[ September 2010 Edition ]

NEWS

G’day from Ken, CEO

The YWAM Medical Ship is near Kerema, in the Deception Bay region of the Gulf in PNG. After five months of promoting the value of life up the coast of Australia and seeing young people come alive with a heart to help their neighbours, the clinic onboard the ship is being put to great use as our teams are daily coming into contact with people who are desperate to have their health needs met. The toothbrushes, spectacles and medical equipment that have been donated are now going into the hands that need them most. This is where we get to see, in real terms, a country come alive and I’m excited that this is just the start of the YWAM Medical Ships fulfilling a huge purpose in our corner of the world.The teams of dentists, including Townsville’s local 1300 SMILES dentists, optometrists, opthomologists, primary health care workers and other allied health professionals continue to go above and beyond to try to help the supply meet demand in the Gulf Province. There are hundreds of stories of hope springing up in people’s lives as our teams go from Kerema into the Highlands to meet other babies like Bonnie and see communities forever changed. We are extremely fortunate to be seeing the outcome of what a multitude of people and years of hard work can do.

Rough Swells; Great Celebration!The YWAM Medical Ship has moored in many different places over the years, but arriving in PNG this time will always going to be a great memory in the hearts of the ship’s crew and the people of PNG.

Even though there were big swells that made reaching land tricky, the city of Kerema ensured that the excitement they were feeling in their hearts toward the YWAM Medical Ship, was not lost in translation. This is an excerpt from ship’s captain, Captain Jeremy Scheirer’s recent update.

“At one point Hannah and I were sat in chairs welded to poles and carried on the shoulders of 8-10 men each. I was very glad to see the people recognize us so enthusiastically…because we certainly did not warrant such tremendous honour. The Gulf Governor, Hon Havila Kavo said he has never seen the people of Kerema put on such a welcome.”

The crew was not expecting such an extravagant

welcome, but as PNG is the land of the unexpected, there will be more surprising and humbling experiences like this to come, as all on board continue to pioneer ways to see basic needs in people’s lives met in this wonderful country.

You can track the position of the ship by going to www.marinetraffic.com

www.ywamships.org

Welcoming Ceremony in Kerema City

Ken Mulligan and Patron Hon. Mike Reynolds AM in front of the ship in Townsville

For more information:

Featured Crew Member:

Smiling for the Future

Address: PO Box 1959 Townsville, QLD 4810 Phone: 07 4771 2123 Contact: info@ywamships.org

Name: Lindsey CullisonAge: 23Hometown: Arvada, Colorado, USA

YML: How has your perspective on life changed since being in YWAM?LC: My perspective on life changed when I was 11 years old and went on my first outreach to El Salvador and saw the poverty that people lived in. It made me realise even at a young age, that I should be grateful for what I have and that there is so much that I can offer. Also, since joining YWAM three years ago, I have learned that missions isn’t just about living in a developing nation, but about looking outside yourself no matter where you live.

YML: What’s the best thing about working with YWAM Medical Ships?LC: Being able to see so many people get involved is the best part of working with YWAM Medical Ships. Some may think that looking after response cards, letters and mailings is a boring job, but I get to see all of the people that have become apart of the YWAM Medical Ship.

As the YWAM Medical Ship sails around the Gulf Province of Papua New Guinea, Medical Coordinator Hannah Peart shares her experience working alongside the dental clinics: The first time we turned up to the village to run the dentistry program, we screened for six patients. Somehow though, by the time we got back to the ship, the long boat was filled with about 15 people. There was a lot of laughter and talk, as well as a few nerves while we registered patients.

People are getting anywhere between one and ten teeth pulled and are bleeding quite a lot. We put gauze on their mouths and tell them to bite down hard to stop the bleeding. They often use their t-shirt to cover their mouth, as they’re a little embarrassed. For a moment, you wonder if they really wanted to see the dentist or not. But, when you sit down and ask if they’re happy, although they don’t smile (you can’t smile with a mouth full of gauze! ), their eyes light up and they nod their head in a mixture of being happy and shy. Even though they are shy, you notice them admiring their selves in a broken mirror, while no one is watching.

We also treated a health care worker from the village. She needed two fillings in her front teeth as they were black Afterward, I asked her what she liked most about being a health care worker. She told me her favourite thing was to get out to the really sick, sit with them and make them laugh and smile. She loves to do it and has never had a problem making visits with her black teeth. However, she said that with her teeth fixed, she will be able to smile bigger and help her patients more.

OVERHEARD“… this had my life’s

view completely changed. I want to

help as wellin the future”- Thursday Island High

School Student

The Gulf Governer on board the Zodiac to visit the ship.

The ship sailing into Port Moresby.