Former chaplain, Rev. Ernst DeVries, on board with seafarers a few years ago.
IN THIS EDITION
- Home Call
- New Videos
- Pressure Cooker
- Women on Board
- Christmas at Sea
- Port Cruise
- Dollars & Sense
- Shopping Bags
Home Call
This past Fall we bid final farewell to our dear friend and former chaplain with the Ministry to Seafarers, Rev. Ernst DeVries (photo above). Ernst served for 14 years as chaplain, and prior to that several more years as a board member for the Ministry. He had a deep love for seafarers and for this Ministry. He passed away, following a brief illness, on November 10, 2024. On November 23 hundreds gathered at his home church in Ponoka, Alberta, for a heart warming and inspiring memorial service. Many more watched online.
Shortly after I assumed this chaplain role from Ernst, I recall one ship captain sharing with me that Ernst had a heart "THIS BIG" - stated with his arms fully extended. Ernst's love for seafarers and for this ministry was obvious. Indeed, his passion for God's mission around the world motivated him for so much ministry - at church, at the local food bank, on board ships, and supporting missions however he could.
A recent video produced for the Ministry to Seafarers on the history of the Ministry includes photos and even some footage of Ernst. You can find the video by clicking HERE. Several people have sent in donations in memory of Ernst, and we have earmarked those gifts to support our Literature Fund.
New Videos
Speaking of videos, we now have three new videos on our YouTube page (Ministry to Seafarers Vancouver - click HERE). The first is a general information video, the second is about the Christmas at Sea programme. And finally there is one on the history and hopes for the future of the Ministry (as mentioned above), entitled "Looking Back, Looking Ahead."
Thanks to Josh Richardson for producing these excellent videos. Be sure to check them out and share them with others - even show them at your church or church group sometime.
Pressure Cooker
A Chief Officer recently shared with me about the stresses that he and other seafarers face. The pressure is especially intense for the Chief Officer, who bears so much responsibility. In this case his frustration was over the arrival of various inspectors to check on the ship shortly after its early morning arrival. When a ship arrives early morning, that generally means the deck crew have been awake most of the night navigating the ship to the terminal and then getting the ship properly moored with its lines all tied. After the arrival, the crew are exhausted, and all, except those on duty, simply want to get some rest.
However, when inspectors come on board, most of the crew need to be up and ready for the inspection. This CO's feeling was that the port community tends to view seafarers more like machines than humans. They just expect them to keep going, even when they are physically exhausted. "Please tell someone," he pleaded with me, "so they start treating us like human beings." And it isn't just in terms of inspections. Many seafarers feel that so many sectors in the maritime world too often treat them with a real lack of humanity, which can often make port stays highly stressful for the crews.
Our role as chaplains is to try and restore some of that humanity into the equation. Many seafarers share how nice it is when a chaplain comes on board without any agenda or demands on them, except to visit, chat, and offer to serve them however we can - with rides into the city or to the seafarers' centre, with advice on how to get around and what to do in Vancouver, with a listening ear to hear their grievances, frustrations, even joys and griefs, and to offer prayers and words of encouragement. It's always a privilege to serve in this way, as we too feel for them in the intense situations they find themselves in.
Women on Board
Life as a seafarer has long been deemed a man's world. Apart from the cruise ship industry and local ferries, ocean going cargo ships have seldom had female seafarers on board. But that reality is changing - slowly but surely. Some weeks ago I visited one ship with four women on board, out of a total 20 seafarers. That is the most I have encountered, and when that same ship next came to Vancouver there were just two women remaining. Though most crews are still fully male, it is not uncommon these days to encounter at least one or two women.
As I finalize this newsletter on March 8, it is International Women's Day around the world. And exactly on this day the international charity Sailors' Society has launched a new Female Seafarers Helpline. This is a 24/7 helpline designed to allow female seafarers to speak in confidence with a female member of the Sailors' Society team. The service is intended to provide emotional support, crisis assistance, and peer-to-peer connections. Thanks to Sailors' Society for providing this important support.
Christmas at Sea
As we do each year, this year once again we delivered Christmas gifts to seafarers on ships that came to Vancouver from mid December until early January. Nearly 1600 gifts were distributed on board 70 ships. The joy this simple act brings to seafarers is always worth the effort of organizing and the actual distribution.
We especially appreciated the involvement of numerous schools, Sunday school classes, and even small groups and individuals from various churches who made Christmas cards for seafarers, which we included in their gifts. If your church or school is interested to get involved in this way, please find more information at this link. We never have enough cards, so we are always happy to receive yours.
We also made our regular trip out to all the vessels anchored out in English Bay and the Inner Harbour on Christmas Eve Day again. This year we had a videographer join us for this event, and he has produced a fabulous short video about Christmas at Sea, with a special focus on the Christmas Eve day of delivery. Check out that video here.
Port Tour Cruise
Some may recall the Port tour we organized back in 2019. We chartered a small cruise boat through Fairweather Cruises here in Vancouver for a 3 hour cruise from Coal Harbour through the Inner Harbour of the Burrard Inlet until a bit east of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. On the way we highlighted the various terminals along the north and south shores of the inlet to give people a better picture of the Port of Vancouver and the shipping industry, as well as how we serve those who work on board these ships and visit the terminals.
We are planning another Port Tour Cruise this year, especially to celebrate our 55th year of Ministry in the Port of Vancouver. We have booked a cruise boat for the evening of June 28, 6-9 PM. The cost will be $100.00/person, which will include light snacks on board. Join us if you can for what should be a lovely and interesting evening on the water. For more information or to reserve your place on this cruise, email Gary at crcvanportchaplain@gmail.com.
Dollars & Sense
We continue to appreciate the generosity of so many congregations, individuals, and even some companies, in supporting this Ministry. Thank you all so much for your support, both with your prayers, other donations (like toques, used clothing, magazines, puzzles, Christmas cards, etc.) and for financial support.
A couple of notes regarding giving. First - the banks are being increasingly fastidious in terms of who cheques are made payable to. So please be aware that any cheques must be made payable to "Ministry to Seafarers Vancouver," or simply, "Ministry to Seafarers." Anything other than this is not acceptable and we will have to return the cheque for reissue.
Second, we are now able to process e-transfers for donations. The advantage to this method is that these donations are not charged any processing fees, such as with Canada Helps. You can send e-transfers to finance@ministrytoseafarers.com. Be sure to include a note explaining who the donation is from and your address, so we can process your charitable tax receipts.
For more information on all the various ways of making donations, please visit our website at this link.
Shopping Bags
I recently heard a news item on the radio about people finding themselves overwhelmed with too many reusable shopping bags, to the point that some are wondering how to recycle them.
Well, if that is your problem, we may have a solution. Seafarers who visit the port here often like to go shopping in the city, and they usually end up purchasing reusable bags from stores. So we have started collecting used bags to have on hand for them at our centres, so they don't need to buy new bags.
If you would like to pass along some of your reasonably good reusable shopping bags, you can mail them to us, or deliver them in person, and we'll be happy to put them to use. Seafarers will appreciate the gesture too. Mail the bags to:
Ministry to Seafarers, 401 E. Waterfront Rd., Vancouver, BC, V6A 4G9