Tag: travel

Hidden Connections

On By Allan GrantIn faith, life, travel11 Comments
MV Logos at night in Sydney, Australia Aug 24 – Sep 10, 1979

In a number of posts I relate stories from years worked in ‘line up’ for the ship MV Logos. The job involved various assignments around the world – see line up if you wish to know more about what representing the ship and preparing visits to ports involved.

My initial experience in this role was during May and June of 1979. This had been mainly on my own in the townships of Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan in Sabah, East Malaysia as well as the tiny nation of Brunei. Learning on the job. My next line up assignment was to be in Sydney, Australia – a big cosmopolitan city of 3 million. This would be different. Everything on a larger scale. Permissions and negotiations with many more officials as well as publicity to civic groups and about a thousand churches. I was to be teamed up with a mentor in the form of an experienced line up man Stan. 

Getting to Sydney was not so straightforward. I needed a visa for my 2-3 months stay. Logos was owned and operated by an international Christian charity so was also looking for the cheapest way to travel. To facilitate this I sailed with the Logos from Sandakan. We went across a beautiful Celebes Sea in lovely weather to the port of General Santos. This was on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, an island sadly riven by conflict even to this day. After 2 days there I went by car to the regional capital Davao city and stayed a night at the guesthouse of a sister Christian organisation OMF. The next day I flew to the country’s capital, Manila. My host there was a Chinese Filippino and his large, extended family. They gave generously of their time and resources to help me. In the capital I could obtain a visa for Australia from its embassy and also get a crew discount for an air ticket to Brisbane. There were several fraught trips back and forth to the embassy and our shipping agent. I eventually got cleared with a visa and ticket 7pm the evening before my flight next morning at 8am. However due to a mistake made by the shipping agent when leaving ship in General Santos I was also in trouble with Philippine immigration. This meant I was escorted to Manila airport for my flight. 

To complicate matters further the crew discount obtained meant I would travel via Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. This made for a very tight transit time to catch the ongoing Qantas flight. The flight from Manila was behind schedule and my possibly unrealistic transfer time was reduced further to what seemed impossible to achieve. I had all but given up of making the connection with the plane to Australia. In those days airports, aircraft and aircrew were not so bound by security and other regulations. Becoming aware of my plight the crews of the 2 planes involved took initiative. My plane landed in Port Moresby and I was bustled down the plane’s stairs to choose and grab my large suitcase from a trolley on the tarmac. I then rushed across with my luggage to the 747 waiting just for me and ready to taxi. It was a bit embarrassing lugging my stuff up the steps into the cabin. My short diary entry for the day puts it more graphically ‘I was thrown onto the 747’. Any shame at holding people up was dispelled by the ‘can do’ encouragement of the Aussie crew and my perceived good will of the passengers patiently waiting. I was only on the ground 15 minutes! No customs, no immigration and no transit through an airport terminal. I had made the connection by ‘walking’ from one plane to the next. Such would not happen in today’s world! 

My embarrassment with my fellow Qantas passengers was not over though. On arrival in Brisbane the airport officials learned my travel had originated in Manila. Apparently I was at risk of bringing in a horse borne disease. “Could I take my shoes and socks off to be fumigated?” So it was that a bare footed Scotsman arrived ‘down under’ – mingling in the arrivals queue with his more sophisticated fellow passengers. 

In Brisbane I spent four nights in 4 different homes. Again the recipient of freely given hospitality. From there it was on to Sydney where I settled down to work with the aforementioned Stan. We divided responsibilities and I was given the recruitment of volunteers, training programmes, publicity and on board and off shore meetings for when the ship was in port. He was from Liverpool and about 28 years older so there was a generation difference. Before serving on the Logos Stan already had a successful career as a chief electrician in the merchant navy. He had worked on some of the most famous luxury liners of the day including the QE2. Afterwards he had lived onshore for a time before sensing a call to serve with MV Logos in his fifties. He continued with Logos and her sister ship Doulos for many years, I think till his seventies. He became an elder brother to many young people serving with the ships. It had been a privilege to learn from Stan and we remained friends the rest of his life. 

