KOMLA FINDS HIS SMILE

Standing only 5 feet tall, Komla Awuitor is a very short man. Upon his arrival to Mercy Ships his head was hanging low and his eyes were fixated on the ground. In a matter of a few weeks, however, all that changed.
Komla comes from a small village in Togo where his family runs their own farm. Komla is 20 years old and is the eldest of 5 brother and sisters.

When Komla was born, he had a very small growth on the side of his face. His family did not know what it was, but it greatly concerned his mother. Over time, the tumour grew larger and was a source of embarrassment for him.

“Even my brothers and sisters would insult me. It made me very sad, and I was lonely,” he recalls, “It hurts when those closest to you make fun of you.”

Komla was very close to his mother. She was Catholic and she took all her children to church every Sunday. Komla learned about God and would pray to him that someone could help with his condition. He asked God to ease his struggle and pain. He did not want to be different—he wanted to be just like the other boys in the village.

When Komla turned 8 years old his life changed dramatically. His mother was suffering from a skin disease and was only using herbal remedies to treat it. Unexpectedly, she passed away. Komla was devastated that his mother was gone and he had to take on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings.

After Komla’s mother died, his father stopped paying for his children to go to school. So Komla and his brothers and sisters quit school and started working on the farm. They grew corn and cassava, which is a root similar to a potato.

Inwardly, Komla was happy that his father no longer made him go to school. His face was large and the tumour was evident to everyone who talked to him. The other kids at school would tease him and call him names that hurt him very badly. On the farm, however, he wouldn’t have to see many other people. Most of Komla’s time was spent out in the field.

One day Komla received communication from his uncle in Lome. His uncle told him about Mercy Ships, and said if he comes to Lome, he would accompany him the screening.

Komla agreed and travelled to Lome and saw a doctor at Mercy Ships’ initial screening in Togo. He received astonishing news: yes, they would be able to operate and remove the tumour: for free! They gave him a date to return to the ship for surgery.

Komla returned home that night with a feeling of optimism. He thought to himself, maybe there is hope after all. He thanked his uncle for telling him about Mercy Ships, and he braced himself for 4 months of waiting until he was able to go to the dock of the Africa Mercy.

Today, Komla has made quite a transformation. Dr. Parker was able to remove the majority of the tumour. He has a smile on his face and his overall demeanour is positive and bright. He is so grateful for Mercy Ships and the entire crew.

“My self esteem has been repaired,” he says, “and now I can walk into a room with confidence. I no longer have to be ashamed. Thank you and God bless you.”

When asked if his mother could see him now, he responded by saying, “She would be proud. Her face would smile with happiness.”

KOMI SEARCHES FOR A SMILE

Not many children growing up in Togo have big plans for themselves. Some may want to be a farmer like their parents. Some may want to become a builder or a seamstress. But it is pretty rare that a child growing up in Togo aspires to be a doctor.

Twelve year old Komi is appreciative of the medical care he has received with Mercy Ships. “Because of the way that they took care of me here,” he says, “I want to take care of others in that way. I am the lucky one. I want to be a doctor like them.”

Komi arrived to the screening in Togo with a large growth on his neck. It was a thyroid tumor that had been growing in size for 5 years.

“When I first noticed it,” his mother remembers, “I wondered what it was. I did everything in my power to stop it, but I had no money to go to the hospital.”

Maulowé, Komi’s mother, was busy taking care of her four children and was cooking and selling food on the side of the road to provide shelter and clothing for her family. Komi, a triplet, has 2 sisters his same age and a younger brother.

Regarding her pregnancy with triplets, Maulowé comments, “I did not know I had 3 babies inside me. When I went into labor, I still did not know. Then, when they were born, I had three mouths to feed and I was overwhelmed.”

Sever years passed and Maulowé’s husband died, Komi’s tumor grew larger, and then she got malaria. Life for her family was extremely difficult. 

