Seafaring isn't for the faint of heart. It wasn't for the Apostle Paul in the first century A.D.-shipwrecked, imprisoned, and often a stranger in foreign lands. And it turned out to be a heart-stopping task some 2,000 years later when Linford Stutzman, a religion professor, and his wife undertook a 14-month journey by sailboat. They visited every site where St. Paul stopped on his tumultuous missionary journeys.

     
     Linford Stutzman was born in the logging community of Cascadia, Oregon. He learned many of his carpentry and mechanical skills by working alongside his father who was a farmer, logger, and pastor of the community church. Linford’s teenage years were spent in the remote interior of British Columbia, Canada. There he worked for the Canadian forestry service, fisheries, at a hunting lodge, and in mining exploration. Linford and his wife Janet have lived in Jerusalem, Israel; Munich, Germany; and in Perth, Australia. They have two grown sons, David and Jonathan. Linford holds a Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America, a master’s degree in Religion from Eastern Mennonite Seminary, and a bachelor’s degree in Bible from Eastern Mennonite University. Since 1993 he has been teaching courses in religion, culture, and mission at Eastern Mennonite University. Together, Linford and Janet have led Eastern Mennonite University’s cross-cultural study semester to the Middle East numerous times, as well as summer-study programs to Albania, Lithuania, Greece, and Turkey. In the summers, they continue to explore the Mediterranean aboard SailingActs.