Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago :: Crewmembers share hope with older people, reminding them of their worth.
Some of Logos Hope's crewmembers had visited J’s Welcome Home in May 2018, when teams visited various outreaches during the vessel’s annual maintenance period.
Less than two years later, a new team was given the same opportunity. The volunteers played games with the elderly residents and asked them to share something about themselves.
One of the elderly women was excited to tell the visitors that she used to teach French and had lived in France. A French crewmember spent time chatting with her in French. Two crewmembers performed a Caribbean dance. Matilda* (Germany) explains, “They said, ‘You’re not from here but it looks like you are!’ They loved it!” Matilda connected especially well with a woman who was 101 years old.
“One woman told me that she prays a lot for the others in the home to find Jesus before they pass away. She prayed for young people to come and give them joy, and then we came. She was so thankful we did!” Matilda exclaims.
Yulia Lyagutskaya (Russia) shared a message: “I had it on my heart to talk about their value and how precious they are for God. It was hard for me to hold my tears back. Some of them were abandoned by their family members, some of them have health issues… They are vulnerable but God loves them so much. I invited them to pray together.”
A man in a wheelchair said that one of his dreams is to travel. A crewmember decided to send some pictures to the nurses so the man would be able to travel 'through her eyes.' “When you hold their hand, give them a hug or pray for them, you can feel how they hold your hand back and hug you strongly. They don’t feel loved daily, but you can bring them hope and care, and that’s special,” said Yulia.
The director and owner of the home, Judith Escayg, says, “They were excited! A group had already come about two years ago and they had such a fun day, they knew they could expect the same thing.” She adds: “The volunteers were very kind. They are doing God’s work; they were very good to the elderly. God sent them here.”
*Name changed