Sailing Faith

I had planned on writing a different post for this week.

One on a completely different subject....

But after seeing a friend of mine in church today,

God nudged me to write this one instead.

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Remember the book I mentioned that hubby and I read while

spending our vacation on the beach?

It was called "Sailing Faith: The Long Way Home".

It was written by a friend of ours, Gregg Granger.

We've known Gregg and his family for many years.

They are long-standing members of  

Gun Lake Community Church with us.

When we heard that Gregg was taking his family on a two year journey 

aboard a 56 foot sailboat named Faith of Holland to circumnavigate the world,

(that actually ended up being a four year adventure 

sailing 36,000 nautical miles around the world),

we didn't know what to think.

"Good for you!"  

"How exciting!" 

"Is he nuts...?" 

"Sure hope he writes a book!" 

"We're going to definitely have to pray for them..."

But after reading about their experiences aboard Faith of Holland

as they traveled around the world

meeting people from all walks of life and

diving into the various cultures headfirst,

we were amazed, speechless, and in awe of this 

special family that God indeed kept safe in his embrace.

As Gregg writes in the prologue, the reaction that the family received upon 

sharing the news of their plan was,

"You're going to a lot of places where they don't value human life like we do."

But having more than the faith of a mustard seed,

Gregg loaded up his wife, two teen-age daughters,

and his five-year-old son in 2003,

spent one week aboard a charter in Florida learning how to sail,

and then waved goodbye to the Unites States,

firm in the knowledge that God was protecting them all the way.

The Grangers on Faith

Their journey was about more than travel and culture.

It was about relationships.

Relationships with God, each other, other people on similar journeys,

and with the people in the 38 countries they visited.

They witnessed about the power of God's love 

all the way around the world

and touched a lot of lives while doing just that.

Teaching school in Saumlaki.

Faith docked for repairs with the workmen who repaired her.

Faith heeling on passage to Sudan.

By God's infinite grace, 

they survived malaria, broken bones, vicious storms,

and other incredible struggles.

But they also experienced the incredible vastness

of God's mighty hand in creation.

The Grangers at the pyramids.

Relying on the ocean for food.

Sailing past the Rock of Gilbraltar.

Taking a break on passage.

As Tom Rademacher (newspaper columnist and author) wrote,
"....{Gregg} and his family embrace a fascinating planet,

one port at a time......Sailing Faith: The Long Way Home will have you

reconsidering....what precious moments each of us have left

for chasing dreams."

In his book, "Gregg sought to demonstrate that the world

and people everywhere are wonderful gifts from our Creator,

to be explored and marvelled at."

I tell you,

this book is a must-read.

You will never look at the world the same way again...

I promise.

{ Faith-ful hugs }

{You may order "Sailing Faith: The Long Way Home" from Gregg's website.

You can also visit www.faithofholland.com for more information

and photographs from the Granger's journey.

Free free to contact Gregg directly with comments, 

suggestions, or inquiries at gregg@faithofholland.com.}

I am not receiving any payment nor acknowledgement for this post.

I just needed to share with you how fantastic this book really is! 

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