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It's due time to fill you in on the happenings of last year and the start of 2024!
March of 2023 started last year off with a bang as Hope Voyage Ministries was presented to the public for the first time at an event hosted by Lemonade Property Services. It was in this small group of customers, colleagues and friends where the mission and purpose of Hope Voyage made it's official debut with much welcomed support. By God's gracious hand, and giving hearts of those present, $1,600 was raised and donated to HVM. I was and still am deeply humbled by this. It was an evening to remember and I cannot thank everyone enough who came to that event and showed support. It was the first tangible result of this idea of Hope Voyage Ministries that I had been working on for the past 4 years. The Lord certainly blessed and it was only the beginning...
Later in the year, I'm happy to say HVM officially became a Non-Profit! It's 501c3 status was no easy feat as there was a fairly large hiccup in this process that set everything back for months. However, it finally came to fruition in October of 2023 (not that long ago!). We are one step closer to the vision of Hope Voyage becoming a reality!
Hold on...I need to pause and actually back up to February of 2023. Forgive me for the disjointed timeline, but this bit of information cannot be left out! As I was preparing for this event in March, by frantically trying to create my very first video in a way that would articulate, in bite size form, what the purpose of HVM is: weeding through my many thoughts, ideas and goals, all with faces of invincible passion and yet reality. Let's just say, I was mentally fried after 4 weeks of wrestling out this message via a video production. Exhaustion and yet proud accomplishment settled in once it was complete. It was during those 4 weeks, I reached out to a friend and fellow sailor, to gain some advice on how to present HVM's mission to the public in a succinct yet inspiring way. I was quickly diagnosed with what is called "Founder's Vision." This apparently is common among founder's of non-profits...Nonetheless, I've survived to tell the story! After gaining some direction, this same friend, a CEO of a maritime non-profit in North Carolina said,
"Kayla, I just can't wait and I'm going to tell you now. I've spoken with the board, and we've decided to sell you sailing vessel (S/V) Hope for $1.00. (a 28' O'Day sailboat) We feel it would be better for you to own it versus leasing it out to you for three years."
For those of you who were at the Lemonade Property Services event, this will sound familiar as I mentioned this that evening! Folks, this bomb of a blessing came just weeks before I was to present! I could not believe the timing of this. Here I was to present to the public about a sailing ministry idea that hadn't even officially become a non-profit yet nor did I even have a boat! And here a sailboat was proposed to be sold to me for ONE DOLLAR. Who would've thought I could afford a boat by making a withdrawal from my couch cushion bank account?? This was the hand of God for sure.
Now, let's fast forward a bit to February of 2024. Are you still with me? If you're lost in the timeline, no worries. Just listen to this next proposition that has God's character written all over it. I received an email from this same friend and fellow sailor who presented me with another possible opportunity. That possible opportunity was in the form of a sailboat. Yes, another sailboat! Within one year, I've been presented with TWO sailboats to choose from for Hope Voyage Ministries! In fact, there was actually a third boat...but we'll leave that for another time. Now on the scene was S/V Kairos, a 1977 Hunter 33'. Long story short, after praying, looking at the most recent boat survey, asking questions, praying, researching, comparing both boats, thinking through the immediate goals of HVM and more praying...I came to the conclusion that S/V Kairos was the boat to choose. This was not to say there was anything wrong with S/V Hope, as she is another great boat! I believe Kairos will be a great fit for how I aim to begin this voyage in the present season of life. Of course, S/V Hope had a great and fitting name that pointed to our only Hope in this world, Jesus Christ. However, I do think "Kairos" is a fitting name as well. It is an ancient Greek word for the right or opportune moment. "Kairos" is a qualitative word for time. It bodes the question, what will we do with the moment given to us, especially in the context of when presented with true Hope? Perhaps now is the opportune moment...
"...behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
-2 Corinthians 6:2b
"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him."
-Lamentations 3:21-24
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
-I Peter 1:3-5
My immediate next step is to get S/V Kairos within reach to actually sail her! Lord willing, this Spring/Summer will involve a sail via the Intracoastal Waterway, into the Chesapeake to make her home port in the Annapolis area. Oh yea, I forgot to mention...God provided a free, private dock space in Annapolis for Kairos...the sailing capitol of the US: home to the largest sailboat show in the world! Unbelievable. Once the boat is here, my goal is to resume my sea time hours to gain my captain's license. I have 81 days left out of 360 days required. I aim to take this time to learn the ins and outs of this boat, strengthen my sailing abilities, become acquainted with the great waters of the Chesapeake and learn many lessons both practically and spiritually along the way. I will need much prayer as this is a large undertaking and I continue to work full-time. I desire to be a worthy steward of this vessel for the Lord and to use it only to point others to Christ.
The LORD is good. Though it hasn't always felt that way over this past year, it helps to look back and reflect on the hand and heart of God. He is always there, whether there are losses or gains, His presence is forevermore.
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"
-Philippians 1:6
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."
-Matthew 16:25
(Pictures are from a few years ago when the owner was trying to sell it)
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