Volunteer Testimonials
Mercy Ships is very proud of and grateful for the service of Australian volunteers. Here is what some of them have to say about their experiences with Mercy Ships:
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AMANDA KRUEGER, Nurse
From the age of 7 I have always wanted to be a nurse and even at that young age felt really called into the profession. When I was 15, I went to a missions conference and heard someone speaking about the work of Mercy Ships and how they transform people’s lives through the free surgeries. It was at this point, listening to these stories, that I realised why I wanted to be a nurse. Finally, at the age of 25, ten years later, God fulfilled that desire in His absolute perfect time. The professional growth and [Mercy Ships] experience was amazing. I was caring for patients with conditions I had never seen before; and the skills I developed over those few months will stay with me forever.
DOUG AND SANDRA CASTLE, Dentist and Dental Assistant
My wife and I first heard of the work of Mercy Ships at the world Rotary conference in Brisbane some years ago. After a few years our work situations allowed us to volunteer to serve. The volunteering process was very efficient and when we finally arrived at the ship we were warmly welcomed and helped to fit into the community on board. I have been impressed with the thorough and efficient way that the ship’s affairs are handled and everyone lives together in harmony. The fellowship of ship board life is very uplifting and we feel that we have both grown spiritually. Being part of this ministry that brings healing and hope to the poor of Benin is a life changing experience.
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LUKE SKILBECK, Ophthalmic Technician
I heard about Mercy Ships five years earlier when a guy came and spoke about his time on the ship. Mercy Ships applies resources to competency and enables people’s skills to be used well. Being a part of the overall work of Mercy Ships, being taken out of my comfort zone and giving something to people who had very little are what I see as the most valuable aspects of my time volunteering. The experience has given me much to be thankful for in my own life.
NORM TONG, Speaking Representative - Victoria
I volunteered with Mercy Ships because I have been following and praying for Mercy Ships for a number of years. It is not a well known cause and believed I could help encourage people to support this vital work. I am able to encourage others by my enthusiasm and belief in the work. The volunteers and the mobility of the ship are some of the aspects I like best about Mercy Ships.
ALAN AND HAZEL BUDD, Speaking Representatives - New South Wales
Our association with Mercy Ships began in July 1994, after having worked with YWAM as Mission Builders in Tonga in 1993. From July till September 1994, we served onboard Island Mercy in Samoa and the Tokelau Islands. June 9, 1995 saw the arrival of Island Mercy in Newcastle. Alan was appointed Port Superintendent and was heavily involved in procurement, survey and repair activities for Island Mercy. It was during this time that the highly successful medical centre was constructed in the ship. Meanwhile Hazel conducted ship tours, organised furnishing projects for the ship and tested donated glasses. We have continued to promote Mercy Ships through speaking engagements and exhibitions. To keep up to date with the working and organisation of Mercy Ships International, we have worked on the Caribbean Mercy and the Africa Mercy and visited the Anastasis, the International Operations Centre in Garden Valley, Texas and the U.K. Office in Stevenage, U.K.
DR. GARY PARKER, Chief Medical Officer onboard the Africa Mercy
Dear Friends,
I remember stepping off a plane from California into the suffocating heat of Mexico. I was young and had come to work for a few months with Mercy Ships.
I survived - barely. I became sick in body from foreign amoebas and grieved in mind and soul from what I witnessed - the degradation poverty brings, the hopelessness, the fear.
My birth in one of the world's wealthiest lands had already given me an enormous head start over half the population of the world. I became increasingly aware of global inequities, of past and present injustices, and of world-views that perpetuate cycles of poverty. I left Mexico with a conviction that I must spend my life for justice and compassion.
Which is why, for the last 23 years, I have served with Mercy Ships. Representing many nations, we have worked together as a team to serve the poor and to show God's love in practical and beneficial ways. Aboard the Africa Mercy, we work hard to facilitate God's call to the International Operations Center, national offices, our support base, and those of you who continue to be ambassadors for Mercy Ships, there would be no attaining of the goal. Please accept my most sincere thanks.
I pray God's continued blessing on you as I close with some words from one of my modern-day heroes, Mother Teresa:
"At the end of life, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received; by how much money we have made; by how many great things we have done. We will be judged by, 'I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was naked and you clothed me; I was homeless and you took me in.'"
By His grace, may we all continue to be faithful to the call of Jesus as we labor in His kingdom, in all kinds of ways and in all kinds of places.
Dr. Gary Parker, from the United States, joined Mercy Ships in January 1987 and serves as the Chief Medical Officer onboard the Africa Mercy. He wrote this letter as an encouragement to others to make a difference - a desire that is shared by all Mercy Ships volunteers.