Writer

Many have asked me, with some confusion, “So you are a missionary and a writer?” The answer is yes and this can still leave people confused. So I thought I would write a little more about what my job entails. To start, I feel I must explain Mercy Ships in a little more detail. The ship Africa Mercy is a medical ship. There is a hospital ward and 6 surgery rooms, a lab, x-ray and CAT scan equipment all on one floor of the ship. Where the ships “main function” is the medical portion of this mission, the crew is only 1/3 medical staff, the rest is support staff. Like a small village the roles to make such a mission function vary from engineer, to “deckie”, to cooks, to the PR staff. We all have our roles to play to make this a well-oiled machine.

The Public Relations department gathers information about what is going on in the current port country. Through video, photography and writing they let the world know how God is moving, the needs of the people, and how others can help. I am quite lucky in the job that I have gotten. Many of the support crew do not have a lot of access to patients and programs because their 45 hour a week “job” has them working in other areas of the ship. I have the privilege of being in the heart of where the action is. I am one of the key networking folks. This means, I’m one of the first facing the people of Africa sees and I am the face that they will continually see. I become their friend: someone to listen to them and their story, to minister to them, to love them, to follow their journey with Mercy Ships. I will be their advocate, their voice – telling the world of their past struggle and future hope. What a blessing this will be to me! 

I will have opportunities to work both on the ship and off, getting to know thoroughly all of the programs Mercy Ships offers the people of West Africa. Our crew will have the opportunity to take some patients to their home village when they are healed from surgery. Again, this will be such a blessing to me! I will be able to see the reaction of the village to this “miraculous” healing!

Outside of this I will also have opportunities to work in the local orphanages and medical facilities. We are encouraged to attend a local church and be there as a support to them.  My heart is already racing a mile a minute with excitement. I know this journey will be hard but more rewarding the words could ever explain. I hope you will come along side me as I take this journey – the signs and miracles you will hear about will truly be amazing!