Seafarers, Steps, SafeTALK, Services and… Sayonara!

Wow, where have four weeks gone?

As I round off my blog here in Hong Kong, five words beginning with S come to mind!

Seafarers

If you have been following my blog, you will know I have had the privilege of visiting seafarers on ships every week. I imagine I managed to board around 40 vessels during my time here, whether in the container port or during the mission’s ‘Dayspring’ launch at the anchorage in Hong Kong Harbour. The Mission to Seafarers Chaplains do invaluable work caring for seafarers' physical, mental and spiritual welfare worldwide. It’s been a joy to have seen firsthand the positive impact they make in seafarers' lives, and being welcomed by the crews on the ships and the Mission Centre staff team has helped make my time here so enjoyable.

Steps

Visiting Hong Kong has allowed me to increase the number of steps I take per day!

Whether going up steps on the side of a ship via an accommodation ladder…

Or all the beautiful walks and hikes I have been on. This past week, I have done:

Monday: Central to Mong Kok - Unfortunately, the weather wasn't great, so rather than head off into the hills, I walked the city, which included a boat trip from North Point to Kowloon City.

Wednesday: San Shek Wan Village to Ton Fuk - Wednesday was a public holiday due to it being Buddhs’s Birthday, so Stephen (Regional Director East Asia for The Mission to Seafarers) kindly invited me over for a hike and to stay and share dinner with him and his wife Catherine. It was a warm day, so I was very grateful when we ended our hike of around 10k at a local bar! It was so very kind of them to welcome me into their home; the food provided was terrific, and our conversations just flowed:)

Saturday: Peng Chau Island and Discovery Bay—I Caught the ferry from Central to Peng Chau Island. The beautiful island is less than 1 square kilometre. I spent my time there walking a circular route, including ascending to the top of Finger Hill. Every time I have headed into the countryside, I have not been disappointed with the wonderful scenery and rich cultural history.

I then caught the ferry for a short hop across to Discovery Bay, which is very western in feel and where many ex-pats reside. There was even a fish and chip shop! It was great to meet Kim (Port Chaplain) for coffee.

You may remember that I mentioned the ‘sound of nature’ in a previous blog. Here’s an example!

SafeTALK

On Thursday, I was able to attend a training workshop around Suicide Alertness. The Mission had organised this high-quality training for those who work in the shipping industry, including Chaplains and Shipping Companies. A recent study found 17% of seafarers had anxiety, and 20% had suicidal thoughts.

The training was informative, equipping us to be more alert to someone thinking of suicide and ways to connect them with further help. This was all based on a four-step TALK model (Tell, Ask, Listen, Keep Safe). I learnt things that I can take into my pastoral role as Vicar.

Services

Over the past few weeks, I have been involved in several services at All Saints Cathedral, culminating today with Pentecost Sunday. I was able to serve as Deacon at 9.30 a.m. English Service and helped serve communion at 11.00 a.m. Cantonese Service. As well as celebrating Pentecost Sunday, the Cathedral welcomed the fantastic Filipino women attending the English service and after-service Bible study as ‘Friends of All Saints Cathedral.’

In what was an indeed Holy Spirit moment, they sang a hymn in their language of, Tagalog (the official language of the Philippines). It was incredibly powerful and reduced me to tears as I followed along with an English translation. If you want to listen, the link is here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HswgbclCLI

The hymn is at around 45 minutes. The words are below, as well as some pictures from the day:)

Sayonara!

And so, as four wonderful weeks draw to a close, I’m drawn to one simple verse from Colossians 3:15:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts since, as members of one body, you were called to peace. And be thankful.

I thank God for all those I have had the privilege of encountering: seafarers, Chaplains, Ship Visitors, Mission Staff, Priests, Pastors, and friendships made over these past few weeks. Thank you for making me feel so welcome and for going above and beyond. The sense of being one body in Christ has just shone throughout. You will all continue to be in my prayers.

And thank you to all those who have been reading about my adventures. Writing does not come naturally to me, so I hope everything has made some sense! I hope you have enjoyed the ride! :)

My family will join me for a two-week holiday before returning to the UK. Please pray for a safe journey for them and some quality family time. I have missed them!

On my return, I will walk St Cuthbert Way in Northumbria. If you are interested in hearing about that, let me know, and I may write a further blog!

Sending all my love and Prayers

Ade x