Adventures At Sea

Happy Easter

2011-04-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

Let us not forget that Christ is alive!
This past week found me in Vegas. I was excited to go, a little vacation to play, spend time with mom and visit my grandmother who was in the hospital recovering from cardiac/respiratory arrest. Upon arriving to the hospital it was clear this was not going to be a pleasure trip. Grammy was worse then either my mom or I could have imagined. It was time for her to "go home". After talking with the doctors we learned that she had been without oxygen for 30 minutes and that in the past week she had deteriorated. Though her eyes were open, she was not aware, her body was on autopilot. We made the decision to take her off life support on Wednesday (the day we were scheduled to leave Vegas) and on Saturday with my mom and her husband, Jim, by her side she peacefully left.
Death was a new experience for me. It made the fact that this world is not our home so much more real. That there is so much more to life to breathing. It was comforting to know that even though grammy's body was frail and failing, she was not suffering. She was home with her Father.
Let us praise God!
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

Spring time

2011-04-07T22:18:00.000-07:00

Winter/Spring Update
Heading into spring, I'm excited to leave winter behind. 2010, and now 2011, have been full of unexpected events for the Edwards family. Spring is bringing a freshness as we look toward the horizon for new possibilities and experiences.
I know my dad is most looking forward to June. That is the scheduled day for his "external fixator" to be removed. If you aren't aware of what that is or what it does.... here's a summary/recap:
In May last year, just 3 weeks after my brother was hit by a car while on his motorcycle and recovering from a fractured ankle and broken back, my father fell off our 5' retaining wall. The fall resulted in a compound fracture of his ankle. (That means the bone was sticking out... it actually made a divot in the yard). Since May he has had several operations and been on IV antibiotics to fight infections. In October it looked like we had reached the last option, amputation. The infection was not clearing up and 2 inches of bone had died. Literally in the 9th hour a new doctor entered the scene and said he could save Dad's leg. They removed 3 inches of bone and he has grown back those 3 inches with the help of the external fixator.
In June he will have the metal frame removed and move into a walking boot so he can start physical therapy.
I think my mom is looking forward to not playing nurse any longer to my dad and grandmothers.
My brother is looking forward to a new job. Just after getting the OK from his doctors to return to work, he was found a job with a local electrical company near his home. And he and his wife are expecting a new Edwards' in October! I'll be an aunt!
And what else am I looking forward to? More time to spend with my family while I'm home. It has been a blessing to both me and my family (especially my mom) as I can help with some of the care-giving and support my father and grandparents need. I also will continue working for the school district for as long as they need my help.

Prayer & Praise
Pray for:
Dad's health and positive attitude
My grandmother in Nevada who miraculously survived cardiac & respiratory failure a month ago. She is still recovering and the long term effects are still a unknown.
My grandmother in Alpine who is recovering from her third scare with cancer.
I'll need a new job as summer approaches and kids don't have school.

Praise:
I have nothing but praise for my Heavenly Father. He has given so much to my family this year. Through all the troubles and tough times, we have been blessed to feel his provision and love stronger then ever. It has also been an encouragement to see my mom still joyful, even on days when she has to swing from doctor appointments with one grandma, a hospital visit with Dad and a phone call regarding an uncertain future for her own mother. I personally give the Lord praise for my job, my church and my dear friends here and around the world.

Future Mission:
OM Sweden is still on the horizon with a join date of August 1st. I feel I have a huge task in front of me, raising my monthly support. To raise $2000/mo looks like a big amount in this economy, but with Christ as my leader, the task will be completed and I feel Christ's hand on peace on the situation. I can't help but wonder who will join me to be a part of my sending team. If you feel called to be part of this team, email me at jessica.edwards619@gmail.com and I can send you more information about what I'll be doing and how you can support God's work in Sweden.

Home and then....

2011-01-25T11:38:00.000-08:00

Time just runs away from you when you are focusing on packing. It's been a while since I updated the blog, well.... more then a while. Sorry.
I left the ship in September, after 3 months in West Africa. Sierra Leone, Ghana & Liberia where all a blur, with lots & lots & lots of visitors to the ship. I was able to handover my responsibilities as the Volunteer Coordinator and start to think about the next step in life.
Can I just say.... "God is Awesome". Within three weeks of being home, on land, God provided all my needs for me! I have a place to live (with my parents), my sister-in-law is lending me her car, and I got a job. I've been very blessed.
And now I look toward the future: Sweden! God has arranged it all and I look forward to seeing how God will work and provide for this new step with Him. I'm home now raising support with the plan to move in August.
My role will be working with the Ministry Division with OM Sweden, helping with organizing, planning events and hosting. The team's goal is to reach the local youth.
I'm really excited!

I also have a new email address... (p.s. I HATE hackers):
jessica.edwards619@gmail.com

I hope to be more faithful in updating the blog. Feel free to email anytime.

End of the Caribbean

2010-05-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

In 3 days we are saying farewell to the Caribbean and crossing the Atlantic Ocean toward Africa. It will take 2 weeks of sailing before we hit land in Sierra Leone. It's an exciting time of not only looking forward to what God has prepared for us in Africa, but also to look back at everything that God has done in the Caribbean.
Our first port of call was St. Vincent, we arrived in July of 2009. 15 ports later, our last country visited was Dominica. In a feat of amazement, I actually stayed in one department for the entire tour! WAs an awesome job I've had! I've been the volunteer coordinator getting to work and train the local believers in each of our ports who have volunteered their own time to serve on the ship. The job has not been void of struggles and disappointments, but all of those have been outweighed by the blessings and joy of the people.
In the last 11 months I've welcomed 449 local believers into our DEEP program (D- discipleship, E- exposure to missions, E- expression of love, P- practical work). My busiest port was Kingston, Jamaica with 52 volunteers, my smallest was Hamilton Bermuda with 7. Our volunteers ranged in age from 17-79. They worked in the book fair, book hold, galley, and accommodations departments. in our first DEEP, in St. Vincent, we had volunteers representing 22 different churches on the island. They continued to meet regularly after the ship left, for prayer. Besides working on board the volunteers also get special training sessions each afternoon. We would have guest speakers talk on a series called "GROW, SHOW, & GO". I've had countless conversations volunteers eager to take a step into missions. In september we will welcome back on of our Volunteers from Jamaica who will join the LH for 2 years!
There is so much God has accomplished in the Caribbean. This is only a small sliver. Now I prepare for West Africa and beyond. We will visited 3 countries, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Liberia. In each port we are accepting 50 volunteers, we've already had over 100 applications from each of the ports!! It's going to be exciting moving into a new culture, but I'm eager to meet more of God's people.
Please pray for me as the task is too much for me alone. Pray for the leadership on board to fulfill my request for extra help. I'll only be on board for 3 more months. My commitment will end in September where I will leave the ship from the Canery Islands. Please pray for my future and what my next steps will be.

Haiti 20 March - 1 April

2010-04-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

I was chosen to lead a special Challenge Team to Haiti for a 10 day trip of teaching mentoring and playing. God was present through the entire trip, from putting the team together, to our daily orphanage visits, to a workshop with youth leaders and finally to our flights back to the ship.
Below are our updates sent while we were in Port-au-Prince:

HAITI UPDATE #1
Hello All,
Greetings from Haiti. These past three days have been filled with kids, kids, more kids and truck rides.
Our team has grown in size. Adding to the three of us are 4 locals who join us each day. All four of them work with youth at their church or orphanages and are eager to gain new ideas and strategies about childcare.
It's been a blessing to have them join our team as we get to invest personally in their lives and they can teach us first hand about the culture and the kids.
We have visited 2 orphanages and today ran a day program at a church-ran community center. The kids are adorable and just happy to have attention.
We heard that you prayed for us and Haiti as you sailed by the other day...Thank you. We feel them everyday. God is busy at work here and we are thankful that we can do a small part for the Haitian children.
The Haiti Team,
Jessica, Lucie, Judith

HAITI UPDATE #2
Greetings All,
It's hard to believe we left a week ago. We've seen so much in these past seven days and are constantly reminded how blessed we are to have food, shelter and our heavenly Father. One of the young girls we met at a church was not only orphaned in the quake, but she herself was rescued from the rubble.
On Friday we went on a fieldtrip with a church we've been working with. This church has been acting as a school for the neighborhood kids five days a week. We were excited to join all 80 kids as they "walked to a nearby field" for a day of free play. Our "walk" turned into a "hike up the mountain side" and an hour later we had reached a shaded area near a football field. What a great day to see kids playing, laughing and having fun in an open space free of earthquake reminders.
On Saturday we visited a church plant from an ex-L2, Pastor Marc. We drove to a rural village about 20 km outside the city... and it only took 3 hours to get there! We arrived to a one room hut make of plam mats and over 100 children eager to meet us. We shared the gospel with all of them and some parents, too. Pastor Marc made sure that everyone in attendance got a meal of rice, beans and chicken.
Two more orphanage visits are planned this week, along with a leader's workshop on Wednesday. We have lots to prepare for. We appreciate your prayers and trust God is blessing you in the Bahamas.

The Haiti Team,
Jessica, Lucie, Judith

BACK ON BOARD
Though we left the ship from Jamaica, we returned to the ship in Nassau, Bahamas. All three of us came back to battle a bit of exhaustion. After a few days to recover we were able to share our experience to ship's company and lead them in prayer for Haiti and work that God is doing there.
For the final day in Haiti we led a workshop for almost 40 adults who we had worked with at the visited churches and orphanages. It was a really blessed time to pass on practical kid advice, as well as resources for organizing Bible Clubs once schools start up again.

Pictures and videos to come. Thank you for your prayers. All the glory to God.

Dad's visit

2010-03-09T16:13:00.001-08:00

What an awesome God surprise! Turns out Dad got a lot of free time for an undefined amount of time.... and since work was always his excuse for not being able to visit me it made perfect sense for him to take some of his new free time to come and visit me! Mom found him a plane ticket and Dad was able to visit me in Kingston, Jamaica for 10 days.
It was a blessing and answer to prayer that I could show my world to Dad. I think we spent more time together in those 10 days, then we have in the last 10 years. I was able to introduce him to my friends, my co-workers and some of the local volunteers that I work with.
Dad had a good time relaxing, in the VIP cabin. He spent some time sight-seeing, after being in Kingston for 2 days he had seen more then I had in 2 weeks! And of course Dad did lots of fishing! As he said "lots of fishing, not so much catching". A hightlight for was fish tacos on one of his last nights with me and my friends. He caught a 11# King fish and we grilled it on the back deck!
I dont' know what the future holds for him, but God does. I'm just thankful we had this time to spend together.

updating

2010-02-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

It appears that I've gone two months without updating my blog. Sorry. Let's catch-up!
December brought me back to the ship after a very restful furlough with friends, family and Thanksgiving. I joined the ship midway through it's stay in Guyana. It was a help port so most of ship's company had been sent into the countryside to help with projects like building churches, youth centers and water tanks. I spent the time falling back into my role as the Volunteer Coordinator and made some wonderful friendships with the women volunteers. They invited me and some other girls over for dinner one night, appetizers were Chicken Feet!
For Christmas and New Years we were blessed to spend the holidays in Curacao. It was an absolutely beautiful port with crystal blue water and swimming from the dock! And after Guyana, it was nice to have a slower port with less visitors.
January we sailed to Aruba. I was able to go on an overnight team to a local church. Along with 3 other girls we moved a pile of sand (A BIG PILE) and organized a large hall that had daycare equipment and toys. I really appreciated our host who showed some of the island and kept feeding us... (no chicken feet).
Aruba and Curacao were pretty quite ports for the ship, which God knew we would need because now we are in Jamaica!! Today we had over 3,000 school kids visit the ship in just 3 hours! The ship will be in Jamaica for a total of 9 weeks, 4 weeks in Montego Bay and 5 weeks in Kingston. In this first port I've been working with 34 volunteers. It's been a cultural adjustment for us all, as I've had to learn about relaxing and going with the flow, and the volunteers learning about "being on time" and showing up for their work shifts! In the next port I'll have about 60 volunteers!

