Waves of Mercy Online - February 2008

February 2008

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MERCY RETURNS!

If I described the medical situation in Liberia, you might think the statistics were made up.

You might not believe there are only a few dozen doctors to care for the 3.3 million people, or that many of the hospitals were destroyed or made inoperable by two decades of civil war. But Liberia is slowly recovering from their lengthy civil war and a new day is dawning in this precious country.

Meet the Crew

Ananda Samaraweera
Since signing on as a third-engineer with Mercy Ships, Ananda Samaraweera -- a Sri Lankan by birth -- has sailed both sides of The Atlantic Ocean . . . and into a closer relationship with God.

On his original application in 1991, he wrote: "I’m not a Christian . . . but I like the work that you do. I’m a humanist. I like to help people." Nevertheless, Ananda battled a deep-seated bitterness about life.

MERCY SHIPS RESPONDS TO A PRESIDENTIAL CALL FOR AID
The Africa Mercy returns to Liberia as thousands more seek urgent medical help

MONROVIA, Liberia -- For the fourth time, Mercy Ships has returned to the Port of Monrovia, supplying hope and healing to thousands of people who live in one of the poorest regions on earth.

As Liberia rebuilds a health care system ravaged by 20 years of civil war, "the Africa Mercy offers an indispensable bridge by responding to individual medical crises," says Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who personally requested the return of the hospital ship.

The Africa Mercy is projected to provide 7,000

procedures during her 10-month stay in Liberia, transforming the lives of men, women, and children who are suffering and even dying for lack of sufficient medical help.

Thanks to your compassion, prayers, and generosity, Africa Mercy's crew will provide those desperately needed medical services free of charge. We will also train and mentor Liberian clinicians and scientists as well as support construction and renovation of health facilities to provide ongoing healing. Thank you, Mercy Ships supporters!

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'My Son Has Life!'
Faith Sustains a Family During a Long Journey to Mercy

A family's trek across two African nations left them penniless and far from home, yet filled with gratitude for the generosity, love, and care that healed their infant son.

Finella recalls the reaction she faced after the birth of her son, Tamba, whose forehead was disfigured by a large tumor. "Throw the child away," was the painful advice Finella received.

Unwilling to abandon their suffering baby, Finella and her husband, Ishaka, took him from their village in Sierra Leone to Freetown, the capital. They spent their savings on useless medicines.

Still, they refused to give up hope and were blessed with a miracle.

Although they were urged to abandon their son, faith led them hundreds of miles from their remote village to the Africa Mercy, where surgeons removed the congenital tumor from the infant’s forehead.

A FAMILY CALLS OUT TO GOD
Their prayers are answered through the arrival of a Mercy Ship.

When local doctors said they could do nothing for 18-month-old Cyrus, his parents cried out to God for a surgeon who could remove the tumor protruding from the infant’s neck.

"To see our baby looking like he did . . . no one wants to have that. We just prayed God would intervene in some way," says Mary, the baby’s mother.

Their prayers were answered with news that a Mercy Ship was coming to Liberia.

"When I first saw the hospital ship I was amazed!" Mary laughs. "I was overcome with joy and just prayed the surgeons really could help my son."

(BEFORE) Disfigured by a tumor that prevented him from holding his head upright, Cyrus’s future was uncertain until his parents called out to God for help and found their prayers answered through the arrival of a Mercy Ship.