Jacki, a nurse, was on her third such trip, spending nearly five months this year onboard the world's largest charity hospital ship; while Melissa, a teacher, spent a month working with crew children who attend the onboard school. "I was never interested," says Melissa, "although I thought it was brave of Jacki to go. But now I think God woke me up to this being a fantastic experience for me, and one that would give me a different perspective on things."
"I have seen a very different way in which people live, both in the West African community and as part of the ship's community of more than 400, all volunteers from around the world. I had not experienced anything like that before, and there were personal challenges for me to adapt. I am now grateful for a new awareness of things I have taken for granted, things for which I was thankful before, but of which I am now more appreciative. I am thankful for the medical care and health care services available freely in Australia."
Melissa says she was a little afraid of travelling to Sierra Leone on her own. "But I was met at the airport and put on a ferry to reach the ship, docked in the capital Freetown. Jacki was already onboard, and we shared a cabin. My work colleagues in Brisbane were very supportive of my decision to take leave and serve as a volunteer with Mercy Ships," she says.
Sister Jacki sums up her latest experience simply. "I love nursing here. I really enjoy spending some of my time nursing people who, without Mercy Ships, would never have the opportunity for the surgeries they receive. These are life changing surgeries, and it's great to be a small part of that. In Australia and other places in the developed world we take good health care for granted."
"Some people in West Africa are so desperate to find treatment for themselves or for their children. When they finally receive treatment I can't imagine how it must feel to finally find what they have been searching for, especially for parents who try desperately to find help for their children. Much of my work this trip was with patients receiving surgery to correct major facial deformities. One of the leading volunteer surgeons onboard always says such people have a right to look human. It is such a basic right for us in Australia, but something that is just so difficult for people in countries like Sierra Leone to achieve."
Jacki is certain that God has put the people of Africa on her heart. "I love being a nurse, both at home and in Africa," she says. "The first time I served as a volunteer I felt that I was enjoying working in Africa more than at home. But more recently and after further experience with Mercy Ships I think it has really made me appreciate even more the work I do at home. It is an awesome thing to be able to provide first class health care. It is a privilege for people to receive such care, and I feel privileged to be in a position to give it. Nursing is a great profession to be a part of."
"Sierra Leone has a population of more than six million, two million of whom are crammed in the capital Freetown. The country has the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world. There are only three paediatricians and four obstetricians working in government hospitals in the whole country. The main maternity hospital in Freetown doesn't even have running water. Such background gives an idea of the health care struggles of this nation, which is trying to claw its way back from the devastation of a decade-long civil war. Some people have sometimes endured major health conditions for years or decades, while in Australia they would be taken care of promptly in the public health system."
What of the future for both Melissa and Jacki Huestis? Melissa hopes the West African experience will live on in the work she does at home and remind her every day to be grateful. Jacki does not know what the future holds, but she is certain she will return to Africa before too long. "This work has a strong call on my life," she concludes.
Mercy Ships is a global charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978 providing free health care and community development services to the forgotten poor. Following the example of Jesus, Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the poor. Mercy Ships Australia, one of 15 international support offices is based on the Queensland Sunshine Coast. www.mercyships.org.au