Just go with it!

Please select your preferred ministry capacity: Women’s Ministry; Children’s Ministry; Sports; Building Project; Salon.

Wait… what?

One of these things may not seem to belong, but Jillian Norris, a 22-year-old hairdresser from Calgary, sees nothing strange about this sundry list of mission opportunities. Though kicking a soccer ball or pounding a nail may be a perfect delegation for some, to Jillian it’s all about the hair. So when she received news about a volunteer position as Crew Hairdresser for the world’s largest charity hospital ship, she quickly “jumped on board”, so to speak.

Mercy Ships was looking for somebody to keep the volunteers of the Africa Mercy trimmed and tidy as they carry out their mission to bring hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor. It was a role ingeniously out of the ordinary, and one that couldn’t be more perfect for the hairstylist. It was so perfect, in fact, that she immediately signed up for two years of service, outside the box and onboard the giant rail ferry-turned-medical vessel, then docked in Sierra Leone.

“I’ve wanted to be a hairdresser since I was seven and also had an interest in missions and helping people from a very young age,” Jillian says, as though there was never a question she could do both. “For me, it was just a matter of finding where I could merge the two passions - Mercy Ships seemed like my dream come true!”

To make the position of floating foil-artist more unique, it is one of the few roles onboard the Africa Mercy that caters 100% to the crew.

“I get to meet almost everyone that comes and goes from the ship,” the outgoing stylist explains. “And although I’m not down in the hospital helping the sick, I am serving the people who are. I get to hear about amazing things that are happening from so many different perspectives.”

And many perspectives there are. The Africa Mercy houses 450 crew from upwards of 40 different countries. These Mercy Ships volunteers serve in a variety of ways to restore the health and emotional wellbeing of thousands of people along the coast of West Africa, mainly by providing free medical care and developmental programs.

Jillian offers the crew members a rare chance to be pampered between long days that are often emotionally turbulent. She lives by the rule that people are the most effective when they are truly happy. Her services allow volunteers to regroup and feel good so that they can focus on the tasks at hand.

“Sometimes the salon is a place people come when they’ve had a bad day and need to relax,” she says. “Sometimes they need a reminder of home, or someone to listen to what’s going on in their lives. I leave each day feeling different - sometimes I’m exhausted from all of the emotions and sometimes I come out really happy. I am learning to take one day at a time and be grateful for each moment that happens, good or bad – every one of those moments is shaping me into a more compassionate and loving person.”

Jillian’s mature mind-set is coupled with her abundant enthusiasm. She seems to be where she was always meant to. One question is obvious though: how difficult is it for a prairie girl to suddenly find herself at home on a ship?

Jillian describes the Africa Mercy as a floating college dorm. “We have [small] rooms, a little store (the Ship Shop) and a Starbucks coffee shop. There’s also an internet café and many lounge areas to hang out with friends. For the most part, I love the ship,” she says. “The challenge is that there’s not a lot of personal space and it’s hard to find alone time. When I’m at home I can hop in my car and go just about anywhere, but here it requires a lot of planning.”

And like anyone who has experienced “summer camp goodbyes”, Jillian finds it difficult to let go of fellow shipmates almost as quickly as she’s met them. “[The ship] is like a revolving door of people coming and going,” she shares. “New crew arrive and leave weekly, and each crew member stays to serve for a different duration of time. We are constantly saying goodbye to really amazing people.”
 
Jillian herself will say goodbye to the Africa Mercy in July 2013 and, though she will return to regular salon work, she won’t be the same hairdresser.

“I am already being challenged in ways I never could have imagined,” she says. “I don’t think I can even begin to predict how much I will have changed by the time I go home.” During her time with Mercy Ships she has not only gained hairdressing skills, but the ability to communicate well with people from any culture. She’s also experienced a shift in the way she views her job.

“[Hairdressing] is not just a means of income, but an opportunity to really value each individual as a person, not simply a client. My hope is that I will be more loving and compassionate to all people,” she says.

Norris has advice for those searching out their own adventures and ministry opportunities: “Seek God first and pray about every decision you make; He will be your ultimate guide. Also seek the guidance of those around you that you trust – your friends, family and church. There will be some people who think you are crazy to be doing what you are doing, but you will also find friends and family that see things as a perfect fit.”

The ideal fusion of skills and service opportunity may not always present itself as obviously as this one did, but Jillian recognizes the fundamental importance of going with what she’s good at. She is also compelled by the vital necessity to simply go where she is led.

“I always wanted to be able to leave everything behind, no matter what the cost, to go where God called me. I don’t know if I’ve necessarily had to do this because I am not living in the jungle without food or water – I have everything I need and lots of things I want – but it is a place where God has brought me – to give up the familiar, to go and serve.”

-- Jennelle Dippel, Mercy Ships Canada