Port:Harmac West
Crew: 22 Filipino
Names of Ship Missionaries: Gary & Gina Steele
Result: 3, including captain, gathered to hear the gospel
Items taken on & given out: 5 ball caps, 10 Canadian pins, 22 gifts
We arrived at 5:30 and checked through all three levels of security with good welcomes from all of them. As usual, we went to the crew mess to greet the available seafarers and ask if others were available to join us. We sit with them and visit for a while to get to know them and look for opportunities to share the gospel. They invited us to join them for dinner, so we enjoyed a meal and fellowship with them before moving the conversation to spiritual matters.
A majority of them are Catholic so their church mis-represents scripture, salvation, sanctification, and may other things in the bible. They have no assurance of salvation, so they are slaves to good works and insecure.
When appropriate, we began sharing the gospel with the three seafarers, including the captain, that were in the mess. We started with John 1:12, John 3:14, and Psalm 6:107, and went on from there with personal testimonies and more scripture. We emphasized how important it is to read the bible as it is the power of God and will change their lives. They were very attentive to our message and received it gladly. That they don’t have to work for their salvation, and that they can have assurance of salvation, is always good news to them.
When we were done we prayed for them, their safety on the ship as they travel, and their families back home. We took pictures and thanked them for the dinner before leaving the ship. Please pray that they will read the materials in their gifts, and that the Holy Spirit will minister to them as they travel back to Asia. This is a regular ship so we will see them again in a month or two.
Report submitted by: Gary
