Grace by the Sea

My family and I, bibliophiles in varying degrees, are perpetually poised to pounce on a bookshop.

As soon as MV Doulos—the biggest floating bookshop in the world—anchored on Manila Bay, JR and I were there like a shot.

The charm and lure of MV Doulos, aside from the books she carries, is that she’s the world's oldest active ocean-faring passenger ship. There are plans to decommission her because she is just a tad younger than Titanic!

MV Doulos is purposed deeply: she visits port cities throughout the world to encourage inter-cultural understanding and share a message of hope in God. The bookshop was full and most of those who were there had filled up their baskets with books.

I decided beforehand that I would only buy books and CDs I couldn’t find in Manila. So I skipped the baskets and lanes with familiar titles. I looked instead through the old-edition areas, hoping I would discover rare finds.

I did.

I found the one book of Max Lucado which I still don’t have, "Turn."

Serendipity one after another . . .

Also beneath a stack of hardbound books were two copies of Beatrix Potter’s "Peter Rabbit!"

I thought I’d never find it anywhere except on e-bay where the price is forbidding. I got them both, thinking one would make a perfect gift for Tony, a closet artist who loves Potter’s style. And the other copy, I will keep for my children’s book collection.

I also discovered Maurice Sendak’s old book, “Bears.” Again, another one for my collection!

These four books were three hours of my time on board. One additional hour I spent looking for CDs of old hymns. I rummaged through shelves after shelves of gospel CD’s but ended up finding none. Nada. Nil. Are they really gone for good? I couldn’t find them in Manila either.

It was way past sunset when JR and I decided to call it a day. After saying good-bye and thank-you to the men and women of various races, the friendly young missionaries of MV Doulos who were giving away tracts on grace and salvation, we decided to enjoy our purchases over alfresco dinner on a floating restaurant at the edge of Luneta Park.

It was a day of grace by the sea.