Stay Sane Getting B.A.C.K. From Summer Vacation

My co-worker, Winston, comes back to work tomorrow and I'm so looking forward to that! Winston is from South Africa and has his family (wife, Naomi and daughter, Chenell) onboard the ship, except he came back without his oldest son, Tashwell. Tash graduated from the Academy in June and decided to go back to South Africa for college. So... Winston and his family took Tash back and got him settled. I know it was a tough trip coming back to the ship without Tashwell. We're glad to have them back! They have been missed in our community on the Africa Mercy! Welcome Back, Winston!

Here's a great article for getting back to work for those of you who may have had time off during the last few months.

by Karen Leland, co-founder of Sterling Consulting Group, Inc. www.scgtraining.com

B - Big Picture: Before getting caught up in the raging river of small details, begin by catching up on what has happened while you were away. Is their any recent news regarding your department or company you need to know about? What is the status of that major project you were working on when you left? Although it seems like a short time, a lot can happen in a week or two. One senior manager came back from a ten-day vacation in Hawaii to an email informing him that the company had been bought! Before you leave put one or two staff members in charge of preparing a big picture report to be presented when your return.

A - Actions: What important requests, that require action, came from your boss, peers, staff or clients while you were gone? Make a list in order of priority and then email or call each person to:

• Acknowledge that you have received their request
• Provide a timeline by when it will be handled
• Inform them whom the item has been delegated to or where the request should be re-directed

Remember, you may not be able to get everything done within the first two days back. By scheduling the actions you need to take over the next week, it will all get done.

C - Communication: Chances are while you were away, tons of snail mail, email and phone calls piled up. Not all of these incoming communications warrant dropping everything and responding to right away. Try organizing your communications into the following priorities:

• Handle right away
• Can wait a few days
• Handle next week

The first one or two days back respond to the A's. Schedule the B's for your 3rd and 4th day back and put the C's off until the following week.
K - Keep Calm: You will be more focused and more effective if you can avoid getting stressed and overwhelmed on your first few days back. One practical way to do this is to force yourself to take a morning, lunch, and afternoon break on your first few days back. For those of you thinking ‘heresy’, think again. Studies show that taking a few breaks at work gives the brain a chance to take the equivalent of a cat nap and return to the tasks at hand more focused and refreshed. Ultimately, that short walk, lunch away from your desk or quick trip to Starbucks, may help keep your head clear and get you back into the swing of things with calm and focus.

Possibly a new link between Jacksonville and Benin!

Click here to read an article about a delegation from West Africa to meet with port officials in Jacksonville on August 23 - 27!

In the Stillness....There is Mercy

It’s in Benin. It’s dark. It’s quiet. It’s peaceful.
But in the stillness there’s a stirring.
It’s 4am. Yet thousands of people wait.
Sleepy eyes droop yet refuse to sleep.
Tired arms carrying babies slip but hold on tighter.
The old man’s limbs are weak. He refuses to rest...
He might loose his place in the queue.
It’s 7am. It’s apparent these people need help.
I see a face hidden behind a veil. I look closer… it is disfigured.
Behind the veil, there is fear, doubt and yet…
The more I look around; I realize the sea of faces are desperate.
Look closer. Look in their eyes and there is hope.
It’s a medical screening day.
Mercy Ships volunteers are here to use their skills to bring change to the lives of
thousands who have no access to medical help.
Here, people ostracized for years are hugged.
Children teased because of a deformity are kissed.
Incontinent women shunned by husbands have hope.
The day is buzzing with activity. People have waited for hours. Medical checks ups
with doctors from around the world. Appointment cards for surgery…More waiting.
In spite of the thousands and activity, there is a stillness. There’s peace. There’s hope.
For the first time in their lives...
The shunned are being shown mercy.
By Esther Biney / Benin 09

Rob's struggle and Anniversary Safari!

Dear Family and Friends,

We pray you are in good health and not too tired from all of the summer activities. Where have June and July gone? It seems that there have been so many activities here and many crew members coming and going these past several months. Denise has tried to load up some of the promised pictures from Pendjari with some success.

We are blessed to have internet access via satellite, especially when you read about the fiber optic cable that supplies West Africa being cut/broken. Several countries in West Africa (Benin being one) lost all of their internet access unless they have access via satellite as we do on the ship! Sometimes it is easy to take our blessings for granted and even grumble about those we don’t have.

I (Rob) must confess I’ve found myself in that situation lately. It is sometimes hardest for me to stay focused during the summer months. Many families on the ship vacation home while the children are out of school or Grandmas and Grandpas come to the ship to visit. Sometimes it is easier to think about also going on vacation, and the fond memories of past vacations we've enjoyed with family and friends. Having these thoughts and desires is not bad, but when I find myself in a position where taking a vacation is not possible for a variety of reasons and am not careful ... I may become embittered about the whole situation. I found myself in this mindset and even became jealous and bitter towards those who are taking their well deserved vacation. I started comparing my sacrifice to theirs and started thinking ... it just wasn’t fair. I started to withdraw a little, because I was ashamed.

Fortunately, God will not allow me to stay in this place if listening to Him and not to myself. I find that when I take my focus off of Jesus and onto myself, it is hard to feel loving and understanding.

I don’t know what your challenges are or what situation you may find yourself in as we are nearing the end of this summer season (or for some of you winter season). Whether you need a vacation or have just returned from one. I can only tell you where I found myself for a little while and how it affected me and the relationship with those around me.

