent and the morning after that I began my flight home. I arrived in Portland on Friday at 10am to find that I needed to go straight home to get ready... for Amanda's service. It all hit me very fast. I was home in America, seeing my friends and family for the first time in a year but I would have never wished it was for this reason. It was shocking enough to be at home again and with the reason for my return, it made it a million time more shocking.

Amanda's funeral was beautiful, the words that were spoken about her were beautiful which was all fitting because she was an amazing and beautiful daughter of God.

The very next day after Amanda's funeral was Aja's, this day was harder than I can explain. I started the day by going to Aja's house to see her parents, that day I met her dad for the first time when I was standing in her room crying. After being in Aja's room and meeting her dad it became too much for me and I had to leave her house. In the car on the way to Aja's funeral I thought to myself "God is this really my life? Are they really gone?" It all felt like some bad dream that I was going to eventually wake up from, but I haven't woken up yet, its my life. I arrive at Aja's funeral which was held at my home church, I found my seat and stared at my lap trying to deal with all the thoughts that were running through my head. (as I write my heart is beating so fast, my stomach feels sick and I am nervous to write what I am going to write next because it seems so unbelievable in my head) As I sat in my chair waiting for the service to start I was interrupted with the question of "Do you want to see her?" Immediately my heart broke and said NO. I said "No, I cant, I cant see her." I was then told it will make it more real, it might help. In my head I disagreed but I was then brought to the room where she was. That very second I saw her casket I collapsed into my friends arms, I pulled myself together and walked into room. There she was right in front of my eyes, my best friend dead lying in her casket. I just wept. After a short while I couldn't look at her anymore, the sickness in my stomach was unbearable, so I left the room and sat back in my set and buried my wet face in my hands. Her service was beautiful, great things were said about her, music was played that she would have loved, and people spoke of their times with her. During the open mic I sat in my seat wanting to tell of the beautiful friendship that I shared with Aja but knowing I couldn't speak, I couldn't find the words to say that would express how much I love that girl and how broken I was with out her. So I kept quite, hoping that she knew what she meant to me. I survived my second funeral in two day, before this I had never even been to a proper funeral service.

As I write this I think of how odd it was that one second I was serving on the Logos Hope, really falling in love with God and his people and growing so much in God and the next second I was attending the funerals of two of my best friend. It was like my world had fallen apart, so much of what I knew and loved came crashing down, with no warning. My life became so blurry, so much confusion filled my head and so much hurt filled my heart.

This was the storm, the greatest storm, now it was time to try to repair from all the damage it had caused.

in the paper.

2009-05-29T05:08:00.000-07:00

We are now in Cardiff, Wales.
Check out an artical about the ship written by a local newspaper.
A picture of me was printed with this artical.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/05/29/book-ship-embarks-on-a-new-chapter-91466-23738409/

Port Praise for Belfast, Northern Ireland.

2009-05-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

Watch the port praise for our time in Belfast, Ireland.
I share about event at 18 min.
Check it out.

http://etheatre.logoshope.gbaships.com/play.php?vid=342

where.

2009-05-23T05:22:00.000-07:00

Koge, Denmark
Gothenburg, Sweden
Harlingen, the Netherlands
Scaveningen, the Netherlands
Edinburgh, Scotland
Torshavn, Faroe Islands
Klaksvik, Faroe Islands
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Dublin, Ireland

We are on our way to:
Cardiff, Wales
London, England
Cork, Ireland

Then we will cross the Atlantic (12ish days at sea) to the Caribbean

Please pray for strength in these upcoming ports as they will be VERY busy and we are under manned. It is humanly impossible to do what we are going to do but through Gods strength we can.
Keep me in your prayers (:

CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULE FOR FUTURE PORTS AND DATES ON THE WEBSITE AT WWW.LOGOSHOPE.ORG!!

Newsletter (:

2009-04-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

Here is my lovely newsletter for my time in the Netherlands. I pretty much love it there. Read all about it (:

file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Owner/Desktop/newsletters/the%20netherlands%20newsletter%20by%20krysten.htm

(copy and paste the address into your internet address bar and press enter)

come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me.

