Rebel attacks. War. Insecurity.
In a hostile world seafarers and fishers need you.
It’s alarming to think of the dangers seafarers face these days. Just under a year ago, a car carrier called Galaxy Leader was hijacked in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels from Yemen. Armed raiders flew in by helicopter and boarded the vessel. Every day ships are being attacked with missiles and drones.
Can you imagine how terrifying it must be?
One of our chaplains met seafarers from a sister Galaxy ship recently. They showed him videos on their phones of the attack. “We’re scared,” they told me, “We are just crew, why does this happen to us?” It was heart-breaking to see their helplessness and distress.
That’s why regular support is so vital. Anxious seafarers need a friend in port. Someone to listen to their worries, offer practical support, provide reassurance and care. Someone who’ll be there, month in, month out.
You are our output valve. Everyone else is input… port authorities, inspectors, captains, even family asking us for money. But you are our output. You listen to us.
You are the only people who ask how we are
– Chief engineer
It costs £13 to share the love and kindness of Christ with one seafarer or fisher, and provide practical support and care during a ship visit.
Your faithful support means there’s a listening ear for a seafarer who needs to talk, a friendly face who visits a worried crew, and an arm around the shoulder of a seafarer in distress. This simple ministry of friendship is so critical. The gentle, steadfast, daily act of visiting ships and caring for seafarers and fishers underpins everything at Stella Maris.
Please, this Harvest, will you support seafarers month after month?
