Meet Kalera
Desperately Needed Hope
Talaulia Village, Fiji
Fiji MEdical Mission 2023
Desperately Needed Hope
Our goal for 2023 has been to BRING HOPE! Nowhere is this better demonstrated than by the recent story of Kalera, a woman in her 50s living in Talaulia village, Fiji. She desperately needed hope!
She had approached the ship's visiting dental team to ask if there was a physiotherapist on the team because her husband had suffered a stroke two years earlier and she was desperate to find help for him.
Amazingly, the volunteer team coordinator Andrew is a physiotherapist and visited Kalera's home, to discover her husband Josefa was paralyzed. He was wheelchair-bound and unable to move, walk or speak. Kalera had traveled to the mainland hospital several times but received little help.
But help did come from different team members: Andrew was able to demonstrate simple exercises to help Josefa's mobility; Emily, a nurse, provided supplies to help Kalera clean her husband; and a dentist from the ship brought portable equipment to their house to treat Josefa, including some extractions.
Kalera's gratitude made a great impression on the team because of the hope they brought! And their help was a small representation of the commitment and dedication of a much wider team of people who had worked to bring the ship to the island.
She had approached the ship's visiting dental team to ask if there was a physiotherapist on the team because her husband had suffered a stroke two years earlier and she was desperate to find help for him.
Amazingly, the volunteer team coordinator Andrew is a physiotherapist and visited Kalera's home, to discover her husband Josefa was paralyzed. He was wheelchair-bound and unable to move, walk or speak. Kalera had traveled to the mainland hospital several times but received little help.
But help did come from different team members: Andrew was able to demonstrate simple exercises to help Josefa's mobility; Emily, a nurse, provided supplies to help Kalera clean her husband; and a dentist from the ship brought portable equipment to their house to treat Josefa, including some extractions.
Kalera's gratitude made a great impression on the team because of the hope they brought! And their help was a small representation of the commitment and dedication of a much wider team of people who had worked to bring the ship to the island.
Joining the MV Koha in October
In January, we were led to consider joining the ship for an extended period to serve on board. Matthew's two months on board earlier this year confirmed that we would be able to best serve the needs of the ministry by working together on board.
We plan to arrive on board the MV Koha in Suva, Fiji in mid-October at the end of its final outreach. The ship will then sail to Tauranga, the ship's home port and we will be on board for six months.
Matthew's role will be two-fold: firstly, as Bosun focusing on deck maintenance, long-term improvements, and developing the ship's potential to increase capacity for outreach next year; and secondly, as maritime instructor for the upcoming training program scheduled to start in January 2024.
Having now completed her graduate leadership studies, Sherry has been in a transition toward using her foundational coaching training to support others serving in ministry and will be providing coaching to the ministries we serve as MAST Global.
We will be living on board as a family with our two youngest. Our oldest sons will continue their university/college studies in the US.
In January, we were led to consider joining the ship for an extended period to serve on board. Matthew's two months on board earlier this year confirmed that we would be able to best serve the needs of the ministry by working together on board.
We plan to arrive on board the MV Koha in Suva, Fiji in mid-October at the end of its final outreach. The ship will then sail to Tauranga, the ship's home port and we will be on board for six months.
Matthew's role will be two-fold: firstly, as Bosun focusing on deck maintenance, long-term improvements, and developing the ship's potential to increase capacity for outreach next year; and secondly, as maritime instructor for the upcoming training program scheduled to start in January 2024.
Having now completed her graduate leadership studies, Sherry has been in a transition toward using her foundational coaching training to support others serving in ministry and will be providing coaching to the ministries we serve as MAST Global.
We will be living on board as a family with our two youngest. Our oldest sons will continue their university/college studies in the US.
"We're here not just doing dentistry, not just doing basic health checks, we are here to bring hope!"
- YWAM Ships Aotearoa
- YWAM Ships Aotearoa
Fiji & New Zealand
Would you pray for us as we plan for this move from Texas to Fiji, and then on to New Zealand?
We also invite you to partner with us financially!
We are blessed by the support of many individuals and our local church and we couldn't do this without them.
Our team of MAST Partners, whose giving propels our ministry, enables us to serve maritime ministries this way and reach more people like Kalera and Josefa.
Grace and peace!
Matthew & Sherry
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