Nerida, who is in the process of moving from Newcastle to Sydney, is back from her third period of service on the Africa Mercy, the world's largest charity hospital ship, operated by Mercy Ships. She spent her time onboard as Assistant Plastic Surgeon during the ship's current assignment to Guinea, one of the world's poorest nations.
"Working on the ship is addictive. I was given the opportunity to return as assistant to a leading Plastic Surgeon, Dr Tertius Venter, and I just couldn't say no. During that time we carried out many surgeries to remove facial tumours and cleft lip repairs," she says.
Nerida heard about the work of Mercy Ships on a local Christian radio station and through reading Is That Really You God, by Loren Cunningham. She also met Mercy Ships founder, Don Stephens, when he was visiting Australia a few years ago. "I then felt and continue to feel that God's desire is that I should use the skills he has given me as a doctor to display the love of Jesus in action. It seems that emails I sent home from West Africa have opened up doors in the hearts of friends and family members. They have been touched by the stories of beautiful and brave patients who came to the ship for life changing surgery to correct disability, deformity or blindness."
She describes the work being done by more than 400 volunteers from around the world on the Africa Mercy at any one time as crucial, absolutely crucial.
"There were so many highlights from my recent time onboard. To see a beautiful 13-year-old girl who had a tumour removed from her face smile for the first time broke my heart into a song of joy. I also watched a young seven-year-old girl see her face for the first time after a cleft lip repair. She stared at herself in a mirror for ten minutes in amazement. Tears of joy began to stream down her face. She realised she was healed, and loved."
"So I ask God to allow me to continue using my hands and my heart and show me the way to keep using my work as a doctor to share love and healing to others," Nerida 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. Working in partnership with local people, Mercy Ships empowers communities to help themselves. The result is a way out of poverty.
The emphasis is on the needs of the world's poorest nations in West Africa, where the Africa Mercy provides the platform for services extending up to ten months at a time. Mercy Ships works on land-based projects in Sierra Leone in partnership with other organisations, while teams also work in several nations of Central America and the Caribbean. Mercy Ships Australia, one of 15 international support offices is based on the Queensland Sunshine Coast.
For more information, visit: www.mercyships.org.au