Our hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, returned to Benin in 2016 – seven years after its previous visit.  Former patients were invited to come back to meet with us.  Kirstie Randall, our Medical Capacity-Building Director, described her expectations for the reunion

Sandy Hewitt is a volunteer pharmacist onboard our hospital ship, the Africa Mercy.  It’s really a floating community of mercy-givers. 

Rebekka boarded an early morning flight from Michigan to surprise her military husband in Alabama.  She was worried her four-month-old daughter would disturb other passengers.  

She was sure she had a toothache.  Thirteen-year-old Isabella couldn’t think of any other reason for her cheek to swell so quickly.  It distorted her face.  She says, “People were saying, ‘Don’t come near, I don’t want your disease!’”

We need all kinds of volunteers, both medical and non-medical, onboard our hospital ship, the Africa Mercy.  Listen as volunteer pharmacist, Sandy Hewitt, describes one thing that makes Mercy Ships unique

Brian Ivie was a film student when he heard about Pastor Lee’s Baby Box – a large mail box that was a rescue place for unwanted babies.

Deb Louden, from Australia, volunteered as a nurse onboard our hospital ship for over five years. She recently wrote a farewell blog.

A large mail drop box is set into the wall of Pastor Lee’s laundry room in South Korea. When the buzzer sounds, he rushes to the box and lifts out …a baby. The Baby Box is a place of rescue for unwanted and disabled infants.

Juliette lives in a remote part of Madagascar. For five years, she suffered with a growing tumor in her mouth. A friend of hers met some Mercy Ships nurses who were on a fact-finding trip. They gave Juliette an appointment card for an examination onboard our hospital ship, the Africa Mercy.

Five billion people lack access to safe affordable surgical care worldwide. Listen to a crewmember’s description of the need that was clearly evident at our patient screening day in Benin.