Give. Love. Serve. - Medical Mission with Mercy Ships

The Bible states, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." -1 Peter 4:10.

Growing up as the daughter of a Children's Minister, I watched my parents serve others continuously, both of them having a true heart of a servant. They helped plant in me that same heart & the desire to serve others, just as Jesus did for so many. My desire is to take all the gifts that God has blessed me with & give all that I am to serving others, those in need of help, hope, prayer, & love!

From September 2016 through May 2017, I will be volunteering as Senior Radiologic Technologist with Mercy Ships in Cotonou, Benin - Africa! I'm so excited to have the opportunity to serve with such an amazing, Christ centered organization.

Mercy Ships is a non-governmental medical organization that provides life-changing medical care to some of the poorest, most unprivileged people in need, completely FREE of charge. Aboard a retired ocean liner turned hospital, they provide life-changing medical care including but not limited to: numerous surgical procedures, orthopedic care, dental care, physical therapies, eye care, exc. Also, while those patients in need of inpatient care aboard the Africa Mercy, other medical crew members hold dental clinics & medical clinics for those in need of more minor care. In addition, the Mercy Africa provides a classroom setting to teach community healthcare education & construction & agricultural training. So when the Africa Mercy departs, they, the community, will have a better knowledge of certain diseases & conditions & how to properly care & treat them, as well as how to better provide for their family using what they have. The values of Mercy Ships are as follows:

"Desiring to follow the model of Jesus, we seek to; Love God. Love & serve others. Be people of integrity. Be people of excellence in all we say & do."

Their mission, based on Jesus & His example on loving EVERYONE, bringing hope to EVERYONE, & healing EVERYONE who is in need. Regardless of their circumstances. All they see are people in need of love, hope, help, & healing...& that's exactly what they provide to some of the world's most poor & forgotten people.
And I'm so very honored they have asked me to be apart of this mission! Everyone serving aboard the Africa Mercy is serving as a volunteer. Some serve for weeks, some for months & some serve for years. But they (we) all have the same common goal:

To love & serve others as our Savior has done & as He has taught us to do. To take our individual gifts that He instilled in us & use them to help restore health & wellbeing, both physical & spiritual, among those in need, & more importantly share His message to everyone we meet in the process.

If each one of you reading this would be willing to purchase a t-shirt, you will be helping provide free, life-hanging & life-saving medical care to so many in Africa. People who walk for days & days, miles & miles from their homes just to be screened & seen by our medical staff.

So please, open your hearts & help support this amazing cause! Thank you all for your love & may God bless y all!

~Holly E. Franklin