I started this website in about 2012 when we lived in Australia and worked with Youth With A Mission. I haven’t used this site since 2015 but in the last year or so kept getting views from one of my post – Choo Choo. Who knew a little train made from fruit would be so interesting!
Anyway enjoy.
Our first lot of Days for Girls kits have made it to Papua New Guinea, thanks to
DfG in PNG
Madeliene Habib.
I first met Madeliene in March when she arrived in Townsville before the ship set sail to begin this outreach season. Madeleine is a Master Mariner. She is based in Hobart Tasmania and regularly volunteers for humanitarian and environmental organisations. Here is a little of her story and how she got involved with Days for Girls and YWAM Ships.
“I first heard about Days for Girl from another volunteer on board (the ship). Women’s health is a strong focus for YWAM and we often sail with midwives on board. This is a perfect platform for Days for Girls and we have a unique opportunity to access communities that are otherwise forgotten.
I formed a chapter of DfG earlier this year – the South Hobart Chapter – and began sewing kits. I was fortunate to pair up with the Townsville chapter who finished my kits and we now have 40 kits on board to distribute. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a much larger distribution in rural PNG.
With these kits we will be targeting the girls at Emiti School on the Bamu River. Right now it is school holidays in PNG so we will distribute the kits when we return in a few weeks. Today I had the opportunity to explain the kits to Sister Antonia, the local health worker. she was delighted by the concept and agrees that it will help girls to confidently attend school all through the month. I’m really looking forward to being part of the team who will distribute the kits.”
I know that many women here in Townsville and around Australia have contributed to sewing these kits out of love and with passion, because the monthly needs of women and girls is something we can certainly relate to! What a privilege its is to be part of something so very practical and that adds value to life!
The team will be explaining the kits and giving them out to the school girls within the next couple of weeks and I can’t wait to hear all about it!
Here is a little more of Madeleines heart…
Our ship’s crew and all medical teams are all entirely volunteers. In fact we cover all our travel, visa, and insurance costs and pay a modest daily sum to cover our living costs on board. For many people that might seem extraordinary – but for me it is not nearly as extraordinary as having the opportunity to be part of this wonderful ongoing project and to offer basic medical services to people in real need.”
You can find your nearest days for girls chapter on their website www.daysforgirls.org or contact Madeleine directly at
southhobarttasmania@daysforgirls.org
or ywam medical ships at www.ywamships.org.au
Have a great day!
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Have you ever wanted to have a car that could fly?
We have one!…….
Well YWAM Townsville has one.
I am so excited about the possibilities.
This is a vehicle that was developed by Steve Saint, son of missionaries Nate and Marjorie Saint. Inspired by his time living in Ecuador Steve developed this flying car to be able to drive over rugged terrain and to fly where there are no roads. Enabling medical care to get to where it’s needed.
Our hope is to partner this vehicle with the YWAM Medical ship to reach even more hard to reach people in PNG!
I love that this captures my imagination, it speaks of adventure and ingenuity.
It speaks of fun and excitement and a lot of hard work.
It speaks of hope and love.
Here is a news article from the Townsville Bulletin
If you are looking for some good info and a few videos google Maverick flying car!
If you want to see it come to the property auction and community day at YWAM Townsville on the 7th of December, and keep an eye out for future events!
Don’t worry mom! I haven’t joined a biker gang…yet.
In the past few years we have often thought that it would be really handy to have a little scooter to get around on here in town. Often times you just need to make a quick trip to the shops or run a little errand and the 8 seater VW is a bit overkill. But as with a lot of things in life, the costs always outweighed the needs.
Fast forward back to the present and life has gotten more complex and busy. Mel is often out using the van and ferrying the kids to and from school, sports, and other activities. Meanwhile Brad is left needing to find a ride to the kids footy games, or a meeting in town. Within the next couple months the YWAM Base will be relocated 2.5km (1.5 miles) into the city. So the needs have increased and Praise the Lord the costs decreased… well sort of.
