tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87212338333515550662024-03-13T00:51:58.169-07:00A Will to ServeMy work with the Young Adult Service Corps at St. Paul's Within the Walls in Rome, Italy. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-14598029383327708182015-02-11T11:48:00.000-08:002015-02-11T11:48:23.516-08:00The Cost of the Call Hello all!<br />
<br />
I am so, so sorry for my long hiatus from writing. The past few months in Rome have been BUSY! And I've found it hard to write about some of the experiences I have had here.<br />
<br />
I promise I will be writing more in the weeks to come. Today, however, I will only be posting the sermon I preached at St. Paul's Within the Walls at the end of January. It was my first time preaching at St. Paul's, and the gospel readings touched on a theme that I find very important: the call to service for the church and for the world.<br />
<br />
You can hear the actual sermon by clicking <a href="http://www.stpaulsrome.it/2015/01/the-cost-of-the-call/" target="_blank">here</a>. I hope you enjoy!<br />
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
“What were you thinking???”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
“Have you lost your mind?”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
“Will, you have really done it this time.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
These were the questions I asked myself on the first night in my new<br />
strange home in Hong Kong two summers ago. It was unbearably hot, miserably<br />
humid and the city smelled so foreign to me. Raised in a town of 2,500<br />
people, I now found myself in a bustling metropolis of nearly 7 million.<br />
Not to mention I was nearly 8,000 miles away from home.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Will, you have really done it this time.</div>
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That first night, while terrifying at the time, is something I look back<br />
upon and smile about. It was the first night of my mission as a member of<br />
the the Young Adult Service Corps – the missionary program of The Episcopal<br />
Church. It was the start of a mission which would begin in Hong Kong and<br />
eventually bring me here to work as the intern at St. Paul’s Within the<br />
Walls Episcopal Church.</div>
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It was also the start of a mission in which many of my friends and family<br />
would question my sanity.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Why do you need to go, they asked me?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
You have a job here.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
A family.</div>
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A community.</div>
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The answer was not an easy one – I felt called to go.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Each of the readings in today’s service are, at their core, about a call.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
A call to go to a great city and proclaim the word of God in the case of<br />
Jonah.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
A call to change from violence to love in the case of Paul.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
A call to drop the current work at hand, and follow Jesus in the case of<br />
the disciples.</div>
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Have you been called to do something? And if you have, are you listening to<br />
that call?</div>
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Perhaps you’ve been called to teach, to sculpt, to be a doctor, to be a<br />
parent or perhaps to be a priest. If you have then you know that there is<br />
little sense in trying to explain to friends and family what that call<br />
feels like.</div>
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Calls cannot be measured empirically.</div>
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They cannot be explained in charts and graphs.</div>
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And for those who are close to us, the lack of this evidence can drive them<br />
crazy.</div>
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It isn’t always about us though. Sometimes it is difficult watching someone<br />
else, someone close to us, answer their own call.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
In today’s gospel lesson we see James and John drop their nets and follow<br />
Jesus. They were clearly answering a call. “Follow me and I will make you<br />
fish for people,” Jesus exclaims. “Immediately he called them and they left<br />
their father Zebedee in the boat.</div>
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“Immediately he called them and they left their father Zebedee in the boat.”</div>
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Now I have to wonder – what did Zebedee, father of James and John, think<br />
about all of this?! My North Carolina country roots makes me think of an<br />
angry old man standing up in his John boat, yelling “Boys, y’all get back<br />
here!”</div>
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What is going on?</div>
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It is easy to romanticize this story by looking at it from the point of<br />
view of James and John. But let’s think about the anger and fear that<br />
Zebedee had for his children at their dropping their nets and abandoning<br />
him to follow some stranger and “fish for people.”</div>
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“Fish for people?”</div>
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I doubt that James and John even knew what that meant when they heard the<br />
words themselves that first time in a boat on the Sea of Galilee.</div>
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Nevertheless, they felt something. They didn’t know what it was. They<br />
didn’t know who it was that was calling them. But they felt something. And<br />
it didn’t matter that it was irrational, or was dangerous.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
They dropped their nets.</div>
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They jumped out of the boat.</div>
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They left their family and they followed Jesus.</div>
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They followed what they could not prove to be right but what they knew in<br />
their hearts to be true. They followed their calling, and Zebedee didn’t<br />
stop them.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
But I’m sure that Zebedee was worried. I’m sure that it’s part of the bible<br />
that was left out. The part about the grieving father – unable to sleep for<br />
fear of what has happened to his sons.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
I can imagine him and his wife pacing around their house waiting for their<br />
boys day after day to come home and pick up their nets again. But that day<br />
never comes.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
We never hear about Zebedee again in the bible – so who knows what really<br />
happened to him. But we do know this : that his wife – Salome – was present<br />
at the crucifixion of Jesus which says to me that Zebedee eventually comes<br />
to understand the call – the call that drove his sons to drop their nets<br />
that day.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
To jump out of the boat.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
To go and fish for people.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Callings can be painful and inconvenient not only to those who hear the<br />
call but to the loved ones close to them as well. Zebedee is proof of this.<br />
Callings can also be completely irrational – changing everything about a<br />
person seemingly overnight. Perhaps it is then fitting that today’s gospel<br />
reading about callings comes on the same day that we celebrate the<br />
conversion of St. Paul on the road to Damascus.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Part of my job as an intern here at St. Paul’s is to do thanksgiving<br />
blessings for newly-wedded Japanese couples coming to Rome. And in our<br />
speech to these couples I always tell them about St. Paul. Specifically, I<br />
tell them about St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
“ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is<br />
not proud … And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the<br />
greatest of these is love.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
St. Paul, I tell them, was an expert on God’s love, and the love that we<br />
should have for one another.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
But I don’t tell them the whole story. I don’t tell them about the dark<br />
side of the Paul.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
But Paul wasn’t always about love.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Oh, no.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Paul was at was one time, a bad, bad man.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
And as our Rector, Father Rios put it to our youth group last year, Paul<br />
was like the Darth Vader of the Roman Empire. He was the one guy you didn’t<br />
want to run into if you were a Christian back in those days. And he was<br />
definitely the last person in the empire that you would find writing about<br />
Jesus and the power of love.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Think about it.<br />
Can you imagine Darth Vader writing poetry? I don’t think so.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
But something happened. And in the blink of an eye, Paul was one day thrown<br />
from his horse, blinded and converted to the very thing he had been trying<br />
to stamp out.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
He heard a call, and like James and John who came before him, he dropped<br />
his nets.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
He jumped out of the boat.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
He heard the call and he followed it.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
I would like to ask you today to listen.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Listen. And not to the sounds of the city, the ringing of cell phones or<br />
the rattling of windows.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Listen.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Much like Jonah, James, John and Paul, we have all been called in some way<br />
to serve God’s will on this Earth. Of this there is no question.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
The question is, how have you answered that call? And how are you helping<br />
other people around you answer their call as well?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Jesus said “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;<br />
repent and believe in the good news.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Well, my friends, the time is fulfilled. So I ask you:</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Go into that great city.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Jump out of the boat.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Fall off of the horse.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Your call is waiting for you.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-837922649645409602014-10-07T06:49:00.000-07:002014-10-08T03:37:21.425-07:00One Month Arrived, a Lifetime of GrowthI arrived in Rome, Italy, to start my second year of YASC on Sept. 13, 2014. I arrived at Fiumicino Airport on a big jet plane - a plane where I sat in a comfortable chair, was given yummy food and drink, and watched as many movies as the time would allow in a 12-hour flight. I even put my seat back for most of the flight <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/09/airplane_seat_reclining_can_economics_reveal_who_deserves_the_space.html" target="_blank">without having a drink poured all over me</a>!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7nR0uDSlhRZRExIPW6FatEYds9vRFoKtZcJhCZd82v9dsWcA-J8OgFsB9iszemcIZS2u-psNn4CfwfRaZQv_HpU0gQYRGBybHs5MSn4BarGyPclMfUYM3XDx5-MdWIbEGjIjk88KQho/s1600/IMG_3885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7nR0uDSlhRZRExIPW6FatEYds9vRFoKtZcJhCZd82v9dsWcA-J8OgFsB9iszemcIZS2u-psNn4CfwfRaZQv_HpU0gQYRGBybHs5MSn4BarGyPclMfUYM3XDx5-MdWIbEGjIjk88KQho/s1600/IMG_3885.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself, Rev. Austin Rios and last year's YASC intern, Jared Grant.<br />
These roots run deep! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In the past three and half weeks that I have spent in Rome, I have met a lot of refugees at the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center (JNRC) who have also recently arrived in the Eternal City - <a href="http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/09/10/378258/syria-refugees-die-en-route-to-europe/" target="_blank">but by a much more horrific and traumatic route</a>. Forget about the free in-flight meals and the beverage service. Forget about the short 12-hour flight. Instead, imagine (if you can) buying a spot on a tiny fishing vessel packed with 200 people or more. There is little food and little water. There is even less space to move or sit down. There is no bathroom.<br />
<br />
These trips are supposed to only last a day or two, <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/15/hundreds-of-migrants-are-reported-drowned-by-traffickers-near-malta.html" target="_blank">but most of them go catastrophically wrong</a>. Thousands are drowning as they try to make their way to Europe from places like Libya, Syria and Mali. Sadly, all of this is becoming normal to people in Europe.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wrkUhM01TfVBACvxJz6ubSQofA33tP3LC7qRPZPaa13VMe_fNN6dtX4qTvkwmJg86ut9IJwQt9-6l6FOKzBihZ_hmyqo0QMyE6dQoN5Sh0vWse5cPGQ-ORBsoKj44YVpAWYZX0Gl4KM/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wrkUhM01TfVBACvxJz6ubSQofA33tP3LC7qRPZPaa13VMe_fNN6dtX4qTvkwmJg86ut9IJwQt9-6l6FOKzBihZ_hmyqo0QMyE6dQoN5Sh0vWse5cPGQ-ORBsoKj44YVpAWYZX0Gl4KM/s1600/photo.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of the many anti-immigration signs being put up in my neighborhood. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Yet, while many ships are capsizing, some of them actually make it to Europe. And this is the point where refugees then begin the long, arduous and bureaucratic nightmare that is the process of gaining asylum in a European country. It is also the point at which (if they find themselves in Italy, which most of them do) that they come in to contact with the radical hospitality that is St. Paul's within the Walls Episcopal Church and its refugee center. Our center is on the front lines of the immigration crisis that is sweeping Europe - and I'm not trying to sensationalize the situation. What is going on is <a href="http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/trend-lines/14100/eu-must-develop-clear-strategy-to-address-migration-surge" target="_blank">a definitely a crisis</a>. But what are we doing to help it?<br />
<br />
Here at the refugee center, we aren't saving the world. We aren't fixing the problem but we are definitely making a difference simply by being present to the hundreds of refugees that come through our doors. Here at the JNRC we offer them a simple breakfast, clothes and basic toiletries. We even offer them free psychotherapy sessions and language classes. However the most important thing I think we do is allow the refugees a place to go and stay for a while. We are present with them.<br />
<br />
The refugees here aren't exactly homeless, as they have a place to stay. But they definitely don't have a home. Not in the sense that most Westerners would think of as being a home. Instead, the refugees live in immigration centers where they live with 200 other people, sleep in rooms of 12, and are given one meal a day. There is nothing "homey" about the situation except for the fact that there is a cot for them to sleep on every night. So where do they go when they are not sleeping? Without places like the JNRC they would be left to wander the streets of Rome. However, here with us they find a place to just sit and watch a movie, or play chess with one of our volunteers. They can also just find a nice corner of the center and sleep.<br />
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In a world where they often have no control over the most basic parts of their lives, we offer these refugees options and choices. We offer them the basic courtesies that most Westerners (including myself) have always taken for granted. It is truly meaningful work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLuKeiNWtJFFjIph5Cbd4wd1Gst2OatJkEf-HBASH59F5dxN1inhN63sQ5q_D_znwueq0BLs8kKrVfuV5sh_OVh0q0tWfMADXt16F01HZaWtkNr8tnHilpUJOhmxWb4gmVnXDHIn4ccg/s1600/IMG_3961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLuKeiNWtJFFjIph5Cbd4wd1Gst2OatJkEf-HBASH59F5dxN1inhN63sQ5q_D_znwueq0BLs8kKrVfuV5sh_OVh0q0tWfMADXt16F01HZaWtkNr8tnHilpUJOhmxWb4gmVnXDHIn4ccg/s1600/IMG_3961.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside of the recently renovated JNRC. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I know I have only been here a few weeks but I truly feel like I have aged a year. There is something so humbling about working here, and I guess it really revolves around circumstances - the circumstances of my life and the circumstances of most of the people I see every day.<br />
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The questions I ask myself: Why was I born into such a safe, loving community? Why was I born into such a supportive, healthy family? Why wasn't I born in Somalia or Mali? Why am I not a product of a war-torn country? Is life just some huge, messed up lottery?<br />
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A lot of people I see every day are just like me. They are like me in the sense that they have a heart beat. A soul. A spirit that yearns to be happy, busy and satisfied. However, one of us was lucky enough to be born into a life that provides all of those things - and one of us was born into a life that is deprived of all these things. What did I do to deserve this life? Am I making the most of what I was blessed with? I don't know how to justify it. I don't know how to even really process it. But I will work to make it better for the people that I meet.<br />