Maulowé received a call from her brother that lived in Lomé. He told her about a hospital ship that was docked at the port, and they could help Komi. Because the mother was sick, Komi went to the screening accompanied by his uncle. Komi was approved for surgery and given a date to return to the ship.
In the meantime, Maulowé recovered from malaria and was able to come to the Africa Mercy with her son. Their stay has been short, but life changing. Dr. Gary Parker performed the surgery on Komi’s thyroid tumor and now it is completely gone.

Komi informed his nurse that the one thing he is looking forward to when he gets home is going back to school. “I want to play soccer with my friends,” he says. “They will no longer be scared of me.”

Maulowé sits next to Komi beaming. She was forced to take Komi out of school because the other children were afraid of him. They thought the devil was inside him and that is why he looked so different. Now she knows that he will be able to attend school and be a normal kid.

“I am so grateful for the nurses and doctors at Mercy Ships. May God bless you all.”

With smiles on their faces, Maulowé and Komi walk hand-in-hand out of the port and into the city. Mercy Ships has touched a life, and given him a dream of becoming a doctor. We can only hope and pray that his dream comes true.

VVF SCREENING HOPE REBORN

Akissi, an 18-year-old girl, sits patiently in a white rob. Slowly, the line she is waiting in gets shorter and she moves closer to the examination area. She thinks back on the 4 months since her first screening near her home in northern Togo. She has been anxiously awaiting this day. The moment has finally come and she prays that the doctor will say to her, “Yes, we can help you.”

Akissi is one of many female patients that have arrived on the dock of the Africa Mercy with the hope of being reborn. These women are being screened for a debilitating condition called vesico-vaginal fistula, or VVF. Such a condition is common in African countries because of the lack of obstetric care. The Mercy Ships program, aptly titled “Hope Reborn,” will ease their suffering.

VVF is usually caused by difficulties during childbirth. Some women writhe in agony for several days before giving birth to a stillborn child. The prolonged labor causes a hole to form between the bladder and the vagina, making it difficult to live a normal life. The women experience an involuntary discharge of urine, and therefore they carry with them an unpleasant odor.  

Maggie Schrenk, VVF coordinator and a volunteer on the Africa Mercy, has been waiting for this day for several months. “These women are very special. I hold a special place in my heart for them. Today starts 6 weeks of surgeries that will repair their lives.”

This condition is a stigma in African society. It is a prevalent problem but discussion of this condition is swept under the rug and dismissed. Women with this condition are usually shunned and separated from everyday life around them. If more doctors knew how to repair the fistula it would stop the suffering of hundreds of women.

That is why Dr. Steve Aerosmith spends much of his time educating local surgeons. Dr. Aerosmith is a VVF surgeon from the United States and has spent 23 years performing VVF surgeries and educating African surgeons about the technique. Teaching other doctors onboard the Africa Mercy is a unique opportunity that Dr. Aerosmith appreciates very much.

“The ship is an amazing training platform,” Aerosmith says. “You take these African doctors out of their home medical facilities and all their distractions are taken away: no cell phone coverage, no pagers, and all their other needs are taken care of. It’s a unique niche for the ship that no body else can match.”

Screening day onboard the Africa Mercy is a long arduous day, but Aerosmith and the VVF team are prepared and up to the challenge. By 11am they are 2 hours ahead of schedule.

Lindsay Nelson, VVF Assistant Coordinator, explains, “We are moving through the exams quickly, which is great. We will see about 60 women today. After Dr. Aerosmith examines each one, the team will convene and decide who we will bring in for surgery, and who are inoperable.”

Spirits remained high throughout the day and examinations were completed by 4:00 pm. The team met afterwards to make the difficult decision of who will be given a surgery date, and unfortunately who will be turned away.

Saying no to patients is extremely difficult, but the team focuses on the ones they will be able to help. Maggie comments, “We will have ceremonies celebrating the ones who have received successful surgery. That day marks a new life for them and those are the moments I live for.”

There will be many of those moments onboard the Africa Mercy in the next few weeks thanks to the hard work of Mercy Ships’ amazing VVF team.