Living on board is like living in a large extended family and most of the time it is great! Sometimes though you may want a little less family ... maybe the six berth cabin is a little too close for comfort on one day. Granted I can’t really relate to this, because I have the pleasure of living in a couple’s cabin with my lovely wife. I don’t have to worry about my cabin mate changing. But I do have a responsibility to her and to the rest of the community. Sometimes I like to believe that my actions are only affecting Denise and me. People on board aren’t nosy or pushy; they are genuinely friendly and concerned about you.

Recently, I’ve had more occasions to have this reality brought home to me. I have had a couple of weeks of less than excellent health. This is unusual for me; normally I’m as strong and healthy as an ox and at times may act like one. A couple weeks ago my lower back was aching on the left side so I tried to think of what strenuous exercise I had done to pull a muscle. I couldn’t think of any and could only remember carrying a couple of Igloo water containers down a couple decks on Saturday for the engineers. I thought, my goodness if carrying 20-30 pound water coolers causes me to pull a muscle I’m in bad shape. I’m a big baby when I’m hurting ... so after a few days of soreness and sleepless nights. Denise suggested I go see the doctor. Not my favorite thing to do ... but my wife is wise, so I went.

My pain didn’t seem to fit quite right for a pulled muscle, so the doctor gave me some Ibuprofen and we decided to keep an eye on it for a few days over the weekend. On Sunday, I noticed my back seemed to be itchy in the same area that it was hurting in. Denise looked and told me a rash had developed in the same spot, by Monday there was a rash on my stomach and side as well. OK, back to the doctor, aha now she was able to complete the diagnosis ... I had shingles!

I was actually relieved to know it wasn’t a pulled muscle but a virus. I may be sick, but at least I wasn't a wimp. Now several weeks have past and I’m recovering. Well, my immune system was down so I managed to catch a cold. Nice ... I don’t miss work ... I don’t get sick ... I’m tough ...OK, so I get grumpy. In spite of my grumpy ways, I’ve found people are genuinely concerned about me and my welfare. Not how strong I think I am ... how good of a job I may do ...or any of that. Just how are you Rob? Yes, sometimes there are those you may expect to ask ... sometimes those that you want to ask ... but what about people that come up and ask you that you can’t remember their names? What about people that you are obviously affecting that you don’t even realize?

I would suggest that we affect and impact people far more than we realize ... for good or maybe somedays not so good. Through this I’ve had to come back to realize, God cares and God’s people care ... there is a difference. I didn’t forget God cares ... but sometimes it’s like I’ve taken His love and blessings for granted.

I’m thankful He doesn’t take me for granted and loves me even when I’m not loveable ... even when I’m jealous of other peoples blessings and can’t see my own. Even when I get embittered He loves me. I pray that you are able to experience this same love ... and hopefully if you have ... and do ... you won’t keep it to yourself but will be like the crew members I have the pleasure of serving with and will share it with that brother or sister that needs a reminder.

Here’s the promised summary of our 36th Wedding Anniversary Safari Trip to Pendjari. It was incredible! Our first time to actually see in the wild African animals! After having spent over 2 years in Africa, we thought it was about time! A few groups of Mercy Shippers had been up to the Pendjari Wildlife Preserve Park. They had a great time, brought back pictures and stories of the animals they were able to see and the incredible experiences they had. We listened to them and began to think it might be possible for us to do it, too!

We have found that travel in a developing country is definitely not something to take for granted and something that we need to consider carefully. We have been on local excursions throughout our travels with Mercy Ships. Sometimes it pushes us farther than we can physically handle (we still would like to think we are in our 20s or 30s... not always realistic!) Also, the food, ride and places to stay overnight must always be taken into account. So a trip 11 hours away from the ship in a local bus and by a local guide's vehicle is something to consider carefully! We also needed to consider the timing as the rainy season was at hand and word was that roads may not be passable and the lodge in the park would close if the rains begin, so it may not even be a possibility.

We carefully weighed all the factors that we could find out about (also difficult due to the language barrier!) The opportunity came of a new group forming to go up and we decided to join them! Most of the group was a part of the communications group from the ship, so we were privileged to be able to join them and enjoyed our time with them. We also decided to bless James with a trip up north to see the African animals in his own country! James is a local man who volunteers on the ship and works with Denise as the ship's French teacher (he is very good at teaching language). James is studing language at the University in Benin and is fluent in 4 languages (French, English, Fon and Yorba). French is the recognized language in Benin. Fon and Yorba are two local tribal languages. James is studing Chinese at the University and will soon be in his final year of University. James is 37 years old, single and taught French at an International School in Cotonou for several years. He had never been north of Savalou in Benin (if you look at the map - it's not even half way up the country) and he had never seen any wild African animals either! He was very excited to be able to go and experience more of his country!

We took the trip on a long weekend (we had a Friday holiday on the ship) and took off an extra day on Monday. (May 22- 25) That gave us Friday to travel up (11 hours) and Monday to return back (9 hours) . Three nights off the ship... One in Tanguieta, just south of Pendjari... second night in Pendjari Park.....and third in Natitinguo where we could catch the bus back to Cotonou. All three nights in a hotel with A/C and mosquito nets (very important here with malaria) and bathrooms attached (also important for us - that we don't have to wander around outside during the dark night!). We packed snacks for when food was not available (or we couldn't eat it - spicy local food) and water (also, important!) Charged our batteries, for the camera and phone (also important as there could be an emergency or breakdown of transportation). We set out at 6 am on Friday morning (see picture above of the hazy morning) for our adventure!

