Busted by the cops!

So now I'm up to two incidences with the "polizi" since being in Germany! Oopsy...

They're SO strict around here!

One evening, we're standing in the train station handing out tracts, singing, telling about Jesus and making new friends, when the men in green appear, and tell us we must not hand out any more tracts. Being foreign, AND blonde is very helpful sometimes...I can play the dumb card pretty well! So I started explaining who we were and where we were from, then asked if one of the officers would like a tract. They got quite stressed out, and told us no more music either. Apparently it is against the law to sing in the trainstation. So we were asked to please leave the premises...

Then, yesterday, we were fishing from the queyside, when my Indian bro, Parmish, hooked our line on the ship's huge thick mooring lines! I begun climbing out over the water attempting to unhook the six little barbs, when I glanced up and noticed a "polizi" boat roaring toward me! They pulled up underneath and started yelling about "fishing cards"...which none of us had...and it's a thousand euro fine for fishing without one! Slight problem...so I started chatting to them like we were old friends, pretending not to quite understand, and asked them if they could pull their boat a little closer under our mooring lines, and unhook my fishing line please, cos I couldn't reach. They started getting really stressed out, and just kept going on about these fishing cards, til I finally said, "oh! You want us to get a card?" and they were like "YEH!" So I asked where we would do it and how much they would be, and then said we might go get one some time...and they went off again..."NO! No fishing EVER without fishing card!" And I was like "Ohhhhh....Oh so we need a fishing card? Oh ok then! Right! Yeh!" And they shook their heads, said a few more "no fishing without fishing cards", and finally roared away! Whew...close call.

Our big boss, George Verwer, came and preached last night. He was a teenager when this movement "OM" begun...He "begun" it. Very cool guy. He's so passionate about the world. He just longs for EVERYONE to get to know Jesus. There are so many problems in this world, but we're holding the solution right here in our hearts! He's really worked up about HIV and AIDS at the moment. Our brothers and sisters everywhere are being killed slowly and painfully by a dreadful disease, without even knowing how to stop it! And we're chilling out and letting it happen...All they need is a little education and the spread would drop so dramatically...but many believe in ignorance, that sleeping with a virgin will heal them of the disease. There are some towns in Central Africa where HALF of all the sexually active young people are dying...half! It is so aweful. George is working on literature in as many languages as we can get for us to distribute around the world on our ships! And SO many people are praying their hearts out for the infected ones and their children...wow. What a messed up world we live in. But it is so beautiful. And there is so much hope!

Missing you mumma...

Praying for you all. Love you so much.

Love

A HUMUNGOUSLY big monster of a ship pulled in next to us this morning! It is a cruise ship with terrible gaudy colours and an enormous glass walled bubble protruding from it's side...It is 13 decks high, and has big eyes painted across the bow, and an aweful mouth that traces down both sides of the ship in bright red playschool colours. It sure makes me appriciate my "little" baby...she is so beautiful despite her rust patches and dents and dust and needle guns!

But I gotta say, I'm pretty excited to see all the hundreds of people this ship has bought in! So many opportunities for new friends! They've almost overtaken our little quey-side town already...

I met a lovely old German man this morning. My friend and I bought him a hotdog and sat with him on the street attempting to communicate through sign language and teeny bits of German! He had a few missing fingers and teeth, and sat huddled up against the wall with a little black dog tucked inside his jacket. The cool thing was, when I gave him food, the first thing he did was feed a little bit to his dog. I love that those who have nothing, are often so generous with what they do have. I'd love to be more like that. Then he offered my friend and I a smoke each. I was really touched. This seems such "real" love. It brought him so much joy to be able to share, (even though we turned down his generous offer.) Eventually, we managed to communicate that he is invited to "Open Ship" on Friday night. I think maybe he has been before, because he seemed to know all about it. Dunno if he knows Jesus yet. But I hope he will soon!!

Thanks for praying for me! I love you...

