Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Boats!
Over the past few days, I don’t think I have ever travelled on more different types of transportation in such a short space of time!
However, my first full day in Hong Kong (Wednesday) started behind my laptop screen as I had to complete the ‘Ship Welfare Visitor Course’ before I could enter the port and visit the seafarers. The course was split into 7 short modules covering things such as;
Different types of ships and what hazards to be aware of.
Understanding seafarers’ ranks, jobs and schedules.
How to interact with seafarers, including dealing with sensitive information they might share.
Understanding the laws that protect seafarers’ rights.
It was a highly informative course. There was a point in the short quiz at the end where you had to remember the names of the ships sides, front, and back. I don’t know if you ever played a game when you were a child where an adult would call out ‘Port’, ‘Starboard’, etc and you had to run to different sides of the hall. Well, that information really came in handy!
‘Climb the rigging’ was another command in that classic game. It would become a reality the following day!
Late afternoon on Wednesday I plucked up the courage to jump on the metro by myself and head into Kowloon. The metro map is not too dissimilar in style to that of the London Underground so it was fairly easy to find my way around!
I took some time to stroll along the waterfront taking in all the sights, sounds, smells and busyness! A few things stood out:
Even though I am a ‘Londoner,’ I have never experienced as many skyscrapers in such a small amount of space!
I have also never experienced the unbelievable number of shops! They have huge indoor malls often incorporated into their metro stations, but every building's ground floor (and often more than that) is filled with restaurants, supermarkets, clothes shops, etc! The smells of different food cooking as you walk along are enticing.
With that all being said, though its busy, it has a genuine warmness about it, and even in the midst of all the noise and lights it feels warm and welcoming. People are polite, respectful and it is incredibly clean. Strolling about in the dark, even taking some time to walk through Kowloon Park, I didn’t once feel apprehensive or in any danger that you might feel in another city around the world.
It’s humid! Although the weather hasn’t been great since I arrived, with overcast and rainy days, it is still hot and humid, for me at least. Humidity was 88%, and the temperature felt around 38c!
I can confirm that McDonalds tastes exactly the same as in the UK!
Today (Thursday), I did my first bit of volunteering with the Mission. I headed down to the Harbourside at Tsim Sha Tsui, where the tender that the Mission owns was waiting for me.
Since 1891, the mission has operated a launch for the use of visiting ships and their crews in the anchorages of Hong Kong. The name of the Mission’s first ever launch in Hong Kong was Dayspring, a name taken directly from St. Luke’s Gospel Chapter 1 verse 78: “through the tender mercy of our God, the Dayspring will dawn upon us from on high, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace”.
This name has been on every tender since then. As well as being able to visit the ships in Anchorage, dropping off magazines, newspapers, snack food items and the Misisions newsletters. Dayspring also has the capacity to bring seafarers back to the harbour if they have any leave time.
I think I mentioned earlier that the weather hasn’t been too good, so it was a little bit choppy as we headed out into the bay. Luckily, I don’t struggle with sea sickness, so no brown paper bags were needed!
We were blessed to be able to go on board two ships; both were incredibly welcoming, giving us coffee and cake, and we had some wonderful conversations with seafarers about what life was like on their ships. Most of the crew were from the Philippines, but there were also some Germans on board one of the ships. On one of the ships, we were able to board off the dockside, but on the other one, I did have to ‘climb the rigging’. Luckily, there is no photographic evidence!
For some of the other ships in the anchorage, we pulled up alongside, greeted them and then sent the paper information/supplies up via rope!
Whenever I board ships (I did it a number of years ago in Japan), I am always staggered by their size and in awe of the commitment of the crews that transport the goods we need, often facing 7-9 months away from their families. Around 90% of traded goods are carried over the waves. So most of the things that you eat or drink, or other goods that you own, have been transported this way.
Perhaps you want to take a moment to pray and thank God for Seafarers today. You can use the prayer below if it is helpful:
Father God
We give you thanks for Seafarers, for the important role they take to help provide for our needs.
We lift our hearts in prayer for those who brave the vast and unpredictable waters. Grant them strength to navigate through storms and calm alike. Protect them from dangers seen and unseen, and guide them safely to their destinations.
Watch over their journeys and keep them in your care. Comfort their hearts when they are far from home and reassure their loved ones of your constant presence.
In your mercy, grant them safety, courage, and peace as they sail the oceans. Amen."
I will hopefully blog again soon:) Love and prayers with you all.