The Seafarers’ Centre hosted by Invergordon Church of Scotland welcomes sailors from around the world, providing tea and home-bakes, pastoral care, internet access and Christian friendship to men and women who may be separated from their families for months on end.

It also offers Bibles and New Testaments in various languages, supplied by Blythswood and by others. Given the warmth of the welcome, it’s no surprise that the same faces reappear from time to time. Mary who is a local volunteer tells of one seafarer who came back:

“Eight years ago, we had a visit from a crew member who was leading a Christian Fellowship on board a cruise ship. He was so pleased to be given Bibles for their group. This year he was back in Invergordon, on another ship in the same line. This one did not have a Christian fellowship but he felt that the Lord was guiding him to start one.

Although these big cruise ships can have a crew of more than 1,000, he had met only two Christians on board and neither had a Bible with them as their only copies were at home with their families.

“He was overjoyed to receive Bibles, New Testaments and a Study Bible to help him start an onboard Fellowship. He excused himself for becoming emotional and said they were tears of joy. ‘I praise and thank my Heavenly Father who guided me here today,’ he said.

“What he didn’t know at that point was that 40 crew members had accepted a Bible or New Testament during a visit by volunteers from the Seafarers’ Centre to his ship that day.”

Larger cruise ships can be staffed by as many as 1,000 people, some of whom may be Christian believers from different parts of the world