Cadet to captain: Using God-given skills for His glory

“I always wanted to be a seafarer. I looked up to my dad who’s a captain and pilot,” shared Captain Cristian (Chile), who has just finished a season of service on board Logos Hope. While wanting this kind of life for himself, every weekend Cristian spent at his grandmother’s home, they also prayed together for Jesus followers worldwide and, specifically, those serving on Logos II.

Still, he never expected how God would chart the course of his life.

Cristian had two options upon graduating secondary school: to study architecture or go to navy school. He was accepted into architecture and soon was packing his bags. “I was about to leave home when I received a call. It was the navy school, saying that they wanted me as well.

"Suddenly, all those weekends praying for seafarers on Logos II with grandma came back to me,” Cristian shared. Although scared, as most people are when making big life decisions, he signed up to be a seafarer.

“I spent the next four years in navy school and one year in seafarer training. But when I was about to graduate, my mom passed away. This shook me and I re-evaluated my values and life direction,” Cristian reflected. “What will bring meaning to my life? Honestly, my goal was just to graduate, become an officer, earn enough to pay off my studies, have a family and retire.” His plan felt simple, logical and practical.

“But I knew that it wasn’t enough," shared Cristian. My grandma said God gives fulfilling lives and that challenged me.” Asking himself how he could have a meaningful life, he continued to ponder if he should join OM’s Ship Ministry, following the people he prayed for with his grandmother. “I knew I had to take a leap of faith,” he shared. “A preacher once told me, ‘If you want to walk on water, you must get out of the boat’, and that resonated with me.”

After graduating, Cristian sailed on tanker ships. “In hours of solitude, I was brought back to my commitment with God and that took me to a new reality,” he reflected. While knowing that OM’s Ships Ministry was looking for qualified professionals like himself, he also knew that the role was unpaid, with church friends and other partners joining to donate towards his financial support needs.

“I challenged God. I told Him that if this is what He wants, [He must] make it happen!” Cristian said. “So, I quit my job. I must be honest – I was fearful. But with every step from that point onwards, I could see the doors open for me.”

With his eyes now set on the Ship Ministry, Cristian telephoned to inquire about joining. To his surprise, he recognised the other person on the line. The OM worker who answered the phone was someone he had prayed for back in his grandma’s house. “This was my turning point – my clear course correction. It blew my mind! I was walking in faith and the Lord confirmed it with something tangible and real.”

“As I took my first step on the gangway of Logos II, peace entered my heart,” Cristian shared. There he served as a cadet before eventually becoming the third officer for two years. Since then, he has never stopped being actively involved in the Ship Ministry. After getting married, God gave him an opportunity to be part of the ‘Power Up Project’ to change the generators on Logos Hope.

A decade later, and having worked his way up to the position of master, Captain Cristian recently returned to serve, this time on Logos Hope – the successor of Logos II and OM’s biggest ship. “My kids love[d] going to school in the ship, my wife [Kerstin (Germany)] and I [got to] serve together, and I [could] use my skills for His glory,” he shared.

Although he doesn’t have a paid job, his heart is full from serving the Lord. “There is more to life than receiving a salary. And you’ll never know how God will provide for you. So be active, step out in faith, get that momentum and do everything for Him. The doors kept opening for me to have the privilege to serve Him with my skills,” said Cristian.

OM’s Ships Ministry allows maritime experts to serve God with their specific knowledge and experience. “In other ships, you’ll bring cargo from point A to point B and that is it. But with an OM ship, you become an instrument of God to serve others – you go from port to port, open the gangway and connect with strangers to share knowledge, help and hope,” Cristian explained. “This lifestyle doesn’t even come close to simply going to church every Sunday. Instead, OM’s Ship Ministry is where you apply everything you learn in church.”

To build the Tabernacle, God called “every craftsman in whose mind the Lord had put skill, [and] everyone whose heart stirred him up to come and do the work” (Exodus 36:2). To see vibrant communities of Jesus followers, God calls qualified professionals who are eager to serve Him – especially those in the maritime industry, for the Ships Ministry.

“OM's Ship Ministry has given me the chance to use my professional experience to grow spiritually... With OM Ships, I found a balanced life that moves my heart, bringing the ship worldwide with a clear and intentional reason – to serve the God we love,” Captain Cristian concluded.

To find out how you can serve professionally today, visit our website here.