Video and article from Tyler Paper

Volunteer Information Meeting For Mercy Ships Set At Green Acres Baptist Church

Last week the ship docked in Cotonou for 10 months of service to the West African nation of Benin. People interested in volunteering for Mercy Ships of Garden Valley are invited to an information session, 4-6 p.m. Sunday at Green Acres Baptist Church (in Tyler, Texas).

Green Acres Baptist Church (Tyler, Texas) will hold a volunteer-information for Mercy Ships of Garden Valley from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The 499-foot Africa Mercy, the world's largest nongovernmental hospital ship, docked in Cotonou last week for a 10-month term of service in the West African Nation of Benin.

The Mercy Ships meeting at Green Acres will be held in the Galilee Room. The theme of the event is "Get on Board with Mercy Ships."

"This meeting is designed for people from all over East Texas, not just at Green Acres, to hear about volunteering opportunities with Mercy Ships," said Angela Fadley, of Mercy Ships.

The state-of-the-art hospital ship began sending medical screening teams into North Benin shortly after docking to increase health care services. The pro-active approach helps insure medical services are provided equitably throughout the country, said information from Mercy Ships. About 300 to 500 North Benin candidates for surgery are expected to be screened.
Surgeries offered include maxilla-facial, cleft lip and palate, tumors, flesh-eating noma, release of burn contractures, obstetric fistula and orthopedic issues.

During the 10-month tenure in Benin, hundreds of volunteers from around the world will carry out a wide range of medical and community development services. A dental clinic in Akpakpa will provide up to 20,000 dental care procedures, and vision clinics will be offered.

The Mercy Vision project aims to help reduce the number of the estimated 48,000 blind people in Benin, and treat those with crossed eyes, pterygium, children under 16-years-old born with cataracts and "older people" who can see some light. In 2009 an estimated 3,000 cataract surgeries will be performed. Medical teams will set up community clinics in Godomey, Ghanhi, Porto-Novo and Akpaka to evaluate and treat up to 20,000 people for basic eye diseases.

To RSVP or for more information call (903) 939-7045.