New Mercies

Happy Mother's Day to all moms throughout the world! Many families come on board our hospital ships, bringing moms who care for their children from infants to teenagers. In this episode of New Mercies, we get to hear from a mom who is no longer caring for young children but came to volunteer with Mercy Ships because her adult daughter invited her! Caroline Kirchner raised her three daughters...

Jamie Barki is a mom of three children who lives in Oklahoma. When her children were 3, 5, and 7 years old, Jamie and her husband decided to volunteer with Mercy Ships as a family.  Jamie and her family joined the crew of the Africa Mercy and stayed to serve for four years. In the beginning, Jamie went through ups and downs of helping her children transition to ship-life, but says “If transition i...

Josh Salmon is currently a college student in Idaho pursuing a medical career, but in high school he had a strong desire to help people in need. So, on his 18th birthday, Josh boarded a plane for Senegal to join the reception team on board the Africa Mercy . While on board, Josh quickly became part of the community and felt at home. He learned from the many cultures on board and gained valuable in...

Patty Stack had been working for a company in the United States for 29 years when the pandemic hit and impacted her employment. Seeing this as an opportunity instead of devastation, Patty took courses to receive her certification as a nurse aide, something she had always wanted to do. Patty originally applied to volunteer with Mercy Ships in the hospital but learned there wasn’t a need for her ski...

For most people the path to study medicine would not include a trip through engineering school, but that’s exactly where Dr. Sherif Emil began his career. After growing up in a family of doctors, Sherif thought he would like to try something different and carve his own path. He completed an undergraduate engineering degree before coming to the realization that he really did want to pursue medicine...

Captain Josh McGrath came to volunteer with Mercy Ships in 2007 as Third Officer on the   Anastasis in Ghana and Liberia. Josh was newly graduated from the Maritime Academy in Northern California and it was the recommendation of one of his professors that led him to serve.   Returning in various roles for several field services, Josh met his wife on board and later returned with his young children...

Christelle, a nurse from Cameroon, first heard about Mercy Ships when news spread of the Africa Mercy coming to her home country. She decided to volunteer as a translator in the hospital and was surprised to learn that the patients on board were not like the patients she had seen working in the local hospital. She discovered that many in her own country did not have access to affordable health car...

At 17 years old, Amy Jones had an experience on a mission trip that sparked a desire to go into nursing and help people who don’t have easy access to medical care. This was just the beginning of the road that led her to Mercy Ships. Once on board with her husband Ally, Amy not only found her mission in the hospital, but also on the city streets — reaching out to the local people to give them frien...

Andrea Scace is a Nurse Practitioner who first volunteered with Mercy Ships 18 years ago. She has recently returned with her husband and three children, this time in a whole new role. Now onboard the Africa Mercy , Andrea is serving as the primary caregiver (PCG) of her children as her family has committed to two years of service.  In this episode Andrea shares their unique journey of traveling to...

Nick & Irene met for the first time as they boarded the Africa Mercy in Dakar, Senegal. Nick from the UK and Irene from Canada, had each signed on to volunteer for 2 months, Nick as an electrical technician and Irene serving in the dining room. But the pandemic lock down in 2020 extended their time onboard allowing time for a budding relationship to blossom.   In this episode, Nick and Irene s...

Amber Greenhow Dissake is a nurse from the United Stated who first volunteered with Mercy Ships in 2017.  Her first commitment was just for a few months, but before those months were over, she had already signed up to return! Shortly after, she made a long-term commitment to serve with Mercy Ships, but that was not the only long-term commitment she’d make while in Africa.    When she first stepped...

Warrie Blackburn first stepped onto the Anastasis when she graduated from college and went to visit some friends on board. Inspired by what she saw, she decided to volunteer for a year.  Now, with almost 24 years of service, she continues to use her gifts and talents to further the work of Mercy Ships. From receptionist to managing director, Warrie has served in many roles and currently volunteers...

Captain Djurre Jan Schutte was destined for a life on the water as he was born on a vessel and spent the first six years of his life sailing with his parents. But it was a sign on the side of the road, an invitation to tour a ship, that changed the course of Captain Djurre Jan’s life forever.  In this episode you will hear about the captain’s life transformation that came after he first stepped on...

Merryl Mackenzie is an OR nurse from Australia who has been in practice for over 40 years. Currently onboard the Global Mercy preparing the hospital for future patients, Merryl is trusting God for all of her needs.  In this episode you will hear Merryl’s incredible stories of God’s great provision, both for herself and for the patients she has served. She shares all about the facilities on the Glo...

Dr. Andrew Clark has served with Mercy Ships for 30 years as a physician and serves currently as the International Chaplain. During his time with Mercy Ships, Dr. Andrew has had the rare opportunity to go aboard every vessel, from our first ship to our newest custom-built ship the Global Mercy . His history is long and his stories are fascinating. In this episode Dr. Andrew shares how God has been...

On all Mercy Ships vessels, an academy is offered to all children who come to serve with their parents onboard. Kathryn Dungworth is a teacher from the UK who has been teaching onboard the Africa Mercy since 2019 and worked to set up the brand-new Academy onboard the Global Mercy . Having 2 Academies in operation will be a first for Mercy Ships. In this episode, Kathryn shares her journey to join...

Jim Paterson is a Marine Engineer from Scotland and currently serves as Marine Executive Consultant for Mercy Ships.  Jim has served the organization for almost 35 years, both on and off ships, and just completed overseeing the building of the Global Mercy .  In this episode, Jim shares about his early years with Mercy Ships and what it was like to serve on the first Mercy Ships vessel, the Anasta...

Susy Horta is an ICU nurse from Columbia.  Growing up in a missionary family, Susy always wanted to go serve where there was the most need—that’s how she ended up volunteering in West Africa with Mercy Ships.  Having just celebrated her fourth year onboard, Susy shares with us some of the gifts she has been able to give patients over the years, as well as some gifts her patients have given her… or...

Dr. Brian Barki is an anesthesiologist from Oklahoma who took his wife and three children to live onboard the Africa Mercy f or four years. During his time of volunteering, Brian met some incredible patients that left a mark on his life. From taking Funky Scrubs Friday to the next level, to learning card tricks to help lighten the mood of nervous patients, Brian gave the gifts of friendship, laugh...

Kelly Denning is a nurse from Australia who has served 3 field services onboard the Africa Mercy . On the ship, Kelly loves to share her passion for music with the crew, but it is what she shares in the wards that has transformed lives. In this episode, Kelly shares about the privilege of giving patients the gifts of touch, love and value.  From a woman who hid in the bush for 30 years alone, to a...

What does it mean to live a life of radical generosity? To give away more than you keep? On today’s episode, Raeanne Newquist spoke with Ed and Sherri Torres, Mercy Ships partner donors, and was challenged by their life’s purpose that is all about blessing others. When Ed and Sherri, a couple from Indiana, found out that their financial situation was about to significantly change, they started to...

When discussing the vision for the future of Mercy Ships, Don Stephens brought us back to the original vision saying, “For us, it hasn’t changed — a hospital ship serving the poor in Africa.” In this episode, we continue our conversation with Don and Deyon Stephens, founders of Mercy Ships, and get an education about hedgehogs, building a “right size” ship, and 60 Minutes.  As we look to the futur...

Don and Deyon Stephens are an inspiring couple who are the founders of Mercy Ships. In this episode, Ally Jones and Raeanne Newquist sat down with them to get a little history lesson about the early days of Mercy Ships.  How did this unique vision of putting hospitals on ships come about?  What were some challenges that came up and how did they overcome them? Now, over 40 years later, Don and Deyo...