2 weeks down, 3 to go

June 24, 2019Ben Stewart Leave a comment

I successfully finished the second week of training. This week we received a more in depth look at Mercy Ships as an organization and how they bring healthcare to Africa. No concerns for burns or drowning this week. The biggest threats we faced were information overload and fighting the desire to nap. Overall this week was a mixture of extremely interesting/exciting as we went through the “why’s & how’s” of bringing healthcare to Africa as well as a little boring as we slogged through some of the more tedious information such as learning the company structure, HR policies, codes of conduct…

I do not have any exciting photos this week as reviewing company flow charts and mission statements does not exactly lend itself to Kodak moments.

For those unfamiliar with Mercy Ships I have attached (2) videos below. The first video is a feature segment done by “60 minutes” back in 2013. This video segment earned “60 minutes” an Emmy for Best Feature Story. This video does a great job of highlighting the patients and medical work performed on the ship. The main omission of note is that in addition to performing medical procedures Mercy Ships also runs a series of training programs for medical personnel (Doctors, Nurses, Technicians, Administrators, etc.) to increase the medical capacity of the nations they visit. This adds another important sustainable aspect to the impact Mercy Ships has in the countries they visit.

The second video is a 1 minute summary of the work done during the most recent deployment this year in the nation of Guinea.

I hope you enjoy the information. Thank you for your continued support!

Mercy Ships segment from “60 Minutes” in 2013

Quick summary from most recent deployment

Trials of Fire and Water

June 16, 2019June 16, 2019Ben Stewart Leave a comment

Success! I have made it through the first week of training for Mercy Ships. This week we were tasked with completing basic training for the STCW (Standards of Training, Certification, & Watchkeeping for Seafarers).

Our training class was made up of about 20 people who will be performing a variety of roles on the ship including doctors, teachers, and members of the PR/Media team.

Shortly after basic training began we learned that once we arrive on the ship there will be opportunities for some of us to volunteer to be part of various emergency teams. The goal for basic training was to equip us for these teams as well as familiarize ourselves with the ship emergency operations in general so that we would be informed/helpful crew members even if certain aspects of emergency response were beyond our immediate responsibilities.

To begin the week we learned about fire science, firefighting techniques, and firefighting equipment. Following our classroom portion of training we had our trial by fire as we geared up in full gear and breathing apparatuses to tackle a series of exercises and tests. We were tested in our speed of gearing up and our ability to retrieve a 170lb dummy from a pitch black smoke filled room. We put out a series of fires both individually (extinguishers) and as part of a hose team. To cap off our live exercises we were tasked with tackling a fire in an enclosed space in which temperatures approached 500 Deg. F. It was a little warm but everyone made it through no worse for the wear.

Following firefighting we learned about general safety during shipping operations, first aid, CPR, and how to use an AED. Toward the end of the week we learned about personal survival which consisted mostly of worst case scenarios involving abandoning ship, how to launch survival craft, and the necessary steps to prepare for rescue. To end our basic training we were thrown into the deep end to perform a series of tests involving staying afloat, suiting up in immersion suits, and flipping a liferaft.

All in all it was a successful and action packed week with no serious injuries. I have a feeling the coming weeks will not be nearly as much fun. Regardless, onward we go to next week where we will be joined by more people for training to learn more detail about the mission and vision of the Mercy Ships organization.

It is starting to get real…

June 2, 2019June 8, 2019Ben Stewart Leave a comment

I have said goodbye to my job and moved away from Missoula. This week I will be leaving for training in Texas which will be my first baby step toward leaving my comfort zone. With a little over a month before I head to Africa, in addition to figuring out how to suspend my auto insurance, freeze my credit accounts, and cancel my netflix subscription, I really need to start fundraising…

Being dropped into African country without knowing a soul will be tough but as a previously independent young professional approaching my friends and family to help financially support me on this amazing opportunity is a different kind of uncomfortable.

The reality of the situation is that my position with Mercy Ships is a volunteer position and in addition to traveling expenses, health insurance, etc. there are fees associated with living on board. All together these expenses add up and if you go to my crowdfunding page you can see my goal is to raise $14,000. This is an estimate to cover all of my expenses during my (~15 months) with Mercy Ships.

If you feel led to support me financially the easiest way is thru my Mercy Ships crowdfunding page. You can get there by clicking “Support my Journey” located in the blog menu. On the crowdfunding page you can make donations, track my progress, and learn more about the Mercy Ships organization.

If you would like support me via check you can send checks to:

Mercy Ships
PO Box 1930
Lindale, TX 75771

Checks should be made payable to “Mercy Ships” with my name the designation code #5196 listed in the memo.

Over the next few weeks I will be following up with my family and friends who have expressed interest in partnering with me in my work with Mercy Ships.

If you would like learn more please do not hesitate to contact me via the link in the blog menu.

As my departure approaches I am developing a healthy amount of nervousness. At the same time that nervousness is balanced by a growing excitement to both take part and witness the transformational impact of the Mercy Ships organization. Thank you all for your continued support through finances as well as thoughts & prayers.

God Bless!