Ships that sail for one reason, Mercy

Chris Bramlett, center, displays a t-shirt left over from Hurricane Katrina. Although Mercy Ships provide services overseas, the organization does help in the United States. Bramlett spokes to the Oilpatch Breakfast Kiwanis Club Friday at the invitation of Ricki Oubre, far right. ALso pictured ins Kiwanis President Amelia Free. (News Herald Photo by Brenda Allums) Chris Bramlett spent a lot of her time cruising around the world. But if you think she was on vacation, think again.

Bramlett is a volunteer for Mercy Ships, a global charity dedicated to providing medical services in areas of the world where medicine and medical services are non-existent.

Bramlett, national field coordinator for the speakers network for Mercy Ships, addressed members of the Kilgore Oilpatch Breakfast Kiwanis Club Friday morning at the Kilgore Public Library.

"We depend on volunteers, sponsors and donations from all over the world to help us," she said, "and we have to be invited into a country."

Mercy Ships has three ships in its fleet that travel to ports all over the world. The largest of the ships helped during Hurricane Katrina because it was docked up river when the storm hit.

"It's not seaworthy now, but will be back in action soon," she said.

She had visited 43 countries, studying the culture and dietary habits of the people.

"I've been in the jungles of South America, Borneo, Central Africa and have worked with doctors in Mongolia studying a newly-discovered bacteria," she said. "I taken Bibles to Russia and served six tours as an operating room nurse in VietNam."

She said the organization is currently negotiating with Pakistan and Iran for permission to dock and provide medical services to the residents.

Bramlett has been with the organization for five years, serving on two of the three ships.

"Doctors and nurses come from all over the world to help some stay a few weeks, others for a year or lifetime," she said.

She said age is not a factor for the organization's volunteers.

"Young and old can volunteer for tours on Mercy Ships or for our outreach programs in the U.S."

She said Mercy Ships receives a lot of support from church organizations all over the nation.

Upon arriving in a port, Bramlett said literally thousands of people are waiting for medical help.

"We screen those we feel can be helped through our services, sometimes we help maybe 700 out of the thousands needing attention," she said. "It breaks your heart to have to turn those people away.

"Even if the people we serve had medicine and medical services, they couldn't afford them," Bramlett said.

Mercy Ships has started a new program -distribution of eye glasses.

"They are made of special strong frames," Bramlett said. "When we leave a port the people don't have the means to get things repaired.

Mercy Ships was organized in 1978, and has treated over 300,000 people and provided more than $30 million in hospital, medical and construction equipment in 95 ports around the world

"Mercy Ships is about bringing the message of God's love by serving the poor," she said. "Those who volunteer pay their own expenses."

Bramlett said physicians are known to close their practices for weeks to help.

"The people who serve with us are heroes," she said.

Anyone wishing to volunteer or make a donation, should contact Mercy Ships at 1-800772-SHIP or visit the organizations web site at www.mercyships. org.