2009-03-31T05:40:00.000-07:00

February 19, 2009

The Logos Hope sailed out of Koge, Denmark and into MINISTRY!!!

On Feb. 18 the leaders called us together and told us we were leaving tomorrow but just the day before that they told us we weren't going to leave for a week or so. At this point we didn't know what was going to happen. So we prayed and waited patiently for the day to come, and it did and we sailed out of Denmark and into Gods amazing plan for this ship. Our first destination and first ever ministry port was Gothenburg, Sweden. Feb. 19th was a day written into OM ships history, the five year project of the Logos Hope was finally finished for ministry. The day we sailed I was going through so many emotions, I was so happy and excited to sail but I was also so sad to leave and say goodbye to the friends there in Denmark.

But the most exciting thing about Feb. 19th is how we could see God work that day. We shouldn't have left that day, it was humanly impossible for us to leave but it was possible for God and that was so amazing to see. God really does do miracles.

a pomegranate.

2009-02-07T02:50:00.000-08:00

So it was my day off from work and I planned to spend sometime in God's word as I have been slaking a bit lately. So I sat on my bed in my cabin, I opened my bible and started to read. I read a great Psalm, Psalm 78 and then I turned to Leviticus and started to read. My mind just went off on totally different topics and I ended up closing my bible and going off the ship. The reason I went out was to go to the market and buy a pomegranate but on my way to the market I had a very intense conversation with God and he showed me something. I was walking and praying about a lot of things, I was so angry with myself. I had heard a story a couple of days before this from a girl named Alice. Her none Christian friend from home was woken up in the middle of the night with this desire to read the bible and now it fascinates him so much he cant put it down. I WANT THAT!! I was asking God to give me this desire to read his word. Then I reached the train station in Koge and God put something from my past into my mind as a cried out to him. He showed me a relationship that I had with a guy friend about a year ago. I had this friend who I thought was perfect, I was so fascinated by him, so in awe of him. I always wanted to spend time with him and I desired so badly to be with him, but he rejected me and told me that "he didn’t have time for me" it broke my heart. God helped me realize that my relationship with him right now is a lot like the relationship I had with this guy. God is like me and I am like this guy. God thinks I am so great and he is fascinated with me and just wants to spend time with me, he wants so badly to just be with me but time and time again I do to God with this guy did to me, I reject him and tell him the "I don’t have time for him." I reject the God of the universe and tell him that I don’t have time for him, I am so lucky to even be able to have a relationship with him and speak directly to him. But God also showed me a verse that I had read just before I went out. It is from Psalm 78 and it says "I will teach you hidden lessons from your past" (psalm 78:2) and that verse says exactly what God did that day, he used my past to show me something about now. God really showed me how I am treating him now in my relationship with him.

how are you doing?

2009-01-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

How are you doing? What does this question mean? Is it a greeting? A way of saying "Hi"? Are you asking just to be nice? What answer are you looking for? When you ask someone how they are doing you sometimes just expect them to say the most typical answer "GOOD". I do it myself. "How are you?" has become a greeting with no expectations of an answer longer than one sentence. Do we honestly want/care to know how the person is doing when we ask them? Do we want to know? Do you want to invest? Or are you just trying to be nice?

I have been challenged with this more that once here on the ship because "how are you doing?" has become a way of saying "hello" to someone. I do it. I don't want to ask the question just to be nice. When I ask I want to ask because i want to know the answer.

just a thought.

2009-01-19T04:47:00.000-08:00

As I sit in Cafe Vivaldi in Koge, Denmark I look out the window and I see snow falling. Soft, white, dry snow. It is beautiful. Earlier when I was walking a snow flake fell on my glove and I looked at it and I could see the intricate pattern. It was so amazing. It quickly melted away into nothing but I didn't miss seeing its beauty. People are so obviously different from each other. You can see God's intricate work in every person on earth. We are all so different but all so beautiful. We are like snow flakes, all made different, no two exactly the same. I cant imagine how much time, effort, love and thought went in to making us. He is so creative and it is so amazing to know that I get my creative nature from the God of the universe, the God who made the stars.

