Nurse Educator, Hide ‘n Seek Player, Art Exhibitor

Lily Boeckel was given the book Ships of Mercy by Don Stephens, by her grandmother. It was a discouraging season for Lily in nursing school and she was thinking about quitting. This book opened her eyes to new possibilities that she had never known about and breathed new life into her education. Determined to one day walk up the gangway, Lily worked to gain a degree and experience to make that dream come true.

Volunteering on board as the nurse educator, Lily has the opportunity to meet every new nurse that comes on board and help them transition. She also gets to use her experience as a pediatric nurse and help in the wards with the children that receive surgery. When asked why she has returned for a third field service, Lily said, “I’m not done yet with experiencing the goodness of God and seeing his miracles happening on board this vessel.”

In this episode, Lily shares about preparing new nurses to serve on board, her joy in playing hide and seek with the littlest patients, and the opportunity she had to showcase one patient’s talents.

Looking for a way to join our mission of bringing hope and healing? Partner with us through a gift, volunteering with us, or by joining us in prayer.

New Mercies Podcast Transcript

Welcome to the New Mercies, a podcast by Mercy Ships, where we’ll take you behind the scenes and on board our incredible hospital ships that are transforming lives all over the world. We invite you to join us each week as we sit down with our crew, patients, volunteers, and partners to hear their stories of life-changing hope and healing.

Lily Boeckel was given the book, Ships of Mercy written by our founder, Don Stephens, and it opened up her eyes to a world of possibilities as a nurse. Lily is currently serving in Sierra Leone, volunteering in her third field service, and she’s here to tell us all about it. Here’s my interview with Lily Boeckel.

Raeanne Newquist:

Well, Lily, welcome to New Mercies.

Lily Boeckel:

Thank you so much.

Raeanne:

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. I know that you are a very busy woman and just came out of the hospital after doing rounds to check on sweet patients down there. And we can’t wait to hear about that and hear about how everyone is doing. Lily, tell us what you are currently doing on board. And tell us about the patients that you see.

Lily:

I am on board the Global Mercy as a ward nurse educator. My background is pediatric nursing and so I both take care of patients and I also take care of orientating the new nurses coming on board and make sure that everyone is settling well on board and how it is to be a nurse both in the hospital but also live in the same place. So that’s part of my job. And then I also take normal shifts, where I am a bedside nurse and take care of little kids and try to find them don’t know where they are.

So right now we have a lot of pediatric patients because we are in the reconstructive plastic surgery block. So it’s both adults, but also quite many kids that sadly got injured and have burn contractures that we release. And so it’s quite a long process of healing. So they get to stay a while in the hospital. And then they get used to the hospital and get to know their preferred nurses or the places where they can hide. And then they have their friends in other wards, and so they don’t tell anyone that they leave the ward. And then you’re like, where’s my patient? What happened?, and then you go to the next ward and you see a mom or an another patient from another specialty that is holding your little patient!

Raeanne:

I’m sure that’s very different for you than the hospitals in France that you’re used to working in with the children. At least I know here in America, they don’t have the freedom to run around the hospital. So it must be a whole new experience for you, as you mentioned, getting to play hide and seek with the children.

Lily:

Yeah, definitely a very different environment. In the end, we’re doing the same care and things, you know, putting an IV back in France, or in the US or here in Africa, it’s about the same. But how do you approach your patient? How do you make them understand what you’re going to do. And especially for a pediatric patient, we always have this explanation where we get the parents also helping us or any relatives that are close to the child, and that can help us in the care of the child. So yeah, that can also be different.

Raeanne:

Well, Lily, you mentioned that you also are a ward nurse educator. So you get to orient all of the new nurses that come on board. Such a fun job for you, you get to meet everybody, all the new nurses, and you also get to play with the kids. So this is pretty great. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about being the ward nurse educator, what does that involve?