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All in all, my life here in Rome is far different than what you would expect. This is not a Euro-trip, nor is it a romantic stroll among ancient ruins and olive trees. I have found here one of the darkest parts of man - the victims of war, human trafficking and religious persecution. I have found a desperation that I have never before witnessedand a sadness that I hardly know how to confront. Yet while all of those elements are present here, these people continue to go on. They continue to live and struggle for the dream that they dreamed before setting off on this crazy journey. That resilience is so beautiful to me and I draw a lot of inspiration from it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLp0FF50tghLTdNcqs3NcNzw2vLQZLcYPbq3DJluMQA1_OeUx71vmpqMIbw_nfRaDfKuHFwkG-iznrXo7GRwJpPuUP5POXDcvCxPyMT6zwouwGrjlF30R3bUJQl89E8nSSOcwOwxj968/s1600/IMG_3887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLp0FF50tghLTdNcqs3NcNzw2vLQZLcYPbq3DJluMQA1_OeUx71vmpqMIbw_nfRaDfKuHFwkG-iznrXo7GRwJpPuUP5POXDcvCxPyMT6zwouwGrjlF30R3bUJQl89E8nSSOcwOwxj968/s1600/IMG_3887.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Colosseum. </td></tr>
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To me, St. Paul's seems to be surrounded by a huge paradox. Here I am in Rome - at one time the center of the world. There are works by Carvaggio and Michaelangelo only a few blocks away! Yet amidst all of it is a growing mass of people running away from the worst experiences that a life could ever offer, and a European population that wants nothing to do it. In short, the best and worst of humanity is all here - just outside my window.<br />
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What is one to do? I choose to pray.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,</div>
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The courage to change the things I can,</div>
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And the wisdom to know the difference."</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Amen. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-70493950807182569702014-09-12T08:55:00.000-07:002014-09-12T08:55:11.735-07:00Preparing for the Unknown<div>
Earlier this week, the Washington Post published <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/migrant-crisis-hits-europe/2014/09/09/5dd8012d-cbe0-4a8a-895a-033d5a6794f6_story.html" target="_blank">this article</a> about the incoming flood of immigrants to the country of Italy. The timing could not be more appropriate as today, Sept. 12, I set off for Rome to begin my second year with the Episcopal Church's <a href="http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/young-adult-service-corps" target="_blank">Young Adult Service Corps</a>.</div>
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While these graphs below come directly from the Washington Post article mentioned above, I will post them again here on this blog just to give you an idea of what Italy is facing as a country. Not only that, I hope these graphs will give you a better understanding in what I will be assisting the <a href="http://www.stpaulsrome.it/" target="_blank">Episcopal church of Saint Paul's within the Walls</a> and the <a href="http://stpaulsrome.it/jnrc/" target="_blank">Joel Nafuma Refugee Center</a> with throughout the course of the year. Italy, and indeed all of Europe, is in the midst of an immigration crisis. During my time in Rome, I will be on the front lines of this crisis helping those in search of asylum and a fresh start.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUdat6mk-_qOIveiT9-kw9loS1jZUTw6DdE2HtjdHUeUQo02PsjHN3SpSZukkFbgnuq_EKmL6pa8tvxUGD2Wc24Yrw3tEICzSjdjmUjwnNtUGALo765ESA9Dk5wC1XIeSoxL_m19EpTQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-09-11+at+6.08.00+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUdat6mk-_qOIveiT9-kw9loS1jZUTw6DdE2HtjdHUeUQo02PsjHN3SpSZukkFbgnuq_EKmL6pa8tvxUGD2Wc24Yrw3tEICzSjdjmUjwnNtUGALo765ESA9Dk5wC1XIeSoxL_m19EpTQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-09-11+at+6.08.00+PM.png" height="213" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mediterranean Refugee Migration Routes.</td></tr>
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Just hours before my flight, I find myself feeling somewhat unprepared for the work that lies ahead of me. In my work as a chaplain for the <a href="http://www.missiontoseafarers.org/" target="_blank">Mission to Seafarers</a> I was working with people who were lonely and depressed. While the plight of the seafarer is definitely one that should be taken seriously, I think I will encounter people in more dire conditions mentally, physically and emotionally over the course of this year in Rome. These migrants coming to Italy have lost family members, homes and community. How will I help them? What can you say to console someone who gone through such hell? I am not yet sure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqKzTdtiyvuXHc-7iWyQaSsOzDWO8ksnRzuSbWGBR9XqQOv6QSw-Tze594UdN9p2x5fBoYsII2MsnJmJR0oTUgTZEfOhYgjNY_0QZCyOnZ6bwuhYx88xc_OkcM-PNPli9PSPik6xPN0c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-09-11+at+6.06.07+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqKzTdtiyvuXHc-7iWyQaSsOzDWO8ksnRzuSbWGBR9XqQOv6QSw-Tze594UdN9p2x5fBoYsII2MsnJmJR0oTUgTZEfOhYgjNY_0QZCyOnZ6bwuhYx88xc_OkcM-PNPli9PSPik6xPN0c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-09-11+at+6.06.07+PM.png" height="383" width="400" /></a></div>
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My time in Rome will be life-changing and intense, however I am feeling well rested and rejuvenated after spending the last month and a half at home. The past few weeks have really restored me both mentally and physically, and I'm looking forward to the challenges that lay ahead.<br />
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Thank you to all who have supported me this far in my journey as a missionary for the Episcopal Church. The next time I post, it will be from the historic confines of the Eternal City - Rome!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-64819425141331941112014-07-30T18:25:00.000-07:002014-08-29T18:11:31.476-07:00Goodbye, Hong Kong Last week I was eating lunch with a seafarer aboard the<a href="https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/305440000/vessel:WARNOW_CARP?lang=en" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/305440000/vessel:WARNOW_CARP?lang=en" target="_blank">Warnow Carp</a> during one my trips out in the anchorage. We spoke of the usual things. "How long is your contract? Do you have a family? How many kids do you have? What is the next port of call?" It was just like every other conversation I'd ever had with a seafarer, but then he started talking to me about all of the ports he had traveled to during his many years at sea.<br />
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The weathered seafarer was a Greek captain, and had been at sea for nearly 45 years. 45 years! Over the course of his long career he had been everywhere. And, I mean <i>everywhere</i>. Every major port in North America, South America, Canada, Europe and Asia. This man claims to have been to hundreds of different ports in his travels. With a tone of amazement, I ask the obvious question:<br />
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"What is your favorite port?"</div>
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Automatically my mind begins to roll from one exotic harbor to the next. Rio de Janeiro? Bangkok? Dubai? Which will he say?</div>
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But the old captain takes hardly a second to respond: "Home. My favorite port is my home port," he smiles. The other seafarers around us eating lunch, all look up from their plates and begin to nod and smile. "This is true for every seafarer," said the captain. "There's no place like home."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHq4qSWlJJy285dTH2ynEjf3grv5e0qSV0qamAIRAhwPNP6Bj8tvKUsc9iUpQBzvgYQcoJoWjC-weqrD4y59KtOhXQvxMV0K59lWocPyB-6tbvgqpxC77wfcWZC_HVxbEzLqgxNI5X1E/s1600/IMG_3511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHq4qSWlJJy285dTH2ynEjf3grv5e0qSV0qamAIRAhwPNP6Bj8tvKUsc9iUpQBzvgYQcoJoWjC-weqrD4y59KtOhXQvxMV0K59lWocPyB-6tbvgqpxC77wfcWZC_HVxbEzLqgxNI5X1E/s1600/IMG_3511.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took this photo on my final day of ship visiting. That's the mission launch in the foreground.</td></tr>
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On July 31, I will officially end my first year with the <a href="http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/young-adult-service-corps" target="_blank">Young Adult Service Corps</a>, and board my flight back to that refreshing pint of IPA I call home: Asheville, NC. While I am so happy to go home, I am also very sad to leave my friends and family in Hong Kong. During my time here I have made some great friends and had the most amazing experiences. </div>
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I got the opportunity to live in the middle of one of the greatest and most advanced cities in the world. I was able to travel and experience life in different countries around Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Japan and Vietnam. I was able to spend most of my time on the water in Victoria Harbour and the South China Sea, helping seafarers from all over the world. I made friends with the most unlikely characters, ate the most interesting foods, and I feel like I truly made a difference to the thousands of seafarers that I came across.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGQmYEUjt5fPD1JRO5Rmzwy6saF3Fs4hKqcdYxhIxgQwx4iKJ2lNzpaFlK6fsKpHzFp0EfjlbNjh2voZpAoSlkh9lC-EH-8w-jW8DedEonw3F1sx4AgMOUH14XUZiCc2O37GnaHwoD04/s1600/BnlgpNRIMAAf95I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGQmYEUjt5fPD1JRO5Rmzwy6saF3Fs4hKqcdYxhIxgQwx4iKJ2lNzpaFlK6fsKpHzFp0EfjlbNjh2voZpAoSlkh9lC-EH-8w-jW8DedEonw3F1sx4AgMOUH14XUZiCc2O37GnaHwoD04/s1600/BnlgpNRIMAAf95I.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a seafarer selfie. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJKZnWOWV81E5LKWMdm0AtbBgy92V8WN39k2jTXOTJBSqKKCtF_bBmZHheOBoCf5MMFm-_vCytN6IO-3vN73aQVGe5w5KTdsQEXc8cPxTDV2hvRBWqhnMzrDyzun4JGEUZkmU-9ttjrE/s1600/IMG_3439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJKZnWOWV81E5LKWMdm0AtbBgy92V8WN39k2jTXOTJBSqKKCtF_bBmZHheOBoCf5MMFm-_vCytN6IO-3vN73aQVGe5w5KTdsQEXc8cPxTDV2hvRBWqhnMzrDyzun4JGEUZkmU-9ttjrE/s1600/IMG_3439.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy seafarers gather for a photo after a visit from the Mariner's Club.<br />
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This blog has been fun to look back on over the past few days. This morning I was looking back at this post from <a href="http://willbryantyasc.blogspot.hk/2013/08/i-am-not-alone.html" target="_blank">Aug. 19, 2013</a>. It was the blog post I published just before arriving to start my mission here in Hong Kong. Take a look:<br />
<br /><i>"One question I have been asked frequently over the past few days has been, 'What are you most excited about?' This has been a hard question to answer, and I think the answer has been different with every response. However, now that I have thought it over, I think I am most excited to grow. <br /><br />What do I mean by growing? Culturally, mentally, spiritually - this mission is going change me. I've never lived in such a massive city. I've never been so far from home. I've never been in a better position to wrestle with my faith."</i></div>
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I certainly did a lot of growing up in Hong Kong. The type of growing that one can only do while living in a foreign country. I think the Will that came to Hong Kong last August, and the Will that leaves Hong Kong on July 31 are two completely different beings. Truthfully, I found what I was looking for in Hong Kong. <br />
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Culturally, I have gained invaluable insight into an ancient and fascinating way of life. Mentally, I have grown more confident about my own capabilities as a human being. Spiritually, I have come to recognize how important sharing and practicing my faith is to my own personal happiness. <br />
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I have also seen time and time again with seafarers how important faith and spirituality is to other people. After witnessing it over time and time again, I have come to this conclusion:<br />
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God, I think, in one way or another, whether you recognize it consciously or sub-consciously, is what holds us all together. This is a lesson that I learned not from reading the bible or going to church, but instead from just talking to seafarers every day out in the anchorage. Seafarers, much like missionaries out in the field, rely so much on their faith to see them through the rough weather, the long contracts and the pangs of homesickness that strike most every day. Perhaps its only through such difficult and uncomfortable lenses that you can see the true nature of God, and the importance of practicing faith. Maybe without these lenses, you can't see the ties that bind us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkK_qUk011PegmPfrgzMQd04_gnCOqVNQ4-77yBqwqL5Fi28-8nWy3PMSMPzpOCw5ecUf-GDh6Q0JO3YRcM_Grl167ygdfk5FEm2eodvXWOpX5zsbNDkew8PHZVP2h7pYB9ZD6w9umnU/s1600/IMG_1132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkK_qUk011PegmPfrgzMQd04_gnCOqVNQ4-77yBqwqL5Fi28-8nWy3PMSMPzpOCw5ecUf-GDh6Q0JO3YRcM_Grl167ygdfk5FEm2eodvXWOpX5zsbNDkew8PHZVP2h7pYB9ZD6w9umnU/s1600/IMG_1132.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hong Kong missionaries of YASC on a sailing trip in the fall. </td></tr>
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It's easy to look back at my year of mission work and be proud of what I have accomplished. To think however that I did it alone would be a massive blunder. I was only able to be successful here because of the people I work with and the friends I have made along the way. To all my friends and co-workers in Hong Kong who may be reading this, thank you so much.<br />
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Equally as important are all of the people back in the USA that donated money to help bring me here. And I can't forget the people that wrote me letters and sent me packages. None of this would have been possible without you. Thank you! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_sU2dig5yFc2ojHt05Aq90BWmgZA1rh3bHioOecdSpA2kpRuz-nsF4C5MrekyHITLgPRnbZli95Y6x0mTNIezhTV7sIsJ_EpZExkzU5pXetR-MGJKUEhZZJHZ7o-weuBKZ5heGObsNI/s1600/DSC_0293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_sU2dig5yFc2ojHt05Aq90BWmgZA1rh3bHioOecdSpA2kpRuz-nsF4C5MrekyHITLgPRnbZli95Y6x0mTNIezhTV7sIsJ_EpZExkzU5pXetR-MGJKUEhZZJHZ7o-weuBKZ5heGObsNI/s1600/DSC_0293.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing friends and co-workers at my farewell dinner.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlMyyvy2I-R8Ax8YwnsOsd-eJjHsafuL6qpwGyuOzoAPcs2AitTYGaD2nodxeu_yY631DdzK_cvFHXxgFrzLRwMhWmTLOTpJVVyfa7hWODbmi51d1fDQbIS2-PpZuxjJ5hlpYQq0KApg/s1600/DSC_0201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlMyyvy2I-R8Ax8YwnsOsd-eJjHsafuL6qpwGyuOzoAPcs2AitTYGaD2nodxeu_yY631DdzK_cvFHXxgFrzLRwMhWmTLOTpJVVyfa7hWODbmi51d1fDQbIS2-PpZuxjJ5hlpYQq0KApg/s1600/DSC_0201.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hong Kong friends gathered to say goodbye. I will miss these people! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGd55hkzn4Ji6tD_4zdPiaGjzlIX-vpFOZQPJmRqOz5jQ4z-h0W9g7ZW3PLDcfTr9_osDRozQhzD09bPsuWt2OINDXjZ-LMZrMAODDZl6AYw2MtdWfjccqPEsrUuqYSKS4dxRiIgVCZo/s1600/DSC_0281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGd55hkzn4Ji6tD_4zdPiaGjzlIX-vpFOZQPJmRqOz5jQ4z-h0W9g7ZW3PLDcfTr9_osDRozQhzD09bPsuWt2OINDXjZ-LMZrMAODDZl6AYw2MtdWfjccqPEsrUuqYSKS4dxRiIgVCZo/s1600/DSC_0281.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Hong Kong family. They were so welcoming! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFsnrSIsmg37f-hU9tOn_r4DIzzS2nI4l7yifhlVRL2Blr5bWtzUbXysAXwRY1EyPfv7M6vy6FelrWgw5SYrZnWKPUzwWRzS3HkVUrWOY40HNf4Mg73hUJ5Q0JESqqyprA6WFIFSrWCM/s1600/DSC_0171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFsnrSIsmg37f-hU9tOn_r4DIzzS2nI4l7yifhlVRL2Blr5bWtzUbXysAXwRY1EyPfv7M6vy6FelrWgw5SYrZnWKPUzwWRzS3HkVUrWOY40HNf4Mg73hUJ5Q0JESqqyprA6WFIFSrWCM/s1600/DSC_0171.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mentor and great friend, the Rev. Stephen Miller. I learned so much from him. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So where do I go from here? My flight to Rome, <a href="http://willbryantyasc.blogspot.hk/2014/04/when-in-rome.html" target="_blank">where I will begin my next year of mission work</a> with the Young Adult Service Corps, leaves Asheville on Sept. 12. But Before I leave, I've got nearly a month and a half to spend catching up with my family and friends.<br />
<br />
The world is full of beautiful and exotic places. No doubt, Hong Kong is right up there with the best of them. However it is time to go. There is meaningful and urgent work calling me elsewhere across the globe. But first it is time to lower the ladder and drop anchor in the most welcoming of ports. The port that seafarers and missionaries the world 'round would agree is without equal.<br />
<br />
Home.<br />
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Thanks for reading,<br />
<br />
Will Bryant </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-35839178936479441512014-07-12T18:27:00.000-07:002014-07-15T22:47:06.127-07:00Sea Sunday July 13, 2014, churches all over the world will celebrate <a href="http://www.seasunday.org/about-sea-sunday" target="_blank">Sea Sunday</a> - a day of worship dedicated to men and women who work on the sea. Two weeks ago, a few of us at the Mariners' Club were invited to do a radio broadcast service for Seafarer Sunday at <a href="http://www.rthk.org.hk/index_eng.htm" target="_blank">RTHK</a> (a local radio station here in Hong Kong).<br />
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<div>
For this radio service, I was asked to write a small five minute presentation about the arduous life of seafarers, and also about the work of the Mission to Seafarers in Hong Kong and around the world. Below is the script for my speech, as well as a few photos I've taken during my mission.<br />
