Colenbrander ‘called to be missionary’

One look at the man that Prime Minister Dr. Gonsalves jokingly called an “infant captain” and you may wonder what a 33-year-old trained ship’s captain is doing aboard the Logos II “book exhibition” ship, working voluntarily at that.

But when Captain Dirk Colenbrander sat down with SEARCHLIGHT at the ship’s official reception last Tuesday, June 27, after it’s arrival in St. Vincent, it was easy to see that he was born to do exactly what he was doing.{{more}}

“When I was eight I told my parents I wanted to be a missionary,” said Captain Colenbrander with a beaming smile plastered on his face, obviously pleased that he had fulfilled his childhood ambitions or as he would say, his calling!

Dirk visited the Logos II when it visited Holland and struck up a pen pal relationship with a dock officer aboard the ship which just fueled this already amazing passion and focus on missionary work.

While other men promise the stars, moon, and the entire galaxy in the heavens to their sweethearts, not so with Dirk to his now wife Hilde.

“When we got together I told her just know I want to sail on the Logos II so if you don’t want to join me, we better spilt up straight away. I cannot promise you a big house, big car or anything because I want to serve God and other people, I don’t care about those things.”

This young man was so passionate about his missionary calling that he wanted to join the Logos team immediately after finishing studies at a nautical college but was advised to gain some experience aboard a commercial ship, and so he did for ten years.

Three years ago the time had come and so it was no test, no withdrawal anxiety when Captain Dirk left his lucrative job and comfortable life and along with his wife joined the staff on the Logos II, breathing a deep sigh of fulfillment. So now with their three-month old daughter Eva, Dirk and Hilde are living the life they believed the Lord has mapped out from them. When would they leave the Logos II, “that is in God’s hands” ended the skipper.

The Logos II is in the midst of a two-week visit to St Vincent, and is currently docked at the cruise ship berth in Kingstown. The visit ends on July 8.