Introduction God blesses us with incredibly valuable contacts aboard the ships. Many seafarers are open to God’s Word and are grateful for our visits. We would love to come to your church or home group to give a presentation on this missionary work.
Amsterdam, IJmuiden, Scheveningen -meeting up with old friends again On a warm summer day, we visited ships in IJmuiden. It was truly wonderful to talk with so many seafarers from seven different countries, and I also met up with some old friends. A captain from South Africa—himself a Christian—gave me a warm welcome. A Polish mate offered me some great tips on sailing canoes. And a man from Cape Verde, whom I have known for some time, received the Portuguese Bible he had previously asked for. Given the heat, I didn't need to bring any woolly hats that day—and you can certainly understand why.
In warm weather, it is important to drink plenty of fluids—or "hydrate," as the saying goes—and while that is true, there was also ample opportunity to speak about the Living Water and true freedom in Christ. Let us make sure to partake of that in abundance! A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her: "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of living water, welling up to eternal life." John 4:13–14.
Warm regards, Marien Gijsbertsen.
IJmuiden region – he never would have imagined experiencing this today We visited a ship carrying Australian coal; it had Ukrainian officers and a Filipino crew. The captain was being questioned by two Dutch officials. He was visibly struggling to produce all the required paperwork. And then, on top of that, I showed up with my message about the Bible. Yet, he did accept a Ukrainian Bible. The Chief Officer guided me to the crew’s mess so I could distribute Tagalog and Ukrainian "Sailor Bibles" to the crew, along with scripture cards and a poster. After praying with those present, three of the men accompanied me to Anneke’s car on the quay. She really comes alive in moments like this, surrounded by guys who won’t be able to go home until after January 2027. With their arms full of boxes and bags—packed with clothes, toothpaste, shampoo, chocolate, personal trinkets, dolls, and stuffed animals for their families back home—they gather around Anneke. It’s a wonderful opportunity to pray for them and their families. “Amen, amen!” The second ship was carrying Brazilian iron ore; it had a Filipino crew and two Greek cadets. The Chief Officer took me up in the elevator to the captain’s cabin. As we were lifted to the tenth deck, he told me it was his first day on board. So, he had just left home and had a lot on his mind—not exactly a pleasant day! I prayed for him and his family, laying my hands on him. He was surprised, and we stepped out of the elevator feeling grateful. After all, hadn't we prayed for contact with the very people He already had in mind? The captain was accompanied by a “trainee captain.” After my introduction, I asked him to read Philippians 4:6–7. I explained that you can bring your questions and problems before the Throne of God, and He will grant you His peace in your heart—provided you know Jesus as your personal Savior. The captain slapped the coffee table with his open palm: “Amazing! I never knew this was in The Old Book, yet it’s so applicable today!” I offered to pray for him, the trainee, and the Third Officer, who had just walked in. All three stared at me after the prayer. He was absolutely amazed when I told him about all the practical gifts Anneke had ready on the quay. The captain remarked that he never would have imagined experiencing all this today. Anneke and I have encountered this reaction many times over the past 20 years. We handed out Sailor Bibles, scripture cards, and a poster in the mess room. Two men accompanied us to see Anneke. A Filipino Ordinary Seaman and a Greek cadet received plenty of practical gifts in boxes and bags. Anneke approached the young men in her role as “Seamen’s Mom”; they just keep circling around her. We prayed for them and their families back home in the Philippines and Greece. “Yes!” I heard the Greek man exclaim. As the guys climbed back up the gangway, we headed to the car wash and then, full of gratitude, made our way home. Praise the Lord!
Kind regards from Jan and Anneke Best.
Eemshaven, Delfzijl -God's grace, infinitely great! It is a special privilege to be able to share the good news on the ships time and again, and to meet people who appreciate the visit—hearing things like "I'm glad you came," "I'm going to read the Bible," or realizing I was in the right place at just the right moment. It is always remarkable, and the way the conversations unfold is something that cannot be orchestrated. God's grace is infinitely great! The materials available to us are wonderful, too. I spoke with seafarers from Ukraine, Indonesia, Spain, Poland, the Philippines, Latvia, Russia, Cape Verde, Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Portugal, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands.
Kind regards, Harm van Zwol.
Rotterdam - "Surprises on board" A large ship is docked in the harbour. It seems the Russian crew members—and there are quite a few of them—are happy to receive a visit. They are sitting in a row, side by side. It is a good opportunity, in these turbulent times, to read God’s Word to them. He is the only One worthy of us getting to know Him better, obeying Him, and loving Him. A day later, I am able to visit the ship again. By now, they have happily received—in their own language—copies of the New Testament, *The Bridge*, and *A Letter to You*, as well as the booklet *Are You a Good Person?* Now I am able to speak with someone in the ship’s office and with the watchman. Two days after that, the ship is still there. Another opportunity to show them that they are not forgotten—that God has not forgotten them. To their surprise, they are presented with a beautifully crafted ship-in-a-bottle. Everyone wants to come and take a good look at it! I have the privilege of praying with a third officer. I also made contact with one of the two Georgians on board and am able to leave behind some good second-hand clothing for several of the sailors. God leads us to the place where He wants us to be. It is surprising where He takes us to sow seeds of His Word. We look forward to the next time. Will you join us in prayer for the sailors we have visited? And for us, as we set out?
Warm regards, Wout de Vries.