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***Update*** You can listen to the radio broadcast by clicking <a href="http://programme.rthk.hk/channel/radio/programme.php?name=radio4/churchservice&p=629&d=2014-07-13&m=episode" target="_blank">here</a>. Enjoy! </div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-b1ddfb03-2907-235c-0c4a-321ffe9a2c10"></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-b1ddfb03-2907-235c-0c4a-321ffe9a2c10"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Good morning! </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-b1ddfb03-2907-235c-0c4a-321ffe9a2c10"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>My name is Will Bryant and I am a young adult volunteer currently serving with the Mission to Seafarers here in Hong Kong. The mission here does a lot of good work but before I get into that I want to ask you a very, very important question:</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-b1ddfb03-2907-235c-0c4a-321ffe9a2c10"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>What are you wearing? </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Now I know what you’re thinking. What kind of radio show is this? Isn’t that a very personal question to be asking a complete stranger? You’re right, so let me ask you another question. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>How are you listening to this broadcast? Are you with us on your computer? On your phone? Perhaps you’re driving in the car on your way to a meeting. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Well I’ve got some news for you: All of the items I just mentioned - your clothes, your computer, your phone, your car - have made it into your possession because of the crucial work of seafarers around the world. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUriLaE5VPEphuOdGRiIc9Cw_qU2FPalhyywMUr7hLNjYzGtQi97RBnK2uzAB2mExWSEV3U05HBbJbSdTqChuS1OKFuCSZSzEaIbgFbob2UtVpjblyNfNBpEE775rWbpODKqTrEKE5bI/s1600/photo1+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUriLaE5VPEphuOdGRiIc9Cw_qU2FPalhyywMUr7hLNjYzGtQi97RBnK2uzAB2mExWSEV3U05HBbJbSdTqChuS1OKFuCSZSzEaIbgFbob2UtVpjblyNfNBpEE775rWbpODKqTrEKE5bI/s1600/photo1+(1).jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Welcome aboard!"<br />
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<i style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, human beings are blessed with a standard of living that has never before been achieved by mankind. </i></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Grocery stores in the arctic regions of the world stock shelves with fresh bananas and oranges.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> Red wine from Italy can be tasted in every corner of the globe.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> </i></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Japanese-made cars rule the roads in the countries around the world. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>How is this quality of life possible? The answer is simple: shipping. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>According to the International Maritime Organization, 90 percent of the the world’s trade is carried out at sea. Think about the things we use in everyday life that is shipped!</i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>It extends far beyond food, clothes and technology. It is the raw materials for roads and houses; the minerals for microchips and processors; the fuel for our cars and airplanes. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Can you imagine your life without these things? Shipping makes it all possible.</i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>This modern phenomenon isn’t just a matter of coincidence. This way of life didn’t just happen by chance. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>There are over 1.5 million seafarers in the world that work months on end to make this way of life a reality. They are easily the most important work force in our world today, yet we rarely ever think of them. And we rarely ever see them. Why? Because this shadow workforce is always at sea. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4NvwOe3rJyV7iVFVdpKxpmxcYR-TYIsjHqaF2lVHYchY-SsnkVD3bTHfLIcu85VGmjB2XYTvfVNSRP8PmgQ-UzG1N5rNOJeZLJx83kN5L_Yj8lEhHnB9-k9pXYsgEvAv_L4lbon0ypQ/s1600/10374028_1448072965443389_4369053464346791633_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4NvwOe3rJyV7iVFVdpKxpmxcYR-TYIsjHqaF2lVHYchY-SsnkVD3bTHfLIcu85VGmjB2XYTvfVNSRP8PmgQ-UzG1N5rNOJeZLJx83kN5L_Yj8lEhHnB9-k9pXYsgEvAv_L4lbon0ypQ/s1600/10374028_1448072965443389_4369053464346791633_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend Fernando and I aboard the TS China.<br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I love telling people about seafa</i></span></span><i style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">rers. Quite simply because their way of life is so different from every other person that you or I know. What do I mean? Let me tell you about the life of a seafarer. </i></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Most seafarers sign on to a ship by contract, and these contracts are often 10 to 12 months long. Imagine that! Imagine living on a massive container ship with a group of 20 guys, going from port to port, country to country without seeing your family or friends. There are no days off. There are no holidays - not even for Christmas. It is non-stop work for 10 to 12 months. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Think about where you have been for the past 10 to 12 months. Where have you travelled? What have you done? For most of us, the answer is meeting new people, getting new jobs, living new experiences. For seafarers, the answer is much more simple: they have been on a ship, doing the same thing over and over again. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Most people think that seafarers get to see the world in their time at sea. This may have been true 20 years ago, but the days of the seafarers sightseeing at cities around the globe are gone. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Container ships now spend as little as six hours in a port of call. Technology and efficiency have radically sped up the pace at which global shipping moves. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Because of their hectic schedules and isolating positions, seafarers are struggling with loneliness and depression. With contracts lasting 10 to 12 months, many seafarers only see their wives and children a month or two out of each year. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>They miss birthdays and anniversaries. They miss first steps and first words. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Yet because of their hard work and sacrifice, they are able to provide for their families and send their children to school.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_z65B41MeIodjC1lJAXPzwYevglU7Hm9ffwjIp6O4Hat_Or8L3Cix-USNicJPqS3F0OdPyEdoiYwfmrbtB-tSXtdETv3YE3KeQGQzZEgAcuCh1pizxPr1S71xh0t3lYLGVcEk9x5xFh8/s1600/photo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_z65B41MeIodjC1lJAXPzwYevglU7Hm9ffwjIp6O4Hat_Or8L3Cix-USNicJPqS3F0OdPyEdoiYwfmrbtB-tSXtdETv3YE3KeQGQzZEgAcuCh1pizxPr1S71xh0t3lYLGVcEk9x5xFh8/s1600/photo2.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend, Vladimir, aboard the Mell Satumu. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</i></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The worst time for seafarers is when tragedy strikes at home. In November of 2013, super-typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines. Hundreds of thousands were hurt or killed. </i></span></span><i style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Communications for most of the country came crashing down. Filipino seafarers - stuck at sea - were left to sit in their ship cabins, unable to contact home. </i></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Many would find out after days of worrying that their loved ones had been hurt or killed. Many would find out that their house had been destroyed. It could be weeks before they are able to sign off their ships and head back home. These are the worst times at sea. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Yet there is a bright spot in the midst of this massive and exhausting industry. Seaman’s missions around the world do their best to care for seafarers when few others do. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyovIgciYmWZasYdTF7MV7wmwkYd6fNYTLuGHko2ZQw3G5XWrd_6hZgOG1YUiu-1K1RQKDjaJ1RSPI768TlWeJ3Ep5DTU2V93C2rJqvYlq94Uothy_HujPX7VJ7xGoyFOqPu94OTJIdaQ/s1600/photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyovIgciYmWZasYdTF7MV7wmwkYd6fNYTLuGHko2ZQw3G5XWrd_6hZgOG1YUiu-1K1RQKDjaJ1RSPI768TlWeJ3Ep5DTU2V93C2rJqvYlq94Uothy_HujPX7VJ7xGoyFOqPu94OTJIdaQ/s1600/photo1.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The seafarer window in St. John's Cathedral, Hong Kong.<br />
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</tbody></table>
</i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Here at the Mariners’ Club in Hong Kong, our chaplains visit over 30 ships a day, bringing news, recent sporting events and telephone cards to crews on board. Often times we do much more than that. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>We enable them to wire money to their families back home. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>We visit them in the hospital if they become sick and need to leave their post in an emergency. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>We contact the proper authorities if we find that they are not getting paid what is owed to them. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Why do we do this, you ask? We are merely trying to support them as much as they support all of us. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Today, July Thirteenth, we celebrate seafarers on this Sea Sunday. We celebrate and give thanks for those that sacrifice so much so that we may enjoy a more full way of life. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>So please, as you bow your heads this morning and give thanks to God for all the blessings you receive, remember the seafarers - that shadow workforce - working hard to deliver some of those blessings to you each and everyday.</i></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-72395819598594573802014-06-29T04:48:00.002-07:002014-06-29T17:31:25.301-07:00Cambodia!Hello there!<br />
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Very sorry for my delay in updating the blog. The past few weeks have been crazy. Here is just one reason why! </div>
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A few weeks ago my boss, Stephen, came into the office and told me I would have the week off. Great, right? The small boat that the Mission uses each day to go out and visit seafarers in the anchorage was going into the shop for repairs and a new paint job. The work would take a few days so Stephen told me I should go on a trip. So that's exactly what I did! Missionaries need vacation too, right? </div>
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Since I arrived in Asia, almost a year ago, I have always wanted to make a trip to Cambodia to see the ancient temples of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat" target="_blank">Angkor Wat</a>. The temples, vestiges of an empire that once boasted a million people, always fascinated me. How were they built? What were they for? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ7dy0NCNmA" target="_blank">What did Lara Croft really find underneath all of them</a>? I had to find out. </div>
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Seeing as I started this journey on a whim, I couldn't find anyone to go with me. So I went solo! I spent four days in the city of Siem Reap, and I spent the majority of my time exploring the temples surrounding the town. Here are some photos: </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An extremely sweat yet happy Will in front of Angkor Wat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angkor Wat sunrise the next morning.<br />
Caught the reflection from the moat surrounding the temples. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktClLMis2HCxYPbrbdu4EcrRG2MjNBdC91515SQ6rkBQb1vX2ZYffwXRTftxtMfs7pqpsUR3tw-nznGRzdDew6s67RGRJM1s31w4k8kww6WSG15-ORtG1_YW80DQ9Xo2wW-7xHoJrnjs/s1600/photo7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktClLMis2HCxYPbrbdu4EcrRG2MjNBdC91515SQ6rkBQb1vX2ZYffwXRTftxtMfs7pqpsUR3tw-nznGRzdDew6s67RGRJM1s31w4k8kww6WSG15-ORtG1_YW80DQ9Xo2wW-7xHoJrnjs/s1600/photo7.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faces from Bayon, another beautiful temple in the complex.</td></tr>
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The temples were beautiful and covered in intricate carvings. It is hard to describe the calm and peace I found there. At the times I went - early in the morning or just before sunset - I often had some of the temples to myself. Those were some of my favorite moments. </div>
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One of the things I love about religion and spirituality is that people have always needed it and searched for ways to express their love of it. Disregarding any one religion, humans have constructed beautiful and amazing things to honor a supreme being or power in the universe. Think about the Hagia Sophia, Salisbury Cathedral, <strike>Wrigley Field,</strike> etc. Angkor Wat is no exception. The temple complexes are an amazing offering to God (or rather, a group of Gods), and serve as a reminder that people have always placed an extremely high value on the buildings they use to worship God. This is as true today as it was a thousand years ago.<br />
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Aside from touring temples, I also went on a bike ride through the Cambodian Countryside. This was an unbelievable experience, as went nearly 40 miles through some of the prettiest landscape I have ever seen. Rice paddies, jungle, fishing villages. It was truly sensory overload. Thankfully, I was the only person on my tour so I got to ask the tour guide a lot of questions without worrying about sounding completely stupid. Praise!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHdMTBDUmQc5QXZd9k0-_uJx-taq9Fs8F5-vrDqYeZNxufK6qXWoJ1RIIPpXSLojnXNIBI60-e4sBE8q83JZSALpU6NDeuxMIuDzKCP6NorICWvBq9gyBX6sUFyO3gRgtLblmGjad7Hs/s1600/photo1+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHdMTBDUmQc5QXZd9k0-_uJx-taq9Fs8F5-vrDqYeZNxufK6qXWoJ1RIIPpXSLojnXNIBI60-e4sBE8q83JZSALpU6NDeuxMIuDzKCP6NorICWvBq9gyBX6sUFyO3gRgtLblmGjad7Hs/s1600/photo1+%25281%2529.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a water break. Phew! It was SWELTERING.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHPyn9DijuXORbXJfMhx1dvAXJ3vkIs37SnPzr2wLbOdy_mFSJZMeIqjWL5LIbIloE67pdzeXNHGRScypzQTj01-Cwy4mn0wMzBYFgM3jsPmxB3F3qev8NBRjYK_KquNiHpfy9SUxJfc/s1600/photo2+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHPyn9DijuXORbXJfMhx1dvAXJ3vkIs37SnPzr2wLbOdy_mFSJZMeIqjWL5LIbIloE67pdzeXNHGRScypzQTj01-Cwy4mn0wMzBYFgM3jsPmxB3F3qev8NBRjYK_KquNiHpfy9SUxJfc/s1600/photo2+%25281%2529.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many rice fields I passed on my tour.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzynCHX6MQVW7EJ1O0xe5gkxdlNvAm9rlgfW4rYQSsxUTgdcUKQDrFsWEJEA56y6D9uaCTUWVoIiLky-pu1Pjl4cG4AVQNiE2UDbxnsngzYLUpCFinFQJ3orF3CGJqm5Vs4mebgONR9-M/s1600/photo4+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzynCHX6MQVW7EJ1O0xe5gkxdlNvAm9rlgfW4rYQSsxUTgdcUKQDrFsWEJEA56y6D9uaCTUWVoIiLky-pu1Pjl4cG4AVQNiE2UDbxnsngzYLUpCFinFQJ3orF3CGJqm5Vs4mebgONR9-M/s1600/photo4+%25281%2529.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing outside of Bang Mealea. One of the more remote and unpreserved temples. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC6ygLEdz9rjO5DrE0REbhu9i4InWS9cddA7KWIEvpiULX9koRobZTUhsaeotWvlby5H1TXIQ1KmYV4b11c9R5KT1qsbn-1JMgDuzbLnK2ffUHJKATpvEAFG3Bm7spDJsZAghJGZVOWg/s1600/photo3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC6ygLEdz9rjO5DrE0REbhu9i4InWS9cddA7KWIEvpiULX9koRobZTUhsaeotWvlby5H1TXIQ1KmYV4b11c9R5KT1qsbn-1JMgDuzbLnK2ffUHJKATpvEAFG3Bm7spDJsZAghJGZVOWg/s1600/photo3.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bringing whole new meaning to "Jungle Gym."</td></tr>
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Cambodia is an amazing place. It has beautiful temples, amazing food and very friendly people. But Cambodia also has a very dark history. On my last day in Siem Reap, I traveled to the <a href="http://www.cambodialandminemuseum.org/" target="_blank">Cambodia Land Mine Museum</a> which was probably one of the more emotional and moving museums that I have ever visited.<br />
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In the 1970s and 1980s, Cambodia was rocked first by a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge" target="_blank">genocide</a> and then by a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_Civil_War" target="_blank">civil war</a>. Millions of people died during those times and, to an extent, the country is still recovering from the fighting that occurred there. One of the weapons that was used during the civil war in Cambodia was the land mine. Millions were planted in the countryside, but no maps were made as to where the mines were planted. The result of this is that there are to this day still an estimated 5 million unexploded land mines in Cambodia. Thousands of people have already been killed or severely maimed by these deadly weapons.<br />
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During my time in Cambodia, it wasn't uncommon to come across a large stretch of jungle that was covered in signs saying "Do Not Enter - MINE FIELD!" It was a shock to see that living with land mines was an ordinary way of life for the people in Cambodia.<br />
