Weekly Update January 31, 2009

The PSSC wasn’t all it could be as they inspected things unseen
From right to left they left a mess
Turned our hopes inside out and in return we became stout
Things that needed doing were done and in the end it almost felt like we won
I was in the control station manning a nation
Busy busy a rush of dizzy; a flurry of furries; a sighting of lightning!
In and out my throat was a drought and my brain a bout
But through the fire and mire I crawled into the choir

Ok, enough rhyming, I got it out of my system, sorry. Basically, the PSSC didn’t go very well at first, but towards the end it was okay. We are very close, and within the next couple weeks the surveyors are coming back to finish up some inspection on a few unchecked items. So for now, we remain uncertified. I was on watch and during the day I was on the Bridge (Central Control Station) and there were a ton of people in and out of there. The surveyors even spent a whole day up there doing things which I don't know how to explain because I don't know what they were!The electricians were up there most of the time working on getting important things done such as the fire door system and the VDR (a hard drive that stores all the little things about a voyage). I was also on the bridge during a drill and had to page the whole ship to go to fight the fake fire, and then help coordinate the people going to fight the fire.

I have been fighting a cold all week too, and it’s not a whole lot of fun, but that’s life! The cold kind of took away a lot of motivation to do things early in the week, but come Tuesday I was back to Swing Dance and Basketball on Wednesday. I am feeling way better the past couple of days. Thanks for the prayer and support through this past week, and please continue to pray that our ship gets the certificates so we can sail soon!

Weekly Update for January 24, 2009

The past week has flown by so fast I barely know what to write. This weekend I had training to help me lead writing ministry on Saturday and then met with Clayton to discuss some aspects of the ministry. We came up with a few ideas, but beyond that it is hard because we haven’t had our first publication, and that is our main focus as a group. We did come to the decision that it would be a good idea to hold another meeting (so we meet every week) with a focus of improving our writing skills.

After a restful Sunday, I began the week working in the garbage room. I’ll be honest, I was not excited in the least bit to be doing that again, and my attitude was awful. That changed as my job took more form and Mikeal (from Sweden) and I couldn’t take out all of the trash because of a lack of space in the dumpster, which gave us the opportunity to paint. On Tuesday we received some help in the garbage room and then were charged with the task of assembling the gangways that weren’t being used. This took all week and we still didn’t quite get finished. A lot of work can be poured into these things, as I now know. Our fist sailing trips could be very hard, but that’s life!

Now I am on watch for this week of the long awaited PSSC, and feel like a cold might be approaching. Please pray for the ship during the PSSC week and that we can be a light to the surveyors.

Weekly Update January 16, 2009

This week started out pretty good. On Sunday, I had an Experience day that I honestly wasn’t looking forward to. We were to have training at 3 until 5 and then my event didn’t start until 6:45, and it said it was going to go until 10 o’clock! I thought that I’d be getting home really late and I was already very tired. I haven’t been sleeping well since Fire-rounds for some reason, maybe the late schedule, but I think it is deeper than that. Anyways, the event we would be attending was in a Christian school and it was the start to a week of prayer here in Koge. It was a rather short service in Danish, and a short sermon by pastor Toby from a church we know in Koge. After that we went into groups to pray for all sorts of things. We prayed for the city of Koge, the country of Denmark, the Ships’ ministry, the leadership of our home countries, the PSSC, and more. It was a good time to realize how much of an impact our ministry here has made, but also to look to the future. This ministry will touch millions of lives, and it has started far before this ship will sail.
With that being said, I think that Satan is really working against us getting our certificate to sail in the next week or two. We need prayer, and we need it bad. A lot is going wrong and people are stressing out as usual. Please pray that we will be able to get everything in order for the upcoming exam of our ship and that if we fail (again) that we will be patient.
Prayer is what we need, and prayer we took place in. On Monday, we had a day of reflection and prayer. Some people had it off and were charged the task of keeping prayer in their breath and just spending time with God. I participated in the morning as I was awake at 5 am, and went on a run at 6. I talked to God and just felt peaceful and passionate. That didn’t last all day though, as I grew very tired as the day went on. At 4 pm was a time of prayer for the Deck, Engine, and Project departments. This was good as it gave us a chance to unite and pray for each other. I fell asleep at 7:30 that night and didn’t wake until 3:30 am, and I woke up wide awake.
On Tuesday night I got a nice workout as swing dance took its’ toll on my body. I am trying to learn harder moves since I was asked to take it more seriously. This means that soon I will have a partner, and be more involved, and hopefully get decent at it.
Tuesday night was one of the worst nights I have had in a long time as the “plague” struck a blow to me. I was up all night with the worst stomach cramps I have ever had, and when I drank enough water I threw up. All night whenever I would drink too much water (which was only once more) I would puke, so I limited my water intake. The next day I went to the doctors and found out it is what everyone else had, just a bit later. I haven’t worked since then and have been in my bed for three days. Today I will try to emerge from my cave and maybe socialize a little bit.
Please remember to pray for the PSSC!