2009-01-19T01:49:00.000-08:00

"You still lack one thing.

Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor and you will have treasures in heaven and come follow me."

-Luke 18:22

When it says "sell all you have" and "come follow me" the way those words speak to me today is that I need to give up everything i have, "sell everything" emotionally and physically. Everything in my heart and mind, give it all up to God and FOLLOW HIM.

I have given up a lot to God through the journey of coming to the ship and being here but there is still a lot of things that I need to give to him. I am still not fully surrendered yet but I will be. I know I can do it but I can only do it through God's strength not my own.

two thousand and nine. a new year. a new beginning.

2009-01-19T01:35:00.000-08:00

2008 was a year of preparation, preparation for my future serving God. Now I am living what God was preparing me for and that is a bit scary. I believe that 2009 will be a time whee i take all the things I learned in 2008 and the years before and put them into action in my life. It is time to learn, grow and for God to take me in his hands and mold me into the woman of God that he wants me to be. I want this year to be a year of change and growth. I want to mature in my relationship with God. I want to stop saying I am going to do things and not doing them. I want to do what I say and really devote my life to God. I want to give my time to him, give up all control to him. But I think the biggest thing that i need to do (which I am going to do) is dive into God's word, read it, study it, meditate on it, and know it in my heart and mind. This year will be about change and growth in me but really it is all about God and his will for me. I want to focus all of my attention on God.

God, here I am.

Yours to have, to do with what you wish.

God, take me, change me, mold me, make me more and more like you and less and less like me.

Lord I devote this year, this month, this week, this day, this minute, and this second to you.

I am yours, my heart is yours, my life is yours Lord.

Let your will be done in me God.

Let me fulfill the purpose you have made for me.

I am yours Lord.

Amen.

Christmas Around the World

2008-12-29T01:56:00.000-08:00

On the ship we just finished Christmas Around the World, this link will take you to a video that tells all about it. Please check it out and see what we have been up to the last month.

http://www.mvlogoshope.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=371&Itemid=319&resourceid=2008-12-Christmas_Around_The_World&wmvsize=&movsize=&mp4size=70#Content

a change of scene.

2008-11-18T02:28:00.000-08:00

So as you may know i work in the galley on the ship (the kitchen), 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. I needed a change from my everyday life, so I volunteered to help out in the engine room cleaning the tank tops. This involved getting really dirty, which i could handle :). So I got my dirty clothes on, and my work boots and I went for it. I spent the morning in the engine room, under the floor, in a very small space cleaning oil, lots of oil. It was a great experience, yeah it was hard but I really enjoyed myself. It was also nice to help out the guys who do it everyday, they appreciated the help.

its practical.

2008-11-18T02:19:00.000-08:00

Painting seems to be so much more fun when you are doing it for someone else. A small group of us from the ship spent a day painting rooms for a christian boarding school. The kids that go to this school live rough lives and don't have it easy. It was such a blessing to help them out in a small way, behind the scenes, in a practical way. We painted 3 rooms in the house. They were so kind to us, they fed us and really showed us love. We did our best to show them Gods love through the work that we were doing for them.

i am afraid of clowns.

2008-11-04T03:38:00.000-08:00

So we have this thing called Experience Day. On our experience days we do different things such as training, church teams, prayer days and doing aid work. The last two experience days I have had training, clown training! As you can see from the title, I am afraid of clowns. But I did very much enjoy clown training. I am still deciding if I will go far enough to actually be a clown at an event. I have also had training in ballooning, which I love to do. I really enjoy ballooning and I think i might continue to work on it and look into doing it at events.

a box full of love.