Lily:

So it involves a lot of preparation that nobody sees in our office. So it’s two of us, ideally two ward educators on board a vessel. So I’m working with another nurse from the US. And it’s quite fun because we get to alternate with each other. So for instance, this week, I taught new nurses orientation on Monday for most of the days, we start quite early in the morning around 830. And then until 230 In the afternoon, we are busy just teaching them everything about what is this unique hospital, what do you need to know, what if there is an emergency procedure, where to go, how to go, how to call people. So we go through a lot of information. And then on Wednesdays we organized medical in services. And so that’s an evening one hour program open for anyone from the ship that wants to learn more about something. And so that’s our role to find guest speakers that are going to talk to the larger community about specific surgery, or maybe a team, the pre op team for instance, where we ask them to come and share a little bit about what they do and what is their work. Or a few weeks ago, we had rad tech coming also and in telling us about their work.

Raeanne:

I haven’t heard that term before. A Rad Tech.

Lily:

The regulatory technician. I learned it as well.

Raeanne:

So like a radiologist?

Lily:

Yes. I mean, yes. When you say radiologist, it implies that it’s a doctor. Whereas then when you add the technician part, they work side to side with a doctor, but they are not doctors.

And so then on these Wednesdays, we do alternate as well, and take turns on who is leading this evening of teaching with somebody that is speaking to the larger community. And then most of the time, we would take also turns at working during the weekend. Because we have team leaders during the week, they work Monday to Friday, all the time, day shift is from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon. And in order for them to have a weekend, then they would ask one of the board educators to be a team leader during the day for the weekend. And that’s where we take shifts most of the time. And so we would have either a day shift or another evening shift or something like that, or being on call. It gives us also this very hybrid job where we’re both a little bit in the office, but also at the bedside of the patient. So yeah, I really love this job.

Raeanne:

Wow, that’s wonderful. It sounds like you’re very busy, and have many different roles that you get to play. I know that with those educational evenings, the in-services, I know that all the crew is welcome to come into those and hear them, which is pretty remarkable. I know when I was on board, I went a couple times and heard various surgeons explain procedures that they do. And they showed pictures and slides that sometimes we had to look away, they were a little bit graphic. But what an incredible opportunity for someone like myself and my children who are non-medical, to really get an inside look at what is going on in the hospitals on board. So I love that you guys continue to do that to educate the medical professionals, but also welcome the crew into that process as well.

Lily:

Yeah, as you said, it just really gives an insight. And most of the feedback that we get, like, Oh, I didn’t know we can do this this way. And when you have a special leader like Dr. Gary, that explains about flaps that we do, and you take a muscle from here, and you put it there!

Raeanne:

I think the surgeons are artists, I mean, the way they recreate things that have been destroyed or broken and rearrange body parts and skin and it’s just unbelievable. But it’s so beautiful. It’s so so beautiful. Lily, we’ve kind of jumped ahead a little bit here. Why don’t you take us back to the beginning of where you first heard about Mercy Ships. And what caused you to leave France and come volunteer?

Lily:

Well, I grew up and travelled quite a lot as a kid. And even though it was still friends, it was friends very far away from France, either on the tiny Mariota Island, or then the slightly bigger renewed island. So I already had this urge in me that, oh, I want to go somewhere and go and help people. My mom has been a missionary. And also it was a little bit in my family history, heritage, that okay, one day, I’m going to do something and help others. But then I was stuck in nursing school not really liking the things that I was seeing and some very burnt out people in some of my placements that I was like, Oh, actually, I don’t think I want to be a nurse. And there was this point, at the end of my first year — in Europe it’s three years of studies. And at the end of my first year, I was just like, Oh, I’m going to quit and I was really praying to find something else to do. And that’s where my grandmother just gave me a book and it was by Don Stephens about Mercy Ships, and so it was translated in French. And, yeah, in French the title was The Ships of Hope, and I just read it, like, maybe two days or something super quick. I didn’t know that something like that exists anywhere and actually, I want to be a nurse on board this hospital ship. So that’s really what got me going and continuing with the studies.

But when I read this book, and when I finally stepped on the gangway of the Africa Mercy, almost nine years had passed. So it was a dream. But then a dream that I had to keep praying about and wonder and ask God, is it really what you want for me? Because it’s been so long, and I’m still not on that ship? Yeah, so that’s how I got connected with Mercy Ships.

Raeanne:

At the time that you finally did come on board, you said it had been about nine years since you first read the book. What made you decide at that moment? Okay, now is the time for me to go.

