Report #6 - 2012 - Sunday on board - to Cabrillos
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 Report #6/2012

 

Date: Monday, Jan 30th Local Time (Tuesday, Feb 1st Fiji Time)

 

Time: 0600 hrs LT (0200 hrs FT)

 

Latitude: 28 degrees 32.1' North / Longitude: 116 degrees 27.5' West

 

Course: 120 T

 

Average Speed: 4.1 Kts

 

Wind: Westerly 5 - 10 kts

 

All good onboard. Winds picked a little this morning. ETA Los Barilles 3rd Feb. Dont know if we will make it though. Weather doesn't look too promising with the winds dropping away again.

Skipper, Johnathan Smith

 

 

Sunday on board - to Cabrillos

By Robert Tuxson on board Uto ni Yalo

Weather fine - sea calm - winds slight - spirits on board high

Sixteen diverse people with one united mind were reminded today at our devotional to appreciate the blessings from our Lord and embrace the differences in people regardless of their status in life. As 1 John 35-39 reminds us, our Lord embraced the less fortunate, the criminals, tax collectors, adulterers, terrorists and those of different ethnicities and loved them as much or more than those who felt they were chosen!

What better place in a calm sea, just as our Lord calmed for Peter, than the "wasawasa Pasifica" to conduct a crew lead church service. Those on night watch are constantly reminded of the awesomeness of creation. Whether a scientist or sailor we cannot disregard the clarity of an Oceanic night sky. Nor can we ignore the same clarity that comes through a renewed spirituality born of communing with God's maritime gifts to man.

Salome organised the service on the aft deck. It was a noon event just prior to our lunch and the crew attended en masse. Skipper opened with a prayer reminding crew of their blessings and uniqueness to be a part of a traditional sailing culture representing their families and Fiji. Hymns sung "Vosa Vaka Viti" added a solemn yet joyous feeling as all took part. "Master" Mausio introduced the lesson and added a special prayer said in Rotuman. It was indeed appreciated! Bob was next to give the lesson in English. He read from John and supplemented the lesson with a reading from one of the several inspirational books that the crew regularly read.

His interpretation came from the world around us as we were asked to consider the real meaning of Christianity as taught so simply yet so eloquently by our Lord throughout the New Testament. He preached "Love" above all else. Love God, love your neighbour and as a result this "Loving" allows you to open your heart and understand and appreciate the differences in people [we recall that while we are created in God's likeness, we are imperfect beings striving for a closeness with our Creator].

Opening your heart leads to opening the door to your life. How often do we hear a visitor to our shores say "I think Fiji is a wonderful place to be, not because of its beautiful environment, but its warm, friendly and open people". Is this not what Jesus preached? We wondered why such an easy message to comprehend can at the same time be so profound? Seemingly so simple to follow, yet in practice do we really make that effort? This brought us back to the key message in today's lesson. When asked where he was going, Jesus simply replied "Come and see".

The crew of the Uto ni Yalo is, in their humble and small way, accepting our Lord's invitation. They have "come" answering the "call" and they will "see" sharing their experiences as disciples of a gospel [not sacred] but with deep spirituality. They seek to reconnect with their ancestors and the "Mana" that enabled them to blaze a momentous trail crisscrossing the Pacific from west to east and from north to south!

Moala completed the moving devotional with a Fijian translation. Thus our service was in three languages reminding us of the Holy Trinity and that however you express yourself, the message is the same - if this crew from a variety of backgrounds, of many ethnicities and languages, of a range of ages and both genders can come together to successfully sail a "Drua' living under challenging conditions, why can't we all navigate the hazards and vicissitudes of our lives living in harmony with nature and its peoples? Until the next article where you will "Meet the Men" of the Uto ni Yalo ......................

TABU SORO - THE JOURNEY CONTINUES