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“I saw God at work during my time as a volunteer nurse with Mercy Ships in Togo,” says Darwin nurse Jenny Ward.
One occasion she remembers well. “We had a four-month-old child being prepared for surgery to correct a cleft palate. Such children are always hard to feed, and often need to be put onto a special feeding program to fatten them up before surgery. This child developed breathing problems and needed to go on life support. As the nurses were getting things ready the medical officer placed his hand on the baby and prayed. Straight away the child’s oxygen level came to normal and life support was not needed. Improvement followed quickly and the surgery went ahead.”
Jenny first heard about the work of Mercy Ships when she was 17. “I was interested then, but could not afford it.” Now after 15 years of nursing, she has just returned from three weeks service as a volunteer nurse onboard the world’s largest charity hospital ship in the West African nation of Togo, one of the world’s poorest nations.
“The time was now right,” she says. “My work experience over the years covered a number of areas, I have worked on other missionary ships overseas, and Mercy Ships is interested in people able to serve for short-term periods as well as long-term, while other organisations expect periods of service for six months or longer.
“Those around me at home were very supportive of my decision, but many had never heard of Mercy Ships. I knew nothing about Togo. When I was accepted for service as a volunteer I had to look at a map of Africa to find where the ship was. It is not easy destination for making travel arrangements either. I flew via Darwin, Singapore and Paris to Togo’s capital Lome, and returned the same way.”
Jenny describes the work being done by volunteers, all of whom pay their own way to be involved, as very important. “The people of Togo and other West African nations have to live with poverty and famine, poor governance and a lack of educational opportunities. They also live with many traditional beliefs and superstitions that often result in people suffering from disability or disfigurement being regarded as cursed. That results in their being abandoned, rejected or isolated from family and the rest of society.”
“This experience has helped change my perspective on looking at the needs of others. I have grown to love the people of Africa. After seeing the people we cared for and considered their circumstances and their poverty, I have been able to look at people with a greater sense of compassion and love, in line with the values set by Mercy Ships. I believe love crosses every border and pulls down every barrier.”
Jenny hopes to be able to continue travelling once or twice a year working as a nurse. “I would like to serve on the Africa Mercy again one day,” she concludes.
Story by Amos Bennett
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