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EDITORIALWelcome to the latest issue of Revelations. Yet again, I must apologise for the late arrival of this, with the same excuse as last time, I was sailing instead of compiling Revelations! In this bumper 16 page issue are the usual mix items, the second instalment of the history of Morning Star and a brand new feature, 'Possibly the best cake in the world ever' You'll have to read on to find out more. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this issue. If you have been sailing this last summer, then please consider sharing your experiences with us, through stories, pictures, thoughts, poems, etc. Please send any contribution for future issues to the office, (the address is on the front cover). Will NewsTim writes... Another great summerI last wrote after the Small Ships event, as our main summer programme was about to begin. That programme is now complete, so here we go with a summary of how it all went: Summer Week A made it to the Channel Islands, with a great crew, excellent weather and Steve Thompson skippering. Their whistle stop tour included Alderney, Jersey and Sark plus a stop to swim off the south coast of Guernsey. Summer week B, which I skippered myself, had another superb crew, but there the similarity ended. The weather turned strong to gale south westerly, and we were confined to short hops in the Solent for much of the week. Eventually we did break out for a fast and uncomfortable passage to Cherbourg and a rather better trip home again. Then came Tall Ships, always the high point of the year's sailing (some might disagree). Mike Maconochie embarked his crew in Portmouth on a Wednesday evening. The boat was due in Brest on the Saturday morning. The wind was strong southwesterly yet again, and the first 24 hours were very tough on the new crew. Fortunately the wind dropped and went northerly so that in the end they were on time. The race itself was probably easier on the whole, but this should not take away from the achievement of coming third in class. Following a happy time in and about La Coruna, and a partial crew change, Andy Rankin took over from Mike for the cruise to Santander and the second race, back to Portsmouth. In this race, the frustration of light winds gave way eventually to strong headwinds for a while, but the final leg up the Channel was free of the wind and fast. This time we were second in class, and also received a prize for having the youngest average age of crew. Altogether it was a successful series for us, with very little going wrong with the boat. The ten days of the Eurospree cruise visited Dunkirk and Ostend then spent the rest of the time in our favourite southern Holland cruising ground, finishing with a very fast passage home in a fresh northerly. Since then the final full week cruise of the season has taken place, with a group brought together by Duncan Miller. The wind pattern ruled out Holland, but they did reach Dieppe (where Morning Star had never been), going down Channel in an Easterly and coming back in a Westerly! Altogether another very encouraging summer, with God very much in evidence in keeping the boat and its crews safe, giving lots of challenge and enjoyment, and quietly bringing people towards a better understanding of Himself. New Team - Major DevelopmentsWhile the boat has been away and busy during the summer, there have been major developments back here at base. This has culminated with no fewer than three new members of staff starting with us at the beginning of September. Libby and Catherine have come as one year full time volunteers. Both are recent graduates, from Cambridge and York respectively. Libby will be doing the administrator job - it will probably be her voice that answers the phone - and Catherine will mainly work on the boats. See her first impressions here in Revelations. We have also taken on our first new full time employee for a good many years. Nick Gainsford comes from a background in Christian outdoor work. Initially his role is "development officer". As the months pass the intention is for him to take over the leadership from me as I begin to wind down to retirement. Already he is beginning to get to grips with some of the many complex issues that face us as we seek to move the work forwards. Nick introduces himself here in this edition of Revelations. Just right now having three new people around is pretty stressful, but they are going to be a great team and I am really looking forward to seeing all that they will achieve in the coming months and years. IT NewsThe new arrivals at base have immediately created a need for improved IT facilities here. Right now Nick and Libby are using their personal laptops in the office allowing us to boast four computers in use, but there is a real need to move on, to design an overall system that meets our needs, to raise funds for it and to get it properly installed and working. The Morning Star website also has much potential for greater and better use. In particular I would like to see it used as a means for Morning Star folk to communicate among themselves, a way to increase a sense of belonging for many who sail with us but so easily lose contact in between times. The website is managed voluntarily for us by Mark Wigmore, for whom nothing seems to be too much trouble. Thanks Mark. We now hope that Catherine will have some involvement in this. Possibly the best cake in the world ever... No 1: By Hilary Boase (Eurospree) - the first