Lily:

I had wandered around a little bit after I got my diploma as a nurse. And I was like, oh, I need to get some more studies. So I specialized as a nurse, and back in Europe, you can specialize for one more year. So I went back to school. And I was like, oh, I want to have more experience as a specialized nurse. So I continued working and you know, you get into the rhythm of working, get some new studies that are and then COVID happened. And then it was the end of COVID. But I didn’t hear about anything of Mercy Ships. And I was like, Are they still ongoing? Is it still something that happens? But I was like, if I don’t do it now, I will never dare and never go. So I just, you know, just stepped out of my comfort zone and be like, Okay, let’s do something about it. Let’s try to apply and see, maybe they will say no, and they don’t need anyone. But thankfully I got a yes.

Raeanne:

That’s great. Well, so what was it like? What was your first impression when you got on board after nine years of preparation?

Lily:

I think yeah, to say the least it was slightly overwhelming. Because it’s so much information, but also so many different people. And all of a sudden, you need to adjust to a new language because obviously you can hear with my accent, I’m French and I speak French. And so I had to do everything in English all of a sudden, and then having cabin mates as well. And it’s very different here on the Global Mercy. But on the Africa Mercy, you can have several cabinmates more than one. And I was so much praying, Lord, you know how of a light sleeper I am and how tidy I am. So I pray that I would be in a smaller cabin. And I ended up in this cabin with seven other cabin mates! It was amazing. Very hard. But amazing. Because I got to meet with amazing people. But yeah, so everything was slightly overwhelming at first if I can say the truth.

Raeanne:

Yeah. And it’s true. It is overwhelming. I mean, it’s such a unique environment to live in. And different people, different cultures, different languages. It is overwhelming. And I’m sure as a nurse, you’re also thinking, how am I going to do my job here? When I’m dealing with people from all over the world who approach medicine in probably different ways, different terminology, all that kind of stuff. How was that like for you down in the wards?

Lily:

Yeah, same. Thankfully, at that time, I had a very nice nurse educator that was like you guys, don’t worry, you’re going to feel like your students again. But it’s going to get better as you get going with the work. And it’s really the same advice I give to my nurses right now. Every time I have new nurses coming on board, I tell them, don’t judge yourself after the first few shifts. Because it’s not the real you, you’re tired, you’re stressed, you’re in an environment that you don’t really know and you are highly capable of doing your work. You’re highly skilled nurses, it took you years literally to come here or years of experience at least. And when you look at the kinds of the people that we have on board, like it’s crazy how skilled they are. So yeah, my advice for somebody, you’re a nurse coming in and be like, Oh, do I have what it takes? Absolutely. But don’t be harsh on yourself. And give yourself time days a few weeks.

Raeanne:

That’s great advice. Yeah. Give yourself some grace, not just for the nurses who come on board, but really any crew who comes on board — Give yourself some grace the first couple of weeks, the first couple months, it’s a big transition. And it’s a lot. But again, as Mercy Ships does really well, in so many areas on board, I love that we have a nurse educator like yourself, someone who is intentional about preparing the new nurses that come on board. And I would assume that happens in most hospitals around the world. But in this unique environment, it’s even more needed, because of all the cultural differences, the language barriers, all that kind of stuff, dealing with translators, dealing with patients, and developing nations who maybe get up and run around when they’re feeling good, and play hide and seek with you. It’s a whole different, it’s a whole different ballgame.

Tell us Lily, a little bit about some of the patients that you have been able to care for, and maybe the ones that have touched your heart.

