New Orleans Mission Trip
Personal testimony by Becky Culver
I didn't know what to expect when I signed up for this mission trip. But what I found at that port changed something in me — and I don't think it will ever quite change back.
From the moment I arrived, it became clear that Global Maritime Ministry is something that could easily be overlooked by the world. These ship workers sail in from countries scattered across the globe, dock for a brief window of time, and then disappear back out to sea. Most people never think about them. But this ministry does — and being there to witness it firsthand was one of the most moving experiences of my life.
The Team
Steve & Sherri Gilley, Edy Fannin, Beck Culver, and
Theresa Stewart
Christmas at the port
One of the first things that struck me was the package delivery service. It sounds simple enough — a place for ship workers to receive packages — but the reality of what it means to these men was anything but simple. I watched as they tore open boxes, their faces lit with a joy that was almost impossible to contain. Some had ordered things for themselves, personal items they needed after long stretches at sea. Others had carefully chosen gifts for the families they hadn't seen in months.
One moment I will never forget: a grandfather pulled me over, beaming with pride, to show me the roller skates he had purchased for his granddaughter back home. He hadn't seen her in who knows how long. He wouldn't see her open them. But the love in his eyes as he held up those skates told me everything about why these men endure what they do. It was like watching Christmas morning happen right in front of me, and it broke my heart open in the best possible way.
The toiletries, cookies, and drinks we handed out were small things. But paired with a genuine human connection — someone looking these workers in the eye, treating them with care and dignity — they became something much larger. I could see the hunger for that connection in their faces. Many of them come from countries where speaking freely about faith isn't possible, where simply receiving kindness from a stranger is rare. Here, even for just an afternoon, that changed.
A young man from the Philippines
Of all the conversations I had, one stays with me above all others.
I met a young man from the Philippines. He didn't have a lot of time, but he gave me everything he had in those few minutes. His face lit up when he talked about his family — his wife Kristine, his high school sweetheart, and their two children waiting for him at home. He pulled out a map and showed me exactly where he lived, and together we traced the enormous distance between his home and New Orleans. He was signed on through the end of the year and was even considering extending his contract.
I kept thinking about what that means. To love your family so deeply that you are willing to spend months away from them, on the open sea, just to send money back home. The sacrifice was staggering. He was about to show me pictures of his family when our time ran out.
I still think about him. I pray for him, for Kristine, and for their children — every week. That conversation didn't just change my perspective on this trip. It changed the way I think about sacrifice, love, and what it means to provide for the people you hold dear.
God moving in the margins
Going into this trip, I prayed a simple prayer: Lord, take "me" out of "me." I wanted to get out of my own way. I wanted to stay focused on the mission — on the people we came to serve — and not let comfort or distraction pull me off course. And I believe God honored that prayer.
I saw Him moving in ways I didn't anticipate. He was using this ministry not just locally, but globally — touching lives in the Philippines, in Eastern Europe, in Africa, in countries I may never visit. I realized that through this port, the world had come to me. I didn't have to cross an ocean to share the love of Jesus with someone from another country. I just had to show up.
There were moments when ship workers were visibly hungry to hear the Word of God — genuinely open in a way that was striking. And the conversations that bloomed around a bag of toiletries and a cup of something cold became unexpected holy ground. God was faithful to give us opportunity after opportunity, and I am grateful we were there to receive them.
What I'm bringing home
I also made connections I didn't expect. I met a wonderful couple from Illinois who make this trip at least twice a year. They welcomed me like I'd always been part of the team, and I gleaned so much from their wisdom and experience. Our morning share and prayer times with the group were precious. Getting to know the hearts of the people I traveled with — that was a gift too.
When people ask me whether they should go on a mission trip like this, my answer is simple: yes, go. It's close. The need is real. And the opportunity to touch lives from around the world is unlike anything I expected.
But more than all of that — it was an honor. An honor to step into something bigger than myself, to be a small part of how God is moving through Maritime Ministries to impact the world for Jesus. I came to serve, and I left transformed.
"It was an honor to see how Maritime Ministries impacts the world for Jesus."
-Becky