We were so blessed by a great bus ride! Incredible traveling companions, we really had a great time! The weather was good... not rainy! .... also the bus was not too crowded. People did not need to stand up during the trip or cram together in a seat for two with three or more! So everyone was relatively comfortable! We did pick up a traveling salesman that kept us entertained for a time telling the whole bus of the type of traditional herbs and medicines that could be used for various ailments! He did actually sell some of his wares. He spoke in French...so we only understand parts...but he was quite entertaining in his style!

When we got to Pendjari we were very blessed to see more animals that we ever expected to see and we missed a lion pride by just about 5 minutes...the morning after we spent the night at Pendjari! The timing of our trip was perfect and weather was not a problem. God blessed us greatly! Here are some of the pictures that we took on our safari.

This picture is at one of the watering holes called Mare Bali. Beautiful scenery, birds and all the wildlife. So picturesque that the photos really do not show the beauty! We were able to get out of or off the vehicle at times to go to a viewing stand and this was possible at Mare Bali.

This picture is also at Mare Bali and on our side of the pond! I heard a splash and looked around to see this crocodile out of the water! So I'm not sure why he was out of the water, but I was fortunate to be able to capture him in the photo as he was!

This is a sound asleep baboon! We saw many baboons and antelopes, but this was the only one asleep!

At another lake, we saw many hippos! There was also a viewing stand...so we got out and enjoyed watching them for quite a while! In this lake there were three large groups of hippos. Occasionally, one of them would let out a roar. I don't know why they do this, but it made us all start clicking our shutters on the cameras!

We also saw many elephants! This was a lone elephant that we saw early in the morning, just after dawn. Tracy nicknamed him, Horton! He was actually quite close to the lodge that we stayed in on Pendjari! Across one road and a field!

This is a village that is just outside Pendjari Park. The people of this village used to live in Pendjari and when the government set the land aside for the preserve the people had to move off the land of the preserve. They moved just outside the park entrance and this was just about 40 years ago.

This is a beautiful sunrise in Pendjari! You've got to be up early to see the animals at the water hole! We wanted to share the full experience with you...it was INCREDIBLE! The space is limited in this newsletter...but for those of you that want more about the safari...you can get a cup of coffee, tea or soda and your computer. The slide show is on our Flickr site and you can go there by following this link...

Pendjari Safari

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mercywatch/sets/72157618881467710/show/

Enjoy! We wish you could have experienced it with us!

God’s Blessings,

Rob and Denise

One of our short-term doctors - Dr. Tom Elmer

Ophthalmologist Dr Thomas Elmer from Buffalo, New York donates his time and skills to treat the poor in Africa. CNN did a short video on Dr. Tom... you may have seen it.

If not here is the link to the video clip on the CNNMoney.com website ---> Click here.

Greetings from Cotonou, Benin West Africa

Mercy Watch unsubscribe change email view archive

Good Morning Friends, We pray this message finds you in good health and good spirit. We wanted to send you some greetings to let you know we are well and in good spirits. The field service here in Cotonou,Benin is going well. We'll send along a more complete newsletter shortly. June seemed to go by very quickly and before we realized it we are almost through the month of July. Many of the families have managed to take vacation while the children are out of school for the summer. We pray that you are having a safe and joyful summer as well. In our next newsletter we'll try to give you news about our little Safari up country along with photos. God's Blessings, Rob and Denise

This picture makes me smile!

Thanks, Charity Water!

The Silent Tragedy in Africa

Source: Mercy Ship Australia
Posted: Tuesday, 9 June 2009, 8:03 (EST)

“Even in countries where obstetric fistula is common, many in the general public remain unaware of its cause and therefore its prevention. It really is a silent tragedy.”

Those are the words of Brisbane urogynaecologist, Dr Hannah Krause, who has returned from West Africa again as a volunteer with Mercy Ships performing corrective surgery on a small number of the millions of women still suffering silently.


“Over the past 14 years I have made several trips to Africa, and first became aware of obstetric fistula while working as a resident doctor in a rural hospital. Women came to the hospital as a result of obstructed labour during childbirth. Babies were stillborn, and the mother sustained a fistula. The big problem is that many such women are shunned by family and their community and are forced to become outcasts, hidden away with their shame.”

After seeing the problems faced by African women, Dr Krause received training at the now famous Addis Ababa fistula hospital. Since then she has returned to West Africa to perform fistula surgery and to train local surgeons in the procedure. Her most recent time was spent in Benin onboard the hospital ship Africa Mercy, operated by Mercy Ships.

“As with most of my visits to West Africa, I go for a short time – usually a few weeks – arrive, work hard, then leave. So I don’t often get to see much of the country apart from during my days off. What I do see, however, is always very confronting. The level of poverty and suffering is heart-breaking.”

“I have a lot of compassion for these women. I try to help by visiting various fistula centres, usually in Africa, to perform surgery. I usually go about twice a year for a few weeks each time during my holidays. It is hard work, but the results are so worthwhile when you see women’s lives restored. My patients are so amazing and resilient. I learn so much from them. God has given me my skills and training, enabling me to do this work. When I operate I pray that these women will be healed physically, spiritually and emotionally."