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The Land mine Museum in Cambodia did a really excellent job of explaining the conflicts that plagued Cambodia in later half the of the 20th century. It also did a great job of showing the weapons that were used during that time. Aki Ra, a former child soldier runs the museum, and has spent his life disarming land mines and helping those who were afflicted. <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/29/cnnheroes.cambodia.demining/" target="_blank">He was a CNN Hero in 2010</a> for the work he has done for his country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9h0PhGBDaVROs4dc5N2hZ3vJdO8ARsgH0Cptu04eL_FWSLNcWXqPxrMvZT8e20TqA9ScvGqj-1TMe57YM3XCT-D4VF3um5rb14TIIY5Kp0-5MWjqah9LYqZkhok42SrUF3HSfLRUiqZ0/s1600/10501350_10202295031762463_1588311222_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9h0PhGBDaVROs4dc5N2hZ3vJdO8ARsgH0Cptu04eL_FWSLNcWXqPxrMvZT8e20TqA9ScvGqj-1TMe57YM3XCT-D4VF3um5rb14TIIY5Kp0-5MWjqah9LYqZkhok42SrUF3HSfLRUiqZ0/s1600/10501350_10202295031762463_1588311222_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disarmed land mines and bombs from the Cambodian Civil War</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5H2pMpS0k4CUqhnfU1YYUSkcMA9pxKDtxLB-bot4RVLFClZ20sNdXrohiu06eu8yuz8dEW2Fa1LcuYp3-piNJtaEz1zGzJxUwMtw2nDryKEWw4TT1fhwpC4mJBt06uZZAZOCanHDw0U/s1600/10517141_10202295031842465_963710586_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5H2pMpS0k4CUqhnfU1YYUSkcMA9pxKDtxLB-bot4RVLFClZ20sNdXrohiu06eu8yuz8dEW2Fa1LcuYp3-piNJtaEz1zGzJxUwMtw2nDryKEWw4TT1fhwpC4mJBt06uZZAZOCanHDw0U/s1600/10517141_10202295031842465_963710586_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anti-tank mines on display at the Land mine Museum.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4xdtNIwb8E-PmMz48xdtzY94peJK-tk3uFNJgIigNQfo1Ana5yiDZmVSqSv73yuyhI_XF1SDekV1F0mYMfV-hcAwGAnl3hzQbLXdv0vKiMExlWshqEuop_1w3rVlqVvNiNP2be2qw1A/s1600/10501348_10202295031802464_484740196_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4xdtNIwb8E-PmMz48xdtzY94peJK-tk3uFNJgIigNQfo1Ana5yiDZmVSqSv73yuyhI_XF1SDekV1F0mYMfV-hcAwGAnl3hzQbLXdv0vKiMExlWshqEuop_1w3rVlqVvNiNP2be2qw1A/s1600/10501348_10202295031802464_484740196_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Different weapons and uniforms given to soldiers in the 70s & 80s.</td></tr>
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Overall, my trip to Cambodia was perfect. I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to travel to this amazing spiritual capital. It was nice to get away from the hectic crunch of Hong Kong to the peace and quiet of the jungle. It was also nice to have some time for reflection on my mission thus far and prepare myself for the last month ahead. I can't believe I have less than a month in this amazing city. I've got a few things left to do before I check out of the Mariners' Club. I'll be writing another update shortly.<br />
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Peace. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-65787032318767551362014-05-04T04:17:00.001-07:002014-05-07T06:28:54.228-07:00A Crimean Seafarer's Story<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>[The ideas expressed in this story are my own, not those of The Mission to Seafarers]</b></span></div>
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Unless you've been hiding under a rock the past few months then you have undoubtedly heard about <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303775504579393324230970300" target="_blank">a ruckus going down between Russia and Ukraine</a> - especially surrounding the region of Crimea. This issue has had a large impact on the world but it has also affected me and my mission work here at the Mariners' Club.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieozX90s80fGPCrY1h0pyON2-xHs9Q04mZxQC4MaJ6ExdIvNN472vymDabT6a8Ol0djPAFdYiwrcJHQo5vS2_V04gz1Ic3wiGPhSEntlVxKkE9kLZ0sUb5Nviq9Xrn3M8Dd23gpoguV-c/s1600/ukraine-crimea-V3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieozX90s80fGPCrY1h0pyON2-xHs9Q04mZxQC4MaJ6ExdIvNN472vymDabT6a8Ol0djPAFdYiwrcJHQo5vS2_V04gz1Ic3wiGPhSEntlVxKkE9kLZ0sUb5Nviq9Xrn3M8Dd23gpoguV-c/s1600/ukraine-crimea-V3.jpg" height="303" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crimea, the breadbasket of Eastern Europe</td></tr>
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Crimea is a relatively small peninsula on the Black Sea that used to belong to Russia and has a population that mostly speaks Russian. Crimea, being a peninsula, also has a very large seafaring population. <a href="http://www.ics-shipping.org/shipping-facts/shipping-and-world-trade/number-and-nationality-of-world's-seafarers" target="_blank">According to the International Chamber of Shipping, nearly 20 percent of seafarers come from Eastern Europe</a>, and a large part of them in my experience are Ukrainian or Russian.<br />
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I meet a lot of Ukrainian and Russian seafarers out on the waters of Hong Kong. I'd say nearly every other ship I visit has a Ukrainian/Russian set of engineers or officers. It's been fascinating talking to seafarers from these countries as this international controversy has hit a fever pitch, and I have been able to receive real citizens' perspectives on what is happening - not just the perspective of the western media.<br />
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Contrary to what I hear on news outlets like CNN and BBC, Crimean/Western Ukrainian seafarers want their country to belong to Russia. Contrary to what we are told by western media, these citizens really like Vladimir Putin. It's come as a big shock to me, but it seems western media is telling us the exact opposite of what most Russian/Ukrainian want their country to look like. Regardless - whatever side of the issue you may take, I think everyone agrees that Russia should have gone about it in a much more diplomatic way. (BTW, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzLtF_PxbYw" target="_blank">Kramer might have been onto to something</a>.)<br />
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Seinfeld aside, I can hardly imagine what it must be like to away from your home for months on end while your family, friends and countrymen weather a massive diplomatic crisis like the one occurring in Ukraine (one in which could cause the next big war). I know I would be so worried and stressed about what is going on. Is my family all right? Is my home safe? Sadly, such is the case for the many of the guys I meet on the ships out in the water. I met one such character on the <a href="http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/details/ships/305722000/vessel:MELL_SATUMU" target="_blank">Mell Satumu</a>, a German-owned container ship, last week. Here is his story.<br />
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Meet Vladimir, the electrical engineer of the Mell Satumu. A Crimean-born <strike>Ukrainian </strike> Russian who has been living at sea for months, and doesn't know what kind of home he will return to. Vladimir is the only electrician on the Satumu and is currently in the middle of a 10-month contract.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfCm2lC3MOEylNLpz4c-L4sNmb5VCOOhI5KMUERITY5Pj8kPyZluqGmC46N1Ux6O1GnKkaiIT_klVXqmuVhoaIVsC4PqxAsj28JDPa5C6KQWCrSO5lQQDC8DZW7hgXinTAah7Uf5tKwk/s1600/photo1+(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfCm2lC3MOEylNLpz4c-L4sNmb5VCOOhI5KMUERITY5Pj8kPyZluqGmC46N1Ux6O1GnKkaiIT_klVXqmuVhoaIVsC4PqxAsj28JDPa5C6KQWCrSO5lQQDC8DZW7hgXinTAah7Uf5tKwk/s1600/photo1+(5).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend, Vladimir. </td></tr>
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Besides constantly reading on the news that his country is in political turmoil back home, he has also noticed a strange trend on his Facebook. His Western Ukrainian friends will no longer talk to him, and in some cases he gets messages of hate sent to him. The reason? Only because he is from the Eastern Ukraine. "Friends no longer talk to me," he says. "And for what? I haven't done anything. I haven't had anything to do with what is going on. I've only be here on this ship! People Think I am responsible because I am pro-Russian." </div>
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Yet, that is really the least of Vlad's worries. Vlad tells me that because of the recent declaration of Crimea as an occupied territory, he will not be able to renew his US Visa (something that is very necessary for seafarers on ships doing business in the United States). The only way he would be able to renew his US Visa would be to travel to the country's capital city, Kiev. However, Vladimir cannot go to Kiev as he would face arrest and persecution by the Eastern Ukrainian government (because he is a Crimean resident and speaks easily-recognizable Russian; not Ukrainian). In other words, Vladimir is out of a job. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mell Satumu in all her glory. </td></tr>
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What is in store for Vladimir? What will be waiting for him in Crimea when he signs off the Mell Satumu in a few months? I hope that the issue with Ukraine and Russia is resolved quickly and peacefully so that people like Vladimir can get on with their lives. We can only wait and see though. I do ask that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers.<br />
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While the outcome of the Russia/Ukraine issue is murky, one thing is for certain; we must always remember the humans that are being affected by these seismic events, and we must remember that that they are indeed humans - not Russians, not Ukrainians, not Communist, not Capitalist. Humans.<br />
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Sitting and talking with Vladimir, I realized that we had been spoon-fed nationalistic news from our respective countries all of our lives. Of course I am an American (and a proud one), however I had failed to see how these people from Russia and Ukraine were just like me. They want to work for a living, they want to see the world, they want to provide for their families. They are not an enemy. The only difference between us is the country in which we were born - we are both human and we both want to be happy. Working with the Mission to Seafarers is amazing because I get to meet people like Vladimir every day. People that remind me that I am not just an American or a Christian, but I am a human being. One of 7 billion on our island home.<br />
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On a happier note, I've had a great few weeks of ship visiting lately. Nearly three weeks ago, I was able to play basketball with a group of seafarers - on their container ship!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ballin' on the Vega Gotland</td></tr>
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The ship, the Vega Gotland, had been waiting out in the anchorage for a little over two weeks. The ship was empty of cargo, so the crew spent their time off duty playing pick up basketball. It was so fun playing and chatting with them. I made some great friends on the ship and I hope I can see them again when they return to Hong Kong.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ollie and I after shooting around</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-11691525881503979902014-04-11T07:30:00.001-07:002014-05-14T01:13:31.178-07:00When in Rome...Last week I mentioned in my blog that I had some big news to share. Well, I can finally announce that I have decided to do another year of service with the Young Adult Service Corps!<br />
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In 2014-15, I will be serving political refugees at the <a href="http://stpaulsrome.it/jnrc/" target="_blank">Joel Nafuma Refugee Center</a> in Rome, Italy! The center, which helps those seeking asylum from countries in Africa and the Middle East, is located in the crypt of <a href="http://www.stpaulsrome.it/" target="_blank">Saint Paul's Within the Walls</a> - Rome's only American Episcopal Church.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hpL5PtEuNXzk36u77W24Nq3C6blQKwisZRf_KlKEsHTAiDrXyJP71kzw3JLtpk7lL-3-6AXh6hyphenhyphen1NWypF2CKYhfILi7VehtZIR0FiZCTCODU9Oh6mhLjeXpuryLYBFl15Nr83GnY37Y/s1600/9641431063_cbfbd52bd8_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hpL5PtEuNXzk36u77W24Nq3C6blQKwisZRf_KlKEsHTAiDrXyJP71kzw3JLtpk7lL-3-6AXh6hyphenhyphen1NWypF2CKYhfILi7VehtZIR0FiZCTCODU9Oh6mhLjeXpuryLYBFl15Nr83GnY37Y/s1600/9641431063_cbfbd52bd8_b.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My future home, St. Paul's within the Walls</td></tr>
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Here is a short excerpt from the JNRC website about its history and outreach:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"During the 1970s, Rome experienced a substantial increase in the number or refugees, fleeing from disaster, persecution, and war in their home countries–mainly, but not exclusively from throughout the African continent. During this time, Italy adopted a generous and sometimes unregulated “open door” policy towards forced migrants ... </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The Center remains a sanctuary for political refugees in heart of Rome–many in transit to other countries–where radical hospitality is expressed towards the strangers in our midst. Refugees learn about the Center mostly by word of mouth. Among refugees, it is offer referred to as the “underground church.” According to one guest in the Center from Afghanistan, “I am Shia Muslim, and many of these men are Sunni. Shia and Sunnis are at war around the world. In my country, there has been constant war of one kind or another for 34 years, but those who gather here are tired of fighting and respect this Center as a place for peace.”</span><br />
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I'm beyond excited at the opportunity to work at St. Paul's. Not only is it a beautiful and historic church set in the middle of Rome, but it is also the home parish of Rev. Austin Rios, his wife Jill and daughter Asa. I've known Father Austin for many years as we are both alumni of <a href="http://www.camphenry.net/" target="_blank">Camp Henry</a>, an Episcopal summer camp in Western North Carolina. Many who have gone to Camp Henry (including the current YASCer serving in Rome, <a href="http://jaredgrantyasc.blogspot.hk/" target="_blank">Jared Grant</a>) would say that the bond created at camp is much like the bond of family. So I'm not a bit nervous about moving to Rome, doing completely different work and fitting back into Western culture. I already have some Camp Henry fam waiting there for me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlSpdZhIyHTvO8iVd-UTgHJG-FWhrgEgFNYsRbHWux0NieHiQFV-PGDOcmOLnWH6ma3DjQfZ4BuMBUW-g0o5fEFY6mYy1at18oExjL-poSAPbSAyBK0rkPqBv-cKO28lGsFl37_YZgI0/s1600/313392_10151455251639720_1648621292_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlSpdZhIyHTvO8iVd-UTgHJG-FWhrgEgFNYsRbHWux0NieHiQFV-PGDOcmOLnWH6ma3DjQfZ4BuMBUW-g0o5fEFY6mYy1at18oExjL-poSAPbSAyBK0rkPqBv-cKO28lGsFl37_YZgI0/s1600/313392_10151455251639720_1648621292_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Father Austin and family in Roma</td></tr>
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So another year of YASC means another round of fundraising. This year I will need to raise $8,000 to make this mission to Rome a reality. Last year I was so blessed to receive donations from so many people. Those donations and support have sustained me physically and mentally through my time here in Hong Kong. If you would like to donate towards my fundraising efforts, please send me an email at Williamsmithbryant@gmail.com and I will fill you in on how to help. All donations are tax deductible. I know it's never a good time to ask for money. Times are hard and money is tight, but if you are able to make a donation I would be incredibly grateful. Prayers and kind words are equally important during this time as well.<br />
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I will be coming back home to Asheville in the beginning of August and will leave for Rome in the middle of September. While I am excited to know what lies on the horizon, my focus will still be completely on my work here in Hong Kong. Serving seafarers has been an incredible experience that has made an indelible mark on my life, and I'm excited to be out on the water with them for the next three months.<br />
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Ciao!<br />
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WillAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-35880528183727480332014-03-29T23:54:00.001-07:002014-03-30T05:09:46.107-07:00Konichiwa! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hello and happy Spring from Hong Kong!</div>
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Spring has definitely sprung in Hong Kong. Flowers are beginning to bloom, it's getting much warmer and the skies have been much clearer the past few days. I'm happy to bid adieu to the cold weather and rain, however I'm not looking forward to the heat and humidity that accompanies the spring and summer.</div>
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A lot has happened since I last posted. Most notably, I went on a five-day trip to Kobe, Japan, with Rev. Stephen Miller to witness and celebrate the ordination of the Mission to Seafarers Chaplain Paul Tolhurst. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to visit Japan, and I had no idea what to expect. What I found was a beautiful, calming country with hospitable people and delicious food. I could definitely live in Japan. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDJAMe9gdB-49KbYZihkCmFzSVi1ndHzwiLdl-VecjLmDQRa3x1MXsgeAVkaOXvhx4piFrRnhmzTcS-ox28_LKE4M84rncmOm8FmTrt_9M3-nUnCw0_wXOR71upMZWWbrGbwm7xRyTyo/s1600/door01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDJAMe9gdB-49KbYZihkCmFzSVi1ndHzwiLdl-VecjLmDQRa3x1MXsgeAVkaOXvhx4piFrRnhmzTcS-ox28_LKE4M84rncmOm8FmTrt_9M3-nUnCw0_wXOR71upMZWWbrGbwm7xRyTyo/s1600/door01.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the Kobe Mariners' Centre</td></tr>
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Rev. Paul Tolhurst has been working at the <a href="http://www.flyingangelkobe.org/" target="_blank">Mission to Seafarers in Kobe</a> for almost 15 years now. Like my boss, Paul is young and energetic, and he brings that energy to his work at the Mission. The building is quite different than our building in Hong Kong. There is not a hotel, swimming pool or bowling alley, but the idea is very much the same - they take care of seafarers. The Kobe Mariners' Centre takes care of all those coming and going from the Port of Kobe. They offer a nice bar with great wi-fi connection, and a small chapel where they hold services each Sunday. </div>
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It was so interesting to see another branch of the <a href="http://www.missiontoseafarers.org/" target="_blank">Mission to Seafarers</a>. Even though there are Mission chaplains in over 260 port cities worldwide, I had never been to one outside of the US and Hong Kong. It's rejuvenating to talk to people who do the same job as you, face the same obstacles and share the same frustrations. I learned a lot on this trip. </div>