Our Sydney hosts were a Scottish couple. They had previously lived on board Logos where John had been chief engineer. Selflessly he and his family put us up for several weeks, serving us in a multitude of ways. They lived in the suburb of Manly. By car it was quite a distance from the city where we had set up a temporary office in the premises of a seaman’s mission. It was located walking distance from the main ferry terminal. We therefore often commuted to the city by ferry – a much more pleasant and convenient way to travel. There was something very refreshing and relaxing about the trip which took about half an hour. Breathing in the fresh sea air. Drinking in the spectacular coastline views and iconic city landmarks such as the Sydney harbour bridge and opera house. A great way to get to the office and to de-stress at the end of the day.

A daylight view of berth

Perhaps being inspired by the Sydney city skyline and a good dose of the enthusiasm of youth I tried to be creative in my responsibilities. I recall getting a tour of Sydney Opera House with a view to hiring for a concert to be put on by the ship’s crew. Sometimes in line up we could get big discounts on facilities, occasionally even for free. The tactic was to relate that all crew and staff of Logos, including the captain, were unpaid volunteers. Our purpose in port was to serve the local community. On this occasion it didn’t work. Commercial interests prevailed and the going rate for the opera house was way beyond our budget. 

Another idea was prompted by the great berth location we had secured for our vessel. It was very near the Sydney harbour bridge. Many thousands of vehicles went over it every day. We obtained a mini airship type balloon with an advert inviting people to the ship. The whole contraption was tethered to the handrail of the bridge on Logos. The balloon then floated to be seen by commuters crossing the harbour bridge. It was a success. Alas as an advert it was too much of a success. The authorities said it was a distraction to drivers and could cause accidents. After a short lived existence it had to be taken down for safety reasons. Ah well, worth a try. 

What weaves these stories together? An older English gentleman mariner, an expatriate Scots engineer and his family and the Chinese Filipino family in Manila. Also the help of a large number of other unnamed hosts and organisations. My life intersected with these apparently disconnected people and groups. What united us was not our culture or age, our abilities or occupations. It was our common faith in Jesus and a desire to share His love for this broken yet beautiful world.

Life In Community

On By Allan GrantIn faith, life, travel9 Comments
The Mosbach team outside the mill building, May 1983
(Yes I am in there somewhere!)

It was at the end of July 1982 that I arrived in what was then West Germany. Coming from the Middle East where I had been representing the ship MV Logos in line up. My destination was the town of Mosbach in Baden Württemburg. It was to join the Operation Mobilisation (OM) Ships headquarters team that was based there. At that time OM owned and operated another ship, the Doulos. The HQ served to coordinate the activities and needs of both these vessels. Some 40+ years later it still serves that purpose though the vessels have changed. HQ staff included marine engineers, deck officers, personnel and finance people. Also others like myself who didn’t fit in to a specific category. I came not knowing how long my stay would be. This was in keeping with my peripatetic life at that time. In the event Mosbach became my home for over a year. 

Perhaps against expectations for a HQ overseeing 2 ocean going ships Mosbach was inland. Nowhere near a port or the coast. However good rail and road connections meant international hubs like Frankfurt were not too far away. Along with those working to service the ships there was also another team that was part of OM Germany. Both teams worked on the same site. The buildings were part of an old mill situated beside a tributary of the river Neckar which ran through the town. During my time there there was quite a bit of renovations done, especially in the main building. As I recall the combined ships and German team, including families and children, was about 85 people. To make team life happen required cooks, cleaners, mechanics to service the pool of cars used for personal and team use. Most important and needed of all were people with servant hearts. Those who oiled the rough edges exposed by life in community.

The team consisted of singles, married couples and children. Most families lived off site but would join for team meals when possible with the rest of us. I, along with other singles, lived in the old mill building where the dining room was. My roommate for several months was a fellow Scot. 

For several years I had been part of a Christian community on the ship MV Logos. Living in the Mosbach team was another type of community. There were differences. One was floating in a confined space – mobile, with its own, autonomous shipboard culture. I had been privileged with often living onshore but for those crew mostly living onboard exposure to life in the ports and countries visited was limited. Mosbach in contrast was a land based team that was also an integral part of the town and German society. Though different, life in each type of community had common ingredients. One of the ‘common ingredients’ (no pun intended!) were meals together. Also learning to share property, resources and facilities. Such challenges would often mean the need to forgive and put others’ interests first. Not easy.