AICHA - LOVE IN ACTION

AISSA  (Aicha Waldatala)
     Sarah Root is a physician assistant and missionary with Medsend, currently working with the Medical Centers of West Africa at the Meskine Hospital in Cameroon, Africa. In May of 2009, she was walking by the hospital pharmacy when she noticed a woman and a little girl with a dirty rag wrapped around her head. The girl was covered with flies and the smell of infection was so strong, Sarah could smell it five feet away. She asked the woman to bring the girl to her office, where she uncovered a large wound under the rag. It extended from her right eye to her jaw, and from the corner of her lip to her ear. The skin had been eaten away, totally exposing what was left of her cheek. Her right eye was swollen shut. Weighing only 24 pounds at five years of age, she was near death. She was hospitalized immediately.
     The diagnosis was noma, a rapidly progressing, gangrenous disease which destroys  
facial tissue, primarily of the mouth and cheek. It usually appears as gingivitis, or other tooth related problem, in children between 2 and 6 years of age, often following a childhood disease, such as chicken pox, when the immune system is compromised. Its effects are permanent and require plastic surgery to repair. An estimated half million cases are reported yearly, mainly in the poorest countries of West Africa . Up to 90 % of noma cases die within a month. The most grievous fact about noma is that it is totally avoidable, if children have clean drinking water, good nutrition and hygiene, and vaccinations for childhood diseases. The progression of the disease can be arrested, if caught immediately and treated with antibiotics and good nutrition.
     Aissa’s father had abandoned her at birth. Her mother abandoned her when she was four years of age. She was being raised by her grandmother and uncle.  It is estimated that the noma attack occurred in April.  Jean, the uncle, stayed with her in the hospital.
     The infected parts of her cheek were removed at Meskine Hospital and she was placed on a feeding tube. The next day, her name was listed on the “poor fund” so her care would be provided by the hospital without charge. This provision also covered food for both Aissa and Jean.
     After ten days of care, it was discovered that Aissa was severely anemic and was in desperate need of a blood transfusion. Like so many of the African people, her uncle was fearful of donating his blood. Frances, one of the missionaries working with Sarah, donated the badly needed blood.
     But the bumpy road to recovery was still not smooth. After doing his rounds one morning, a local doctor told the medical staff that Aissa was not going to heal, was probably going to die and should be sent home. The day nurse, who was in agreement,   shared this opinion with Jean. But the hospital’s surgeon said that there was still a possibility for a surgical treatment for Aissa. Because of his influence, she was not discharged.
      Aissa began to relax in her new surroundings. A favorite of the medical staff, she was also enjoying the enveloping love of Sarah and the missionaries as relationships of trust and caring were building. Within four months, she made a miraculous recovery. She began gaining weight and her facial wound was significantly smaller. Aissa was getting the loving care every child craves and deserves, and it was returning the sweet kiss of life to her.
      Then word came that Abigail Boys, a general surgeon who volunteers her services at the hospital, had a working relationship with the Mercy Ships medical staff. She had   worked with Dr. Gary Parker several times in field services since 2002, and was currently training to be a maxillo-facial surgeon. She knew that  Aissa could get the reconstructive surgery she needed with  Mercy Ships onboard the hospital ship the Africa Mercy. The only question was how to get her there.
      Having done extensive travelling in Africa, Abi had witnessed the need of many children for specialized surgery not available in their own countries.  She felt called to provide a way for children in developing nations to get the surgery they needed. Aissa arrived at the Meskine hospital while Abi was in the process of setting up Willing and Abel, a charity specifically established to arrange such surgeries.  One year later, through Willing and Abel, Aissa, Jean and Sarah  travelled to the Africa Mercy in Lome, where Mercy Ships volunteer doctors, Dr. Gary Parker, Dr. Tertius Venter, and Dr. Tony Giles, three of the top maxillo-facial surgeons in the field,  performed the reconstructive surgeries on her face.
     During her month-long recovery aboard ship, Aissa was somewhat constrained to the hospital ward. Nevertheless, she enjoyed the focused attention of a bevy of volunteer nurses and many other crew members from several different countries. Despite the fact that none of the other children recovering in the ward could speak her language, she managed to make friends while having fun playing games, coloring, and singing.
      One more surgery is planned to complete the reconstruction of Aissa’s face. But that will take place sometime in the future. For the present, she will return to her village where she will have some time to get reacquainted with family and friends.
      Aissa is a child of very strong character and will. If she were not, she would, in all probability, have died from the noma. But she didn’t. In a society where vulnerable children are not valued as highly as adults, where utter poverty means there are no answers, she hung on, despite the appearance of no hope.  She was rewarded for her struggle because of the love and combined abilities of many whose calling is to provide hope. Through their loving action, she has survived and thrived.

