by Susan Huppert, The MARE Report Providing tools to seafarers for Internet access in ports is overdue. While at sea it is critical. Skirting the border of North America are port cities where global markets move. Within many of these ports, seafarers’ ministries actively care for the workers transporting goods globally. Seafarers are essential in […]
“Communication with home makes the life we choose at sea a bit better”
by Susan Huppert, The MARE Report Connectivity is one of the most obvious and simple answers to ensure that seafarers are able to cope while on board, according to The Mission to Seafarers (MTS). MTS gets valuable feedback each quarter from their Happiness at Sea Index, launched in 2015. MTS operates in 200 ports and […]
Asylum and Refugee Status for Ukrainian Seafarers
by Phil Schifflin, Center for Mariner Advocacy Can I seek Asylum or Refugee status in the United States and what is the difference between the two? In order to seek Asylum or Refugee status in the United States you must fear persecution due to your race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular […]
NAMMA Releases Survey Report on Seafarers’ Ministries and Welfare in North America, 2022
by Kevin Walker and Jason Zuidema, NAMMA In January of 2022, the North American Maritime Ministry Association (NAMMA) distributed an online survey to its members, asking about the state of seafarers’ welfare in their ports. Responses were received from 38 ministries in Canada, the USA, and Puerto Rico from January 26 to February 7. The results […]
Providing SIM Cards to Help Seafarers Connect with their Families
by Susan Huppert, NAMMA The global workforce of 1.89 million seafarers who live and work at sea needs a variety of methods to stay connected to the rest of the world. Most are not as simple as dialing a phone on a whim. One method is SIM cards. A SIM card – a subscriber identification […]
NAMMA In Discussion – Mark Wodka Shares Best Practice for Online Prayer for Seafarers
by Jason Zuidema, NAMMA NAMMA In Discussion – Rev. Mark Wodka of Canaveral Port Ministry spoke with NAMMA’s Dr. Jason Zuidema about some best practices for online prayer for seafarers. Canaveral started the ‘Waves of Hope’ daily Facebook chapel time at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as a time of encouragement for seafarers. Below […]
Enabling seafarers’ safety and health protection: A way forward
by Carolyn A. E. Graham, Ph.D., AFHEA, PHF The COVID-19 global pandemic has severely impacted the global economy due mainly to the prevention and containment measures requiring closures of borders, restricted travel, closures of businesses except for essential services, and physical distancing. These measures have severely impacted workers worldwide and seafarers are no exception. It […]
Book Review: Case Studies in Chaplaincy
by Jason Zuidema, NAMMA Renske Kruisinga, Jacques Körver, Niels den Toom, Martin Walton, Martijn Stoutjesdijk, eds. Learning from Case Studies in Chaplaincy: Towards Practice Based Evidence & Professionalism. Eburon: Utrecht, 2020. This collection of essays on the value of case studies for chaplaincy can prove useful for our collective thinking about maritime ministry. Though […]
Part of My Family: Correspondence Ministry with Seafarers
by Karen M Parsons OFS I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you, praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, because of your partnership for the gospel from the first day until now. – Philippians 1: 3-5 This is a passage of St Paul’s that I have […]
Book Review: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Colin Freeman
Colin Freeman, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: The Mission to Rescue the Hostages the World Forgot. Icon, 2021. A popular image might relegate piracy to the pages of history only. The Golden Age of Piracy in the late 17th and early 18th centuries has become part of popular culture, safe and enjoyable […]