“Only God keeps this ship afloat!”

Built in 1914, the M.V. Doulos is just two years younger than the Titanic. The boast of the Titanic’s builders was “even God himself couldn’t sink this ship.” As the Doulos crew members look at the battered sides and struggle with the ancient engineering systems on board, they wryly say to each other, “it’s only God that keeps this ship afloat!” The Doulos is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest ship still afloat. Having started life as a freighter on the Atlantic coast of America, she was converted to a passenger ship and used to ship emigrants to Australia as well as Roman Catholic pilgrims to Italy.

Finally in 1977, she was bought by a Christian organization in Germany, refitted in Bremen and began a new lease of life. The Doulos is now the worlds largest bookshop, carrying 6, 000 titles across the oceans. Since 1977, she has visited more than 100 countries and welcomed more than 18 million people on board. The Doulos arrived at the quayside in Singapore last week. Crewed by around 350 Christian young people and families from over 50 different countries, including friends of ours, Aimee and Joshua welcomed the chance to go on board. Josh has now declared that he’s found his ideal project for his gap year – as a crew member on the Doulos!