The OM Ships Director had asked if I would come to Mosbach and, amongst other things, help in the day to day running of this dual team. It would be very unlike my recent job of jumping from country to country representing the Logos. It was a catch all job. Everything from coordinating the team study programme to the practicalities of group team life. Most private and work related conversations were in English. However the dominant nationality was German. It was a struggle to pick up enough German. I had a crash course of 2 – one hour sessions/ week. One task was to sometimes make team announcements at lunchtime. They were usually done in German. This I find astonishing to believe. Nowadays I can hardly think to string more than a few German words together. 

Another role was to take church meetings throughout the country. This was usually to share about the work and vision of OM Ships. Encouraging people to pray for our worldwide work as well as trusting that the meetings would bring in recruits and resources. 

“In recent months in Germany it has been a privilege to take part in church and youth meetings in the countryside. Last weekend a team of four of us visited a Lutheran church in a small village called ‘Geroldsgrun’. It was thrilling to see how the youth (aged 14-30) were interested in serving the Lord. A sobering experience was to visit the nearby East German border and to be reminded of the realities of the ‘ Iron Curtain’. The border ran right through the middle of a village and on the East German (DDR) side a huge placard read ‘USSR and DDR united for all time’.
How grateful I am to be free.”

Extract from a letter to friends, Jan 1983

Strangely, I remember more about going to and from meetings than the meetings themselves. We would at times travel maybe 300km just to go to an evening event. Then return back to base in Mosbach that same evening. Made possible by the fact that West Germany had a superb autobahn (motorway) system. At that time most people seemed to drive on the autobahn as fast as your vehicle could safely travel. The upper speed limit didn’t seem to be defined. This apparent recklessness was mitigated by terrific discipline for when there was signed speed limits. That is, if the autobahn stated 100 kilometres/ hour (kph) speed limit people would drive at that speed. Another ‘safety’ feature was wide lanes. 2 lanes seemed as wide as 3 on a UK motorway. Made overtaking much easier and safer. However there was also strict lane discipline. The outside overtaking lane was only for overtaking. Not for cruising along! It was dangerous to ‘loiter’ in the outer lane at, say, 130kph. Watch out for that headlighted Porsche, a mere dot in your rear screen mirror. It would likely be right behind you in seconds going well over 200kph!

When not on the autobahn it was often a pleasure to travel more sedately through well kept villages. Their presence often heralded by the ubiquitous village church spire piercing the horizon. Between the communities lots of arable and green fields.   

Meetings had been arranged for us with ‘old’ folks, young folks and everyone in between. It was a blessing to see the great interest in international Christian work. It was also a joy to breathe the rather ‘fresh’ Alpine air. We stayed at a Christian work which had an orphanage, a home for alcoholics and a home for those with Down’s syndrome. It was a touching work of compassion founded by an Italian Countess.

Extract of a Mar 1983 report to friends about a week’s visit to south Austria.

Travelling to meetings wasn’t all about the driving. Coming home to Mosbach late at night it was nice to stop at highway restaurants and partake of ‘Weiner Schnitzel’ – a breaded meat cutlet. Speaking of food, another nice German tradition was a relaxed Sunday afternoon coffee and cake. Usually in conjunction with a walk in the countryside or in the forest. Sundays in those days were relatively quiet. Heavy goods vehicles were not allowed to travel on the autobahn on Sundays. Each state or municipality had different rules as to what you could or could not do on certain days. Some areas forbade washing cars whereas in others it was permitted. Whatever, it made Sundays generally a peaceful day of rest which I appreciated. 

Given the town’s strategic location at the heart of Europe the team at Mosbach was often hosting members of the worldwide team of OMers. They would pass through from all points of the compass. Sometimes we had over 100 visitors / month. 

Another role I had been assigned was to help an Argentinian colleague. Spend time with him, share life, help him with his English. It is encouraging to know that he went on to fulfil major leadership roles with the church in South America. 

I am grateful to the Germans I came to know. Their great strengths of collective and individual discipline. To share life with devoted, hard working and servant hearted people. Practically showing their love for Jesus by their service. It wasn’t all roses. As with any group of people there were misunderstandings and disunity. To pretend otherwise would be false. However I know I received more than I gave.

40 years later times have moved on. Mega events such as the healing brought about by the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification. Also the disturbing recent geopolitical realities of a war in Europe. I and those with whom I shared life with then have also changed and moved on. What hasn’t changed is that nowadays, as then, the personal call is to live in hope. Like Abraham…

“For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God”.

