Our Busiest Year Ever

Dear Friends of Sea Hope

We just returned from a trip carrying food supplies to Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa.  We left for this trip 9 days after returning from a trip to Haiti.  That trip was one of the most difficult we have ever done; this trip to Jamaica turned out to be one of the best ever with great sailing weather, a beautiful port, and lots of help unloading.

Jamaica was our sixth mission of the year, a record number of trips for Sea Hope. God gave us the strength to complete the trips, and met every one of our needs.  We watched as He did miracle after miracle to make each trip happen.  Along the way, we worked with at least a dozen different ministries and organizations.   God continues to keep His hand on Sea Hope.  To Him be the glory, great things He hath done.

Putting rice and beans in our bilge stowage area

Wrapping everything up. We have been through a few rainstorms and the rice and beans have not gotten wet

Finished on the after deck...

Arriving at the commercial pier in Jacmel. The surges were too much for us to get alongside the pier.

Keeping a close eye on our mooring lines. Surges broke 8 of them

Prezima getting the supplies for the IOS Children's Home

The pier is soaking wet from a horrendous rain storm that passed as well as the swells sending water waist high through the missing boards

Off loading the after deck

Trying to keep the stern in close to the pier

Off load in progress

The little pier is not in good shape. Boards we put down a couple of years ago are missing

Customs held us up in off loading for 2 1/2 hours. The off load was not finished until well after sunset. This was the second time we left Jacmel in the dark.

Loading the after deck

Finishing putting on 3 pallets of bean and 3 pallets of rice

Tropical Storm Melissa was about 200 miles southwest of us...we came back in heavy rain...

A typical day in the pilot house on the way back

A tired, grumpy old man.....at least the weather assisted me in losing a bit of weight

We arrived at Ponce about an hour after sunset. Rather than stay at sea in rough seas, we went into port.

At least 8 mooring lines broke in Jacmel, including the 2 1/2 inch one...a Tacoma bed full of lines for the trash...about $3000 worth

Food for Jamaica arriving at Sea Hope

Loading package by package, box by box

Takes a lot of manpower to load Sea Hope.

George Kindel has been with Sea Hope from the beginning. He runs the engine room for me when he is onboard. He is 74 and still going strong

Using all available space to get everything there

Loading the bilge stowage area

Micha Youngblood has served with Sea Hope for 5 years. Here he is driving us out the channel at Ponce

Not everyday is rough at sea. We had great weather going and coming back from Jamaica

The aft deck cargo is riding well

Sue LaFrance helps in the galley and also drives Sea Hope. She really is a blessing

Off loading in Jamaica

A group from North Augusta SC helped off load Sea Hope in Jamaica

Mercy Chefs team members who rode Sea Hope.

Some of the Operation Renewed Hope food ready to be loaded to go to the disaster area

Pastor Godfrey Watson had extensive damage to his house and to both churches he pastors. Disaster victims are real people who have suffered real losses

Some of the food the Pastor received for his family and his congregations...

However, as blessed as we were this year, it is a pace we can not keep up.  Mary and I are not getting any younger, and the trips are getting a bit more difficult for us physically and mentally.  We have to face the fact we need to slow down.  However, the need for Sea Hope continues and is actually growing.  In order to keep up with the increased demand we need someone else who is able to take Sea Hope on missions.  God has not introduced me to that person yet.  Please help us pray that He will soon bring that person into our life.  In that light, if you know of someone who has experience driving a large boat/small ship, who is a believer and feels the call to serve the Lord, please encourage that person to contact me.  Having a USCG license is not a requirement per se, but the person has to have enough experience that an insurance company would be willing to underwrite a policy for them.  I personally do not have a license, but I was a ship commanding officer in the US Navy, and the insurance company took that, plus my experience as a navigator into account.

In the same vein, we need more volunteers.  I have tried over the years to find around 20-25 people willing to go on short term mission trips.  The goal is to have enough so that each person would only do about one trip a year.  In reality, we have far fewer than that, and several folks made multiple trips this year.  Some of these have been with us from the beginning and are also feeling the affects of aging.  Finding a crew is one of the bigger challenges we face.  I like to have 7 people on a crew to help in the pilot house (two people on watch for a 6 hour shift) and at least one person to help Mary in the galley.  The only cost for a crew member is transportation to and from Puerto Rico.  Please pray about serving.  All you need is a willing heart and a US passport.

Mary and I are so thankful for all of God’s Blessings on us

Serving HIM Joyfully

Buddy and Mary Puryear