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.

Mercy Ships



For Americans, medical care is not only a privilege, most consider it to be a right which in most cases is never fast enough. Nobody likes waiting for hours in the so called 'Immediate Care'. However, "In many developing countries, even basic medical care is a luxury. And in Africa, nearly 50 percent of the people have no access to a hospital or doctor." This is where Mercy Ships come in.

Did you know that even though many Christian missionaries are being persecuted around the world, the missionaries of the Mercy Ships continue to find ways to provide medical, dental, and educational support and materials to the coastal communities of Western Africa?

Mercy Ships are registered as passenger vessels. "To achieve this the Mercy Ships are registered not only in the United States, but also in the country of Malta. This addresses the international nature of the organization, since Malta is one of the few flag states that place little restriction on the nationalities of their ships' technical crews." This gives the Mercy Ships the freedom they need to roam between international ports and provide their aid and resources directly to the people who need them.

 Ultimately, making the ship an internationally based organization had its practical application as well. "Originally, the attraction of the Christian and maritime history of Malta was a point of interest. In practical business terms, it is much easier to crew the ship with international volunteers.  Financially, the registry fees are much lower than they would be in many of the primary maritime nations of the world." This allows the Mercy Ships to focus on their work of evangelization rather than be bogged down by laborious charges and nautical regulations.

To read more testimonials and Mercy Ships experiences, visit: 
http://www.mercyships.org/blog/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmwKuZdNso4&list=PL50CF8FD420F62280&index=11

Sources:
"Africa's Need for Free Surgeries & Medical Care".  International Mercy Ships.  Web.  20 Oct. 2014.

"South Africa : IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMIL)".  Web.  17 Oct. 2014.

General Overview:
https://www.mercyships.org/about-mercy-ships/the-situation

Under Maritime Law: (including the Maltese Merchant Shipping Act, 1973)
http://www.imli.org/directories/south-africa


http://www.gcaptain.com/forum/professional-mariner-forum/3747-mercy-ships.html

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