Hebrews Ch 11 verse 10 (New International Version)

Towards the end of my stay a certain Elisabeth came from Sweden to visit. It’s a long story.

Coming, Going and Enjoying the Journey

On By Allan GrantIn faith, life, travel7 Comments

It was towards the end of a bright day this past summer. Our west facing windows are open. I am watching the sun as it blazes through the clouds. The view is punctuated by a plane every few minutes on final approach to Glasgow airport. Their flight path is a few miles away. The planes as well as the sun are low on the horizon. Their sound is muffled, more of a distant hum than a roar. Not the harsh noise that airliners make when you are right under their flight path. Observing these heavy machines defying gravity yet slowly descending is strangely enjoyable. A smooth and steady end to travel. The end of a day merging with the conclusion of people’s journeys. 

I wonder about the occupants of these planes arriving from many places. Is this their first visit to Glasgow? What are their initial impressions? Are some returning after years away to a new, uncertain future? Who, if any, are meeting those anonymous passengers? A family, a friend or a business contact? Maybe the more faceless, formal greeting of a sheet or board held by a driver with your name. These descending aircraft contain the hopes and fears of many.

In arrivals everyone wants to get out of the airport as quickly as possible. I don’t know anyone who savours hanging around in arrivals. There might be the joy of meeting a loved one but even then you don’t linger. You leave as soon as practicable. Yet to arrive one has to leave from somewhere. Going through departures is usually slower and encourages use of shops, cafes etc. In spite of decades of increased hustle, bustle and security the departure hall of today’s airports still hold a vestige of excitement. In the 70s and 80s it was different. For the most part air travel felt more special and luxurious then than today’s typical budget airline experience. However, even nowadays, once through check in, customs and immigration, the departure experience is usually not that bad. Yes you are in limbo waiting for your flight but not feeling you are in a queue. There is also the prospect of leaving one world to emerge a short time later to a different one. The reason for a journey of course determines how one feels about the whole experience. In that there may be a multitude of joys and sorrows. Saying goodbye to home and family, starting a new life or job, facing up to responsibilities.

I notice how much more often we ask “When do we arrive?” than “What can I see on the way?”

Disguises of Love p34. Eddie Askew

Commercial air travel however does not lend itself to savouring the actual journey. Travel in an aluminium tube is not very aesthetic. Any ‘in journey’ experience for me nowadays is more likely to be internally, in my head. Of course it may be different if you were flying the plane. However I speak here about a ‘seat 21E in a crowded 737’ experience. 

Here is one personal recipe for a more absorbing journey. Become a passenger, not a driver, in a car travelling slowly through quiet countryside. It’s a bright day with clear views. There is little or no other traffic dictating your speed. No rush to arrive anywhere. The destination may even be the same place as the trip’s beginning. Happy even to just stop the car on occasions and take a closer look at something. Especially helpful to have knowledgable fellow passengers/ driver who know the area and its people well. Small villages, isolated houses and the occasional walker passes by. Fellow travellers have stories to tell with each passing scene giving a sense of connection to what or who you are passing by. “So and so’s building has a new fence round it.” “‘Mrs. ‘X’ passed away last year but her son now lives in the house.”

What’s around the corner?

Of course enjoyable journeys do not need modern means of transportation. We live in a restless world. I guess air travel can sometimes be a symptom of that malaise. One of the things that Covid lockdowns brought to me, a city dweller, was a better awareness of what is in my neighbourhood. This was through the simplicity of leisurely daily walks or cycles in our neighbourhood. Even in an urban environment there are things of interest and beauty on my doorstep. Lots of wild raspberries and blackberries (to eat) growing along hedgerows. Herons and ducks on their daily movements up and down the canal. Hidden streams in local parks, wildflowers by the roadside. These scenes were always there but I often did not have eyes to see. It took a pandemic for me to be less distracted. To become more aware of the rhythms of life that are always around me. 

“The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and for evermore.”  

Psalms‬ ‭121:7-8‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬

Endings and Beginnings

On By Allan GrantIn faith, life, travel12 Comments
Cherry blossom

After 2 years in Japan my wife and I felt our time there was coming to an end. Our task had been to represent Operation Mobilisation (OM) in the country. OM was the Christian organisation we worked for. The work engaged us with people, churches and other groups throughout the land.