Besides all the school kids, regular visitors and the volunteers, Jamaica also brought major changes to our community life... Since January we've been saying I said good-bye to friends who have been living with for the past 2 years, about 50 people in total. Including all the Indians on board, some I considered very close friends and look forward to taking them up on their offer to visit India! And I said farewell to my bestest roommate Mel, who has gone back home to work as a Trainer with a ministry called Caleb in Australia. But the change doesn't stop there, on Wednesday we welcomed 60 new recruits from around the globe.
That should catch you up from my lack of blogs. Keep praying for our ministry as we share Jesus with each of the people that come to the ship. Pray also for the volunteers that they can experience missions in a whole new way and learn to share their faith with the fellow countrymen. And lastly pray for our community as it is growing and changing.

Furlough

2009-11-13T15:14:00.000-08:00

Sitting on the couch, driving a car, watching TV, going to Starbucks, it's the everyday things that I was looking to most while coming home to San Diego for a 6 week furlough. It's been such a wonderful time to catch up with friends I haven't seen in two years. And it's been a blessing to meet with some of my supporters to talk about what God has been doing on the Logos Hope and what He has planned for me in this coming year!
Since being home I've also been able to play tour guide to my good friends from the ship, Matthijs and Jobina. On their way back to the Netherlands, they spent two days with me enjoying Sea World, Downtown, Pt. Loma and the popular tourist destination of El Cajon.... of course a trip to the Yogurt Mill was included.
I've been very thankful for this relaxing time at home, such a contrast to ship life. On board I live and work with 400 other people. Everyday I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with 400 other people. I share a cabin and I share an office. And because we are visiting Caribbean islands with "rough" port areas we must always be in groups when we leave the ship. With so many people everyday in my life, I am soaking up every minute to be alone, walk alone, shop alone and drive alone. And most importantly, spending lots of extra time with God.

Ship Family Time

2009-09-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

My Ship family had an opportunity to take the ship vans out for a day at the beach! It was a great time of bonding and relaxing. We headed to the North side of Trinidad to a beach named, Maracas Bay. It is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. It's famous for a local dish called "Bake n Shark". There a bunch of stands selling the food. It reminds me a lot of a shark taco, but instead of tortillas, they use a fried flat bread. It was awesome!
My ship family: Meyoung Ju (S. Korea), David & Jonathan (Sweden), Maddy (UK), Rahel (Swiss), Amanda & Me (USA), Andy & Micha (Germany), Holly, Jon, Nate, Zac & Gabe (USA/Australia), Lucio (UK), Annette (Jamaica)

Ship families are a group of people that meet once a week and hang out. Kinda like a real family, they are people that you enjoy spending limited time with, but not necessarily people that you spend everyday with. Ship families are also nice, because they give a steady unit of people who will celebrate important times in our lives.
For example, my "ship dad" had his birthday recently.
I'm pretty blessed, that my ship parents are actually my friends from home. My childhood friend Holly and her husband are my "mom and dad". For Jon's birthday we had Mexican food!!! It was feat but we pulled it off... meat and cheese from the ship, tortillas from Germany, enchilada sauce from Ireland, and comics from the US.

Two Years Ago...

2009-09-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

September 15, 2007 I took my first steps onto the Logos 2. My first steps on board one of OM's ships. WOW. I can't believe how fast those two years have flown by. Where did the time go? Looking back at pictures and reminiscing has been short lived, as life on board the ships is every-changing and mostly busy. I've said good-bye to many of the people I joined with, people I've spent the last two years with, like a family. I've also said hello to the 96 new people who joined our ship last week, filling in the hole left by my fellow ship mates. I've also been very busy with work and organizing the local volunteers who come to help make the ship's visit a successful one in their home country.
But looking back over these two years I can see where God has encouraged me, taught me, used me, molded me, and loved me. I could tell of the time I had to learn to have joy in every situation, even in dark times. Like when I had to work in the book hold, doing manually labor fighting depression because my task seemed never ending and never rewarding. How discouraged I was everyday that the book hold was looking just as dirty as the day before. God was teaching me to be happy, and embrace those times, instead of being bored, I should rejoice in God's faithfulness and promise that He is always with us.
I can also look back on bright times, when I had peace in my spirit and a good attitude. When things seemed to be going my way, but I could only express gratitude to my God, because I knew that He was making things go my way. Like when I was able to see thousands of people come to the ship, and even though we didn't have enough team members to make it work, each visitor still got presented the gospel through one-on-one conversations. Or when God used me to "talk" to Deaf who came on this ship.
Right now I'm at peace. I'm excited for this new year with the Logos Hope to begin. I know that I'm right where God wants me. That He is using me to minister to the local volunteers. After every port, I'm still in awe that the volunteers walk away with so much excitement for Jesus and missions. I'm in awe because whenever I think the program we are doing is poor or lacking, those are the days that the Spirit takes over and volunteers meet God. To God be the glory!
I'll be home in about 4 weeks time. I can't wait to meet with each of you individually. I would love to share my "God Stories" with you. Please contact me or my mom if you would like to arrange a meeting when I get home. I'll only be in the San Diego for 6 weeks, then I come back to the ship for one more year of commitment.
You can email me at: jessica.edwards@gbaships.org

Volunteer Fun

2009-09-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

We've been in the Caribbean for 41 days now, and seems like so much longer! God has filled my days with so much to do and prepare, but best of all with people!
We've had over 90 volunteers join us while we've been in these first three ports. The local people volunteer for the entire ship's visit, but it's not only to work. We offer a discipleship program where they work for part of the day, but also attend trainings and get to interact with our international crew.
Every time we come to the end of the port I'm amazed by God's hand in their lives. Sometimes I feel that what I'm doing isn't that important, or the volunteer really isn't appreciating the program we've developed.... but then, we ask to fill in an evaluation and everyone comes back with the same answers:
"please stay longer" "God has taught me about being a servant" "I want to live for Christ daily, just as the crew of the Logos Hope as been an example of"
God has given me the unique opportunity to be used in a position that gets to connect with the locals, by sharing a little bit of our world, and a whole lot of Jesus' love with them. I'm encouraged by the growth and knowledge that so many of our volunteers take away with them as the ship leave's their port.
Please pray with me that their enthusiasm for serving God in their own countries will not fade away. And pray also for the next bunch of volunteers we will get in Trinidad, as it is going to be a very BUSY port with lots of visitors expected to attend!

St. Vincent

2009-08-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

We've been in the Caribbean almost two weeks. God has blessed us with beautiful weather, a beautiful island and lots of beautiful people. My new role is working with the volunteers who come to work along side our crew members while we visit their city. It's been a blessing and encouragement to meet local believers and see how eager they are to pursue God's plan for their lives.

We had a ship outing last week, 160 people in 7 mini-buses. We toured around the island, hiked in the jungle, went to the beach and visited one of the sites where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed. It was such a great day!

Work Experience

2009-07-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

Everyone on board has a job. A way for them to contribute to the community, a way to support the ministry through responsibility of the day to day chores that need to be done on the ship. Traditionally a new recruit starts in a service type job (cleaning, cooking, engine room, ect..) and after 6 months to a year, they are moved on to a more specific job, (such as events, port preparation, service desk, ect..) So on average a 2-year G.A. (Global Action-er) would have 2-4 jobs during their 25 months with the ship.

I'm above average! Here are the jobs I've had...

1. Laundry Queen: 15 to 20 loads of laundry a day, for the 200 people on board the Logos II. Duration: Sept 07 - Nov 07
2. Kid's Camp Director: Implement and plan a two week Kid's camp for 17 ship kids age 4 to 15. Duration: Nov 07 - Dec 07
3. K2 Teacher: Taught 7 students in grades 3-5. Duration: Dec 07- Feb 08
4. Angel: Worked in the accommodations department, known as Angels. They clean the public spaces and prepare guest cabins. Duration: Feb 08
5.Line-Up: Completed Orientation on how to do port preparation for the ship's visit to future cities. Never went on assignment, the ship was never ready. Duration March 08 - April 08
6. Events: While waiting for a line-up destination, I helped to plan onboard events, including being in charge of HopeFest in Kiel; a weekend long international bizzare on our public deck 4. Duration: April 08 - June 08
7. Project Team: Still waiting for a line-up assignment, helped with wire-brushing, painting, chipping, sanding, and all kinds of other methods of cleaning rust and welding slag in the book hold, Charlie and baggage locker. Duration: June 08 - Sept 08
8. Angel (again): Left Line-up because there was no idea when I would be sent out, so I spent so humbling time back on the Angels team. Duration: Sept 08
9. Community Ministries: Worked with outside Librarians to set up the LH Crew Library. Planned the holiday calendar, Christmas, New Years and a Fun Night. Duration Sept 08 - Jan 09
10. Assistant Creative Manager for the temporary Journey of Life/Port Side display: Helped to create and resource supplies for the port side project, which evolved into a photo gallery, theater, kid's area and prayer room. Duration: Jan 09 - March 09
11. Visitor Experience Shift Leader: Over saw the day to day operations on Deck 4. Ensuring all positions where covered by e-day people. Duration: March 09 - July 09
12. Visitor Experience Team Leader: Oversaw the deck 4 shift leaders. Duration July 09
13. Volunteer Coordinator: Working with the local volunteers, who come to serve while the ship is in their port. Duration July 09 - present

Farewell to Europe

2009-07-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

After 11 ports and 5 months of ministry we left Europe. I'm so proud to say that I was able to be part of the Visitor Experience team welcoming 140,000 people onto deck 4! God was with us everystep of the way. And it was only through Him that we not only survived being severly under-manned on the deck, but more importantly, we were able to show Christ's love and His free gift of salvation to each of people that visited the ship.
Now we are following the sun and heading to the warm sunny climate of the Caribbean. I'm most excited about being able to wear shorts, packing away all the winter clothes and having to use sunscreen everyday.
I can't wait to see what God has in store for all of us in the islands. Please pray that as we journey across the Atlantic, that God will use this time to teach, train, prepare and unite us before we reach the new culture of the Caribbean.