time Morning Star has been eaten? New Boy in Town...By Nick Gainsford As the new boy, I would like to say a big hello from my wife Rachel and I to our newly found friends. I feel like my feet are only just beginning to touch the ground, after being swept up in a giant whirlwind of change. Initially the task before me is to gain an understanding of the Morning Star operation. My remit is one of development, to include marketing and fundraising, whilst still being involved with all aspects of keeping a working boat going. It has been no mean feat to uproot and move to Kent from the West Midlands. For me moving is familiar, however, for my wife it was the first time she had left the close proximity of family and her network of friends. The sale, search for and purchase of a new home have taken place in the record time of 6 weeks. There have been a few anxious moments but no real problems at all. Many times people have questioned what I was doing, but I have experienced a presiding peace throughout, enabling me to be resolute in the face of doubt. I am eager to get to grips with all that is going on and hope that through the process of evaluation, open discussion and prayer, we will be able to see the way ahead for the Morning Star Trust. I imagine it could take some time for me to meet everyone who is involved or related to the Trust. With this in mind, feel free to call me or email me at the Morning Star office if I can be of any assistance. The History of Morning Star - Part IIThe transcript of the History of Morning Star can now be found here and will continue to be updated as new installments are published. Diary of a Volunteer - The First WeekBy Catherine Bertrand (Due to pressures of work, this document may contain some spelling errors, many apologies!) I have known that I would be the Morning Star Vol this year for some time, and as the summer progressed I began to realise more and more that I could no longer say "I will be Vol next year...". Instead, the terrible truth was dawning that I would be a Vol in a month...
On the 29th August, carrying possibly the heaviest rucksack I have as yet embarked with, and clutching my guitar in one hand and a further bag of Pluton House is in a rather unfortunate state at present. Due to some rather The next day I wobbled off to the Dockyard on my bike. For various reasons I was starting a bit earlier than expected, but I couldn't wait to get onboard and get well stuck into the work ahead.
And so a merry week has been spent, with poor Tim trying to sort me out with little jobs to do that didn't involve the boat.
Things got a lot more interesting on the Third Day. Eagles Wings was brought alongside the Dockyard wall, and not without some trepidation, I donned the With slightly less trepidation, I then plunged into the murky water of the Medway, having scrambled down the extremely wobbly, (and no thanks to the scouting party of the previous afternoon, extremely muddy) ladder that was The next few hours were spent happily mudlarking up to my knees under and around the boat, armed with a scrubbing brush and a pair of ships dividers, which proved extremely efficient in removing barnacles. The only notable event of the afternoon, apart from discovering a plastic bag which had melted around the prop shaft, was an unexpected run-in with a large jellyfish which All in all it has been fun so far, Now, as the second week begins, Morning Star has returned and is in need of maintenance work, the kitchen at Pluton House is beginning to look slightly more like a kitchen, and I am actually beginning to believe the year has started. I look forward to discovering what God has in store for me in the weeks ahead. I just hope it doesn't involve any more jellyfish! Thought For the QuarterLimiting God?Over the past few months, I have been struck by how much God has been doing things, not only in my life but in everything around me, in church, in work, in my town and in the Morning Star Trust, to mention a few areas. Why should I think it unusual that God is at work? Might it be because I have often tended to limit God, and what he can do, and so not expect him to be doing things in every day life? Is it a problem to have low expectations of what God can do? I think that it is, as in doing so we can miss out on experiencing the power of God in our lives. I hope that the following two points might help to show how our expectations can be raised. Firstly, we should look at the Bible, there are countless verses stating God's promises to be active in our world, to work through us and to give us all that we need. For example, in John we read Jesus' words: "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it." (John 14:12-14 NIV) Secondly, we need to keep our eyes open to what happens around us and realise that God is in the things that appear amazing or bordering on the miraculous. You only have to look at Nick and Rachel's house move to see that God must have had a major part in that. My limited experience of the housing market would suggest that for the process to be completed in six weeks is near impossible (but not for God)! I think that we need to be greatly encouraged that God is at work and above all, seek him with great expectancy that he will act in order to further his work. We must remember that God is so, so much bigger than we can imagine. "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." (Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV) |
HTML by Mark Wigmore
Edited by Catherine Bertrand