Learning to faithfully serve

“I was impressed that young people from different nationalities were serving. I was interested in joining, but I was too young.”

Logos Hope spent time in Panama in 2017, where a young Moises (Panama) walked up the gangway as a visitor. As he toured the ship and interacted with crewmembers, he noticed the multicultural nature of the ship community. Little did Moises know that this was just the beginning of his journey with the Ship Ministry…

Jumping forward to the midst of the pandemic. It was a time of deep self-reflection for Moises. “I felt like just being home was making me stressed. I felt like I had potential that could be used elsewhere, so I thought, ‘Let’s use this time for something more significant’. God reminded me of the Ship Ministry.”

After only a few months, Moises found himself on board Logos Hope with a heart ready to serve. “I didn’t know how the ship worked internally, but I just came to serve God and deeply connect with Him.” Moises was placed in the ship’s cleaning department, know affectionally on board as the ‘Angels’.

“When I was first placed in Angels, I was very enthusiastic, open-minded and positive about whatever God needed me to do. I learnt more about discipline, responsibility, being on time. After five months, I had opportunities to train others and be more responsible, but it became difficult to maintain enthusiasm due to the nature and repetitiveness of the job. But it was in this time that my dependency on God began to grow.”

Moises continued to learn in his personal relationship with God and what God was doing through him. “It became more about God and serving others than the job itself. I realised God brought me to Logos Hope to work in my life, to live this experience and get to know Him better. We, as humans, can feel like we need to be at the front of the ministry, but sometimes God asks you to be behind the curtain, where no one sees you, which is also an important part of the ministry. If you’re serving to glorify Him, in the details and the little things that no one sees, I think that is where God is working in your life. Other people may not see it or praise you for it, but God sees your work.”

Moises planned to stay for three months for the Short-Term Exposure Programme (STEP), but the ship community was motivation to stay for longer. “It’s a diverse environment. No matter what culture people were, I could learn about them and how their cultures work. I’d never experienced such a close community of people who wanted to get to know you, genuinely cared for you and were there in your life. I felt integrated and a part of the community. And despite all the differences, we could work together in the same way towards a common goal. I could see this in Angels, where people from all over the world come together to make the job work. I like this unity in diversity. I think that is so precious here.”

To anyone considering joining the Ship Ministry, Moises says, “You are not going to regret your decision to join. It’s one of the best places you can serve, grow and learn. It doesn’t matter whether you’re working in an office, cleaning toilets or steering the ship. You are serving Him, and ultimately, He is the one who’s working.”

Are YOU ready to serve others, grow and learn? The Ship Ministry has a variety of programmes. Find the one that fits you here!