This article concludes a trilogy on Christian mission “ships”. The first one briefly described the five ships that are part of the OM mission (Operation Mobilization). The second one talked about five more “ships” – friendship, sonship, discipleship, mentorship and leadership. These key words summarize the purpose of the OM ships. In this third (and final) piece, I’ll share some of the highlights we experienced sailing the high seas in “God’s Navy”.
Europe
In the fall of 1985, we began with training in the beautiful German town of Mosbach where the OM Ships head office is located. We then travelled by van to Barcelona, Spain, where we boarded the DOULOS (Greek word for “servant”). My wife and I served in various departments to gain an overall understanding of the ship. We were preparing for “line-up” meaning the advance prep teams that precede the ship by a few months.
Our first voyage was a rough one from Spain to Italy. As we entered the port of Genoa, we sailed by the Achille Lauro which had recently been in the news. It was a passenger liner that had been hijacked by members of the Palestine Liberation Front. The crisis had passed and the ship had returned to Genoa. While there, we visited the birthplace of Columbus and experienced the warm hospitality of Italian believers.
Our next Italian port was Messina (Sicily) where Mt. Etna (Europe’s most active volcano) was preparing to erupt. After a ship visit to Bari (on Italy’s east coast) and a train trip to Rome (for a visa), we sailed into Naples near Mt. Vesuvius (another volcano of Pompeii fame). Berthed next to us was a huge American aircraft carrier. Many of their crew visited our ship and a soccer game was organized. At the time, the U.S. (under President Reagan) was flexing its muscle against Libya’s Colonel Gaddafi and his terrorist activities.
We then left our 200-plus team-mates on board and flew across the Mediterranean and the Sahara Desert to West Africa. Our first line-up would be the thriving port of Abidjan, the largest city and commercial capital of Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).
Africa
Stepping out of the air-conditioned Italian jetliner, we were met with a blast of hot, humid air. Welcome to Africa!
Ivory Coast had a stable government led by an elderly President who had served years before in Charles de Gaulle’s cabinet in France. We were part of a small, international team (British, Canadian, Finnish, Norwegian and Malaysian) tasked to prepare for the ship visit.
One of our roles was to use our French to translate and communicate with Ivorians. I got to meet the mayor at city hall and later was invited to share about the ship on TV. We took a trip to a coastal village on Easter weekend (1986) and joined the locals dancing to church. We visited many churches to invite believers to the ship. Geckos often climbed the walls and one time a chicken strutted down the middle aisle interrupting the service. On one trip I travelled by bus north to the border with Burkino Faso which is the closest I’ve been to Timbuktu (a real place). When the DOULOS arrived, we saw great spiritual hunger with record sales of Bibles on the first weekend.
We then sailed to Ghana, Togo and Cameroon with three-week visits in each port. Then we flew ahead to South Africa to Durban (Africa’s busiest port) for our second line-up. At the time, white rule was waning and segregation was easing. Government officials were more efficient with no bribes expected. The climax of each ship visit was “International Night”, a program of multi-cultural songs, costumes and dances with a clear Gospel message at the end. Our time there was especially fruitful as we learned that our first child was on the way. After the DOULOS visit, we voyaged up Africa’s east coast to Kenya, then Tanzania, before we flew ahead to India.
Asia
After a weekend in Bombay (now Mumbai) on the west coast, we flew on to Madras (now Chennai) on the east coast for our third (and last) line-up. Chennai boasts the second longest beach in the world (Daytona is first). Indians love movies (Bollywood) so we advertised the ship visit on cinema screens. In town, we travelled by bus, rickshaw and foot and enjoyed Indian cuisine (mildly spiced).
We visited the site where tradition says St. Thomas was speared to death by irate Hindu priests in the first century. One day we attended a huge Christian meeting on the beach with several “lakh” present (we learned a “lakh” meant 100,000). We invited the crowd to the ship (hoping they all wouldn’t come at once).
And then, after two years in “God’s Navy”, we left our fellow “Douloids” and returned to my wife’s home in Finland. The experience was life-changing and we will never forget the places we visited and the people we met. For more info on this ministry, google “OM Ships International”.
Rob Weatherby is a retired pastor and missionary (and hasn’t changed a bit in 40 years!).