FOOD FOR LIFE

1139                  FOOD FOR LIFE

     Hevie, Benin, West Africa, has been the heart of darkness for generations because of the voodoo religion that permeates life there. But the Light is now shining in Hevie, thanks to ‘Food for Life’, the agricultural development program started in 2009 by Mercy Ships and Bethesda of Benin, a non-government organization (NGO). This program is preparing leaders in Scripturally-based, organic farming methods, who can train others to be trainers, too. This easily duplicatable process aims to transform the growing of food supplies in the area, as it lifts the economic status of those involved.
     The program has accomplished much in its first year, even the construction of the Bethesda Food for Life Training Center, with funding from Mercy Ships. The Center is made up of dorm rooms for students and a central classroom for training.
      During the current field service in Togo, the program is partnering with three NGOs: 
Centre pour l’Ecologie et le Developpment in Danyi; IIFEG – Ecole de l’Enterprise in Lome; and Association Developpment Avenir ONG d’appui au Developpment in Lome. Staff members from these NGOs have learned the biblical concepts of agriculture during their four-month training program, and have used the methods to grow crops in their own gardens at the Center. They will now become trainers for each NGO, teaching the Scriptural concepts to their trainees.
     The Togo partnerships have built lasting friendships during their training which may form the basis of a Western Africa agricultural network. Such a network would be a “tremendous asset in developing like-minded agriculturists in Western Africa that will train up a new generation of farmers,” said Ken Winebark, Mercy Ships Agriculture Program Administrator. Equipping trainees and partners with skills and philosophy is a strong supporting mechanism that will help them to continue the teaching program after the Africa Mercy leaves Togo.
      Scriptural methods of agriculture have proven to be far superior to traditional African methods. The gardens of the trainees now completing their training in Benin are of superior quality to the crops of surrounding farms. The vegetables are bigger, greener and better developed that those grown a few hundred feet away. In addition, the crops were planted two weeks later than the nearby farms. This fact has stirred much interest in the program among those in the area, who are driving through the property just to take a look.
     The Biblical farming practices seek to use the land in the way God intended, using the nutrients already present in the trees whose leaves breakdown and replenish the soil with their nutrients. In this way, seeds can be planted in the same stations during the next planting season.
     The traditional African farming practice is to ‘slash and burn’ the land. Everything is cut down and the land is totally cleared and burned.  This destroys the land, kills the microorganisms, encourages erosion, leaves it open to the elements, and destroys the organic matter that is present for the next crop. The biblical practice is to clear the land, but instead of burning, the soil is covered with a thick coat of organic mulch. This provides nutrients for the growing crop, protects from water and wind erosion, retains the moisture, and decreases the need for weeding. Keeping soil tillage to a minimum helps the root systems to hold the soil in place and prevents micro organisms from being destroyed. The Food for Life program, which seeks to maintain a strong and healthy environment and avoid pollution, provides a sustainable agriculture that is not dependent on harsh chemicals and expensive fertilizers.
     The Director of Food for Life Bethesda, Urbain Lontchedji, said, “The program is good because people are starting to do something. …they are serious and have a will to prosper.”   
    According to Jean-Claude Mouditou, Mercy Ships Agriculture Program Facilitator, the program is promoted by radio ads and through Christian radio and churches. But it’s not strictly a Christian program. “We want everyone who has a need,” he said. “It glorifies God that we don’t limit the program to Christians.  We want everyone who has a need.”
   Information about the program is also offered at Bethesda’s many offices all over the county. Applicants are interviewed and twenty are chosen. This year, trainees were accepted from Togo. “If people have motivation and want to learn, we want them. Most are already farmers and have a deep desire to learn,.” said Mouditou.
     The program is free of charge currently. Mercy Ships supplies all the meals for trainees, seeds, light and tools.
     After completing the program, leaders meet with trainees once a month for follow-up, to see what everyone is doing and what they might need. Relationship is used to encourage each other, share problems and work with the inexperienced.
      Mouditou added, “I am very excited to see what God is doing for our students. He has given them many opportunities to do agriculture and teach many, many others the things they learn. I am so blessed to see that.”