Lily:

So one thing very general, and then I’ll go with one patient’s story. So one thing very general that we don’t necessarily talk so much about in our advertisements, are the patient stories that we have is that we do general surgery, sadly enough, it’s not a specialty that you can really show into pictures, because it’s usually in very intimate places. And so we don’t take pictures, but telling the story of those people and also just knowing that it’s a very, very simple surgical procedure. So we don’t get to have those patients for many days in the wards because they come maybe on Monday, and then by Tuesday evening, or Wednesday, they are away and going home. So we don’t get to bond with them as we would with other patients that stay for weeks or days and days. But then after we’ve done one week of surgery, and then you count, and you see Wow, actually, we had 30 patients this week, or I’m just making up a number. But we had that many patients that you can’t have in another specialty. And it always just amazes me because we don’t know what it means for this one person. But it means the world they can go back to work, they can be socially accepted. And it just took 24 hours in the hospital. And so they go and they have their wellbeing changed, they have hope renewed, and they are witnesses and just carriers of hope when they go back to their communities, people are like, Hey, we thought that you were hopeless or that nothing would happen for you. And you proved us wrong. And maybe I’ll go on and try this business that I always dreamed up or you know, you don’t know what, but hope can stir up.

This one patient that really moved me, his name is Sidy, we did an article on navigator about him. So it was on back on the Africa Mercy, last field service. And so he had maxillofacial surgery. And he was coming for a second time surgery. And sadly, the second time surgery didn’t go as well as we thought. And he faced some complications and had to stay longer in the hospital. And so the days can be quite long, and especially on the Africa Mercy, you don’t have windows in there in the wards. So there were just not a lot of things that you can do. And so he started drawing, and you know, at first just doodling on some papers, but then actually making portraits of people and funny pictures and then drawing what he was seeing around the new wards. And one day, I was taking care of him as my patient. And at the bottom of his bed was a big stack of paper. And I just went through the papers. And I was like, these drawings are amazing. And I really love art back home, just going to galleries or exhibitions. It’s something that really speaks to my heart. So when I saw all these drawings, I was like this is so beautiful Sidy, we need to show them around.

Something great here is that as a nurse, we have the gift of time. And so I had some time left on my on my shift with him. And so I just decided to go in an empty ward that we were not using, I put up some clean, white beddings on the wall and everything is magnetic on the ship so you can just magnate things around. And so I made a false wall with the beddings and I just pinned all of his drawings very carefully. And so when you would enter this wall it felt like a gallery you know, and then I went around the entire hospital — so it was quite small on the Africa Mercy, just two corridors, and knocked on every door — the ward manager, the hospital director and I said in 15 minutes, you’re invited to an opening of the gallery. And then I invited all the patients of the neighbor wards, to come and see some art. And that day was the day Sidy was supposed to be discharged, I was like, Ah, it’s going to be great. It’s like a good farewell, goodbye. And he was well known from all of the other patients, because he had been here for so long. And so he had taken a shower getting ready, and then he goes out of the bathroom and we realized that one of his wounds is not doing well at all. And so you could see, and I just saw him coming out of the bathroom and seeing that he was not okay. And he looked at me, I looked at him. And we knew like, Okay, you’re not going out today, actually. And two minutes later, he had back his gown on. But anyway, that was good that we still did the art opening art showing, we had somebody coming in, take a few pictures of him, and he was so touched and moved that people would just come and look at his art. And so yeah, it was just a really great story. And I got the opportunity to meet with his family afterwards, it was just great.

Raeanne:

Oh, my goodness, wow, that is such a wonderful story. I can only imagine how affirming that was for him, that he had a talent and a gift to offer in his art, and I just love that you took the opportunity to display that and invite everyone into that, and celebrate him. You know, we talk so much about our patients being transformed, you know, physically, but also inwardly. Some of our patients, as you know, come on board, and they’re withdrawn, or they’re very shy, they’re ashamed, you know, because of their condition that has maybe caused them to be ostracized in their community. And we see them come alive in such different ways, when they come on board and receive their surgery and receive love and care, and touch from our beautiful nurses. But I love this story, because he had this talent already in him, he was an artist, he is an artist, and just having the time pass, he was able to share that and bless others with it. So it’s such a beautiful story. And I love that really, God put it on your heart to affirm him in that and to let everybody be blessed by the gift that God had given him. So ah, that is lovely Lily. I’m sure that also made a big impact on you. I want to mention real quick, you spoke about in the beginning, how we also do smaller surgeries that maybe people don’t hear about because we don’t really take photos, you know of some of these. I don’t know if it’s appropriate to say minor surgeries, but they are a little less involved. The patient doesn’t stay as long on board. Can you tell us just briefly what are some of those surgeries?