We also spent time with Japanese of many ages and backgrounds through teaching English. The cost of living compared to Europe was very high so we needed the extra income. It was an opportunity to meet and engage meaningfully with people we would not ordinarily meet. I have written a bit more about this in Japan – Anyone for English

Our commitment to working in Japan was coming to an end. The thinking was that we would establish some things but then hand over the work to Japanese and others who would lead the work longer term. Other groups with more experience had said it was difficult for a westerner over 30 to master the language. We had therefore decided when we first went to think of a 2 year commitment. And so it was. We then passed on the baton, as it were, to others to develop things further. It is heartening today to see how the work there has grown over the years. It was a privilege to be a part of the story. There had been challenges and difficulties. Our main memory though was of an enriching, rewarding time which we look back on fondly.  

On the practical side we either sold or gave away most things. One family kindly took us for a night to a spa hotel in the mountains which was a real refreshment when our home became very primitive (i.e. no chairs, tables or bed!). It also reminded us that there are places of solitude and quiet in Japan! Our last few days in Nagano were enjoyably spent in our landlady’s home…May 10th, the day of our departure, came. Tears were shed. It had been one of the hardest times of our lives but these thoughts were lost in an overwhelming sense of God’s grace. Left to ourselves we’d have left prematurely. He had taken us through the difficulties and given the strength to persevere when all seemed lost. We were able to leave with a sense that God’s hand would continue to be on what we had been initiating. Japanese were becoming more involved which had long been our prayer. We know not when or if we can visit these distant shores again but we do know that we have left a part of our lives there. It seems that in God’s work our hearts often seem to be broken only to be mended and enlarged again. —Extract from letter to friends Sept 1994.

Our next steps after leaving were uncertain. Initial plan was to return to Europe. Then probably settle in either of our home countries, Sweden or the UK. Flying in to London in the spring of 1994 felt a little strange. We had got used to crowded living. It sounds strange now but flying from Tokyo to London seemed like being transported to a rural idyll. So much less traffic and far fewer crowds of people. From the air at least there seemed plenty green fields. So much space! It definitely felt less stressed. 

On our initial return we were part of a 10 day leadership course held by our organisation. It took place in West Watch, a country house on the outskirts of London. There were 11 of us, a comfortable number. Most participants we knew from previous times on MV Logos, India and Europe. A very welcome time of renewing friendships, spiritual refreshment and learning. It was just what we needed – a kind of buffer as we reoriented back to the west. 

We then spent the summer of ‘94 with each of our families in Sweden and the UK. All the time wondering what our next steps would be. Changing environment was nothing new but was still not easy. It was one thing as a single person to live a somewhat itinerant lifestyle. To sustain that as a couple was different

My 17 years with OM had taken me to live and work in about 70 countries. The last ten of those years was as a married couple. When we left Japan my wife and I had lived in 8 homes on 3 continents. We had experienced many blessings. Absolutely no regrets. However as the Bible says ‘there is a time for everything**’. We needed some stability. Moving home as well as adjusting to a new country or culture takes up much energy. Maybe it was our time to be more settled. 

In September we attended OM’s annual conference looking for fresh direction and inspiration. None came. Sometimes doors close. There were several possibilities within our organisation (at one point 12!) but none seemed right. We took it as a signal to step into a new time of life.

Sometimes the way ahead is not clear

In one sense this was saying goodbye to a way of life we had become accustomed to. Also it was a farewell to many colleagues around the world we had come to know over the years. However in another way our commom faith in Jesus’ promises meant there would be no permanent goodbyes. Bonds formed through working together for a common purpose would remain. A precious hope that transcends time and our life circumstances. 

So in the autumn of 1994 we moved to Scotland. We had no direction as to what to do next or where to live. An uncertain, difficult time. For the first time in 5 months we stayed on our own for 2 weeks, house sitting for a couple on holiday.

It was around then that a couple we were friends with got in touch. They had been supporting us in our work with OM. He was a trustee with Prison Fellowship Scotland. Would I be interested in working with prisoners, ex-offenders and their families? Wow, that certainly came as a bolt from the blue. Up till then I had virtually no experience of this kind of work. My initial reaction was no. I was still emotionally attached to OM. However after a short time realised that this was the next step. Another friend arranged for a flat we could initially stay in. It was the beginning of a new chapter in life, work and home for both of us. Maybe the subject of a future blog.

** Ecclesiastes 3 verse 1a