Doulos

I was thinking of what to blog about. Should I blog about the Olympics and its magnificent opening, about me staying up till 1 something a.m. and not seeing the Malaysian team or to blog about Doulos, the Christian ship cum floating bookshop and the world's oldest active ocean-faring passenger ship? After a while I thought, what the heck, everyone would've seen the opening and it's grandeur so why not blog about Doulos and it's grandeur?

I guess you can all find out about Doulos's history and how it came about on the link if you hover over the name Doulos so I wanna tell you people stories, life stories that you can only hear by talking to those who have been on board for 2 years just moving from place to place, doing the same work day after day and meeting new people, making new friends, sharing their experiences and sharing the gospel.

I'm not the kind that would be very inclined to stay on a ship for 2 years, maybe being put in the laundry department where I have to do laundry for the 350 people on board with 5 other people or maybe be in the kitchen department where I have to cook for 350 people with 3 other people. I think I would die. I guess for me the fascinating thing about these volunteers on Doulos is their sacrificial heart. The heart to just throw everything away to go around for 2 years, not getting more than 20 euros to spend each month and having to even pay to be on board. But one cannot deny that it is a special experience to travel around and meet different people, it broadens your horizons and your perceptions of how things are you know...

Despite all the hard work, everyone of them volunteers will tell you that it was worth it. They encourage that if you have a calling to go, join because it really teaches you a lot about yourself and at the same time others, that you might spend time with then never see again. It's sort of like making a difference in someone's life and touching them in such a way that they'll remember it forever. One Singaporean girl shared how she when she went to the Philippines, she saw street children who were waiting by the boat and the moment she took the rubbish out from the kitchen they would open the bags to look for food. She was so shocked that she told them not to do it and she'd go into the kitchen to look for leftovers to give to them. Spending time with the kids brought her real joy that I think none of us can experience on a daily basis. You could see the grateful look in their eyes and I am sure as children they will remember it forever. Everything you did on the ship was to benefit others and self was thrown away as everyone (from the captain of the ship to the person that cleans the toilets) is of the same rank and no one is really better than anyone else.

To those of you who think that this is for people who earn a lot of money and have nothing to do in life but to help others then I'm sorry to say that your world is way smaller than anyone could've imagined. I guess if everyone counted their blessings instead of their longings, things would look different and you will feel blessed. I was encouraged by their life stories but I know it's not my calling to be on the ship. But if this piece really made you think and you're really interested, do sign up and join as their new ship the Logos Hope is going to start her journey soon.

Think about the people out there
Doesn't it make you want to share
The blessings, the money, everything you have
Give them to those who never thought they could have