Philip Vandercook, Director
3635 Tchopitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70115
504.895.2028 – portministry.com

Despite the bleak state of our River Parishes Port Ministry Center that we walked back into after Hurricane Ida, we have so many reasons to be thankful. The Lord has provided a multitude of blessings for our ministry in the days, weeks, and now months following the devastating storm. We are thankful for the help we have received as we continue the process of gutting and cleaning out the ministry center destroyed by Hurricane Ida.

Volunteers from near and far have come to lend a hand. Friends from New Orleans, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Ohio, and Illinois have made the trip to our River Parishes center to help us clean out and prepare to rebuild. We are so appreciative of their time spent helping us.

We are also tremendously thankful for all of the prayers lifted up on behalf of our ministry. Please continue praying for us in the days ahead. Please ask the Lord for wisdom for our ministry’s leadership in planning and making decisions about rebuilding. Also pray for the Lord to continue to provide the help and resources to meet the needs. Please pray for the endurance of our chaplains who are continuing to minister during this difficult season. Pray that we continue sharing the gospel boldly and that our ministry to the port community will be even stronger after coming through these recent challenges.

Since mid-May we have been assisting international seafarers in accessing vaccines for COVID. No plan seemed to be on the horizon from the maritime industry to vaccinate the seagoing essential workers; however we began to receive requests for help from crews wanting the vaccine. We began small by identifying pharmacies that could assist us and then transporting the seafarers to those pharmacies for their shots. While not a perfect plan, it worked and was a start.

The biggest challenge was the simple fact that not all seafarers have shore passes to visit a pharmacy. In addition to that, we had to make multiple trips to a ship because not all crew members can leave at once. That quickly became a drain on staff and vehicles. We knew that we needed help to better assist the crews in accessing the vaccines and began working with Baptist Community Health Services to partner in an effort to offer vaccines on board ships and at our ministry centers. Then we found local pharmacists who were willing to assist and began going on board ships with us administering vaccines to entire crews. We reached out to various entities in the local maritime community to help as well. We are so appreciative of everyone who came together to help us begin to meet this important need of seafarers.

While our response to how we can help has been evolving, the response from the seafarers that we have been able to help has been consistent: thankful. One crew I transported for vaccinations had people who had not been off the ship in 11 months! They have felt like prisoners on board their ships and receiving the vaccine was not only a chance to come on land, but also one step closer to being allowed shore leave in the future. Many come from and will return to countries still battling COVID and they are relieved for the help in protecting themselves at sea and at home.

Helping seafarers from around the world receive vaccines is a wonderful way to help meet a physical need and share why we want to help: the love of Jesus Christ! Through this effort, we have already had the opportunity to share the Good News with men from China, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, and Singapore. Please pray for our chaplains as we continue this unique ministry opportunity to the mariners.

With such a variety of nationalities sailing on vessels, people from the ends of the earth are coming here to our port. Many of these countries are closed to traditional missionaries; however, we are able to send the Gospel to these countries through the mariners that visit our shores. By reaching the seafarers for Christ, the world will be impacted! We appreciate your prayers and support that allow us to continue to expand this vital ministry to the maritime community. Our greatest need is volunteers. If you would like to get involved in reaching the world at our doorstep, please call us at (504) 895-2028, or contact us at Info@PortMinistry.com.