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Paul's ordination was a great experience. The service took place in St. Michael's Cathedral in downtown Kobe - a beautiful, old church set right in the middle of the city. You would think that going to a church service in Japan would be much different than going to a church service in North Carolina or Hong Kong. However, despite what you might think, the service was remarkably similar - the only difference being the language spoken. Everything else was the same - the liturgy, the peace, the sermon and communion. In many ways, it was just like being home. </div>
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The people were also the same! There were the old, sweet ladies after the service handing out coffee and snacks (except the snacks were sushi). There was the exasperated usher rushing around the sanctuary trying to put people in the best possible seats. There was the intense and focused choirmaster carefully conducting the anthem. Yes, it was a different country, but the dialogue and the characters were nearly identical. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Michael's Cathedral in Kobe, Japan. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6XsSxSXdHR20JeBShKUzSnzvd0gj9cuVfPUM2mOxb7RMQIORtfOzGhsBgzuTb-66i-jCW_zpDoKvRPpOVeSQ_BMomJr7jLkj8iBx-LQzdevSktOTE73lYw44PVY_Ws7qdsUHotuy0XE/s1600/photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6XsSxSXdHR20JeBShKUzSnzvd0gj9cuVfPUM2mOxb7RMQIORtfOzGhsBgzuTb-66i-jCW_zpDoKvRPpOVeSQ_BMomJr7jLkj8iBx-LQzdevSktOTE73lYw44PVY_Ws7qdsUHotuy0XE/s1600/photo1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the sanctuary at St. Michael's. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bishop of Kobe posing with chaplains of Mission to Seafarers. </td></tr>
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As a country, I fell in love with Japan. The food, people, culture and environment were all top notch. I had plenty of delicious sushi. I even had Kobe Beef, which turned out to be one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten in my life. For those of you that might not know, Kobe Beef is so special because the <a href="http://notesofnomads.com/kobe-beef/" target="_blank">cows are served gallons of beer each day, massaged with rice wine and then listen to classical music while they are fattening up</a>. The result is an amazing piece of beef with fat marbled throughout.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPxTtBigBq9A1V1suVjkjTbsSMhcfwvsZ1LbVFXhsiuSZmKvj6DRqLhGxM9oL1TwrhdHBK14SHr8xup1_cvi57P_-OpYxTZigBlCnfKC9x94mQpjkdiWzW0ER37YZjxkyECMJGQ-bohI/s1600/photo1+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPxTtBigBq9A1V1suVjkjTbsSMhcfwvsZ1LbVFXhsiuSZmKvj6DRqLhGxM9oL1TwrhdHBK14SHr8xup1_cvi57P_-OpYxTZigBlCnfKC9x94mQpjkdiWzW0ER37YZjxkyECMJGQ-bohI/s1600/photo1+(1).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3gjIt4Xyu-nzthf_554dpa5nmDNB5XSAzEUcg0E1bfFOc5D1I2SODbNbql9C-OJB3n2qYbRO71InUioFegEBQRvSrrZgG6pEqPc6NZr7GscSzxIVapSqroekiiJfQmwnRVi12PpQO1g/s1600/photo2+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3gjIt4Xyu-nzthf_554dpa5nmDNB5XSAzEUcg0E1bfFOc5D1I2SODbNbql9C-OJB3n2qYbRO71InUioFegEBQRvSrrZgG6pEqPc6NZr7GscSzxIVapSqroekiiJfQmwnRVi12PpQO1g/s1600/photo2+(2).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We want some moo, we want some moo.</td></tr>
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One day in Japan, Rev. Miller and I took a train over to Kyoto, the ancient capitol of Japan. We only were able to spend around eight hours in the imperial city but it left quite an impression. Undoubtedly, the highlight of our day was visiting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkaku-ji" target="_blank">Kinkau-Ji</a>, an ancient Zen Buddhist shrine. It was an unbelievable experience, and I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to go.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh075qCYb38qpg6GqX9kjq41v7YiFysXn0SzbqXcR5dJo-WklIBhAdPRwe5tIYDoZnA31SxvCcXdoVr1ggzr0bPlzsjNT_YiY0hL3zrZ-Vqb57ey4g-DyOlBEhqpTdq-ZIekhmeXfaLqGc/s1600/photo2+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh075qCYb38qpg6GqX9kjq41v7YiFysXn0SzbqXcR5dJo-WklIBhAdPRwe5tIYDoZnA31SxvCcXdoVr1ggzr0bPlzsjNT_YiY0hL3zrZ-Vqb57ey4g-DyOlBEhqpTdq-ZIekhmeXfaLqGc/s1600/photo2+(1).jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kinkaku-Ji in Kyoto, Japan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I have some very exciting news to announce next week so stay tuned, knuckleheads!<br />
<br />
Peace,<br />
<br />
Will</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-4485397082325623422014-02-16T23:57:00.001-08:002014-02-28T01:14:59.489-08:00How You Like Them Apples?Hello there!<br />
<br />
Sorry for my delay in putting up this latest blog post. The start of this new year has been busy!<br />
<br />
It's really weird to say this but I'm no longer feeling like a foreigner in Hong Kong. I am definitely in a routine with work, and I'm starting to recognize and receive phone calls from seafarers each and every week. It's a nice feeling to wake up to messages from seafarers coming to port soon, asking if I or another member of our staff can come and visit. There are now easily over a dozen ships where I know at least one or two crew members by name - and they know me too!<br />
<br />
Work has been really interesting lately. For one thing, I recently stumbled upon this giant tower of Dole Fruit Shipping Containers. What is inside? Where did it come from? These are interesting questions that I wish I had the answer to. However, I think there is definitely something we can take away from this mass of steel and fruit waiting on the deck of the Hong Kong container port:<br />
<br />
A. Where do you think your fruit comes from?<br />
B. How do you think it gets from the source to your grocery store?<br />
C. Do you ever think about any of the two questions above?<br />
D. Why not?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMKTJbmraaeHlg965qwpFX3mzGG3Ky3agZ0LbipgKrMUarlftduSyNRPBJDMMf_W0iejpRzQ9N1ATm1D7ifNzx5Icz701uChZpwjdMvu24loVfgl8sI9sU_DRjytBffbdj9cbNUD7WX4/s1600/photo_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMKTJbmraaeHlg965qwpFX3mzGG3Ky3agZ0LbipgKrMUarlftduSyNRPBJDMMf_W0iejpRzQ9N1ATm1D7ifNzx5Icz701uChZpwjdMvu24loVfgl8sI9sU_DRjytBffbdj9cbNUD7WX4/s1600/photo_3.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SO. MUCH. FRUIT.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
But let's not spoil this blog post with sour grapes, shall we? Orange you glad, I'm such a big fan of puns?<br />
<br />
On to something deeper:<br />
<br />
I recently spent some time aboard the ship <a href="http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/details/ships/256884000/vessel:ALULA" target="_blank">Alula</a> (she is HUGE) with crew hailing from Egypt. The experience of which was really interesting as many of the seafarers are Muslim. (FYI, The Mission to Seafarers helps all seafarers regardless of color and creed.)<br />
<br />
Big shocker here, but this Carolina boy has never spent much time with people of the Muslim faith. However going aboard this vessel was really refreshing as its occupants showed me respect and grace despite the fact that I was not one of their kind. They gave me a tour of their ship, a delicious lunch, and even let me take a peek at their prayer room:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxe63DcqwAJmqudXBAFKdEevp5xXmFRSx8a_KDuPAxBL80_gwBRwZuVIkf6U3sNWb4vyyUFdUHxv2wdNo_1afFnwz0ocmUEPYnCxFttZBYPoVUWPVqaEZtxjq-q0VxFPk7Z9MUrXxjzyg/s1600/photo_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxe63DcqwAJmqudXBAFKdEevp5xXmFRSx8a_KDuPAxBL80_gwBRwZuVIkf6U3sNWb4vyyUFdUHxv2wdNo_1afFnwz0ocmUEPYnCxFttZBYPoVUWPVqaEZtxjq-q0VxFPk7Z9MUrXxjzyg/s1600/photo_2.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the prayer room. Notice the times set out front. </td></tr>
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<br />
The prayer room on this ship was really intriguing for a variety of reasons.<br />
<br />
First, this room is representative of how important faith is to seafarers during their lives at sea. Space on a container ship is TIGHT, so to make space for a whole room just for praying is a big deal. The room alone made me realize that this company takes the spiritual and mental needs of this crew seriously.<br />
<br />
Second, the times posted outside of the prayer room are updated everyday depending on where the ship will be headed. Seafarers cross in to different time zones multiple times a week, so they are never on a stable schedule. It takes someone of devout faith to make sure this prayer schedule is updated accurately every day for Muslims on board.<br />
<br />
Third, the walls of the prayer room are covered with the prayers of Islam and also features a digitized compass that always points the way toward Mecca. Obviously, the direction of Mecca could change every hour so this is something that always needs to be kept up to date. Again, I was just impressed by the measures taken by the ship company and crew to make sure that the faith of these seafarers is not only taken serious, but thoroughly supported.<br />
<br />
Finally, just a thought. People of the religion of Islam observe five formal prayers EVERYDAY. I really respect that about their faith and culture, and it makes me look at my faith and culture a little closer. If it was required or expected of you as a Christian (or Jew, Buddhist, etc.) to pray five times a day, would you do it? Going to church and engaging one another as a community is crucial to the Christian faith, however most Christians only go to church one morning per week. My thought in all of this was: Am I praying enough? Listening enough? I think there is room for improvement.<br />
<br />
How about you?<br />
<br />
Much thanks to Peter and the rest of the crew of the Alula for having me.<br />
<br />
**********************************************************************<br />
Finally, a recent highlight of mine has been hosting a good friend, Luke Wander, during his brief stay in Hong Kong. I have known Luke literally all of my life, and it was so good having someone from my tiny part of the world here in Hong Kong. We did some of the touristy things, and I even took him out on the boat with me for work. By far, one of the coolest things we did was take a hike on the Dragon's Backbone. Thanks for coming, Luke!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcl6y7Dl_BIsmvjXummqQ3-u3_vw2SuEGDTpJatZ2IvwqGIi5BzRb5voKFvXXV96fbQQZC61S_fmrQGiqdWrgV36Ds2hweMtuJl3xu6Tq-_3DK3_3p1ebBOQMVIXkhJFf3j5mUDxhC1c/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcl6y7Dl_BIsmvjXummqQ3-u3_vw2SuEGDTpJatZ2IvwqGIi5BzRb5voKFvXXV96fbQQZC61S_fmrQGiqdWrgV36Ds2hweMtuJl3xu6Tq-_3DK3_3p1ebBOQMVIXkhJFf3j5mUDxhC1c/s1600/photo.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from a ridge of the Dragon's Backbone. Incredible hike! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxoRfTCWAvcvlFL9uNnLnus7XZ7dSlNGkGWMtaDxG57juwnEIIgfjeq7Pw8eHBxBN18KeDMGRXlRi6E3eCQq4YKzGR7X3UWJFo8f0vzNyWbOFsJEl45JpWo0thk8QAqVGigU4p5ouboc/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxoRfTCWAvcvlFL9uNnLnus7XZ7dSlNGkGWMtaDxG57juwnEIIgfjeq7Pw8eHBxBN18KeDMGRXlRi6E3eCQq4YKzGR7X3UWJFo8f0vzNyWbOFsJEl45JpWo0thk8QAqVGigU4p5ouboc/s1600/photo.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luke cheesin' on the bow of the Mariners' Club launch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKjRD2MTybnXO9qA8h6YWiwkVjZscZEMn_lhnGFDknVGw8ZBc4-s5RFKrOKsP-bsIrDB8815ACWYd2PERWAXunHUhA6Pkv0UMB0Uzbd9Yk_ZX1qTcItgD6t3LDodIuowdwWc_R_zL-xU/s1600/photo_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKjRD2MTybnXO9qA8h6YWiwkVjZscZEMn_lhnGFDknVGw8ZBc4-s5RFKrOKsP-bsIrDB8815ACWYd2PERWAXunHUhA6Pkv0UMB0Uzbd9Yk_ZX1qTcItgD6t3LDodIuowdwWc_R_zL-xU/s1600/photo_1.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being Pirates. </td></tr>
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<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-15218895449674266232014-01-12T23:36:00.000-08:002014-01-12T23:38:46.369-08:00This is My LifeIn early November, I mentioned that a reporter from the Episcopal News Service came to Hong Kong to do stories on the Young Adult Service Corps Missionaries working in the city. Two weeks ago, one of those stories was published. In the story below, you will see what I do from day to day here with Mission to Seafarers in Hong Kong. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/ZdCNl6_8mqo/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/ZdCNl6_8mqo&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/ZdCNl6_8mqo&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
Special thanks to Matthew Davies for putting this piece together. Your gift for storytelling is certainly an asset for the church. I hope this video inspires someone thinking about YASC. Hands down, it has been the best decision of my life.<br />
<br />
Another glimpse into the outreach of the Mission here happened just this morning. The Mariners' Club, in conjunction with the Hong Kong shipping community, sent a shipping container stocked full of much-needed supplies to the Philippines for those still recovering from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Haiyan" target="_blank">Typhoon Haiyan.</a> <br />
<br />
What was in the container? Good Question:<br />
<ul>
<li>7 Boxes of Toys</li>
<li>1 Box of Toiletries </li>
<li>2 Bags of Shoes</li>
<li>1440 Bags of Sugar</li>
<li>400 Bags of Rice</li>
<li>3,690 Packs of Noodles</li>
<li>1,560 Bottles of Water</li>
<li>1,392 Cases of Dried Food </li>
<li>Lots of Love</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjra7YBg3xJKeM5Qhr3gAwzyEaedt53QxUHEAVOJltxK5v8bfqXjFCrUO4YyaAJTzbXc7c-OuWRH8YHFZazNNSvMZIFAINxxDET6BegCfBu6krK89jokkIUC3gmYB4ML1G2AbAbhbsGCbA/s1600/IMG_2025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjra7YBg3xJKeM5Qhr3gAwzyEaedt53QxUHEAVOJltxK5v8bfqXjFCrUO4YyaAJTzbXc7c-OuWRH8YHFZazNNSvMZIFAINxxDET6BegCfBu6krK89jokkIUC3gmYB4ML1G2AbAbhbsGCbA/s320/IMG_2025.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got Rice?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNVodJRLwJ5B6ZmoZOWPPXmoUOtFNvvj3p7bcXdLgEs-BF5aQIz318OUAaYViAFHpGlBFOAat7QWlov5ycpDhwY1sTHKcvpPWet-xvRKx11rSj8f_N2qtR2qTOpVHh9fXY7JKi0B-gPs/s1600/IMG_2027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNVodJRLwJ5B6ZmoZOWPPXmoUOtFNvvj3p7bcXdLgEs-BF5aQIz318OUAaYViAFHpGlBFOAat7QWlov5ycpDhwY1sTHKcvpPWet-xvRKx11rSj8f_N2qtR2qTOpVHh9fXY7JKi0B-gPs/s320/IMG_2027.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right: Rice, Myself, Catering Manager Peter Lam </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDCzuYi6zrtV7CSB60xJUd-lVWZV0GzAQxp18eq_OQdmfRAyby0_8RWvx1ueHQZczaY5PHkXkqo8O6NKWcWcaAnrxF7RQQS9-l7U2RyhjlPR542q4yte5I6ZTZcrKG2g-slw8wpi7duU/s1600/IMG_2039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDCzuYi6zrtV7CSB60xJUd-lVWZV0GzAQxp18eq_OQdmfRAyby0_8RWvx1ueHQZczaY5PHkXkqo8O6NKWcWcaAnrxF7RQQS9-l7U2RyhjlPR542q4yte5I6ZTZcrKG2g-slw8wpi7duU/s320/IMG_2039.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much water!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWObas7R99BoH0rfNNelxUdM2eLNd5RfQ1gI7KzmGvc8rTdVf7ADfWG1Cfc0QeKYSv9xPzPVK1lHddoPHzMhtMY_VFl5HA5BwRE7gr9i9LNv1mpGTNb-3zlR7zjUEDzqRm9MMpWwcNUI/s1600/IMG_2043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWObas7R99BoH0rfNNelxUdM2eLNd5RfQ1gI7KzmGvc8rTdVf7ADfWG1Cfc0QeKYSv9xPzPVK1lHddoPHzMhtMY_VFl5HA5BwRE7gr9i9LNv1mpGTNb-3zlR7zjUEDzqRm9MMpWwcNUI/s320/IMG_2043.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-53955886814127238182014-01-08T19:51:00.004-08:002014-01-14T21:34:49.804-08:00Hong Kong HolidaysHappy New Year!<br />
<br />
I hope each of you have had a blessed holiday season. Mine here in Hong Kong has been excellent - full of family, great food and fellowship. This year marked the first time in my life that I was not in Asheville, North Carolina for Christmas. It was a little sad to be away from home, however I was extremely thankful for the Hong Kong "family" that I have made here.<br />
<br />
I doubt I will ever forget where I spent Christmas of 2013. Christmas Day was spent out on the water delivering presents to seafarers out on the waters of the South China Sea. Reverend Miller and I had a great time playing Santa Claus, yelling "Ho Ho Ho" and singing carols to bewildered seafarers on the intercom of our small launch. Throughout Advent the mission has delivered over 7,000 wrapped gifts to seafarers. The gifts are items that are extremely useful - clocks, bumbags, flashlights and wallets. While not life-changing, I think the mere of act of receiving a present means a lot to these lonely people at sea. The reactions upon receiving the small gifts were priceless.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxub4NWEZy5fO-0mWa73o7-wRSROrH4VdaibLLQbolV-l52ZRXbswppxVuX7vtKQD84URvmJnEjJu9IIs_HgpYSgHbF1lqarf2v06ySwPkLjkc2WRRFNaQx440kawzoxDTLqLMymip2KA/s1600/photo+(20).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxub4NWEZy5fO-0mWa73o7-wRSROrH4VdaibLLQbolV-l52ZRXbswppxVuX7vtKQD84URvmJnEjJu9IIs_HgpYSgHbF1lqarf2v06ySwPkLjkc2WRRFNaQx440kawzoxDTLqLMymip2KA/s1600/photo+(20).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebecca and I packed hundreds of bags for seafarers this Christmas season</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXanokB483lYjZmCO1R_iCFEQ6Uu1pE7vg1LIs18zKhsa1KSdqtFZKlATcfDPLjtYFLOs3DYAnNjV-pYdYVgwgyk0gaa3sRdqKiiKbnIdBeTNwOMEnrTuXlZFCrI3Is78AGQNVeFrVX_c/s1600/photo+%252819%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXanokB483lYjZmCO1R_iCFEQ6Uu1pE7vg1LIs18zKhsa1KSdqtFZKlATcfDPLjtYFLOs3DYAnNjV-pYdYVgwgyk0gaa3sRdqKiiKbnIdBeTNwOMEnrTuXlZFCrI3Is78AGQNVeFrVX_c/s1600/photo+%252819%2529.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rev. Stephen Miller sends up a bag of presents on Christmas morning. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_uT4xo_1x_JLi4DrNZThuIgAXiwbFbG9p4d_08IJ4rWn_D9_znMtxJ2uk2axawGoz3hYzNEmHHDL8vQ1_y_99PLaLiWKkh-_6o1g5GqFtVPGBNzr9LRdYdBhlz79xO8vl7wXED8aqlk/s1600/photo+%252818%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_uT4xo_1x_JLi4DrNZThuIgAXiwbFbG9p4d_08IJ4rWn_D9_znMtxJ2uk2axawGoz3hYzNEmHHDL8vQ1_y_99PLaLiWKkh-_6o1g5GqFtVPGBNzr9LRdYdBhlz79xO8vl7wXED8aqlk/s1600/photo+%252818%2529.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy seafarers</td></tr>