"The fistula women have very tragic life stories. Most have lost a child in labour and the fistula caused by the long labour causes them to leak urine and/or faeces continuously. Some of the women we see have developed this injury only recently and are still grieving over the loss of the baby. But most of those we see have had their fistula for years … some for more than 30 or 40 years. It’s remarkable how such women have survived life despite the extreme adversity,” she concludes.

Mercy Ships provides free corrective surgery for obstetric fistula patients onboard the Africa Mercy, currently on assignment to Benin, as well as at a dedicated fistula centre in Sierra Leone where Mercy Ships works in partnership with another organisation. Patients also have opportunities to learn about community and maternal health, while other programs seek to increase awareness of the plight of women with fistulas. When a patient is discharged there is a time of great rejoicing. Each woman receives a new dress in the fabric of her choice, signifying a new beginning, while dancing and singing reflect the change.

Discharge teaching includes instructions about sexual intercourse, family planning and the need to have caesarean delivery for subsequent pregnancies to reduce the risk of recurrence. Provision for C-section surgeries is arranged with local providers who bill Mercy Ships for former patients. In an effort to build fistula surgeon capacity in West Africa, Mercy Ships also provides training for local surgeons interested in contributing to the treatment of obstetric fistula in Africa.

Mercy Ships is an international Christian charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978. Following the example of Jesus, Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the poor, mobilizing people and resources worldwide. Mercy Ships offers a range of health and community development services free of charge. Working in partnership with local people, Mercy Ships empowers communities to help themselves. The result is a way out of poverty.

The emphasis is on the needs of the world’s poorest nations in West Africa, where the hospital ship Africa Mercy provides the platform for services extending up to ten months at a time. Mercy Ships works on land-based projects in Sierra Leone in partnership with other organisations, while teams also work in several nations of Central America and the Caribbean. There are 14 support offices around the world, including the Australian office on the Queensland Sunshine Coast.

Article provided by www.mercyships.org.au

World Blood Donor Day - Africa Mercy's Walking Blood Bank

The following article is published from Medical News Today for World Blood Donor Day - June 14th! We are privileged to be among the donors on the Africa Mercy! I can agree with Ali that it is very rewarding to know the person that your blood helps!

Walking Blood Bank, UK

14 Jun 2009

World Blood Donor Day is being celebrated across the world at the weekend (14th June) but there will be nowhere like the walking blood bank on board the world's largest charity hospital ship.

Volunteers on board theAfrica Mercy, run by the international charity Mercy Ships, provide an instant and accessible source of blood for the thousands of patients that Mercy Ships help save every year.

There are no facilities to store blood onboard the ship so, for the patients who need blood during and after surgery, the volunteers on board donate it there and then.

Ali Herbert, a theatre nurse from Gloucester has been volunteering on board the Africa Mercy for six months and is called upon regularly to donate blood.

She said: "Mercy Ships has a very unique blood bank. The most recent time I was called upon to donate blood I was working in the operating theatre but giving blood is a priority.

"The process of giving blood is not so different from home. What is very different however is seeing it being checked and given to a patient in one of the ICU beds within three minutes. There is no need for a blood warmer!

"On this occasion, my blood was being used for a woman who, later that day, was having a below the knee amputation but was actually too ill to have surgery that day. It is not very common that you meet the person your blood is going to so seeing exactly where your blood is going and meeting the person it is helping is very rewarding."

At any one time, Mercy Ships has about 30 potential donors for each blood type on board the Africa Mercy, all of whose blood has been checked on arrival. The lab onboard the Africa Mercy compares the patient blood samples, which are taken and tested upon admission, with the potential donors. Volunteers can be called upon day or night to give a pint of blood with the donation often being walked straight over to the patient for transfusion while it is still warm.

Mercy Ships, is an international charity that providing free medial and humanitarian care to the world's poorest people and the Africa Mercy embarked on a 10-month outreach to Benin in February. Since then, 54 units of blood have been donated to 21 patients.

Judy Polkinhorn, Executive Director of Mercy Ships UK said: "Donating blood is a selfless act and blood transfusions save millions of lives every year, including on the Africa Mercy.

"Our volunteers range from doctors and nurses, to cooks, cleaners and engineers but all have the opportunity to save a life by donating their blood - and many do. Mercy Ships only exists because of our volunteers giving their time and experience to help those most in need and many of our patients exist today because a volunteer also gave them their blood.

"We are extremely grateful and thankful to all or volunteers and truly believe they are a unique group of individuals."

Over the last 30 years, Mercy Ships has worked in over 70 countries providing services valued at more than £450million.

The international charity has treated more than 230,000 people in village medical clinics, performed more than 41,000 surgeries, 205,000 dental treatments and completed over 1,000 community development projects focusing on water and sanitation, education, infrastructure development and agriculture.

Source
Mercy Ships UK

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Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153765.php

June 2009 - Video Report

The following link is to a 6 minute video from the Mercy Ships Team.

In our latest webisode, our host, Dr. Andy Rosson, continues to explore the unique world of Mercy Ships. This month, he reports on the recent honors bestowed on Mercy Ships; a training collaboration between Mercy Ships and ALCON to train Ophthalmologists in Benin. He ends by explaining to us what it takes to recruit staff for the Africa Mercy.

