Kendall Jenkins
By Ashley Andrews, 700 Club Interactive
CBN.com –BON VOYAGE - NOT SO MUCH
After five agonizing days aboard the less-than-triumphant Carnival Cruise, passengers (over 4,000) were eager to set their feet on dry land Thursday, February 14th. With the carpet seeped in sewage, three to four hour long waits for rationed food and frigid nights sleeping on deck, the sight of Mobile, Alabama, for Triumph's weary travelers was sweeter than any Valentine candy. Among those rescued from the sweltering vessel was twenty-four-year-old Kendall Jenkins, who posted on Facebook, "This should be interesting," the day she and her friend said "bon voyage." Little did she know how interesting her first ("and last") cruise would be.
For many disembarking this particular "Fun Ship," their experiences were far from what Carnival Cruise advertises - at least after day four. As Kendall remembered, "We had a blast - they had pools, music, dance lessons, great food - it was a lot of fun." But during their last night on the ship, a fire broke out in the boiler room near their compartment. They woke up to the sound of a blaring alarm, flashing lights and people rushing upstairs to the deck. After some hours went by, they were told that there was, in fact, a fire and that the ship may or may not be able to power back up. They tried to keep positive, but things went from bad to worse very quickly.
A few hours became an entire day, and soon they all realized that the electricity would not to turn back on. That meant no AC during the day and no heat at night. What's more, because there was no power, there was also no Wi-Fi or Internet, which meant that no one could call, text, tweet or chat. And, to make the trip more memorable, there was only enough food for a week and the sewage system started overflowing, completely drenching the lower decks. So, with no power, no heat, food shortages and overflowing toilets, there was plenty for the passengers to complain about. But for Kendall, she knew there was no point in wallowing, although, literally speaking, that would have been quite easy to do. Instead, she and her fellow traveler and friend Brittany (who incidentally won the tickets at a hockey game) decided to keep Joshua 1:9 in minds.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. ~ Jos. 1:9
But they weren't the only ones who decided to stick to the bright side of things. Several passengers started a Bible study group, and a few wrote out verses on sheets and towels in hope of uplifting spirits. By day five the ship was finally tugged into the harbor, and by then, Carnival had offered Triumph passengers a complete refund, a $500 reimbursement and tickets to another cruise trip.
THE INTERVIEW
After Kendall and her friend bounded off the ship darning their complimentary white robes, they immediately dropped to their knees and kissed the pavement. Moments later, they were pulled to the side for a quick interview with NBC reporter Mark Potter. He asked them about their experience, and Kendall's friend commented, "It was just really frustrating. There were rumors going around because we're completely disconnected. We had no idea..." They thought, she continued, "Oh my gosh, do people even miss us? Do people even know about this?" When asked if they would accept the Cruise line's offer for another free trip, Kendall quickly chimed in, "Absolutely not...We're thinking about teaming up and selling our tickets. So if anyone is looking for a discounted cruise, we got one."
Then, when Potter remarked that they would not be going on any more cruises, Kendall said, "One thing I do want to say that really made a huge difference in my time versus some other people's time is we knew where hope was. We knew the Lord was in complete control of the situation. Our verse for the trip was Joshua 1:9 which is..." And it was then that Potter pulled the microphone back and abruptly ended the interview saying, "Okay, well, thank you both very much. Enjoy your trip home to Houston and enjoy that first warm shower and that warm meal. Thank you very much. Thanks for talking with us." And as the girls shuffled off camera, Kendall spoke up, "Joshua 1:9, look that up!"
As she shared, "I just wanted people to know what it was that got us through. That when you trust him, everything will be okay." In the end, Kendall and her friend were happy to be home - safe, clean and dry.