Reflection

The Mirror shows only You
I look upon beautiful disaster
And how You twisted it into truth
How all my ugliness is burnt up
My folly into Your praise
And my tracks around this maze

It started with a kiss
Until I dig deeper into this
I find a gaping hole
A glass not even half full
My heart turned upside down
I stare at this with a frown

A stem from the same trunk
Leading to a dark chasm
A glorious vessel had sunk
To depths I couldn’t fathom
A piercing look cuts to the bone
Separates man from God
Puts the glass all alone
But fills the desert with sod

The mirror reveals another error
Another stem I need to mend
I blame the dog for my shame
I join the thieves of the coin
I act the same as the facts
Just another meat headed brother


A lion growls but doesn’t pounce
For it is in shackles
A tiny rodent takes his food; every ounce
Its’ cage is stronger
His roar is as dry as the bone he gnaws
The master cracks his whip
And the lion obeys



Just one time turned the clock
Ages passed and inhibitions dropped
Like a checklist of vileness
The pride in my full list
But the list caught on fire
As did my heart

The root of the tree is revealed
It leads to a river of bile
A sewer of vomit
The roots drink deeply from the pool
The tree grows and withers
But alas, it does not fall

The final glimpse in this pool of light
Is not quite right
It starts with a deep dark night
Then comes a final flash
And the tree becomes a pile of ash
And I am set in a new caste

Sorry All, the Real Weekly Update for January 7th

I’m sorry to all who were worried, and looking back, this wasn't the best way to say what is going on here, at all! Really the "plague" I referred to is a sickness that is going through our tight community. About half of the ship threw up in the past 48 hours and I am not one of them. Apparently some of the water got mixed with some of the bad shower water, and this is the result. I didn’t really want this to be taken seriously, and now I know my limit. I am truly sorry to have caused any amount of concern; I am really doing well here. Your prayers are still appreciated, and next time I will definitely think twice about doing this, and to think I was going to let it go for two days!
Aside from the bug going around, this week has been good as I have been sleeping for 9-10 hours every day. I am on fire rounds from 11pm until 7 am, and sleep from then until dinner or just before. Maybe that’s why I came up with this idea, too much time to think as I spend 7 hours alone. One thing this week did catch my heart and make me cry though. On Tuesday morning at about 5 am, I got a surprise. I noticed a man coming toward the ship form a while away, and I figured it was a new arrival, but as he drew near, I was shocked to see his large beard! I still didn’t really understand who he was until he came up the gangway into our little watch room, and then it hit me. The smell alone gave away where he had been, as he was homeless. I wanted to help so badly, but alas I could do nothing. He wouldn’t say any words to me except “Can I go in?”, and I couldn’t let him in. As he walked away I thought to myself “He was Jesus” and cried at my failure to even offer him prayer, and be a little angry at the fact that we can’t help him. Maybe one day, the homeless will be welcome at all hours on board, but until then I must make do.
I am truly sorry for the joke I played, apparently my sense of humor is a bit too aloof for a lot of people. I am somewhat odd…

Weekly Update for January 2, 2009

It is so strange to type 2009 in the date for this, but that’s how time goes. New Years Eve was a blast here on board. It opened with a semi-formal dinner (which means the girls dressed up) where we had Hamburgers and French fries and drank Egg Log (somebody made a spelling mistake on the sticker). After dinner was a service to reflect on our past year and to ask for blessings on our next year. The service had music and a few people spoke. After the Service was a time for fellowship with even more food and games if one wanted to play, but I just sat around and talked with people. At 11:45 most people went up to Deck 9 (the top of the ship) to count down to the New Year. At midnight, Koge went crazy, shooting off fireworks from every angle we could see. It was one of the most impressive things I have seen in my day, and will last in my memory. I don’t think I have ever seen a whole sky covered in fireworks, and maybe never will again.
After the Fireworks was a Scottish dancing time. We were taught all these funny dances, and a lot of them were fun. We twirled and spun, and some people even got aggressive. After that dance there was a party upstairs with more dancing. This time it was techno mixed in with some salsa. I didn’t dance a whole lot here, but I did make myself look like an idiot, which is usually fun. I finally hit my pillow around 3:30 or 4 am.
New Years day was uneventful for me as I slept in until 2 or 3. All that happened that is notable is a big LAN “party” where a bunch of people got together and played Battlefield 1942 with each other. There were around 20 of us playing together, and it was pretty fun.
Next week I am on Fire Rounds, which takes place from 11-7 during the time when everyone is sleeping. This means I will miss a lot of things that could happen, but oh well. Have a great start to 2009!