This picture is of Dr. Wendy Hofman and Dr. Glenn Strauss. Wendy is an eye surgeon and is going to Gabon with Samaritan's Purse to do eye surgery for 2 years. Dr. Glenn taught her a new technique to remove cataracts here in Africa. Wendy and her husband, Eric, became friends with us while they were here for 3 months prior to going to Gabon on the Western Coast of Africa. We wish them God's blessings for their work there in Gabon!

You can access it at the following URL:
http://alumni.mercyships.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=332&Itemid=9

Please let me know if you have any trouble accessing the video, as we cannot access it from this link onboard. We are now able to watch these videos, but we access it locally here on the ship!

Happy 36th Anniversary, Denise!

Good Morning Friends,
I'm happy to announce to you, that next Tuesday 9 June 2009 Denise and I will celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary. I'm very fortunate to be blessed with such a loving and caring wife. Proverbs 31:10-31 describes a wife of noble character and starts with a question. A wife of noble character who can find? I've been blessed to find such a wife in Denise. Would you join with me in praying for her and asking God to continue to bless her, and the call He has placed on her life. I am privileged to be her husband and look forward to the many happy years God has in store for us together as husband and wife.

We love you,
Rob and Denise

May 2009 Video Report

In out latest webisode, our host, Dr. Andy Rosson, continues to explore the unique world of Mercy Ships. He reports on a recent visit by the Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to Texas in support of Mercy Ships; a collaboration between Mercy Ships and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses to help staff our operating rooms and ends by explaining to us how and why Mercy Ships sends container loads of supplies to the Africa Mercy.

You can access it at the following URL:
http://alumni.mercyships.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=322&Itemid=9

Where are we really?

Hello Friends,

We send greetings to you from Cotonou, Benin (West Africa). We’ve had a little fun this past month establishing where we are actually. Yes, we are really here in Benin.

Let us explain…we received a letter from our credit union asking for some details our physical address for their records. Since it takes several weeks for mail…we called them to verify our address. We use the PO Box 2020 of our International Operations Center (IOC) in Texas as our mailing address and our permanent residence is our oldest son, Jason’s, address in Florida. When the IOC receives mail for us, they forward it to the ship through the agent here in Benin. So, after establishing the account with the representative, we asked her if she wanted the street address of the IOC where our mail goes. She asked if we were physically there. No, we are in Benin. Where? Benin is a country in West Africa.

She responded, oh what a wonderful vacation, but where do you live? On a ship here in Benin, we’ll be here in Benin until December 2009. Yes, we live on a ship, the Africa Mercy. Do you want our permanent address? No, she needed the address of where we actually are. Alright, so Denise told her we are in Port of Cotonou, Benin. Zip Code? No. When you return home where is your address? This is our home, since September 2002, we have been with Mercy Ships. As you can see we were not solving this question very fast and it didn’t fit on her form. So she excused herself to speak with her supervisor.

Upon her return she again asked for the physical address, so Denise thought ok, I’ll start with our mailing address…M/V Africa Mercy…to which she asked, what does M/V stand for? Denise explained, motor vessel, we live on a ship docked in Cotonou, Benin (West Africa). Denise also explained about Mercy Ships. Finally, the representative decided she would submit the Port of Cotonou, Benin address.

After a couple days, she called back to advise us of our physical address! We were glad to hear she had determined where we actually are as far as their records are concerned. Through their research it was determined that our physical address is Lausanne, Switzerland! Interesting …Mercy Ships does have a National office in Lausanne, Switzerland staffed with a wonderful staff. We’re not physically there, but the credit union is happy with this address. Maybe someday, we’ll be able to visit our new physical address! However, we don’t think that the ship will be able to sail there! (The picture below was a picture of Lausanne that we found on the Internet--- It looks beautiful and there is a big lake!)

Now for a little more news…Denise has been working with a local organization here in Cotonou, Benin mentoring two young men and a woman (social worker) in the use of computers and associated software. This organization is a local ministry to protect and care for abandoned babies and promote the family. A traditional practice is that the babies, are left by the side of the road (the mothers may have died in childbirth or the family is unable to care for them) and the police bring them to this facility where they are cared for. In addition to teaching these young men about computers and the different software, Denise is able to hold and love on these precious babies and bring some other crew members that can spend the afternoon with the babies. Her mentoring efforts also benefit the ministry by allowing them to take their skills and teach computer classes to children of the community on Saturdays. One of the recent applications for their learning was to build a spreadsheet to account for the loans they are giving to women in the community for starting up a small business so the women have an income to raise their families. Denise goes there every Tuesday afternoon. The website for the Foundation is www.frabenin.org (this site is in french). The following picture is from the website where there is an article about the donation of the 5 used computers from the ship. Denise was able to present them to the President of the Foundation. It is an honor to be able to represent Mercy Ships and partner with this Foundation.

