More on my first trip abroad - Rio de Janeiro

My first trip - Rio de Janerio

The church of my youth used to have four clearly distinguishable streams which in my time in the Navy I regular came across and had the privilege of sharing fellowship at various times.    The Roman Catholic,   the Traditional ,   Evangelical and Pentecostal.   The main one for me was the Evangelical in the form of the Salvation Army.   As previously mentioned although a Salvationist ,  having been baptised in the Holy Spirit at early age.   I was as it where neither fish or fowl and had my foot in both the Evangelical and Pentecostal wings of the church.   The Navy though I quickly found out had all four streams blending together under the auspices of the Naval Christian Union,  all of whose members were active,  born again Christians,  Each strongly committed to their own particular brand of Christianity but at the same time sharing the same Faith,  the same Lord and as the letter of John said  fellowship with one another.    It was not long before I found out it couldn't be otherwise as very few “nominal” Christians survived long at sea.     The wine or in the matelot’s case,  rum and beer.   The women,    When my first ship,  HMS Jaguar returned home after 18 months abroad,  over 80% of the ship’s company had had Gonorrhea or some other STD, at one time or another during the voyage .   And song.   The Navy is a happy bunch and unless you were fully committed to the God you served you soon succumbed to Jack Tar’s version of wine women and song.

My first and throughout the next 15 years commitment was the Salvation Army although it was rare to have more than one or two active Christians on the ships I served on let another Salvationist.  In fact only once was there another Salvationist on the same ship as me.    When there were other Christians on the ship,  we would inevitably end up in one or other’s church,  depending of course on whether our own denomination was close at hand in the port we called at.    If not we would find ourselves going to the nearest church,  whether Catholic,  Anglican or other denomination.    On my first trip abroad the Jaguar had no other practicing Christians on-board and I found myself having to go ashore on a Sunday alone to seek out a friendly church,  hopefully where one or two people could speak English.    As a typical Englishman abroad I couldn't speak another language and thought all natives could understand shouting and waving hands about which I did with gay abandon.  

I did briefly mention my time in South Africa,  which to give full justice may need a blog or two on it’s own but Rio also deserves a mention as part of  the wine,  women and song life of life in a blue suit.    1966 was the 400^th anniversary of the founding of Rio de Janeiro  and we went there in order to join the celebrations.    Rio has one of the largest natural harbours in the world and it was packed with Naval ships from around the world for the celebrations.    So much so we had to anchor a mile or so out in the bay and go ashore by liberty boat.    The skipper decided as he and the officers would have to be ashore everyday on official “showing the flag” and other diplomatic duties,  the crew needed only “work” between 8 and 10 every day for the entire 10 days of our stay there and unless on duty could have shore leave the rest of the time.    Unfortunately because we were so far away from the shore,  boats could only leave and return every 2 hours.   As you can image the ship’s motor boat was always packed to the gunnels with sailors wanting to go ashore.   The first day therefore I missed the first boat to go ashore and so caught the second one at midday.   The boat as you could expect was so packed that it was a wonder it didn't sink before it got 10 yards from the ship.     It also because of being so crowded was making heavy weather of the journey across the harbour.    Fortunately a large American Navy launch (I was to find out they all had to be big,  didn’t they) came alongside us about  15 minutes into the crossing and I with several others managed to scrabble on to it and it zoomed across the water in no time.     I didn't know it at the time but the allocated American jetty the boat headed off to was 3 miles from our designated spot (told you the water-front is big)  and we were therefore dropped off miles from where we were supposed to be.    As we landed and walked towards the dockyard gates I caught a glimpse of a Salvation Army officer coming out of a nearby building.   I therefore slipped away from my mates to just say hello,  hoping he might speak a little English.    He did and just happened to be the only English Salvation Army officer or Salvationist for that matter in Rio de Janeiro.    We quickly exchanged notes and he agreed to meet me the next day at the correct jetty and I then caught up with my mates to explore the fleshpots of that great city staggering staggering back onboard the ship at around 4 the next morning.   A few hours sleep before getting up and turning “to” for a couple of hours “work” before going ashore again.  This time I made sure I caught the 10 o-clock liberty boat.    

God.   Or was it just a co-incident .    Missing the first boat ashore.    The next one,  two hours later was overcrowded and taking for ever to get to the shore.   A big yankee boat just happened to be passing and took pity on us poor sailors and come alongside my side of the boat to boot.    Gone to the other side and it would have been others not me and my mates who would have gotten on it.    The wrong jetty,  3 miles from where we should have disembarked and the only English Salvation Army officer in the whole of Rio,  just leaving a building as I walked by.    5 minutes earlier or five minutes later and I would have missed him.    God or what.     You choose.