Logos volunteers

Nevisians got a taste of what Logos Hope volunteers had to bring to their shores on Saturday, May 15, from 8 a.m. to about 5 p.m. at the War Memorial Square in Charlestown.

A small party of the Logos Hope volunteers travelled over from St. Kitts, where their ship was docked at Port Zante, Basseterre.

Donned in light blue shirts, the volunteers set up shop under a tent where they sold neatly organized Gospel-related books for children, youths and adults.

The selections included cookbooks, children's story books, Bibles, and reading books. Some of the notable titles were, "Questions Young People Ask", "Answers for your Marriage - A book for those who are married or soon to be married", "Soul on Fire", "When I'm in his Presence", and "When God Doesn't Make Sense".

Ms. Miriam Warkentin, a volunteer, told The Observer the reasons behind their efforts.

"[It is] to bring hope to people, tell them about Jesus Christ and what he has done on The Cross for each one of us, and [to bring] knowledge through books," she said.
"We have lots of books on-board, and we also try to help practically wherever we can."

Ms. Warkentin related her experiences of going to prisons and hospitals to fulfill this mission. She further mentioned painting churches and schools in Guyana, noting that all of their activities were aimed at trying to help people.

On the morning of their arrival in Nevis, five volunteers were interviewed at the Gospel radio station "Radio Paradise."

The small group stayed on the island until Monday, May 17, at the Assembly of God (Assemblia à Dios) -- a Spanish speaking church.

"We've been in the Caribbean for the past nine months," said Ms. KC Leader, 21, informing that previous to visiting the region, the ship and crew were in Europe.
To become a Logos Hope volunteer, a candidate must be at least 18 years old; and there is no upper age limit.

"Most people on the ship are just out of high school or college so it's a really great opportunity to get a really solid foundation and travel as well, while learning about other cultures," said Ms. Leader.

According to the young volunteer, most of the books on the ship come from the United States, where the organization's book base is located in Florence, South Carolina. A container is shipped from there every two to three months to replenish supplies. Logos Hope typically carries about half a million books on-board.

The Logos Hope vessel is twice as large as Logo II ship, which visited Nevis back in 2002 and was docked at the Long Point Deep Water Port.

Ms. Leader informed that in 5 - 10 years, the ship hopes to return to the Federation. At press time, it had already departed, heading to their last port of call in the Caribbean at Dominica, before voyaging to Africa.