As we enter the third month of this field service, Rob continues to work with the engineering department sourcing the required parts and supplies to help maintain all of the ships systems. Rob works with the combined efforts of crew in our International Offices such as Mercy Ships Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom with direction and coordination from our International Operations Center. This past month, we’ve made several trips out of Cotonou to other cities mainly at the request of an invitation from our friend James. One such outing was to visit his family which is a three hour ride away. So we had a beautiful ride through the country and at one point going through a large forest we were surprised to see. There were gates and guards at both the entrance and exit of the forest, otherwise James indicated the local people would cut the forest down for building and making charcoal. James’ family was very glad to see him and they are very gracious hosts. James’ father has been a cook for many years and prepared a wonderful meal. We all sat eating family style in their living room. James’ father raises goats to sell in the market; they are penned in a small area adjacent to the house. At one point after bleating to be fed without success, a goat managed to get past the gate and worked his way into the house scurrying around as the children and father attempted to catch him. So the living room, kitchen and hallways became very excited and interesting places for a few minutes as everyone was trying to corner or catch and direct the hungry goat back outside. Jame's father was able to chase the goat back outside and then he went to go feed them.

With the three hour return trip we could only stay two hours as we had the vehicle checked out for a total of eight hours. Many times on the road we would see small Peugeot trucks very overloaded struggling under there loads. James indicated that many of these trucks were 30 years old or older. He says with a smile in Africa, we just keep them running. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the visit and the ride very much. It was the second time that we really were able to get out of the city and drive through some of the country since we arrived in February.

A couple weekends ago, we were invited to go to church with James in Porto Novo. A friend of his, Pastor Prince, is the pastor. We were able to take six of our fellow crew members along and enjoy a wonderful service and meal together. The service was in English with interpretation in French. Pastor Prince can speak French, but is from Nigeria and his first language is English. He doesn’t feel he speaks French quite well enough yet to preach in French.

The pictures above are of our group from the various nations of Ine - the Netherlands, Sarah - England, Beth - South Africa, Betina - Romania, Melanie - New Zealand and Barbara - the US. The ladies were from the church and cooked and served the meal. The tallest man is the pastor's brother, Joesph and the Pastor is standing next to Denise. James is in the front row. The other picture is our friend, James; Pastor Prince and Denise.

It was interesting that the group of us was from all different nations and that the Pastor's theme for May was "Taking the Gospel to the nations." God used us to bring the nations to his church! We had a very good time and a lovely meal! The next weekend, the Pastor, his finace and his brother came to visit us on the ship and attend worship at the Sunday Night Service onboard. We gave them a tour of the ship and enjoyed the time with them.

Health Care Development Supplemental Programs has broken ground and begun building at Bethesda a dormitory for the Agriculture Class. It is to be used by participants of the Agriculture Class. The students will be coming from all over the country of Benin to attend the class for 3 months. Rob is looking forward to be able to help with this project in the future.

We know that sometimes, where we are and what we are doing can be confusing along with how to actually communicate with us. If we call, is it an international call? Nope…it's a US call, through Miami. So, we thought maybe we’d give you a little update on how to contact us here in Benin… Our personal email addresses are as follows:

Denise 's email : mercywatch@gmail.com or denise.miller@mercyships.org

Rob's email: mercywatch2@gmail.com or rob.miller@mercyships.org

Our Blog site is http://mercywatch.blogspot.com

Our Website is www.mercywatch.com

Our phone number is 954.538.6110 (W) 1215 Rob, 1632 Denise, (H) 4423 our cabin.

This is a Florida, USA number so if you are calling within the United States it is not international.

Our snail mail address is:

Rob and Denise Miller

PO Box 2020 Africa Mercy

Lindale, Texas 75771

We realize at times it is easy to read our newsletters as news and nice information to know but they don’t necessarily spark a desire for you to respond by email, letters, or phone calls. So we are asking that you would respond to us and let us know if you enjoy receiving these updates and how things are going with you! If they have become bothersome to you, and you would like to discontinue receiving them, you may unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the “Unsubscribe” link. We love to hear from you and realize that you have busy lives! We so appreciate your prayers and support!

May God bless you abundantly!

God's blessings,

Denise and Rob

currently in Cotonou, Benin (REALLY)

Article about Lauren Fadely at Boston College

The Boston College Chronicle - Boston College

Another article - Lauren "Elle" Fadely Congratulations, Lauren!


A lot of people ask about the kids on the ship and have questions about their education. This article is about Lauren, who was raised on the Caribbean Mercy. We knew her as a High School student while we were onboard. Her family had been on the ship for 9 years at that time. She was accepted to Boston College and has now graduated from there. She was awarded Boston College’s top Commencement honor as the winner of this year’s Edward H. Finnegan, SJ, Memorial Award, which recognizes the senior who best exemplifies the University’s motto “Ever to Excel.”

The article tells about what she has done at Boston College and how her experiences onboard the ship influence who she is. Please click on the title or The Boston College Chronicle link above to read the article. Another article a little more personal was also written about Lauren and given in a comment from Boston College's Public Relations Office. Thank you, Kathleen for permission to link to it!

Shared via AddThis

Video about the Dental Team

Click on the above title to see a short video about our Dental Team working off the ship.

The Mercy Ships Dental Team works five days a week at a new medical complex owned, but unused, by the Ministry of Health. The clinic performs teeth cleaning and extraction, fillings, and replacements, while also providing dental education. The dental team sees 60 people a day and distributes toothbrushes and toothpaste to patients.

Eleven day-volunteers help with translating, discipling, and mechanical work. Three of them are local dental assistants being trained by the Mercy Ships team. The dental team has a goal of treating 11,500 individuals and providing basic oral health education to almost 14,000 people during the 10-month field service.

Sunday Morning

Good morning from Benin! A relaxing day with no particular plans, except Church on board tonight at 7:00.