2008-10-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

Today was a rough day.I was sort of down in the dumps. I needed to get out of my cabin, so I went to the dinning room to see my friend John Benn. On the way I stopped to get my work clothes. I had to pass by the mail room and every time I do, i peek my head in to see if I have any mail. And there it was, a big blue box. When I saw it I knew it was for me. My frown turned into a huge smile and that very second my day was brighter than ever. I was so excited. I raced to the dinning room to show my friend John Benn that I had got my package I had been waiting for. I sat down and began to open it. I was so overwhelmed with happiness and excitement I was shaking. John Benn had to help me open it. (by the way, this package was from my parents and it was my very first time getting a package on the ship) So I got it open and I started rummaging through what was in it. (mind you, it was a pretty big box) I had asked my mom to send me a few things and they were all in there but there was so much more then I had asked for. My mother knows me so well. She sent me things that I love. I could see how much effort and love she had put into this package and it made me so happy It was so awesome to get this package today, and it came in perfect timing. It reminded me of home and made me miss home and my parents so much.

I love my mommy and daddy!

check out the ship.

2008-10-29T01:50:00.000-07:00

They have just made a new video of the ship. It shows the different areas on the ship and what they are used for. It gives you a chance to see my home! click on the link and check it out.

p.s i am in the video! look for me :)

http://www.mvlogoshope.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=371&Itemid=319&resourceid=2008-10-Ship_Tour&wmvsize=&movsize=&mp4size=45#Content

update.

2008-10-15T02:33:00.000-07:00

I am sure a lot of you are wondering when we will sail, where we will go next, and whats going on on the ship. Well the ship is still being finished and there is still a lot to be done, although a lot has been finished. The Logos Lounge was just finished last week and was one of our big projects. The lounge will be used for Sunday services, prayer nights, worship nights and other gatherings and conferences. The picture on the right shows the Logos Lounge on opening night, it was an exciting night! So as you know we are currently docked in Koge, Denmark and will be staying here till most of the work is done. We have to get certain certificates to be able to sail with 400 passengers on board, so we cant sail till we receive those certificates. Everyone on the ship is working so hard to finish the ship and we are making progress but there is still a lot to be done. We don't know when we will be leaving Koge and rumors are always going around about when we are leaving but no one knows for sure. We should be leaving in the beginning of the next year. If you want to know more about the Logos Hope project you can check out the website at http://www.mvlogoshope.org/. The website is always updated with stories of what is going on on the ship.

Please pray that the ships crew wont get discouraged that we aren't sailing for a little while.

Pray for finances to finish major projects, as we are very low on money.

Please pray for more workers to help finish the ship.

it wasn't the end.

2008-10-13T00:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday Oct. 4th
Some people from the youth group at the church I did the program at came to the ship for a tour. It was so exciting to see them again and have further contact with them. I meet the group on deck 5 and then took them of a tour of the ship. After the tour we went to the dinning room to have something to drink and just talk. My friend Sam (was part of the program at the youth group) was talking to one of the youth leaders Camille about the church. Basically the church doesn't like OM for some reason and it was a huge step for the church to let us come and do the program at the youth group. Also it was an even bigger step for them to bring kids to the ship, one boys father wouldn't let him come. I know God sent us to that youth group to show them God love, share about missions and build relationships but I am also finding that he wants us to help mend the relationship between the church and OM. God sent us to that church to give them a fresh taste of who OM is and I just pray that we changed their mind about OM.
My time with this group on Saturday was great. They invited us to come to their church on a Sunday and to a concert. I also invited them back to the ship to come to our prayer night or worship night.

Monday Oct. 6th
Two girls from the youth group Irene and Miriam came to the ship to come to worship night. I was so excited to spend more time with them and maybe get the chance to further build the relationship that I had with them. We went to worship night and praised God together, it was awesome. There was a speaker that night and he came up to the mic and said that he felt like God was telling him that there was someone there that had divorced parents and they were still hurting from this. I knew that one of the girls parents were divorced and so I looked over at her and I could see the hurt in her eyes. I had a feeling that God was speaking to her, so i quietly prayed for her. I didn't get the chance to talk to her about it but I am praying an opportunity will arise.
It is so exciting that I have continued to meet with them because I have really been praying to God about this. Since the ship will be in Køge for a couple of months I really wanted to get the chance to build relationships with local people. I have prayed about this a lot and I am so thankful that God has given me this opportunity.

