Willemstad, Curaçao :: Crewmembers discuss what bonds a community drawn from many races to serve together in harmony.
Eszter comes from Hungary. Gallina is from Ukraine. Ruth from Guatemala.
What brought them and around 300 other people to Logos Hope? One name: Jesus.
His name can be translated differently, but Jézus (Hungarian), Icyc (Ukrainian) and Jesús (Spanish) all mean the same: Jesus, the son of God. "He died for all of us," says Gallina. "That includes everyone and excludes no one, and this is the reason we live and work as an equal community; even though we come from around 60 nations and different backgrounds.”
In the ship’s dining room, you will find knives, forks and chopsticks. You will see people drinking water, coffee and Mate (a traditional drink in Argentina and Uruguay). In the lobby, you will find four clocks; each displaying the time in office locations the vessel reports to. On Logos Hope, volunteers may identify differences – but choose to view them as opportunities to learn more about cultural variety, expanding their worldview. “If, for example, someone puts food from his plate onto another person’s plate – that may be viewed as a generous gesture in one culture, but impolite in another,” Eszter says, “It’s all about the perspective.”
“We want to share God’s love with everyone and so it makes sense that we represent the whole world,” Ruth explains. “I am in a German class on board and I learn Scottish dances, but I also learn what values are important in other countries as I live side-by-side with people from various nations.”
Logos Hope life teaches crewmembers to adopt the perspective shown in the Bible: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4: 2-3).
Contained within nine decks is the world in microcosm. Meeting people from different lands can spark interest in going there in the future. Carlos comes from South America: “On the ship, I learned the basics of the Arabic language. I would like to work in an Arabic country next.”
Khemraj Lakhan (Trinidad and Tobago) leads the partnerships department. “We believe God created this world; He created the nations and every human being in them, so whoever you see on board has different parents, but we all have the same heavenly Father,” he says. “We have chosen not to be divided by nationality, culture, or any form of discrimination. We are united in Christ.”