Greetings from Togo - May Newsletter

Great Response and Changes for our Newsletters

Thank you so much for the great response that we received from our short note on Mother’s Day! It was the best response that we’ve ever received from our friends and family! What a great encouragement! We must apologize for the “Dear” not actually making it into the note – it was a button that we wanted to try and I forgot to enter it before sending the note out! Oops! I’m (Denise) so sorry!

We have decided to change providers to send our Newsletters. After almost 8 years of using inJesus and going through changes with them as they've grown, their newest change to netatlantic is just not working for us! So we went looking for providers and we believe that iContact is going to work for us! We were very impressed that they gave us a call the day after we began a 15 day trial and offered us a 20% discount for being missionaries with Mercy Ships! If you've received this newsletter in your email...then you know it's working! Thank you for confirming your subscription to Mercy Watch!

Thank YOU! and Photos from the USA


A slideshow photo recap of the time in the US is available for those who would like to see it - here.


Unfortunately, we didn’t take pictures every where we went so in putting this together we did miss some photos of those we visited and regret that we didn’t take pictures! We do love and miss you all!



As you can see from this picture, we experienced some SNOW in Texas as we spent time there with friends and family during February! This is Rob in front of John and Ruth's home in Van, Texas.


We are very thankful for the time we had to reconnect with family and friends. Each of you holds a special place in our life! As we traveled some seventy-five hundred miles from January through April we were very blessed to share time with you in your homes. You all made us feel very special and reminded us again just how blessed we are to have family and friends like you!



We also were able to spend some time in Sunny Florida with our family, friends and our home church! This picture is of Rob and our leased car (Thank you M.A.T.S) on the beach in St. Augustine about 6 blocks from our son, Jason's, home during the month of March!


As we settle back into community life onboard the memories we carry back with us are priceless. Thank each of you for your love and friendship! It is a humbling experience to realize how much we are loved by so many. Thank you for your many expressions of this love!



This picture is of our leased car in Virgina as we experienced spring in the Mid-Atlantic during the month of April!

Information on Togo

We are now here in Lomé, Togo! The ship has been here since mid-February and will stay until mid August. It has been a busy time and many opportunities to share God’s love and care with the people of Togo. Screening has been done a bit differently here in Togo and there is much need for the services Mercy Ships can offer.


Togo has about 6 million people and just over 1 million reside in Lome. The country is about 100 miles wide at the widest part and about 360 miles stretching north from the Gulf of Guinea. The countryside is two savannah plains separated by hills from the southwest to the northeast. The per capita income is about $900 (US) or about $80 a month. The official language is French, however, many local languages are spoken (Ewe, Mina, Kabye).

Mercy Ships was last here in 2003 and Togo was the first African Nation that welcomed Mercy Ships in 1990. We plan to do about 2,000 surgeries during our field service from February to August 2010. These surgeries include; Cataract, Cleft Lip and Palate, Orthopedic, Maxillofacial, Reconstructive, Fistula, Hernia and Goiter. In addition to the surgeries, Our surgeons and nurses are training surgeons and nurses from Togo and other African countries to use our procedures.


Screenings in Togo

During the Togo Field Service, Mercy Ships is testing a new format for screening patients. Several pre-screenings were conducted from February until April - in multiple locations rather than one mass screening. This allowed our teams to reach multiple areas of need while hopefully reducing the size of the crowd that normally appears during large screenings. Our hope was that prospective patients would have less time to wait to be examined while also reducing security concerns that come with large groups.


In this photo, these people were waiting ever so patientlly. About 1500 people came to the first day of screening.

According to Rachel Dix, the screening coordinator for the Africa Mercy , the new screening process should enable Mercy Ships to accommodate more people. "We only schedule [surgeries] for two-week blocks of time," explains Rachel. "This will allow some flexibility in our surgical schedule. So if we have a very large case that comes at the end of the year, we'll still be able to accommodate it."

General medical screenings were held every week for ten weeks. The screenings took place at predetermined locations in Lomé. In previous field services, screenings were held dockside, adjacent to the Africa Mercy .