Lily:

Mainly they would be hernia, and that occurs in the inguinal part or on your abdomen. It’s not really things that we would taking pictures. And it’s crazy how these people are also very much ostracized. And yet, it’s not something like a big tumor that everybody can see, but nobody would touch them.

Because what if I touch you? And then they catch this? Or what if I get married with you, and then I get cursed because of that. And so it’s the kind of stories that we hear and something that back home, we would operate very quickly on a child and nobody talks about it anymore, because we operate it on the two years old. Here, it’s an old woman or an old men 57 years old, and then you read that they had a hernia for 30 years. And I’m like, Oh, wow, that’s a very, very long time to live with something that simple that we can surgically remove very quickly. Right?

Raeanne:

It’s another amazing thing that we do to really help people and restore them back to their communities and to the lives that they have to provide for their families?

Lily:

Absolutely. Yeah, there was this one patient of general surgery that had a hernia for years and years. So he was quite old. And the surgeons, they always come and do rounds on their patients before the surgery. And so the surgeon came, they signed the consent for the surgery and then genuinely the surgeon just touched his shoulder and said, Okay, see you tomorrow in the OR and be blessed, and he left the room. And then we find this gentleman, you know, very, very proud gentleman, but just sobbing and wiping his eyes. And then one of our colleagues was like, Okay, maybe ask the translator to go to him and ask what’s up? And, and so then they talk together with the translator, and then the translator starts being like, Oh, wow, okay. Okay. And we don’t understand, because they’re not translating to us back. And so then we’re like, what’s happening? And then the translator finally translates and says, Well, you know, that it’s been, I think it was 20 years or something like that, that nobody has touched him. Because the people in his village, were afraid that if they touch him, then they would get the same hernia that he has. And so, to me, that was one of the big moments where I was like, oh, okay, I wasn’t directly the nurse of these patients, I wasn’t directly the witness of the situation. But this is what we get to do, is changing the life of somebody that has been completely in a corner for years and years, and just takes one hour of surgery.

Raeanne:

My goodness, you know, you just never really realize — I can’t even fathom what that would be like, to not have anybody touch you, give you a hug or a high five, you know, put their arm around you for so many years, because they’re afraid of you. And how beautiful the work to restore not only someone’s life, but really to restore, as you said, hope and to give them a future and a hope, which is so beautiful. Well, Lily, what has been an impactful moment for you thus far?

Lily:

There were so many, but I think just realizing, okay, we can get very busy in our head. And you know, also here as everywhere else, oh, I have so much to do so much work and this and that. And then you’re busy mentally, you’re busy physically with everything that you need to do. And you’re like, Oh, I’m so tired. I’m tired. And then having just this reminder. I am tired, yes, and that’s okay. But I’m doing all of this not for the sake of my own glory, or that my colleague is going to congratulate me. I’m doing this for Sidy for Fatmata and all of these people that we can change the life of being the smile of Jesus for them and just sit down and listen to them or play Uno with them. And then when you just shift your perspective and point of view on Yes, I’m doing this for these people, this one person specifically. It just changes everything. So to me that was just realizing that and just from time to time shifting glasses.

Raeanne:

Absolutely. Now it’s very true. You’re they’re changing lives. And that changes your life in turn, for sure. I know that you are in Sierra Leone, as you mentioned on the Global Mercy, and this is the start of your third field service. Your first one was on the Africa Mercy in Senegal, then you were in Senegal again with the Global Mercy now in Sierra Leone. Lily, why did you choose to come back for another field service?

Lily:

Well, having met my husband on the Africa Mercy is also a good reason to stay for a longer time we both have a commitment of two years with Mercy Ships. But so staying it just makes sense in a way that we both really want to serve and I’m not done yet with experiencing the goodness of God and seeing his miracles happening on board this vessel and throughout our patients but also the people that I just meet around in the crew members. So yeah, I’m just still very thirsty for adventure, beautiful stories and blessings and just victories as well.

Raeanne:

I love that. So you met your husband on board. Now you’re one of the many that have fallen under the spell of The Love Boat, if you will tell us how you met your husband. And where is he from? Is he French?

