Transforming Lives From Port to Port

Logos Hope, the world’s largest floating book fair, is coming to Malaysia.

Between late August and early December, the vessel, in partnership with OM Malaysia, will dock in the ports of Penang, Port Klang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

The ship’s purpose is to bring knowledge, help and hope.

Knowledge comes in the form of books, with over 5,000 titles in the book fair including novels, cookery books, children’s titles and much more. In some countries, crew members bring help with projects such as construction work, cleaning up community areas or raising awareness of issues such as HIV and AIDS. The crew have been providing free dental and medical care to people and to give out free eye-glasses. The hope aspect involves crew members sharing their stories with people, often on the ship’s Visitor Experience Deck. Here, the crew members can connect with local people over snacks or coffee. In addition, many events are held on board, including International Night, which features songs and dances from around the world.

With 400 crew members from 45 different nations, many of them in their 20s, the ship gives young people exposure to cross-cultural service and outreach. Life in the diverse onboard community challenges crew members to cultivate new interpersonal skills, while simultaneously developing practical skills in their jobs. Most commit to serving on the ship for two years, where they will work full-time in a department of the ship such as the engine room, deck, galley (kitchen), as a cleaner or in the book fair. The ship currently has six Malaysian crew members. One of them, Mellisa Krishnan from Penang, has served on Logos Hope for two years as an electrician. Mellisa has always been interested in missions and had gone on many short term mission trips before joining the ship. After eight years of working as an electronics engineer, she decided it was time to do something on a longer term.

Unsure about which mission field to go into, Mellisa was advised to join Logos Hope. "You get more exposure on the ship," she explained. "You see more countries, so then you can narrow down where your burden is and which field to go into later." As the only woman in Logos Hope’s team of electricians, Mellisa works in a very male dominated field. This has presented its challenges, but she says it has made her more dependent on God.

"I have learned to rely more on God and less on my own strength, realising that in my weakness He is strong," she said. I have also learned to take on challenges that I think are too big for myself because I know that with God everything is possible."

Mellisa also believes that being on the ship has taught her to become more open in sharing her faith, particularly during the ship’s visits to the Caribbean and West Africa. She particularly enjoyed serving with a land based team in Liberia, West Africa. The team helped to build a wall around a school to prevent vandalism. Mellisa found it encouraging to see the wall completed and to work with the school children by singing songs, playing games or teaching them a math lesson.

Looking back on her two years on the ship, she said: "I wouldn’t say that it has been smooth sailing all the way. But it has been the experience of a lifetime and it has made me grow spiritually, emotionally and mentally."

By Eileen Chua