Rob woke up and while taking his shower...he discovered...no vacuum system! Here on the ship the sewage and all the drains go through the vacuum system...so when it is not working the water doesn't drain. He got out of the shower and found that not only was the shower not draining...the water was coming up through the bathroom floor drain. So soon there was an inch of water all over the bathroom floor!

After a couple hours the system was again working - thanks to our wonderful engineering crew! Rob is now down cleaning the bathroom!

He set me up in the dining room (those of you who have been here...in our usual place) with my computer to catch up on blogging, writing, answering, reading and surfing!

Bye for now!

Pilot Webisode - April 2009 Video Report

This is the first of a new video report from the Alumni Team at Mercy Ships. In this webisode, our host, Dr. Andy Rosson, interviews Mercy Ships veteran Peggy Cummings. Join us as she shares her mission to change the lives of former child soldiers living in the Freetown cemetery by revealing a few simple truths from the most powerful book ever written.

You can access it at the following URL:
http://alumni.mercyships.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=307&Itemid=9

Mercy Vision

Photo Credit: Mercy Ships, Photo of the Day 2009-04-24

Mother with her three blind children: son Alexis 7 yrs, daughter Adej 3 yr and yr old son Ricardo, will receive eye surgery by Dr Strauss on the AFM. Picture taken before Surgery.

Between February and December 2009, the Mercy Vision Team will return sight to 3,000 Beninese people suffering from blindness. On the ship, ophthalmologists perform free surgeries to remove cataracts and provide other specialized eye procedures.

Off the ship, Mercy Ships runs four remote eye clinics, in a different area each day, primarily to find candidates for surgery. The eye team also educates the patients in basic eye health.

Over these 10 months, the eye team will see approximately 200 people each day. They will evaluate and treat 20,000 patients for basic eye disease, as well as distributing 5,000 pairs of sunglasses and 5,000 pairs of reading glasses.

To ensure that people are healed more widely and for years to come, Dr. Glenn Strauss of the USA will train surgeons, both local and from abroad, in the specialized cataract procedure he has developed during years of working in West Africa.

Happy Easter!

