Twins volunteer for floating book fair

Twins Jeremiah and Krizia Ablaza hope to be accepted as volunteers in the MV Logos Hope, which docks in Cebu on May 5.

While many college students prefer to spend  summer in the beach or go  out of town, 19-year-old twins Jeremiah and Krizia Ablaza volunteered to stay aboard the  MV Logos Hope.

“This summer, I really planned to do things that are out of my comfort zone, to help me grow as a person and  a Christian. I think volunteering on Logos Hope gives me the avenue to do that,” Krizia told Cebu Daily News.

The twins have been  serving in the youth ministry of Bradford United Church of Christ Inc., an evangelical church, since 2012.

The MV Logos Hope, the world’s largest floating book fair, will dock in Cebu on May 5.

“I hope that through this, God will paint a bigger, clearer picture of His global work in my mind,” Jeremiah said.

Journey
MV Logos Hope has over 380 volunteers from 16 different countries.

The vessel will stay docked at the Malacañang sa Sugbo, Presidential Berth, until May 29.

Jeremiah and Krizia applied for a 10-day volunteer program where they will be assigned in  the galley, accommodation or the book fair.

Krizia also looks forward to traveling to Mindanao before classes start in June while Jeremiah wants to travel  outside Cebu.

Krizia is an incoming third year Mass Communication student at the University of San Jose-Recoletos while Jeremiah will enter  third year as a Fine Arts student at the University of San Carlos.

Community outreach
The twins are among e 90 young people from all over Cebu who have applied for the ship’s volunteer program.

The  volunteer program  lasts from two weeks to as long as two years.

They require specific skill sets like plumbing, welding and carpentry.

Christian Barsulo, leader of the MV Logos Hope advance team to Cebu, said the program will be a combination of practical work, training and community outreach.

“It will give  volunteers a chance to experience serving on board the ship together with our international crew,” he said.

Barsulo said the volunteers will do kitchen work like food preparation, washing dishes, cleaning the interior of the ship like carpets, toilets, and doing the laundry. Others will serve in the book fair,  Barsulo said.

In a week, the volunteers will have five days of practical work plus one hour training or workshop in various areas of Christian mission, discipleship and cultural exposure since some of the MV Logos’ crew members will acquaint the rest of the crew about their country.

The volunteers will engage in  a community outreach activity, joining the Logos Hope team, and take one day off.

Charity group
Barsulo said there will be two batches of volunteers, 20 in  each group, serving from May 6 to 14, and May 15-27.

There will be one shift in the morning and another one in the evening.

During its previous visit, over 115,000 people visited Logos Hope in Cebu. MV Logos Hope is operated by the German charity group GBA Ships.

The ship has welcomed over 44 million visitors from over 150 countries and territories around the world since it started operations in 1970.

MV Logos Hope will open to the public in Cebu from May 6-28, 2015.

Opening hours are from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays to Saturdays, and 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Ticket cost is P20 per person; children under 13 years of age enter for free, but must be accompanied by an adult.