From my vantage point as a chaplain, I am thrilled that seafarers are actively working again, although cargo ship crew never stopped working through the pandemic. Unfortunately, they are discovering that just having a job to repay loans they took to survive when the ships were not allowed to operate is not a panacea to all the problems that resulted from the pandemic. They have come to realize that:

These reasons and more have caused many seafarers to question whether working on the ships is worth the sacrifices they must make. Plus, many have not returned to work creating the labor shortage.

How are seafarers handling the additional stress of not being allowed shore leave at any given time? Sometimes not well.

There have been some instances of suicide and we hear about crew that will not be returning until things change for the better. There are limits to what people can endure.

We have also seen how human nature enters the equation as some crew have turned to alcohol, sex, or other vices to escape the emotional pain they feel is being heaped on them. This is not a new phenomenom but it does seem more pronounced now.

A positive perspective to these post-COVID circumstances is that the stressful challenges the seafarers are encountering may be for us at CPM a unique opportunity to share the hope of the gospel with them.

Pray that crew who are believers on the ships will not get swept away with this tide of escapism but will be a light to all those around them.

Please pray for the seafarers to turn to Christ at this time.

Pray that revival will sweep through the ships like never before.

Pray for everyone serving at CPM to be sensitive to the working of the Holy Spirit and to share the gospel and words of encouragement to them.

In Christ,

Mark Wodka