In addition to the Lomé screenings, Dr. Tony and Ann Giles, agreed to travel up-country for one month to conduct mobile screenings. All potential surgical patients then can be transported to the Mercy Ships Hospitality Center in Lomé for further evaluation.

The crew and staff are excited and optimistic about the new screening procedure. The method may vary somewhat, but the result remains the same - hope and healing for the people of Togo.

Written By: Joy Clary
Edited by Nancy Predaina
(Denise made tense changes since it was written prior to these screenings being held - the screenings are completed now)

We’d like to share a story of one of the patients who had surgery 15 years ago on a Mercy Ship, the Anastasis and hosted a team from Mercy Ships in her village this year – this was written by Elaine Winn, a Mercy Ships writer.

A Visit with Edoh

A sweet, gentle young woman walked forward, holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Thirty joyful family members joined her in welcoming the visitors from the Mercy Ship. This was Edoh - a life restored by mercy.

Edoh is the youngest of six children. When she was about four years old, her eye became very red and began to swell. Her mother, Afua, desperately tried to find help, going from hospital to hospital in Togo and Ghana. But no one could help her little girl.

By the time Edoh was nine, a massive facial tumor had displaced her left eye, distorted her cheek and mouth, and left her teeth protruding at odd angles from the edges of the mass. She struggled to eat and breathe. The tumor was literally stealing the breath of life from her - she was slowly suffocating.


Then Afua heard about a hospital ship, a Mercy Ship, that had arrived in her country to offer free medical care. So, she took Edoh to the screening.

A huge crowd of six thousand crushed into the stadium in Togo, almost tearing off the gate. These desperate people were living lives of misery and rejection because of their abnormalities - viewed as a curse in their culture. Unable to work, or even live in society, they saw Mercy Ships as their only chance to have a normal life. They wanted a chance for a free surgery, the chance for a miracle.

But in the midst of all that suffering and desperate longing, mercy raised its head. A little girl's gasping struggle to breathe captured the attention of the crowd. Arms of compassion - some weak and some strong - lifted Edoh and passed her to the front of the long line.

Edoh remembers that moment - the moment that changed her life forever. She recalls, "I remember being lifted over the heads of the crowd and being passed along to the gate. A nurse saw me and said, 'This is the type of surgery we need to do.'"


And that day Edoh received an appointment card for surgery ... an appointment to receive life instead of death.

The doctors warned Afua that this was a difficult, risky case. But she wisely replied, "God gives children; God can take away. We will give it all to God and go ahead with the surgery."

And her faith was rewarded. Edoh returned home to a very surprised community. "It's a miracle!" they exclaimed. And they held a big party to celebrate.

A year later, Dr. Luer Koeper, a maxillofacial surgeon, who had helped to remove the tumor, took Edoh to Germany for a second surgery on her lip. Then in 2003, she had another surgery on her lower eyelid.

And now, 15 years after her first surgery, this "walking miracle" was welcoming Mercy Ships volunteers to her village.


Edoh happily described the transformation in her life. She recalled how she used to stay away from people. She couldn't go to school. She became very shy, hiding in her home. But now she can go everywhere - including school.

In fact, Edoh is a good student. After she completes her secondary education, she wants to become a nurse to help others - just like the dedicated Mercy Ships volunteers helped her.

The celebration arranged by the family continued at the "cascade," a beautiful waterfall that roars down the mountain behind Edoh's home. There, her brothers played their native drums, and everyone sang praises to God for His mercy toward Edoh.

A smiling Edoh added, " If it wasn't for the Mercy Ship, maybe I would be dead. Mercy Ships changed that. I used to look in the mirror and feel pity for myself. But now I think about what happened to me, and it's all about God. I put everything in God's hands."

Written by Elaine B. Winn
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by Debra Bell

As we return to our roles onboard, there are many opportunities to excel. Several of the crew have been sick with various maladies which effects all of us spiritually and emotionally not to mention physically. We both have had a few days of adjusting and not feeling too well. Please pray for the continued health of our crew. Please continue to keep us up to date with events in your lives through your emails, phone calls, letters, and postings on FaceBook.