Faroe Islands

2009-05-14T01:02:00.000-07:00

Do you know where the Faroe Islands are? Have you ever heard of the Faroe Islands before? I didn't, I hadn't. Wow. I have been blessed by the landscape of God's beauty and the generous hearts of the Faroese people.
The Faroe Islands are 18 islands that sit half way between Scotland and Iceland. There is a population of 40,000 and Denmark claims them as a territory.
My ship is registered in the Faroe Islands, and before we bought her, she was the main ferry that carried people and cars to Mainland Europe. Everyone in the Faroes has been on board her. They were excited to see how she has been transformed into "God's Ship".
As Crew members, we were never at a lost of invitation out to see the islands, or have a home-cooked meal. On our Monday off, a local guy named Jakup picked up myself and 6 of my friends for an all day adventure. The highlights were eating whale meat and rotten lamb (Both staples of the Faroese diet.) And we also climbed a mountain to take in the view of all the fjords.
Early in the visit I met a deaf couple. Mei was from the Faroe Islands and her fiance Bryan was from Malaysia. They were both deaf and met at an American Bible College in Hungry. Wow, it was there that they both developed their American Sign Language. I was able to spend a lot of time with them, and even interpreted our Sunday Service and two ship tours! I'm still in awe at how much God is using my hands to communicate. And how much He brings to memory after not really signing for almost two years.
God really used the Faroe people to bless the ship's company with a much needed break. While we were there we were able to welcome close to 15,000 people on deck 4. We were also able to visit most of the local churches. We shared a lot about world missions and acting out your faith. That Christ calls us to spread his good news.
After the sun and fun of the Faroes, we sailed on to Belfast, Northern Ireland.

SCOTLAND

2009-04-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

It was our first UK port and had a lot of visitors. It actually took some adjustment to be in a country where everyone spoke English. God was present and lots of people came to the ship and were presented with the gospel.
Almost every day of the week we had schools coming on board to visit the ship. One school that came for a visit was a local Muslim school that was studying transportation with their kindergartners. The asked us to not share anything about our faith, but to only focus on the ship. The amazing thing is that after the tour and program, the teachers were more interested in why we do what we do, and said they would return with their families.
Another story from our International Cafe, is about a church that partnered with us. They invited a business that is near them to come and visit the ship. The employees came to the ship, bought books, and spent time in the I-Cafe talking with crew members. By the end of their visit 3 of them had asked how they could become Christians!
Let's thanks God for the three new believers and the curiosity of the teachers.

Open Ship

2009-03-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

The ship has been open since we left Denmark in February. This means that everyday, but Monday, we allow guest and visitors to come on board. They come to visit the world's largest floating bookstore, to learn about the crew and the purpose of the ship, they can enjoy a refreshment in the International Cafe, and they have conversations with crew members. Through it all we have weaved the gospel. As they first come on deck 4, they sit in a mock-lifeboat and watch a video about life on our ship, and are asked the question: "Where do you place your hope?".
It's been encouraging to hear the stories of people lost, confused, depressed, and searching, who coming on board the ship and find a reason to live and that Jesus cares for them.

Last Saturday was our busiest day since the ship opened.... we welcomed 2,800 people in one day. And what's more amazing is that most of those people were just walking by on their way towards a beach. They have no church background and spontaneously decided to come and check out this big white ship sitting in their harbor. Altogether we have had 20,000 people visit the ship in the last 18 days while we have been in Scheveningen, Netherlands.
Tomorrow we sail to Scotland.. bright and early at 7:00 am.

SAILING!!!

2009-02-19T07:14:00.000-08:00

Today is the day the Logos Hope sails, for the first time, a reregistered passenger ship and ready to bring knowledge, help and hope to the nations of the world. I didn't really feel the excitement of this historic event until the mooring lines where released and we heaved off the quayside. What a moment!!
On Sunday of this week we needed a miracle to be able to sail, we still had outstanding documents and insurance matters to take care of. We prayed. On Monday we were "grounded" by the Danish Authorities who would not let us leave to Sweden until we had some Danish required paperwork. We prayed. On Tuesday we resigned to the fact that we would have to wait the 2 to 6 weeks it would take for all the paperwork to come through. We prayed. On Wednesday morning, all the paperwork had gone through, we had fuel in our tanks and the Swedish port was ready for us! We Praised.
God is constantly creating miracles. He is a provider when there seems to be no way. Please join me in giving thanks to the awesome God who made all this possible.
Today we are sailing.
We are off to Sweden for the weekend. You can keep track of us and see where in the world we are with the following link:
http://www.omships.org/dashboard/

SAILING!!!

2009-02-13T07:39:00.000-08:00

The time has been long in coming, but next week could be the week!
This week we learned that we have been granted our PSSC, Passenger Certificate. As we wait for the insurance and other documents that were dependent on the PSSC to clear, the realization that we are actually going to sail hasn't yet sunk in.
I think the moment we heave off the quayside and pull in the mooring ropes, will be the moment my heart rejoices. Praise the Lord, we sail soon!!
With this news also comes a published list of our future ports:

Port - Arrival Date - Departure Date
Koege, Denmark June 22nd - TBA

Gothenburg, Sweden February 20th - February 23rd

Harlingen, Netherlands February 25th - March 10th

Scheveningen, Netherlands March 11th - March 30th

Edinburgh, Scotland - UK April 1st - April 14th

unconfirmed port, Faroe Islands April 16th - April 27th

Belfast, Northern Ireland - UK April 29th - May 12th

Dublin, Ireland May 13th - May 26th

Cardiff, Wales - UK May 27th - June 9th

London, England - UK June 11th - June 29th

Cork, Ireland July 1st - July 14th

Kingstown, Saint Vincent July 30th - August 18th

This information is also on a Logos Hope web page... follow this link:
Logos Hope Itinerary

I hope to see some of you visit me in the future, now that you know where I'll be.
Some important information:

1. I will have limited email access. This means I will only be checking my ship's email regularly.
jessica.edwards@gbaships.org
Facebook may be sporadic and there will not be any Skype or I-tunes downloading (this means no LOST!) unless I find an internet cafe, or hot spot.

2. The ship's phone number will always be:
USA: +1 954 518 7256
UK: +44 1228 815 299

3. My permanent mailing address will always be:
Jessica Edwards
LOGOS HOPE
Alte Neckarelzer Str. 2
74821 Mosbach, Germany

Keep checking the Logos Hope Website, to follow our progress and find out when we REALLY sail away from Denmark and into the rest of the world.
Thank you for your prayers and support!

What's up?

2009-01-21T02:38:00.000-08:00

There are lots of new things on the horizon from jobs, people and soon the open ocean!

If I ever showed my ship resume to a company on land, I think I would be laugh out of the office. I've had 10 jobs in the past 16 months. I don't know if it's a record, but I feel extremely blessed to work in almost every department on board the ship and to work with so many amazing people. The current position I'm filling was non-existent before I stepped in. I made the title up myself... here' goes: Assistant Creative Project Manager for the Deck 4 PSSP (Port Side Special Project) for the UK, Ireland & Netherlands Port Visits.

What does it mean? After the guest come on board and visit the book store they will enter the PSSP part. In the future this space will be called the "Journey of Life" and be where we present Help, Hope and the gospel. However, that area won't be completed by the time we travel to the UK. So they have enlisted me and my team leader, Su-Ling (Singapore) to come up with the concept and construction of the space. It's a big job and I'm excited about all the possibilities. Please pray that I do not become overwhelmed with the grandness of the job; my responsibilities are delegating task, budgeting and overseeing the construction of display walls, and a mini-theatre. But more importantly, pray for the visitors that come on board, that there hearts will be opened to Christ.

Next week we also receive our new recruits! This is always a thrilling time on board, as we get to meet new friends from around the world and welcome them into our community. Currently they are training in Germany. You can pray that they are ready for this adventure and trusting in God to grow and shape them over these next two years.

The last week of this month also brings a monumental occasion we have all be waiting for.... the PSSC, the certification that will allow us to sail as a passenger vessel. There are surveyors coming to inspect every nook and cranny of the ship, to make sure all our emergency procedures are in place and to insure that ship is safe for passengers. Once we have that certificate, we can leave Denmark and head off to new ports, for the ministry this book ship was built for. Pray that we pass and all the last minute projects will be finished quickly, efficiently, and safely.

New Year

2009-01-06T08:17:00.000-08:00

Christmas came and went, followed quickly by new years and before we know it January will soon be over. These past few months I've been working with community ministries and had the great pleasure of preparing all the holiday activities for our 350 member community and their guests.
I now look forward to a new role, I will be serving with Public Ministries and working with the Experience Deck. An unique quality about the Logos Hope is that the whole of deck 4's purpose is to serve and minister to the guest that come on board.
My role on deck 4 is still in it's infancy and as I write this I'm not even sure what my responsibilities will be. But it will have something to do with guest relations, sharing the gospel with those who come on board in our future ports.
I'm looking forward to what God has in store for me this year. As I look back on 2008 I realize that words can not describe my thanks and appreciation for each one of you and all you have meant to me these past 16 months that the Lord has allowed me to serve on the Logos Hope.

Happy New Year from the the entire crew!

Creation, Fall, Flood...

2008-12-08T06:03:00.000-08:00

What a great time of teaching we've had this past week. We've bleesed to have Pastor Gary and his team from Bermuda on board all week teaching us every monring during devotion. Pastor Gary was leading us through a very intensive, yet fun-filled and fact based "walk -thouough the bible"
We've been walking through the Old Testament. We've learned 77 key words that help to put the old testament in chronological order and highlights the main events and players of the books. I've really enjoyed it and am a bit sad to see it coming to an end.

Surprise!

2008-12-01T09:44:00.000-08:00

I surprised family and friends by showing up at a wedding in San Diego two weekends ago! I had a wonderful time of relaxation and shopping before I headed back to the ship. I was only able to stay in town for a week, and Thanksgiving with the family was an important time for us all.
I'm sorry that I didn't have more time to spend with all my friends and supporters. I look forward to September 09 when I can really sit down with everyone who has been an encouragement to me this past year and share what's been happening in my life.

Mom and Dad at Thanksgiving

Josh and Stephanie's wedding

Tis the season

2008-10-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again.... winter! I still haven't become a fan of winter, it's cold, you can't wear shorts, and it's usually wet outside. Oh how I miss palm trees, santa anas, and firestorms!
But winter brings the appoach of Christmas! I'm been put in charge of thise year's Christmas committee and New Year plans! I love planning parties and organization is a gift. Pray that this Christmas season will be a special one for all those on board who are celebrating Christmas away from home for the first time.

