Sarah had plans. She aimed to find a job as a nursing assistant in a local hospital in Perth, go through the training, and then travel around while working as a nurse. But God had other travel plans for Sarah. He set her sights on living and working on the OM ship, Logos Hope, not as a nurse but as a baker.
“After reading and praying through Proverbs 3:5-6, I had the random thought to check the OM website. I shared what I found with my church and family, and they encouraged me to step out. With a sense of excitement, I took a leap of faith and committed to two years serving on board,” says Sarah.
In 2024, Sarah joined Logos Hope in Ghana, a small country in West Africa. A self-described ‘Jill of all trades but master of none,’ she started in the galley (ship-speak for kitchen), then moved to the bakery, making bread for over 350 crew daily. “At home, I loved baking to bless people and make them smile, but on the ship, I was baking on a scale I never knew I was capable of,” she says.
And if that wasn’t challenging enough, after six months, she was offered a job in the Advance Preparation Department, or Line-up team. The Line-up team goes ahead of the ship and organises everything needed to enter port. “It’s a big job. I can’t stress enough how much needs to get done before we see the ship on the horizon,” Sarah emphasises.
The team of three works in specific areas to make this happen. The ship, full of books and people from many nationalities entering a new country, requires many sorts of permissions — visas, customs, immigration and taxes. Then there are the practical needs — waste disposal, water, internet connections, and fresh produce. But people also have to know the ship is coming, so publicity is important. What’s more, there are many events held on board, and crewmembers spend days on shore helping the community, all of which need arranging ahead of time. “The list is exhaustive, but by God’s grace, it always gets done,” says Sarah.
Working in Line-up is different from anything Sarah has done before. “I’m a practical country girl who likes to work with her hands in the outdoors with old clothes on. I felt God challenging me to ‘step out of the boat’ literally, to step out of Logos Hope and trust Him in this new challenge,” she comments.
Sarah’s first experience in Line-Up was in Curacao. The team had seven weeks to prepare for a three-week visit, and it was Sarah’s job to oversee the onshore community days and publicity. “A live television interview was new to me, and an experience I am unlikely to forget,” she remarks.
Travelling to countries Sarah has never seen before to prepare for the ship’s arrival and knowing no one, is a deep dive into the unknown. “Pride is not your friend,” she shares. “You have to ask for advice and help from the locals.”
And it was in those moments operating way out of her comfort zone and the opposite of who she believed herself to be that Sarah felt God’s strength and comfort. “Growing up, my parents always said I was ‘God’s girl’, but it wasn’t until I was a teenager that I realised I could have a personal relationship with Him,” she shares. “Now, feeling exposed and ill-equipped away from home, Line-up has forced me to fully lean on God. He has been shaping me for His service, and somehow, miraculously, things come together. The only explanation is God. It’s not me or my special skills.”
Sarah’s journey on Logos Hope has opened her heart to go deeper with God, and she has a big heart for people, too. She is setting her sights not so much on her own plans, but on what God has in store for her, trusting that His plans are better than her own.