Please let us know what you'd like to see in these newsletters We try to find the right mix, so you are informed, yet at the same time feel a part of what is going on here. We would like to send a personal note to each of you. We use this vehicle of technology (email) for expediency, efficiency, and reliability. However we try very hard to ensure you don’t feel this is an impersonal tabloid. May we encourage you to take this opportunity to drop a note? Tell us what you like and what you don’t like. Tell us what you’d like to hear more about. Ask some questions that maybe we can answer for you and perhaps others have the same questions. We look forward to hearing from you…and for those of you who regularly reply…Thank You!! You encourage us greatly.

We’ve started a new website you might want to check out www.mercywatch.net. It is still a work in progress at this time. Our continued prayer for you is - May your life be as wonderful as it was in the mind of God the day He made you!


God’s Blessings,
Rob and Denise
currently in Lome, Togo        Email us

Sailing to Monrovia, Liberia!

Hello Friends,

We are so excited!!! We are actually sailing en route to Monrovia, Liberia aboard the Africa Mercy.

On March 28th, we set sail on Seatrials and sailed to Blyth, England from the A&P shipyard. Our time in Blyth was very busy, loading the ship, adjusting to our new home and getting everything ready to sail and actually go to Monrovia, Liberia. We had many volunteers come to help us move boxes and empty the warehouses there to load up the ship. It was a very busy time and we all worked hard to keep on schedule. It seemed an impossible task.

When we arrived in Blyth, the ship was just barely operational. Reception, the Galley and Dining Room needed to become fully operational immediately!

We moved all the crew on board, emptied the warehouse, sorted out the offices and departments to get them running properly. Trained the non-technical crew as we prepared for the surveys and inspections that seemed never ending!

God was so faithful as we pressed in to His promises to give us rest and strength to complete the tasks. We were in a community meeting, as the Captain was still meeting with the inspectors and surveyors. Half way through the meeting the Captain came in and told us that all the certificates were issued and that we would be able to leave on time...the next morning 04 May 2007 for Rotterdam..Tenerife and Monrovia! Praise the Lord! He alone could make it possible! We appreciate all your prayers, too!

We have sailed via Rotterdam, Netherlands and had a wonderful reception hosted by the Mercy Ships Netherlands office. They were very gracious and just couldn’t seem to do enough for us. We were quite humbled by the experience.

The Netherlands office planned tours of the ship for about 1200-1500 people in just 2 days. It was amazing and very well planned.

We had a short time to enjoy walking around the city and being in a central location, just across the bridge from the city center, made it very convenient. We enjoyed a Chinese dinner in a huge Chinese Restaurant and Hotel.

After a few days in Rotterdam, we sailed for six days to Santa Cruz de Tenerife off the northwest coast of Africa.

The first part of the sail was a little bumpy as we headed through the English Channel towards the Bay of Biscay. As we entered the Bay the ride became even more of a challenge.

We had strong headwinds (Gale Force 10) and a varying sea state from 8-12 feet with larger swells at times. The Africa Mercy is a very stable ship and corrects herself quickly which can be an interesting ride at times.

The crew was amazing and did very well at sea for the most part. We got our “sea legs” back after two years of not sailing. We’d take this sail any day over being moored to the dock.

The sea calmed down after crossing the Bay of Biscay and we then had a lovely sail on to Tenerife.

As we sailed closer to Tenerife, the coats and jackets were set aside as the weather was warmer and the crew gathered on "Monkey Island" (top of the bridge) and made it a "Sun Deck". We enjoyed standing by the rail and looking into the deep blue ocean to possibly see a whale or some dolphins! One of our crew saw two sea turtles!

We arrived in Tenerife on Monday at 3:00pm. We came to refuel and the engineers were busy directly upon arrival bunkering fuel. The second day we were there, divers came to check the bottom of the ship for the surveyors. And then the next day more fuel! The crew arranged for everyone to have at least one day off while we were there! The dock was lovely and just a short walk into the town. Very nice and bustling with activity, it was just nice to walk around and enjoy the culture. Most of the crew (us included) did much walking the few days we were in Tenerife!

Denise was anxious to have a nice Spanish dinner of Arroz con Pollo or Paella as her favorite dishes are Spanish! We couldn’t get it the first night, but after a couple days of looking we found a really nice restaurant.

