MV Doulos Sails No More?

I never imagined that from March 5-31, 2009 was the last visit of MV Doulos in Pier 13 at Manila Harbor. Whereas the last voyage of Doulos ended at Vivo City, Singapore, where it stayed from December 15-27, 2009. During these last days, book clearance sale was held each day, in a nutshell, bookworms swarmed aboard the ship to take advantage of books with high rebates; now, that’s a great Christmas treat for the residence of Singapore or tourists who were able to attend the last historical days for the one of a kind floating bookstore which fate is in the hands of the hopeful management of Operation Mobilisation.

Visit the Operation Mobilisation's website to keep abreast of the current situation or action being carried upon about our well-beloved floating bookstore.

Aboard the Ship

My first encounter with this ship and bookstore all in one (that I would soon fall in love with) was arranged by a friend of mine in 2007. When she mentioned that we were going aboard the floating bookstore, I hesitate no more (but I was intrigued with her interest with books, seems somewhat a phenomenon for me). I really believed (with a slight doubt) she must have forgotten to tell the challenging route: we had to endure a long walk in order to reach Pier 13 from Manila Hotel. Nonetheless, it was all worthwhile. The following day my sister who is also a booklover tag along with me; she too disregarded the long walk, but can’t do likewise the day after, when her legs ached the whole day.

Aboard MV Doulos I feast on countless books, CDs, and toys. Doulos souvenirs were also available: key chains, ball pens, and mugs are just a few. In my case, the books I’ve bought and the tickets torn by a crew to indicate admission, serve as my beloved-floating-bookstore memento.

Here is the list of books (mostly about Christian topics) I’ve bought from the 2007 visit.

• Collins Dictionary & Thesaurus
• If Jesus Were Your Counsellor compiled by Selwyn Hughes
• Power For Living by Jamie Buckingham (complimentary)
• The Life of Jesus by Ideals
• True Grit by Deborah Meroff (my favorite, why not include it in your books-to-read list)

When we were overwhelmed with knowledge, we then felt the need to satiate our gastronomic hunger; to our relief, some members of the crew were selling ice cream and juice (from what I can recall) and local food businesses were allowed aboard.  But these tangible stuffs were not just the things that made our visits memorable. The gentle breeze coupled with the panoramic view of Pier 13 complement my Doulos trip; one can witness the vastness of the sea on the one side of the ship and heap of cargos on the other.

When we were overwhelmed with knowledge, we then felt the need to satiate our gastronomic hunger; to our relief, some members of the crew were selling ice cream and juice (from what I can recall) and local food businesses were allowed aboard.  But these tangible stuffs were not just the things that made our visits memorable. The gentle breeze coupled with the panoramic view of Pier 13 complement our brief-yet-unforgettable trip—one can witness the vastness of the sea on the one side of the ship and heap of cargos on the other.

Job Well Done

Indeed, Doulos has been a truly servant (meaning of its Greek etymology) of God by traveling across the globe and teaching us to impart knowledge, aid, and hope to others amidst diversity of race, language, and belief. Will there ever be another ship endeared to us? Filipinos will surely miss the much-anticipated visit of MV Doulos and its warmhearted crew.

Short and simple words for your long and fervent service: our memory of you will keep on sailing in our hearts.