It's good to read news articles that include the spiritual aspect of an event or story. A Newsweek article published on September 24, 2018 starts off by saying, "Reading the Bible and remembering the advice of his parents gave a teenager cast adrift on the Pacific the motivation to keep fighting for his life."
Aldi Novel Adilang was the teenager referred to here. A one-year contract that paid $134 monthly had him working 80 miles far out from the coast of Indonesia on a floating fish trap to light lamps and attract fish. Harvesters will come once each week to gather the fish and replenish the rompong (fish trap) with food, fuel, and water.
On July 14, the moorings snapped due to heavy wind and he began drifting. He was thousands of miles towards Guam within seven weeks. For survival, he had to use the wood from the hut itself to cook fish. There were times he had to eat the fish raw. He also used the only clothes he had, which he wore, to filter salt from the seawater so he could have water to drink.
From several news articles we learn that he sighted over 10 ships but remained unnoticed. He felt scared and was tearful. He feared he was about to die. Thoughts of depression made him think about jumping into the water to drown but he remembered his parent's faith and turned to the Bible instead. He remembered his parents telling him to pray during times of distress. He also sang Christian songs. Rescue would finally come on August 31 and he would be reunited with his family by September 8.
For other news coverage, see:
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