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While I missed my true family on Christmas Day, I was fortunate enough to see them soon after. My mother, father, brother and sister-in-law were all able to come visit and experience my life in Hong Kong. Fortunately I was able to take a few days off from work and show them the sights of the city. Having my family here was very humbling, as it made me realize how blessed I am to live in a place as vibrant and beautiful as Hong Kong. Their visit also made me realize how much I have matured since I last saw them before I departed on my mission. August 2013 seems like a lifetime ago!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a sunny day up on Victoria Peak </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheesin' in front of the Big Buddha</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tour on top of a double decker bus </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Craig being a mutt at the Chi Lin Nunnery</td></tr>
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I cannot thank my family enough for traveling all the way out here to visit me. While we missed one brother and sister-in-law that remained in the USA, it was revitalizing to see some familiar faces from home. To quote one of my favorite songs, "Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name." I love you all.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-26630735325649182522013-12-04T01:13:00.003-08:002013-12-04T06:39:34.151-08:00The Gospel of Manny My work here in Hong Kong with the Mission to Seafarers can be lonely. Unlike my brothers and sisters in YASC who work and worship with the same community day after day, my community is one that changes regularly. My "congregation" is composed of whatever the tide happens to bring in on any given day as seen from the <a href="http://www.mardep.gov.hk/en/pub_services/vlinport.html" target="_blank">Hong Kong Marine Department website</a> that allows us to monitor the traffic coming in and out of the port. Some of the ships that come into Hong Kong might be coming for the first and only time in the crew's memory. Other ships, however, may be coming to Hong Kong every week, or every month. Regardless of their schedule, it is difficult to get to know a seafarer like you would a member of your community or parish. Their lives are so transient, so unstable, that they often don't open up to people from the "outside" world.<br />
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And I can't blame them.<br />
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These seafarers are gone from their homes 9-12 months out of the year, passing like driftwood between ports all over the world. Life for them is just one big commute. Why get attached to anything in such a lifestyle? Nothing is stable.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sea is a lonely place</td></tr>
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Our Mission in Hong Kong however seeks to shatter the monotony that these seafarers face, and we do so with a variety of tools. Every ship visit I come aboard with a warm welcome, newspapers from their homelands, and perhaps most importantly, recordings of their favorite sporting events.<br />
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Now it just may be a "guy" thing, but few things make you feel more at home than watching your favorite sports team from continents away. I, myself, have experienced this by finding live streams of UNC basketball games and Carolina Panther football games during my time in Hong Kong. It brings a mysterious sense of comfort knowing that the world you left behind is still running smoothly without you. It's nice to know that the despite the tumultuous and unstable activity going on in your own life, your favorite traditions are still alive and well. That's what these sports recordings do for seafarers out on the sea. In an ocean of instability, sports give them peace.<br />
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On Nov. 24, 2013, a sporting event took place that, despite its violent nature, is still spreading peace and comfort to seafarers today. On that day, Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines brought down the hammer on Brandon Rios in an epic boxing match that revived a legend's career, <a href="http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/11/30/philippine-boxer-pacquiao-spends-night-with-typhoon-victims/" target="_blank">restored hope to a broken nation</a>, and granted the seafaring industry's most important demographic a little peace of mind.<br />
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Watch below as the lighter and older Pacman puts a hurtin' on Rios.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/HsuRh5EyyxA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Filipino seafarers are the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filipino_seamen" target="_blank">backbone of the shipping industry</a>. They make up the majority of the seafaring workforce and have the least glamorous jobs. They have also had a terrible year in terms of the well-being of their country. Earthquakes and typhoons have left thousands dead, many of which are related to Filipinos seafarers. <a href="http://www.seafarerswelfare.org/news-and-media/typhoon-haiyan/typhoon-haiyan-news" target="_blank">In fact, an estimated 160,000 Filipino seafarers are directly affected by Typhoon Haiyan.</a> So, in many ways, the 34-year-old Pacquiao's victory was much bigger than a boxing match. His win showed millions of Filipinos that even though we may get <a href="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980w/public/2012/12/09/2f0e7f6cbdcd55c5ccca4b69bb2a817c.jpg?itok=SUSKukCv" target="_blank">knocked out from time to time</a>, we can and must pick ourselves up. <br />
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Like I mentioned earlier, ship visiting can be hard. However, armed with the latest victory of Manny, I have found that talking about the boxer and his accomplishments is a great icebreaker. Even more so when you can actually give a Filipino seafarer a recording of the fight to watch.<br />
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If I have time, I love to watch the fight with them. <br />
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During those times on the ship, in front of a small TV in the vessel's mess room, we could be anywhere. His comfortable home in Manila, his wife and kids only in the next room over. The fight makes him forget about the troubles of the sea, the demanding and isolating life of the seafarer.<br />
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With the fight on, it's only him and his hero. A lucid demonstration that life outside the ship is moving forward in the way that it always has (and should), and clear evidence that there is finally good news coming out of a place that has seen way too much bad news in the past year.<br />
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I titled this post the "Gospel of Manny" because in many ways Pacman's victory has lifted a broken group of people up much in the way that faith and religion are capable of picking people up. Time and time again in the bible, we see God's people revitalizing/reinventing themselves to be better and stronger after invasions and disasters. Is Manny Pacquiao a saint? Absolutely not. However, if you could see the look of happiness and surprise that darts on the face of seafarers after they have received a copy of his most recent match, you would have sworn you'd seen the face of God. Home, healing, and hope - all in the same expression.<br />
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Now, that's truly a victory.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-36982748640197260802013-11-15T00:26:00.001-08:002013-11-25T23:18:03.392-08:00Distinguished Guests and a General SecretaryIt's hard to believe that it has been a month since my last post. October literally flew by! I'm going to be writing a much more in-depth post in the next week, but for now I would just like to give you a few updates about my life this past month:<br />
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<li>We had a team of journalist from the South China Morning Post come do a story on my boss, Rev. Stephen Miller and the Mission to Seafarers in Hong Kong. You can find the story and video <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1314429/offering-hand-friendship-seafarers" target="_blank">here</a>. </li>
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<li>The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, spoke at St. John's Cathedral in Hong Kong. The church was packed for the visit of the ABC. He gave a wonderful sermon which can be heard and seen <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9xAQesuRJY" target="_blank">here</a>. I even got to shake his hand. Therefore - I'm officially one degree of separation from Queen Elizabeth and baby Prince George. Boom. </li>
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<li>I turned 25 years old on October 21! Fortunately for me, I was taken out to eat by friends and colleagues in order to console my grief about turning into a real adult. I even got a cake from Rev. Stephen Miller and our <strike>mom</strike> secretary, Rebecca. Here's a photo! </li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebecca, myself and Father Valan before we devour the cake. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's a birthday without a selfie? </td></tr>
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<li>I had a amazing individual and journalist by the name of Matthew Davies come do a story on YASC and Mission to Seafarers for the <a href="http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/" target="_blank">Episcopal News Service</a>. The story, which should be coming out soon, is all about the work that I and the other missionaries are doing here in Hong Kong. I can't wait to see the finished product.</li>
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<li>I finally got to see the Hong Kong Philharmonic perform. Last week I was privileged to see their performance of Benjamin Britten's <i>War Requiem </i>under the direction of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorin_Maazel" target="_blank">Lorin Maazel</a>. The performance was deeply moving. If you ever have a chance to see it, I highly recommend it. If not, it's worth the time to read the history behind the Requiem and also to read the poetry of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Owen" target="_blank">Wilfred Owen</a>. </li>
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<li>The Sailors Home and Mission to Seaman 150th Anniversary in Hong Kong Gala Dinner was a HUGE success. Photos of that will be coming along shortly. The General Secretary of Mission to Seafarers was in attendance, as were many of the leaders in the Hong Kong shipping industry. It was nice to see the community come together in such a big way for the organization.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCgesfHSZjScF3wToHodst1LhqYOmABpfpZTMt1zlZpGHhWY4biLUEtkx3w5h6Q_9x8ncr1inyTOnEwiQkq3pPxUIELnxk3b8CnGnE-rWj-x6elEJ431FcXeVS8FKvxUgvpuLXYWCRCk/s1600/111313_Mariners_DSC8596s.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCgesfHSZjScF3wToHodst1LhqYOmABpfpZTMt1zlZpGHhWY4biLUEtkx3w5h6Q_9x8ncr1inyTOnEwiQkq3pPxUIELnxk3b8CnGnE-rWj-x6elEJ431FcXeVS8FKvxUgvpuLXYWCRCk/s1600/111313_Mariners_DSC8596s.JPG" height="246" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The event was packed! 320 people came out to the Gala.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rev. Stephen Miller, myself and the <br />
Rev. Andrew Wright, General Secretary of Mission to Seafarers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Mission to Seafarer Family</td></tr>
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Sorry for the brief check in, however you can expect much more thorough posts in the coming weeks. </div>
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Sham on.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-63431467227168574992013-10-13T02:38:00.000-07:002013-10-13T02:52:56.721-07:00You Can Find Me in the Club...The Mariners' Club that is! <br />
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In my past updates, I have shown you about my job over here in Hong Kong. However, I would like to dedicate this post to the place I call home, <a href="http://www.marinersclub.org.hk/" target="_blank">The Mariners' Club</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuQsHoq7USmpQ5MH3l_9ZxxygXDGEC87tp6FaKTv1lbEba5i8fpYlZxZBWWlN4AttY63n95IxNTptGs1N1LGA842QFA9BUFRa-Q0ow10SVeeHMwVpvlkA7P7vGhw0nj-Ntqcvcg6HeZw/s1600/photo+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuQsHoq7USmpQ5MH3l_9ZxxygXDGEC87tp6FaKTv1lbEba5i8fpYlZxZBWWlN4AttY63n95IxNTptGs1N1LGA842QFA9BUFRa-Q0ow10SVeeHMwVpvlkA7P7vGhw0nj-Ntqcvcg6HeZw/s1600/photo+%25287%2529.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mariners' Club entrance. The building itself was constructed<br />
in 1967, and it is the only building in Hong Kong that is Smurf blue. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The Mariners' Club is a hotel built specifically for international and locally-based seafarers. Essentially, when a crew member is about to begin a long 8-month contract they are flown to Hong Kong and put up at the Mariners' Club the night before they head to sea. The rates are cheap for seafarers at just under $100 U.S. per night, and with that night stay they also gain access to our bar, dining room, swimming pool, bowling alley, and chaplain services. Pretty sweet deal!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmH_wwipDR31Z52Sn3trpXDEeX3vHnFo9BcsG_81btLNjrx8Ce7IwRnJuw2DF6Qqh2_7rlVxqSxLtRKAGSlOZRpdxxm-aKwnocfEH0RK-V6f2utJV4s04oyMEtGh8EF2FxmDRiDWA7I2w/s1600/St.+Peters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmH_wwipDR31Z52Sn3trpXDEeX3vHnFo9BcsG_81btLNjrx8Ce7IwRnJuw2DF6Qqh2_7rlVxqSxLtRKAGSlOZRpdxxm-aKwnocfEH0RK-V6f2utJV4s04oyMEtGh8EF2FxmDRiDWA7I2w/s1600/St.+Peters.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Peter's Chapel in the Mariners' Club.<br />
A very peaceful place for reflection. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMr1AJnAVyAoAUIn9v1u-oA5Eqmdk40I8UUX24k6vcbUwooBLHc3rvct5k0YKJ2JGIEGmsM9OCvAZW254y1rjAOnRrRbLXU-PDsLyQAdWXwBDFuGU8b_uODQSV8gCjwMsGxcvhsLPCCwg/s1600/photo_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMr1AJnAVyAoAUIn9v1u-oA5Eqmdk40I8UUX24k6vcbUwooBLHc3rvct5k0YKJ2JGIEGmsM9OCvAZW254y1rjAOnRrRbLXU-PDsLyQAdWXwBDFuGU8b_uODQSV8gCjwMsGxcvhsLPCCwg/s1600/photo_1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bridge Bar. Seafarers can stop by for some free internets, some<br />
delicious food, or an ice cold beverage.<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqxfnFB2Tz7kYLV6Al3435kz1yQPPWifiZ-XNtu35h_xnPokmUYP3CQMtxikfSc_U4Zd773ctdZ4_1AhnTJqWnIiGrXG7ON-S4uPNnPpSRrbP9p7lCUKe8Kg4CeGfydXDNnpWEywcX3A/s1600/photo+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqxfnFB2Tz7kYLV6Al3435kz1yQPPWifiZ-XNtu35h_xnPokmUYP3CQMtxikfSc_U4Zd773ctdZ4_1AhnTJqWnIiGrXG7ON-S4uPNnPpSRrbP9p7lCUKe8Kg4CeGfydXDNnpWEywcX3A/s1600/photo+%25286%2529.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bowling alley. I threw a perfect game here once,<br />
but no one was around to see it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoqSpvfBYTIyw-OIH0CXrOcNWfqbyQZQe9PLT-T_8U3cDaa7jjCRJdnTLnnyApVMM9k6I3T9yGMJzJtfHxVQ52_JSJ_YfUP-RoD1zm_AsushSnJz492GOVUTHOnm38s4mKcNeQizcGVw/s1600/photo+%25289%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoqSpvfBYTIyw-OIH0CXrOcNWfqbyQZQe9PLT-T_8U3cDaa7jjCRJdnTLnnyApVMM9k6I3T9yGMJzJtfHxVQ52_JSJ_YfUP-RoD1zm_AsushSnJz492GOVUTHOnm38s4mKcNeQizcGVw/s1600/photo+%25289%2529.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The swimming pool! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I live in a room on the third floor of the club and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-21973486" target="_blank">from what I have been told</a>, it is very big for Hong Kong standards. It's a small suite with two nice big windows, an air conditioner, a coffee table, a mini-fridge and an unplugged television that used to play terrible Cantonese television shows. I also have my own bathroom which is clutch. Given it's location and comfort, I don't think I could ask for much better than my room here in the Mariners' Club.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xYY7xZ_dNTMksrxcJ-fqU95XCGpK1wBQBldO0qzPwW6KZ7uM3Vqrgv3_FOwHpnYekXtHOqsMO3Waxpsmn-FF7UEcnjMqB-RUGtXcXC4MPlIJNq3Jm3V29y21uwS97mOKk1rpQERv31Q/s1600/photo+(14).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xYY7xZ_dNTMksrxcJ-fqU95XCGpK1wBQBldO0qzPwW6KZ7uM3Vqrgv3_FOwHpnYekXtHOqsMO3Waxpsmn-FF7UEcnjMqB-RUGtXcXC4MPlIJNq3Jm3V29y21uwS97mOKk1rpQERv31Q/s1600/photo+(14).JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom, I made my bed! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But wait, there's a history behind this place! Actually, a very <i>long</i> <a href="http://www.marinersclub.org.hk/history.html" target="_blank">history</a>. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Sailors' Home and Missions to Seaman here in Hong Kong. In a month, the Club is holding a gala in celebration of this anniversary, as well as to raise money for the mission's new launch.<br />
One of my jobs since arriving here has been to help out in any way possible with this event. Last week I helped design the Gala brochure, the rough draft of which can be seen here:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdLohT7gZlVz6Y1ftiYB1qguyqRT6JZLB1grl0SYwRxH-RkaSEKSypi6rvei0kFzbnQqP2ImEkikkwN3UmkQLMTrgn5L9V7UVPZnnJVJDCeIvq7YIez-4RiawdKIhXsU9LePYSpXAcf0/s1600/photo+%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdLohT7gZlVz6Y1ftiYB1qguyqRT6JZLB1grl0SYwRxH-RkaSEKSypi6rvei0kFzbnQqP2ImEkikkwN3UmkQLMTrgn5L9V7UVPZnnJVJDCeIvq7YIez-4RiawdKIhXsU9LePYSpXAcf0/s1600/photo+%252813%2529.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work in progress. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The night is going to be a lot of fun. There will be a presentation by former director of the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, Dr. Stephen Davies, who has also been commissioned to write a history of the organization's storied past. There will also be an auction during the event, as well as a number of speeches by the event sponsors.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMHwXet9Zgpl_a3YxQ2n9RtSKNwzUBETqhSjxhsp764QlOS4KRUugNBVijJik55HaNxZFUMLtSvejyUygXHZNLP-5-AjLGKlSE9WSUS0ZnHzGT953BXKN3GVTEQUhiMFxN7vC1A2WPXw/s1600/sail2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMHwXet9Zgpl_a3YxQ2n9RtSKNwzUBETqhSjxhsp764QlOS4KRUugNBVijJik55HaNxZFUMLtSvejyUygXHZNLP-5-AjLGKlSE9WSUS0ZnHzGT953BXKN3GVTEQUhiMFxN7vC1A2WPXw/s1600/sail2.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caption reads, "Sailors' Home & Mission to Seamen, 40 Gloucester Road, Hong Kong,<br />