Please pray that my relationship with these girls will grow stronger and that I will continue to get opportunities to spend time with them.

An open door.

2008-10-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Oct. 1st
On this day I was asked to be in a small group that would go to a youth group and put on a program for it. Through a couple of meetings and practicing skits we were ready. We traveled to a town outside of Copenhagen called Hillerød to a church called Grønne Vang Kirke. Going into all of this I was very nervous, i had prepared my testimony to share, I was in a skit and I had to run a game. I was nervous but also ready. We arrived at the church and was welcomed by one of the youth leaders Camille. We unloaded and set up. Then we went to the youth room where all of the teens had prepared dinner, we sat together around a huge table and ate dinner together. Already at this point I felt like a part of this church, a part of their family. They were so friendly and so nice.
My experience with danish people is that they aren't very friendly and they don't want to talk to you, especially about God. But these people were different.
After dinner our program started. It started off kind of shaky and I was nervous that they weren't going to like it and they were going to think we were losers. But once it got going and they played a game it was all good. They were laughing and having fun. Next was the skit I was in and it went so good, I didn't forget my lines and they laughed, it was great. After my game it was my turn to share my testimony. I had gotten my testimony down solid to what I felt like God was calling me to talk about. I walked in front of the mic and just started talking and for the first time I felt like I was speaking with passion, like God was speaking through me and I could feel his presence in me. For the first time I wasn't just reading my testimony, I was sharing what was in my heart. When I finished I felt so filled with Gods love and joy, it felt amazing. I knew that what I said was what God wanted me to say and he was speaking through me. That brought an end to our program and we went back to the youth room to chat and hang out. I ended up talking to one of the girls who sing on the worship team Irene. We immediately connected and ended up talking about our lives and our family. She has three brothers who drink all the time and are always getting into trouble and I have one brother who does the same. We had that connection and we were able to confide in each other and share our feelings towards it. I was able to share with her how I handle it and ultimately tell her that she is a light to them and the most she can do for them is pray. It was so awesome to be able to connect with her, I could feel Gods hand in all of this. Well it was getting late and we needed to head back to the ship, so we said our goodbyes and we were on our way. We stopped just down the road to pray. I was asked to pray, when I opened my mouth thanks to God just poured out. I was so overwhelmed with joy and when I was praying I felt Gods presence more than I have ever before.

God was doing major work.

Cherry Red!

2008-10-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

THIS IS A DRILL, THIS IS A DRILL, THIS IS A DRILL, CHERRY RED, CHERRY RED, CHERRY RED.

On the ship safety is very important on the ship and before coming to the ship I had to have training to know all of the safety precautions. I also had to take a test and pass it. On the ship drills are done to practice so that if something does happen we would know what to do. So we had our first drill since I have been on the ship. Cherry red is used when we are in port, when it is said over the PA system the ships company must evacuate the ship. When we leave the ship we go to our muster stations. My muster station is #3, we went to our stations and they took roll to make sure that everyone got off the ship. While we were standing on the keyside the fire team was simulating a fire in the dinning room. They filled the room with smoke and practiced in case of a real fire. It was interesting and nice to practice so that if something does happen then we will know what to do.

SAFETY FIRST :)

i love you mom and dad.

2008-10-01T06:18:00.000-07:00

It will soon be 2 months since i left home on August 17 and I have been on the ship for almost 1 month. This is my first time leaving the house and being on my own as an adult and I think I am handling it pretty well but I do miss my parents very very much.

Dear mom and dad,
I just wanted to say that I love you both very much. I pray for you all the time and I care so much about you. I am also missing you very much. It was so good to talk to you guys considering we haven't talked on the phone since August 18th. I hope your days are wonderful. I love you so much! Cant wait to hear from you again.