She was able to get paella at lunch time the day before we left Tenerife! It was one of the highlights of Tenerife! The specialty of the house was “Olympia Paella” which was very good with, fresh shrimp, Spanish rice, clams, chicken, langostinos (very small lobsters), pork, mussels, green beans, peas, red and green peppers, onions. We’ve included a picture for you. Is your mouth watering yet?

Rosa, our waitress, was very pleasant and we had a wonderful meal. We also managed to treat ourselves to ice cream cones a couple times.

Several of the crew found out how quickly the sun here can cause sunburn. Denise was well prepared with her sun block cream #48. We looked just like all the other tourists with our camera, sun hats, white arms and legs looking at all of the sites with much curiosity. We had a lovely time in Tenerife.

We were reminded many times while in Tenerife of our times spent on the Caribbean Mercy. Tenerife is a Spanish island and the latin culture of Central America is very similar as there was much Spanish influence there. There was not the poverty that we observed in Central America.

Tenerife is a rich island with most developed nation luxuries. Much like any modern city in a developed nation. Occasionally, we could see signs of it's history as a developing nation.

The parks are beautiful with the lovely flowers, as we looked closely we could see that this one was in rememberance of a time when the village people came here to get their water for their homes. Many of the villages in Central America that we served in had central wells for the village and the women and children carried the buckets on their heads.

Many of the villages that we will serve in Liberia will not have running water or electricity to the homes of the people. In fact, many of the homes in Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia don't have running water or electricity.

So, we thought much about where we have served in Central America and the Caribbean and also about where we will serve in Africa.

As we walked around the city of Santa Cruz, this was a good time of preparation, reflection and time to change from the ship project thinking and the many lists of to dos and focus on our ministry and what God is preparing for our service in Africa.

Since leaving Santa Cruz de Tenerife at 10:00am on Thursday 17 May, 2007, we have experienced a very smooth sail thus far. The waves are very calm, cloudless skies, and just a gentle rocking of the ship from port to starboard as we make our way to Monrovia, Liberia. It is very pleasant and relaxing. We are also able to work on board and get things completed before we reach Monrovia.

We, as a crew, have spent time together watching some training DVDs put together by the Anastasis crew to share with us, to help us prepare for Monrovia, Liberia and to appreciate what the people of Liberia have experienced over the past 14 years of civil war. This training helps us understand better what the reality of life in Liberia is.

Dr. Gary Parker, our Chief Medical Officer, does an excellent job of helping us focus on God and what we have been called to in serving the Liberian people. We are in the third day of our sail to Monrovia, Liberia. We are scheduled to arrive at 0700am on Wednesday, 23 May 2007.

We ask you to be in prayer with us as we prepare for the next season God has brought us into. We are very humbled and privileged to be part of this crew; we very much look forward to the combining of our crew on the Anastasis and all of us onto the Africa Mercy. We will be one crew together on one ship! We are excited as we have just a glimpse of what God is going to do.

We ask for your continued prayer covering, for health and safety. We pray for those that God will use us to reach, we pray that we will stay focused daily on God as the source of our strength and that we will not give into the thought that we are able to do any of this in our own strength but only by the empowering of the Holy Spirit.

Thank you for your prayers for us! Will you email us with the prayer needs you have, so we may also, join with you in prayer? We very much appreciate hearing of answered prayer as well. The victories we can share, which encourages each of us. God's plans for each of us so beautifully weave together into His purpose and to bring Him the Glory!

We are a little apprehensive as to how God will use us in Liberia. We know he’ll stretch us and take us out of our comfort zone. We know he’ll continue to prune us and mold us into his image. Along the way we just pray that there will be evidence of His presence in us. Enough where our actions may speak into the lives of those people we come into contact with. We look for the opportunities and make ourselves available. This will be our first time to Africa and we are looking forward to see what God has in His mind for us!

We know beyond a shadow of doubt that we are where He has sent us and we sooooo appreciate your support and your love shown to us in many many ways! And especially your prayers! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

God's abundant blessings,
Denise and Rob
Mercy Ships, M/V Africa Mercy