Sailing Across the Pacific Ocean

The MV Explorer! Our first spotting of it at 7 am in Kobe (Japan).

MY HOST FAMILY in Japan!!! Such a great experience!

ME AND MOUNT FUJI!!!!

This first one is a panoramic view of our sunrise entrance into HONG KONG... so beautiful!

After 10 days of sailing across the Pacific Ocean, we are finally about to arrive to Hawaii! We had our last classes and I just finished one final. So how about before I take the rest of my finals I take a break in Hawaii? Sound like a plan! Ha, what a dream… but it’s actually happening!

We crossed the international dateline and gained a whole day! So I had two November 28ths, 2009. Kind of cool, huh? But even though we gained a whole day we’ve lost about 6 hours since Japan! Now I’m 2 hours behind the west coast and 5 hours behind home.

Thanksgiving! It was a unique one here on the ship. We actually had classes on Thanksgiving… and it will probably be the only Thanksgiving I ever have with classes (unless I’m study abroad again). The crew cooked us up traditional Turkey Day food and it was pretty tasty. It even included ICE CREAM! Mmm! I did miss being with my family and friends, but thankfully I have friends on the ship that have become my “traveling family.” It was interesting to process what I’m all thankful for… my goodness, after seeing the world we have an incredible amount of things to be thankful for! But at the same time, it seems almost wrong to be so “thankful” about all the excess I have. Maybe instead we should be thankful for the quality of life we have. I am thankful for the opportunities that lie ahead that will benefit from my excess and knowledge of the world. My friends and I went around the table and each said something we’re thankful for… I said that I am thankful that I have been privileged to see all the internal beauty in each of the country’s people. It’s such a unique beauty… each country is different… but there is no doubt internal and external beauty in people all around the world and I’ve been so blessed by all of them.

I attended SAS’s 1st Annual Celebration of Service! It is to acknowledge all the service trips SASers went on and the development of the $100 Solution. It seems our voyage has been emphasizing how important service is to each of us and how much it is needed throughout the world. We are hoping to increase SAS’s mission of service for following voyages. How great would it be if some day when the MV Explorer pulls into a port, the people know that their quality of life will soon improve? The MV Explorer first carried cargo… When it combined with SAS it then carried ideas… Now it is time that the MV Explorer carries hope.

My personal faith has been on an interesting path since the voyage started. Up until this past week I had absolutely no fellowship with any Christians, which was a bit difficult since I’ve been used to being surrounded by Christian family and friends my whole life. But this was good for me… It allowed me to really dig into questions, such as other religions vs. Christianity and what faith means to me personally. And God started really coming alive… my faith is at a very different place than where it was a few months ago, but it’s a great place. (I’d love to discuss this with anyone once I’m back!) So then this past week I found 2 bible studies and a Thanksgiving worship service on the ship. It was SO wonderful to worship God through music again and hear people talk about God and the Bible and this trip from a Christian perspective! I’m just still so thankful for these happenings! But the happenings and my thoughts are definitely better to discuss in person so if you’re interested, just ask me about it in several weeks!

To close this post, I’d like to share 2 Bible verses with you. I think they are a reflection of God’s purpose for my voyage around the world…

“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”

-Galatians 6:4-5

“He gives you something you can then give away,

which grows into full-formed lives,

robust in God,

wealthy in every way,

so that you can be generous in every way,

producing… great praise to God.”

-2 Corinthians 9:11