ABEL DALOME BACKWARD KNEES

ABEL DALOME

     Abel is an unusually happy eleven-year-old, who says his favorite thing to do is to make friends.  His attitude is exceptional, considering the physical problem he has been living with for most of his life, and the reaction of most people to that problem.
     His childhood was normal 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. His legs were not growing as they should because there was so little musculature to direct them. As he grew, they began to bend backward at the knee, forcing his upper thighs out behind him. His parents took him to three different doctors, but none of them knew what to do for him.
    Despite this condition, the resolute Abel learned to lean forward, correcting his balance enough to walk, climb and do about anything any other active boy could do. He’s even the goalkeeper on his football (soccer) team. The only thing he couldn’t do was ride a bicycle, since it requires sitting straight on the seat and pumping down on the pedals from the front.
    His physical problem was so out of the ordinary, that the other children made him the object of ridicule, calling him terrible names and beating him. Yet, all of this never brought him to despair, never dampened his joyful spirit. His parents, however, were greatly concerned for his future.
     One day, there was an announcement on the radio that a Mercy Ship was coming to Togo, offering surgeries without charge. Abel’s father was hopeful that this time maybe something could be done for his son. He brought Abel to an orthopedic screening in Lome, where he received his appointment card for a surgery on the hospital ship Africa Mercy. Several days later, the volunteer surgeons straightened his left leg.
    A wonderful surprise awaited Abel when he awoke after surgery. His left leg was straight out in front of him, wrapped in a cast. He sat in his bed admiring it.  Then he asked his dad, seated beside his hospital bed, if his right leg would also be straight after the next surgery. His father assured him that it would. “If the other leg is going to be like this one, I am going to give a big thanks to the Lord,” said a jubilant Abel. In a few days, the second surgery straightened his right leg.
   The surgeries on Abel’s legs have required a long period of recovery. During that time, he and his dad have been staying at the Hospitality Center a short distance from the ship. Here, Abel did, indeed, make many friends among the other children recovering from   surgeries. Many times, Abel and his dad were transported to the ship for post operative care before the third procedure, plastic surgery on his knees. So, Abel has made many friends among the crew, also; flashing his brilliant smile in appreciation of all that is done for him.
     With the World Cup approaching, Abel is intensely interested in watching his favorite sport, and especially his favorite player, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba on TV. After so many weeks of recuperation, he is eagerly looking forward to getting out on the field himself. But his long-term goal is to become a surgeon some day, like those on the Mercy Ships “because of the things they have done for me,” he said.

KOSSIN DELOU NO LONGER AN OUTCAST!

Sixteen year old, Kossin Delou, spent the last four years of his life sheltered by his family and kept out of the public eye due to an enormous tumor that dominated the left side of his face. In the early stages of the tumor growth Kossin visited local hospitals in Lomé, Togo but due to lack of money Kossin’s family was not able to afford surgery. As the tumor grew larger, Kossin’s life steadily became more difficult.

The tumor grew from the upper jaw bone above the teeth. As it grew larger the growth started to cover his eye and hinder his vision. Kossin’s father is a local pastor and the church is an important part of his family life. Due to the difficulties created by his tumor, Kossin was shamed into staying home during his father’s church service.