Learning to listen

I squatted at the end of the jetty this morning - water lapping at the wood - an open mussel shell like a butterfly, resting on the pylon - a little patch of grass bursting from the rotting wood - the criss crossing, wind swept water, stretching all grey and murky toward the distant hills; the hills with no city lights - just bush and freedom - the rain seeping through my jeans, and freezing like liquid-ice to my legs - frosty air filling my warm sleepy lungs, and shocking them to life again...ahhh...a beautiful German morning!

Chatted with a beautiful old man today. He told me amazing stories of uprisings and crazy people and wars and awesome transformations in the history of his church - the Methodists. What a rich story! John Wesley and the Maravians...very cool.





Also had the opportunity to go out for coffee with a Maltese Ship Inspector, and hear about his interesting religion, and the cool things he's learnt studying to be a diplomat.



Then, some young hippy girls I met on the street came for a visit last night. We sat in my cabin and had a jam on the floor, then chatted about life and pain and people who hurt you. We talked about "healing energies" and "astrological" stuff, and the way they hate Christians portraying the devil as "having a hold" on the world, and that we are "unable to escape his evil grip". They are offended to be lumped in this categorey.



Lately, all the people I've been talking too have been sharing their ideas of God and religion with me, but I have felt so unable to come back with good pat answers...everything I believe is based on the Bible, and unless people first think of the Bible as truth, then I'm lost on what to say...so I've been practicing my listening. I feel a bit helpless. Mostly, I don't have a clue how to answer. I'd be silly to try when I'm so out of my depth...



I wouldn't want to sound like I'm trying to defend my God. I know He is quite capable of revealing Himself. I don't feel threatened by their questions. But I feel bad because I don't have the answers...why isn't God telling me what to say? Or am I just not listening?



Life on board is crazy as usual. Exhausting, inspiring, exhillerating, depressing, constricting and freeing...normal life squeezed into a smaller amount of space and time. I love it. Please pray for us. We need it! I've written your names on my ceiling. In bed at night I see you all and lay back thinking about you with God, and I try to think of specifics to ask Him for each of you...love you guys

Starving for bush and beach...

Some days I want to run away. I want to pack a bag, find a beach, light a fire, sleep there, then hike for hours, wander through the bush, sing, and just hang out with God.



Me and Him and creation.



When I'm angry, tired, happy, emotional, peaceful, trapped, I just want to be there with Him. I know I can be with God anywhere, but its different in the bush. Jesus got to do it. He'd be with people for ages, then He'd just disappear up the mountains for a while.

I miss escaping to the great outdoors.

On my free day, I went for a walk along the queyside. I looked over at a floating jetty to see three big beautiful white swans standing looking right back at me. I was so excited! I climbed carefully over the locked gate (Germans have rules and regulations for EVERYTHING), and down onto the jetty with the birds. They didn't move a bit. Just stood there preening themselves and fluffing out their wings. So I just sat there and watched them for ages. They are so beautiful and elegant, but so absurdly shaped. They reminded me a little of the Pharisees. Weird I know. But they stand so proud on show for everyone to see, and they look so perfect and pure and white...so elegant and graceful...they know how to look good, and blow people away with their splendour. They are great birds to admire.


Further on my walk, at a resturaunt, I met an artist and a waiter who were both very inspired by the idea of this ship. They're coming next Friday! Please pray that they fall in love with God. That would be SO awesome...

Sickness...

"The runs" have been spreading through the ship at such a crazy rate that we've had to let the Port Authority know...unfortunately, I am one of the infected ones...bit of a leaky valve! EEW...It's SO gross.

Our crew needs prayer! We're going down like flies...could you pray for us to communally be reinspired and motivated; re-energised, and excited about the reason we're here! That we will get unity and shared vision; that sickness and defeat will stop plauging our people.