Th ship will be in Koege for the holidays so here is a local address for any presents you want to send my way!
Jessica Edwards
MV LOGOS HOPE
c/o Baltic Kaj 1
4600 Køge
DENMARK

And here is a link to our new video that shows my ship and how much we've gotten finished. Enjoy
http://www.omships.org/links/click.php?id=25

Fire Spinning

2008-10-12T04:22:00.000-07:00

My roommate Mel, from Australia has a hidden talent.. she knows how to spin POI, also known as fire spinning. She's been teaching a group of us every Monday. I really enjoy it and it's something that not to many can do, but easy to learn. When enough of us get good, we hope to use it as a ministry tool, to open conferences and start conversations. I have video of me spinning the fire on my FACEBOOK account. But here's some pictures of me and the practice poi.

New Things

2008-09-23T01:43:00.000-07:00

I've got a new job. It's exciting to finally have a position on board the ship that I can call my own. I'm working in the Community Ministries department and my main responsibilities will be planning and organizing the Christmas & New Year festivities on board. I also get to help a US team coming in October to set up our Crew Library.
It's been a time of change on board. Not only did I get a new job, but I got a new cabin, new cabin mates and a whole new PST arrived! 60 new joiners were welcomed on board two weeks ago. They are thrilled to be here and we, as the community, are thrilled to welcome them on board.
I had to move cabins, again. I'm back down on deck two... turns out my perfect cabin on deck 5 was allocated as a guy cabin, so we all had to move. I'm still rooming with my favourite roommate, Mel (Australia). And we have two new girls, Rebekka (Germany) and Julia (UK). I'm looking forward to getting to know them all better.

Women's Conference

2008-09-10T07:20:00.000-07:00

What a blessed time we had this past weekend. A local international church invited all the ladies on board to come to a three day woman's conference. It was a special time. I am especially thankful for the teaching that really renewed my passion for being here and for loving others with all the gifts God has given me.

Legoland, Denmark

2008-08-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Me and Wing (Hong Kong) at Legoland, Denmark

A childhood dream was realized this month, when the entire ship's company was treated to a day of fun at Legoland. OM UK has known how hard we've been working and thought everyone deserved a break. They graciously donated the money for a ship company outing. And since we are in Denmark, the home of Lego, what an obbvious choice for our outing.
The break from routine was greatly appriciated by everyone. The weather was rainy, but that didn't stop us from being kids for the day.

Getting soaked on the water ride.... not because it was super wet, but becasue we couldn't escape the rain!

The port city of Copenhagen, made out of Legos

Me with a Lego film crew

Honesty

2008-08-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

Someone recently asked me...."How's the mission ship life" after thinking about it for a moment, here's my reply:

I'm doing Ok in this "mission ship life". We are STILL in project mode, so it's been very (and that word "very" doesn't really give it justice, it so much more then just "very"), but i've been very frustrated and bored. In september we get a group of new recruits which will bring a new energy on board. Plus it means that most of us will get a job change as well. When we change ports is another question. Can you believe I've been on board for almost a year! We've spent 9 months in Kiel, Germany, 1 month in Sweden, and now we are in Denmark, and looks like we will be here till Dec or so. That's a bummer, not getting to "see the world" or do the whole traveling thing.
Please pray that God can continue to change my attitude and to lean more on Him. As it's always been a problem I struggle with, when things don't go my way, I tend to take control instead of just trusting. I had a real low point about a month ago, but since praying though it and seeking good council, I'm doing better. Just yesterday God spoke through someone to remind me that His timing is prefect and I just need to wait because what's in store for me isn't ready yet, (or maybe I'm not ready yet).

work time

2008-07-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

These past few weeks have been a chance for me to try something new.... work! I mean, real gritty, dirty work. I've been woring in the project team helping to ready the book hold. We have a lot of space that we have to sort out and clean. And by clean, I mean, remove dirt, dust and rust, prime and paint. I've also been given power tools!!!
Here's a list of tools, that I use daily: hammer, metal file, wire brush, power wire brush, grinder (for the floor), grinder (for cutting metal bars), spanner, screwdriver, air hose (that one is just fun!), jack, and needle gun!
After looking through my pohots I found some of me and dirt, but I haven't any photos of what the book hold looked like before and during. Maybe I'll have some after photos. Enjoy.

Me, Mateus (Brazil) and Angie (USA) are all part of the event team, but now work in the book hold until the end of July.

Mateus (Brazil) and I working hard.

Using a file, practicing for my escape from prison one day.

Welcome to Køge, Denmark

2008-06-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

We left Sweden, most of us by bus, on June 22 and headed for Denmark. We are in a nice berth close to the city. In front of the ship are cute little restaurants. We are the biggest ship in the harbor, well, we are about as big as the harbor! While in Denmark, we want to focus on getting some of the major construction projects done, which means we won't be open for the public. In August we will open the ship for tours on the weekends.

On Friday I was helping the deckies relocate the bikes from deck 6 to the quayside. A couple was walking by and asked loads of questions about who we are and where the ship comes from and why we are here. I was able to share with them serving nations and sharing the good news of Jesus. They were really exited to see such a big ship in their little village. It seems all the people from Køge want to know more about us!

As of now, it looks like we will be in Køge until the end of Sept. Can you find Køge on the map? It's south of Copenhagen.. good luck!

Be sure to read Mo the Monkey's latest observations at http://mo-iamthemonkey.blogspot.com/

Project Time

2008-06-26T13:00:00.001-07:00

While the ship was in Sweden she was able to go into dry dock, get a new coat of paint, a new generator and all ship's company working 6 days a week to get her ready for ministry and her passenger certificate. It's amaxing to see how much has already been finished since I boarded her in November. We have a completed dining room, most nooks and kranies have had rust removed and fresh paint, the engine room is clean, all of deck 4 has flooring, we have two stages now and much more coming soon!
There is a rush to get things finished for two reasons:
1. We are hoping to get our Passenger Sailing Certifiacte in August. This would make us an official passenger ship and we would be able to sail with full ship's company and guest. All the practical living spaces of the ship much be completed, we need carpet on the stairs, and an overall look and feel that doesn't say, "we live in a construction zone".
2. To start ministry. The whole purpose of OM Ships is to bring Knowledge, Help, and Hope to the nations of the world. No matter where we go or who we meet, we always have an opportunity for ministry. But to use this vessel to her fullest potental we want to have a working Experience Deck, where guest will come aboard to ship for books, learn about Jesus, chit chat with crew members and walk away with that, "there's something different about these people and I want it" feeling.
Please pray that the work can continue at a steady speed. That we can pass our certificates. That ministry will still happen, even if it's not organized on board the ship.

Praises for what's already been completed, no major work-related injuries, and for the large donations to help with the completion of deck 4 and the engine room.
We still need skilled people for the rest of summer... if you know any carpenters, welders or carpet layers,and plumbers who would like to spend a couple months in Denmark, let them know about the Logos Hope Project!
Check out www.logoshope.org for more information about the ship, her purpose, her schedule, and prayer and praise reports.

Ring, Ring... Hello?

2008-06-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

Technology is great. All at the same time, I can chat with a friend in Canada, video chat with my mom in San Diego, talk to my dad who is calling mom from a fishing boat somewhere in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico. And did I mention I'm in Sweden? Wow!
This is me... chatting on the computer :)

To find me on Skype: jessicaatsea
To find me on MSN: jjhanger@hotmail.com
To find me on AOL: princessjj526
To find me on Yahoo: princessjj526@yahoo.com

Keep in touch... can't wait to chat with you!

Return to Sweden

2008-06-10T10:09:00.001-07:00

I was overjoyed when I learned I would be returning to Sweden for another Challenge Team! This time I headed for Malmö, which is located in the southwest corner of the country right next to Denmark. I have fallen in love with Sweden, the people, the culture, nature and the language. It's not very often I find a country that I could say I would like to live in. In fact the last country I wanted to live in was Germany. God answered that request and taught me that I didn't like Germany as much as I thought I was going to.
But now I am in Sweden. I'm with a very different team and we are doing different ministries then the ones I participated with in Stockholm.

Street Church
On Friday nights groups of local Christians from various churches set up tables in the busiest pedestrian areas of the city. Passing out free coffee, cookies and bibles to people on the way to or from the restaurants and clubs. The amazing thing is, that people in Sweden actually stop. They accept the free coffee, free cookies, and even the free bibles with no hesitation. Some people ask "Why?" and the response is always honest. "We want to bless you and tell you about Jesus".
If we were in the states, that's when the people would scoff, walk away, start an argument, or ignore us. But we aren't in the states. We are in Sweden where the people who have had a rich history with Christan influence, have come to be tolerant, accepting, self-reliant and at the same time lost. The Swedish instead answer with, "OK, tell me about Jesus."
It's that simple. We open the bible, we share what Jesus did for us on the cross, no trying to cover up our faith or beliefs, just straight "this is who we are and this is why we believe it". Everyone is polite, thanking us for the coffee, the conversation and the free bibles.
A man accepted Christ last week. He walked by the table a couple times, and returning for a third time shared his hurt and struggles. After walking past the table 2 times, he felt compelled to return and talk to someone. He could no longer resist the Spirit. This isn't a once in while thing, every week seeds are being planted and Swedish people are being saved.

Rosengård
Rosengård, the poorest district in all of Scandinavia, it's where 92% of the residents are unemployed, and 60% of the residents were born in another country. Those aren't exactly the statistics you want to hear when you decide to move to a new part of town. But that's exactly what the members of Thomas Church knew when they chose to move into the heart of Rosengård.
Of the 22,000 people that call Rosengård home, most are immigrants from the Middle East, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia and Lebanon to name a few, making Muslims the number one people group here. Church members are their neighbors, praying for them, holding outreaches for the women and children, teaching them Swedish, and handing out free coffee. The people here are open to discuss religion daily because it's part of their culture.
While helping with Thomas Church, our team has been able to pass out "fika" (coffee and cookies... in case you haven't figured it out yet, Swedish people LOVE coffee breaks). We also cleaned a neighborhood park and played sports and games with the kids. It's all about relationships and letting your life be a witness to God's grace. It's exciting to be a part of what God is doing in Rosengård.

Prayer Request:
That God can continue to unify our team, as we have one week still together.
For the seeds that have been planted. That people will be moved by the Spirit to find meaning and purpose for life in Christ Jesus.
That, through all our words and actions, Christ will be glorified and hearts transformed.

Another Year Older

2008-06-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

Nothing big was planned for my birthday. The events team I work with threw me a little party complete with funny videos and a cake. They wanted to put my face IN the cake, but they know me too well, so settled for putting my face ON the cake.
That evening I had dinner with some special friends. It was a Monday night, which meant "Monday Night Worship". I had expected to go out with a few friends after dinner, but they surprised me with a game.
I had to put on a blindfold, a silly hat and follow a string around the whole ship! What fun.... for everyone else. My friends were not very good leaders, as they let me bump into walls and strangers, who, along with their giggles, were wishing me Happy Birthday. The string lead me back to my own cabin and inside was confetti and friends waiting to surprise me.
It meant so much to celebrate with friends and have a good time. I told them their surprise party was great... but not quite as great as the one I had the previous year :)

Leaving Kiel!

