Mercy Ships^®

As we head to spend time with our family and friends, let us all remember that we have very good reason to be thankful - Christ has come! I'll be heading to Korea to see my aging grandparents.  Although their body may be failing them, I find myself always coming away rejoicing with them as they bear witness to Christ's love in their lives.  My grandparents are a prime example of a couple who, regardless their situation, give thanks.

The crew on the Africa Mercy also have a lot to be thankful for this year.  Mercy Ships^® has completed ...

I grew up singing a blessing song that started off with these words: "You were born to be loved."  My father gently reminded me of these exact words last Sunday, challenging me to live fully by loving others.

Loving others like Jesus loved us is what Mercy Ships^® does best! Last year in Liberia, they performed 17,610 eye surgeries/treatments, 11,081 dental procedures and trained 456 community leaders in health care and community health training! Take a look at this report (pg. 14) for the rest of the numbers.

That was 2008.  Now it is 2009 and they ...

I was shocked when I searched for "Mercy Ships^®" in Google Trends, a search utility providing interesting information of different words searched globally.  I expected for the majority of the searches made for "Mercy Ships^®" to be in the United States, but I was wrong!  The United States ranked 9^th, behind countries like South Africa (1^st), New Zealand (2^nd) and Netherlands (3^rd). 

As I looked at the rankings, I realized just how small my world was, and how I assumed everyone else had to fit into my tiny perspective! Of course Mercy Ships^® has an international ...

When I think of fund raising, I normally think of car washes, lemonade stands, or even concerts.  Chris Williamson, a Swiss lawyer, had a different idea!  Adopting a nautical theme to his cause, he and a team of 3 other friends swam the English channel, crossing from England to France!  This goose fat covered, Speedo wearing team has raised nearly $6,500 for Mercy Ships^®!

I'll be the first one to say that swimming for nearly 14 hours isn't my ideal way to raise funds! Thankfully, there are other ways! Pastor Rob and his 38 Vacation Bible School ...