Due to the pandemic, Dutch sailors working at merchant navy ships, many of whom are Christians, were not allowed to disembark their ships after March 2020, and this isolation stretched to 15 months. To help with the homesickness during Christmas season, packages containing a USB stick with a pre-recorded, interdenominational Christmas service, woolen hats, and a Christmas card were prepared for them.
The Council for World Mission (CWM) contributed financially through Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN)’s Kerk in Actie programme, and The Dutch Seafarers Mission, active in more than 10 ports in the Netherlands brought these gifts on board for the seafarers, providing them with encouragement and moral support.
