Yesterday I bumped into my mom’s brother’s wife’s sister and her family. Huh??
Hang on, let me explain...
I’m visiting one of OM’s ships in Genoa, Italy for two weeks. Like my visit to the other ship in July, this is a chance for me to get a better understanding about the OM Ship Ministry and meet the people I write about from my office in Mosbach, Germany. On Sunday the ship hosted an event for Italian believers and local churches, so all afternoon the ship was packed with visitors. At around 5:00, I was waiting on the deck for a couple girls to walk into the center of the harbor/shopping area, where we held an International Program last night. All of a sudden I saw this vaguely familiar woman walking toward me smiling. “Hi Karen,” she said. “I’m your mom’s brother’s wife’s sister.” Okay, not really. She just said, “I’m your Aunt Lori’s sister.” I believed her because she looks just like my aunt!
She and her husband are working with another mission organization in Torino (about an hour and a half from Genoa). They heard about the ship from some friends at their church and came to visit. They didn’t know I would be here, and I sure didn’t know they were coming. So it was a great surprise to meet some sort-of relatives! I gave them a tour of the ship, and they treated me to a delicious pizza dinner. I had SUCH a good time with them, sharing about the ship ministry and hearing about their work in Torino. Their sweet nine-year-old daughter told me she would like to join the ship when she gets older. I told her about the captain of LOGOS II, who—after visiting the ship as a small child—said, “Someday I’m going to be the captain of that ship.” One never knows...
After saying goodbye to these wonderful folks, I walked back to the ship carrying a box of leftover pizza and wearing a big grin on my face. I just love these connections that give a cool glimpse into the Body of Christ. We are spread around the world, we don’t really know each other—yet there’s an instant connection when we meet!
Yesterday morning I had the opportunity to visit a local church with several others from the ship, which just so happened to be the church of a pastor and his wife I’d already met. They attended a program on board a few days ago, and I invited them to join me for lunch afterwards. Turns out they worked on the ship when it was first purchased (in Genoa in 1977), helping to transform it from a cruise liner into a ministry ship. They also told me a little about the struggles their congregation faces. So I was able to share that with the others visiting the church, and a couple of them adapted their testimonies to address those specific issues.
It was really great to see the pastor and his wife again on Sunday, this time in their home church. And as I sat through their service (which was in Italian, except for the testimonies from the ship people), I realized that in the last five years I’ve had the privilege to visit churches in at least 6 or 7 countries. And each time, it amazes me to think that there are people all over the world who love and worship the same God. I love seeing and feeling the joy during worship, even when I can’t understand all the words. Another cool glimpse into the Body of Christ!
So there you have a peek into one of my days with the ship in Genoa. I’ve been here a little over a week and will stay until next Saturday (23 October). I could write lots more about my time on board—what I’ve done, learned, experienced. But I’ll save that for another time.
I prayed this morning that God will teach me the secret that Paul learned of being “content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11). Life these days is full of changes and uncertainties (and I mean more than just the “adventures” I had changing trains on my 12-hour journey from Mosbach to Genoa!). Every day brings some new adjustment or new challenge, and sometimes my emotions react like a yo-yo. But I’m learning to rest in the assurance that regardless of the activities swirling around me, my God and my purpose for this phase of life remain the same. Such a beautiful feeling to rest in that!
Please keep in touch. I love to hear from you and know what’s happening in your lives.
Ciao!
~karen
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