It started as a goal, then it became a plan. After a few cancellations, it was a dream come true.
I heard of this ship sailing around the world and is selling books a few years back, and I said to myself, it’s an amazing idea! Imagine a ship that carries books instead of people, extraordinary! I wondered when they will come back in the Philippines again. But I wondered no longer when I heard a news last month that MV Logos Hope was docking in Cebu and will be in Subic, Zambales for another stop. Of course, I did not have a second thought of planning to visit them; and it was worth it.
Together with my friend and colleague, Alover, we headed to Olongapo at 4 in a Friday morning. It’s my restday but I begged our supervisor to let Alover take a day off so that I will have someone to go there. Good thing it has been approved. We reached Zambales at around 7 in the morning. Since the ship opens at 10, we decided to get a quick tour of the city. We had a nice and tasteful breakfast at a Korean Bakeshop named Shining Star Bakery then headed to St. Joseph Church for a short thanks.
At around 9, we went our way to Subic Bay Freeport Zone. It was raining yet the sun was gleaming. The result? We were soaking in sweat while trying not to get wet by the rain. It was messy equals us situation. Since it’s both our first time being on that place, we decided to walk. Technically, it was a wrong move, but fortunately, it has been paid up by the amazing things we found inside the ship.
The entrance to the Book Fair inside the ship.
The Interior of the Ship (photo grabbed from inkengine.wordpress.com)
We were able to get in at 10AM and started exploring the bookstore inside. Man, its a lot of books! From the children’s bedtime stories to classic novels, its all in there. They even have activity books about The Chronicles of Narnia, which made me ask my infamous question of whether they also have ones about Harry Potter. Am a fan and I cannot help it. Of course, they do not have it since they are more into religious books. They also have bibles in different versions, written in different languages. Me and my friend were amazed.
The Novel Section of the Book Fair.
Another section for kids and kids-at-heart.
There are hundreds of crews and volunteers inside MV Logos Hope and they all came from different parts of the world. We were lucky to have a chat with one of them. If my memory serves me right, her name is Veronica Ruiz. She is a Mexican and is volunteering for a year and three months now. She is a cheerful person and talks to us about how wonderful it is to be a member of the team inside MV Logos Hope. She said she is lucky to meet with different people and experience diverse cultures in every country they’ve been into. It was really nice to see people of different nationalities hand in hand for one great and amazing goal, to inform the people around the world that there is God, regardless in which form or religion He presented Himself, and no matter who you are or where you come from, you are welcome to serve the citizens of the planet in the name of the Lord.
The Journey of Life Section: We love this part of the ship as it depicts the story of the Prodigal Son. Nice work!
The ship’s international cafe. The picture above shows a group of students lining up as the Korean attendant serves them their ‘merienda.’ The one below shows another volunteer, an Irish lady I believe, cleaning the floor. What an awesome work they are doing for such a great cause!
In addition, I personally was amazed of seeing people of different cultures working together. An American cashier, a Korean cafe attendant, an Irish lady and German guy fixing tables and chairs, all in one place. It’s a surreal experience. I wished I was also in one of their places. Am sure they are aware of it but if not, I want to tell them how cool and fantastic their works are. I really envy them. 🙂
The map on one of the pictures shows the journey of the ship from all around the world. The second one is a newsstand where they give newsletters, booklets, flyers and other reading materials about the nature of their cause.
They also have a donation box for those who wanted to help this cause. They can also be reached through their online sites at donate.gbaships.org or contact them at onlinegiving@gbaships.org. (Disclaimer: I was not asked to do this nor I will be getting benefits out of this. Simply doing it cause they are AWESOME!)
Me and my friend, Alover on their photobooth. #PictureTime
Hey there sailor!
We went out of the ship after hours of roaming around. But of course, we left with some souvenirs. I also bought a book about the history of the ship. The title is “The Logos Story” by Elaine Rhoton and I am gonna read it as soon as I finish this article.
And here’s what I’ve got from the trip. A book, a key chain, a lanyard, 2 pens, a sticker, a bowler and a plastic cup. Variety of collectibles. #Amazing
And on that note, I would like to end this post with the message I wrote on the sticky note before we left the ship:
‘The experience is amazing, inspiring and life-changing.’
I wrote it in present tense as I wanted to cherish the moment I’ve been inside the ship of MV Logos Hope. This is truly one way in bringing knowledge, help and hope.
SchizoGuy Journ To The World 