Why Ships? 

YWAM Is Now Operating Nine Vessels – A Good Start!

Imagine living up a tributary of the Amazon or Papua New Guinea where the isolation of
your small village or tribe is at the point the government does not include you in any of their statistics. You are in effect “off the grid”. Healthcare is practically non-existent and dentistry is so rare in a country like Papua New Guinea. There are only 23 dentists in the entire nation. Enter a ship with an all volunteer crew who have in recent months explained to their peers and supporters about their mission to offer compassionate assistance and training to people they have never met. Simple medical clinics that can treat conditions that have every potential of taking a life or leaving an individual so crippled from things like a broken leg, or an infected wound without the option of antibiotics in treatment.

In all we do, a major emphasis is – train the trainer! When what we offer is done with locals alongside to help and learn, multiplication continues long after we are gone. Instruction from a midwife in a place where 1 in 7 die during child birth, brings life. Basic instruction in cleanliness and the benefits of using soap can make a huge difference and lift the reality that 1 in 13 die before the age of 5 due to the lack of basic sanitation. Bringing mosquito nets to villages where almost everyone (94%) are effected with malaria can turn their health around.

YWAM’s Ship equipped ministries are committed to reaching those who are isolated and have limited or no access to the resources that sustain and build life. We carry dedicated volunteers of all ages from many different countries as young as 18 and as old as you are able to handle the conditions we face.

There is little more powerful than the efforts of a volunteer. People who pay their own way, willing to sail into remote areas, work hard each day, return to their bunk on board each night knowing they helped others discover more in life. You see such gratefulness in each of their eyes. Whether receiving a simple pair of
glasses, enabling them to go to school, or back to work, immunizations, health care education, clean water technology, these along with other options are all part of what YWAM Ships brings.

Christmas and Fanning Islands on the equator of the Pacific are typical atolls where there is no fresh water, yet over 8000 people live there. The well water available to them is contaminated with salt so they have learned to mask the taste with sugar which in turn creates all kinds of health issues. There is significant rain fall in the area, so our teams are helping with rain water catchment techniques. Simple enough to do with knowledge and hands to work, yet the results from this simpl

e solution can improve the lives and health of everyone. There are 1000 inhabited islands in this part of the world, 700 do not have airports so the only way to assist them is getting there by boats. Many live isolated from simple solutions readily available to us, yet out of their reach. Deploying vessels with crew and cargo to meet need, is something we can all be part of.