The Logos Life

Author: Natalie Vellacott
Genre: Biography/Memoir

Natalie Vellacott took a two-year break from her job with Sussex Police and joined the Logos Hope Christian missionary ship. The ship, staffed by volunteers from sixty-five different countries, was sailing the waters of Asia. Natalie began by serving visitors in the mayhem of the International Café before moving to the isolated recesses of the ship’s dangerous freezers as store-keeper. Having fallen in love with a group of street teens addicted to solvents in the Philippines, she ended her commitment as administrator of the largest floating book-fair in the world. Join Natalie on her often hilarious adventures amidst an inevitable multitude of cultural catastrophes as she attempts to bring knowledge, help and hope to the people she encounters along the way.

---

---

Reviewer: Mary Hosmar

The sub-title intrigued me. This could be interesting. And it was.

Natalie Vellacott gave up her well-paying, prestigious career to follow God’s call and embrace a two year commitment to work as a missionary aboard the Logos Hope, a ship dedicated to mission work. This book is a recounting of that service. It highlights, in a matter-of -fact manner, the highs and lows, as well as the joys and frustrations that are part of living in close quarters with several hundred others from various parts of the world. Cultures clashes, language gaps, opposing personalities and differing views of how mission work should be carried out are all part of this true account. Ms. Vellacott doesn’t try to sugar-coat or glamorize the work. She is forthright about her own short-comings, weaknesses, and strengths as she recounts her experiences.  She warns those wanting to get into mission work, including the reader, to “count the cost”.

The story, although interesting, seems, at times, somewhat fragmented as Ms. Vellacott occasionally goes off on  tangents to explain some background material, some of which does not seem to tie in with the current incidents being recounted.  This did not always make for the smoothest reading flow. These tangents are, however, interesting. Some of them could be told as stories in their own right.

While this is not ‘gripping’ literature, it is a worthwhile read, especially for those who want to learn more about one aspect of mission work.
​
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

---