Partnering with local healthcare workers and churches in medically underserved countries, Odessa, Texas-based Mercy Trips Healthcare Outreach provides free medical clinics and surgical care as an outreach of Christian love for our fellow man.
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| Mercy Trips Photo |
August 3-4
We ended up having one last patient at the Hospital this morning, while making final post-op rounds. There was a cute 2 year old little girl who had fallen and cut a 3 inch gash in her scalp. She was very cooperative for her age, letting us suture her scalp. Following a 5 hour drive to our hotel in Kampala we had a nice team dinner and went out to the Kampala palace for a royal audience with the queen mother of the Tooro Kingdom. This involved a three hour sit in a traffic jam and a very late night.
Trip summation by the numbers:
Surgeries 25 - about half complex hernia cases and half assorted excisions of masses.
Villages - 2756 seen by providers - 133vaccines given - 1229 vitamin A doses for children - 1934 children de-wormed - for 6052 total treatments
Final thoughts from the team:
Coming to Uganda is always a surprising journey not knowing what our schedule is for the day, meeting new people and sometimes facing illnesses that are untreatable. Despite these differences, the people of this country always have a warm spirit and show true value of friendship. Words cannot express how full my heart is when we get to be here and I am thankful for these opportunities. With that being said, Uganda is my home and will always have a very special place in my heart! - Natalie
I have missed Uganda so much! I've made many new friends & rekindled old relationships. I have been touched by the people and awed by the landscape. As a team we have experienced joy & laughter, and we have shared loss, heartbreak & tears. Most importantly we have felt the presence of the Holy Spirit every place we have been. I pray that they have seen the the presence of Christ through us. - Dr. Jack
First I want to thank Mercy Trips for this opportunity. I was able to find a passion for the OR and see nursing in a different aspect. Mercy trips is so much more than sending a group of people over to Africa to give aid to the needy. I'm so blessed to call this group of people my brothers and sisters in Christ, my family. I have truly been moved by the Ugandan people and my heart has been changed forever. God's presence is so alive in these people and they have changed every assumption I had about them prior to coming on this trip! If only ALL Americans could look to the Ugandan's to see what bold faith they have I think the world would be a different place. I'll never say goodbye.. I'll just say until next time! This will always be home and I can't wait to come back. - Jasmin
I'm blessed to have had the opportunity to be apart of this team. I have been able to experience extreme joy and pain on this trip, even though it was only two weeks. Still I am humbled that God is so good to us. - Jetcy
Thank you to MercyTrips for allowing me the opportunity to be part of the team. This experience is priceless and humbling. The Ugandan's are welcoming and so beautiful. I hope the small ripple of work we completed is multiplied by God. You all will be in my prayers and I hope we'll be in yours. - Marie
Another Mercy Trip experience completed with a really wonderful group of people. God has more than blessed each of us and enabled us to care for the Uganda people according to the talents He has given us. Looking forward to another trip, God willing. - Judi
I really don't know where to start with my final thoughts on this trip to Uganda. It is incredibly difficult to put into words what this experience has brought to my life, I am forever touched by this country and its people, my work here is not complete - I will be back. I am sad to leave but I hope I am returning home to my family a better person. Thank you to Mercy Trips, thank you to all my team members (I love you all so much), thank you to my new Ugandan family, and thank you UGANDA for welcoming me into your country, your lives and your hearts! - Shannon
It was wonderful to have met and worked with such a dedicated group of people. Thank you Shannon for this lovely and life changing adventure. - Johnette
It does not matter how many times I come to Uganda to the East or West, God does a mighty work in each of our lives. We come to give but receive so much more! We worked long, hard days and traveled over many bad roads for hours. It was amazing to see and experience how God met with us along the way and often worked things out before we even asked. It has been incredible how God has worked! - Christine
This has been a great trip,especially to western Uganda. I would like to thank Pastor Moses for all he has helped us with to have this trip. I hope we have been able to help some people over these 2 weeks. Everyone has worked well together to make sure this has been enjoyable. - Dr. Jim
By the numbers this was a successful trip for the Mercy Trips team, but it was more than that, much more. It was a trip where we served together, laughed together, cried together, prayed together, sang together, worshiped together, danced together, got mad, got happy, got sad, got silly, felt hope, felt love, felt life, witnessed death, and witnessed re-birth. All together. We witnessed God in action in all of these. The beautiful setting of Uganda and its lovely people intensifies all of these. It's mesmerizing really, watching the Lord work in people's lives in such a concentrated fashion; the team, as well as those they served. I watched His hands serve, I watched his heart cry, I watched his words speak love, I watched his actions show love. I am in Awe of the God we serve, humbled into a crumpled mass in the corner of the room trembling in His presence. There is nothing that escapes His attention, nothing that is beyond his reach, nothing that is not included in his plans. We leave Uganda with an immense gratitude, a tiredness from hard work, a feeling of happiness for those that received help, an ache for those we could not help, a determination for doing better, a love for those we served, and those we served with; and a joy for those that were reached with His ultimate love gift, new life in Christ Jesus. These are the things that really cannot be put into words, these are the things that capture the hearts of those who come, these are the things that keep me doing what I do. God bless and keep all of you who shared this brief journey with us. Until next time --- Dr. Craig
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P.O. Box 13795
Odessa, TX 79768
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