Sarah Shultz is on a mission of mercy.

The 22-year-old from Lindsborg is currently serving on a floating hospital ship off the coast of Africa aptly named the “Africa Mercy.”

Shultz joined in on the KSAL Morning News Tuesday through a live satellite call to talk about her experience on board a ship with 82 patient beds and a crew of 450 including medical staff.

“The Africa Mercy is the largest nongovernmental hospital ship in the world,” she said.

“We have nurses and doctors that come from all over the world to treat the people of Africa free of charge.”

The ship has been in service since 2007 and spends ten months in port – supplying medical procedures and services at no cost to the very poor.

Shultz, who boarded in Congo says as a receptionist, her role includes working with patients as they begin the process and continues through follow up visits.

She said she enjoys seeing their transformation after procedures like cleft lip repair and tumor removal. “It really is giving people hope back,” she said.

“In some cases they thought they were cursed because of the tumor that was growing on them.”

Shultz adds that Mercy Ships is operated solely by private donations.

Learn more online at www.mercyships.org