Micronesia Our Focus

Micronesia

YWAM Ships OC has committed to deploy both vessels the s/y EL ENCUENTRO and the s/y CARIBBEAN REACH into Micronesia over the next few years.  This region is clearly the most isolated area of the liquid continent and consequently the most impoverished.  The strategy is to forward position both vessels, & deploy University of the Nation’s teams on board for a month at a time throughout the year, targeting the most isolated.

Teams are comprised of YWAM DTS field assignments along with specific skilled volunteers embedded among them.  The skilled volunteer crew range from doctors, dentists, opticians, news reporters, mid wives, water specialists, sports ministry personalities, spiritual leadership teachers and bible trainers.  This combination really is our “secret sauce”.

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Why Ships and Why Volunteers?

Nothing comes close to the dedication and efficient hard work of a committed volunteer who really believes in going into these hard to reach places to provide hope.  Nothing comes close to the efficiency of using ships that survive on wind propulsion and utilize solar power to deploy and sustain volunteers in remote locations for long periods of time.  We make our own water, bring our own food and of course all the medical and technical supplies needed.  We are not dependent on local resources which is a huge advantage when ministering to an isolated and often depleted economy with restricted availability of resources.

The teams are mostly comprised of young people from 18 years of age on up to older professional volunteers who bring their market place skills to the table.  We train trainers, legitimately up-skill local health workers and ministry personnel.  We try to focus as much as we can on women and children who statistically are the greatest at-risk overall in these isolated Pacific islands with 1 in 7 dying during child birth (PNG STAT), and once born, these children then face a 1 in 13 chance of making it to age 5.  This is unacceptable in our world were answers exist. We can make a difference. Come join us!

Out of the 1,000 inhabited islands of this Pacific region, most are surprised to learn that 700 do not have airports.  The only way to reach these people is via a boat with shallow draft. Many of these locations are atolls without docks and boating facilities.

Once we fly our teams into a location like (for example) Christmas Island which is right on the equator, we embark our outreach personnel onboard and sail 24 hours north to Fanning Island.  We anchor off, put ashore in an inflatable zodiac with all our equipment including the Jesus Film in a backpack, and run a clinic and teach our seminars.  Once we have seen all those in need help during this visit, we cast off for Washington Island (another short 8 hours sail away) and do it all again.

Most outreaches last 2-3 weeks in these extremely beautiful but remote locations, returning to the larger island which has the airport, in order to resupply with fresh supplies and volunteers.  A short few days turn around in port and we are eager to push off and do it all over again.  Perhaps you can volunteer a few short weeks of your vacation to help?  Maybe you have a skill that these islands are waiting for. If you are interested call us.  1 808-757-9150.

 

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Interested in knowing more? Contact us. We’d love to chat!

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