2008-05-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

We are leaving Kiel!!! The ship is heading for dry dock in Sweden, and the ship's company will soon be following. Because the ship doesn't have her Passenger Certificate only 75 crew members can sail with her. So tonight, 100 of us will be having a "slumber party" as a local church then bussing to Sweden in the morning. It's exciting to be leaving a port we have called home for the past 9 months. Most of us joined the ships to bring the word of God to people around the world, it's neat to finally be leaving for another country.

While the ship is in dry dock there will be 10 land teams to 5 different countries sent out to work with churches and other Christian organizations. I'll be going back to Sweden, but this time to a city named Malmo. It has the one of largest immigrant populations in all of Europe. Please pray for team unity and opportunities for us to share Jesus with local youth.

All the teams will be rejoining the ship on June 17 in Koge, Denmark. While away I won't be able to check my gbaships.org address, but you can still email to it, or find me on Facebook.

I can't wait to tell you all what the future holds after dry dock. I still don't know the details, but hope to learn some plans when everyone rejoins the ship! In the meantime, I had a birthday and will share that with you in my next blog, along with photos.

HopeFest

2008-05-26T00:59:00.000-07:00

Our time in Kiel is coming to an end. We have been in this city for 9 months and have been blessed by the churches and people we have grown to love. For a special Thank You to all the members of our new community we opened Deck 4 up to the public for a special two day program we called "HopeFest". I was in charge of orchestrating the open ship and everything that was to happen on Deck 4.

For those who don't know, Deck 4 will be our EXPERIENCE DECK. The entire deck will be used for the public. It will include the book fair, an international cafe, along with gospel presentations and an area about life onboard. Right now, it's just an empty deck with really nice flooring.

The weekend was a great success and over 1,000 people came to experience HopeFest. There were clowns, cultural tables, a magic show, dramas, and lots of people. It was so overwhelming to see how much effort the crew members put into making this day all about God and letting his Spirit shine through them to befriend the public, (along with showing off their cultures). God is good and filled an empty deck with his goodness.

New email

2008-05-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

My new and final email is:

jessica.edwards@gbaships.org

Besides getting email, I also like to get snail mail and packages. The address for those is:

Jessica Edwards
LOGOS HOPE
Alte Neckarelzer Str. 2
D-4821 Mosbach, Germany

Sweden Pictures

2008-05-19T05:46:00.000-07:00

Our Sweden Team, leaving, Emma (USA), SoHee (S. Korea), Me, Mateus (Brazil)

Some of the youth we hung out with at a local church.

There was a main stage and 6 other stages set up around the city for Jesus Manifestation. All the venues marched together and joined in the main square, "King's Garden".

Marching with 15,000 at Jesus Manifestation, in Stockholm. "Jesus says: 'I am the way, the truth and the life'"

Views of Sweden

Sweden Summary

2008-05-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

We prayed with a young pastor named David. He is starting a home fellowship in a suburb near the church we were staying. He is excited to have a small group of believers praying weekly, in hopes that more of their friends and co-workers will come to know the Lord. It was exciting to share this time of prayer with them and see the enthusiasm that Christ has given them for this church plant.

Jesus Manifestation
Being in the midst of 15,000 people was overwhelming, but when you realize that all those people were in downtown Stockholm to come together, praise Jesus and shout his name publicly, it's thrilling. Words can not express the emotions felt as we were able to participate in a city-wide march, that stopped traffic and had people asking questions. The march ended in the main park, King's Garden where there were speakers, music and booths from various Christian organizations. All the Churches of Sweden had come together, putting aside denominations or ethnic backgrounds, but in togetherness manifested Jesus'name!

Team Work
The trip was blessed to start off with a calmness and carried that theme all the way through. The programs we lead challenged youth to step out and be missionaries to their friends. We also filled many days with practical help. Helping to spread the word for the Elvacaffe. This cafe was started by the church, whose whole purpose is to connect with individuals and share Jesus through love, friendship and "fika". Good conversations were had, Jesus was at work. Each one of us in the team had different strengths and weaknesses, but with God's help and amazing grace, we worked together and He recieved the glory. The people of Sweden will remain in our hearts, as we now have a better understanding of how to pray for them.

Prayer Requests
*Much fruit for the numerous friendship ministries that many of the churches have begun.
*More and more people will accept Jesus and live lives glorifying him.
*Pray for the seeking and the lonely, many in Sweden live comfortable lives with no purpose.
*The Christian brothers and sisters, who took a stand for Jesus, will let their light shine everyday, not just when they march together.

Hur mår du?

2008-04-25T15:52:00.001-07:00

Ikea, Volvo, Pippi Longstocking, Meatballs, SAAB, and Erickson.... what do they all have in common??? They all come from Sweden,of course!
I'm leaving for Sweden today! It's 9 day Challenge team working with a local Cafe and being involved with a big Youth Conference in Stockholm next Saturday. Our team is SoHee (S. Korea), Me, Emma (USA) and Matues (Brazil).

HOPE Future

2008-04-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

It looks like the ship has a confirmed date to leave Kiel, Germany: May 29, 2008. This is exciting news for most of us here because that means we will finally be leaving this port after 9 months! The ship will move on to dry dock in Sweden for two weeks, then onto Denmark. While in Denmark we will be working hard to get the ship ready so we can try and get our Passenger Certificate, (that allows us to sail as a passenger vessel).
As for me, Next weekend I'll be going to Sweden for a 10 day Presentation Team. Our team of 4 will be working with a local church just outside Stockholm, sharing about the ship's ministry and how the church can get involved.
As far as Line-Up goes, and when I'll be leaving to ready a future port for the ship's visit, I don't know anything yet. There are lots of ports in our future and lots of deciding factors that play a role into deciding which port my manager sends me to. I can't wait for the day that I can share with you where exactly I'm going!
I'm enjoying the Events Department. I get to plan on board conferences and tours. I've been able to assist in OPEN SHIP. This is a program for the locals to come on board and learn about OM and the ship, and what are plans are for the future.

We want to have the ship ready for Full time Ministry in the fall. We need two things to happen to make this work. First we need about 1,000,000 Euros to finish the renovations needed to get the Passenger Certificate. But we also need people. We need 100 people to join as Global Actions (Like what I do, commit for 2 years). Right now there are only 19 people preparing to join us in Sept. We also need volunteers to join the STEP program. This is a 3-6 month commitment.
Because of the bigger vessel, we need lots more people to make the day-to-day functions possible. People to work in the galley and cleaning teams, but also need people who can work in the Book exhibit. Please pray with us, that the Lord will touch lives and people will listen to God's call to serve Him here on the ships. Pray also for the 19 people who have already committed to joining us, that they will trust in God more and more and be flexible to the plans he has for them.
It's been thrilling to look back and see how much has seemed impossible, but God has made it possible. Trusting in Him is rewarding everyday.
If you feel God is calling you to serve Him by giving Him your time or finances. Please let me know so I can pray with you. I would love to answer any specific questions you may have about what we as the ships ministry are planning, or what I'm doing, or what you can be doing. Email me at jessica.edwards@logoshope.org

What's Happened in the Last Six Months

2008-03-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

You may not know this, but today, the 15th of March, marks the 6 month anniversary of me joining the LOGOS 2 with the rest of PST CUXHAVEN! It's kinda big deal and on Tuesday we will be having a fancy evening of fellowship, worship and reflection. I'm looking forward to it.
I thought I would look back over those past months and share some of what I've done:

I finished two weeks of training in De Bron, Netherlands,
I finished two weeks of training in Cuxhaven, Germany.
I joined the LOGOS 2 on Sept. 15th
I sailied through the Kiel Cannel.
I worked as Laundry Queen onboard the L2
I supervised a two week day camp for the 22 kids in our community.
I moved on board the LOGOS HOPE in December.
I taught KS2 on board the LH from December to March.
I joined the Line-Up dept in March 08
I worked as Laundry Queen temeraroly, as I wait for my Line-Up assignment.

I've passed out tracts
Been on 7 Chruch teams
Given my mission testomony in churches
Been involved with Children's Minisries on shore
Done Dramas
Visited Local schools
Shared my mission testomony in public schools
Given tours
Developed lasting friendships with both locals and fellow crew members

Also, while the ship has been in Kiel, God has become real in the hearts of many. Not only is God challanging the people of Kiel and surronding cities to get to know him on a personnal level, but he is challnaging them to get invovled. To be involved in thier churches, thier communities and the Logos Hope Project.
We hope to get the required PSSC, a permission that allows to sail, by the end of Summer. Until then, we will continue to work on the ship. We plan to be in Kiel until the start of May, then take two weeks to dry dock, so crews can put in another generator. After dry dock, we will eventually make our way to Denmark, and then the UK for the rest of the year.
Now that I am in the Line Up Department, I will be leaving the LOGOS HOPE soon to prepare a city for her visit. I don't know what city, or with who, or even when I'll be leaving. But I'm confendent that God knows, and he only has the best in store for me.

So much has been done in 6 months, I look forward to the next 18! Time flies, I miss you all.
Thank you for your prayers. It's a encouragemnt to know that I have people behind me who care about me and what God is doing in the lives of people around the world.
Thank you for your monatary support. With it God's word can reach so many lost and hurting people. God provides so much, and it's through your partnership that He works.
Thank you for the packages and letters I've recieved. Anytime someone gets post or parcels it's like christmas with the atticipation of what will be in the box.

I hope you have a wonderful March and EASTER!

I want to leave you with something I heard the other week. We saw a wonderful slideshow of a SM Lockridge speech called, "That's My King". I loved it. I memorized it. I want to share it with you. I hope you like it as well:

"That's My King"

The Bible says,
My King is the King of the Jews
He’s the King of ISREAL
He’s the King of RIGHTEOUSNESS
He’s the King of the AGES
He’s the King of HEAVEN
He’s the King of GLORY
He’s the King of KINGS
and He’s the Lord of LORDS!
That’s my KING!
I wonder DO YOU KNOW HIM?

My King is a Sovereign KING
No means of measure can define His limitless LOVE
He’s Enduringly STRONG
He’s Entirely SINCERE
He’s Eternally STEADFAST
He’s Immortally GRACEFUL
He’s Imperially POWERFUL
He’s Impartially MERCIFUL
DO YOU KNOW HIM?

He’s the greatest Phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world.
He’s God’s son
He’s a sinner’s savior
He’s the centerpiece of civilization
He’s Unparalleled
He’s Unprecedented
He’s the loftiest idea in literature
He’s the highest personality in philosophy
He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology
He’s the only one qualified to be an all-sufficient savior.
I wonder IF YOU KNOW HIM today?

He supplies strength to the weak
He’s available for the tempted and the tired
He sympathized and He saves
He strengthens and sustains
He guards and He guides
He heals the sick
He cleansed the lepers
He forgives sinners
He discharges debtors
He delivers the captive
He defends the feeble
He blesses the young
He serves the unfortunate
He regards the aged
He rewards the diligent
And He beautifies the meager
I wonder IF YOU KNOW HIM?

