Sailing!

We have now been sailing for 8 days, we have travel up and around the West Coast of Africa from Benin towards Tenerife.  

So we say goodbye to Benin with the ship having spent 10 months here.  The following is a summary of a small part of what we have done here.  These statistics alone cannot convey what has happened in Benin through the work of Mercy Ships.  These statistics don't tell of the friendships built and the hope shared, they don't show the many local people who worked on the ship as day volunteers and spent time with us.  They don't tell you how many orphans were played with and allowed the joy of colouring, or prisoners who finally had someone to talk to, or churches who invited us in to have fellowship with them as we all realise how God is the same wherever you are.  These figures are only a small part of what is achieved through Mercy Ships, but hopefully they give a small idea of the scale of what goes on here.

33,851 eye evaluations and other treatments;
13,174 oral health education;
10,175 dental patients seen;
7,083 pairs of sunglasses distributed;
5,689 pairs of reading glasses distributed;
3,521 cataracts removed;
1,161 general surgeries;
996 reconstructive and plastic surgeries;
794 dental hygiene patients;
570 other eye surgeries (pterygia and stabismus);
231 orthopedic operations;
154 obstetric fistulas repaired;
185 cleft lip and palate repairs;
119 church & community leaders trained in mental health;
50 prison officers and workers trained in mental health;
28 patients received palliative home care;
25 oral health teachers trained;
23 local agricultural trainees;
19 mental health workers trained;
19 families trained in wound care;
18 community eye field workers trained;
10 agricultural staff trained;
6 Burkitt's Lymphoma patients received palliative support;
2 local surgeons trained;
2 local eye surgeons trained;
4 local surgeons trained in fistula repair;
2 dental assistants trained;
1 hostel constructed for agricultural college;
2 church leaders conferences attended by 602 attendants;
and 12,000 people watched the Jesus Film

In total we have directly helped almost 80,000 people in Benin. A record breaking field service for Mercy Ships.

So goodbye Benin, it was good to be here if only for a short while.

 

 

 

 

The first few days of the sail were really smooth, far smoother than it was on my Introduction to Mercy Ships course which was on a small boat (held 30 people) for a few days, however, as time has gone on the ship has begun to rock more (although it is still rather smooth really).  Certainly we are sailing onto new waters and new opportunities.