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Viewpoint from Rev Peter Paine 31/07/2015
 Rev Peter Paine
Port and Industrial Chaplain
Lost and Lonely away Home
Have you noticed lately that the port, especially South Quay, has had many more vessels in and staying longer? Have you ever asked why? Or thought about the Seafarers on board? Well, now is your chance to do so
Sea Sunday would have been celebrated in churches up and down the country on 12th July, a Sunday set aside for every church to listen to stories and pray for the Seafarer
 This year’s theme was shipwrecked, and retold the story of St Paul’s journey in Acts 27:27 – chapter 28:2. Paul is being taken to Rome for trail; he is clearly respected by the Roman officer in charge and the sailors. The ship has failed to find a good port to stay in over the winter months (against Paul’s advice). They hit a storm and the crew try to abandon ship, Paul stops them, and then encourages them, but the sailors try to escape again. This time Paul gets the Roman officer to stop them. The sailors run the ship aground onto a sandbank and it is torn apart. Roman soldiers try to kill all the prisoners on board, but are stopped by the officer. They all abandon ship, and all are saved
 You may recall an event earlier this year when the MV Hoegh Osaka went aground on the sandbank in the Solent. The Mission to Seafarers Chaplain was called and headed straight away to the Centre, where the crew were taken to. Hot soup warm blankets, jumpers, socks were all waiting when the seafarers arrived. During the next week or so the support continued with basic needs like toothpaste, shaving kits, soap, etc and simple friendship. All the crew got off the vessel safely
We live on an island, and as such most of the goods we need come in by sea, in fact 90% comes in by sea. On Sea Sunday we are asked to pray for Seafarers who travel around the world to bring us the goods we need to keep this country going. Could you spare some time to stop and think about the Seafarers who in a lot of cases are far away from their loved ones
Great Yarmouth is doing its part; we opened a new Seafarers Centre for the Seafarer to come away from his vessel to be able to send and receive emails, telephone calls home, Skype, or just to be able to sit with one of our volunteers and talk. For the Seafarer it is a place of calm, an oasis from their daily routine. We need to help the Seafarer and we also need more volunteers. Do you have a couple of hours to spare and would like to help a Seafarer? Then please call me now on 07788111823
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