“I’m healed from inside, not just from outside… that’s the most important thing.” 

Sitting after work in his red deck crew uniform, Sheku scrolls through old photos of himself. The images take him back to a chapter of his life he has never forgotten. 

Sheku was just 14 years old when he first encountered Mercy Ships in 2002. He was living with a life-threatening facial tumor that was slowly reducing his ability to breathe. His family searched for help at hospitals across Freetown, Sierra Leone, but none could treat him. 

Thankfully, hope came through an unexpected conversation with friends who told him about Mercy Ships. 

In 2003, long-time volunteer maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Gary Parker performed Sheku’s first surgery aboard the Anastasis in Sierra Leone. Years later, Dr. Parker also performed a follow-up surgery on the Africa Mercy, placing Sheku among the few patients who have received surgery on two different Mercy Ships vessels. 

“For me, he’s [like] an angel,” Sheku shared, thinking back on his time aboard the two ships. “That’s how I see Dr. Gary.” 

And more than two decades later, Sheku describes the surgery as lifesaving — in more than one way. 

“I remember when I had surgery, there were two chaplain couples who prayed for me,” Sheku recalled. “At the time, I wasn’t really listening. But they planted a seed in me.” 

Years later, his uncle shared more about his own faith. Initially, Sheku was skeptical, but after praying, he learned more about Jesus and decided to become a Christian.  

“I have been transformed inside and out,” he said. “The transformation is not just physical, but spiritual. It’s different when you’re with Jesus. Even when life is hard, [your faith] keeps you going.” 

Sheku’s faith eventually brought him back to Mercy Ships, this time as a volunteer, where he served for 5 years in the engine room aboard the Africa Mercy. His role included many tasks that helped the hospital ship run smoothly, but one responsibility stood out to him: operating the medical waste incinerator late at night. While others may have seen just an ordinary task, Sheku saw something deeply personal. 

“Every time I was doing that work, I felt like somebody once did something for me,” he said. “It was my way of saying thank you to Mercy Ships.” 

When the Global Mercy committed to serving in Sierra Leone in 2024, Sheku came back aboard, having now been aboard three separate Mercy Ships! Today, you can often find Sheku cleaning decks and supporting daily operations, while sharing his story with new patients walking their own healing journeys. 

Between his hard work with Mercy Ships, his time serving in a prison outreach ministry, and as a youth leader at his church, Sheku holds onto one belief: 

“I just want to trust God, listen to Him, and see what He has for me!”