And We're Off to Benin!

Blessed to work with such amazingly talented people!
Timmy, the photographer who took this picture, is currently
doing double duty, also serving as a mechanic fitter.

I’m honestly a little baffled about where to start. Being back on the ship has been wonderful, overwhelming, stretching and lovely all at once. Things seem to come in waves. There are periods of time where you can be searching for something to do and other times when you are running around doing 10 things at once. I think I’ve really been learning how to lean on God in both of those times. When things are slower paced, it’s looking to Him and trusting that what you’re doing has meaning and purpose and that you are here for a reason. It’s understanding that you need to spend this time being more intentional about things – building relationships, sharing stories, keeping fit, spending time in his presence, gathering as a community, stretching your mind and skills, playing games and laughing. When things get crazy and fast paced, it’s looking to Him for strength and relying completely on Him. It’s understanding that we are walking to path He has set before us and that He would not give us a task that He has not equipped us for. It’s knowing that He has brought us here for such a time as this. God always knows what we need and I love seeing His plans come together before our very eyes.

Last week, I felt God nudging me to be intentional about sitting and having conversations with people. I’m someone who always like to be doing something, but this place is very much about just being with others. And it’s been such a blessing to me. All week I’ve had the most amazing conversations with others and heard beautiful stories, of heartbreak and redemption, the sharing of dreams and fears. It really fills my spirit with joy to sit and have these conversations and I’m so grateful that God gave me that reminder. It does make it a bit harder to share the ways he’s been speaking to me and working because they involve others and those are not my stories to tell. In brief, He’s shown me that some challenges do need to be met head on, that I can speak life and mentorship into the lives of others, and that I should never be anxious about anything because He’s got it all covered. It actually makes me laugh, some of the ways He has worked things out – His ideas are far better than mine. I’ve been trying really hard to focus on right now and doing this role with excellence, and not be stuck in the ‘what’s next’ mindset, and I feel very at peace about that, especially because in the last few days I’ve seen Him working out some different things. I just sit back sometimes and think, ‘interesting, very interesting.’

Arrival day started with helping put our videographer Kat on
the pilot boat so that she could film the ship coming in.

Monday we left Cape Town and started our sail to Benin. I really love sailing! This sail was a lot smoother (not quite as much fun), so sometimes you forgot we were sailing, until you looked outside and saw the endless ocean. Workwise, we were planning for the field service, and meeting with lots of key people. Fun wise, there were lots of activities planned such as open mic nights, sock golf, scavenger hunts, trivia nights etc. We had a celebration of the new onboarding team (us) and that was really special to have everyone come around us to pray for us and lift us up. On Sunday we had worship on the bow (how many times are you going to get to do that?!) and prayed for the countries that we were sailing by.

This week, things became more intense. As information trickled in, we realized Comms plays a fairly large part in our arrival to Benin and in the screening process. None of us have ever been with the ship when it arrived in a country so that made things interesting. I was also asked to help translate some government level documents from English to French, which was definitely stretching. The voice in my head tells me: your French isn’t that good, Canadian French isn’t the same a France French, you don’t know any medical or government terms in French. The Holy Spirit tells me: I will help you with this, you have support on the ship, I wouldn’t give you a task you couldn’t do, I am preparing you for something bigger. Thankfully I’m at a place in my life where I (mostly) listen to the Holy Spirit, rather than that voice in my ear telling me I’m not enough. 

I started reading a book called Daring Greatly by Brené Brown, which is all about vulnerability (I would strongly recommend it) and she says a lot of things that really hit home for me. She asks, What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? She says that mindset is a big part of being vulnerable. She talks about how many of us have a shame based fear of being ordinary.  Fear of never feeling extraordinary enough to be noticed, to be lovable, to belong or to cultivate a sense of purpose. Vulnerability is about uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. In our culture we’ve confused feeling with failing. Growing up, I know I associated emotion with weakness. But she reminds us that vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Vulnerability is the key to whole hearted living. Whole hearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating courage, compassion and connection. God tells us that we are worthy, simply because he created us and we are His children. I am enough. What we know matters, but who we are matters more. Being rather than knowing, requires showing up and letting ourselves be seen. I’ve only read half of the book so far and it’s already touched me deeply.

I can’t help but remark at how special this place is. A place where we lay hands on each other; where we gather for worship; for prayer; where we start our day with God’s word; where people feel comfortable being vulnerable. It’s also a place filled with willing servants who take on whatever role is needed, and who love to bless others. We’ve had nurses working as housekeepers, maintenance staff washing dishes, communications helping clean the dining room, and many more that I am probably unaware of. We're led by Godly leaders, by those who teach us to stand in the gap and intercede for the people of Benin, to lift them up to God. We’re guided spiritually by those who are aware of the negative spiritual forces in Benin, and who lead us in praying for a shield of protection around this ship and the crew, that this would be a place filled with God’s Spirit.

National Geographic gathered to film our arrival.

I wrote this right after we arrived in Benin, during a lull in the excitement, as we prepared to hold our official arrival ceremony, which meant being privileged to host dignitaries and media. I will write more later on the ceremony itself and the coming days which will involve touring the offsite locations; airport runs; meeting all our new day crew; the start of screening (5am wake up!); navigating having our creative team, local media and National Geographic all in place; and many other adventures that I am sure will come our way. I am so thankful for all the blessings that God has provided, all those things that we don’t even think to thank Him for – for safe passage, good company, plenty of food, a warm bed and a clear path. I pray that we would be a light to the people of Benin, bringing His healing spirit, His joy and His grace to this place.

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. ~ Hebrews 13:20-21

The crew gathered on the bow to worship together.