1932-1967"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtmERv93zk5CLHaOWIXC3B1ytIPTa6S4wyRYkmGt0B_ympDFasvgz3dBvZ9vVUkIgr1A5AzCT580hmLTeL1NgDr7vD1bDkFW8pVCVJp72pwCBtgujH8MiG3skVAdtjaZOBIIPTFGP4T0/s1600/Dayspring+II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtmERv93zk5CLHaOWIXC3B1ytIPTa6S4wyRYkmGt0B_ympDFasvgz3dBvZ9vVUkIgr1A5AzCT580hmLTeL1NgDr7vD1bDkFW8pVCVJp72pwCBtgujH8MiG3skVAdtjaZOBIIPTFGP4T0/s1600/Dayspring+II.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dayspring II sometime after its commission in 1919. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Mariners' Club has played an important part in the lives of thousands of seafarers who have passed through Hong Kong over the past century and a half. It is a really neat to call such a place home, and to be a part of such a rich history. Digging up the past has lead me to reflect on my own legacy. Will a picture of me be buried one day in the Mission archives only to be found at the 300 year anniversary? Will someone dig up my blog on that old thing called the internet for some primary documents about life here? I sure hope so.<br />
<br />
What else have I been up to?<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I recently joined the YMCA here in Tsim Sha Tsui! Exercise has always played a huge role in keeping me focused, happy and healthy. I have becoming addicted to running and listening to podcasts, so if you know of any good ones - fire away. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I sang with the choirs of St. Stephen's and St. John's Cathedral at the consecration anniversary concert for St. John's Cathedral. It felt so good to be a part of a choir again.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I got a Hong Kong driver's license which I have been using to drive to our Mariners' Club facility in Kwai Chung and local hospitals. Just like in England, people drive on the left side of the road here. This has been incredibly hard to get used to. Also, people drive like maniacs, which I am learning to do as well.</li>
</ul>
<div>
That's all for now. Hope you are all doing well. Thanks for checking in! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-27782357802649894512013-10-09T06:56:00.000-07:002013-10-09T07:14:38.723-07:00The Cathedral Connection<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This is an article I recently wrote for the newsletter of my church, <a href="http://www.allsoulscathedral.org/" target="_blank">The Cathedral of All Souls. </a> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt;">I will be writing a new blog post soon but I figured this might tide you over until then. I hope you are all enjoying a beautiful autumn in North America. Keep an eye out this upcoming week for an update and some photos. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">**********************************************************</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello from Hong Kong! Much to my disbelief I have already finished my first month as a missionary with the Young Adult Service Corps. Time is flying, however I am making a special effort to soak it all up. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My work here with the Mission to Seafarers is going quite well, and even in my first month of service I feel like I’ve already made an impact on the lives of many seafarers. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Most mornings, I find myself out in the anchorage of Hong Kong, climbing aboard massive ships which are waiting to unload cargo at the port. The men on board these ships are from all over the world but most of them hail from the Philippines, Russia, India, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Romania and mainland China. Despite their diverse backgrounds, they have one thing in common: they are all lonely. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Since starting my new position, I have often found myself at a loss for words. How can I connect with these seafarers? What wisdom can a 24-year-old bestow upon a 40-year-old seafarer who hasn’t seen his family in months? It has been challenging to minister to a demographic so different than I, however I have found that the most effective way of doing so is by merely being present. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> What does it mean to be present? Sometimes it involves just listening to a seafarer talk about his children. Other times, it is sitting at the bedside of a hospitalized seafarer talking sports or politics. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It is easy to overlook the sacred of being present. It might be easy at times to think that such work is meaningless. However, it is important to realize that if I’m not present for these seafarers, then who will be present for them?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I think about Jesus when I am being present with these seafarers. What if Jesus had thought that just being present was beneath him? What if he had told those struggling with leprosy that he was too busy to cure them? Those dying of hunger and thirst that he just hadn't the time? These thoughts have carried me throughout some emotional days at sea. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I am incredibly proud to be serving in Hong Kong as your missionary for the year, and I cannot thank the All Souls community enough for supporting me. I look forward to sharing my spiritual growth with you in the coming months. Until next time, I leave you with this: Who are the “seafarers” in your own life? And how are you being present for them? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">With every best wish, </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Bryant </span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-26832906423082598392013-09-15T07:07:00.001-07:002013-09-17T06:08:31.844-07:00Anchors Aweigh!Hello!<br />
<br />
It's hard to believe that I have been in Hong Kong now for nearly a month. Time is slipping through my fingers already! However, I have been doing a lot of exciting things.<br />
<br />
I am finally getting into a rhythm with work. My new job is completely different from anything I have ever done before. What am I doing? My work week is pretty much divided between two locations, the container terminals in Kwai Chung, and the anchorage of Hong Kong.<br />
<br />
I usually spend three days a week working in the container terminals which is a very dirty, hectic and overwhelming place. I drive around with a priest and we go aboard eight to ten ships a day, ministering to seafarers and selling them phone cards. The terminal is the third largest container terminal in the world and the amount of cargo that passes through this terminal is staggering.<br />
<br />
You ready for this? 243 million tons of cargo and 25 million people enter and depart the <a href="http://hkevents.com/Tiesto/" target="_blank">Hong Kong container port terminal</a> every year. This place is a madhouse, buzzing with massive cranes moving freight to and fro, and 18-wheelers running cargo from ship to ship. My organization, Mission to Seafarers, has an outpost right on the outskirts of the terminal that serves as an oasis of calm for the seafarers to relax for an hour or two before their ship departs. (It costs $50,000 USD to dock your ship in this container port, so you best believe that ships never spend more than a few hours loading and unloading).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsOywQ5CLkrPlPrHcSwRnYMHAv1_LB6p094zMXsAqPrQ3cLr2IW9aBzNgC-JdtE5hR5FcqGdkr10simeTl1NvbrDqUC6l30Bk8fs6nkOghre3G4-zhHK2I3dVLtF57Bij8dDz3EeGlFM/s1600/1176137_10200504532921111_733584013_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsOywQ5CLkrPlPrHcSwRnYMHAv1_LB6p094zMXsAqPrQ3cLr2IW9aBzNgC-JdtE5hR5FcqGdkr10simeTl1NvbrDqUC6l30Bk8fs6nkOghre3G4-zhHK2I3dVLtF57Bij8dDz3EeGlFM/s400/1176137_10200504532921111_733584013_n.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of one section of the Hong Kong container terminal as seen <br />
from the deck of the Lantau Breeze.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
When I'm not at the terminals, then I'm out in the anchorage visiting vessels via our ship, The Flying Angel. The anchorage is a very beautiful place. It offers a terrific view of the city skyline and it is packed with all different kinds of ships. I especially love going out in the anchorage because it is one of the few times in Hong Kong that I get to enjoy wide open space. In a city of 7.7 million people, a moment of solitude is hard to come by, so I really cherish my time spent on the commute out to the cargo ships. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oGpANKGmjbIG9lyLXz6bhezCE3L2ZLN2Tnp-ItnYa6v-mSLIOCTQlRE1F4tqGCSmG-85DkWkFORZWTp0pPxmUKU3BpSII0ga-YP5vrGhalEhjKr_bxlVsIyOPoVtpk4CPcEfUiElTHU/s1600/photo+(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oGpANKGmjbIG9lyLXz6bhezCE3L2ZLN2Tnp-ItnYa6v-mSLIOCTQlRE1F4tqGCSmG-85DkWkFORZWTp0pPxmUKU3BpSII0ga-YP5vrGhalEhjKr_bxlVsIyOPoVtpk4CPcEfUiElTHU/s400/photo+(5).jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ship, the Flying Angel, which we take out most mornings to visit<br />
seafarers in the anchorage of Hong Kong. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Once we reach the ships out in the anchorage, the fun really begins. Most of the time, seafarers will throw down what is called the Pilot's Ladder, AKA a janky rope ladder that looks as if it will unravel at any moment. The climb is usually around 25 to 30 feet high depending on the volume of cargo on board, and leaves you dangling over warm, tropical waters. It is a little dangerous, but I love it! Who else gets to play pirate priest for a living? (Just an FYI: I am not a priest, but I accompany priests aboard the ships each day.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T48I1THMzPt2RaX2hRur-BjLJA0-L11x9LwYibbGPCex5la1Lnea4ew8wf4A2mgy-LXqY5Era7oBcdTJRBEyMfLVUYOYwW_DBJ-90UdbpYKABsmcsTF4cuztbMuef9cPbQlrEMI9aTA/s1600/photo+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T48I1THMzPt2RaX2hRur-BjLJA0-L11x9LwYibbGPCex5la1Lnea4ew8wf4A2mgy-LXqY5Era7oBcdTJRBEyMfLVUYOYwW_DBJ-90UdbpYKABsmcsTF4cuztbMuef9cPbQlrEMI9aTA/s400/photo+(1).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Bro, you coming or what?"<br />
The Pilot's Ladder</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once you reach the top, you are greeted with a warm welcome from the ship's watchmen and a beautiful view of the sea and surrounding islands. From there, we enter the ship's mess room (dining room) and speak to seafarers dealing with homesickness, unfair labor practices or whatever else they may be struggling with. We also sell the seafarers phone cards and sim cards, so that they may connect with their families back home.<br />
<br />
All in all, I am loving my work so far. I love that I am able to go out into the ocean every day, and also that I get to meet so many people from around the world. On top of all that, my job is focused about making people's lives better, regardless of their religion, skin color, gender or job title. Who could ask for better? I look forward to sharing with you again soon. Until then, here are some more photos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifB67fgMJpDCMLBuZX8X641JGnE1yPLIJFvnMHDxfG8TZaOw7jOkH3RMhztU1-EwMp5RF9zxd-McVQUiOrGaLYC-9RWhs6x6J2HbUXOuVWPubJpeNghZ2ZCPlhhbt3sSP13okuZzgRbqQ/s1600/photo+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifB67fgMJpDCMLBuZX8X641JGnE1yPLIJFvnMHDxfG8TZaOw7jOkH3RMhztU1-EwMp5RF9zxd-McVQUiOrGaLYC-9RWhs6x6J2HbUXOuVWPubJpeNghZ2ZCPlhhbt3sSP13okuZzgRbqQ/s400/photo+%25282%2529.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheesin' after a visit to the city dry docks.<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4Ayr9KHZ74WILcwNzibN_mFRUodLM6-4GHVwywavJJgnBLZcTV0RDJhpOZhbrEh-HbcWF7DXFZ2CKv_BnoRk7PEgGinsSZ9QJc6kkI8BJW7EIt2hpg83ijvOtWOClCRbTmgXd0BqSLc/s1600/photo+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4Ayr9KHZ74WILcwNzibN_mFRUodLM6-4GHVwywavJJgnBLZcTV0RDJhpOZhbrEh-HbcWF7DXFZ2CKv_BnoRk7PEgGinsSZ9QJc6kkI8BJW7EIt2hpg83ijvOtWOClCRbTmgXd0BqSLc/s400/photo+%25284%2529.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Kowloon and Hong Kong from the anchorage. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
(Special shout out to Instagram for making it appear as if I am talented at taking photographs.)<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-46479221584874107772013-08-25T03:29:00.002-07:002013-08-25T06:37:48.771-07:00Hong Kong is HomeHello from the other side of the globe!<br />
<br />
After nearly 30 hours of travel, fellow YASCer <a href="http://forjusticeandpeace.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Lowery</a> and I landed safely in Hong Kong where were met with open arms by former YASCer Grace Flint and my supervisor, the Rev. Stephen Miller. It was 11:30 pm when I arrived at my home, the Mariners' Club, and I quickly went to bed (or tried to) after Skyping with my parents. Physically, I was exhausted, however the jet lag simply refused to let my brain shut off. I finally passed out around 4 am only to wake up at 7 am without an alarm. As frustrating as it was, I took the opportunity to do some early morning exploring around my neighborhood. That's when I fell in love with the Hong Kong skyline.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGME1e-OJlqo_non5p5dMBhEH2UThoM0TrlWms2-TAF9YghNCChH0rOMO51HjK0s_XBbXugzMV46TGvBGr5DkmB4vjqLp_4BSUzdk0DZxnKPgy84dwkOVMvh9zXtAu7QrIOlZKNO61VO8/s1600/1013274_10200468483859907_1054324519_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGME1e-OJlqo_non5p5dMBhEH2UThoM0TrlWms2-TAF9YghNCChH0rOMO51HjK0s_XBbXugzMV46TGvBGr5DkmB4vjqLp_4BSUzdk0DZxnKPgy84dwkOVMvh9zXtAu7QrIOlZKNO61VO8/s1600/1013274_10200468483859907_1054324519_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hong Kong skyline as seen from the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui.<br />
I took this picture on my first morning in the city.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I live about five minutes from a place called the <a href="http://www.avenueofstars.com.hk/eng/location.asp" target="_blank">Avenue of Stars</a>. It's a mix of the Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles and the battery in Charleston, South Carolina. Then add the Manhattan Skyline (on steroids). Simply put it is breathtaking, stunning, and completely unique.<br />
<br />
My first few days here in the city have been amazing. Everything here is over the top. The skyline is massive, the streets are packed, the temperature is scorching, and the generosity and kindness is overwhelming. People are so nice here, especially the people at my work, <a href="http://www.marinersclub.org.hk/" target="_blank">The Mariners' Club</a>.<br />
<br />
A lot has happened over the last week so I will give you some highlights of my first five days:<br />
<br />
1. I have started training for my job with the Rev. Stephen Miller and so far we have covered the basics of the seafaring industry. I have learned a lot about the demanding work of seafarers, and the loneliness and mistreatment that plagues the people in this industry. It is amazing that despite the fact that 95% of world trade takes place on the seas, I never gave one thought about the driving force behind all that trade. Every material good we have is brought to us by the shipping industry and seafarers. The laptop, tablet or phone that you are reading this blogpost on, the clothes you are currently wearing, the swanky glass of Italian red wine you are currently drinking are all courtesy of the shipping industry. All of these goods are brought to us from every corner of the earth, and done so by a few powerful shipping companies. These companies try to hire the cheapest possible crew with the intent of moving freight as fast as possible. The result? Ships of seafarers that spend 6-12 months at sea, spending only an afternoon or evening in the handful of ports that they dock into. Take into account that these seafarers often have wives and children, and very little time to communicate with them. It's a recipe for depression, but that's where my organization comes in. I am excited to start work tomorrow, and I think that over the course of the next year I will be able to make life a little easier for a lot of people.<br />
<br />
2. Last night I rode the Star Ferry from Hong Kong to Tsim Sha Tsui instead of taking the subway under Victoria Harbour. It was definitely one of the highlights of my LIFE for a multitude of reasons. Not only was it a very powerful "God moment", but it was also a moment when I realized that I was right where I need to be - where God intended me to be so that I could both grow spiritually and give much-needed aid those working on the sea. The view of the city at night was unlike anything I had ever seen in my life, as my commute lined up perfectly with the <a href="http://www.tourism.gov.hk/symphony/eindex.html" target="_blank">Symphony of Lights</a> - the nightly light show that takes place on the canvas of skyscrapers in Hong Kong and Kowloon. I took photos that don't do this event justice, however I did snap this shot from the back of the vessel that can give you a small sense of its beauty. Standing on the back of the ferry, I felt a wave of calm wash over me as I watched the lights bounce and burst across the city. I felt a part of something so much bigger than me. I felt like I was home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ja8d5maQblitqGuCzUHe84-_CddwlmCywXOWRghRzbiU85yiwdkGIlYwppQufDuOeeBmsLj5FH0pdY3a74tFiw0VP2aWsGskNY73UrdWsKBOPtr4AUiyMwXA_Z1OWiyojmyA7XVAzqk/s1600/1185280_10200483834363660_1602515205_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ja8d5maQblitqGuCzUHe84-_CddwlmCywXOWRghRzbiU85yiwdkGIlYwppQufDuOeeBmsLj5FH0pdY3a74tFiw0VP2aWsGskNY73UrdWsKBOPtr4AUiyMwXA_Z1OWiyojmyA7XVAzqk/s1600/1185280_10200483834363660_1602515205_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of Hong Kong from the Star Ferry on Victoria Harbour.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