He is the Key of KNOWLEDGE
He’s the Wellspring of WISDOM
He’s the Doorway of DELIVERANCE
He’s the Pathway of PEACE
He’s the Roadway of RIGHTEOUSNESS
He’s the Highway of HOLINESS
He’s the Gateway of GLORY
DO YOU KNOW HIM?

Well,
His life is matchless
His goodness is limitless
His mercy is everlasting
His love never changes
His word is enough
His grace is sufficent
His reign in righteous
And His yoke is easy
And His Burden is light

I wish I could describe Him to ya
Yes, He’s INDESCRIBABLE
He’s INCOMPREHENSIBLE
He’s INVICIBLE
He’s IRRESISTABLE

You can’t get him out of your mind
You can’t get him off of you hand
You can’t out live HIM
And you can’t live without HIM.

Well,
The Pharisees couldn’t stand HIM
But, they found out they couldn’t stop HIM
Pilate couldn’t find any fault in HIM
Herod couldn’t kill HIM
Death couldn’t handle HIM
And the grave couldn’t hold HIM
YES!
THAT’S MY KING!
THAT’S MY KING!
AMEN

Teaching English

2008-02-18T06:22:00.001-08:00

On Thursday I was able to visit a local Jr. College with 6 of my fellow crewmembers. As native English speakers, we had been invited to the school to speak English in the English classes. We spent the entire day speaking to 4 classes. Each class was about 20-40 students and we were given 90 minutes to talk and answer questions. After sharing a bit about the countries we came from, what the ship is all about and what our jobs are on board, we were able to share about Christ and why we all trust in Him.
Coming from a culture that does not tolerate "God" or "Jesus" or even "Christian" to be mentioned in public schools, it was surprising to see how much freedom we have in here in Germany. In one of the classes the teacher asked each of us to share why we had chosen to give up the comforts of home to live on a ship for two years. Each of us was able to share our missions testimony, and how God called us to the ship's ministry.
By the end of the presentations all the students were invited to visit the ship, which is about 30 miles from school. I was encouraged this Monday morning when I found out that two of the students had come for a visit the ship over the weekend, and more of the students want to get involved with the project of finishing the Logos HOPE.
A big praise to God that he could use us in an English class to share is grace to others, and a prayer that more students will be challenged to find out what we and God are all about. Pray also for more opportunities for us to visit schools and share so freely.

School's Out!... what now?

2008-02-12T08:09:00.000-08:00

Friday, last week was my last day as a teacher. I am truly blessed to have had such a wonderful class. And I am thankful for the opportunity to serve the ship's community by spending time teaching the kids. I will miss my short workdays and the youthful energy that greeted me each morning, but there is still more ahead for me. What is my new job? I don't know yet.
After this week of transition where I hand over my class to the new (real) teacher, I will be training for another department. I've been asked to join the Line Up team. This will be a HUGE change and a big commitment. Please pray for me next week as I attended an orientation class and pray that I can see God's path clearly.

What is Line Up? The line up team is usually a group of 3 or 4 that go ahead of the ship and prepares a port for the ship's visit. This would include getting to know the local churches and pastors, doing PR, talking with government officials regarding customs and visas, we are responsible to find a berth and organize opportunities for ship company to minister on shore, as well as arrange on board conferences. As you can see this is a big job for just 3 people!! In March we have a team of 3 heading to England to start line up for one of the cities there; they plan to be there for 6 months.

I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do. I like the idea of Line Up and being involved in all the little details. But on the other hand, I would be leaving behind my friends here and having to work and live with the same 3 people for 6 months. The great thing is that God’s in control and he wouldn't give me anything I couldn't handle.... maybe a little uncomfortable at times, but nothing I couldn't do with out Him.
Thank you for your prayers and support, especially this next week as I enter the unknown.

New PST

2008-02-09T05:19:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, 5th of Feburary, we had 50 new people join our community on board the Logos HOPE. It's hard to believe that just 5 months ago we were in the same place as they are now. Just getting to know one another, just getting to know the already established community onboard, finding our jobs, and surviving "pool day"!
In this time of change, I've also got a new cabin, and 3 new roommates. I'm really excited about the cabin. It's on deck 5, about twice the size of my old cabin on deck 2 and it has it's own bathroom!! I think that's the part I'm most thrilled about! The night before my new roommates arrived I threw myself an "open house" and had some peeps over to celebrate. All, of course had fun, and at the height of the party we had 20 people inside the cabin!
Tuesday night we had a huge welcome party for the new recruits.Vanoosh (Australia) and myself were in charge of the party and it was a great success! The party included a Ceilidh (pronounced Kay-Lee), which is a Scottish barn dance. It was our third ceilidh this year!
My new roommates are Meg (Australia), Satu (Finland) and Uzma (Pakistan). I'm looking forward to getting to know each of them and the rest of their PST as they begin to settle in to life on board the Logos HOPE.

Overnight Church Team

2008-02-09T04:54:00.000-08:00

For one Sunday in the month of January the churches in Germany come together, within their denominations, and have a huge Sunday service. Along with 3 others from the ship I was able to go on an overnight church team to the city of Lubeck, where we were responsible for a children’s service. Our team was well balanced and strong at children’s programs. Beside myself, it was Matthijs (Netherlands), Haelyn (Trinidad &Tobago), and Jana (Germany). We presented the ship and the idea of missions to the 100 kids in attendance that day. Through dramas, a slideshow and a video we challenged the kids to be missionaries in their own city or, someday in the future, around the world.
We were the first team sent to the city of Lubeck and it was exciting to see how God used the Children’s service to talk to the parents in the church. Since our visit we have had several families come to visit us and ask how they can help.
One family’s young son, Lucas, was so excited about the ship that he insisted that his parents drive him the 2 hour trip west to visit the ship the following weekend. Mom, Dad, Grandma, big brother and Lucas enjoyed dinner with us, followed with a tour of the ship. After the tour Grandma signed up to be a project worker, and for the past week has been working in our galley helping the team prepare meals for the 300 people currently on board.
While on the church team, God was teaching us to trust in him and that being a missionary can be as simple as a smile to a child.

Welcome 2008

2008-01-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

New Years was started with fireworks and a ship, nothing unusual, seeing as this was my 7th New Year’s on a ship. However this new years was unlike any of the previous ones, no babysitting, no drunken passengers, no free champagne being passed around, no late night hallway parties, I could go on. But I didn’t miss any of it. I had the best time on board the HOPE in Kiel, Germany. We are docked in the heart of the city and fireworks are legal here. As the clock stuck midnight fireworks of red, green, yellow, blue, could be seen shooting off in every direction. It was like a special show just for us, 360 degrees of color to light up the dark sky. Despite freezing fingers and noses, we stayed on top of deck 9 for about 30 minutes before heading down stairs for a Scottish Ceilidh.

Here's PST CUXHAVEN celebrating New Years with some sparkling cider and good friends!

I’m excited to see what glorious and amazing things are in store for the New Year. I’m pretty sure God has some crazy stuff up his sleeve for us!
Matthijs (Netherlands, Me (USA) & Hannah (USA)

Happy New Year

2007-12-31T04:01:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-27T08:25:00.001-08:00

Here is our Crew Photo with everyone on board... can you find me?

Christmas Time

2007-12-23T04:17:00.000-08:00

Without realizing it, Christmas has sneaked up on me and soon another year will have past. It's amazing how fast time goes when you are busy focusing on other things. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! I pray that your holiday season is filled with the true meaning of Christmas, Christ coming to the earth to save us all. And I also pray that you make the most of your time with family and friends and the gift of fellowship.

Spending Christmas away from home is nothing new for me. But I'm really excited about all the different ways I get to celebrate Christmas this year. Last night a German family hosted a group of four of us and we were able to visit their home, have a home cooked meal and spend time in fellowship. (I get to do that again today with a different family.) For Christmas eve the ship has teamed with the local Salvation Army and we are helping with their annual homeless holiday meal. We get to decorate their hall, and also get to present a one hour international Christmas service. Please pray for the 80-100 homeless people that expected to turn up for the dinner. Following the program, and back on board the ship, the ship's company will have a special Ship Family Dinner and exchange gifts. On Christmas day I'll open my presents and it will be a day of relaxation, open cabins, and movies. (Sorry no Football coverage). The day after Christmas, more of us will be sent to homes to celebrate the holidays with local families. I don't know how big the after Christmas sells are here, but I might go take a look.
Christmas will be busy, but we will be busy serving the Lord, and in return being served by the people of Kiel. Christmas cards are on their way, I would blame the German post, but I didn't really get them in the mail on time.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Kids On Board

2007-12-20T23:18:00.000-08:00

I just can’t get away from them, Children. I’ve been working with kids for the past 10 years in various ways, from babysitting to camp counselor, Sunday school teacher to after school supervisor. I even spent my vacations with them, coordinating the kid’s programs on board the cruise ships. Why did I think things would be different here? I joined not wanting to work with kids. I’ve been there, done that. Now it sounds like I’m ungrateful. I love kids, I can manage kids, I have fun with kids and they have fun with me. I just wanted to try something new.
God knows our talents and want us to use them for his glory. It’s just funny how he ends up using our talents in ways we aren’t expecting. The “Holiday Camp” was great. There were various bumps along the way, but in the end we all had a blast, even my fellow teachers. (And we were super entertainment for the hairdresser on board who had set up shop in our main meeting room). The kid’s highlights were “the moose song” and dissecting squid! And we even made the top story on the OM ships website!
But once camp ended there were no plans for me. I knew I would not be returning to laundry, but no one had communicated what my job would be on the LOGOS HOPE. That is, until Friday, the last day of camp. I was asked to be a substitute teacher, an emergency permanent substitute teacher. I didn’t come to the ships to work with the kids full time. I came to the ships to be involved with ministry, in any way, and to learn a new skill, a new job.
I did a lot of praying. God reminded me what an awesome ministry working with kids is, even when it’s just being “teacher”. I get to teach and be an example for kids growing up in a community of multi-cultural missionaries. I get to be a blessing to their families. And daily I get the rewards of kids, watching them learning and growing in knowledge.
I am now officially TEACHER. I’ll just be filling in until the new teachers arrive in February. I have a wonderful support team here who believe in me and are teaching me daily. I’m up for the challenge, this will be exciting and the best part is that I am exactly where God wants me.
And where will I be working in 8 weeks? I don’t know. But God does, and that’s all I need. Please pray for me these next couple weeks as I’m trying to learn a lot in a short amount of time.
For those interested, I have a class of six between the ages of 7-11, five boys, and one girl. They range in grade levels from second grade to fifth grade. One student from each of the following countries: America, Scotland, England, and South Africa, as well as brothers who have lived in Finland and Brazil and began learning English six months ago. (Don’t worry, their English is amazing, and it’s their third language!) Our school day is 9-3. And we will have the week of Christmas off.