Love and blessings to you,
krysten

I love my parents :)

Dishes.

2008-10-01T03:52:00.000-07:00

At home I hated doing dishes. I would dread it when I was asked to do them. As you know I work in the galley (kitchen), I work in the pantry part of the galley which is where the dishes are washed. Now I love washing dishes. I had no idea that I would ever have so much fun washing dishes. I have an amazing team that I work with, we have a blast together. We always have water fights and dance parties, its great. I get so much joy and happiness out of my work, it is crazy. I would have never expected to have so much fun cleaning tables, washing dishes, scrubbing floors, washing walls and much more. God has blessed me with a great job that i love and great people to work with.

Mom when I come home in two years I promise I will wash the dishes :)

My heart was broken agian.

2008-10-01T02:34:00.000-07:00

On Friday September 26 a small group of us went to a rock concert in Koge. I had no desire for the music, I had a desire for the people that would be at this concert. I wanted to take this opportunity to meet some locals and try to build some relationships. I had no idea what would be in store. The venue that the concert was in served alcohol, I am not a fan of alcohol so it was hard for me to see teens drinking. But aside from the loud rock music and beer there was something that really broke my heart. First there were these 3 girls who were dressed in very skimpy outfits and on top of that they were very drunk. Every time I saw them they had a new full glass of beer. During the music they would come in and start dancing very dirty with each other, it was so hard to see. My heart broke for these girls, I could see the emptiness in them. I could see that they were covering up their hurt with alcohol and dressing skimpy. At this concert I could feel God telling me that these are the people he wants me to reach out to. When Jesus came he hung out with the drunkards, prostitutes and tax collectors, God is calling me to do the same. He is calling me to love on these people. God has opened a door for me to meet teens here, i am going to a youth group just outside of Copenhagen with a group of people from the ship, we are putting on the program for the youth group. We will be telling them about the ship, we are doing some funny skits, games and also sharing testimonies and stories about the ship. I will be sharing my salvation testimony with the group. I am hoping that this will give me a chance to meet teens and potentially build a relationship with them that might involve spending time with them outside of the youth group and inviting them to the ship. I know that God has a plan for us when we go to this youth group, we will just have to see what that plan is.

Please pray that God will open up more opportunities for me to hang out and build relationships with people in Koge.

A heart for the youth.

2008-09-29T02:31:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday September 24th a group of 25 danish teenagers and 5 teachers from a christian boarding school came to the ship. Me and 5 others were to put on a program for them. We wanted to show them the ship and what we do on the ship but also challenge them. We have notice that in the society here money is very important. Everyone is very well dressed and it seems as though everyone is well off. So we wanted to challenge the group by asking them where their security lies. Most danish people put all of their security in money, if they have money then everything is okay. We wanted to show them how much they have compared to other people around the world. We also split them in groups and and each of us shared our testimonies with a group of about 6 or 7. I share with a group and at the end they didn't really talk, they didn't want to talk about it but during my testimony I could see in some of the girls faces that they were hurting. my heart broke for those girls. I wanted to talk to them so bad but the language barrier made it so hard. The kids could understand a little English but we had to have translators the whole time, its hard to have a intimate conversation with someone when you have a translator in the middle. So I didn't get the chance to talk to those girls but I know that I still made some sort of impact on their lives. So after the testimonies we gave them a tour of the ship, this was their favorite part. After the tour it was time for them to leave. It was so cool to see that these kids really did enjoy themselves and they have fun hanging out with us. I just hope that they got something more out of their day with us other than seeing a big ship, i hope that we challenged them.
This was my first time cordinating an event on the ship and it went very well. This event really broke my heart for the teens of Koge. They are broken and hurting and i want so badly to reach out to them. There is no youth group in Koge for teens to go to, if a teen from Koge wants to go to a youth group they have to go to Copenhagen, which is about 45minutes away from Koge. These teens have no outlet to reach God and i want to help to change this.

