November 2018
Christmas at Sea – Ditty Bags
On Tuesday, October 23, seven of us in the American Baptist Women's (ABW) group drove to the Seafarers of the Golden Gate Mission in Oakland. We delivered the 185 ditty bags that our group had made and then filled with all the items that the SCFBC church family donated in September.
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO WERE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE
We carried the ditty bags into the mission and immediately joined the people from other churches who were already at work. While some of us stuffed additional ditty bags with items collected by the mission, others took the ditty bags donated by other churches and put 10 ditty bags in each large plastic bag that would be distributed to the ships. These bags were then carried to a storage area. Counting the ditty bags we brought, plus those donated by other churches, the Seafarers Mission now has 640 ditty bags it can use in its special ministry. We also donated seven puzzles, a box of DVDs, and three boxes of children's books that the seafarers can take home to their children.
HOW THE DITTY BAGS ARE DISTRIBUTED
The Seafarers Mission Chaplain, or a representative of the mission, makes contact with each ship prior to its arrival in Oakland in order to know how many seafarers are on board. In addition to the ditty bags, each ship also receives a new jigsaw puzzle. This is the 72nd year of this special Seafarers Ministry of providing gifts for those who are away from their families for months at a time. It's a lonely life, especially at holiday times.
Over the years, the Mission Chaplain says that he has seen grown men cry when the gifts are brought on board. One seafarer told him that he had been going to sea for over 20 years, and had never received a gift before! Of course, the greatest gift offered to the seafarers is the love of God that is shown by our gifts, as well as the spiritual literature, counseling, and help offered by the Seafarers Mission Staff.