“I’m joyful and bubbly. I love to laugh. I care a lot about people.” That is how Becky Chaplin introduces herself to strangers. Her story is one of connecting dots – her background, identity, creative abilities, love for people, and a deep passion for serving God through serving others. It’s a story of love in action.
Becky Chaplin, originally from Kenya and living in the UK, serves as the Volunteer Rehab Team leader on the Global Mercy™.
“I was born in Kenya. I still had my umbilical cord on when a vet found me as he was jogging,” she shared. The veterinarian felt a nudge to check a bag by the roadside, and there she was.
“I think God was looking after me and sent a voice to the vet to find me,” she said. The vet took her to New Life Home, an orphanage in Kenya.
It was at the orphanage that her parents adopted her at 7 weeks old. She was the second child adopted that year by the English missionary couple.
“Mum said when she picked me up that she felt that God was saying, ‘this is your daughter.’ The love that they brought me up with and instilled in me was just what I needed, and God knew that.”
Rooted in Two Worlds
“I’m Kenyan by birth but British by adoption,” Becky said with a proud smile. “I think it was really important for my parents that we knew our history and where we came from, and to fall in love with our Kenyan side.”
Those formative years shaped her identity and helped her appreciate her roots.
“When I think back on my time in Kenya, it was always full of adventure, fun being outside, being with friends.”
She received her early education in Kenya and the UK, experiencing both school systems. At 10 years old, her family moved to the UK, where she continued her education. “I think I’ve got both cultures in me. I can relate to more than one group of people from different cultures.”
A Calling To Help
The needs she saw in her country of birth helped shape her career choice.
“Living in Kenya, I saw both sides,” she shared. “I was exposed to extreme poverty and the opportunities you can have with education. I was fortunate to be adopted into a family that gave me that opportunity.”
This awareness sparked a desire to help. Becky decided to pursue a career in healthcare. “I’ve known since I was little that I wanted to help children and adults with disabilities,” she said.
For her, the ideal career is one that allows her to deploy her creative skills. She eventually chose to become an occupational therapist.
“Through a friend, I found something that uses my skills within the medical field.”
“I think my drive comes from watching my parents,” Becky continued. “My dad is retired now, but he’s a doctor. And my mum was a nurse. They just always had a big heart for helping people.”
Becky knew she wanted to be a missionary, but not in the same sense as her parents. After completing university, she pursued a master’s degree with interests in hand therapy, burns, and working in low-income countries.
Love Leads Home
Growing up with missionary parents meant Becky was familiar with missionary organisations. She had heard of a ship ministry called OM Ships. As a teenager interested in pursuing a medical career, she thought it would be nice to serve on a ship where she could apply what she studied. That’s when her mother told her about Mercy Ships.
While studying for her master’s, she looked up Occupational Therapists (OTs) working in low-income countries, and once again, Mercy Ships popped up. This time she thought, “I’d really like to do something like this and maybe Mercy Ships is for me.”
After she graduated, she got a job at a hospital. In time, she was transferred to the burn unit in the hand therapy department. There, she heard about a therapist who had gone to serve on Mercy Ships. “It became more of a reality that this is something that I could do, and it was in an area that I had studied,” Becky explained.
A few years later, she applied to Mercy Ships. “I left my work [in the UK] to volunteer with Mercy Ships because I’ve always had a heart to come back to an African country, and I wanted to do it once I had the skill or experience to be able to help,” she shared.
A Place To Live Out Her Faith
“What convinced me to come to Mercy Ships was that openness about being a Christian organisation,” she said. “It’s amazing to be in a place where you get to live out your faith openly.”
Though she was out on her own, her family found comfort in knowing she was part of an organisation with a safe and thriving community.
Initially, she took a three-month sabbatical from work to volunteer and wasn’t planning on leaving her job. But she had a change of heart on board the Global Mercy in Senegal, “I absolutely loved it. I loved being back in an African country with people that look like me,” she said.
Two months in, she asked if she could come back and was offered the team lead position. Without much hesitation, she went back home, resigned from her job, and signed up for a two-year commitment with Mercy Ships.
Becky described her Mercy Ships experience as “A rollercoaster of emotions; of joy, hardship, and challenges.” She explained that the reward comes from seeing and being a part of the transformation that patients experience on the ship.
Despite the language barrier in the predominantly French-speaking country she felt a strong connection. “It is a challenge living in a community of different people, but also a joy. You learn so much about yourself,” she reflected. “The best thing about serving with Mercy Ships is being with people and making friends from all over the world. It’s a great opportunity to learn about people and cultures.”
Where the Dots Connect
Living and working on a ship can feel overwhelming, as if you’re boxed in, with little room for personal interests. But for Becky, life aboard a Mercy Ship is empowering, enriching, and fulfilling as she has brough her passions into her work.
“I’ve been able to weave my love for music and art into what I do as a therapist.”
“We have to do a lot of splints making,” a process in which she uses thermoplastic to create shapes that help patients keep their joints still and stretched. “I use my creative skills in that way,” she said.
“I’ve been able to integrate music. We do a lot of discharge dances, even when we’re doing exercises. Having a motivational song on helps us get through some of the exercises because we want to make therapy fun,” she described.
Besides her role in the hospital, she has found creative expression in community life. “I’ve been able to use my music outside of work, just being in the community and sharing my love for playing the flute in a worship band.”
For her 2025 birthday, Becky organised a painting class for the community. “I wanted to do something special. I thought, why not do something that I love and teach people? So, we did a painting [activity] that I think most people were happy with.”
Enriched by Service
“Mercy Ships has had a big, big impact in helping me grow and become more of a leader. I’ve learned to manage people, manage patients, and have more of a strategic mindset,” Becky said, describing her transformational journey.
As the rehab team leader, she works daily with individuals from different countries, each with their different ideas and expectations. One of the biggest takeaways has been learning how her unique identity helps her navigate diverse cultures and lead with grace.
Many patients have left a lasting impression on Becky. One of them is a 10-year-old girl from Senegal, who had a contracture. “She made me work hard to disguise all the exercises within games,” she said. “So, we got to do painting, drawing, and sticking things up on the wall. That was impactful because it wasn’t easy. But there was a joy and satisfaction when we were able to get the movements that we wanted.”
To anyone contemplating service with Mercy Ships, Becky’s advice is simple, “If you want something that’s enriching, pushes you, and grows you, then it’s for you. You’re not just giving, you also learn a lot and receive a lot. I’d say, just step out in faith and you won’t be disappointed.”
Becky is living out her dream of serving with her skills while contributing to the Mercy Ships mission. To get involved, click here for more details.
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