Galley Girl.

2008-09-18T02:37:00.000-07:00

On Monday I finally found out what job I will have on the ship.... working in the galley aka the kitchen. The galley was my first choice on jobs so I was pretty excited. Tuesday was our introduction into our departments. I got my sweet uniform that consist or these checkered like pants and a teal or white polo, cute I know. Wednesday was my first day of work. I had to be there at 6am and was trained on different responsibilities we have and then had training on the different equipment in the kitchen. After some training I washed the walls in the galley and then did dishes. It doesn't sound fun but it really is. I worked from 6am to 2pm. It was good and I enjoyed it, but I was very tired when my work day was over. It was nap time.

I am really excited for what God has planned for me in the galley serving the people on this ship. I know that God is really going to be working in my heart.

Going to the Ship!! FINALLY!

2008-09-18T02:00:00.001-07:00

We left PST on Sept. 9th to finally go to the ship. We packed our bags, cleaned up, cleaned more, ate lunch and then got on the buses that would take us to our new home. The ship was about 40 minutes from where we were, so during that 40 minutes i was on the edge of my seat, in so much excitement. We were getting closer and closer and then we could see the very top of the ship. I was so over whelmed. We pulled up and I saw the Logos Hope right in front of my eyes. The second I saw it began to cry, I was filled with so much joy. On the decks and in front of the gangway were the crew, yelling and waving their flags. It was the biggest welcome i have ever seen. We unloaded our bags and walked toward the mass of yelling people. I was attacked by people with American flags and I got a huge hug from my ship big sister Angie Dutchess who is the person who first told me about the ships. We gave hugs and then took our first steps onto the gangway that lead us onto the ship. We got inside and there was a tunnel of people waiting for us, giving us high fives and hugs. It was so amazing. I couldn't stop smiling. I was finally on the ship. Angie gave me a tour and showed me my room where she had decorated my walls with pictures. I got settled down and then went to dinner. We had dinner with our ship families, my ship mom is from south Africa and i have 4 ship brothers and 3 ship sisters. We have dinner together every Tuesday. After dinner there was a welcoming party for us. They made a prayer tunnel and all of us from PST Koge walked through it and everyone prayed for us. I felt Gods love so much as I walk through the tunnel and people laid their hands on me. Gods presence was over flowing in that room. It was so amazing to walk through that tunnel and have all of those people praying. I could just feel their love for God.

My first night on the ship was a blast. We danced, played games, and hung out. It was awesome to meet more new people and feel a part of the family on the Logos Hope. It was one of the best days of my life.

PST Koge!!

2008-09-18T01:11:00.000-07:00

After the GO conference was over (August 30) all of us going to the Logos Hope traveled in a bus for 10 hours from Holland to Denmark. We took a 45 minute fairy ride to get from Germany to Denmark. After spending the whole day in the bus we finally arrived at the PST(pre-ship training) venue. We spent 10 days at PST learning about the ship, the different ministries on the ship, the different jobs, and all of the basic safety of the ship. We also had so much fellowship. We bonded so much as a group and really came together. It we had so much fun together, swimming in the salty lake, having dance parties all night long, and just sitting around talking. we really opened up to each other and were able to share how we were feeling. Also we had this wall that looked like a brick wall, each brick had a persons name on it. The purpose was for us to write encouraging notes to different people in PST. It was so amazing to see all of the wonderful things that people were saying. Those 10 days really brought us together and got us ready for the adventures on the ship. It brought all 60 of us together so that when we got on the ship we would always have a person we knew there. It also helped us build safe friendship with people who we could talk to when we need a hand.

Going into PST I just wanted to go strait to the ship but after being there a couple of days i saw the importance of it and really enjoyed my time there.

