Young Professionals on a Cruise Stop at Caribbean Islands to Remove Debris
Students from Andrews Univeristy’s We Care Ministries clear a section of the Philadelphia Adventist Church in St. Thomas on Dec. 14, 2017. The roof and walls of the church were destroyed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria back in September 2017. Image by Wilmoth James/NCC
January 18, 2018 | St. Croix, US Virgin Islands | Royston Philbert/IAD Staff
A group of professional young adults from the United States, Canada and Australia recently spent a day clearing out fallen walls, fallen branches and debris from the largest Seventh-day Adventist Church on St. Thomas, destroyed by Hurricane Irma last year.
The group of more than 50 stepped off a cruise-mission trip in the Caribbean to tidy up the Philadelphia Adventist Church, nestled in the capital city of Charlotte Amalie. The church has been closed since the storm tore up the roof and walls in September.
The team of volunteers are part of Cruise with a Mission, a ministry of the Center for Youth Evangelism on the campus of Andrews University, which provides short-term mission opportunities for young adult professionals that are unable to go on extended mission trips, explained Rabel Y. Ortiz, the group’s director. The mission cruise took the team to engage in missionary work on Grand Turks and Puerto Rico as well, organizers said.
“It was a timely visit,” said Glendon Cross, pastor of the Philadelphia Adventist Church. “We have been wanting to prepare a place where we can convene our own worship service, so the team of volunteers gave us much needed assistance.”
Debris being cleaned from the damage to the Philadelphia Adventist Church–the largest Adventist Church on the island with over 1,200 members who are currently worshiping with the Shiloh Adventist Church nearby. Image by Wilmoth James/NCC
The more than 1,200 worshipers of the Philadelphia Church have been worshiping at the Shiloh Adventist Church nearby and have assisted the community with what they have in the aftermath of the storm’s devastation, explained Cross.
A total of 22 waste bins were generated thanks to the dedicated work of the group, he added.
Team organizers coordinated with local church leaders to send a team to every stop to ensure proper execution of the missionary work.
“The cruise exists as a catalyst for young adults to cultivate a transformative lifestyle of connecting with God and others in the context of Christian community,” said Ortiz.
It’s about helping young professionals renew their spiritual journey by doing meaningful on-board presentations, discover meaningful community through group interactions and explore the joy of helping others during service projects, added Ortiz.
While on St. Thomas, the team also cleaned the home of Mr. Heyliger, a visually-impaired community member, who expressed his profuse thanks for how much the group accomplished in just a few hours.
It was a missionary cruise planned by and for the young adults, added Ortiz.
Other cruise passengers noticed the infectious missionary spirit of the team to the extent that three passengers joined them for service to the Puerto Rico and St. Thomas communities.
Warren Cowsgill, one of the Cruise with a Mission team leaders, who arrived at the ports two days in advance, said the cruise with a mission helps participants and well-wishers to learn about life from a broader perspective.
“Going from place to place helps young adults to learn about life in a tangible way.” Cowsgill said.
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