New Mercies

Trina Laidlaw studied to be a dietician, hoping to land a big job in a fancy hospital, but God had other plans. Working in a rural clinic for almost 10 years meant she learned many skills through seeing a wide range of patients in all stages of life that she would
not have in a city hospital. However, Trina worried her rural experience was not enough to volunteer with Mercy Ships — she couldn’t have been more wrong! 

Now in Sier...

Diane Rickard first joined Mercy Ships in 1982 doing public relations for the organization. Now, with a Mercy Ships history that spans 40 years, Diane says there has always been a strong sense of purpose and never a dull moment!  Why stick around for 40 years? From day one, Diane recalls, “The commitment, the vision, the uniqueness and the opportunity just all struck me — that it was something I was born for.”  

Currently serving as...

Sandra Lako was born in The Netherlands but grew up on board the Anastasis where she spent much time playing with patients in the hospital. What might be uncomfortable for some was normal for Sandra and she was not bothered by  the sights and sounds of a hospital. 

Sandra later became Dr. Sandra Lako and has been practicing medicine now for over 17 years in Sierra Leone. In this beautiful country, she’s seen the need for safe surger...

Season 4, Episode 3

It was a family day trip to tour the Caribbean Mercy off the coast of North Carolina that changed Shawn Thompson’s life. On that tour, his parents felt called to leave North Carolina and serve with Mercy Ships. Shawn was only 2 years old when his family moved to Nicaragua to begin their Mercy Ships adventure. 

After seven years in Central America, Shawn’s family moved to Texas to continue working with Me...

Sierra Leonian, David Kpakiwa, had a tough childhood that would have discouraged most. But David was instead empowered by his circumstances and given a heart of compassion to help others in need.  

When he heard about Mercy Ships and the work we do, David knew he had to be a part of this mission. From local worker to deck administrator, housekeeper to advance team member — David is now back in his home country of Sierra Leone, prepa...

Season 4, Episode 1

In 2005, Nikki Aldum toured the Anastasis in her home country of South Africa. She had been teaching for several years and was happy in the classroom but walking up that gangway changed everything. 

Soon Nikki came aboard to teach in the Mercy Ships academy and 17 years later, she’s still playing a vital role in ensuring the children on board our ships receive an excellent education. Currently serving fr...

Edna Semiti is the Director of Human Resources for the Africa Service Center. With this newly formed division of Mercy Ships in Africa, Edna is thrilled to be on the
groundbreaking team that will better serve our crew and patients from the
continent.  

 Edna grew up in both Tanzania and Kenya and comes to Mercy Ships with extensive education and experience. Most importantly, she longs to give back to her society all
that...

Patrik Bergström has served with Mercy Ships since 1993, both on
vessels and at the International Support Center. His time in both places has
provided him with the compassion and understanding to bridge the gap between
East Texas and West Africa.  

 Volunteering as Senior Chaplain on board the Anastasis, Patrik found immense joy worshipping in such a culturally diverse community. Five years on board equipped him to later...

Martha Ashu grew up in Cameroon, one of seven children. Upon finishing her university degree, political unrest broke out in her country, forcing her to go live with her sister who owned and operated a restaurant. During that time, Martha helped her sister in the restaurant and this season laid the groundwork for the culinary journey Martha would embark upon.  

When she heard of a ship coming to Cameroon, Martha decided to apply to w...

Michelle Wallace spent five years equipping crew to come on board with Mercy Ships. Mercy Ships has a unique model in that our volunteers pay to come serve! To cover room and board, each volunteer pays crew fees and this usually requires fundraising. As part of the FinACE team, Michelle helped to coach and encourage crew as they financially prepared to volunteer on board.  

In this episode, Michelle explains the process of fundraisi...

In one of her university courses, Kimberly Ames was introduced to Mercy Ships. She was so moved by the presentation and knew she had to be a part of this incredible organization. Now serving as the Medical Sourcing Specialist for Mercy Ships, Kimberly claims that she has the best job in the organization! 

In this episode, Kimberly gives insight into the recruiting process and the qualifications necessary for medical crew. She also s...

Abdul Cole grew up in Sierra Leone as one of seven children. When the Africa Mercy arrived in his home country, Abdul had no idea that his life was about to be impacted. While waiting in line for two days, holding a place for his cousin to be seen by the Mercy Ships screening nurses, the trajectory of Abdul’s life was forever changed. At 14 years old, he decided he wanted to become a sailor. 

In this episode, Abdul shares the incred...

Debbie Nutsugah came to volunteer on board the Africa Mercy for 6 months as a biomedical technician. But before her 6 months were complete, she already decided to extend her service and called her twin sister, Dorcas, to come join her. Dorcas was excited to come aboard and volunteer in the human resources department with patient services. Originally from Ghana, both sisters are now volunteering on board the Global Mercy and plan to...

Morgan Georgioff is a professional chef in Oregon and desired to use her culinary talents as a ministry. She googled “cooking for Jesus internationally,” and was surprised to find Mercy Ships! After applying, Morgan was thrilled to join the crew on board the Global Mercy, volunteering as the galley team lead. 

Now Morgan is growing as a chef and expanding her pallet as she learns about African cuisine as well as dishes from other pa...

Robert Corley came to Mercy Ships with a resume that included the US Navy, Nokia, Brinks Security, and Southwest Airlines — organizations and companies that may seem vastly different from one another. But when you step back, it’s easy to see all the varied experience come together to fully equip him to serve as the Chief Operating Officer for Mercy Ships. 

In this episode, Robert shares the strategic plans for the coming year to ens...

Ann Heinrich: Volunteer Counselor

Ann Heinrich didn’t have an adventurous spirit, no desire to travel to Africa and didn’t really have missions on her mind — but God had other plans! To an unexpected invitation, Ann immediately said yes to volunteer as the licensed counselor aboard the Africa Mercy for two years. Her husband however, took a bit more convincing! But once on board, it was obvious that God had a wonderful gift in store...

After spending his teenage years in Zimbabwe, Joff Williams discovered what it looks like to put your faith in action. This realization formed his adult years and caused he and his wife to seriously ask what they wanted to do with their lives to live out their faith. A chance meeting with Mercy Ships volunteer surgeon, Dr. Gary Parker at a wedding reception led Joff and his wife to apply as volunteers with Mercy Ships as a family. 

...

Ja Roache: Volunteer Engineering Administrator 

Ja Roache had retired and relocated to Hawaii to be alone, but God had other plans for her! Through a strange ailment, Jas was led to volunteer with Mercy Ships. She thought she had retreated to an island to isolate, but God brought her on board to a community where she is rarely alone. Going on three years of service, Ja can’t imagine her life any other way. 

In this episode, Ja shares...

Roger Newquist:  Volunteer Chaplain

 Roger Newquist was nearing retirement from his law enforcement career when he
began to dream about what was next. He first heard of Mercy Ships through supporting a friend as she went to teach on board. Desiring to go back into ministry, Roger explored Mercy Ships and found a perfect opportunity for him and his family. Upon retiring, Roger boarded the Africa Mercy to volunteer as a chaplain. 

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