GO Conference

2008-09-18T00:26:00.000-07:00

After my adventure in Amsterdam i went to the GO Conference which was located in Holland just two hours outside of Amsterdam. This is a two week conference for all missionaries with OM leaving to their field in august. I had so much fun meeting new friends from all over the world. I was starting to learn about different cultures and how different they are from my own. It was so amazing to be surrounded by people who love God and also want to serve him. There were people young and old, and families with children, all with the same desires in their hearts, all going to different places in the world to serve God. I was at first looking at this conference as another step till i got to the ship but when I was there, with all of those people, I wasn't thinking about how I wanted to go to the ship right then, I was enjoying the time that I was spending there with all of the wonderful people i had met.
In the two weeks I was in Holland I learned so much about myself and my relationship with God. God revealed so many things to my heart. He was preparing me for the next two years of my life.
Another thing that I really enjoyed was worship. It didn't matter what song we were singing, it always felt so perfect. It was so amazing worshiping God with people from all over the world. Everyone having their own way of showing God how much they loved him. I felt so much peace when I was worshiping God, feelings that I haven't yet felt before.
While at the GO conference we did have a lot of fun just hanging out. We were in the middle of no where but we still had a lot of fun wondering the county side. We were a bunch of people from all over the world, only knowing each other for a couple of days but it felt like we had known each other forever. It is crazy how easy it is to build relationships with people when you have that one thing in common, God.
The GO conference was a huge learning experience for me, it was a start to what i was going to learn within the next two years of my life. (August 18-30)

the beginning

2008-08-25T11:28:00.000-07:00

As my summer came to an end, my new journey was to begin. On august 17 at 11:35 I said my last good byes to my loved ones and began my trip with a total of 12 hours of flight. The last 8 weren't as bad as the first 4 considering I had the privilege to sit in first class, thank god. I arrived to my destination, being Amsterdam at 10am on august 18, not alone but with a good friend Jessica Kiely. We were to start this long journey together first by finding our way and staying in Amsterdam alone for one night. Keep in mind I have never left America. We spent two hours in the airport finding our bags (jessica's was lost), changing our American money over to euro, trying to buy a train ticket (which we failed at) and eventually leaving the airport to find the hostel we were going to stay at. we wanted to take a train but we couldn't buy a ticket so we resorted to taking a taxi. It ended up costing us $70!!!! to get to the hostel. the taxi driver dropped us off with our luggage in the middle of the red light district. The road that the hostel was on was under construction so there was a huge tractor in our way. But with a little bit of help, we got our luggage escorted by the tractor to the front of the hostel, sweet! It was such a relief to finally be at the hostel. We paid 42 euro for our beds and we settled in. We ended up walking around a bit and say for our selves what the red light district in Amsterdam really looked like, I knew that sex and drugs were posted everywhere but I saw more than i needed to. We ate and then headed to bed at 5:30pm we were so tired due to the time difference and the long day that was behind us. We both sleep horrible but made it tell morning. In the morning we ate breakfast, Jessica and I were so emotional from all of the craziness of our first two days that we cried while eating our oatmeal. After eating and crying we checked out and walked about a mile with 2 backpacks 2 rolling bags and 1 huge bag (which was mine) it was so hard and everyone was staring at us. We made it to the bus stop and waited for a bus to take us to the train station. We made it to the train station safely and got on our train which would take us to the airport where we would finally meet up with some familiar faces. the minute I saw Jen and Kaitlyn (friends from the conference in Atlanta) I ran to them and gave them a huge hug and once again started to cry. I was so overwhelmed with joy to see them. It all ended up in good news. We made it through our night in Amsterdam and Jessica found her luggage and now I am at the conference! Located in the beautiful countryside of Holland. I have now been at the conference for a week and I am having a blast. I am meeting so many people from all over the world and learning more about their cultures. I am also learning so much about the mission field and how to survive. I will spend one more week here in Holland. On Saturday 30th i will travel 10 hours in a bus to to Denmark where i will have pre-ship training. Things are amazing and God is good!!!

The Ship

2008-07-26T15:05:00.001-07:00

Starting a month after i leave on August 17th, my new home for two years will be the Logos Hope. I will work, live, and serve God on the ship.