NEW email

2007-12-20T23:17:00.001-08:00

my new email address is:
jessica.edwards@logoshope.org

can'twait to start getting email from everybody! (hint, hint)

HOPE Floats

2007-12-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

The day had arrived; the Hope would be sailing into the Ostseekai port. The Logos 2 community had all joined on the quayside to watch the HOPE come along side her new berth and greet missed friends with a dance. There were lots of cheers, laughs and dancing. The day was cold, but the joy and anticipation kept everyone warm. She was beautiful and eased into her berth with little effort. After waiting for the port authority to clear the vessel we were allowed onboard and met with long lost friends.
My first impression of the HOPE was “Stairs”! There is only one elevator and it’s a freight elevator. There are 40 steps down to my room. I live on deck 2. If I want to go to meals or the computer room it’s 55 steps up. If I want to go play darts that another 15 steps up. Going up and down the gangway is another 40. But whose counting?!
Honestly when I first saw the inside of the ship I was greatly disappointed. There is still so much that needs to be finished. There are two decks that are completely empty. Everyone in OM had made such a big deal about how much was finished and completed that I wasn’t ready for cabins without sinks, meetings rooms without carpet, a reception area without a desk. I could go on and on about how much we don’t have, but God reminds me of everything we do have!
We have a ship to impact the world for Christ. We have a place to sleep, a wonderful chef, and Internet connection. More importantly we have the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us, and we have a community of believers to encourage and come beside us when we are felling overwhelmed or discouraged. Because I never saw the HOPE before she arrived in Germany, I can’t really appreciate all the changes that have taken place. I’m sure that if you ask me in a few months time, I’ll have a completely different view and I’ll be very appreciative of all the changes that I’ve seen and been a part of. But God is faithful and he had been comforting me and I’m feeling better about my new home.
I’m so grateful that I can be here involved with OM at this point in history. I hope that you all realize the adventure you have joined with me. Together we can look forward to lives that will be changed, the hope that will be given and the bibles that will be read because of this ship, her crew and God’s grace.
The Logos 2 from the bow of the Logos HOPE.

American Thanksgiving

2007-12-05T08:07:00.001-08:00

Family, turkey, football and a nap, all things associated with Thanksgiving. Living in an international community national holidays can often be forgotten. I didn’t even realize thanksgiving was upon us until I got the invitation to the American dinner being served in the I-Café. There were 22 of us, all Americans and a couple people from other countries that had been living in the states. Dinner was delicious; we had turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy. We had stuffing that had to be made from scratch, first the bread was made, then the stuffing. We even had one can of cranberries to share. The baker on board is American and her mom sent her a can of pumpkin mix for a traditional pumpkin pie, and she also made apple pie, pecan pie, and a banana cream pie. Dinner wouldn’t be complete without everyone sharing what they were Thankful for this year. It was a special time for all of us.
A friend from Finland later asked, “Why do Americans have just one day of thanksgiving, shouldn’t you be thankful every day?” Of course we should be thankful everyday. And we are. We are privileged to live in a country where we still have religious freedom and are allowed to believe in Christ and also share that belief openly with others. Take advantage of these opportunities and thank the Lord for all his blessings.

A Quick Update

2007-11-30T09:36:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone and greetings from on board the LOGOS HOPE!! She sailed in to Kiel on Monday morning and since then we have quickly been merging the two communities. We are now a crew of almost 400 and are excited to be part of the history being made. We are expected to remain in Kiel for another 4 months while we continue to prepare the ship and get her ready for world wide ministry.
There are quite a few things that are uncertain at this time, for example when internet will be fully up and working. But these challenges only encourage us to trust in the Lord more! Besides the refitting of the ship there are several ministry opportunities for us here in Germany. So we are remaining very busy!! Very long days.
I hope to write more later and post pictures as well. Thanks for your prayers!
Also, please remember that my email address changed to:
jessica.edwards@logoshope.org

Season of Change

2007-11-14T06:57:00.000-08:00

"It's snowing" was the announcement in the dining room this afternoon. It wasn't real snow, but large drops of water that lingered on the ships rails and deckies coats before melting away. Before today I had been encouraged by the locals, who were insistent with the fact that it never snows in Kiel. It's snowing. Should I be excited? I like the snow, or rather, I like driving to the snow. When you drive to the snow, then you can drive away from the snow. It looks like it will be a cold winter; I've been able to find some thicker jackets, gloves, scarves and beanies. I don't know about my shoes, do you think sneakers will keep my feet warm?
But the weather isn't the only change around here. I've started a new job. Now that the HOPE is really coming to Kiel, I have been given the assignment of Camp Leader. What does this mean? Once the HOPE arrives, the teachers on board are taking two weeks to prepare and set up their new classrooms. That means there will be 22 school age kids with nothing to do, so I will be running a day camp. I'm really excited and looking forward to doing what I know how to do, play with kids. I get two weeks of prep time and then two weeks of actually camp, Monday -Friday 9-3! I also get a month vacation from the Laundry. After my time away, it's still up in the air as to what job I will have then. I may be the last official LAUNDRY QUEEN of the LOGOS 2.
But wait, there are still more changes.... With so many families and HOPE people joining us in Kiel as we all wait for the HOPE, I had to move cabins. My previous cabin was in a family section, so it was nice to leave it. I was able to move into a much quieter cabin in an all girl section, D2. Jin Suk decided to move in with another girl named Sarah, which means I get a cabin all to my self!! It won't last long, but I am taking advantage all of the extra space and blankets!
And can you believe there are still more changes.....? With the number of families increasing daily, it was only a matter of time that their memberships would increase too. In the past 2 weeks, three babies have been born to our community! A boy, and two little girls join us. Our very small ship is getting smaller everyday and we all look forward to the space and comfort that the HOPE is bringing with her.
I'm putting on my layers and heading out to the cold! If it ever snows strong enough to stay on the ground, I’ll take pictures.

Hope Floats

2007-11-09T13:28:00.001-08:00

At Noon on Thursday the LOGOS HOPE sailed away from her berth in Croatia. This is a major step forward in the ministry, but more importantly, a huge example of God's goodness and faithfulness. The entire crew, here on board the LOGOS 2, gathered in the dining room and sang praise songs as we watched the HOPE leave the dock on her web camera. Throughout her entire time in port, her ship's company has been able to be a witness to the people of Trogir.
They leave many new believers behind in the hands of the Lord and a local pastor who has started small group Bible studies for them.

The HOPE is expected to join us in Kiel in 16 days. Please keep her in your prayers, as she travels and preforms sea trials to make sure everything is working correctly. Please pray for the new believers in Trogir and the pastor who is shepherding them. And lastly, please pray for us on the LOGOS 2 as we enter a time of major change. You can check out the sailing progress of the HOPE by visiting www.logoshope.org

Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord! ~ Psalm 27:14

My Calling

2007-11-04T08:12:00.000-08:00

Every Friday night the program department host some-sort of staff event. Over the past few weeks we've had a game night, improv night and movie nights. I've joined in with the planning and get to help with the decorations. Last Friday was BINGO night. Most of the crew on board was hesitant about attending, expressing that Bingo was a game for old ladies. After offering free prizes and cappuccinos most of those scoffing at the game turned up to play. I was made the MC and had a great time calling numbers all night. B7, B7, where do bees go when they die? B7! I know, you are holding back laughter now, as you read.

A Witness to Missionaries

2007-10-31T10:43:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Stephie (Germany) asked if I knew anything about the Mormon religion. I was surprised, in high school we did several outreach programs to Mormons both in San Diego and in Utah. I think she may have been more surprised to learn how much I really do know about Mormonism. One big difference between the two religions is that as Christians we believe we are saved through grace, that the gift of eternal life is given freely by believing in Jesus Christ. Mormons on the other hand believe that eternal life is earned after you have completed several requirements and even then you don’t know for sure if you were good enough.
Stephie had met two Mormon girls on the street and invited them for lunch on board. I was invited to lunch as well. We had a very nice time, just enjoying each other’s company. Stephie and I had already agreed we were going to avoid any type of debating or questions that would lead to debating. I was excited to be eating lunch with a fellow American. Sister Welch is from Utah and has just started her mission with the church, her companion is Sister Chi from S. Korea. That lunch was two weeks ago and today we had lunch with them again. Though God has them in our life for a purpose, we aren’t sure where the conversations are going to lead. Today’s lunch the topics included food in Germany, sunny San Diego and baptism of the dead. I could sit for hours asking the sisters questions about Mormonism, why they believe what they believe, and about the book of Mormon. It makes me sad to know that these girls are so lost and may never be released from their mistaken beliefs.
Please pray for both sisters, please pray that Stephie and I can be good witnesses, that the Lord will give us wisdom in conversation and a bold spirit. Please also pray for Alex (Uruguay), he is spending time talking with Mormon elders, two nineteen-year-old boys from Utah. We aren’t expecting to change anyone’s mind about Mormonism, but maybe plant some seeds that will force them to question what they believe and why.

Ship Family

2007-10-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my Ship Family. I thought I would share it with you all. Here we are enjoying a family dinner as we say "Bon Voyage" to our dad. He was leaving for a two week vacation to visit friends around Europe. He will be back this week, just in time to welcome the 5 new members of our family, Jon and Holly Crowe, and their kids, Nate, Gabe and Zac.

Starting on the right and around the table are: Isabel & Udu (PNG), Andrew (Australia), Suhir (Sudan), Patrick (Germany), Me (USA-California)

2007-10-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Ministry comes in all shapes and sizes. The public ministry that the ship usually has, such as the book fair, tours, conferences and programs, is all closed. We are packing down the LOGOS II waiting in anticipation for the new ship, the LOGOS HOPE to join us in Kiel. With the organized ministries closed, everyone on board is encouraged to participate in spontaneous ministries. I've joined the tract team once. I've never been a fan of handing out tracts. I don't like it when people come up to me on the street, so why would I like it if I'm now that person. I had an ok time. I met some very nice people and had good conversations. I don't know when I'll do it again.
Another ministry opportunity I had was to join a "church team". Every Sunday we send 3 teams to visit local churches. It's a nice time to encourage the Kiel churches, share a little bit about who we are and make friendships. On my first church team a couple from a nearby village picked up 6 of us and took us to their church. It was all in German, lots of songs, and some memorized prayers. After the service we joined them for tea and had lots of good conversations with their church body. We met a local college professor who would like to have us visit her class. We also spoke with the youth leader of the church about doing some sort of youth event. I even met an American. One of the women of the church is from Texas and is married to a German man, she has been in Germany for over 20 years, but it was nice to speak English (fast) with her.
Please pray for the open doors of new ministries that the Lord is providing for us. Along with the church teams, we also have made connections with a local football field and two nights a week play football with the locals. They have asked us to come back every week. Pray for friendships to develop and opportunities to share the gospel with them. We also have teams joining local bible study groups, which start next week. This weekend we have a group of 6 leaving the ship to spend a week in Hamburg working along side Campus Crusade at the University there. God has been faithful and everyday we sharing the gospel and handing out bibles to the people of Kiel.

A New EMAIL address

2007-09-23T17:59:00.000-07:00

I just wanted everyone to know my new e-mail address. I will still have my Hotmail address, but I won't be able to access it as frequently. The fasted way to email me is: jessica.edwards@mvlogos2.org

This will be filtered through the ships server, so please do not send any attachments. I won't be able to open them.

