Alumni Newsletter February 2012

Posted by Mercy Ships staff on Jan 30, 2012 at 02:37 pm

The 2012 field service in Lomé, Togo, is in full swing and a series of screenings have started to take place. Many patients who had received surgery will be checked again and patients who were on a “waiting list” for surgeries will finally receive a long awaited free surgery. The Mercy Vision Eye Team also started screening potential patients. Dr. Wodome, an accomplished Togolese ophthalmologist, will be training a fellow Togolese eye surgeon throughout the Togo 2012 Field Service. Dr. Wodome is an alumni Fellow of Mercy Vision training under Dr. Glen Strauss, a testament to the life-changing training Mercy Ships provides. The Eye Team will be screening at four different locations around Lomé on Mondays and Wednesdays throughout the field service. The team is also asking for prayer for additional eye technicians to join the team in empty slots and for wisdom as they seek out patients for surgery.

The Dental Team under the new leadership of Sieh Moore, Dental Coordinator, is excited for the beginning of the field service in Lomé, Togo.  The team is setting up at the same location provided by the Ministry of Health in 2010, except this time, the Ministry is using the ground level and thus the Dental Team has the 2nd and 3rd  level of the building and a tent outside for patients to wait while they receive oral health education.  The bi-weekly screenings have started in Janua ry and will be held every Monday and Thursday mornings.  The next 18 weeks are sure to be filled with extractions, fillings, hygiene teaching and many patients. 

Please  pray for additional dentists as there are empty slots in the staffing plan. If you feel stirred and called to serve on any of these teams, please contact Dawn Crowther at dawn.crowther@mercyships.org

Help us spread the news that we are in urgent need of General Surgeons to volunteer on our ship, the Africa Mercy currently docked in Lomé, Togo. We have an immediate opening from February 26 – March 14, 2012. There is also an opening from May 6 – May 19, 2012. If you are interested in serving, please contact Dawn Crowther at dawn.crowther@mercyships.org

W e pray a blessing over the ship and her crew and pray that every encounter to be a life changing one.

FACEBOOK! Stay connected with Mercy Ships via our Alumni Facebook Page! Click HERE and remember to 'LIKE' our page to get instant updates to your own feed.

ALUMNI BOOK CLUB - We are excited to tell you about some Mercy Ships Alumni who have written books about their experiences or their insights into the human condition. So come on, let's support them and read!

ALUMNI REUNION CRUISE: We have booked 60 cabins so far for the upcoming Alumni Reunion Cruise! Come join us for a 7 day cruise discovering the Western Caribbean on the Mariner of the Seas departing Galveston, Texas on 25 November 2012. This cruise is all about reconnecting with old friends and making new ones with your fellow alumni who all share the same rich experiences as you. Space is limited! For more information, click HERE or go to www.mercyships.org/alumni_reunion_cruise

A STORY OF TRANSFORMATION - One day, a radio jingle announced the arrival of Mercy Ships to assess people for surgery. Abdul and his father stood in line for an exhausting three days to be seen. It was worth every second when Abdul was accepted for treatment. “The joy I felt was so overwhelming that I lost my appetite to eat until I arrived at Mercy Ships,” he remembered with a flush of excitement.

ROBIN NEWSAM - Although some of the roles Robin has served in over the past seven years have been more challenging than others, it is the community life onboard that has continued to sustain him. “These things have all been part of the story of my life. Living in this community, its stories have become part of my life story.” Robin says.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Anders and Karen Myrene – After many years with Mercy Ships Anders and Karen were sent by the Norwegian Mission Alliance in 2009 to the small island of Marinduque in the Philippines. Anders, a chartered engineer, and Karen, a trained economist works as land development advisers for the local government on Marinduque. They continue to raise their young family at home.

Comments: