‘God led me to give up my secure job of 24 years, to run a school on a ship for missionary kids!’

Ruth Cooper wasn’t sure she was confident enough be a preacher or be on an outreach team, but using her teaching skills to enable people to see God’s love for them in a practical way felt more accessible.

My journey with Mercy Ships started back in 2010 when I was working in a school in London. I had recently returned from working for three years in an international school in Kenya and was still adjusting to life back in the UK. The school chose a charity to support each year and, this year, Mercy Ships was chosen.

Listening to the visiting speaker talk about the school on a ship was interesting but having just returned from Africa, it was not something I even considered would be in my future.