You may know that there are some challenges in transporting Christian missionaries to evangelize developing countries and providing aid globally, but what you may not know is that Christians are discovering new ways to work around government restriction on international religious involvement.

What are these methods?

Mercy Ships: an interdenominational, international Christian charity group providing medical care to over seventy developing countries world-wide, currently with a primary focus on the Western coastal regions of Africa where the slaves of colonial America were taken from. A handful of these countries won’t accept missionaries without medical aid.

People Helping People

While the people who work on these Mercy Ships may not be paid for their work, they are the core of these operations. Without volunteers, there would be no crucial surgeries or medical procedures performed, no necessary dental appointments, and no opportunities to make the lives of unfortunate people better.

 Crew members are not required to be Christian or any specific religion. In fact, anyone is welcome to apply to work on the ship. While these are Christian-based operations, acceptance of other religions, or lack thereof, is important. After all, one of the goals of the project is to improve the lives of others, whether it be through medicine, therapy, or entertainment. Typically, crew members follow the model of Jesus. They are asked to agree to a values-based code of conduct in order to serve in the best way possible.

Mercy Ships is not an invasive operation. “Mercy Ships must be invited to serve in a country, and the government must agree to full participation with them”. This means that they are informed of what Mercy Ships do as a whole, and they understand that we are not all of the same religion. The crew conveys to them that the emphasis is put on helping the people of the country, no matter their religion. So if the people of the country are willing to accept the different religions onboard the ship, then the ship will undoubtedly support and accept any religion of the patients they are caring for.

Watch video here: http://vimeo.com/107254559

The ultimate goal of the volunteer crews of the Mercy Ships, usually made up of 450 or more people, is to obtain equal healthcare opportunities in all countries. However, there are both medical and non-medical staff onboard. The longevity of their shift could range anywhere from two weeks to more than two years, depending on the job they applied for. Past crews have said that this is “the toughest job you will ever love.” Crews work long, hard hours to accomplish the daily tasks that will in turn be an immense help to people in need. Daily jobs from orthopedic surgeons to cooks to hairstylists, so there is something for everyone who has the will to volunteer.

Sources:

Mercy Ships. Mercy Ships. 501(c)(3), n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2014.
Mercy Ships. “Mercy Ships Overview.” Vimeo. N.p. Vimeo, LLC, 2014. Web. 1 Nov. 2014.

http://www.mercyships.org/volunteer/volunteer-faqs/
http://vimeo.com/mercyships
http://www.mercyships.org/faqs/ 

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