What Is Mercy Ships?

So what is Mercy Ships? Why is this ship that looks like a cruise boat docked in Conakry, Guinea?

Well I didn't really understand completely until I got here and I've had people from home ask me the same thing so I figured I would clarify.

Mercy Ships is an organization that brings hope and healing to the nations of West Africa by following the 2000 year old model of Jesus Christ. Everything on this ship has been funded through donations of some type which is why this ship is able to run effectively. The ship called the Africa Mercy (AFM), has been all along the coast of West Africa from Ghana to Togo to Sierra Leone to Liberia to many more and now Guinea. Every single person on the AFM are volunteers. We all pay a certain amount each month to be here and that money goes towards the ships facilites and other needs. AFM hires local people each place they go as day workers and these people are the only ones who get paid. There are long term and short term volunteers. Short term requires a minimum of at least two weeks onboard and long term requires a minimum of at least two years. The majority of people come here as short term, but become long term. I have found that over half of this ship has been serving five, ten, twenty years with this organization. There are seven decks on the ship. Deck one is the engine room, deck two are cabins (where people live), deck three is the hospital, deck four is all cabins, deck five is where the dining room, reception area, cafe, ship shop, and offices are, deck six is where the internet cafe, galley (kitchen), school, and international lounge (place where meetings are held) all are, and deck seven leads to outside and is where our pool is located.

Hospital
About half of the people on this ship are involved in medicine in some way. From lab technicians to ward nurses to surgeons to dental hygenist ,we have them all. On deck three, there are several wards (where patients are before, during, and after surgeries) , a CT Scanner, the OR (Operating Rooms), labs, and many more things that I don't know the name of....yet. The hospital has a few main focuses. Dental, Eye, and Orthopedics (tumors, cleft lips, Vesicovaginal fistulas, spinal and bone deformities, etc.). All orthopedic surgeries are done onboard the AFM. Wherever ship goes, it sets up multiple off shore clincs as well, usually a few miles from the ship. We have a Hope Clinic which is where Pre and Post-Op patients go, as well as a dental and eye clinic. In order for a patient to recieve health care, they must first go through a screening process which is done in the first few months that the AFM arrives. After the screening process the patients are given a date and time of when to come back to the ship or dental and eye clinics to recieve the necessary care. Non-medical volunteers are allowed several opportunities to be involved in the hospital. We are allowed to shadow surgeries and befriend patients. We can also attend Ward Church Service with the patients and medical crew every Sunday. I believe our hospital represents the healing Jesus did. He showed people his love for them through His unbelievable miraculous power of healing sickness and disease. He changed people's lives through His miracles and that's what the goal of our hosiptal is.

My Typical Day
I am a Hospitality Hostess so my job is to make the ship as hospitable as possible! When new people come onboard I welcome them and tell them some basic rules and guidelines while the people at reception get them to sign forms and make their badges. I then take them to our dining room and serve them a meal, while telling them more about the ship and organization. After that, I take them to their rooms and don't see them again until the next morning when I give them a tour of the ship. Housekeeping people clean the ship,  but we make people's beds when they first arrive and give them towels, a water bottle, and homemade cookies that we bake ourselves. Mercy Ships often hosts important guests (such as Ambassadors, banks, or corporate people) so we must serve them their meals while they are onboard. There are also many meetings that each department onboard has weekly so we serve them snacks and drinks during those meetings. I work everyday 8 am to 5 pm and I'm off on weekends unless I am on call. If we are put on call, we have a pager and cannot leave the ship even if the work day is over  because we have to be available if people need something at the last minute. There are things called Mercy Ministires that crew members can sign up for which involve visiting orphanages, prisons, schools for the deaf, villages for disabled or mentally retarded people, hospitals, and the list goes on. 80% of this country is Muslim so we cannot go out and start preaching on the streets (well we could, but it probably wouldn't be very smart or safe for the reputation of Mercy Ships), but we can try to form a relationship with locals and all grow and learn about Jesus Christ through these ministires. Every Thursday and Sunday we have worship and a mini church service with all crew members which I really enjoy. Small groups and bible studies meet weekly. Small workout programs are offered sometimes as well as miscellaneous things like drum lessons, french lessons, or group card games. We are allowed off the ship anytime between 6 am and 10:30 pm (unless we are staying out at a hotel or a local's house). We can go to local churches every Sunday and usually multiple groups are going to multiple churches around town.

I've said it before and I will say it again, this ship is the most beautifully and brillantly put together thing I've ever seen. Every person onboard has a crucial role and without them, our mission and goal would be unattainable. Whether it be an engineer, plumber, nurse, surgeon, librarian, teacher, student, maid, cook, hospitality hostess, chaplain, banker, receptionist, purser, security guard, dentist, lab technician, etc. every single person plays such a crucial role. I advise any and everyone to consider spending time onboard the Africa Mercy whether it be two weeks or twenty years.

"In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35