Kossin’s dream is to study at a university to become a teacher. He is inspired to enrich the lives of children with knowledge and love. Such a deformity of the face would have kept Kossin from getting the proper education to be able to teach.

Physical problems are not the only worries Kossin endured during the four years of this tumor’s growth. Emotional turmoil has been his greatest demon. Children who were once friends ridiculed him on the streets and at school. He even felt like an outsider among his own siblings.


After many hours of surgery Kossin emerged with a newly constructed face. Joy radiated from Kossin and his family as he spent time in the Africa Mercy ward in recovery.

Kossin’s father, Pastor Delou, gives thanks and glory to God that such mercy was bestowed on his family. “In this life each one of us need help in some moments of our life. I can say that through Mercy ships, we have found that help.” Said Pastor Delou, “you can have a bad story but before the end of your life God will open a door and smile deep into your heart. I know that God is working through Mercy Ships for the best in my life and in Kossi’s life.”

Kossi can now join his family and friends at church service and play with his siblings without being made into an outcast. Also, in September of 2010 Kossi will be able to start school again where he will kickstart his education on his way to becoming a teacher.

 Just three weeks after his surgery, Kossi is healing well and is ecstatic about his new life.
















“I just want to thank everyone on Mercy Ships. I am so glad that Mercy Ships came through you people and blessed me”.

KODJO YOVOGAN - RAY OF HOPE!

Kodjo sat alone on a bench at the medical screening. His expression was intensely serious. An attractive young husband and father, he had a tumor the size of a grapefruit on his right cheek that curled around behind his ear. It had been growing since he was twelve years old.

     Kodjo had been an auto mechanic until the tumor grew so large it got in the way of his work.  To provide for his family, he began driving a taxi. Recently, the growth was having a negative effect on that job, too.

      He played several sports, and especially enjoyed football (soccer). But the growth of the tumor eventually stopped it all. He even stopped going to church, where he felt very self-conscious. The tumor was taking the joys of his life away.
    
     A Mercy Ships radio announcement provided a ray of hope. The hospital ship Africa Mercy was coming to Togo. “I trusted Mercy Ships could help me,” he said. He had heard about Mercy Ships when the Africa Mercy was in Togo in 2003, but wasn’t in Togo and could not get there before the field service was over.

    This time, he made sure he was there. The volunteer doctors performed the surgery to remove the tumor free of charge. Although Kodjo’s total recovery will take a few weeks, he can return to a more normal life now. “ I can go back to being a mechanic. I can go back to church. I’m going to start everything.  I can do anything now!” he said with great exhilaration.

 

As he left the ship, Kodjo said he was thanking God for everything that had happened to him aboard. “The hand of God is in everything here,” he added.

AMA TREVE-UNSHROUDED SHAME NO MORE!

Ama wore a scarf around her head to hide the right side of her face. For three years, a tumor had been relentlessly growing and devastating her lfie. People whispered that the growth was evidence of demons within the lovely young woman. Her husband abandoned her and her ten-year-old daughter.




As a child, Ama became a Christian and had always loved to attend Sunday morning worship services. The tumor even took that joy away from her. Now she only went to church in the evening when attendance was lower- with fewer people to stare at her and wonder about her. With hope waning, she became very withdrawn.

But her hope was renewed when she heard about a hospital ship coming to the neighboring country of Togo. The ship’s doctors performed surgeries without charge. Ama made arrangements to stay with her sister, who lived just a few miles from the harbour. Ama’s brother gladly agreed to take care of her daughter while she made the trip.

Her hope was rewarded1 She received the precious appointment card for a surgery aboard the Africa Mercy, and Mercy Ships volunteer surgeons successfully removed the benign tumor.

Now, Ama is recovering- with loving support from her ten sisters and her brother. Her total recovery will take some time, with follow-up visits to the Africa Mercy for extended care. But the future is bright. She looks forward to getting back to work as a seamstress and hairdresser.