I had been keeping my eye out for decent used scooters, with little luck. Most still cost between $1,200-$2,000. Then I found this beauty with low kms and only 3 years old. It seemed to good to be true, but it was legit. I got it for only $400 and it is in great condition! (and it came with that very fashionable helmet)
Seriously this was a miracle that I am truly grateful for, but there is still more that needs to happen. Before I can drive it on the roads I need to raise an additional $300 to get the registration and insurance. I would love to get this sorted within the next week so that I don’t have to keep finding rides or running into town.
Would you be able to assist me with this? I would very much appreciate any prayers or financial support that you could throw my way.
So It’s been a while since I’ve written, but I have been working on a few things in the background. And I am so amazed and excited about a little project to bring life to women and girls.
Want to know what it is?…..
While I was in PNG last month…oh wait…over a month ago.. (wow time really does fly!) I went looking for a project. I was looking specifically for something that would engage hearts, minds and hands. I have an amazing friend who is a gifted writer and blogger who has mobilized and inspired hundreds of people with projects like “Bloggers-for-birth-kits” “Project Baby Billum” and raising money for a Solar Suitcase with “The Sunshine Project”. You can check out her blog at http://adrielbooker.com/.
With these type of projects in mind, and the fact that I am a part of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), who love to get everyday Mum’s involved in community projects, I realised if could find a need the reality is I really do have the means and networks to do something about it!
So with my heart for mothers and women I asked the midwife, Michelle, who was on our outreach if she had any ideas of what would be of benefit. Her answer was that “a few of the mums had asked if we had any pads.” Of course!! Feminie hygiene is a need that every girl and woman has!
I immediately began researching environmentally friendly washable options and found heaps of designs and patterns.
At this point I enlisted the help of a couple of friends, Adriel being one of them, to help do a little research for me. Over the next few weeks I was trialling and making a few different styles and I wasn’t completely happy with what I had and really needed a bit more research done. Then Adriel came across an organisation called Days for Girls that was the answer to my prayers and an exact fit for what I was trying to do!
Then we discovered that there was a few chapters in Australia and the Queensland chapter for Days for Girls was actually in Townsville! We’ve met and shared our passion and shared how amazing people are getting behind this project already with donations and materials!
This project has the potential to change lives, distributing the kits also opens up the lines of communication and education around reproductive and sexual health and giving girls and women dignity and opportunity for education and value. We’ve discovered through the Ship outreaches that there is certainly a need for good education on these topics in PNG.
So on Sunday the 13th of October if you are in Townsville I, along with our local Days for Girls representative, will be hosting a Days for Girls Sewing Bee from 12 – 3pm at the YWAM base on Ingham Rd. Let me know if you want to come!
If you can’t come but want to join in go to the Days for Girls website and grab the patterns and make some kits!
How can I express in words the fulfilment of a long held desire of my heart? No words can really do it justice. So how about I share a few photos and add a few bits here and there, is that Ok with you?
Here is the awesome team I got to work with everyday in Ship Operations. I’m in the top left, on the bottom left is Hannah – the Chief Steward (aka Cook), beside her in the bottom right is Melissa – Housekeeping, and top right is Amber one of our great helpers.
We were catering for 48 people most days and I have to say we ate pretty well! I spent the majority of my time helping in the galley, but I had the privilege to spend a few mornings with the land based teams to really get alongside the locals and our volunteers.
Here the village is lining the bank to say goodbye to us for the last time
Excited kids as we played with bubbles
People waiting for their turn to be seen by our team at the clinic
How we got to and from the ship…the zodiac!
I had the privilege to help with Primary Health Care registration… Here I am asking this man where he is feeling pain.
The team gave an amazing amount of immunisations over the two weeks. A couple of times I helped by blowing bubbles to distract the kids, this day I helped by drawing up the needles.
In one village we met a 20 year old woman who was a paraplegic and had a wheel chair. She asked if we could help her since her chair was digging into her and causing sores. The padding was almost non-existent. So one of our German engine room volunteers took it to the ship and spent the day giving it the full service – repairing the broken parts and adding some padding.
