It’s time for 10 Questions with Mercy Ships paediatric ward nurse Teagan Hagemeijer! This is how Teagan brings hope and healing to the people of Senegal.

1. How long have you been serving with Mercy Ships? So far my husband Brad and I have been serving on Mercy Ships for eight weeks and will be serving for 2.5 months in total.

2. When you’re not serving with Mercy Ships, what do you do back in Australia? Back at home I’m a paediatric nurse in Brisbane and Brad is a carpenter.

3. Why do you love serving with Mercy Ships? I love that I get to play a small part in making life changing transformations.

4. What do the people of Senegal mean to you? The people of Senegal are some of the most joy-filled, loving people I have ever met. In a short amount of time they have taught me to a new extreme how to be joyful in the sorrow, and to be thankful always! They have made a permanent impact on my heart.

5. What’s your favourite thing about waking up each day on board the ship? The community! You will never feel lonely living on a ship with 400 other like-minded people. You get to live, work, and adventure with people from all over the globe. There’s nothing quite like it.

6. What one thing has surprised you the most about serving with Mercy Ships? How homely it feels.

7. Which on board tradition do you love the most? Sunday night worship. It is such a beautiful time to come together and acknowledge the Creator of all things and foundation of the ship.

8. What has living on board a ship with 400 other people taught you? The joy that comes from living in such a tight community. It may seem like a daunting thought, but I have learnt to embrace always having people around, even when doing simple tasks like laundry.

9. Tell us one thing that you wish that you’d known before joining Mercy Ships. That your time on the ship will fly by! You will make close friends quickly, and it’s sometimes tricky to say goodbye.

10. What would you tell someone who’s thinking of joining Mercy Ship? If you’re looking for a life-changing experience, Mercy Ships is for you. Mercy Ships is for everyone. You don’t have to have a specific set of skills, you just have to have a heart to serve.

Join Teagan and Brad on board the Mercy Ship at mercyships.org.au/volunteer