Amsterdam – Seafarers Work among Filipino seafarers Over the past few months, we have been blessed with the opportunity to visit ships (thanks to Brother Leon, who informed us about this). First, we visited the MV *Crimson Queen*, a ship with an all-Filipino crew—including the captain—where we were able to assist them with Bibles and other reading materials we had brought along, as well as hats and stuffed toys for those with children. On September 11, we returned to the Amsterdam Scrap Terminal to visit another ship: the MV *Serene Theodora*. There were 14 Filipino crew members on board, including the first mate. As usual, we shared a hearty meal with them and distributed the suitcases, backpacks, and winter clothing we had brought. We had also brought along brand-new hats and small backpacks, donated by brother Ad and his daughter Martine.
On Saturday, September 12, we held our regular Bible study in Amsterdam. We had invited a number of them, and seven attended. We picked them up from the ship, as well as two others from the seafarers' centre. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to meet the rest of the Bible study group. We shared a meal, sang together, and then studied the Scriptures together. We are once again so blessed.
Warm regards, Daniel and Doris Lua-Alfafara.
Rotterdam - Care for the desperate “Felix, would you please have a word with our cook? He keeps withdrawing into his cabin, and we’re worried about him,” the second mate of a container ship that docks in our port every two weeks asked me. “Don’t worry,” I replied. “I’ll go talk to him.” With a brief prayer on my lips, I headed to the galley, where Theo was standing with his back to me. I greeted him warmly and introduced myself. When I asked how he was doing, he answered honestly—which is quite unusual for a Filipino—“I’m not doing well, sir.” So I asked him what was wrong, and Theo confided in me that his mother had passed away a few days earlier after a long illness. They had shared a very close bond, and he was grieving deeply. But the hardest part for him was that he couldn’t go home; he had only recently come aboard, and his family desperately needed the money he could earn only by working on the ship. I quickly realized he was in despair and needed someone to be there for him. Fortunately, Theo is a committed Christian and knows the hope of the resurrection.
His mother was a believer, too. Yet his grief ran deep. He also told me he was deeply worried about his father, who had diabetes, was in poor health, and had lost the will to live. I prayed for him, his father, and his family. In situations like this, I am so grateful to God that I can be part of a team here in Rotterdam. My colleagues Arjan and René also visited Theo when I couldn’t make it. But after a few months, things became even harder for him. His father’s condition deteriorated. After spending a few days in the hospital, he, too, passed away. In the nearly 17 years of my ministry, I have never experienced anything quite like this. Whenever I could, I visited Theo, talked with him while he cooked, and prayed for him. I gave him a good Christian book on grief and loss. He told me that, in his spare time, he mostly kept in touch with his wife. He confided in me that he could only send text messages because the internet connection on board was poor and he didn't have a European SIM card. Through a colleague at another mission organization, I managed to get one for him. And two and a half weeks after his father’s passing, his ordeal finally came to an end. Theo was able to fly home. I managed to visit him one last time the day before he left; we prayed together, and I said goodbye. Theo thanked me profusely, and we shared a final embrace. Experiences like this make it clear to me how important it is for these lonely people—who play such a crucial role in our daily lives—to be visited and to hear the good news of the Gospel. There have even been instances where a visit from a missionary prevented a seafarer from committing suicide. Due to their isolation, mental health is a critical factor, and they need our care.
Warm regards, Felix Henrichs.
Amsterdam -Jesus won't let you down! Once again, I had wonderful conversations in the harbour with seafarers from many countries; here is just a small selection. On board one ship, I was warmly embraced by a Russian chief officer with whom I have been in contact for a long time. The cook placed a bowl of delicious soup right in front of me! In the meantime, I was able to give and share a lot. The Polish captain (a woman) really wanted the ship-in-a-bottle but absolutely did not want her photo taken—though the crew did! I prayed with several Filipinos, as well as with men from Sri Lanka and India. On another ship, the cook told me that after eight months on board, he would finally be allowed to go home in September. His father is also a seafarer and had been stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. On yet another ship, the captain was asleep, but the second officer from Montenegro (a Christian) stepped in to host me; we had a good conversation. Among the crew of the inland waterway ships, I spoke with a Bulgarian and a Filipino. The Filipino was very happy with the visit: "Jesus won't let you down!" A Filipino man with a small child picked out a stuffed toy and also wanted a large cross to hang on the wall of his cabin. A Dutch captain with three daughters—aged one, three, and four—picked out nice stuffed toys for them and wanted a ship-in-a-bottle made by Gert Huisman. Meanwhile, Yvonne is very busy knitting hats, scarves, and gloves! Many thanks for your faithful prayers and other expressions of support!
Theo and Yvonne van Zuilekom.
For privacy reasons, the real names of the seafarers are not mentioned. The photos in this newsletter have been included with permission. We extend our thanks to: WIN-NL Seafarers’ Ministry, Nederlandse Zeevarenden Centrale, Seamen’s Centre Amsterdam, Bible Factory / Gospel Recordings Nederland, Evangelisatie Anderstaligen Service, GlobalRrize, Zakbijbelbond, Our Daily Bread Ministries, and others not named here—all of whom contribute in their own specific ways to the success of this work.
We would like to ask you once again to continue praying for the health of the people at *Het Havenlicht* and their families—specifically for Gert and Ursula Huisman (and especially for Gert, who is very ill), Harm and Fenneke van Zwol, Anneke Best, Jan Peter Kapteijn, Wim and Inez de Baat, and Hanny de Vries. Please also pray for open doors and open hearts! We believe in the God of miracles!
Thank you so very much for all your faithful, valuable prayers and other wonderful expressions of compassion! ”This is how the Lord works through you, enabling seafarers to hear and accept His Word! We are deeply grateful to the Lord God for the many opportunities to be a blessing to seafarers and others!
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