Goodbye Logos Hope…

This morning I walked all around the Logos Hope, mostly remembering the past 2+ years that I have spent on this project. I was trying to let the reality that I might not step foot on Logos Hope again until she is finished. I would think that would make me happy, but instead I feel a pain that I can’t even express. It in a way is like cutting myself off from something that is so dear to me. I think back to my first visit to Logos Hope in Denmark. There she still looked like a car ferry. What a contrast it is now, the car deck has been split in two and you can easily see the shapes of offices, an auditorium and book holds on the bottom deck. The upper deck you can see where the bookshop will be and café for visitors. You can see on deck 6 new bathroom units sprouting up in the midst of a wide-open space. The first person even moved on-board a few nights ago. It is really happening. The process of seeing Logos Hope transform has been painful yet exciting a miracle….the different emotions kind of wrapped into one. As I was walking around with this pain, I thought, this is good. Pain is good. As much as it hurts I am thankful! The pain that I have shows me I have loved and given of myself. How sad it would be for me to leave fed up and wanting to wash my hands of the whole project? I am thankful for the people that I have met, for the things I have learned and for how I met God more intimately.

For two hours yesterday I walked around with Pieter jan (Netherlands), a fellow Logos Hope team member, interviewing different yard walkers. I was touched by one of the men, he was telling us how he had told some people about the crew of the Logos Hope, how they all work as volunteers. His face was so earnest as he was speaking to us. He said, “I tried so hard to explain what you do, but they just don’t understand, all they did was laugh.” He started asking more questions and why we do what we do. Another man we interviewed told us he was religious and believed in God, to prove his point he opened up his office door to show his poster of Pope Benedict. The only problem was the pope was surrounded by pin-ups. How do you figure? The experience grew my appreciation of the guys on our team and how they are constantly reaching out to the yard workers. Yet, in the process guard themselves. I asked several men if they would come visit Logos Hope when she was finished and returned to Croatia, they enthusiastically nodded their heads and said, “Definitely, yes!!”