Ama’s sister says, “I give a great big thanks to the Lord. There was no hope for a long time. But the Lord is working through Mercy Ships to bring the ship here. May God bless the work of the Mercy Ships.”

INFANT FEEDING PROGRAM

Marius Attitta a few weeks after birth.  He is malnutritioned with cleft lip and palate.  He is put on a 6 week feeding program prior to his surgery.  He will be reevaluated after the 6 weeks to see if his weight gain is up to the recommended weight for his cleft lip surgery.

Program Director Hettie Hienstra, enjoys spending time with patient, Marius Attitta










Hettie measures patient’s head circumference

 Marius Attitta spends quality time with his mother as she feeds him with a special technique learned in the infant feeding program








 
Hettie instructs the mother on how to feed her child.

Marius is weighed in2.8 kg. 











Marius gets his heart rate taken during a routine check up for the infant feeding program. 

HOSPITALITY CENTER HOME FOR THE RECOVERING

HOSPITALITY CENTER

  The Hospitality Center, situated about 3 ½ km. (two miles) from where the Africa Mercy is docked, opened its doors the first week in March. The 40 bed facility offers overnight provision for up to 90 patients awaiting surgeries and other procedures, as well as on-land office space for eye services and other programs. The Center housed 88 patients and caregivers overnight to prevent travel problems during Togo’s recent national election.

 Pre-op and post -op services for 240 eye patients, including 80 cataract surgeries, were handled during the first week of operation. According to Eye Specialist Woody Hopper, who heads the eye services office, “It is expected that 1600 eye patients will pass through the facility during this field service.”

Surrounded by a gated cement wall, the facility is a peaceful oasis in the middle of the tumultuous city of Lomé.  The Center is housed in a government-owned clinic in the process of becoming a hospital. The Togolese government is allowing the use of one wing for this facility for the duration of the Togo field service. Mercy Ships workers have replaced the leaky roof, installed electricity and air conditioning, and done a total cleaning. The result is a sanitary, up-to-date, and pleasant place for patients awaiting medical services.

      The management team, Barry and Cheryl Wells, Chris Coburn, and Ellen DePagter, share the work load.  In addition, there are 22 day volunteers, working in teams, who do maintenance, drive the shuttles, and assist guests. Ellen heads the education and training sessions. The Hospitality Center is under the supervision of Mark Palmer, Land Based Programs Manager. All surgeries take place on the Africa Mercy.

 Opening day, the first group of 30 patients received pre-op services before Dr. Glen Strauss performed their eye surgeries onboard. They returned to the Center for post-op care and assembled on the outdoor foyer, where they received instruction, as well as complimentary pouches containing products for their eye care between visits to the Center. Assistants Innocent Kugbeyo and Marcel Goussunoo gave instructions in both  French, Togo’s official language, and Ewe, one of the country’s most prevalent tribal languages.

      Following the instruction session, Innocent led the group in prayer. He then produced his native drum, and praying became a celebration in song. “I’m giving thanks to God. I will always call on God”   they sang with smiling faces and arms raised, as they moved in unison to the music. Soon, everyone in the immediate area was singing and dancing with them. Once laser surgeries begin, such prayer and celebrations will take place every Friday for up to 120 patients, thanking God in song for His goodness.

      Innocent and Marcel were day volunteers in Benin last year, and were trained to assist in the eye program. They lead worship and function as translators. Innocent says he loves what he is doing. “It’s a very pleasure to work with Mercy Ships,” he said. “I worked in Benin last year and (after this field service) plan to finish my discipleship training in Ghana so I can return to work with Mercy Ships.”
      Woody Hopper added, “We were blessed to have (workers) that were trained last year in Benin. It makes it so much easier because they know what to do”.
     As patients were leaving the facility, one man, Kossi Diabo, smiled  widely.  “I am very happy to be here this morning to get a healing from God,” he said, “and would thank Mercy Ships for what they are doing. First I can’t see anything. Now, I can see! May God encourage you and give you strength.”