My service with Mercy Ships on the m/v Africa Mercy

Please join me on my African Mercy Mission! Photos: Debra Bell

Email: dbafricajourney@gmail.com /
blog: http://debonroad.blogspot.com/
Phone the ship: 1-954-538-6110 - ext 1610

Proverbs 31:8-9 “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Who Is Mercy Ships? http://www.mercyships.org/
Mercy Ships, a global charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978, is the leader in using ships to deliver free world-class health care and community development services to the world's forgotten poor. Mercy Ships has chosen to follow the 2,000 year-old model of Jesus: the blind see, the lame walk, the mute speak. Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the forgotten poor by mobilizing people and resources worldwide, and serving all people without regard for race, gender, or religion. The newest vessel the m/v Africa Mercy is the world's largest charity hospital ship, with six operating theatres, 78 hospital beds and crew of 450 + volunteers. Ship specs: length-152m, breadth-23.7m
(for more info go to my Jan 2011 archive: MERCY SHIPS and the m/v AFRICA MERCY HISTORY: 1/14/2011 update)

PARTNERSHIP WITH DEBRA: Please prayerfully consider partnering with me as I serve the ministry of Mercy Ships and the forgotten poor of the nations of West Africa. I am the ship's photographer, capturing impacting visuals that enable Mercy Ships to share with the world the hope and healing of a better life for the people of West Africa. We as volunteers are required to raise funds for participation in Mercy Ships project expenses such as crew fees and living expenses. Your donations, prayers and encouragement will make a great difference in the lives of the people we serve. It will allow me the honor to partner with you and enable me to continue serving long term with Mercy Ships. Thank you to those who have blessed me with friendships, partnerships & prayer support. Many lives have been changed including my own. For this I am eternally grateful.

OPTIONS FOR DONATING:
1) Donate Directly On Line
2) Send tax-deductible checks payable to Mercy Ships, indicate on a separate note donation for Mercy Ships Project #2077

CANADIAN Donations mail checks to:
Donor Services, Mercy Ships Canada, #5-3318 Oak St, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8X 1R1, Toll Free ph: 1-866-900-7447 /
To set up credit card or debit donations: Ph: 250-381-2160
web:
www.mercyships.ca / email: msca@mercyships.ca
(Identify donations with Project #2077)

CANADIAN Direct ON LINE Donations click here:

http://mercyships.donorpages.com/MERCYGIFTS/DebraBell: (Identify donation by Project #2077)

USA & other Country Donations mail checks to:
Donor Services, Mercy Ships Shipmates, Box 2020, Lindale, TX, USA, 75771, Ph: +1-903-939-7190
(Identify donations with Project #USMS2077
USA Toll Free ph: 1-800-772-7447 www.mercyships.org /

USA & other Country Direct ON LINE Donations click here:
https://connect.mercyships.org/page/outreach/view/crewmates/Debra

Mercy Ships Crew Mates -Debra's Bio Donate-Contribute Now. (Identify donation by Project #2077)

Thursday, January 20, 2011

MERCY SHIPS and the m/v AFRICA MERCY HISTORY: 1/14/2011 update

§ Mercy Ships, a global charity, has operated a fleet of hospital ships in developing nations since 1978.
§ Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the forgotten poor, mobilizing people and resources worldwide.

§ The History of our ships:
· The Africa Mercy is a 16,500-ton vessel that recently completed an extensive renovation to become a state-of-the-art hospital ship to serve the nations of Africa. In May 2007 this newest ship, with her crew of 450, embarked upon her first field service to Monrovia, Liberia
· The 522-foot Anastasis was our flag ship, and completed her first relief mission in 1982 to Guatemala. She and her crew of 400 primarily worked in Africa up until she was decommissioned in July 2007.
· Acquired in 1994, the 265-foot Caribbean Mercy with her crew of 150 focused on the Caribbean basin and Central America with its Eye Surgery Unit. The ship was sold in 2006.
· Acquired in 1983, the 172-foot Good Samaritan served the Caribbean, Central and South America for 11 years with her crew of 60, offering over 145,000 eye and dental services. The ship was renamed the Island Mercy in 1994 and redeployed to the South Pacific, where she served until sold in 2001.

Acts of Mercy to date:
· Performed services valued more than $834 million, impacting about 2.9 million people.
· Performed more than 56,000 operations that are free to the patients such as cleft lip and palate, cataract removal, straightening of crossed eyes, orthopaedic and facial reconstruction.
· Treated over 520,000 patients in village medical and dental clinics
· Educated about 29,000 local health care workers, who have in turn trained multiple thousands in primary health care.
· Trained local medical professionals in modern health care techniques.
· Completed over 1,095 community development projects focusing on water and sanitation, education, infrastructure development and agriculture.
· Completed over 563 port visits in 53 developing nations and 17 developed nations.
§ Mercy Ships has over 1,200 volunteer world wide crew from over 40 nations annually
§ The Africa Mercy has six state of the art operating theaters

clip_image002http://www.mercyships.org/

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

MERCY SHIPS THANKYOU FUNCTION – SA PARTNERSHIPS (Jan 17, 2011)

Our crew of the Africa Mercy hosted a Thankyou function to express our gratitude and to honour our South African partnerships during our visit and drydock time in South Africa.  The function was held at the Seafarers Centre near the Durban Port.
Photos:
1 & 2) Donovan Palmer AFM Managing Director gives a power point presentation
3) Brenda Van Straten-PR director greets Nosipho Mpama from Department of Health 
4) AFM Chef-Jesse Mitchel prepares snacks for the guests
5) (L-R) Guest-Ronnie Naidoo and Bryan Stainbank from King & Sons, Robin Hopper-AFM  Hospital Project Manager, Woody Hopper-AFM Eye Team
6-8) Donovan Palmer-AFM Managing Director gave tours on the AFM to our SA partners. 1) Operating theatre 2) CTSCanner 3) Deck 7

Donovan Palmer AFM Managing Director gives power point presentation.   Donovan Palmer AFM Managing Director gives power point presentation of the AFM during drydock
Brenda Van Straten-PR director greets Nosipho Mpama from Department of Health
  








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Donovan Palmer-AFM Managing Director tours the SA partners on the AFM in the one of the Operating theatres.
South AFrica Board of Director in the CTScanner room on tour during the Thank you function

Donovan Palmer-AFM Managing Director tours the SA partners on the AFM on Deck 7