The Effects of Extreme Isolation

By Julie McLaughlin

Report from Christmas Island. (7 days sail south from Kona, HI)

One thing that hit me like a brick after talking to nurses here today, in addition to all the others experiencing problems with transportation, is the direct effect on access to medical care.  Not having ships is the single largest limitation for people receiving available treatment.  Every conversation I had with dentists, nurses, medical assistants, the TB nurse, the public health nurse, all of them explained the reason they cannot treat people is that they cannot get to Christmas Island from Fanning and Washington even if they are sick.  The boat only goes a couple of times a year.  So, if someone is sick they have to survive somehow on their isolated island.  Even if they managed get to Christmas Island for treatment, they can¹t get home again for 3 or more months and the hospital has to pay them money for them to live on while the wait and wait for the next ship.

I think God has heard the cries of those suffering in isolation on Fanning and Washington and has lead us directly to them.  This location is the perfect location for what God is calling us to do.  Wow.  If anyone ever needed a reason to be a part of YWAM Ships OC, they should come here and experience this extremely remote corner of the Pacific – then you would understand why God wants 40 ships for YWAM. It is easy to see.

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