MaritimeMercy.com

As we enter a new decade there is always danger of looking at the new and unknown with fear. In contrast to faith fear is a filter who distorts reality. One becomes afraid of something that didn’t happen yet. An example of looking at live through a lens of fear is told by Jesus in the parable of the talents. In fear, a servant, bury the talent he was given to invest choosing to do nothing instead of acting in faith. The challenges of this new decade require faith; faith that God is in control of our lives, and his plans humanity are good. This was the problem with the servant who dug the whole to hide what his master gave him. He saw his master as mean and insensitive person, ready to punish him for his failures. His vision of God affected his choice and actions. How in a world driven by fear do we move from fear to faith? A good place to start is by looking at the evidence of God’s faithfulness. The psalmist, in Psalm 8, reflected on the works of God’s hands. Like the Psalmist we too

The 2009 Mercy Ships Benin Field Service served 67,219 people. It is amazing, a total of 97,625 procedures done. Bellow is how it happened: 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 Burkett's Lymphoma patients received