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Mercy Ships Alumni Newsletter - September 2010

Posted by Mercy Ships staff on Aug 31, 2010 at 03:26 pm

Welcome to the September 2010 edition of the Mercy Ships Alumni newsletter!

CONNECTIONS: A Mercy Ships Update! Come with us as we take another close look at the unique world of Mercy Ships. You will meet Jack Bolding, a 7 year old boy with a huge heart for Haiti, and how he single handedly raises money to help Mercy Ships continue to bring hope and healing to this devastated country. Mercy Ships remains committed to long term support for the people of Haiti. In our series on how Mercy Ships builds capacity for the future, we hear from Dr. Glenn Strauss on how the Alcon Fellowship Program educates local eye surgeons on the Africa Mercy on better cataract surgery techniques. You can view the video on the Alumni website or by clicking HERE!

UPDATE FROM TOGO: Meet Logan Wiggins from Texas. For Logan, one of the greatest things in life is inspiration. Sometimes you can find it in the strangest and most unexpected places. Logan didn't come to Togo, West Africa, looking for inspiration. However, it is one of many things he will take Logan with him when he leaves the Africa Mercy. Read his story HERE.

Abel Dalome had a normal childhood until a problem arose following an injection. His parents noticed he was having difficulty learning to crawl. His muscles had stopped growing, but his bones had not. As a result, his legs were not growing correctly because there was so little musculature to direct them. They began to bend backward at the knee, forcing his upper thighs out behind him. Read Abel's story HERE.

Aseye Badu, a nurse from Australia has just finished serving on the Africa Mercy in Togo. "I left Ghana, a neighbouring country to Togo, when I was 10. I am aware of the struggles people endure in Africa, and know that my life has been very blessed. So my 'motherland' Africa has also been a place I've desired to return to and give something back to my people," she says. Read more of Aseye's fascinating story HERE!

When Michiel Van de Visser came to Mercy Ships, he imagined he would be doing technical work that would indirectly change lives. It never occurred to Michiel that he would have the opportunity to directly change people's lives. Health care may be the main purpose of Mercy Ships, but Michiel is a superb example of how Mercy Ships makes a difference in people's lives outside of the hospital - through capacity building. Read Michiel's story HERE!

GLOBAL NEWS: Norwegian supergroup a-ha recently anounced that on October 4, they will perform their debut album, Hunting High and Low, in concert at the Oslo Konserthus in Norway as a fundraiser to support the work of Mercy Ships. According to their official website, they have sold over 35 million albums worldwide plus more than 15 million singles, making them the best-selling Norwegian music act in history. For more information, please contact the Mercy Ships Norway office at +47-51-510-090

ALUMNI NEWS: Remember Mercy Ships when making your selection for this year's CFC or Workplace Giving Campaign! Contribute to the Mercy Ships Combined Federal Campaign #94744.

We are also looking for volunteers who will represent Mercy Ships at events near you! If you would like to join the Mercy Ships Speakers Network mail us at alumni@mercyships.org and we will get you started!

Reflections of our Alumni. Win a stylish 16 ounce Mercy Ships mug! All you have to do is tell us what serving with Mercy Ships meant to you in about 200 words. Email us your answer, plus your shipping address to alumni@mercyships.org and we will post the entries on the alumni website. See the latest Reflections HERE.