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Hello Friends and Family, Happy Easter! We have a 4 day holiday – Good Friday to Easter Monday. So we thought we’d start off with an update for you! When we last wrote to you in February we were preparing to have our large screening day here in Cotonou, Benin. As we prayed and prepared to go to the screening, we asked God to prepare our hearts for His people, to give us grace, a peaceful spirit and to help us show His love in each opportunity. As we arrived at the screening at just about dawn, the people were already there waiting. Some people had been waiting since the day before. Many people in Benin had hopes of being helped by the free Mercy Ships specialized surgeries. This is a picture of about the middle of the line going past the Arts and Crafts Market to the Hall des Arts in the distance (upper right hand corner). Over 2,500 people came to be seen (not counting the caregivers and relatives) during the two day screening in February. We were able to give appointments for surgery to 423 people. We were able to refer 600 people to screening at the Mercy Ships Eye Clinics held 4 days every week throughout the Benin Field Service. We were also able to refer another 263 people for a later specialty screening. We will hold another screening day for specialty surgeries on June 8th. The Beninese people waited patiently in line as the screening began, moving slowly towards the Hall des Arts entrance gate. The line of potential patients winds around as it comes in the gates of the Halls des Arts. The pre-screening was just in front (outside) of the stadium and in the line are the potential patients and usually a caregiver or relative. The Eye Screening team set up a pre-screening just off to the side of this line. Rob worked with the security team to help keep the long lines orderly. Rob was positioned at the very end of the line which began from the entrance gate and went down the block in front of the Hall des Arts and around the corner for about another block. There were many curious “Zemidjan” (pronounced zemi john) drivers who would stop to enquire about the screening. Fortunately Marcus, another team member working in security spoke a little French and could communicate with the drivers. As one “Zemidjan” driver would stop to talk, soon there was a small crowd of drivers setting on their motorcycles all wanting to get the latest word. Several times we had to walk away from them as they seemed to have their own understanding of what was happening. As the line became shorter in the afternoon, he came closer and closer to the Halls des Artes. In the picture - Rob has on the tan hat, black slacks and bright yellow vest with orange shirt. The colorful wall behind the people in line is the wall around the Central Arts and Crafts Market in Cotonou. The heat was incredible and the people didn't want to get out of line for food or water. Some brought food and water with them, others didn't. Mercy Ships crew go up and down the line with water and then about lunch time handed out bread and butter to the people waiting. Most of the people waited for hours and hours in the heat. A friendly face and a cup of water was a welcome sight. Denise worked inside of the Hall des Arts compound, at the beginning of the screening line, to escort those selected for further screening into the Hall des Arts to the appropriate station or to escort those we couldn’t help to take them to the prayer team or out of the compound to return to their home. A video of the screening day can be seen here (Click this link). We can't view the video from the ship...but we think you may see Denise in a bright yellow shirt and green and white long skirt near the end escorting a patient (if this is the right video). This is a view of the pre-screening under the tent. The people come through pre-screening after standing in the lines for hours. This is the first place they meet with some medical personnel that will give them entry into the Hall des Arts to meet with a Doctor or they find out that theirs is a condition that we cannot help them with. The patient escorts met them here and walked with them into the stadium to wait for the next step (patient history) or if we couldn't help, a walk to the prayer station (shown in the picture below) or to the gate if they didn't want prayer. It was difficult to take many people to the prayer station or to the gate! It was a blessing to be able to take them into the Hall for further screening! We spoke with Dr. James, one of the Orthopedic Surgeons and Mercy Ships Orthopedic Coordinator, about all the bowed legs we saw in children and in adults as well. He said it was not due to the moms carrying the babies on the back and they couldn't determine a vitamin deficiency for the cause either. He said this condition seems to be more common here in Benin than in other African Countries. There hasn't been a study on this condition, so they just don't yet know what causes the condition. While standing outside the Hall des Arts along the line of people, the hardest point for Rob was when a young girl and her mother came to the line for screening and the young girl was unable to stand with her back straightened up. As she stood, unable to straighten up, she was bent over at the waist, and her legs were also bent partially. If she could have straightened all of the way she may well have been 4 ½ to 5 foot tall. In her condition her head was only about three feet high in a constantly looking down position. Both she and her mother were in the same color dress, appearing to be new. As the line moved the mother stayed in line to maintain their place for screening and the daughter sat down leaning against the wall. Slowly the lined moved forward and the young girl was left by herself leaning against the wall. It was not possible for her to walk forward to the position of her mother in line, but it seemed so unkind that she was being left behind. Unsure of the cultural acceptance of my thoughts to assist her, I hesitated. Finally as she was about 50 yards behind the line, I had to act. Going forward in the line I found the mother…fortunately they were wearing the same color outfit. I returned to the daughter as she sat leaning against the wall, unable to speak to her in French, gesturing to pick her up. I’m very thankful God has made me a strong man. She accepted my offer, so I carried her forward to be with her mother. I wasn’t thinking of the impact this would have on the people standing in line…I just didn’t want this young girl to be left behind. As I gently put her down next to her mother, she smiled saying “merci beaucoup” (thank you very much). As I returned to my spot at the end of the line, the people still standing in line smiled at me, some giving me the thumbs up sign. I thought the attitude of those standing in line became a little gentler, more considerate of each other. As the morning progressed the line eventually shortened until the end of the line was inside of the compound of the Hall des Arts. So I now had a new job, I got to go inside of the Hall des Arts and escort patients who had finished screening and received an appointment card to the front gate. As I was returning from one of these trips, the young girl I mentioned earlier was trying to make her way out of the Hall des Arts after screening. She and her mother looked a little overwhelmed at the task. Again I gestured towards her and she allowed me to pick her up. As I carried her, the tears ran freely down my face. Whether we are able to treat her or not I’m unsure. I pray we are and I’ll look for her and her mother. Dr. Glenn set up a pre-screening for the eyes. Normally, our eye surgery screening is done at the eye clinics offered 4 days a week - every week throughout the field service. There were 660 people at screening for eye issues. So, Dr. Glenn pre-screened and referred 600 people to the eye clinics as they waited in the line, before they reached the pre-screening tent. Dr. Glenn is one of the Eye Surgeons and Mercy Ships Senior Vice President Health Care Initiatives. He has developed a technique that is great for the larger and harder cataracts seen here in Africa. This little girl is patiently waiting on her mama's back. Mama has hopes for her little girl to have a life changing surgery and spends the day waiting through the line, testings,etc. prior to receiving the long awaited appointment card. We see the physical deformities here and feel great compassion. We wonder at times how our spiritual deformities must grieve our Lord and how He has compassion for us. As we are adjusting to Benin after being in Liberia the biggest difference here seems to be the spiritual warfare we are experiencing. So we ask that you would put on the full armor of God and pray with us and for us for protection and the strength to accomplish the task God has set before us. Denise and I have been reading several books lately one we just finished is called Beyond Surrender by Barbara J. Singerman which speaks of her experiences along with those of her family ministering in Benin. One story she shares, especially highlights the benefit of prayer; to the point that their very lives were spared because of faithful prayer for them. Admittedly, we don’t live in the villages; we are very safe and secure onboard the ship. However, Denise will be going out once a week to Calavi to help teach computer software to a couple men with a foundation that teaches children about computers. (More about this in the next newsletter) We are reminded of Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. As you pray, please do remember Ephesians 6:10 Finally be strong in the Lord and His mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Just in case your wondering about our spiritual armor - Ephesians 6:14 to 18b Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and request. One prayer request we just heard of today is for one of our Mercy Ships doctors. His name is Dr. James McDaniel (mentioned above) and he had a heart attack last night. He was here with us on the ship a few weeks ago, but is back in Texas now. He is the Orthopedic Coordinator and one of our Orthopedic Surgeons. He is having a triple by-pass on Monday in Texas. Please keep him in your prayers. He is a good friend of ours and his wife’s name is Nikki, she is a prayer warrior! This picture was taken of Dr. James at the screening in February. In addition, please pray for the health of the crew. We have had many crew come down with a flu that lasts for about 2 weeks! We have been blessed (thanks to your prayers!) and have not been sick. We value each of you and appreciate the prayers you offer on our behalf! We will continue to pray for you. We would consider it a privilege to pray for any specific prayer needs you would like to share with us. Please call, email or write ... we love to hear from you! May your Easter be blessed as you celebrate what God has done for us through His Son, Jesus! God’s blessings, Rob and Denise currently serving in Cotonou, Benin (West Africa)

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