The Voyage

T/n EUGENIO C

One of my crazy adventures in life was to cross the Atlantic on a cruise ship alone! What led up to such bravery?

    Inspired by my glowing letters recounting what God was doing through our Operation Mobilization teams n Europe, my parents began to dream of my return to Argentina to help lead a summer evangelistic campaign. In January, at young people's camp, Dad felt a strong urge, during the closing campfire meeting, to challenge the youth to join a Cruzada Evangelística the following summer.

    Meanwhile in Spain, my life on the O.M. team in Madrid continued with a full schedule of activities: office work, translation, visitation, Bible studies, prayer meetings, teaching Sunday School, music lessons for a young girl on the team, chores and ministry to friends and people living with us. The question remained, where to go and what to do after my year with O.M.: stay in Europe, return to Argentina or the US, or even go to India at one leader's urging (Frank Dietz). The latter was far from my mind as I continued to follow Psalm 105:4 "Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!"

     May was my birthday month. At that time Argentina topped the list of my considerations for the future.

    I knew my family would want to hear about how my birthday was celebrated, so I summarized briefly:

On the 18th I had a very happy day because everybody was too good to me. They didn't say anything until noon, then they sang and brought me one thing after another: a bouquet of roses from our garden, soap, a book marker, two ball point pens I had asked for, a delicious and beautiful chocolate cake with white icing and cherries and 4 candles, and a very funny card signed by everyone (a birthday tradition here because we happen to have a box of funny cards left from what used to be Librería Victoria): then also that night Lois gave me a very nice poem!

    Recently, I found that very poem in an old album. 

     When the annual fall training conference approached, I went along with the team, as God had not yet  clarified when and how I would travel to Argentina. In London, I worked intently as interpreter for the Spanish-speaking group. Once again I encountered Mike Koch who was involved in the running of the conference and specifically the sound equipment. He went so far as to prepare a special booth where I could listen to messages offered only to the English speakers, then interpret and record them in Spanish.

    After the conference, I joined a group in Liverpool. There was talk of meeting some Argentines who worked for Aerolíneas Argentinas there.  But when no air tickets were available, I traveled back to Spain with the team to continue my search from there. I was also told that fares to South America were cheaper from Spain.

    In the end we found that a cruise ship cost $100 less than airfare. However, Ron Anderson, one of our leaders, wisely suggested that even if the price were the same, the twelve days at sea would be a good time to rest, reflect, catch up with correspondence and prepare for what awaited me in Argentina.

    Thursday I called the cruise line. Tickets were availabe, so I picked up mine on Friday. Saturday night I traveled by train with a girl who was transfering from Madrid to Barcelona. We spent Sunday with the O.M. team. And Monday at 9:30 AM I boarded the ship. Everything came together so quickly with the gracious help of my O.M. friends, and I was embarked on another life adventure!

    I found interesting facts about the cruise ship on this website: Cruise Ship Oddysey. 

In the early sixties Costa Armatori SpA (Linea C) from Genoa, Italy needed a new ship for their South American liner service. She needed to be larger and faster than her predecessors to boost capacity. Cantieri Riuniti Dell Adriatico (CRDA) in Monfalcone, Italy built her. The keel laying ceremony took place on January 4, 1964 and the new liner, named Eugenio C was launched on November 21 1964.

After having been  delivered to Linea C on August 22, 1966,  Eugenio C departed for her maiden Trans-Atlantic voyage from Genoa to Buenos Aires. Being powered by two CRDA De Laval turbines producing 60,000 hp she reached a top speed of 28.5 knots during sea trials. With her average service speed of 27 knots on the South Atlantic run she shortened the crossing time considerably. It was never surpassed by any passenger vessel.

The magnificent new 230 meter long, 30,000 GRT liner had capacity for 214 first class passengers and 1445 tourist class. 

    So there I was on a new luxury cruise ship, alone. The next day I wrote to my family :

I have a room with three older ladies - one Italian, two Brazilian (one speaks English). I've been assigned to a table with three men - two Argentine students and one Argentine man living in Spain in Valencia who is studying the correspondence course. Have met several already including a couple from Río Tercero. Have had excellent opportunities up until now.

    I remember praying that I would meet any other believers on board and God answered in interesting ways. 

    My most distinct memory, however, has to do with the King Neptune line-crossing ceremony. One of the young men from my assigned dining room table, picked me up and threw me into the pool fully clothed. Apparently he was involved in planning the fiesta and wanted to make sure I experienced the initiation of a first-timer. He failed to recognize that I had already been across the Equator several times!

    When I didn't appear for dinner that night, he worried. No big deal, I simply couldn't get myself together and my hair in place after that dunking!

    Was that a metaphor of what was to come, the situation in Argentina in which I would soon be submerged?