Lily:

No. So he’s from the US. He’s from North Dakota, which I didn’t know where this was before I met him. North Dakota — I just had to google it. So we met when I was very, very sick. And back on the Africa Mercy just after COVID, we had very strict rules. And if you were sick, you would get isolated. So away from everyone not being able to go out to the dining room as soon as you would have a runny nose. But sadly, I got more than just a runny nose and I was not really doing well, health wise. And it was the third time in a row that I had to be isolated. And I didn’t dare to ask my friends to be my food buddy, because then you would have a buddy that goes out to the dining room for you and then knock on your door, step away to two feet away, and leave your tray or take your trash out. I mean, anything that you cannot do, because you’re going to go around and spread germs. And so we had these teams that would help people when they were in in isolation. And the team’s Title was: isolated, but not forgotten.

Anyway, out of that, he decided that he would go to the dining room lunch and dinner and take photos of the food. So then the people that were isolated could choose not just from the title that you have from the menu, but also seeing like, oh, do I want this lasagna? Yes. And I had seen that for the third time in a row I was added and then remove and then I did and then removed again from that group. And so he texted me on Teams saying, Oh, I’ve seen that you’ve been added to the group again. Do you need a food buddy? Because I’m free, and I can help you. And so I asked him later on, like, did you hope anything? And he was like, No, I was generally free. And so I was happy. He took me quite a while but it was just at the time where I was like, I don’t care to ask my friends again. Because like, there are good friends, but I’m stretching it right now. I was starving alone in this cabin. And I was like, well, he just texted me and it’s what I really need is some yogurt and some water. Yes. But I was very conflicted. Because I hadn’t taken a shower. I was not looking my best at all. That’s how it all started. But he served me as a buddy for five days, and then asked me if we could just before I got released from isolation, he was like, Oh, can we take lunch together in the dining room when you get out of the isolation to celebrate? And that’s where it all started!

Raeanne:

Oh, my goodness. So he served you for those five days and now gets to serve you for the rest of your life. I love that. And I know only because I have a little inside information, but I think you guys were one of six couples that were married this past summer.

Lily:

Yeah. Okay, so we opened the season of weddings in June. And then yeah, we were followed by three other couples. So great season exciting season. And we got to do a few weeks ago, just because we had so many people on the ship that weren’t able to come to the weddings, they wanted to see photos. So we just made a group invitation and had about 100 people. Oh, couples plus 100 people upon deck nine and we all selected a few photos, watch the photos together.

Raeanne:

Oh, that’s so special. Well, as we wrap up our time together, I wanted to ask you how your life has been changed because of volunteering with Mercy Ships, I think probably one of the biggest ways your life has changed is that you have become a wife. But what is another way that your life has been changed because of the last couple years, volunteering with Mercy Ships?

Lily:

Just seeing hope being tangible for patients, and also seeing the ripple effects around like, then the day crew are translators that work with you, being like, Oh, I’ve seen that happening. So, you know, now I’m just starting up with my own business, and it’s actually working and I dare to do that. And so just hearing the stories around, seeing and being a witness of what does hope mean, in a tangible way. And not just for a patient that got surgery, but actually for the ones around that, witness that and got moving with their dreams and dare to dream bigger to do something. So yeah, for me, it’s a great privilege to be a witness of this. But it’s also getting me moving also in my own personal life and daring to dream, daring to hope.

Raeanne:

Lily, what are your dreams?

Lily:

I have so many. I think just continuing traveling, but being in a place where God wants me to be where I’m called to be and not just because I want to travel and enjoy the sightseeing. But because I know that I have a purpose being here for a mission.

Raeanne:

Well, Lily, you are a blessing and enjoy. I hope that everyone can hear in your voice, just the gentleness and the kindness that I can see all over your face. Just a beautiful smile. And I’m sure that you are blessing these new nurses as they come on board as well as the many patients that you get to love on down in the ward. So thank you, Lily, for taking the time to share with us a little bit about your story today and bless you and your new marriage.

Lily:

Thank you so much. Thank you.

For more information about Mercy Ships, go to mercyships.org, and to keep up with the guests on New Mercies, follow us on Instagram at NewMerciesPodcast.