Captain’s Report – July 2021
M/V PACIFIC HOPE
As a ministry, we decided in 2020, as COVID-19 became a Global pandemic, not to shut down but to continue our humanitarian work in the Bahamas. The staff stayed and worked the entire year running clinics for COVID-19 in the Bahamas. The crew also assisted the fire department and helped educate the community on the pandemic and safety procedures. They provided families with freshwater while continuing to spread the word of Christ. M/V Pacific Hope Global was the only nonprofit that stayed in the Bahamas through the pandemic in the area hit hardest after hurricane Dorian. This was one of our most challenging projects, but people felt the love of Christ and many gave their lives to the Lord. The ship has now relocated down to the Dominican Republic to spend a few months in the shipyard to prepare for its next voyage. The crew has decided to keep the ministry going, despite the ship being in the shipyard. We have hosted our first team in over a year. We had a team come from Georgia and ran children’s camps, handed out bibles and visited homes of those in need. It is great to have the ministries finally start to pick back up and be able to host volunteers again. This week we will begin our medical clinics. We had installed a brand-new dental clinic just before the pandemic and have never been able to use it. Therefore, for the next few weeks, we will be taking advantage of our new dental clinic and offering free services to the local community in the Dominican Republic. Please continue to pray for the crew and ministry, that every day we can demonstrate the love of God and have people come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior and be given the necessities to help them live their daily lives.
S/Y NEXT WAVE
The S/Y Next Wave was purchased literally the week before the pandemic began in 2020. Despite the obstacles, the refit was finished in Turkey and the crew sailed it across the Atlantic to the United States where ministry began immediately. We hosted our first Divemaster DTS program on board the ship, bringing the students through the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Barbados. After the DTS, staff began hosting summer diving camps onboard for youth, sailing throughout the Bahamas. The camps are currently still running, and the ship and crew have been busy helping train these young divers and ocean enthusiasts. They have conducted daily Bible studies and praise and worship as they tour the islands in the Bahamas and see the great gifts God has given us above the water and below the water through our scuba diving program. Witnessing these young people standing on the deck in the beautiful weather singing praises to God and then diving into the ocean to see and explore His creations has been a beautiful and enlightening experience for us all.
BARBADOS
In the beginning of 2020, the ministry acquired the YWAM Base in Barbados. As the pandemic grew, so did the restrictions for travel and Barbados has been pretty much in lockdown during this time. The base has been able to host online summer camps and much work has been done to improve the facilities and property. This past week we have hosted our first team back in Barbados and after the hurricane they just experienced, there is plenty of cleanup and repairs around the base to be completed. We are extremely excited for the next upcoming months and the possibilities to be able to host and train youth as well as run sports camps in Barbados within the next few months.
If you have any questions or would like more information on any of our programs or ministries, please reach out to me at marvin.wilson@gmail.com. You can also view our website at mvpacifichope.org or follow our vessels on their social media platforms. Thank you for your continued support and prayers, we cannot do this alone.
Captain Marvin Wilson