Ship's Donor Weekend

Last week we were in Asheville, North Carolina at The Billy Graham Training Center, "The Cove," for the OM Ship's Donor weekend. Edgar and I were asked to go as part of the "gold team" (a team of former and current ship people to serve the donors throughout the weekend). We had 200 people attend this conference.

Logos Hope is OM's newest ship. It's the biggest ship OM has ever owned, and is being redesigned specifically for our ministry needs. It's a very exciting and very BIG project. They have been working on it for four years. 1.3 million dollars are needed to finish the ship. Additional funds are needed to get the ship in complete operation. Having been on Doulos, it's exciting to see the plans for this new ship and how the space is so conducive for ministry. The ship has two theaters! One seats 200 people and will be perfect for onboard International Programs. Another is smaller, with all the seats in a boat-like structure. Perfect for kids! There will also be an interactive museum exhibition area that presents the gospel and ship ministry. It's so exciting to know that each of the thousands of visitors coming to the ship each day will be able to hear and experience the gospel personally!



We had never been to one of these weekend conferences...and didn't know what to expect...but ended up having a GREAT time. We arrived on Tuesday, helped set up everything for the conference, and welcomed guests on Thursday. Edgar spent a good portion of the weekend driving people around (picking them up from the airport, driving on different outings, and dropping people off at the airport at the end.) I enjoyed talking with the guests and getting to hear their amazing stories. I met a couple that served on board the first Logos in the 1970s. I also met people who had donated months of their time to travel to the Logos Hope and chip rust, or use their practical skills to help outfit the ship. It seemed everyone I spoke with blew me away with stories about how God has worked in their lives. The oldest guest was 97. He's the oldest living OMer, and he joined at age 60. He's still going strong, traveling on mission trips to Bolivia every year and preaching at conferences. He says there is no such thing as retirement for God's workers!

The entire weekend was very God-focused, sharing the story of what God is doing around the world. The theme was "Standing in Awe." It was also special to be at The Billy Graham Training Center. George Verwer, our founder, was saved at a Billy Graham crusade. George got to meet Billy this weekend. Here it is on video.



Edgar and I got the chance to Hike up a mountain with some of the guests. I was by far the youngest, yet really had to push my self to keep up! It was a really steep hike!








These wild turkeys liked to hang out at The Cove. They greeted us everyday at the gate!



We also got to visit the Biltmore estate, the largest "home" in America! It's HUGE. It was built by the Vanderbilts in the late 1800s. It was fun to tour it with some of the guests and get to know them better.



No ship's event would be complete without a "Parade of Nations." Edgar wore his clogs and I represented Ghana.