Thabo Radzuma (South Africa) Profile

Name: Thabo Radzuma
Home: Pretoria, South Africa
Born in: July 1990
Joined OM Ships: January 2011
Previous employment: Orphanage caregiver
Current job on board: Book fair team member 

What jobs have you had on board Logos Hope?
I have always worked in the book fair during my time on board.

What have you learned?
Most of the time when people come on board, I will be the one who stands at the door, waves and welcomes them like Jesus. I may just smile for them and say hi for even an hour. Sometimes I go and help the visitors with finding books. Sometimes I work at the cashier desk. The main reason I am there is not to sell books but to show interest in people’s lives. That is the main thing that keeps me going. I try my best not to see the books sold or the number of visitors, but to see each individual like Jesus. Sometimes I also spend time in the Journey of Life exhibit and share God’s love with people. Other times I sit at the welcome desk. I realise that if I am happy and Jesus is in me, people will see Jesus, which means that they will say, “Wow, Logos Hope is a nice place.” So I ask God everyday to give me the strength. That’s what I do and I’m very passionate about it.

In South Africa we normally share the love of God verbally with words. Since I’ve been on the ship, I have learned that we can serve alongside the community through practical work, get to know people and after that listen to people and have an opportunity to share our faith. I’ve learned to listen to people and work with them, to have ears to listen to them and to see if God is saying anything to me that I can pass on to them. 

Personally I learned that Christian life is not a religion but about having a close relationship with Jesus, speaking with God daily. It is not only going to church on Sunday, but it is to live life every day by the grace of God. So every day the way we speak, the things we do and the way we interact with people, it may show that we are children of God.

What has been your biggest challenge or lesson learned on board?
My biggest challenge was the moment I came to the ship. I was happy and excited, but it also was a challenge. To leave South Africa and come here, even though I don’t have a special home, was a challenge. God changed all of these challenges into positive things. I miss my home, but now I am here and I know that God called me to be here. You can pray for me that I will tell others about God every day – that’s my challenge now. 

What has been your best experience? 
I enjoy the prayer nights we have on board when we come together as a community to praise God and pray together. To hear the stories of individuals on board and how God used them and brought them to the ship is one my highlights. I also enjoy meeting together in our “ship families”, the community groups on board, and sharing experiences together. It keeps my spirit alive and motivates me. I live in a moving home, sailing from country to country, which is amazing, to bring knowledge, help and hope. That is the main thing. 

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about joining the ship?
I would say, “Wow, when you go to the ship you will really enjoy living with many different cultures in unity.” I would tell them that it will be the best experience of their life. If you stay only for one year it will feel like only two months. The way people live and speak will amaze you. You must be teachable and have an open heart, so that people will also open their heart to you 

What are you planning to do after you complete your time on board?
In Proverbs 19:21 it talks about the many plans in a man’s heart but that only God directs the steps of man. I am writing a book while I am on board about my testimony, how God changed me and how I saw God work in my life. The book has the same title as an article I wrote before I joined: “A broken egg and a big dream.” I hope to finish it before I leave the ship next year and get it published in 2014.

 

When I go back home, I’ll be working in the orphanage as a volunteer, taking boys out of the streets and giving them a Christian foundation and sharing God’s love with them. I also hope to do some part-time studies. After 10 years, if it’s God’s will, I would like to open an orphanage or open my house to youth to get them off the streets, to take care of them and allow them to go to school. To share God’s love with them and just see them growing. I want to give back in the same way that people have invested in me.

OM’s role in the Church is to mobilise people to share the knowledge of Jesus and His love with every generation in every nation. OM pioneers and leads initiatives to redeem lives, rebuild communities and restore hope in over 110 countries.