My next adventure

On September 4th I am leaving for Sierra Leone for 3 months where I will be a volunteer Adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurse with Mercy Ships. For the past 2 years I have been working at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle as a Neuroscience ICU nurse and felt like this was a good time to take a leave of absence and see what volunteer opportunities may be available around the world. I decided to apply to work with Mercy Ships as I could use my skills as an ICU nurse, where with other organizations I would not be able to use those skills. Mercy Ships is a non-profit Christian organization that provides healthcare to the poor specifically in Africa. They have a mobile ship hospital and provide medical care to those affected by blindness, cataracts, corneal growths, crossed eyes, deformities, tumors, cleft palate/lip, congenital abnormalities, and burns/leprosy. In addition to the medical care, teams work to provide medical training and mentoring to the locals, medical tools and resources, dental care, community health education, clean water and sanitation, agricultural assistance, and leadership development for the entire year in country they choose to serve.  
This year the ship is stationed in the West African country of Sierra Leone. They chose this country based on it’s UN Human Development score, which is lower than the Sub-Saharan African countries’ scores. Sierra Leone has the 14th highest infant mortality rate in the world and a life expectancy of fify-six years. The major infectious diseases that exist there are Hepatitis A, bacterial and Protozoa diarrhea, Typhoid, Malaria, Yellow Fever, and schistosomiasis. In rural areas on 26% of the population has access to clean drinking water. The Predominant religions are Islam (60% of the population), Indigenous beliefs (30%), and Christian (10%). For more information on this country you can visit :https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sl.html

As I am away, I ask that you would please pray for me and the crew on the Africa Mercy. Prayer is the foundation of all missional work and absolutely essential. Please pray that God would be glorified, that we would be agents of love, that I would be selfless and seek to serve others especially when I am tired, that there would be great team unity among the various healthcare providers, and that God would be at work in Sierra Leone. Please also pray for great community among the volunteers, that we can encourage each other to grow in Christ more. Also, please pray for my health and safety

If you are interested in contributing to this mission, you can do so online at http://www.mercyships.org/page/outreach/splash/crewmates and search for Hannah Yamamoto, or you can write a check to 'Mercy Ships' and write my designation code: 3101 on the check. Please do not write my name on the check. Mail checks to:

Mercy Ships
P.O. Box 2020
Garden Valley, TX 75771-2020

Thank you for your prayers and support.

I just wanted to share the lyrics of a song by Tim Hughes.  You can also listen to the song at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TCh31xg4vA

God of Justice, Saviour to all 
Came to rescue the weak and the poor 
Chose to serve and not be served

Jesus, You have called us 
Freely we've received 
Now freely we will give

We must go live to feed the hungry 
Stand beside the broken 
We must go 

Stepping forward keep us from just singing 
Move us into action 
We must go

To act justly everyday 
Loving mercy in everyway 
Walking humbly before You God

You have shown us, what You require 
Freely we've received 
Now freely we will give

Fill us up and send us out 
Fill us up and send us out 
Fill us up and send us out Lord