Here he is returning the renewed wheelchair from the ship.
A group of beautiful women
Alongside the clinics we offer a range of education sessions. This day I was helping teach general and oral hygiene to some school students.
Here is Jack, a local dentist.
I learned that Jack had been working as the village dentist since 1978, and has been using the same tools this whole time – 35 years. We invited him to work alongside our dentists for a day and we were able to leave him with a couple of new tools to aid his work. This encounter is something to be excited about!! Empowering people to make a difference in their own communities! It certainly energised and excited our dentist!
Outreach 5 2013
The awesome group of volunteers of Outreach 5! People from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Sweden, Germany, England, Canada, USA and Papua New Guinea! What a great bunch!
There were so many beautiful people and many stories to tell. And there is much needed in these remote areas, sometimes it feels like a drop in the bucket, but we are making a difference and changing lives.
Thank you YWAM Medical Ship!
Well Mel is gone… to PNG. She has left behind 5 boys, 2 Guinea Pigs and a few house plants. How many will still be alive when she returns in three weeks time? The pigs are pretty resilient, but we will just have to wait and see about the rest.
Seriously though; It is going to be a whole new world for me this next three weeks.
Now don’t worry, I am not saying that I normally make Mel do all that by herself when she is here (well at least not the bedtimes). But it does make a big difference when there is two of you to share the load. Mel and I have often reflected during these times about how amazing single parents and military families are.
But we are excited for this time! Partly because it is an “all boys party,” as Gabe, Seth, and Isaac say; but mostly because Mel is finally getting to go to PNG. This next three weeks will give her the full ship outreach experience and we are praying that God would continue to speak to us as to what ministry will look like for our family during this next season.
Please keep Mel in your prayers, as well as me and the boys holding down the fort.
Last week at church someone shared a story reminding us that following Christ is about 
putting Love into Action.
It kinda reminded me of the old DC Talk song “Love is a Verb”! I remember listening to that as a young teenager thinking… ‘what’s a verb again??… oh yeah, an action word!’ Gotta love songs that reinforce grammar and values!
So as I was saying, love in action. All of us have opportunities to put love in action everyday. Making lunches for our kids, doing the laundry and dishes. We can make a meal for a neighbour or a friend in need, we can give a hug or ask if someone needs anything.
So as I was thinking about this trip to PNG with the YWAM medical ship I was reminded that this is the whole reason we do the ship – to put God’s Love into Action. The ship is a tangible representation of the Fathers Love. His love to the people of PNG who see that they are not forgotten, who are inspired and equipped to live and grow. It’s His love to each of the volunteers who are able to use their gifts, talents and resources to go and meet real needs and are too inspired and equipped to live and grow into all they can be.
Many of you know that over the past few years my heart has been to serve women during pregnancy and childbirth. And my hope is to use the skills I’ve gained in Papua New Guinea. As I was preparing for this trip and knowing that I am serving in the galley as assistant cook. I felt God remind me that “whatever my hand finds to do, I need to do it with all my heart”. So I am looking forward to serving to the best of my ability and put action no matter what I am doing!
How many Jelly Beans are in the jar?
I think I underestimated how magnetic a good guessing competition is! I originally thought maybe I could raise about $50 toward my trip to PNG but only two day’s in and I already have $100!
Every time I get my jelly bean jar out I get a bit nervous and wonder how people will respond. Maybe it seems silly but I want to put it back in my bag and forget it.
I have been pleasantly surprised at how well received it has been and how generous people are.
I know that the idea dropped into my mind specifically as a fundraiser from the one who takes care of all my needs so I really shouldn’t be surprised. I am grateful.
I am grateful that I will get to be a part of the YWAM Medical ship.
I am grateful that I am part of a team that is making a tangible difference in the lives of many men, women and children.
I am grateful that the Lord has prepared in advance good works for me to do.
I am grateful my awesome husband will hold down the fort with the kids.
Oh and I need a total of $970 for the whole outreach, (visa, medication, insurance, airfare). So if you want to guess the jelly beans in the jar… it’s just $1 per guess!