The devil is a mongrel. Two nights ago, I woke my cabin mates with crazy, loud sleep talking. Then I woke up sweating and terrified; full of this intense paralizing fear. I couldn't even speak. I just felt overwhelmed with an evil terrifying presence right above my bed. It was more than scary. It totally freaked me out. Made me feel so weak in the presence of the Evil One. I tried to pray. Eventually, I calmed down, and the creepy feeling left, but I had a very troubled sleep. The next day was just as tough. It ended with only a team of two left in the galley. Overall, just a very unsettled feeling about the ship right now.

Some big decisions are being made by the leadership of OM and we had a day of prayer yesterday. I don't think Satan is pleased with where this is all headed. He's getting scared so he's putting up a fight. And honestly, he scares the crap out of me. I've seen his power. He is really overwhelmingly frightening and powerful. And I am overwhelmingly weak. BUT...My God is more great and powerful than he will ever be!! And He's living inside me!! So who shall I fear!

Thankyou to all you amazing faithful people, who are at war on the REAL front lines; fighting on your knees, from your homes. I appriciate you so much. I'm really learning what it is to be part of "The Body of Christ". All these different parts working together to see lives transformed and see our Daddy's face lighting up with joy as He reunites with more and more of His precious creations...to be a part in all of this; a tiny weeny little part; is so overwhelming...Life with Jesus is a hundred times better than anything I have ever done before. I am complete!

"To live is Christ and to die is gain"!

Bring it on!

Highs and Lows of "Ship-Life"

AWESOME SIDE:

At work in the Galley last week, I leaned out the porthole as it begun to snow, and caught the little flakes on my tounge and nose! It was SO beautiful!

People get to see me 24/7...all my bad and good bits...and after two months, they still love me!! Amazing! Christians are so cool sometimes!

Each morning, I rise before the sun, and sit on the jetty listening to the birds wake up, the water lapping, the rigging snapping and groaning with the breeze...and slowly the sun starts to spread it's fingers over the horizon, gradually colouring the clouds, then bursting suddenly to life in all it's crazy-awesome glory! I love it!!

Surrounded by people from all over the globe. Amazing. Beautiful new friends and mentors.

"Sleeping hours" are unheard of for the Latino part of the crew...these hours are filled with the sounds of twanging guitars, harmonies, uproarious laughter, and chairs scraping back and forth over my ceiling...(otherwise known as the dining room!) But I love it! They have such a beautiful culture with real joy woven into everyday life...

Day off every week to sleep...and then explore the city! Meeting the locals-eating their strange foods, (Pickles, sour dough, sausages!)-discovering quaint little cafes, ally ways, shops, and resteraunts down narrow cobblestoned lanes; buildings towering either side with their many white silled windows and red roofs.

Meeting curious locals, and introducing them to my new home; having them to dinner; chatting about the meaning of life and life after death and all the important stuff that really matters...getting so many opportunities to share Jesus!



NOT-SO-AWESOME SIDE:

Sickness sweeps through the ship like wild fire; so teams may begin the week at full capacity, and end it with only one-man-standing! And being the sick person means you are quarentined to your cabin for minimum 2 days! (Darkness with yellow artificial lighting, 3 cabin mates to avoid, one tiny top bunk in the corner so small you can't even sit upright...and the smell of the everready disinfectant seeping through the whole cabin...not so fun!)

Some days, when the ocean gets moody, or a big ferry passes by, I find myself swaying as I work. It's kind of cool, but by the end of the day, you realise the constant movement around here makes your body really tired as it's always fighting to keep it's balance...

All waking hours are filled with the roar of metal pins grinding metal walls-needle guns-reverberating through the whole ship.

Germany is COLD!!! Us coastal Aussies aren't generally big fans of the cold! Me especially! (But the snow sure helps me feel ok about it. It's so beautiful!)

SO many visitors...some nights I just want to collapse in bed after work, when yet another of my local friends rocks up, and needs to be entertained. There is no curfew on board, so until I get the guts to be assertive, they generally stay well into the wee hours of the morning. I think I'm going to have to learn this "No" word!

BUT OVERALL:

I love this life! I feel well prepped for it. Living plenty of years in community. Loving people, life, adventure...yeah...it's an AWESOME opportunity God's blessed me with!