Matthew TwoSix:ThreeNine

The first week of August, I had the chance to attend the North American Maritime Ministry Association (NAMMA) Conference. NAMMA is an ecumenical, Christian association of individuals and affiliated organizations involved in maritime ministry throughout North America, including the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. I had the privilege of attending the conference with our summer intern, Gabe. For both of us it was the first time we had the chance to be a part of the conference. I enjoyed getting to meet so many individuals who serve the Lord across the globe. Each of us serves at different ports and in unique ways. The exchange of ideas was both enjoyable and informative, especially for me as the new guy. Each of the people I met had a heart for the seafarer and the challenges they face. Their hearts poured out to show the love of Jesus to the men and women aboard the vessels that visit their respective ports.   One of the highlights of the trip was me...

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5:14-16 The people who work at SeaPort Manatee are some of the most dedicated and hard-working people I have had the privilege to know. They work tirelessly to load and unload ships, keep the port safe, load and unload trucks, and the many other activities that make this place go. Three hundred sixty-five days days a year this SeaPort is alive because of the men and women who work here.  As the days drag on and the hours worked add up, fatigue sets in. Fatigue is the playground of the enemy. He strikes with doubt, impure thoughts, distractions, and any device he can employ to take our eyes off of God. The enemy jumps on us when we a...

One of things I get to do in my role with Anchor House is visit churches and invite them into partnership with the mission. What we need most is people willing to donate their time and serve alongside us at SeaPort Manatee. We are seeking followers of Jesus who want to consistently serve in a ministry with a local and global impact. We are inviting people who are motivated by love and want to love others. Many times when I approach a church they are expecting a financial “ask”. While we are an independent 501c3 mission and rely on the generosity of others to exist, money is not our primary “ask”. I can imagine churches frequently get approached by missions and ministries hoping for funding. I believe as missionaries and leaders of ministries, our responsibility is to share with God’s people what He is doing through us. Once we do that I think we need to allow the Holy Spirit to work.  The Holy Spirit will guide them as to how or if a church or person should engage with ...

A few weeks ago, we celebrated Day of the Seafarer with a week of activities.  One of the places we invited churches and families to come alongside us was by baking treats for the seafarers and port community. Throughout the week we were blessed with an incredible amount of cookies, brownies, and other delectable treats.  Some of which were put out at Anchor House for all who visited the center to enjoy.  Others were packaged up and brought to ships for the seafarers to enjoy. Many were accompanied by a note or card of encouragement and prayer.  I hope the seafarers enjoyed the baked goods they received. Being on a ship for 4-10 months at a time, I would miss the treat of homemade cakes, cookies, and other yummy treats. I am sure some of the cooks on the ships make treats for the crew.  And I am confident they are very skilled in their culinary skills. However, I think there is nothing quite like a homemade cookie.  I’m not sure, but I think the...

I couldn't think of a better topic this week than rest. Chaplain Trish recently took a break from Anchor House and visited New York City with her daughters and grandson. It was the first real vacation she has enjoyed since COVID turned the world upside down.   If anyone deserved a rest it is Trish. She pours her heart and soul out on this mission. Each day she chooses to love God and love his people through Anchor House.   While she was gone, some of the regulars would ask where she was. When I'd share that she was on vacation, they would all say something like, "good for her" or "she deserves it." It was a testament to the respect they have for her.   Rest is a vital aspect of our Christian walk. Sometimes where God has called us to serve is demanding of our time. It can sometimes be difficult to take a vacation or take a day off. Jesus tells us to go to him. He says He will provide us rest.   In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, "Come to me, all you ...

This past week we were blessed by Big Fish Technologies. For the longest time Anchor House has struggled to get internet speeds and stability that could keep up with today's demands. For the seafarer, it wasn't much faster than the slow WiFi they could get on board the ship. For us at Anchor House, we struggled to do the daily tasks of paying bills, reading email, and various other web based activities.   When I first started, we began the process to qualify for participation in the Giving Challenge. Doing so required uploading a significant number of PDF documents. This should be a task that is easily done with modern day technology. However, I found that one PDF file would take 10 minutes to upload or would completely fail to upload on the Anchor House internet. With slow speeds like we had, there is no way a Seafarers could download movies or an electronic version of the Bible to their phone to combat the countless hours of solitude.  But now things are ...

Last week I was switching between working the kitchen and the convenience store counters at Anchor House. I had just taken a few dollars from a dock worker as they purchased their afternoon snack. My next guest was a seafarer who arrived also looking for a snack. They paid with a twenty dollar bill. The dollar bills I had just received from the dock worker were now a part of the change I paid the seafarer.  From the hands of an American, the dollar bills made their way to the hands of a seafarer from the Philippines through the Anchor House cash register.  Who knows where that dollar was headed next. The seafarer headed back to his ship and the ship traveled on to the next port.  Those dollar bills could be anywhere. Oh, the stories they could tell. I don’t often think of a dollar's value beyond what is printed on it. The larger the number the greater the value. I usually don’t think about where the bill came from or what it has been used to purchase or whose...

Well, these last few weeks have been a “whirlwind”. We have had a banquet, the Giving Challenge, staffing changes at Anchor House, amazing volunteers who have headed north for summer, we’ve begun a website redesign, engaged in a process to consolidate years of data into one database, we launched a Youtube page, began to present weekly messages on that YouTube page, and we have had plenty of ships and seafarers in port. In the first four months of this year, we have served half as many meals to date as we did in the entirety of 2021. Anchor House is moving and shaking.  During this “whirlwind”, I have let my blog posts slip. I think the last I published was in week 14 and this is now week 20. That's right, 20 weeks serving God at Anchor House. How time flies. Each week that passed whereI hadn’t written, I could come up with various reasons as to why. Sometimes, I’d say to myself, “I’ll write next week and get it back on track.” The next week would come and go with no...

I've gotten almost a week behind on my reflections from Anchor House. It seems there just isn't enough time in the day.  The way these blogs come together is different from week to week.  Some weeks God puts a message clearly on my heart. Others it feels like a struggle to put "pen to paper".   This week was one of those that I knew exactly what I'd write about. However, each day passed and I missed the opportunity. You see, I write best in the mornings. Not sure if it's the limited distractions, a product of my habit of practicing my spiritual disciplines in the morning, or something else entirely. Most of my afternoon writing is intelligible and requires numerous edits.  In the AM, however, they seem to make more sense.   What's funny is that as I am writing, I am feeling God moving.  He's moving from what I thought I was to write about to what He wants me to share. These shifts and changes are a part of the shipping industry.  ...