3. Today, after eucharist at St. Paul's Chapel, I played basketball at a place called Southorn Playground in Wan Chai. The playground is a large set of courts tucked away in the city, surrounded by towering skyscrapers. Playing basketball has always been a release for me. I wouldn't say that I am very good at it, but it is a game that I love to play. It was really interesting to see how the game is played here in Hong Kong: a city 8,000 miles away from the place where I first picked it up. What are the differences? Not much really. The Chinese players I played against passed the ball around a lot more than most Americans. Oh, and it was 90 degrees with 90 percent humidity outside. Other than that, it was practically the same ball as back home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3epbDdvRa-oMSxtiqo4LhvhU88ttjMcRXACIvbBZbdgo62f57GSRIk7f6rv9U8PjtjzoL-LitrCwYKwba9IzGVJFCRGoUYsyVsoA53hmf7hpibBTktp1UtHgFS-7LtTh0rQ8jtXpk45U/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3epbDdvRa-oMSxtiqo4LhvhU88ttjMcRXACIvbBZbdgo62f57GSRIk7f6rv9U8PjtjzoL-LitrCwYKwba9IzGVJFCRGoUYsyVsoA53hmf7hpibBTktp1UtHgFS-7LtTh0rQ8jtXpk45U/s1600/photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ballin' among the skyscrapers of Hong Kong.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Some things (like faith) are universal, and it turns out <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Jam" target="_blank">Basketball</a> is one of those things. The hoop is always 10 feet high and 15 feet back from the baseline. Selfish play is always despised, while crisp passes and solid defense elicits applause. Ticky-tack foul calls are abhorred the world over.<br />
It was comforting to find the game of my childhood alive and well in this big beautiful city. I will definitely be returning to Wan Chai soon.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-20044082179884730292013-08-19T12:41:00.000-07:002013-08-19T12:41:07.962-07:00I Am Not Alone<div class="p1">
It's finally here. I leave for Hong Kong tomorrow morning at 10:30 am! </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
The past few days have been bittersweet as I've gotten to see nearly all of my close friends and eat all of my favorite foods for the last time (at least for a while). It has been sad, but I am SO excited to start this new chapter. </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
One question I have been asked frequently over the past few days has been, "What are you most excited about?" This has been a hard question to answer, and I think the answer has been different with every response. However, now that I have thought it over, I am most excited to grow. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
What do I mean by growing? Culturally, mentally, spiritually - this mission is going change me. I've never lived in such a massive city. I've never been so far from home. I've never been in a better position to wrestle with my faith. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
But I'm nervous. A little scared, but mostly excited. This emotional state is just too big for words. But that's when I find prayer most useful, and the following prayer by Thomas Merton has made the past few weeks a little easier.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
"My Lord God,</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I have no idea where I am going.</div>
<div class="p1">
I do not see the road ahead of me. </div>
<div class="p1">
I cannot know for certain where it will end.</div>
<div class="p1">
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does </div>
<div class="p1">
not mean that I am actually doing so.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
But I believe that my desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I remember I first read this prayer in high school, however it didn't really speak to me. I imagine my 17-year-old dumbass self must have thought I had it all figured out. Typical. But nearly a decade later, with the uncertainty of moving to China looming over my head, these words mean so much more to me. It's just not the power of the words of this prayer that moves me. It's also the idea that there others reading this prayer, or have read this prayer, to overcome doubt and uncertainty.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I know that this prayer sustained my friend and fellow YASCer Jared during his time in Lesotho, Africa. And that is also supported my priest and former YASCer Thomas Murphy during his mission in Honduras. It may sound silly and ridiculous, but I feel stronger and more confident after reciting the words above. The words make me realize that I am not alone. I feel this way because I know this prayer has a history. It has played a large part in the lives of the people who have come before me, and continues to play a part in the lives of people currently discerning their own callings. I'm sure it will also play a huge role in the lives of people who have not yet read it. Who knows? Perhaps someone reading this blog will find some solace in these words and become a part of the story. </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I have no idea where I am going.</div>
<div class="p1">
I do not see the road ahead of me. </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
But I am not alone. </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
See you on the other side!</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
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<div class="p2">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-21087522886633644812013-08-10T10:55:00.002-07:002013-08-10T13:58:33.767-07:00Traveling, Training and Tying Up Loose Ends Pt. 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Welp! It's here, ya'll! 10 days from today I leave for Hong Kong. Have I started to freak out a little? Yes. But in a good way. I am so excited to get going on this mission.<br />
<br />
A lot has happened since I returned home from training and traveling. In the past few weeks I have been trying to say goodbye to all of my close friends and family here in Asheville. Last weekend, I said goodbye to one of my best friends, Helen Lindau, as she embarks on her journey to work with the Episcopal Service Corps in New Orleans. I also got to share a tasty Asheville brew with fellow YASCer <a href="http://manypartsonebody.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Alan Yarborough</a> before he departed for Cange, Haiti. I am so proud of my fellow Ashevillians Episcopalians for doing such meaningful work with their lives. Such inspiration.<br />
<br />
I also knocked two items off of my America bucket list by attending an Asheville Tourist baseball game and going for a hike in my beloved Blue Ridge Mountains. The pictures speaks for themselves: both activities were a blast.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fT7zk_TriPRhSCpit28PSuA-UgK7BbQETWwhzGQcP4kbP4Oviyea-IE2BQOwN_Y1ojt-yB7tCijfv8bHXTdmx3UIzLIqxYYG0fLSAtow4un-kdlWL2TwTmoTUIIzaREw75Lqat9c4sI/s1600/539632_10152120286167501_2079296751_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fT7zk_TriPRhSCpit28PSuA-UgK7BbQETWwhzGQcP4kbP4Oviyea-IE2BQOwN_Y1ojt-yB7tCijfv8bHXTdmx3UIzLIqxYYG0fLSAtow4un-kdlWL2TwTmoTUIIzaREw75Lqat9c4sI/s1600/539632_10152120286167501_2079296751_n.jpg" height="362" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young Adult Episcopalians taking in some Asheville baseball. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from atop one of Sam's Knob. One of my favorite hikes. </td></tr>
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This past week I was also quite productive! Since last Sunday I have received all my vaccinations for my upcoming trip, written all of my thank-you notes to my wonderful donors and received my visa for Hong Kong. On top of all of that good stuff, I also finished fundraising for my trip!<br />
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On Sunday, August 4, I spoke at <a href="http://www.saintlukesepiscopal.com/" target="_blank">St. Luke's Church in Asheville </a>where I received just enough to finish fundraising. I was not aware of this going into it but St. Luke's is a historic chapel built in the late 1800s. It is a <i>very</i> small sanctuary but it is very beautiful and intimate. I was so nervous going into speak because I was not accustomed to speaking to so many in such a small space, however I was quickly comforted by kindness of the people inside. Never before I have received such a warm welcome from a congregation. What St. Luke's lacks in size, they make up with generosity and love. It was a great way to wrap up a long five months of fundraising and preparation for this mission.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Luke's on Chunn's Cove Road in Asheville.</td></tr>
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It has been a long and difficult journey raising the money needed for this trip, however it has been so rewarding to travel to churches in the diocese of Western North Carolina and talk about YASC and my mission. I want to send a HUGE "thank you" to everyone who has supported me through this process. I promise I will do my best to make you proud, and pay forward the kindness you have all shown to me. Y'all are the best.<br />
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10 days until I leave for Hong Kong! You will be hearing from me at least one more time before I leave. Until then, be good.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-80298205455136707612013-07-20T08:45:00.001-07:002013-07-20T09:02:04.008-07:00Traveling, Training and Tying Up Loose Ends Pt. 1Before I begin this post, I just want to apologize for immense amount of time that has passed since my last post. True story, my computer died after five long years of writing, browsing and rocking out. RIP Macbook, I will never forget you.<br />
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On the bright side, my family has come together to repair a slightly used computer for me to take abroad. Talk about clutch! This will certainly make life easier when it comes to keeping you updated via my wonderful blog.<br />
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SO, what have I been up to?
On June 15, all volunteers of the Young Adult Service Corps met up in New York for a two-week training session that covered everything from cross-cultural understanding to the power and necessity of prayer. There was even karaoke involved. The majority of the training took place at <a href="http://stonypointcenter.org/">Stony Point Retreat Center</a>, however we took frequent trips into the city.<br />
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Some highlights:
During our first week in New York, we took a trip to the headquarters of the National Episcopal Church where we met with the leaders of our church. Here is a photo of me with the Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori. Incredibly humble, incredibly inspiring in words and demeanor.
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Another day in training, we took a visit to the <a href="http://www.holycrossmonastery.com/">Holy Cross Monastery</a> in West Park, New York. The historic building and its grounds were stunning. The large brick structure sits on 26 acres and overlooks the Hudson River. In an Ashevillian sense of irony, it also lies just across the river from a Vanderbilt Mansion. The monks there were extremely welcoming and inspiring. It was refreshing to meet people who were living out their relationship with God to the fullest extent. These monks are allowed no possessions and they make no money. They live to serve God and their community. They live very modest lives that are very different from our own, and yet they are fulfilled. I hope I can achieve this type of fulfillment during my mission and beyond. Here is a picture of our group outside the monastery.
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Team Asia looking mighty dapper.
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In short, the training session was amazing. It was great to catch up with all the volunteers that I hadn't seen since February. One thing that stood out over the training was the amount of spiritual growth that each individual had sustained since our last meeting in Florida. Much like myself, everyone had grown up so much just from returning to their homes after discernment weekend and talking through their call to mission with family and loved ones. Discerning this call was no easy task. Think about the difficulty of actually living out this call! Looking around at training, I appreciated the transformation of each person in the group. Then I asked, "Who will we be a year from now?" The answer frightens me and exhilarates me at the same time. Who will I be a year from now? How will this program change me?<br />
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I can't wait to find out.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-84252244258713917922013-05-04T08:36:00.001-07:002013-05-04T11:50:25.951-07:00Rite 24?Phew! Since my last post life has been hectic to say the least. Aside from working nonstop, launching my fundraiser raffle and beginning to pack for a life outside of the beautiful bubble of Chapel Hill, I have started to prepare for a life in Hong Kong. Can we just stop and reflect on the fact that I will be leaving for China in three months? Ummmmm, hold the phone.<br />
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So what have I have been doing? This past weekend, I traveled to my home church, the Cathedral of <a href="http://www.allsoulscathedral.org/" target="_blank">All Souls</a>. Now, I must say that All Souls is just the best thing. I have practically grown up there, and it is so nice to travel back and see so many familiar, supportive faces. For those of you who have never been to All Souls, check it out:<br />
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Pretty, huh? </div>
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This past Sunday, I spoke at the 9 am service that just so happened to be the same Sunday as the Rite 13 ceremony. For those of you that don't know Rite 13 is a coming of age ceremony within the church for those who have turned 13 years old. It's a celebration of teenagers heading into the unknown of middle school and high school, and it celebrates the awkwardness and uncomfortable-ness of growing up. Pimples, puberty and hormones! YAY! Perhaps more importantly, Rite 13 also serves as a reminder to those coming of age that no matter what happens, they will always be a part of the supportive and welcoming community that is All Souls and Episcopal Church.<br />
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Speaking at the services and watching the ceremony, I was really able to connect with what those 13-year-olds were going through. Obviously, I survived the horrors of middle school and high school but I can definitely foresee going through the same "Someone please tell me what is going on" feeling in about three months. I know I will feel out of place at times. I know that I will be pushed to my mental limits. But hey, it's a fantastic feeling to know that just like those nervous, up-and-coming young Episcopalians sitting in the congregation on Sunday, I, too will have the support and community of All Souls and the church. Let's just say it was my very own Rite 24 service; personally made for this nervous, awkward twenty-something about to dive headfirst into the unknown.<br />
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After the 9 am service, I gave a small presentation to the members of the church that braved monsoon-like rains to hear me speak. It was so rewarding to tell those in attendance at church and at the adult education hour about my upcoming mission. The presentation I gave was in our church's parish hall, which believe it or not, is where I attended vacation bible school as a young little hellraiser. Isn't it wonderfully weird how life can take you full circle? Anyways, it was great to talk to everyone about what I will be doing next year. It was even better fielding questions from the group of adults present. I was asked questions I hadn't even bothered to ask myself. Enlightening.<br />
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In other news, fundraising continues! I am around half-way to my goal of $10,000! Still, I have a long way to go. For those of you interested in donating, please check out my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/149806881860645/?fref=ts" target="_blank">raffle</a>! Not only can you support a good cause, but you can also win some pretty amazing prizes.<br />
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Stay tuned,<br />
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Will<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8721233833351555066.post-27270305541307913582013-04-05T17:37:00.001-07:002013-04-07T09:32:06.277-07:00Hello, World! Hello, World! My name is Will Bryant and I am member of 2013-14 class of the <a href="http://www.episcopalchurch.org/yasc">Young Adult Service Corps</a>, or YASC. For those of you who don't know, YASC is a global outreach program of the Episcopal Church that allows young people aged 21-30 to go out and serve God, the church and foreign communities for one year. To give you perspective, it's the Episcopal Church's version of the Peace Corps. Only way cooler, obviously.<br />
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In early March, I was officially accepted to YASC and found out that I would be serving in Hong Kong with the <a href="http://www.missiontoseafarers.org/">Mission to Seafarers</a>! In my placement, I will be working as the assistant to the chaplain, the Rev. Stephen Miller, going aboard massive cargo ships lying in Hong Kong's anchorage, and providing mental, physical and spiritual care to the workers on board. The funniest part of all of this is that I have no experience aboard ships or living in a maritime environment. I will be completely out of my element! But I kind of like that.<br />
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To give you an idea of what I will be doing and who I will be working with, please watch this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtORcvPBmIM" target="_blank">video</a>. Cool, huh?<br />
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In coming months, this blog will be a place for me to share photos, stories and more about my work with YASC and Mission to Seafarers. I am so excited to share my stories with all of you! But for now, this blog will serve as a platform for me to start my fundraising campaign. I'll need $10,000 for my mission this year. If you're interested in in donating (tax deductible!), please email me at Williamsmithbryant@gmail.com.<br />
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Peace,<br />
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Will<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403605859772222373noreply@blogger.com0