Weekly Scoop (7 March)

NEWS UPDATES

OBF Update

We're passed the halfway mark in our OBF program and nearly 200 women have received free surgeries aboard the Africa Mercy. Many have returned home completely restored while others continue to pursue full physical healing. No matter their final result, these women have experienced the power of community and unconditional love at Mercy Ships land-based OBF Clinic. With 10 weeks to go in our surgery schedule, we look forward to many more women receiving their healing!

PATIENT UPDATES

Lalao's Grateful Heart

Losing her job because of her appearance was devastating for Lalao. The goiter made her neck very thick and she wore a scarf to cover the lump at the base. Lalao's hope was fulfilled when she was offered free surgery on the Mercy Ship, but her condition required frequent pre-operative checks and blood tests. This meant travelling for nine hours each way, each time, each month. Without a steady job it was difficult to find transport money and sometimes she had to borrow. When she received news that she was ready for surgery Lalao sold the last of the family chickens to buy a bus ticket to the coast.

Lalao's beaming grin reflects her grateful heart. "The most important thing is that the goiter is gone and I'm healthy! I look in the mirror and I'm amazed each time! I'll be able to go back to work and pay back what I owe." 

Serafine

Like so many of our patients, arriving to the Mercy Ship was a whole world of new experiences for Serafine. The 54 year-old farmer's wife had been told by her children about the free goiter surgeries being offered after they saw a local Madagascar news programme about the ship's work. 

"I had no money for surgery. I'm really, really happy and thank God for sending Mercy Ships with the free surgery," she says. "I had never heard of a hospital on a ship before. I was not afraid. God gave me this solution. Thank you for coming to Madagascar and taking care of us."

PRAYER REQUESTS

Healing for Plastics Patients

It began with a surgery to release a contracture but two months later some of our plastics patients are still in the middle of their healing. They've endured countless bandage changes, hours of physical therapy and overcome infections. Will you join us in praying for their final steps of their journey towards healing?

OBF Surgeries Resume

After a brief pause in between surgeons, OBF surgeries resumed this week as we welcomed a new group of ladies for evaluation. This past Tuesday was International Women's Day and as the ladies were seen by the surgeon, they also had the job of a surprise luncheon celebration. We lift these ladies up in prayer as we watch them take their first steps in their journey towards hope and restoration.

CREW BIO: Elizabeth Harter (USA)

Nurse Elizabeth Harter describes being deeply touched mid-shift in the Africa Mercy B Ward. She noticed the room full of patients got up and gathered around a child's bed. She heard one of the patients ask Grandma, the patient's caregiver, if they could pray for the child who had developed medical complications. The group of all ages, sporting a whole range of bandages themselves, joined hands and prayed for the child's recovery.

"In that moment you know you haven't just helped them physically, you have made an impact spiritually too," reflects Elizabeth.

Elizabeth heard about Mercy Ships when she was in high school, but she never considered volunteering until her graduation from nursing school. She was looking for mission opportunities that would include a chance to build relationships over a period of time with the people she was serving. When she came across Mercy Ships she thought, "This is it! This is what I wanted!" The more she learned, the more excited she got. 

"It's so evident that God is working through this. I wanted to be a part of it!"

So the orthopaedic trauma nurse from Nashville, TN signed up to serve with the Africa Mercy for the complete ten-month Madagascar II field service. The mission has impacted her so much that she is seriously considering extending her voluntary work for the next field service beginning in August in Benin. 

"I'm an extrovert! I love the constant hum of people and the community," she says. "I love being surrounded by everybody. Being here with the same mind and purpose bonds us in a special way."

One of the big surprises for Elizabeth was the depth of involvement Mercy Ships has with the host nation. She was aware of the surgical work, the dental and healthcare services that are provided, but the scope of Medical Capacity Building was a new concept. She has grown to appreciate the lasting impact of supporting growth in the healthcare system.

"It allows the work of Mercy Ships to continue helping people long after the ship has gone," she observes. "What is most impressive to me is that Mercy Ships cares not just about their impact but about the people and the country too." 

As hard as Elizabeth will find it to say goodbye to Madagascar and so many friends at the end of her 10 months serving its people, she is also really excited about heading back to West Africa. "It seems like a different kind of heartbeat."