If you want to send me pictures, send them to my Hotmail account, but I won't be able to download unless I'm using an internet provider from shore. Please feel free to pass this along to anyone who might want my email address.

Intro to Life on Board

2007-09-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

My cabin is number B210, my roommate's name is Jin Suk (Korea) and I am a cleaning angel. On Sept 15th PST Cuxhaven joined the crew of the LOGOS II. It’s been an amazing week. We learned our jobs, joined a “family” group, and sailed to a new port. The only sad thing is that on Monday 47 members of our crew will leave and join the LOGOS HOPE in Croatia. This is a good and bad thing. Good, because the more hands working on the HOPE the sooner she can sail. Bad, because we just started meeting one another and now so many are leaving.

Our memory verse this week is Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you declare the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you and plans to give you hope and a future.” There are so many changes happening with the ships and OM, it’s a good reminder. We may have the future figured out for ourselves, but really it is God who has final say about our plans.

OM has been waiting 5 years to launch the new ship, LOGOS HOPE, and every step of the way has been met with delays or unexpected repairs. With our team joining the launch it may be only 6 weeks until the HOPE joins us in Germany. Please remember the HOPE, her crew, and her finances in your prayers.

I’m really excited about my job on board. I work in accommodations, but I’m happy to report I haven’t had to clean any toilets yet!!! All the girls that work in accommodation are referred to as the “Cleaning Angels”. They clean the toilets, showers, vacuum, and all the house keeping. But God is good and has already given me a promotion.

My title on board is “Laundry Queen”. I’m responsible for the laundry of the entire crew, all 200 of them. I wash, dry and fold all the personal clothes, uniforms, work clothes for deck and engine, bedding, towels, table linens, etc… Today I did 15 loads before noon and then another 15 after lunch. I get one or two people to help me with the folding each day and I get Saturdays and Sundays off.

Besides my new job, I also joined a new “family”. Everyone on board is part of a ship “family”. It’s a small group of 8-12 people and you get together to celebrate birthdays, special events and pray for one another. A couple, a “mom and dad”, usually heads the family and everyone else are “brothers and sisters”. I’m part of the Carnell Family, and have a “single father”, Andrew (Australia). This evening we had a going away party for one my “brothers” Zach (USA- Georgia). He will be leaving with the HOPE people. The others in my family are: Nari (Spain), Isabel & Udu (PNG), Suhir (Sudan), Patrick (Germany) and Lisa (Germany).

Tomorrow will be a hard day; I say good-bye to my two closest friends here, Grace (USA-Kansas) and Marjan (Belgium) are leaving to go to the HOPE. I’ve been with them since DeBron. I’m looking forward to the new friends God is going to have me meet. Without the comfort of the entire PST here, it will force me out of my comfort zone and truly into a new community.

Please pray for the safety of those heading to Croatia; it’s a 24-hour bus ride! Also pray for the growth of unity among the crew left behind in Kiel.

Safety Training and Pool Day

2007-09-22T16:39:00.000-07:00

Words will never begin to explain how cold the water was the day we had our Safety of Life at Sea practical training day: cold, freezing, bitter, chilly, arctic, 15 degrees Celsius. If you are good at conversions then you realize that equals about 59 degrees Fahrenheit. It had been raining for two days before we headed for the saltwater pool next to the North Sea. The Lord heard our prayer for sunlight and the morning of the big swim the rain stopped. Bundled in layers, this was the day we would practice life saving techniques in the water.

Entering the water in jeans and long sleeves the first thing I noticed was the bite of the water. After a couple minutes I lost sensation in my extremities and the water became tolerable. We practiced floating and using our clothes to keep us buoyant. Then we got out of the water to practice putting on the lifejacket. It’s when I got out of the water that I begin to shiver. Pins and needles pulsated in my feet and legs, and I also lost control of my grip. Hypothermia was becoming a reality for most of us in my group. We jumped back into the frigid water, this time with our lifejackets on and practiced huddling techniques. Body heat is an amazing thing which you never really appreciate until it’s taken from you.

Over all I was in the water for about two hours. Getting out of the water was as bad as getting in. There were several of us who took advantage of the thermal suits and survival bags to warm our cores. They were teaching us in class that the number one thing needed to survive is “a will to survive”. That’s something that is easily taught and easy to say, but
after being in that glacial water many of us agreed that the warmth of heaven was looking a lot more tempting then staying there. We all survived and there was hot chocolate, chicken noodle soup and fresh French fries waiting for us after our hot showers. Unfortunately, because my hands shook and shivered so much drinking it was almost impossible. I couldn’t bring the cup close enough to my lips to sip without it spilling or jumping out of the cup.

Orange is a good visible color.

PST Cuxhaven

2007-09-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

PST Cuxhaven is our new name. PST stands for Pre-Ship Training and Cuxhaven is the port where we joined the ship. There are 46 of us from around the world joining the crew of the LOGOS II in Germany. The plan right now, is to be aboard her for about 6 weeks, then leave her for our new home the LOGOS HOPE.

Our pre-ship training has been filled with get to know you time, as well as practical training about safety and first-aid. I’m one of four Americans; there are also people from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Russia, Mexico, Spain, Finland, Switzerland, Australia, Antigua, New Zealand, Korea, Sudan, Papua New Guinea and Albania.

My most challenging day so far has been Ministry Training Day. Yep, that’s code for mime! I don’t care much for acting, especially when you are imagining the scene. We learned a wordless play, about choosing God or the devil and what happens when you don’t pick one or the other. By the end of
the day I was having a better attitude and we learned a Scottish dance. I enjoyed the dance.

We recently visited the LOGOS II and were given a tour of ship and the different departments we can choose to work in. Everyone greeted us on deck waving flags and yelling for us!

I can’t wait to find out what my job on board will be. I have a “big sister” on board to show me the ropes, her name is Celina and she is from Brazil. She has been on board for a year and works in the program department, setting up conferences.

I’ll let you all know what my job is on board and more about the Hope when I write again.
Thanks for your prayers.
Joy Always.

My time in de Bron

2007-08-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

With over 300 believers from around the world, singing together, praising together and growing together, this week has been unbelievable. Here, with so many languages and cultures represented it’s thrilling to know we all serve the same Lord. My time in de Bron is coming to an end and on Saturday 38 of us will travel by bus to a small town in Germany for our pre-ship training.
I’ve received some emails wanting to know more about what we are learning in our seminars and who I’ve met. Our days are packed with bible studies, seminars about travel safety, cross cultural experiences and personal growth. I look most forward to our morning Bible Studies. We have been looking at the book of Ephesians. Everyday we tackle another core value of OM; glorifying God, loving others, grace and integrity, submission, and serving sacrificially, to name a few.

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

We also break into smaller groups known as Fellowship groups, this is a time for us to time to reflect, share and pray together. The picture below is of my fellowship group: Hannah, Saphire, Grace, Louise and of course me. We are all from the states; three of us are heading to the HOPE, one to the DOULOS, and one to Paris.

On Saturday we were honored to have George Verwer, the founder of OM, speak to us. The topic for the evening was prayer, especially for nations that are lost and striving for hope. One of the nations that God laid on my heart to pray about was Libya. Did you know that there are 5.5 million people in the Libya and only 25 believers!! Please take some time to lift up the nation of Libya in your prayers today, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” Matthew 9:28.
We had some free time on Sunday, so I adventures into the nearby. The “dutchies” love their bikes. Just make sure to get out of the way if you hear the bell behind you. I took some pictures of the scenery.

Thank you for your prayers and encouraging e-mails. Please pray for safety as we travel, and an ongoing growth of team unity. I look forward to sharing with you more stories in the future. We have been informed, however, that we will have no Internet connection while we are at our ship training. This means it may take a while for me to post and respond to emails.
Joy Always.

DeBron

2007-08-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

I made it to the Netherlands early Tuesday morning, and I was ready for bed as soon as my head hit the pillow at nine that night. I can't believe it's already Friday, where does the time go?
Along with me there are about 300 other missionaries reading to leave for their OM fields. I've met a couple of people that will be joining me on the HOPE. It's exciting to be with some many other nationalities.
I know that many of you are anxious to hear where I am going and what I'll be doing. I have a couple answers for you. After we leave this conference all those people that are joining the HOPE are being bussed to Germany for more training. That will be mostly Sea Survival stuff, how to put on a life jacket, how to use a fire extinguisher, how to abandon ship and how to right a life boat that it upside down. After two weeks we will then join the LOGOS II and do ministry along the north coast of Germany. Of course plans can change so don't be surprised if in the future I let you know something completely different. While on board the LOGOS II, I'll find out what my job will be and we remain on board until the HOPE meets up there. Once the HOPE is ready we will all move over to her and help with the final touches of re-fit. Then set sail!!
I hope this answered some of your questions. Please feel free to leave comments. Have a great day!

Good-Byes

2007-08-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to thank everyone who could come to my "bon voyage" party. It's been so encouraging to know I have so many people praying for me. I look forward to sharing so many stories with you all.
I keep telling myslef that I'm not going to miss anyone, it's only two years, I've been away before, but then I realize...this is going to be two years!! So much changes in that time. I'm excited to see the changes in everyone lives when I return. And also be able to look at my life and see all the changes God has made in me.
Please keep in touch, write lots of e-mails or snail mails. Keep me updated in you're lives as well. As you are praying for me, know that I am praying for you too!

"I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers." Ephesians 1:16

Just some things to know about mail,the ship (Logos Hope) that I will be living and working on for two years may possibly be going to some countries that are hostile towards Christianity, it is VERY IMPORTANT for none of the e-mails I send or receive to say anything explicitly about Operation Mobilization and the Logos Hope ministry being connected with missions or evangelism. Using these phrases could jeopardize OM’s ministry opportunities in these areas. Also, besides avoiding the words “mission” and “evangelism,” there are other key words or phrases that would be good to re-word, such as using the phrase “Good Word” for the Bible or saying “Our Father” instead of “God.” It will be challenging to learn “creative vocabulary,” but I would not want to be detrimental to OM’s ministry.

Also, snail mail can be mailed to the address below.

Jessica Edwards
LOGOS HOPE
Alte Neckarelzer Str. 2
D-4821 Mosbach, Germany

Once it is recieved in Germany they will send it to the port where the ship will be. It may take a month or more for a letter to get to me. To find out other specifications regarding mail, you can go to: http://www.logoshope.org/

Again, thanks to everyone that was able to to stop by the party. You will be missed. As soon as I find out what and where I'll be in the future I'll let you know. Please pray for safe travels to the Netherlands, and good team-building and productive training.

My very own Blog

2007-08-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

I've decided to go ahead and start a blog. My hope is to add stories from the two year journey that I am about to embark upon. I leave in nine days! I don't know yet what my stories will be about or how often I'll be able to post. I want to encourage you to check the blog often, add comments and ask questions. Right now, I should be packing.
As you can see I have most everything ready, now I just have to put it in the suitcase. My suitcase can't weigh more then 66lbs. Wish me luck.